Nicole rushed into the DiMera mansion and called out for Dr. Rolfe as if hoping that he could find Stefano and rescue E.J. from the lockdown on the seventh floor at the hospital. When Nicole could not locate Dr. Rolfe, she was frustrated and upset, and remembered seeing Sami and E.J. kiss and embrace on the hospital monitor.

Nicole's thoughts wandered and she imagined herself the wronged wife in a fantasy sequence reminiscent of a 1940's black and white movie. The cast of characters included Philip as the owner of Club Marlow, Lucas as the owner of a struggling private investigation agency, and Sami as his cheating wife and a cheap tart. Chloe, Lucas's former secretary, was the newly hired singer at Club Marlow, and E.J., a.k.a. Junior, was married to Nicole for her money and was cheating on her with Sami and everyone else in town.

In the opening scene, she saw Lucas's PI office, where he slaved over work seeking clients to help keep his business afloat.

At E.J. and Nicole's apartment, Sami and E.J., whom she called Junior, a name he hated, rolled around in bed laughing and making light of their respective spouses.

Suddenly, Nicole arrived home and Sami dashed out of bed and into the closet to hide. Nicole asked Junior what he had been up to since she left asking him outright if he was stepping out on her. Junior flatly denied his wife's accusations and insisted that he had been in the apartment all afternoon. She told him that money was what attracted him to her; she did not care as long as he loved her and only her. Nicole told Junior that he still gave her goose bumps, but that if she ever found out that he was two-timing her that he would be sorry.

Still in the closet, Sami dressed while Junior covered his tracks. Junior asked Nicole to have a drink, but she said that there was no ice and left the room and suggested Junior take a shower so that he could be cool and refreshed for her return.

Junior pushed Sami out of the room so that he would not be caught and ruin his deal with Nicole, but in the confusion, Sami left behind an earring that had fallen onto the floor.

Nicole returned to tidy up the bedroom and Junior called out to her and asked her to join him in the shower, but she refused because she said that she just had her hair done. Nicole began vacuuming the carpet and found the earring.

Back at Lucas' office, Lucas was upset that he had to fire his secretary, Chloe, because he could not afford her salary. Lucas consoled himself that at least he had a devoted wife and good woman, unaware of Sami's ongoing fling with Junior.

At Club Marlowe, Philip approached a young woman, Chloe, who seemed depressed. Philip wanted to help pay for Chole's meal, but she insisted that she pay her own way. Philip offered Chloe a job and asked her if she could cook. She looked at him strangely and said no, but told him that she could sing. Philip looked surprised and asked her if she sang in the church choir. Chloe told Philip that she could sing and to give her a shot.

Chloe sang and Philip applauded and offered her a full-time job as the club's new singer. She thanked him and told him that she would always sing for her supper and reminded him that she was not an easy mark. Philip told Chloe that she needed new clothes and a new hairstyle, some makeup, and to get rid of the glasses if she planned to sing for him at Club Marlow.

Back at Club Marlow, Chloe made her debut as Philip looked on with interest. Junior arrived to admire the entertainment and to make a move on Chloe, but Philip told Junior that it was hands-off with the singer, and that Junior should concentrate on spending time with his wife.

Later in the day and after her romp with Junior, Sami visited Lucas at the office. Lucas gave her the bad news and told her that they were broke and three months behind in rent at home, and six months at the office. He told Sami that the only way out was to sell her engagement ring, earrings, and necklace, and that he would make it up to her. She offered him her wedding ring, but Lucas told her that his and her wedding rings were the most important thing in the world to him and that he could never give them up. Sami went to reach for her earrings and panicked when she realized that she lost one of her earrings. Lucas questioned her about where she lost the earring. Sami remembered that she must have lost the earring during her romp with Junior, and left it in his bedroom. Sami gave Lucas an excuse to leave so that she could look for the missing earring.

