A man shot the mayor in front of the DiMera mansion, and Sami saw the whole thing. She screamed, and E.J. heard her as he was making love to Nicole. Nicole told him to ignore it, and they continued having sex. Sami knocked the hit man's gun out of the way with her purse and ran to E.J.'s room and pounded on the door, begging to be let in. E.J. and Nicole were still at it, so Sami barged her way in and urged E.J. to call the police because a man with a gun was after her. Nicole grabbed the phone off of Sami, assuming Sami was watching them having sex from the window and came up with the story to break E.J. and Nicole up.

Outside, the hit man broke in, and peeked in the door looking for Sami. Sami called the police and found out her father Roman was already on his way, because someone else had called the police. Nicole told Sami that was low even for her, and Sami told E.J. that there was a dead body at the front door. As E.J. tried to calm Sami and Nicole down, Sami explained that she had lost her key and was outside E.J.'s room earlier for him to let her in, when she saw E.J. and Nicole having sex. Then she went back out front and saw the shooter. Nicole assumed it was a stunt for Sami to stop Nicole and E.J. from having sex, but E.J. seemed to believe Sami, so Nicole told them both off and stormed out, tripping over the mayor's dead body on the way out the front door.

E.J. went to check on Nicole and helped her up from the ground, as Sami asked Nicole if she believed her since Nicole had seen the body for herself. Roman arrived at the scene and noticed the dead guy was Mayor Marino. They went back inside, and Sami told Roman what happened. Nicole told Sami that her timing was odd. Sami wondered what she was talking about.

Nicole said Sami claimed she came to the mansion to tell E.J. something, and Nicole demanded to know what Sami needed to tell him. Sami lied, saying she came to tell E.J. something about Johnny's schedule, but she didn't see how that had anything to do with the murder that took place. Roman said they would continue the questioning down at the station. Nicole said she wouldn't be surprised if Sami had killed the mayor, and they continued to bicker on their way out the door.

Stephanie confided in the owner of the Java Café that Max always tried to see the good in people and that could get him into trouble. Meanwhile, at the Brady Pub, Melanie admitted to Max that she might have killed their father, just as Bo and Hope walked in. Bo sensed the tension in the air and asked if everything was all right. Max said it was, but Bo wasn't convinced. Max downplayed his conversation with Melanie, explaining that Melanie had an incident with Stephanie. It must have been some incident, Hope said. Bo said he stopped by to see Caroline, and Max said his mother had taken the twins to the park.

Max and Melanie left, and she thanked him for covering for her. As a reward, she planned to buy him a videogame, but Max had other ideas. He grabbed her arm and told her she was going to finally give him some answers.

Bo felt Max and Melanie were hiding something. He told Hope that Max turned in Trent's wallet and that Max would let Bo know if he had more information on Trent's killer. However, Hope doubted Max would do the right thing.

Upstairs, Max confronted Melanie about what happened the night of Trent's murder, and Melanie tried to get Max to agree not to use anything she was about to say against her. Max wouldn't agree to it and threatened to tell Bo and Hope, so Melanie admitted to seeing Trent before and after he died the night that he was murdered. Melanie said she confronted Trent with a knife in the cemetery, because she wanted to stand up for herself. She said Trent asked her to go back to his hotel with him, but she refused. Trent and Melanie struggled for the knife, and that was all she could remember.

Melanie said she must have blacked out, because when she woke up, her head was throbbing and Trent had a knife in his back. Melanie said she might have killed Trent and then blacked out or maybe she didn't kill him and someone else did. Max started to leave so he could tell Bo what Melanie told him, but Melanie stopped him. She asked Max if he'd traveled across the world to find her just to destroy her.

Stephanie stopped by the pub looking for Max and ran into Bo and Hope. They told her that Max and Melanie had left earlier, and Bo questioned Stephanie about the incident she had with Melanie. Bo said he and Hope got the feeling that Max was covering for someone. Stephanie said she didn't know anything for sure, and she hurried off.

Max said it was like a dream finding Melanie, someone who shared his blood. Melanie accused Max of turning his back on her and promised to help Caroline if she was in serious trouble, just like Melanie knew Max was going to help Melanie. As they were talking, Stephanie walked in. After Melanie left, Stephanie asked Max if Melanie told him what happened with Trent, but Max didn't want to talk about it. Stephanie said it wasn't about her hating Melanie - it was about Stephanie protecting Max. Max said Melanie confided in him and he didn't want to break that confidence by telling Stephanie what she said. Stephanie told Max that she needed him, and she was worried that he was in over his head. Stephanie said she thought she and Max were a team, and she urged Max confide in her.

