At St. Luke's, Vargas offered to take Nicole out for lunch, but she declined the offer, explaining that she had a lot of work that she needed to finish before Eric returned to Salem later that day. Vargas nodded and walked away, but he later returned with food. Nicole tried to resist the temptation, since she was still extremely busy, so Vargas decided to help her complete the task so that neither of them would have to starve.
Later, Nicole thanked Vargas for helping her finish the work, estimating that it probably would have otherwise taken her the entire night to complete the project. Vargas said that would have been a waste of a perfectly good night, and Nicole pointed out that he had wasted a perfectly good morning so that he could help her. "That's true, but, uh, you know, time spent with you is not wasted," Vargas countered.
As Nicole and Vargas enjoyed their food, she promised to pay for his next meal, suggesting that he might enjoy a bowl of the best clam chowder in town. "That is, if you don't get your stomach turned by a sanctimonious Brady or two," Nicole dryly added. Vargas politely declined the offer, and Nicole guessed that it was probably difficult for him to walk around Salem, where he didn't know anyone, but everyone knew that he was an ex-convict.
Nicole said that she had once been in Vargas' shoes, but he insisted that she wasn't an ex-convict -- she was just a gorgeous girl who had once made a mistake. Nicole admitted that it would probably be more accurate to say that she had made one hundred mistakes. Vargas said that might be why he had always felt comfortable around Nicole.
Nicole was certain that Vargas, who had some considerable computer skills, would eventually be able to find a better job, leave St. Luke's, and start to meet more people. Vargas wondered why Nicole had assumed that he would ever want to leave St. Luke's. Later, Vargas revealed the cream-filled doughnuts that he had purchased earlier, and Nicole excitedly grabbed one.
Vargas shook a can of whipped cream and sprayed some of it on the top of Nicole's doughnut, covering her fingers in the process. Nicole pointed out that the doughnuts were already filled with cream, and Vargas shrugged and unapologetically stated that he was a glutton. Vargas licked some of the whipped cream off of Nicole's fingers before passionately kissing her, and they continued to kiss as they cleared some space on a nearby desk and leaned over it.
At the hospital, Theo rushed into a break room and excitedly greeted Cameron. Abe noted that he and Theo hadn't seen Cameron recently, and he wondered where Cameron had been hiding. Cameron vaguely stated that he had been around. A short time later, a doctor arrived to take Theo to his occupational therapy session.
After Theo left, Cameron started to excuse himself so that he could take a letter of recommendation to someone, but Abe stopped him. Abe said that Theo adored Cameron, and Cameron returned the sentiment. Abe added that Theo was a kid who needed stability in his life. Cameron promised that he wasn't going to go anywhere. "Well, good...because lately, you don't seem to have time for him," Abe observed.
Cameron pointed out that resident physicians led crazy lives, and Abe said that he understood, since he had once been married to one. Abe pointedly added that Lexie had always managed to make time for the things that had been important to her. Cameron warned Abe to refrain from speculating about the things that were important to Cameron.
"Fine, fine -- then I'll tell you what's important to me. You're the only family in Salem on Lexie's side who's not a DiMera, and it means a lot to me that Theo spends time with his Uncle Cameron," Abe said. Cameron confirmed that he felt the same way, adding that he might be able to start spending more time with Theo after the next month or two had passed.
Abe wasn't pleased, but Cameron insisted that he simply didn't have time for anything else at the moment -- including the conversation that they were having. "Then make time. And tell me what's really going on here," Abe replied. Abe followed Cameron into the waiting area, where Cameron admitted that he had been working eighty hours each week.
Abe noted that it was illegal for the hospital to ask Cameron to work that often, but Cameron quietly countered that it wasn't illegal if the extra hours were being worked at a second job. Cameron assured Abe that he was going to quit the second job as soon as his student loans were paid off. "What kind of doctor are you gonna be if you're running on empty all the time?" Abe asked, unaware that Maxine was standing nearby.
Cameron insisted that he was fine, but Abe wasn't convinced. Cameron impatiently pointed out that he had never asked for Abe's opinion on the matter. Abe said that he was simply trying to help, but Cameron countered that being treated like a screwup wasn't helpful. As Cameron started to walk away, Abe reminded him that they were family.
"No, Abe, we're not. Not you. Listen, Theo is my family. Lexie asked me to look after him, and I will," Cameron bluntly replied, prompting Abe to wonder when that promise would be fulfilled. Abe recalled that Lexie had asked him to look after Cameron. Cameron insisted that he could take care of himself, and he abruptly walked away.
Maxine approached Abe, who wondered if Cameron was all right. "Well, other than acting like a jackass just now, he's gonna be an outstanding physician. If anything, he might be trying a little bit too hard," Maxine replied. Maxine explained that some people were convinced that Cameron had only been hired because of his connection to Lexie, which was why he was determined to prove that he deserved his job.
At the Horton Town Square, Abigail and Chad waited for Anne, whose daily routine was predictable enough for Abigail to pinpoint the exact time that Anne would take a break from the hospital to purchase a smoothie. Chad wasn't thrilled about wasting his time to help Cameron, whom he believed had been acting like a jerk recently, but Abigail insisted that they needed to fix the mess that they had made.
When Anne entered the town square, Chad and Abigail quickly approached her. Anne was glad to see Abigail and Chad, since she wanted to thank them for getting her home safely the previous night. Anne added that she also wanted to apologize for believing all of the horrible lies that Chloe had told her about Abigail and Jennifer. Anne hoped that she and Abigail could start over with a clean slate.
Skeptical, Abigail wondered why Anne cared about Abigail's opinion of her. Anne revealed that she had recently received a promotion at the hospital. "So I'm sure you understand why I wouldn't want to be involved in any, you know, pettiness or backstabbing," Anne added before excusing herself.
Chad noted that it seemed like Anne was going to forget about her vendettas against Cameron and Jennifer, but Abigail wasn't entirely convinced that Anne was being sincere. Changing the subject, Chad said that Theo's occupational therapy session was going to be ending soon. Chad started to excuse himself so that he could meet Theo at the hospital, but Abigail decided to join him, since she hadn't seen Theo recently.
Chad knowingly pointed out that Abigail might run into Cameron at the hospital. Abigail claimed that she wasn't interested in seeing Cameron, but Chad wasn't convinced. Changing the subject, Chad admitted that, while the situation with Cameron was a bit of a mess, he was kind of glad that it had happened, since it had given him a chance to hang out with Abigail and hopefully convince her that he wasn't a total jerk.
Abigail conceded that she had definitely seen a less obnoxious side of Chad recently. "Wow. Talk about faint praise, huh? Wow," Chad joked, somewhat disappointed. Abigail clarified that she should have said that Chad had been helpful and nice, which sounded slightly better to him. "Um, anyway, I -- I just wish I'd -- I'd been more sensitive about the whole virgin thing, and -- and when I found out about it, I was just really surprised. I didn't even think that was possible in this --" Chad started to say, but Abigail interrupted and observed that what had started out as a promising conversation had quickly gone downhill.
Chad apologized, noting that he had a habit of saying the wrong things when he was around Abigail. Chad hoped that Abigail had at least had some fun with him over the past few days, but she noncommittally replied that even if she had enjoyed herself, that fun would be nothing more than a distant memory if Cameron lost his job as a result of her and Chad's actions.
Abigail reminded Chad that they needed to go to the hospital, and he sighed as he watched her walk away. Later, at the hospital, Chad went to find Theo, and Abigail approached Cameron, whom she had spotted in the waiting area. Abigail tried to apologize to Cameron, but he interrupted and assured her that there was no need to do so.
Cameron sarcastically blamed himself for the situation, reasoning that if he had been willing to share every single aspect of his personal life with Abigail, she never would have felt the need to help him. Before Abigail could respond, Cameron walked away. A short time later, Chad returned, with Theo in tow, and they invited Abigail to join them for a game of miniature golf.