Nicole arrived at Lucas's office and told him that she wanted to hire him. Lucas told Nicole that Louie, a mobster he ratted out in prison, closed the door on his business and it was going down the tubes. Nicole told Lucas that she needed a good PI and he needed a good client, so they negotiated a price. Nicole reminded Lucas that she was Mrs. DiMera to him and that that she wanted him to find the cheap tart that was sleeping with her husband. Lucas asked Nicole if she had any clues, and she showed Lucas the earring. Lucas seemed crushed and asked her where she found the earring. Nicole said that she found it her bedroom. Lucas did not want to believe it, but it appeared that Sami, his beloved wife, was cheating on him with Nicole's husband. Lucas turned to Nicole and said, "Case closed." He told her that solving her case broke his heart, because the earring belonged to his wife-and she was the cheap cheating tart. Nicole asked Lucas what he was going to do about it, and he said he would think of something.

Nicole left and Lucas took out a gun and stared down the barrel. Just then, Chloe, Lucas' former secretary, arrived looking like a million bucks. She told Lucas that she found a job that paid good money. Lucas told her that he did not recognize her and said that he did not have the money to pay her past wages. She told him that she was making good money and offered him some cash, but he said that he could not take a handout from a dame. He asked her to keep her nose clean and be a good girl, and she told him that her heart belonged to the PI standing in front of her, and then Chloe kissed Lucas.

Lucas asked Chloe where she had been "all these years" and said that she was a real peach. He told her that he would pay to be with her, but that he was a married man, and he said that he could never cheat on his marriage, even though marriage vows meant little to most men. Lucas told Chloe that he knew Sami cheated on him, but that that he could never cheat on her as long as he was still married. Chloe told Lucas that he was too good for Sami and that Sami could never love him the way that Chloe loved him. Nicole entered and said that she was the client, and Chloe should butt out, because Nicole was about to catch her husband in the act.

Lucas tried to dissuade Nicole from going on the stakeout with him, but she insisted that it was her business and she intended to accompany him. Lucas asked Chloe where she worked and how he could get in touch with her. Chloe turned to Lucas and said that he should just whistle. Nicole chimed in, quoting to Lucas the famous line from the Bogart and Bacall movie classic (also Miss Bacall's first film), To Have and To Have Not, "Just put your lips together and blow."

Later, Sami arrived at the Club with Junior, and Philip walked over and asked if they wanted a table. Sami left for the little girl's room and Philip told Junior that if his wife found out about his two-timing that he would be out of a lot of money. Moreover, he warned that Junior's two-timing might be the death of him.

Nicole and Lucas walked into the club and saw Junior and Sami making out in front of them. Lucas then saw Chloe singing, as Sami and E.J. danced and flaunted their feelings for each on the dance floor.

Lucas confronted Sami the next day at the office and asked her how many times she cheated on him beforehand. She told him that she only cheated with Junior, and then admitted that she planned to go away with him.

Back at the club, Philip told Chloe to forget about Lucas and asked her to give him a chance, and then kissed her. Lucas walked into the club and saw Philip and Chloe kissing.

Back at the DiMera apartment, Junior told Nicole that he was leaving town on business and said things would be different when he returned. Junior tried to convince Nicole that there was no other dame. Nicole asked Junior not to leave and begged him to give their relationship another chance-like old times. Junior wanted no part of it, packed his suitcase, and left her in the room screaming. Nicole vowed that no one ever walked out on her and her marriage was not over until she said it was over.

Sami arrived at the place where she was to meet Junior, but instead found Nicole sipping on a drink waiting for her. Nicole called Sami a tramp and accused her of invading her home and bedroom. Sami panicked and told Nicole that she was sorry and made a mistake.

Nicole removed the scarf from her dress and walked toward Sami, then wrapped the scarf around Sami's neck and started to strangle the life out of her. Sami fell onto the bed choking and Nicole picked up a pillow and smothered the life out of the cheating little tart. Nicole turned and looked at Sami's limp body and said, "That is what you get, Goldie, for sleeping in Mama Bear's bed."

Then Nicole returned to present-day reality, looked in the mirror at the DiMera mansion, and wondered if she would ever be the woman loved as opposed to the woman scorned.