Melanie ran into Bo and Hope in the pub and tried to explain her odd behavior earlier. Melanie tried to throw suspicion onto Stephanie as Trent's possible killer. She said that Stephanie had a passive-aggressive personality and pointed out that Stephanie's prints were on the wallet with Max's.

Max told Stephanie what Melanie told him about the night that Trent was murdered, and Stephanie urged him to go to the police with the information. Max refused and told Stephanie that she couldn't say a word about it, either. At first Stephanie was resistant, but grudgingly went along with Max's plan.

At the station, Roman questioned E.J. first. Nicole asked an officer for a glass of water, so she could spy on Sami, who was waiting inside Roman's office to be questioned. Nicole overheard Sami mention the name Dr. Sanders during Sami's phone call with the clinic about scheduling a follow-up appointment, and Nicole confronted Sami about who the doctor was. Sami lied and said it was the twins' pediatrician, and Nicole said she was surprised the doctor wasn't a shrink after the trauma Sami witnessed. Sami asked Nicole to leave the office and started toward the door, but Nicole said they had to something to discuss.

Nicole said her child would be the little brother or sister to Sami's son, and it was time they set some ground rules. Nicole said she didn't want her and Sami's problems to affect Nicole's child and that she wanted Johnny to bond with Nicole's child as siblings. Nicole said she wanted Johnny to join Nicole, E.J., and their child on family vacations, but Sami said that would never happen. She accused Nicole of being a gold digger and said if Trent were still alive, he could explain to E.J. what a "lying, scheming, low-life slut" Nicole really was.

Nicole said if Sami was trying to say Trent would make E.J. question whether the baby was really E.J.'s, it wouldn't matter since Nicole already had a paternity test done confirming that E.J. was the father. And Nicole said it really didn't matter because Trent was gone, and he was never coming back. Sami accused Nicole of being cold for speaking ill of the dead, and she pointed out that Nicole stepped over the mayor's body like he was nothing.

As they were arguing, E.J. and Roman walked in, and Nicole told Roman that E.J. had nothing to do with the mayor's murder, because they were making love at the time. Nicole wanted to go to the hospital to get checked out to make sure the baby was okay. Although E.J. volunteered to go with her, he was noticeably distracted, and it angered Nicole. She asked him what was more important to him - their baby's health or Sami - a woman who didn't want him.

Sami told Roman what happened when the mayor got shot, and she said she saw the killer's face and would never forget it. Elsewhere, the killer called someone on his cell phone. Roman brought in a sketch artist to draw a picture of the killer. Outside Roman's office, E.J. didn't want to leave until he told Sami that they were leaving. Nicole wondered why E.J. couldn't let go of Sami and concentrate on Nicole and their baby. E.J. apologized and agreed that their baby should come first.

Sami was having a hard time coming up with a picture of the killer, but she said she could pick him out of a police lineup. Meanwhile, the killer was on the phone with someone explaining that Sami saw his face and said he knew what he had to do - he had to kill Sami immediately.

Melanie talked on her web camera to her fans, saying it would be her last webcast. She said that she went through something that made her think about life and who she could trust. When she turned off the camera, she said things were going to work out just fine, and smiled devilishly.

Stephanie went into the pub and told Bo and Hope that there was something they should know about what Melanie had done to Max.

At Salem Hospital, Nicole nervously waited for a doctor to check on her while E.J. sat at her side trying to calm her down. When Lexie came in the room and asked what happened, Nicole explained that she fell hard on her stomach when she tripped over Mayor Marino's body at the Dimera Mansion. A horrified Lexie thought about Stefano's promise to make Marino back off, and ran out of the room, leaving a confused and worried Nicole. Daniel came in to finish the exam and Nicole explained that though she had no pain or cramps, she was still worried. Seeing Nicole's panicky state, Daniel sent E.J. out of the room and talked to Nicole about how she felt. Nicole explained that she was feeling twinges and reminded Daniel that the pregnancy was a miracle, so she was extra worried that something could go wrong. Nicole admitted that although she might be using the incident to keep E.J. close to her, she was genuinely worried that the fall could hurt her child. After running tests, Daniel delivered the good news that everything seemed fine with both mother and child. Relieved, Nicole apologized for being so neurotic, but explained that the baby was her only chance to have a family. Daniel promised not to tell E.J. how upset Nicole was, and then headed out to deliver the good news to E.J. Daniel also reminded E.J. that babies were generally resilient and that the fall likely did not do any damage to the fetus.