Abigail declined, since she had some homework that she needed to finish. Chad optimistically asked Abigail if she wanted to take a rain check, and she agreed to do so. After Chad and Theo left, Anne passed through the waiting area, taking a moment to cheerfully greet Abigail before walking away. Still suspicious, Abigail approached Maxine and wondered if she trusted Anne.
"Not as far as I can throw her -- and I believe that might be pretty far," Maxine dryly stated, and Abigail laughed as she enjoyed the mental picture that Maxine had painted. Abigail admitted that she was worried that Anne might try to get Cameron fired. Maxine revealed that she had overheard an earlier conversation between Cameron and Abe, and she knowingly guessed that Abigail's concern had something to do with Cameron's second job.
Recalling that Jennifer had always said that Maxine knew more about the behind-the-scenes details of the hospital than anyone else did, Abigail wondered if Maxine would be willing to warn her if Anne tried to cause trouble for Cameron. Maxine happily agreed to do so, stating that she had always liked Cameron.
After thanking Maxine, Abigail excused herself so that she could go to Kayla's office to use the printer. Abigail fantasized about receiving a heartfelt apology and a passionate kiss from Cameron, but she reminded herself that nothing like that was ever going to happen. Meanwhile, in the waiting area, Maxine overheard a conversation between Anne and another hospital employee.
Anne asked about a specific staff member, explaining that she needed to talk to him about an urgent matter that could potentially damage the hospital's reputation. When the other employee revealed that the staff member in question was in Chicago, Anne smirked and muttered that the location was quite appropriate. Maxine's suspicions were aroused, and she called Kayla's office to warn Abigail about the situation.
At the DiMera mansion, Brady wondered why John had gone to the trouble of digging the baseball jersey out of storage so that he could give it to Kristen. Maggie suggested that John might have simply been trying to prove that he was interested in having an amiable relationship with Kristen again, but Brady wasn't convinced.
Outside the Kiriakis mansion, Kristen placed a phone call to Brady, informing him that she had been unable to locate the missing envelope. Recalling that he had gone to Common Grounds earlier, Brady admitted that, while he had assumed that he had taken all of the proposals with him when he had left the coffeehouse, he might have inadvertently left one behind.
At Common Grounds, Hope ended a phone call and returned to her table, where Ciara was looking at the photograph of Kristen and Sy. Hope noticed that Ciara was holding an envelope, but when she asked Ciara about it, Ciara stuffed it into her backpack, claiming that it was nothing. Hope's suspicions were aroused, and she wondered if Ciara was hiding something.
Ciara claimed that she had a surprise for Bo in her backpack. Hope was unable to convince Ciara to elaborate, so she changed the subject, hinting that Ciara might not need to send the surprise to Bo. "I just got off the phone with your daddy, and I have some awesome news. Daddy says his work's almost done, and he's coming home soon," Hope announced.
Ciara beamed with delight, declaring that she missed Bo, and Hope expressed the same sentiment. Ciara wanted to share the good news with Caroline, so Hope agreed to take her to the Brady Pub. After Hope and Ciara left, Kristen entered the coffeehouse and asked one of the employees about the envelope. The employee believed that she had seen the envelope in a trashcan earlier.
A short time later, Kristen cringed as she rummaged through a dumpster behind Common Grounds. "God, what have I been reduced to? Ew!" Kristen muttered as she searched for the envelope. The employee emerged from the coffeehouse and revealed that she had just learned that the garbage truck had already made an appearance earlier that day.
"So what are you saying? You're saying that the trash that the envelope was in is now at the dump? Seriously? You're telling me this now? So I guess that means that the envelope is...destroyed and gone forever," Kristen mused, and the employee confirmed her suspicion. Kristen sighed and started to climb out of the dumpster, muttering that she was simply going to have to find a way to live without those photographs.
After the employee left, Kristen breathed a sigh of relief as she celebrated her good fortune. When Kristen reentered the coffeehouse, she ran into Maggie, who was glad to see her. Kristen jokingly stated that there was a first time for everything. Maggie smiled and said that she wanted to talk to Kristen about the art project, which Victor had been looking forward to working on with Brady.
Kristen revealed that she had already removed herself from the project. Kristen said that she wanted Brady to maintain a good relationship with Victor, and Maggie observed that Kristen's statement had actually sounded sincere. Changing the subject, Maggie started to talk about the little league team that Kristen had once been involved with.
After acknowledging that it was none of her business, Maggie wondered why John had suddenly decided to find the jersey and give it to Kristen. "I don't know. It's weird, isn't it? It's kind of like Neil Curtis dropping off a Hummel to add to your collection at Victor's, right? I mean -- and then asking you to take a stroll down memory lane," Kristen mused.
Maggie pointed out that the difference was that it would actually be possible for her and Neil to fondly reminisce about the past. Kristen conceded that it was hard to believe that John would want to bury the hatchet -- unless, of course, it was being buried in her back. Kristen wondered what Brady had said about the gift. Maggie recapped her earlier conversation with Brady, and Kristen quickly excused herself when she realized that Maggie had told him about the jersey's true significance.
In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, John greeted Brady, who demanded to know why John had given the baseball jersey to Kristen. John said that he had simply wanted to remind Kristen of the person whom she had once been.
"You mean the person that -- that used to love you. Is this what it's come to? Are you that jealous of your own son? Seriously? That you -- you need to take it to this level? You're gonna start playing mind games with both of us? You can't [do] that -- Dad, stop it! You need to stop this whole damn thing. She's marrying me. Why don't you deal with it?" Brady angrily stated.
John insisted that Brady had misinterpreted the situation, but Brady wasn't convinced. Brady couldn't believe that John had actually managed to find a way to cause further damage to their relationship. Brady summarized that Marlena had been right all along -- John still had feelings for Kristen. John remained silent, which Brady took as confirmation of his suspicion.
Brady received a phone call from Kristen, who urged him to ignore anything that John might try to tell him about her. Brady assured Kristen that he was done listening to John. After pointedly declaring that he loved Kristen, Brady ended the call. Brady ordered John to stay away from him and Kristen, storming off before John could respond.
John silently considered Brady's instructions before muttering that he didn't think that he would be able to do that. Later, John ran into Maggie, who revealed that she had heard about the gift that he had given Kristen earlier. Concerned about what the situation could do to Brady's sobriety, Maggie wondered what John was hoping to accomplish. John refused to discuss the matter with Maggie, and he abruptly excused himself.
At the Brady Pub, Ciara took another look at the photograph while Hope was taking a business call nearby. Kristen and Brady entered the pub, and Ciara quickly recognized her as the woman in the photograph.
In the pub, Ciara looked at the photo that she had found of Kristen paying off the mugger. Ciara looked across the room at Kristen kissing Brady. Kristen asked Brady not to let anyone spoil their relationship. Brady agreed and suggested that they head home to be alone. As Brady and Kristen left, Ciara watched them and then stared at the photo.
Back at the DiMera mansion, Brady and Kristen kissed in their bedroom. "Let's make love like every time could be our last one," Kristen said breathlessly. After making love, Brady gave Kristen a pair of earrings. Sighing, Kristen asked Brady to stop showering her with presents. "You're a good man," Kristen whispered. Brady and Kristen agreed that their past would remain in the past.
In the square, Daniel met with Joanna, a nanny for Parker. Jennifer walked over, and Daniel introduced her to Joanna. After Joanna left, Jennifer told Daniel that she thought Joanna would be a good nanny for Parker. Smiling, Jennifer opened up a package to reveal a toy train for Parker. Daniel kissed Jennifer, and they agreed that they were right where they belonged.
Jennifer escorted Daniel and Parker to the Horton house. Daniel was surprised to find a massive train set in Jennifer's living room on the coffee table. Jennifer suggested that they move the train set to J.J.'s room so that Parker had his own space when he visited. As Daniel grinned, the doorbell rang. Jennifer opened the door and found Maggie, who informed Jennifer that Daniel had told her the truth about what Chloe had done.