At the DiMera mansion, Nicole continued to fantasize about her life as a black-and-white 1940's hard-boiled crime drama. In Nicole's mind, she struggled to strangle Sami for stealing her husband, E.J. Sami fought back, but could not overpower Nicole, who finally was able to suffocate Sami with a pillow. Just as Nicole announced to the body that no one got away with stealing her man, she heard someone enter the apartment. Frantic to hide the body, Nicole dragged Sami's corpse behind a room divider in the corner. E.J. entered the bedroom and was surprised to find Nicole, and not Sami, waiting for him.

Nicole confronted E.J. about his mistress, Sami, and E.J. came clean, telling Nicole that though Nicole would always be the one for him, that it was not in his nature to be faithful to her. "I'm a grifter, I'm no good. You don't deserve me," E.J. explained calmly. Lamenting the loss of her husband, Nicole blurted out, "Then it was all for nothing!" Suspicious, E.J. questioned what Nicole meant by her statement. Nicole tried to avoid answering, but when she admitted that she had run into Sami earlier, E.J. demanded to know what Nicole had done. Trying to hide her crime, Nicole said that though she did nothing, if she had, she only would have done it to keep E.J. from leaving. "You're too good for me," E.J. told Nicole sternly, and then left to find Sami.

In the nightclub in Nicole's fantasy, a heartbroken private investigator, Lucas Horton, watched as his former secretary, Chloe Lane, kissed her new boss, Philip, the nightclub owner. As in all great detective stories, Lucas narrated the scene, explaining that seeing Chloe kiss Philip made him feel more jealousy than seeing his wife, Sami, with E.J. Upset, Lucas attempted to leave, but was spotted by Philip. Lucas explained to Chloe that he never should have asked her to wait, and ran off into the night. Chloe tried to chase after Lucas, but Philip stopped her. Torn, Chloe admitted to Philip that she would only love Lucas and the only reason she had left her job as Lucas' secretary was because it was too difficult to spend every day with a man who was married to someone else. Philip offered Chloe the world, but gave her an ultimatum, saying that if she went after Lucas, she would lose her job as a singer. Worried about her future, Chloe caved in and agreed to stay at the club.

At rehearsals, Chloe sang a song about her heartbreak, while Philip listened from across the room. As Chloe concluded her song, Philip pulled her aside and promised that he would not fire her if she chose not to date him. Though relieved, Chloe told Philip that she did not believe Lucas would ever leave his wife, and that she did not want to be alone. Philip gently kissed Chloe, but quickly pulled away explaining, "What I want is for you to really want me." Chloe admitted that she could only love Lucas, and though Philip urged her to follow her heart, he also reiterated that if she left, she would lose her job. Smiling, Chloe thanked Philip for being so kind and ran off to find Lucas.

After Chloe had left the club, a worried E.J. wandered in and sat at the bar. As Philip poured him a drink, the two chatted about Sami. E.J. told Philip that he had a bad feeling about Sami's disappearance.

Back at the apartment in her fantasy, Nicole called Lucas and said, "I took care of her." Confused, Lucas raced over to Nicole's apartment and demanded answers. "What do you mean you took care of her?" Reluctantly, Nicole showed Lucas the body saying, "I'm really sorry." Then, Nicole slowly laid out all the parts and pieces to Lucas' motive for killing his wife, and reminded him that she was unlikely to be blamed, due to her social standing. Nicole urged Lucas to help her dump the body, but Lucas was disgusted by the idea and demanded that Sami's body be treated with dignity. With the emotion of the scene welling up inside him, Lucas pulled out a gun and leveled it at Nicole. As Nicole tried to plead for her life, Lucas sneered, "I don't rub out dames." "I have nothing let to live for," Nicole muttered. Seeing the despair on her face, Lucas handed another gun to Nicole and told her that what she did with it-"That's up to you."

At Lucas' P.I. office, Chloe rushed in looking for Lucas. With the office empty, Chloe crossed over to the window to get some air. Lucas entered the office and, after just witnessing Nicole's loss of her will to live, he feared for the worst from Chloe. As Lucas pulled Chloe away from the window, she explained that she had no intention to jump, even if she had reasons. Chloe explained that she had quit her job even though she had everything there. "I had everything but you," Chloe whispered. Lucas pulled Chloe into a kiss. The two agreed to run away together and, as Chloe began to pack Lucas' things from the office, Lucas made a phone call.