Back home at the DiMera mansion, E.J. sat Nicole down on the couch and, smiling, gently suggested that Nicole exaggerated her symptoms to get E.J. away from Sami. Nicole acted insulted at first, but then admitted she may have overreacted a little, but only to keep E.J.'s focus on their baby. E.J. promised that his concern for Sami was due to the fact that someone attempted to kill her and urged Nicole to believe that unlike Sami, E.J. genuinely believed he had a future with Nicole. "You mean the world to me," E.J. cooed. Calmed, Nicole softened and happily ordered a gallon of ice cream for dinner. While a laughing E.J. headed out to the kitchen to fill her request, Nicole sat up suddenly, grabbing her belly in pain.

At the Brady Pub, Stephanie told Bo and Hope that she believed Melanie killed Trent and that she had proof of her guilt. When Hope asked if the accusation was because Melanie had planted Trent's wallet in Stephanie's purse, Stephanie explained that the wallet was only a small part of her suspicion. Stephanie told Bo and Hope everything that Melanie had confessed to Max: that Melanie had struggled with Trent in the cemetery, hit her head, and woke up next to Trent's body without any memory of what had happened. When Bo noted that Melanie did not actually confess to the murder, Stephanie argued that Melanie was devious and had no conscience or morals, and begged Bo to stop her before she hurt Max. With tears in her eyes, Stephanie explained that she had betrayed Max's confidence because it was the right thing to do to protect him from becoming an accessory to murder.

At the Java Café, Melanie met up with Max to apologize for putting him in a difficult position with Stephanie. Max brushed off the apology promising that he believed that Melanie did not kill Trent because she would have remembered doing it. As Melanie thanked Max for keeping her secret, the nervous look on Max's face caused Melanie to be suspicious. Max explained that he told Stephanie everything about Melanie's confession because they had a pact not to keep secrets from one another. Though Max argued that Stephanie would not betray his trust, an angry Melanie countered that Stephanie hated her and would surely tell the police about the confession.

At the register of the Java Café, Chelsea searched frantically in her purse for her wallet in order to pay for her coffee. Daniel came to the rescue and paid for her drink while he was picking up coffee for the hospital staff. Daniel asked Chelsea to join him for coffee, but when Chelsea saw Nick enter the café, she declined the invitation, explaining that she was meeting someone. Daniel headed out and Chelsea walked over to Nick and asked if he would join her for dinner as friends. At first, Nick suggested that Chelsea should have dinner with one of her other friends, but soon he agreed to meet her for sushi later. Noticing Melanie running out of the café looking upset, Nick told Chelsea they would meet later and went after Melanie.

Chelsea saw Max in the corner of the café looking upset and stopped to chat. When Chelsea asked about Trent's murder case, Max reiterated his belief that Melanie was innocent. Stephanie came in the café and Max curtly asked her where she had been. Stephanie softly explained that she had been at the pub talking to Bo and Hope. Noticing the tension in the air, Chelsea excused herself and left Max and Stephanie alone to talk. Max demanded that Stephanie explain what she had told Bo and Hope. "I told them everything," Stephanie confessed. Defending her actions, Stephanie told Max that she had no choice but to tell Bo and Hope about Melanie's confession in order to protect Max from becoming an accessory to murder. Furious, Max accused Stephanie of making revenge on Melanie more important than him. "How could you do that to me? You betrayed me," Max said. Crying, Stephanie begged Max to trust her, but Max said that he could not trust her and without trust, there was nothing. Max explained that although he loved Stephanie, he could not forgive her. Max quietly walked out, leaving Stephanie in tears.

Back at the Brady Pub, Melanie walked in and was immediately confronted by Bo and Hope about the night of Trent's murder. When Melanie was reluctant to talk, Bo explained that he knew all about her confession to Max regarding her struggle with Trent in the cemetery. Melanie cried out that Stephanie was lying because she hated her and that Bo needed to ask Max because there was no proof of Stephanie's story.

After Melanie stormed out of the pub, she ran into Nick outside on the sidewalk. The two made plans to have dinner at Chez Rouge and as Melanie walked off to go get ready, Chelsea spotted Nick about to make a phone call and asked him if he was ready to have dinner. Nick cancelled their dinner plans, explaining, "something came up." When Chelsea guessed that the "something" was Melanie, Nick apologized for canceling and headed into the pub. Chelsea followed him and overhead him call Chez Rouge to make dinner reservations for him and Melanie that night.