Daniel carried Parker into the kitchen so that Jennifer and Maggie could have some privacy. Maggie apologized, but Jennifer noted that Maggie had had every right to yell at her for hurting Daniel. Jennifer explained that she had needed to make Daniel believe that their relationship was over because she had not wanted Daniel to lose Parker. When Jennifer said that she had planned to move to England, Maggie fought back tears.
"Bless your heart for being so selfless in all this," Maggie said. Jennifer said that she regretted using Jack's memory and then she joked that Jack would have been able to out-scheme Chloe. When Jennifer asked Maggie if she thought that Jack felt betrayed, Maggie said no. Maggie reasoned aloud that how Jennifer loved Jack when he was alive was all that mattered. Fighting tears, Maggie expressed how happy she was that Jennifer and Daniel were together again, and they hugged.
After Jennifer left for her meeting with the hospital administrator about her job, Maggie and Daniel talked. Maggie invited Parker to stay with her so that Daniel and Jennifer could have some time alone.
At the hospital, Maxine informed Abigail that Anne was pushing to talk to the hospital administrator about a personnel matter. Worried about Cameron, Abigail pushed Maxine for details, but Anne interrupted them as she dropped off information about a photo shoot for the hospital. After Anne walked away, Maxine complained that Anne was only happy when Anne was making other people miserable.
When Abigail asked Maxine if Anne was gunning for Cameron, Maxine asked Abigail if Cameron had done something that could jeopardize his career at the hospital. Abigail explained that Cameron had been stripping to pay back money he had borrowed to help his mother. Abigail added that she had accidentally tipped off Anne about Cameron's job. When Abigail asked Maxine whether Anne could get Cameron fired, Maxine looked across the room and spotted the hospital administrator, Seth Burns.
Maxine urged Abigail to look busy, and they crossed the room in order to get closer to Seth Burns as Anne approached him. As Seth and Anne headed down the hall, a worried Abigail pursued them. Anne and Seth ducked into a lounge to talk, and Abigail hid in the hallway outside to eavesdrop. Anne informed Seth that there was an employee that was putting the reputation of he hospital at risk.
When Anne explained that Cameron was a stripper, Seth asked Anne if she had seen Cameron stripping. Outside in the hallway, Maxine joined Abigail, and they listened to the conversation. When Anne admitted that she had not seen Cameron stripping, she added that it was a matter of time before a photo of him surfaced on the Internet. Anne suggested that Seth join her in Chicago at the club in order to catch Cameron in the act. Panicked, Maxine and Abigail quietly fled down the hallway.
At the nurse's station, Abigail told Maxine that she would have to stop Anne. Abigail left a voicemail on Cameron's phone, warning him of Anne's plan. As Jennifer walked into the hospital, Abigail's face lit up. Abigail begged Jennifer to help her. Maxine offered to help in the plan, but Jennifer and Abigail agreed that they did not want Maxine to lose her job if their plan did not work. Maxine countered that she had promised Lexie to watch out for Cameron and that she was determined to protect Lexie's brother.
In the hospital rectory, Vargas kissed Nicole and leaned her onto her desk. As Nicole unbuttoned Vargas' pants, he expressed surprise at Nicole's choice of location. Overwhelmed, Vargas pushed Nicole back onto her desk and kissed her passionately. Nicole joked that their other option was to retire to her room in the convent. As Vargas and Nicole continued to kiss, Eric walked into the room. Furious, Eric slammed the door.
Vargas started to explain what had happened, but Eric cut him off and asked to speak to Nicole alone. Once Vargas was gone, Nicole called Eric a hypocrite for passing judgment on her but letting Vargas leave. Eric asked Nicole what she was doing with Vargas. Nicole reminded Eric that he had told her that she had something in common with Vargas.
Upset, Eric countered that he had not asked Nicole to "hook up" with Vargas in the office. Nicole swore that she had not hooked up with Vargas, but Eric yelled that Nicole had been close enough. Eric noted that Nicole had crossed the line. Nicole countered that she had crossed Eric's line but that she had not agreed to become a nun when she moved into the convent.
"Vargas and I are consenting adults, and we can do whatever the hell we want," Nicole yelled. "Not here! That is a violation, and you know it. I trusted you when everyone told me it was a mistake," Eric said. Hurt, Nicole argued that she was human, but Eric corrected Nicole and noted that he was not upset that Nicole was human but that she had acted out in a church. When Nicole argued that the rectory was not a church, Eric disagreed with her semantics.
Eric argued that the rectory was on church property and that it would be a scandal if the church secretary were caught having sex with an ex-con in the church offices. Nicole told Eric to shove it, and she marched for the door. As Eric grabbed her arm, Nicole paused to stare into Eric's eyes. Crying, Nicole resigned and said that she would not return.
In the coffeehouse, Chad played a pocket video game with Theo at a table when Cameron walked in and joined them. Much to Cameron's delight, Theo showed him how to play a video game version of "Operation." As Cameron said goodbye to Theo, Abe walked in. Cameron apologized to Abe for what he had said earlier. Shaking his head, Abe noted that the important thing was that Cameron visited Theo. Cameron countered that Theo was the highlight of his day.
Chad and Cameron left the coffeehouse together, and Cameron explained that he would be able to spend more time with Theo in a few weeks. Chad said he was sorry for interfering with Cameron's job at the club, but Cameron told Chad it was fine. Cameron noted that he was looking forward to being a doctor full-time again.
Chad returned to the table to spend time with Theo and Abe. Abe thanked Chad for spending time with Theo and for convincing Cameron to drop by. When Abe asked Chad if Cameron was doing okay, Chad noted that Cameron was capable of handling his problems on his own. Smiling, Abe thanked Chad and left with Theo.
From a hotel room, Nicole called Vargas and invited him to stop over. When Vargas arrived, he suggested that they end their relationship so that they could save their jobs. Nicole admitted that she had quit her job as she slipped the coat off of Vargas. Nicole assured Vargas that Eric would not fire him. Unsure, Vargas said that he did not want to antagonize Eric.
Nicole took Vargas by the hand and asked him if he was tired of people telling him what to do. As Nicole leaned back on the bed, Vargas kissed her and fell on top of her. As Vargas and Nicole had sex, she cried out, "This feels so good! I want you so much, Eric!" Shocked, Vargas pulled away.
In the rectory, Eric angrily searched through his desk drawers as Father Matt entered the room. When Father Matt asked what was wrong, Eric confessed that he had given in to wrath. When Father Matt asked why, Eric explained that he had walked in on Nicole and Vargas in the rectory in a compromising position. Eric explained that he had yelled at Nicole and driven her away with his judgment.
"You forgot to hate the sin but not the sinner," Father Matt said. Eric countered that he did not hate Nicole. Father Matt suggested that Eric's problem was not about anger. Eric noted that he had overreacted because he was friends with Nicole. Raising an eyebrow, Father Matt asked Eric if friendship was the only thing between Eric and Nicole.
Abigail called the strip club to warn Cameron, but the man mistook her for a fan and hung up the phone. Cameron arrived at the club and headed backstage to prepare. Once the club opened, Anne arrived with a clearly uncomfortable Seth. As Anne talked about how tasteless the show was, Jennifer, Abigail, and Maxine walked in and asked Anne if she had booked Anne's usual table.
When Anne protested that she was not a regular, a waiter arrived with three drinks and greeted her by name. Anne argued that Jennifer, Abigail, and Maxine were lying and that they were only at the club to warn Cameron. As the curtain rose on the stage, Seth's eyes opened wide and he laughed. When Anne turned around to face the stage, her jaw dropped open.
As Vargas and Nicole began to have sex in Nicole's hotel room, Nicole suddenly called out Eric's name. Vargas pulled away, and when Nicole asked why he had stopped, he informed her, "You called me Eric." Nicole insisted that she would never have done that. She managed to coax an eager Vargas into continuing, but then stopped to ask if he had been joking. Vargas firmly maintained that he was not a liar, and she really had called him Eric.