Back at the nightclub, Nicole stopped by to talk to E.J., and Philip left the two alone at the bar. Nicole bluntly told E.J. that Sami was not going to make the train to run off with E.J. "I killed her. I killed your mistress. She was pretty feisty, took a long time to die," Nicole explained. In disbelief, E.J. laughed at first, but eventually realized that Nicole was telling the truth. As E.J. showed that his intention was still to leave Nicole, a hopeless Nicole pulled Lucas' gun out of her purse and pointed it at E.J. Quick to change his tune, E.J. soothingly explained that he always had loved Nicole, but that he had cheated on her because he hated to be taken for granted. E.J. gently calmed Nicole down and slowly slid the gun from her hand and placed it on the bar. Nicole explained where she had hid the body and the two ran out into the night.

Back at their apartment, E.J. continued to sweet-talk Nicole and explained that Sami had seduced him to get to Nicole's money. Nicole demanded that E.J. prove that he still loved her and as the two began to kiss, there was a loud pounding on the door. Expecting a cab driver, E.J. answered the door. Instead of a cabbie, E.J. opened the door to find police detectives Roman Brady and Abe Carver there to arrest Nicole for Sami's murder. Roman explained that Lucas had tipped them off as to what Nicole had done, and he explained that they knew where the body was. Nicole denied that she had committed a crime, but Roman responded that once they dusted for prints, that they would have all the evidence they needed to send her to the electric chair. As Roman and Abe hauled Nicole out in handcuffs, she cried out to E.J., asking him to wait for her. "Sorry, Dollface. I'm not that guy," he said.

Back at the Kiriakis mansion, Nicole came to from her fantasy daydream and joked, "I can't even get E.J. in my own imagination!" Worried about her future with E.J., Nicole headed down to the hospital to find him.

John hit a switch and activated the ventilation system, which pulled out the noxious smoke and vapor. John found Anna and Tony unconscious. He then heard Stefano's laughter. John called for Stefano and found a boy who claimed to be Stefano. John thought it was some kind of joke. He told the boy they were half-brothers; his mother was Colleen. The boy told John that he ruined his life and ran off. John then encountered a young Santo, who was sorry about Stefano's actions and wished things could have turned out differently. Santo reminisced about Colleen, and how much he loved her. Santo told John that he was making a huge mistake by being cold to everyone, and hurting Marlena. John thought Marlena might not be for him. The old version of John confronted the new one. They argued about who was the better version. Old John informed New John that Marlena was the best thing that had ever happened to either one of them, and not to give up. As Old John exited, Santo told New John not to give up on love.

After a blinding flash, Marlena was shocked to see her twin sister, Samantha, back from the dead. Samantha gave Marlena a lecture on how she had broken her oath by hurting a patient-Stefano. Marlena protested. Stefano needed to be punished because of what he had done to John. The sisters argued over whether or not Marlena should give up on John. Marlena told Samantha that she might never get back the John of old, but she had seen him inside the new John. Samantha fought back saying if Marlena had the will to stop the impending coma, then she could have the will to move on. Marlena attempted to reach over and inject herself with the antidote. Samantha believed in her sister and faded away as Marlena's hand began to move.

Stefano held baby Joe as a hurried Rolf entered. Stefano handed him the baby. Later, Rolf returned to Stefano and informed him that everything was taken care of. Stefano told Rolf their plan was almost complete.

Abe told the technician to keep working on trying to get a feed on the surveillance cameras to see what was happening on the seventh floor. An officer told Abe the elevators and communications were still down and the stairwells were locked, and all systems were unable to be overridden. Lexie updated Abe on the status of the patients in the rest of the hospital. Roman told Abe there was a gas being sent through the ventilation system. Meanwhile, Nicole saw E.J. and Sami kissing on the monitor that connected to the seventh floor surveillance camera in the stairwell.