As Melanie got ready for her evening with Nick, she thought about the night in the cemetery. Melanie remembered waking up on the ground and seeing Trent stumble toward her with a knife in his back. Melanie then thought about getting up, grabbing her purse and Trent's wallet from the ground, and running off into the night.

At the DiMera mansion, Lexie stormed into the living room and yelled at Stefano, "What did you do!?" Lexie asked about the coincidence that that day she had asked Stefano to help her get Marino to back off that he was murdered. Angry at the accusation, Stefano argued that he had pulled his financial support of Marino as she had requested but was not foolish enough to have Marino murdered on his own doorstep. When Lexie threatened to go to the cops, Stefano ranted that Lexie was ungrateful for the help he had given her with Marino and was appalled that she believed he would have Marino murdered. Lexie seemed to calm down when Stefano argued that he had no reason to murder an ineffectual mayor. "You are not responsible for what happened. Not in any way," Stefano said softly to Lexie. "I had to ask," Lexie said. Stefano explained that he forgave her for her accusation and noted that she was only showing her passion, which was just like him. The two seemed to make up, and Lexie left the mansion, looking a bit unsure as to whether to believe Stefano or not. As soon as Lexie was gone, Stefano grabbed his phone and made a call. "You fool! What the hell have you done?" Stefano said.

Philip was furious to find Daniel taking an evening dip in the Kiriakis pool. Baffled by Philip's hostility, Daniel asked if there were something Philip wanted to get off his chest. Philip replied by punching Daniel in the face. Citing Daniel and Kate's affair, Philip called Daniel a callous son of a bitch and ordered him to leave. Daniel retorted that what Kate did was none of Philip's business, and that Philip was only thinking of himself by demanding Daniel stay away from her. Philip accused Daniel of only wanting to be with Kate out of pity, since she might be sick. Daniel replied that Kate was a wonderful woman and that she made him feel good about himself. "And so she and I, we need each other right now," he concluded. Philip let out an exasperated sigh and said he'd stay out of it-but only for Kate's sake.

Tony and Lexie arrived at the Brady Pub to meet Abe, but before they went inside, Tony stopped his sister and asked why she'd needed to speak with him so urgently. Lexie reluctantly confessed that she might be responsible for Mayor Marino's murder. She explained how Marino had been out to ruin her and Abe's reputations, so she'd issued an ultimatum to Stefano: if he didn't withdraw his support of Marino, he could never see Theo again. Tony pointed out that, while Stefano might be ruthless, he wouldn't be so stupid as to have someone killed right outside the DiMera mansion.

As they sat in front of the fire at the Horton cabin, Lucas was giving a back rub to Chloe, who was worked up over Sami's pregnancy. Lucas said he didn't want to ruin their evening by talking about Sami, so he began kissing Chloe, and then the two made love there on the sofa. Afterward, Chloe remarked that she felt lucky to have found Lucas. He returned the compliment, calling her perfect, and they kissed some more.

John found Nicole doubled over in pain in the DiMera living room and, believing she was about to give birth, tried to call an ambulance for her. Insisting she was fine, Nicole told him she'd just been checked out at the hospital. When John persisted, Nicole admitted that she was afraid E.J. would just think she was being melodramatic to keep his focus on her and not on Sami, since she'd confessed to doing so earlier. She then asked John to promise not to tell anyone about the cramps she'd had, and he agreed.

In the mansion's foyer, Stefano shouted into the phone, "How could you let something like this happen on my doorstep?" He had just launched into a heated diatribe when E.J., who was bearing a tray of ice cream for Nicole, interrupted. After Stefano hung up, E.J. angrily confronted him about Marino's murder, pointing out that Johnny could have been hurt. Stefano swore he'd had nothing to do with it. When E.J. cautioned him that Nicole needed to avoid stress, Stefano promised that he would never do anything to jeopardize his future heir.

After E.J. left to take the ice cream to Nicole, it was John's turn to confront Stefano. He accused Stefano of having the mayor killed, and reminded him that Samantha had seen the assassin's face. Though Stefano laughed off the accusation, John warned him, "If anything happens to Blondie's daughter, if one hair on her head is ruffled, I come after you."