Nicole assured Vargas that no matter what she'd said, it hadn't meant anything. Vargas admitted that he wasn't thrilled about it, because he could tell that she had "the hots" for Father Eric. Although Vargas tried to resume kissing her, an annoyed Nicole got out of bed and got dressed. She hurled Vargas' clothes at him. Vargas sarcastically pleaded with her, "Okay, how's this? Nicole, baby, I know you don't have a thing for the priest, and you can call me anything that you want." Nicole ordered him to leave.
"You know there's a word for what you are, too, sweetheart," Vargas snarled as he buttoned his shirt and headed for the door. Nicole first demanded to know what he was going to tell Father Eric. Vargas irritably maintained that he liked his position at the church, so he had no intention of telling Father Eric how Nicole really felt about him. "But if he asks me, I won't hesitate to tell him exactly how I feel about you," Vargas spat as he left. Nicole furiously flung an item from the desk after him; it smashed against the door as it closed.
At St. Luke's, Father Matt wanted to know if friendship were the only thing between Eric and Nicole. Eric admitted that it wasn't. He explained that he and Nicole were just friends, but his feelings went beyond friendship. Eric admitted that he loved Nicole, and that they shared a history. Father Matt acknowledged that he knew Nicole had been Eric's first love. Eric stated that they had been young and naïve, and they had taken very different paths after that, but he still cared about her.
Eric continued that Nicole had a great deal of potential to be happy, but she kept getting into dead-end relationships that broke her heart. He had believed her when she'd said she wanted to change, and Father Matt agreed that Nicole had been sincere. Eric said that it had made him sad to watch Nicole "torpedo" herself, but he'd been able to live with it until then. Father Matt asked, "What was different today?"
His voice choked with emotion, Eric replied that Nicole's judgment had flown out the window, and he was afraid she was going to make a horrible mistake and get burned. Father Matt pointed out that Eric couldn't participate in Nicole's decision-making; all Eric could do was guide and advise her. He asserted, "We serve God here, Eric. We don't play God." Eric said that he didn't think that was what he'd been doing. Father Matt urged Eric, "Take a good look at yourself. Try to find out why you think you do things with Nicole that you couldn't do with any other prisoner."
In Horton Square later, Father Matt bumped into Nicole. She guessed he had already learned that she'd quit -- and why. Father Matt acknowledged that he had. Nicole said that she thought it was for the best, but Father Matt asked, "And that's how you intend to leave it? Nicole, don't you think you at least owe Father Eric a few words?"
Vargas went to the rectory to reassure Father Eric that he didn't want to blow the opportunity he'd been given. Eric said, "If that's true, then you need to avoid scenes like I walked in on... No matter what Nicole may have said to you, this was a violation." Vargas assured him, "It didn't happen, and it won't happen. Especially not with her... I'm done with her, Father. As far as I'm concerned, she doesn't exist. Please forgive me."
When Nicole returned to the church a little later, Eric was in the sanctuary, praying as he knelt at the altar. Nicole hurried out before he noticed her.
Jennifer, Abigail, and Maxine were gathered at the strip club in Chicago, while Anne sat at a table near the stage with Seth Burns, the administrator at University Hospital. Anne advised Seth that one of the hospital's doctors was about to walk out on the stage -- but instead of Cameron Davis, whom they were expecting, Daniel emerged from behind the curtains and began to dance. Dressed as a cowboy, Daniel gyrated as the women cheered and stuffed bills into his belt.
Just then, Sami, Caroline, and Kristen showed up and crowded around Anne and Seth's table with the other women. Although every other woman in the club was applauding or laughing, Anne appeared horrified. A brazen Caroline shoved a fistful of cash down the back of Daniel's pants. When Jennifer shouted encouragement for the others to do the same, Sami obliged by sticking a twenty behind Daniel's belt buckle. "Giddy-up, cowboy! Giddy-up!" Maxine hollered enthusiastically.
As Seth got up to leave, Anne protested that Cameron was supposed to have been on stage, but she didn't see how Seth could think it was a good idea for Dr. Jonas to be stripping, either. Daniel removed his shirt and whipped it across the club, where it hit a disgusted Anne in the face. Three other women raced up to her and offered her cash in exchange for it, so Anne flung the offending garment in their direction.
Anne stopped Seth before he could leave, but he pointed out that Dr. Jonas was the hospital's best surgeon, who had operated on more of their donors and their families than anyone at the hospital. Jennifer and Sami urged Anne to lighten up and try to have fun.
Kristen walked up and introduced herself to Seth, who expressed his appreciation for her father's generosity. Kristen said that Stefano was a fan of the new rehabilitation wing for stroke patients, and when Seth confided that it needed more funding, Kristen informed him that she would be holding her father's proxy at the next board meeting. Seth and Kristen stepped aside to discuss it.
While Jennifer went up to the stage to tip Daniel in exchange for a kiss, Anne irritably confronted Abigail. "You think your rich friends can protect your boyfriend from his disgusting -- " Anne began. Abigail interrupted to whine with mock petulance, "Whoa, wait, Anne! I thought we were friends now."
After Daniel's act was finished, Sami and Caroline took a seat at a table with Maxine and Jennifer. Sami was incredulous that her grandmother had actually been at the club before. Jennifer offered to buy the next round to thank the others for helping. Sami wanted to know how Cameron had started working there, and Jennifer explained that he was paying off someone else's debts. Sami worried that Daniel could get in trouble, too, but Jennifer was confident that their plan would work.
The music started back up -- and Brady stepped out from behind the curtain, dressed as a cop. Everyone cheered and hooted with appreciation, although Sami covered her mouth in shock. Kristen returned from talking to Seth, and Sami walked over to her. Kristen explained that Brady hadn't been able to refuse when Daniel had asked him to help out. Sami noted that everyone had loved Lexie, so they would pitch in for Dr. Carver, even if they didn't know Cameron.
"Yeah, I know. My sister was perfect, and I'm just never going to measure up. Then again, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Sami?" Kristen countered. She asked Sami if E.J. were backstage, as well. Sami burst out laughing and pointed out that it wasn't exactly E.J.'s style -- and besides, he was out of town. Kristen noticed the engagement ring on Sami's finger but didn't say anything about it.
As Brady stripped off his shirt, Kristen pushed her way through the throng of women crowding the stage to gingerly slide some bills down his pants. Sami hid her eyes while Brady rewarded Kristen with a kiss. Jennifer and Abigail couldn't believe that Anne was still there.
Brady left the stage, and Anne again tried to stop Seth from leaving. Seth demanded to know what Anne thought he should do to the hospital's best surgeon, or to Brady Black, who was on the board, or to Kristen DiMera. "You're worried about our funding and our image in the community? This is the community, not to mention our funding," Seth asserted. Anne insisted that everyone was just trying to protect Cameron, but Seth pointed out that Cameron wasn't there.
Just then, Rafe, wearing a construction worker's getup, took the stage. An uncomfortable Sami took a big swig of her drink and tried to muster a cheer for her ex-husband. Most of the women from Salem rushed to the stage with the others to show their appreciation in cash for Detective Hernandez. Abigail tried to pull Anne closer to the front, but Anne slapped her hands away. Seth observed that the man onstage looked familiar, and Abigail informed Seth that Rafe was a detective with the Salem Police Department and a former FBI agent. "Interesting crowd," Seth remarked.
Suddenly, Maxine burst out of the crowd in a hurry to get to the cash machine because she'd run out of singles. Armed with a stack of bills, Caroline proudly said that she had cashed in all of the waiters' tips. Sidling up to Sami, Kristen remarked, "Mercy me! You were married to that?" Sami just shrugged and grinned.
Maxine raced back to the front of the stage a minute later, waving a wad of bills in the air excitedly. As Maxine stuffed cash down Rafe's pants, Kristen commented that she could see why Rafe had made E.J. crazy. Sami assured Kristen that E.J. had nothing to worry about.
Abigail was fretting because Anne was still there. Conceding that they had no other choice, Jennifer declared confidently, "We have to play this out." Rafe took off his shirt just then and hurled it in Anne's direction. Seth and Anne ducked, and a woman behind them at the bar gleefully snatched the shirt in midair.