Lucas woke up in his hospital room to find Chloe unconscious on the floor. He was able to wake her, and they guessed that if Stefano was behind the lockdown and gas, the ordeal was far from over. In the laboratory, Kayla and Steve were distraught after learning that someone had kidnapped baby Joe. They banged on the door to get help, and Kayla realized Stefano was probably behind their baby's kidnapping. Steve vowed to kill Stefano with his bare hands.

Nicole continued to watch Sami and E.J. kissing and was reduced to tears. An officer told Roman they were trying to reconnect the phone lines on the seventh floor. Sami and E.J. got carried away with their make-out session until E.J. stopped Sami. E.J. apologized, and Sami told him it was okay and that they needed to find a way out of there.

Lexie told Abe there were no complications with moving the patients from the hospital, and Abe suspected Stefano was behind the seventh floor lockdown. Kate arrived at the hospital and asked Roman what was going on. Roman told her that they believed Stefano was probably behind it, and Kate was afraid that Stefano would target Lucas for trying to kill E.J.

Chloe was starting to hyperventilate, so Lucas gave her a bag to breathe in. He took the bag away and told her to take short and shallow breaths. Lucas got Chloe to walk around and said they would be safe if they stuck together. Chloe said the thought of seeing Stefano again scared her, and Stefano, who was lurking in the hallway, said she should be scared.

The technician told Abe and Roman that he got the feed working, and Roman ordered the tech to work on getting the rest of the surveillance video up. Kate saw Sami alone with E.J. and thought about how she knew there was something between E.J. and Sami, and she figured Lucas was better off without Sami.

As Sami paced back and forth, E.J. asked her if she kissed him because of their circumstances, and Sami said it wasn't because of the gas or them being trapped on the seventh floor. She said she meant what she said about how she couldn't imagine her life without E.J. He said he felt the same way.

Lucas guessed that Stefano was going to try to get back at him for shooting E.J., but Stefano said he wasn't there to punish Lucas. Stefano showed Lucas a video of Sami and E.J. embracing, and Chloe said she wasn't surprised by it. Lucas said he wasn't surprised, either. Lucas told Stefano it was old news that Sami was with E.J. Lucas asked Stefano what his plan was. Stefano said it was good that Lucas found Chloe, because Sami's place was at E.J.'s side. Lucas said Sami and E.J. deserved each other, and Stefano said together Sami and E.J. would breed the future of the DiMera family. Lucas told Stefano to go to hell, and Stefano said at least he wouldn't be alone. Chloe wondered what Stefano was up to, and Lucas suggested they be prepared for Stefano's next move. They went back to Lucas' room to check the phones, but the phone was still not working. Lucas suggested they wait to be rescued, and he told Chloe he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Kate asked Lexie for an update, and Lexie said she believed Stefano would go after everyone he felt wronged him, including everyone trapped on the seventh floor. Roman and Abe were able to gain access to the seventh floor stairwell to Sami's delight. E.J. told them about the effects of the gas. Roman asked about Marlena, and Sami said at last check, Marlena was okay. Roman asked her if Stefano was awake, and Sami said she thought she was talking to him and he was moving around. Abe told Roman they needed to be ready for Stefano when they broke into the seventh floor. Roman ordered E.J. and Sami to get checked out by Lexie, and when they left the stairwell, Nicole lurked in the background.

Sami told Lexie about the gas on the seventh floor, and Lexie suggested they get tested for any aftereffects. Sami said Marlena was injected with a toxin that paralyzed her. Sami told Lexie that Stefano was out for revenge against everyone, including Marlena, because of the toxins she injected into Stefano's body to trap him inside his body. Sami thought Stefano deserved what Marlena did to him and said Marlena should have killed Stefano. Kate confronted Sami for getting close to E.J. in the stairwell, and she asked Sami if she cared at all about Lucas. Sami said of course she cared about Lucas. Nicole walked up and saw E.J. consoling Sami.

Chloe told Lucas she'd heard him say he was through with Sami before, but Lucas was sick of Sami's ambivalence over whom she wanted to be with. Chloe said she knew Lucas was upset, but she figured in time he would want to be with Sami again, but Lucas was resigned to a life without Sami. Lucas said he was focusing on his daughter and his son-and that future would include Chloe. Lucas and Chloe heard a baby crying and went to investigate.