Sami was working with the police sketch artist in Roman's office when Marlena arrived. Relieved to see her mom, Sami rushed into Marlena's open arms. Sami then told Marlena about how she'd stumbled upon Mayor Marino's body moments after he was murdered, and how she'd hit the assassin with her purse and fled when he'd aimed his gun at her. They both wondered who could have done such a horrible thing.

Meanwhile, the hit man was cleaning his gun. He assured someone on the phone that Samantha Brady would be dead by the end of the night.

When Sami and the sketch artist were finished, Marlena suggested that Sami and the twins come stay with her for a while. Sami politely declined, saying she was going to continue staying with Lucas at the cabin. Marlena pointed out that Chloe wouldn't be thrilled by that news. When Sami tried to shrug off her mother's concerns, Marlena asked her point-blank why she was spending so much time with Lucas.

Before Sami could answer, John came in, saying he'd come to check on Sami. When Marlena told him she'd just asked Sami to come stay with her, John offered to let her and the twins share his "gigantic" suite at the Salem Inn. Sami declined again, and quickly left, claiming she needed to get back to the cabin.

After Sami had gone, Marlena told John she sensed that Sami was in some kind of trouble. John accused her of worrying too much, and Marlena snapped at him in frustration. She then apologized, admitting that she hated it when Sami behaved so secretively, and thanked him for offering to let Sami stay with him. John asked rather abruptly why she hadn't filed the divorce papers. Marlena confessed that she didn't know.

Sami stepped into the hallway and called Lucas. Chloe tried to get him to ignore his cell phone's vibrating, but, reminding her that it could be about Allie, he answered. When Sami asked him to come pick her up, Lucas initially refused, but then agreed when she informed him that she was at the police station because she'd come face-to-face with a hit man earlier. He hurriedly pulled on some clothes and rushed out the door, uttering apologies to an annoyed Chloe as he went.

Abe joined Lexie and Tony outside the pub, saying he needed a break from the media inside. He explained that the small rally he'd planned had turned into a press conference about the mayor's assassination. He asked Lexie to come back inside with him. Just as Lexie was asking if the press was going to question her about the mayor's murder, Stefano arrived and overheard, and hung back in the shadows to eavesdrop. The subject was quickly dropped, and Tony went inside with Lexie and Abe.

While E.J. spoon-fed ice cream to Nicole, she admitted that she liked it when he fussed over her, and that she was thrilled when he'd said he wanted a future with her. E.J. reassured her that he'd meant it, and soon they were discussing baby names. Before they'd gotten to girls' names, however, Nicole suddenly clutched her abdomen and moaned in pain.

E.J. immediately tried to dial 9-1-1, but Nicole stopped him, claiming that she'd just had a cramp in her leg from sitting too long. She then suggested that they get a little exercise by taking Pookie for a walk, but E.J. said he had to go to his office for a while-but only if Nicole was really all right. She kissed him and reassured him that she was fine, so he left after making her promise to call if she needed anything.

Abe fielded questions from the press about the mayor's murder, then the reporters began asking Lexie if it were true that Stefano had made contributions to both Marino's campaign and to Abe's. Abe quickly stepped in and denied ever taking a dime from his father-in-law.

A little later, Lexie declared to Tony that the press conference had been a disaster. Tony tried to reassure her that Abe had handled things beautifully, and reminded her that she had not asked Stefano to kill anyone. Abe found them whispering together and asked what was going on, but one of Abe's advisors pulled him aside before either of them could answer. Once they were alone, Tony quietly urged Lexie to stop fretting, lest she make herself sick. But Lexie replied in an anxious whisper, "What if the mayor isn't the only person the killer has plans to take out?"

When Lucas returned to the cabin with Sami, Chloe pointedly remarked that Sami was really starting to show. Sami was irked, thinking that Lucas had told Chloe, but Chloe retorted that she couldn't care less about Sami's secret. Lucas asked Sami if she'd told E.J. that she was pregnant, but Sami refused to discuss it. Chloe found that even more irritating than Sami's mere presence, and left in a huff. Lucas sniped at Sami for driving Chloe away, but Sami said she had bigger things to worry about, like being able to identify the mayor's murderer.

Nicole was pacing anxiously when Chloe dropped by the mansion unannounced. A relieved Nicole admitted she could use a friend, explaining that she was worried about being able to hold on to E.J. because of Sami. Chloe agreed that Sami really had her hooks in him, and when Nicole asked what she meant, she took a deep breath. "Nicole, there's something you need to know about Sami."