The announcer's voice called from backstage, "Okay, ladies, are you ready? I said, 'Are you ready?'" The crowd shrieked and waved their money eagerly as Rafe returned to the stage, followed shortly by Daniel and Brady. As the other three began to dance, Cameron emerged from behind the curtain and flung his motorcycle cap into the crowd. With their backs to the screaming women, the four men ripped off their shirts simultaneously.
Tapping Seth on the shoulder, Anne helpfully pointed to the stage and said breathlessly, "See? I told you! It's Doctor Davis!" The men continued their gyrations and undulations onstage until the music stopped, then they stayed so the women could continue shoving money into the guys' pants and fists, even Daniel's cowboy hat. Finally, laughing and grinning, the men exited the stage.
Caroline announced that she was going home. Sami assured her grandmother that they'd done a good thing, but Caroline pointed out that Cameron could have asked anyone in town to help him. "Can you imagine someone being so stubborn and proud that they're afraid to ask for help?" Sami teased, then hugged her grandmother.
Abigail wondered if Seth would still make Cameron a scapegoat after the other men had been on stage with him. Maxine cautioned, "Burnsie's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he is a survivor. And if he thinks he's gonna get blowback for not acting, somebody's head's gonna roll." She added that Seth's continued presence indicated that he didn't know yet what he was going to do.
After changing into their street clothes, Brady, Daniel, Rafe, and Cameron returned from backstage and took a bow to the appreciative applause. Abigail informed Cameron that they were still waiting to see if their plan had worked, but he reminded her that they still had one more move.
Daniel and Cameron overheard Anne emphasizing to Seth that public perception was everything when it came to fundraising. "I'd say the public enjoyed it," Daniel asserted. Holding up two large envelopes overflowing with cash, Cameron added that the evening had been a fundraiser for the pediatrics wing on the fourth floor. Anne accused them of trying to bribe Seth to distract him from thinking about Cameron's second job. Cameron frankly informed Seth that he'd been working -- temporarily -- at the club to pay off his student loans, and it had never interfered with his job at the hospital.
Seth declared, "This was a wonderful event. The children at University Hospital are lucky that doctors who work long hours are so dedicated to their care that they'll go the extra mile to raise money." Seth accepted the envelopes from Cameron while Anne voiced her concern for the hospital's reputation. Abigail argued, "You hate my mom and me, and you were trying to take it out on Cameron."
Seth warned Anne that he would definitely be making some personnel changes. After Seth had gone, Anne left, but first issued a warning to the others: "You all think you're so smart. This isn't over." The gang from Salem cheered Anne's departure. Cameron thanked everyone for saving his job.
Jennifer confided to Daniel that it had been difficult to be a good sport while other women had been sticking their hands down his pants. Daniel admitted that it had been hard for him, too. They both hoped for a happy ending for Cameron and Abigail.
Abigail anxiously explained to Cameron why she'd called the other guys in to help. Seeing that she was getting all wound up, Cameron urged Abigail to relax, then escorted her backstage so they could talk in private.
Backstage, Abigail continued her rapid-fire explanation for Cameron. "Anne was going to bust you tonight, so we had to move really quickly," she insisted. Cameron watched with a patient smile as Abigail got worked up. Finally, he interrupted by pulling her into a kiss. Afterwards, Cameron expressed his sincere gratitude. Explaining that it meant "you're welcome," Abigail kissed Cameron.
Cameron apologized for being a jerk when Abigail had tried to help, and for not being honest with her about what he'd been doing. Abigail pointed out that he never would have gotten to see how many people cared about him. Cameron maintained that they cared about Abigail and Jennifer, adding that no one had ever shown up for him like Abigail had. "There's not even a word for how amazing you are," he declared. Cameron had an early shift the next morning, so he tenderly kissed Abigail goodbye.
As Daniel was telling Jennifer that the guys had learned the routine from the other dancers in just a few minutes, a woman walked up and asked if Daniel were really finished for the night. Daniel replied that he was, but he removed his cowboy hat and put it on the woman's head as a consolation price. "Yee-haw!" she squealed as she ran back to her friends.
Daniel asked Jennifer if she needed any help with her appointment with Seth the next morning. Laughing, she assured him that he'd done enough for one night.
Rafe greeted Sami as he climbed down from the stage. "You did great," she reassured him sincerely, albeit uncomfortably. Rafe admitted that it had been weird to see people he knew in the audience. Kristen approached and remarked with awe, "Rafe Hernandez -- I can't believe we've never met. And now I will never forget how." She introduced herself and then pretended to notice Sami's engagement ring.
Feigning joy that E.J. had finally proposed, Kristen gushed over the ring, while Rafe forced a smile. Rafe congratulated Sami just as Brady walked up. Grabbing Sami's left hand and shoving it in Brady's face, Kristen informed Brady that E.J. had proposed to Sami. After admiring the ring, Brady congratulated his stepsister.
As Kristen and Brady were leaving, she joked that they were going to get a stripper pole in their bedroom. Brady deadpanned, "Can we tell Stefano about it? That might do him in for good."
Sami apologized to Rafe that he'd found out about her engagement from Kristen. Rafe maintained that all he'd ever wanted was for Sami to be happy. Sami thanked Rafe for respecting her enough to not try to talk her out of marrying E.J. Rafe pointed out, "Yeah, well, that's over." Sami countered, "Really? You don't think that me marrying E.J. is stupid and self-destructive and I'll end up regretting it the rest of my life?" Rafe replied, "See? You already know it. I didn't have to say a thing." Rafe left, but stopped in the doorway to look back at Sami, who rolled her eyes with bemusement.
At St. Luke's, Vargas wondered if he and Eric were cool. "I'm not so sure that we're cool. I'm working on a draft for Sunday's sermon in my office, where you and Nicole were -- let's just say I'm pushing down the visual," Eric replied. Pointing out that Vargas had been allowed to keep his job, Eric added that it would be unreasonable for Vargas to expect anything more than that in the near future.
Vargas started to theorize that, as a priest, Eric probably didn't know what it was like, but Eric interrupted and finished the sentence, insisting that he knew what it was like to be a man. Eric claimed that he didn't care what Vargas and Nicole did, as long as they didn't do it in his office. Changing the subject, Eric dismissively noted that it was time for Vargas' break.
After Vargas left, Eric received a phone call from Nicole. Annoyed, Eric impatiently asked Nicole to tell him what she wanted. Taken aback, Nicole sputtered for a moment as she tried to think of a response, finally claiming that she had called to find out when she could collect the personal belongings that she had left behind. Eric suggested that it would be best for Nicole to wait for thirty minutes before visiting the office, since he would be leaving at that time.
Later, at the Brady Pub, Nicole had a tense encounter with Vargas. Nicole stressed that she wasn't interested in dealing with any extra drama that day, and Vargas agreed. "I like my breakfast without the side of crazy, so, uh, I'll get it somewhere else," Vargas said before walking away. After Vargas left, Abe approached Nicole and observed that it seemed like she and Vargas were no longer friends.
Nicole didn't want to discuss the situation with Abe, but she assured him that Vargas hadn't done anything wrong. Changing the subject, Nicole wondered if Abe would be willing to give her some advice about doing the right thing. "Sometimes, when I think about the things that I've done...the things I've put people through -- Jennifer and Daniel -- I -- sometimes, I think that I never got over my mother dying, especially how she died. And I'm not -- I'm not saying that -- I'm not saying that I was ever a good person, but after I lost her, and I lost both of my babies --" Nicole said, her voice trailing off as she talked about her losses.
Abe knowingly summarized that Nicole felt like she had lost her way and wasn't particularly interested in finding it again. Nicole was surprised to learn that Lexie's death had left Abe with the same feelings of despair. "I hold on for Theo's sake, but there are -- there are days when, um -- yeah, there are days when I feel everything else in my life is pretty damn senseless," Abe admitted.