Meanwhile, Kayla was distraught thinking no one was alive to save them, and Steve tried to calm her. They heard Joe's cries and banged on the door again. Steve tried to break the handle on the lab door. Lucas heard Steve trying to get out, and he tried to key in the code Kayla gave him. Once they were free, Kayla and Steve ran off to find Joe.

Sami told Kate she thought Lucas would be all right, but Kate said Sami didn't know that and didn't care about Lucas. After Sami and E.J. went off to get checked out, Lexie saw Nicole in the hallway and encouraged her to go get E.J. away from Sami. Nicole said she didn't have the strength to try to come between E.J. and Sami because it was a losing battle. E.J. walked up and called Lexie to tend to Sami, leaving Nicole alone with E.J. He hugged Nicole, and E.J. told her that Stefano was behind the seventh floor lockdown. Nicole told E.J. she knew about him and Sami because she saw them on the video feed. Nicole said the image of E.J. and Sami together was burned in her memory.

Lexie ordered tests on Sami to make sure there were no residual effects of the fumes. Sami told Lexie that she hallucinated about E.J. being Stefano. In the hallway, a nurse informed Lexie that the police were about to cut through the door on the seventh floor and to be prepared for people to be brought down from the seventh floor.

On the seventh floor, Chloe, Lucas, Kayla, and Steve heard banging noises coming from the stairwell, and Chloe and Lucas went to investigate. Kayla and Steve heard Joe's voice coming from the linen closet and found the baby in a basket of clothes. Kayla and Steve were relieved to find their baby, but they noticed a mark on Joe's wrist and assumed it was a just a freckle.

Abe, Roman, and a police officer went into Stefano's hospital room but did not find him. They looked up and saw Stefano on the monitor on the wall. Roman ordered the cops to round up the rest of the patients and guests from the seventh floor and take them downstairs. Stefano taunted them, saying he was able to get away before he was affected by the gas, which was nontoxic and would have no lasting effects. Stefano asked Roman and Abe to arrest Marlena for assault and attempted murder for injecting Stefano with toxins. If Marlena were not brought to justice for what she did to Stefano, Stefano would punish her, he said.

Kate was relieved to see Lucas and Chloe free from the seventh floor. Lucas told Kate things would never be the same between him and Sami after what he saw between Sami and E.J.

Nicole told E.J. to let Lexie check him out, but he was more interested in explaining what happened between him and Sami. Before he could explain, Lexie brought Sami back from the examination room and asked to examine E.J., also. He refused her help at first, but Sami told him he shouldn't take any chances.

Tony told EJ their father had vanished once again. They agreed that they had to unite to fight John's takeover of the family empire. It wasn't about the money or power; it was about their birthright. Neither of them wanted to emulate Stefano, but they both wanted to put their own stamp on the DiMera empire. They realized Stefano would be gunning for John, so it was the perfect time to claim the empire for themselves.

Stefano returned to his mansion and told Rolf he needed to go underground. Rolf was going with him. Stefano learned from Rolf that John had destroyed the lab. Stefano hated John as much as he hated Marlena. He vowed to get revenge on both of them. Stefano vowed to raise a new generation and to destroy John, Marlena, and the Bradys from the inside.

Steve and Kayla were being questioned about what happened on the seventh floor during the lockdown. Joe was being examined by a pediatrician after his ordeal with Stefano. Joe was given a clean bill of health. Steve told Roman that Stefano took their baby. Kayla wanted to know why.

Lexie was checking out Marlena while John hovered in the doorway. Lexie wanted to take Marlena away for more extensive tests, but her initial prognosis was good. They found an empty hypodermic needle on the floor next to Marlena's bed. It contained the drug Kayla came up with to counter the toxin. Apparently someone had administered the antidote but they didn't know who. Later, Marlena opened her eyes as John told her he wanted to make a go of their marriage. Marlena struggled to speak and asked John who he was.

Lucas ran into Nicole and told her the lockdown experience had sealed things for him as far as Sami was concerned. It was over. Chloe overheard his proclamation and smiled. Nicole had been rejected by EJ and ended up confiding in Chloe.