After Sami had told him the whole story, Lucas was just relieved that she was all right. He then asked her again when she was going to tell E.J. she was pregnant, and they began to argue. Suddenly E.J. rapped lightly on the door and let himself in. While Lucas looked on, E.J. said he wanted to see how Sami was faring, since she'd just witnessed a murder. When she asked him to leave, he replied that he wasn't going anywhere until he was sure she was all right.

Under cover of darkness outside the cabin, the hit man assembled his rifle behind an evergreen tree. He attached a night-vision scope and aimed through the cabin window, trying to draw a bead on Sami while she argued with E.J. and Lucas.

Sami, Lucas, and E.J. were at the Horton cabin while the killer was outside with a scope trained on Sami. E.J. and Sami argued over whether Sami was safe.

At the DiMera mansion, Chloe attempted to tell Nicole about Sami's pregnancy, but Nicole didn't want to hear about Sami. Nicole just wanted to talk about baby names, so Chloe dropped the subject. Nicole told Chloe that E.J. wanted to settle down with her and have a house with a picket fence, but Nicole was still worried that E.J. was on the fence about being with her. Chloe tried to comfort Nicole, and Nicole said she was grateful for Chloe's friendship and loyalty. Chloe felt guilty for keeping Sami's secret, so she excused herself to call Lucas and ask him if she could tell Nicole.

At the cabin, Lucas tried to talk Chloe out of confiding the truth to Nicole, but Chloe was determined not to keep Sami's secret, and she hung up on him. Lucas excused himself to go after Chloe to stop her from revealing Sami's secret. E.J. tried to get Sami to tell him what was going on with her, and she said she wanted to get into bed and forget about the mayor's murder. E.J. noticed a red dot on the back of Sami's head and pushed her out of the way.

At the mansion, Nicole toasted to her friendship with Chloe. Nicole asked Chloe about her phone call, and Chloe lied and said had she just called Lucas to tell him she wouldn't be home until later. Chloe changed the subject to Nicole's pregnancy. Nicole said not being able to drink made it harder to deal with Sami. Chloe started to tell Nicole about Sami's pregnancy, but Lucas ran in just in time to stop her.

Nicole got upset at Lucas for barging in, and Lucas said he needed to talk to Chloe immediately. Nicole suggested Lucas wait in another room to speak with Chloe, and then Nicole asked Chloe what she was going to say before they got interrupted. Lucas said he knew what Chloe wanted to say, and he wanted to be the one to tell Nicole.

Back at the cabin, E.J. pulled Sami to the ground to save her from getting shot, but Sami was angry that E.J. was so close that he might be able to tell she was pregnant. E.J. told her someone shot at her, and he called for help.

Roman arrived at the cabin with his officers and fumed at Sami for not listening to his warning not to go back to the Horton cabin. He sent his men off to do some police work, and Marlena arrived worried about Sami. John walked in and asked about the trajectory of the bullet, but Sami was in no mood to answer his questions, so John backed off and left. Marlena thanked E.J. for being at the cabin to protect Sami. Sami was worried that the shooter would not stop until he killed her.

Lucas lied to Nicole and said that Chloe was going to tell her that E.J. and Sami shared a child together and things wouldn't be the same between E.J. and Nicole. Then Lucas got a call from Sami, who told her that someone had tried to kill her. Lucas told Chloe and Nicole what happened and rushed back to the Horton cabin. Chloe and Nicole bonded over having their men fall all over themselves to get to Sami. Then Nicole realized that E.J. should have been home already. John walked in and told Nicole that E.J. was at the Horton cabin saving Sami's life.

Nicole was shocked that E.J. was with Sami, because he said he was going to the office. John said E.J. saved Sami by jumping in front of a bullet. Nicole asked what kind of spell Sami had on E.J., and John speculated that since Sami was in danger, E.J. would probably want Sami closer than ever.

An officer found the bullet, and Roman ordered him to take it to the lab. Sami was upset by the thought that the killer was still after her because she witnessed the mayor's murder. Roman placed Sami under police protection, and Marlena asked Roman how they could keep Sami safe. Lucas walked in worried about Sami. She said she was okay physically, but Sami suspected the shooter was the same man who killed the mayor. Roman said the only way to keep Sami safe was to place her in the witness protection program.

At the Java Café, Stephanie was crying because Max broke up with her for betraying his trust, and she ran into Philip. Stephanie told Philip about Melanie's confession that Melanie killed her father. Stephanie said she had to tell Bo and Hope because Melanie planted her father's wallet in Stephanie's purse. Philip asked where the wallet was, and Stephanie said she and Max turned it in to the police.