Nicole tearfully noted that the difference was that, unlike her, Abe hadn't gone off the rails. Abe recalled that Fay had once expressed some concerns about Nicole's desire to control situations. "Let things unfold naturally, and make good decisions based on what you're given," Abe advised Nicole. Nicole joked that Abe was talking about concepts that were completely foreign to her, but he believed that she could eventually change her bad habits. Nicole wasn't convinced, regretfully stating that she wished that she had received Abe's advice one day earlier.
At St. Luke's, Eric informed Daniel and Jennifer that Nicole would probably be arriving at the church a short time later. Due to a prior commitment, Jennifer was unable to wait for Nicole to arrive, so Daniel promised to ask Nicole to call Jennifer later. After Jennifer left, Eric observed that she and Daniel seemed happy together. Daniel nodded and credited Nicole as one of the main reasons for that happiness.
Daniel told Eric about Nicole's recent efforts to stop Chloe from manipulating Daniel and Jennifer's relationship. Eric suggested, somewhat dismissively, that Nicole had only helped Jennifer and Daniel because she had felt guilty about what she had previously done to them, but Daniel believed that she had genuinely been trying to do the right thing. Daniel said that he wanted to thank Nicole, adding that he also wanted to thank Eric for looking out for her.
Later, Nicole walked into Eric's empty office and started to clear out her desk. Eric entered a few moments later, and Nicole wondered if he had changed his plans so that he could make sure that she wouldn't try to steal the chalices while no one was looking. Resisting the urge to laugh, Eric explained that he had canceled a meeting so that he could say something to Nicole.
Eric said that he didn't want Nicole to quit. Confused, Nicole wondered what had caused Eric's sudden change of heart. After noting that Nicole's involvement with Vargas had seemingly ended, Eric added that Daniel and Jennifer had told him about the things that Nicole had done to help them. Nicole shrugged and jokingly stated that she occasionally liked to mix things up.
"And mix up everyone around you. What makes this so confusing is your record -- personally [and] criminally. It's easy to forget that basically, you're, uh -- you're a good person. And the fact of the matter is that I think my office is gonna fall apart if you leave, so -- which is fine. I want you to stay," Eric reiterated. Nicole admitted that she wanted to stay, but she still wasn't convinced that Eric truly felt the same way.
Eric repeated that he wanted Nicole to stay, and she jokingly guessed that he was only saying that because she was the only person who knew how to use the copier. Eric admitted that Nicole was right, adding that he also wanted her to stay because they had been friends for a very long time, and he didn't want that to change. Nicole said that she felt the same way, claiming that she wanted to be Eric's friend forever.
At the hospital, Jennifer talked to Seth about getting her job back. Seth wasn't thrilled about the way that Jennifer's public tirade had made the hospital look, but he acknowledged that she rarely made mistakes and was very good at her job. Seth added that he had received numerous letters from hospital staff members who wanted to see Jennifer return. Seth happily instructed Jennifer to get back to work.
After Seth left, Maxine congratulated Jennifer, who pointed out that Maxine had eavesdropped on a private conversation. "Ms. Horton, this floor is my kingdom. Nothing that happens here is private to me," Maxine replied without an ounce of shame. As Maxine welcomed Jennifer back with a big hug, Anne approached them, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Just what is it you can't believe? That all that crap you've been pulling didn't work? That now everybody knows you're a lying, conniving bi -- word-I-don't-use?" Maxine snapped as she glared at Anne. Jennifer tried to defuse the situation, and Maxine reluctantly agreed to let her talk to Anne privately. After vowing to watch Anne closely, Maxine walked away.
Jennifer hoped that she and Anne would be able to start over with a clean slate, but Anne wasn't interested in doing so. Anne insisted that Jennifer did not deserve to be forgiven for quitting her job in such a public manner. Anne observed that the Horton surname apparently allowed the Hortons to get away with murder. Jennifer chastised Anne for trying to get Cameron fired, but Anne asserted that his actions had been immoral.
"Oh, really? Your high moral tone would be really great if you weren't such a liar and a manipulator. But like I said, I would really like to start off on the right foot, okay? So why don't you listen to me. Why don't you go to my office and get all of your stuff out of there in the next...ten minutes, and then try really hard to stay out of my way and not be who you really are, and I think you might be able to hold on to your job...answering to me," Jennifer countered.
At the DiMera mansion, Brady entered the living room and happily greeted Kristen with a kiss, but his mood quickly changed when he noticed that the baseball jersey was laying on the nearby desk. "Really? I was kind of hoping that thing would be donated to St. Luke's clothing drive by now. I don't really like looking at it," Brady said as he pulled away from Kristen.
Kristen promised to get rid of the jersey later that day, but Brady believed that she should have gotten rid of it earlier. Brady wondered if the jersey held some memories that Kristen wasn't ready to let go of yet. Kristen admitted that the item reminded her of the friendship that she and John had once shared.
"But...I was staring at it, and I was thinking about how I've changed so much since then. And not just me, but your dad, too, you know? I mean, back then, he was not bitter. He was not manipulative," Kristen added before quickly apologizing for insulting Brady's father. Brady admitted that it was hard to argue with Kristen's observation, since John had been playing a lot of mind games lately.
Brady wondered what kind of ulterior motive had caused John to find the jersey and give it to Kristen. Kristen shrugged and suggested that it might have simply been intended as a peace offering, but Brady countered that a fruit basket would have been an appropriate peace offering. Brady remained convinced that the jersey meant that John still had feelings for Kristen, but she pointed out that Brady was forgetting about Marlena.
"Yeah, well -- no, he loves Marlena. He loves Marlena, but here's the problem -- my dad is still a guy, and guys have this universal quality that's ever so admirable. He's moved on, but he doesn't want you to move on with anyone else. He doesn't want to see you with anyone else -- especially not his son," Brady theorized. Kristen matter-of-factly replied that John was simply going to have to get over it, since she and Brady were getting married.
Changing the subject, Brady thanked Kristen for being willing to overlook the fact that her fiancé had made an ass out of himself at the strip club the previous night. "You weren't making an ass out of yourself. I saw my fiancé helping Lexie's brother, and I saw that my fiancé...is shockingly good at handling a nightstick," Kristen jokingly replied.
Brady laughed and said that he loved the fact that, while his relationship with Kristen had originally been about two people who were sexually compatible with each other, it had evolved into a relationship between two people who were compatible with each other in general. Brady apologized for mentioning the jersey earlier, fearing that he might have inadvertently ruined Kristen's morning.
Kristen said that, while her morning had not been ruined, it had ended, adding that she had some work that she needed to take care of at her office. Brady offered to give Kristen a ride, since he needed to run some errands, but she declined the offer. After Brady left, Kristen placed a phone call to John and instructed him to meet her at her office right away.
Later, in Kristen's office at DiMera Enterprises, Kristen said that John had been causing her a lot of trouble lately, and she refused to let him continue to do so. Kristen tossed the jersey at John and ordered him to take it back. Feigning sincerity, John apologetically explained that he had assumed that the collection of old photographs that Kristen had recently given him had been her way of telling him that she wanted to reminisce about the past.
Kristen recalled that she had left after giving John the photographs, which had been her subtle way of telling him that she no longer wanted the items. John wasn't convinced that Kristen truly believed that, nor was he convinced that she truly expected him to believe it. John pointed out that if Kristen had simply wanted to get rid of the pictures, she could have used Stefano's shredder to do so, saving herself the trouble of going out of her way to deliver them to John in person.
Knowing that it would bother Kristen, John started to refer to her as Kristie. "Marlena explained the subconscious to me. You know, how people are always talking about moving on, yet they keep doing things to keep the past alive. And I really found it kind of weird that after you moved on with Brady, you're still so damn obsessed with the past. Now, back to the subconscious thing -- you could have just taken the jersey, wadded it up in a great big ball, and thrown it away, but no -- you demanded that we -- you and me -- talk about it...face-to-face," John noted.
Kristen reasoned that the things that she wanted to say to John simply required a face-to-face meeting. Kristen said that she had realized that she and John would never be able to go back to being friends again, prompting him to feign sadness. "I know. It's a disappointment to me, too. It's not gonna work, though, because you're not gonna stop trying to destroy my relationship with Brady. I'm telling you right now, I won't have it!" Kristen warned John.
John innocently stated that he would not have given Kristen the jersey if he had known that it was going to upset her, but she wasn't convinced. Kristen wondered if John cared about the fact that his gift had also upset Brady. "Does it strike you that the two of you are kind of a volatile couple? I mean, this jersey seems to have taken on a great deal of importance. One can only imagine what would happen if I gave you the whole thing," John pointedly replied.
Unamused, Kristen tossed the jersey at John again and insisted that it was time for him to leave. John reminded Kristen that she was the one who had summoned him, and he refused to leave until they had laid all of their cards on the table. "My cards are on the table. I want you to leave Brady and me alone. I want you to take your stupid jersey and get out of my office. And I want it to stop. Just take it and get out, would you? Get out!" Kristen shouted. Kristen tried to force the jersey into John's hands, but he grabbed her arms instead, pulling her toward him as their eyes locked.
At the Horton Town Square, Ciara asked Hope to tell her what Brady's girlfriend's name was. After answering the question, Hope wondered what had prompted Ciara's inquiry. "I know something about her," Ciara explained. Assuming that some of the kids at school had been talking about the DiMeras, Hope started to give Ciara a gentle lesson about the hurtful effects of gossiping, but Ciara insisted that Hope had gotten the wrong impression.
Hope apologized and wondered why Ciara had really asked about Kristen. Before Ciara could respond, Hope received a phone call from Bo. Hope happily greeted Bo, but her smile quickly faded. Hope moved a few feet away from Ciara and lowered her voice, reminding Bo that he had promised that he would soon be returning to Salem. Hope added that she and Ciara had already planned a celebratory dinner to welcome Bo home.
Hope waited for a response, but Bo had seemingly ended the call without saying goodbye. Hope sighed and rejoined Ciara, blaming poor reception for the call's abrupt end. Ciara could tell that something was wrong, so Hope reluctantly gave her the bad news. "You lied! You lied to me! You said we'd have a family dinner!" Ciara shouted, angrily tossing her backpack on the ground.
As Hope tried to get Ciara to calm down, Brady rushed over and wrapped his arms around Ciara, refusing to let go until she told him what was going on. Ciara sullenly stated that she missed her daddy, adding that it wasn't fair that none of the other kids had parents who went away all of the time. Brady tried to get Ciara to realize that she was exaggerating, but Hope admitted that Ciara had a point, since both of Ciara's parents had left her for extended periods of time in the past.
Brady agreed to stay with Ciara so that Hope could try to call Bo back. After Hope left, Brady revealed that when he had been Ciara's age, his father had also been gone frequently. Brady said that he had hated it at the time, but he added that he had eventually realized that his father had hated it just as much as Brady had. Brady confidently stated that Bo would return home as soon as he was able to do so.
Ciara wondered if Brady's father was still unable to spend a lot of time with Brady. Brady vaguely stated that he had seen his father the previous night. Meanwhile, Brady received a phone call, and Ciara asked if the caller was his girlfriend. Brady ignored the call, dismissively explaining that it had been about dumb work-related stuff.
"You know what? I know something about your girlfriend," Ciara cryptically stated.
Nick met with Kate in the park to discuss his product idea. Kate found the concept exciting -- but warned Nick that she couldn't stomach the sight of him because of what he was doing to her grandson. Nick argued that it was only because Sami and E.J. had pushed Will to try to get Gabi to take a paternity test -- and Nick didn't see what it had to do with his job. Kate reminded Nick that he was an ex-con with a good job that allowed him to support his wife and Will's child, and if he lost that job, it would be difficult for him to find another one that was as good.
Nick asked if Kate were threatening him. Kate confirmed that she was if Nick continued to hurt Will. After suggesting that they limit their conversations to business, Nick informed Kate that he wanted to work from home after the baby was born. Kate agreed as long as Nick continued to have ideas that were as good as the one he'd just given her. She asked if Nick had mentioned the idea to anyone else in the company, and he assured her that he hadn't.
Nick asked Kate if she'd been at the club the night before. Kate didn't know what he was talking about, so Nick explained that a strip club had hosted a charity event for the hospital. He told her about the guys who had stripped for the cause -- including Rafe. As Kate's mouth fell open, Nick said goodbye and left.
In Horton Square, Hope was trying to reach Bo again but couldn't get through to him because of a bad cell phone connection.
Meanwhile, Ciara was telling Brady that she knew his girlfriend had a lot of money. Chuckling, Brady asked how Ciara knew that. Ciara replied, "Because she gives it away to people. You have to have a lot of money to do that, right?" Brady explained that Kristen liked to help people, so she did volunteer work and gave money to charity. Ciara said that she hadn't been talking about that, and retrieved the envelope from her backpack to show Brady what she'd meant.
Hope returned just as Brady took the envelope from Ciara. Brady lightly informed Hope, "Ciara was just giving me the lowdown on Kristen." Hope chided her daughter for gossiping, but Ciara insisted that she hadn't been. Hope apologized if she'd hurt Ciara's feelings. "Why can't I talk to Daddy? Daddies don't hurt your feelings. They love you the most!" Ciara complained petulantly.
Privately, Hope confided to Brady that Ciara didn't usually have meltdowns or talk back to her like that. Hope explained that Ciara was upset because they had just learned that Bo wasn't returning home right away as they'd thought. Brady understood.
After Brady left, Ciara wanted to call her daddy, and she didn't understand when Hope explained that they couldn't because he was on a plane. Ciara asked, "Did you tell on me?" Hope reassured her daughter that there was nothing to tell and that they would talk to Bo very soon. Ciara was surprised when her mom said, "You're a very honest little girl who says what's on her mind... I love that about you." They left to have breakfast at the Brady Pub.
When Rafe visited Gabi at the pub, he was mortified to discover that Caroline had posted pictures of him from the strip club the previous night on her Facebook page. Gabi found it hysterical. Gabi wondered why Kate wasn't in any of the pictures since Sami had been there. Rafe maintained that he hadn't told Kate because it had been a last-minute thing, and Sami had probably only gone to make sure her grandmother got home safely.
Gabi believed that Rafe and Sami would still be together if Gabi hadn't gotten pregnant. "If Sami really wanted to be with me, she wouldn't be marrying E.J.," Rafe contended. The news that Sami and E.J. were engaged took Gabi by surprise. She asked if Rafe were all right, but he insisted that he didn't "give a damn" what Sami did.
Kate ran into Rafe in Horton Square a little later. He greeted her with a bold kiss and declared that he didn't care who saw them together. When Kate hinted about Rafe's activities the previous night, he realized that she already knew what he'd been up to. "I must say it was a unique experience, a bunch of screaming women watching me while I took my clothes off," Rafe admitted. Kate casually asked if Sami had been there.
Rafe confirmed that Sami had been there -- but so had a lot of other women. "I understand that this was for charity, right?" Kate asked. When Rafe said that it had been for a children's wing at the hospital, Kate pulled a rolled wad of cash out of her purse. "Five hundred dollars -- a donation to the charity -- and I thought maybe at some point you could, um, show me your act...in private," Kate explained coyly.
Later, in bed at Rafe's after having sex, Kate admitted that she was upset with herself for sounding insecure by mentioning Sami. Rafe urged her not to worry about it. "I just can't imagine any woman giving you up," Kate declared, kissing Rafe.
Nick had returned to the pub when Hope and Ciara arrived. Hope filled Gabi and Nick in about Ciara's temper tantrum, but assured them that being a parent was a joy. Gabi confided that she and Nick were really looking forward to being parents. Hope urged Nick and Gabi to remember that if they needed couple time, they could trust the baby with Will and Sonny. "Do you really think that's an ideal life for a little girl?" Nick asked.
Hope and Gabi asked Nick what he'd meant. Nick covered that he thought it would be confusing for little Arianna Grace until she was older. Hope pointed out that the child would have lots of friends who had parents and stepparents, and Nick, Gabi, and Will could answer Arianna's questions as they arose. "The worst thing for a child is when the parents are fighting over them," Hope declared, and then left to take Ciara to school.