Bo and Hope called Max down to the station to question him some more about Trent's murder, and he noticed that his sister Melanie's name was on the suspect list. Max said Melanie didn't deserve to be considered a suspect, and Bo told him that Stephanie said Melanie admitted to murdering her father and that Bo needed Max to back up Stephanie's story. Max told Bo that he and Stephanie broke up because she was convinced that Melanie killed Trent. Bo and Hope tried to console Max, then Hope said that Stephanie claimed Max confided in her that Melanie confessed.

Max denied that Melanie confessed, and Stephanie walked in and overheard him. Stephanie was upset, because Max seemed to be calling her a liar. Max denied that he was calling Stephanie a liar, saying that Melanie confided in him, not Stephanie. Hope took Stephanie outside the office so Bo could confront Max one-on-one. Max said his sister never would have killed their father. Max felt bad about the way that Melanie was brought up.

Stephanie told Hope that Max changed ever since his sister came into his life. Hope said that if Max didn't admit that Melanie killed Trent, Stephanie would have betrayed Max for nothing. Bo released Max, and Hope urged Max to go after Stephanie before it was too late.

At the Brady Pub, Melanie went on a date with Nick, and she was visibly upset, so Nick asked what was bothering her. She tried to cover by changing the subject, but she looked up at the bar and saw her father sitting there. Nick noticed that Melanie was upset, but Melanie ran off before he could find out what was wrong. Melanie returned to her room above the pub and found Trent's ghost sitting on the bed.

Melanie argued with him about how she felt guilty for trusting him, but she wasn't going to let him mess up her life anymore. Trent asked if Melanie thought she could kill him and go on with her life. He said that killing someone stays with a person, but she said she didn't remember killing him. Trent continued to torment Melanie, so she tried to run out of the room, but when she opened the door, she ran into Philip's arms.

Philip turned the light on in Melanie's room and asked what was wrong, but Melanie changed the subject and asked why he was there. Philip told her what Stephanie told him, and he threatened to tell the cops what he knew about Melanie having Trent's wallet. Melanie changed tactics and tried to convince Philip to keep quiet. Then she turned on Philip and tried to throw him out of her room. Philip said he felt for Melanie, because it was clear she didn't get a lot of love growing up.

Philip said he believed that just because Melanie had her father's wallet, that didn't mean she killed Trent. Melanie asked Philip to distract the police from thinking she killed Trent. Philip seemed unconvinced and started to leave, but Melanie stopped him and offered to seduce him to buy his silence.

At the pub, Stephanie ran into Nick and asked if he had a good time listening to Melanie's lies during their date. Then Max came in to talk to Stephanie. Max apologized for what happened at the station, saying he didn't mean to call her a liar. Stephanie was still upset with him, because by Max denying that Melanie confessed, it made Stephanie look like a liar to Bo and Hope. Max said Stephanie betrayed him by going to Bo and Hope, and Stephanie said it was a waste of time to rehash things because she and Max were through.

Max was bartending at the Brady Pub when Bo came in and tried cracking a joke to ease the tension between them. Max was still mad because he felt that Bo was trying to railroad Melanie, and Stephanie came in while they were arguing. Max came out from behind the bar, and he and Stephanie began quarrelling about Melanie. Max argued that he was Melanie's only family, while Stephanie tried to get Max to see that Melanie was just using him like she used all men. As their voices grew louder, Bo tried futilely to referee, until finally he gave up and went behind the bar. On her way out the door, Stephanie told Bo that she would be happy to sign a sworn statement about what Melanie had confessed to Max.

Bo was urging Max to apologize to Stephanie before it was too late when his cell phone rang. As Bo walked off to take the call, Stephanie returned. She and Max half-heartedly apologized to each other, but then began the same heated debate as before.

Meanwhile, Melanie was in her room upstairs, trying to seduce Philip into believing she didn't kill her father. She ran her hands along his chest, purring about how she had told him things that nobody else knew because she felt that they had a connection, and that she could trust him. Philip didn't resist when she kissed him.

A little later, as they moved to the bed, Melanie said the way they were kissing proved her point about their having a connection. Philip practically threw her off of him. Melanie asked what Philip's problem was, and he replied, "I just don't know how good I'd feel about sleeping with a killer." Melanie was indignant and tried to turn on the tears, but Philip wasn't buying it. He pointed out that her attempt to seduce him virtually proved her guilt-and that it made her story about her father pimping her out much less credible. He then coldly ordered her to come with him to face the music.