Gabi informed Nick that she agreed with Hope. Nick pointed out that Bo was Sami's uncle and Will's great-uncle, and Sonny's parents were good friends with Bo and Hope. "What does that have to do with anything that she said?" Gabi demanded. With a patient but patronizing smile, Nick asserted that unlike Hope and Gabi, he wasn't optimistic that everything would work out. "This whole idea of this blended family where everybody gets along is just -- it's not going to happen," Nick predicted.
At school, Ciara worked on some arithmetic problems. She looked around to see if anyone else was there, then removed a folder from her backpack. She opened the folder and slid out a copy of the picture of Kristen and Sy in the park.
In Kristen's office, Kristen thrust the baseball jersey at John, but he grabbed her by the wrists. John looked amused as an irked Kristen struggled to free herself from his grasp. Once she had, she ordered John to leave. As John folded the jersey neatly, he reminded Kristen, "You asked me to come here, and so I'm not going to leave until the spy in me finds out why." Kristen demanded to know what John wanted from her.
"Nothing," John maintained, but offered to tell her why he'd given her the jersey. Kristen was willing to listen, so John reminded her of the day he'd first given the jersey to her: her team had just beaten the league's first-place team because of a pop fly the right fielder had caught -- a kid whom Kristen had spent hours coaching. That was when John had realized he was falling in love with Kristen, and he wondered if she could be that woman again.
"That woman's dead. You killed her," Kristen declared. "Ah, it's too bad, because that girl was the real deal," John lamented, placing the jersey gently in Kristen's hands -- just as Brady walked in. "What the hell is going on here?" Brady demanded. John calmly informed his son that Kristen had called him. A furious Brady grabbed John by the lapels, while Kristen begged her fiancé to stop. Finally Brady shoved his father away.
Kristen admitted that she had, indeed, called John to pick up the jersey. "I wanted him to know that it's not going to accomplish anything!" she shouted after John as he strolled out. Irate, Brady knocked the knickknacks off a side table, bellowing that John wasn't going to stop. Brady admitted the expression on John's face when he'd looked at Kristen had given Brady the creeps. Brady asked Kristen how it made her feel to know that John wasn't over her. Kristen was taken aback.
"Kristen, I need to know if it brings back those old feelings that you used to have for him -- because if it does, we are finished," Brady declared. Without answering verbally, Kristen grabbed Brady and kissed him forcefully. Still locked in a kiss, Kristen moved Brady near the door so she could lock it. Bemused at first, Brady finally surrendered; he swiftly removed Kristen's dress. Embracing ardently, the two moved away from the door. Kristen threw Brady back on the sofa and fell on top of him.
In the park, John gazed at the jersey and smiled to himself with satisfaction.
At the DiMera mansion, E.J. informed Sami that his father was on his way back home, and when Stefano arrived, they would tell him about their engagement and talk to him about Will's situation.
As Sonny, Will, and T arrived at Common Grounds after some time at the lake, Sonny and Will ribbed T about his lousy kayaking skills. Sami called Will and told him that it was time to head over to the mansion because Stefano was on his way back. She explained that E.J. believed it would put Stefano in a good mood to hear about Sami and E.J.'s engagement, and then it would be a good time for Will to stop by and catch up with Stefano.
Will admitted that he was nervous, but Sami reminded him, "Look, Will, we have to do whatever it takes to get Nick out of the way." Will agreed that he would go to the mansion after he showered and changed. Sami asked to speak with Sonny, so as he headed out the door, Will handed the phone to Sonny.
After reminding Sonny that he'd said he wanted to help Will, Sami requested, "I want you to tell me exactly where Nick and Gabi's bedroom is at Victor's, and then exact times when they're not there." Sonny agreed. Just as Sonny was hanging up, Will returned to retrieve his phone. After informing Sonny that Stefano had returned home, Will asked what his mom had wanted. "She just wanted me to do something for her," Sonny replied cryptically.
After Will left again, T asked Sonny what was going on with Will. Sonny insisted that everything was fine, but T noted that he had known Will since they were kids and he could tell when something was wrong. Sonny pointed out that Will was a little nervous about being a father. T declared, "I've seen Will raise his [brother] and sisters since as long as I've known him. He's going to rock this dad thing."
T left, and Sonny called his mom to ask if it was all right to drop by the Kiriakis mansion for a visit. Adrienne teased him about not keeping in better touch, but assured her son that they would have the house to themselves.
When Sonny arrived at the mansion, he told his mom that Will had been trying to deal with giving up the rights to his daughter. Adrienne didn't understand how Will could have done so -- or why Nick and Gabi had never said a word about it. A surprised Sonny asked how it was working out with Gabi and Nick living there. Adrienne said that there wasn't much to tell except that Nick and Gabi were friendly and polite.
Sonny explained that he was only asking because he wanted to know what kind of home Will's baby would have. Adrienne described how devoted Nick seemed to Gabi, and he had started working from home since Gabi was in her eighth month of pregnancy. Adrienne continued that Nick worked in his room most mornings, then in the afternoon he would go for a run or visit Gabi at the pub.
Sonny remarked, "I really hope they have that room that Alex and I had. Remember that one with the cool skylight?" After confirming that Nick and Gabi did have that room, a suspicious Adrienne demanded to know why Sonny was asking so many specific questions about Gabi and Nick. Sonny started to deny it, but Adrienne interrupted to ask, "Are you trying to help Will get information on them?" Sonny countered, "And what if I am?"
Adrienne urged her son to be very careful, because Justin had said that he'd never seen anyone work the legal system the way Nick had -- and she didn't want Nick going after Sonny. Sonny agreed. Embracing her son, Adrienne asked with a conspiratorial smile, "Now what do you need to know?"
Sami was anxious about talking to Stefano. E.J. tried to reassure her that everything was under control, pointing out, "He is going to be pleased about our engagement... I am marrying the mother of my children, which also means the mother of his grandchildren." As Sami and E.J. were kissing, Stefano strolled in. "This, I gather, is the big news," Stefano boomed cheerfully. He declared that the news was wonderful, much to Sami and E.J.'s relief.
As E.J. poured champagne for the three of them, Sami told Stefano that she hoped he would share some tips on being a good grandparent with her, because Will was about to become a father. Stefano professed that Sami would be a lovely grandmother. E.J. returned with the glasses, and Stefano toasted, "To my son, to the woman he loves: may you be happy forever, with no complications!"
When the doorbell rang, Sami rushed to answer it and found Will holding Johnny's soccer ball. They went into the living room, where Will returned the ball to his mom in front of Stefano. Stefano asked him to stay and celebrate. Will responsibly declined a glass of champagne, since he was driving. Observing that the chessboard was set up, Will recalled how Stefano had taught him to play -- and Stefano had always won. Stefano proposed a rematch, so E.J. and Sami watched while the elder DiMera coached Will through a game.
When Stefano mentioned Will's daughter, Will looked uncomfortable, and Stefano picked up on it. After asking Will's permission, E.J. explained that Will had signed away his rights to his child. Sami and E.J. continued with the rest of the story about Nick blackmailing Will and how the evidence was still at the police station. Stefano seemed perturbed on Will's behalf, but then he continued with the chess game.
Unsure of how to proceed, Sami and E.J. discussed how they wished they could simply get rid of the evidence at the police station so Nick wouldn't have leverage, and then they could have a lawyer nullify the agreement. Stefano didn't appear to be listening. Sami apologized to Stefano if she was keeping him from concentrating, but admitted that she couldn't stand the idea of her son being kept from his child.
Suddenly, Stefano announced, "I got it! Checkmate." The others were disappointed that Stefano hadn't offered to help. Stefano assured Will, "You put on an elegant offense, William. The only thing is that my move was lethal." Stefano headed out of the room to make an overseas call, but stopped in the doorway to inquire, "Oh, Samantha, did you want to ask a favor of me before, for the both of you?"