Bo sat at a table with Max and Stephanie and tried to get them to stop bickering. He emphasized to Max that while he had no intention of wrongly charging someone with murder, he also wouldn't stop investigating a prime suspect just because she was Max's family.

Philip and Melanie returned downstairs. While Melanie clutched her sweater around herself, looking humiliated, Philip informed Bo that he'd seen Melanie with Trent's wallet after the murder. Bo wanted to know why Philip hadn't come forward sooner. Philip replied that he'd wanted to make sure he wasn't misreading the situation, but that he'd since determined that Melanie was desperate to keep him quiet. Though Max urged her not to say anything without a lawyer, Melanie began ranting defensively that there was no proof that she'd done anything wrong. Bo finally declared that she might want to listen to her brother, adding, "But don't leave town." Melanie stormed out.

Bo told Philip to leave the detective work to the police, while Stephanie approached Max and acknowledged how tough it must be for him to watch Melanie self-destruct. Max again tried to excuse his sister's behavior, arguing that Melanie's childhood had been horrible, and that Stephanie just didn't understand her. "No, Max. I don't understand you," Stephanie asserted before walking out.

Upstairs, Melanie was on the phone, making bus reservations while hurriedly throwing clothes in a suitcase. Suddenly she saw a piece of paper slide under her door. She picked it up and read, "I saw you at the cemetery. I know what happened."

In the hospital's trauma center, a very chipper Kate found Daniel on the pretense of returning his swim trunks. When she seemed intent on everyone seeing her waving them around, he pulled her behind a curtain, pleading with her to be quiet. Kate seized the opportunity to try to kiss him, but Daniel pushed her away, pointing out that she was only trying to mask her anxiety over waiting for her test results. She insisted she was feeling better, and even if she were dying, she wanted him. He tried to protest, but she shut him up by kissing him passionately.

Right then Chelsea came into the E.R. looking for Daniel. A female staffer pointed her toward the curtain where Daniel and Kate were kissing. Chelsea yanked the curtain back just as Daniel pulled away from Kate to check his beeping pager. Chelsea, flustered, apologized and asked if Kate were all right. Kate replied that she was just there to return something Daniel had left behind. Chelsea then asked if Daniel could go over some occupational therapy files with her. He agreed, but asked her to wait with Kate while he checked on a patient first.

Once they were alone, Chelsea admitted that she was glad she'd run into Kate. She said that, after talking with Lexie and doing some soul-searching, she'd finally decided to forgive Kate. Kate thanked her, but as they hugged, Chelsea spotted Daniel's swim trunks on the exam table. Furious and hurt, Chelsea berated herself for her stupidity, and then lit into her grandmother, even after Kate had apologized. Finally, Kate was fed up, and declared that Chelsea was too old to throw temper tantrums. Chelsea, her face streaked with angry tears, maintained that she'd always defended Kate when people badmouthed her. Chelsea then acknowledged that Kate was a strong, smart woman. "But you are just another self-centered bitch," she managed through her sobs. "I want you out of my life forever."

Daniel returned with Kate's test results, and asked Chelsea to wait outside. Kate said it might be just what Chelsea was hoping for, and instructed him to read it. Daniel read from the chart: "metastatic carcinoma." Kate's face did not register surprise, while Chelsea tried to stifle a sob.

At the Horton cabin, Sami was adamantly opposed to Roman's plan for her to enter the witness protection program, especially when he told her she couldn't take the twins with her. Roman explained bluntly that she wouldn't be safe until the killer was caught, and Lucas added that the children would be in danger just by being with her. Marlena agreed with Roman, but tried to reassure Sami that they would all be there to help with the twins. Sami turned her anger on Chloe, livid that Chloe had to be an audience for such an important decision. E.J. sided with Sami, to everyone's chagrin, and tried to persuade them all that she would be safe at the DiMera mansion. Lucas argued that Sami had to do whatever she could to protect her children. Sami's hand went briefly to her abdomen as the full realization of what Lucas was saying hit her, and she admitted he was right. The others looked at her with surprise as she reluctantly agreed to enter the program. E.J. had a hard time believing that she would give in so easily, but Sami asked him not to argue with her after the day she'd had.

Roman then informed Sami that he was going to bring the twins to the cabin so they could say goodbye. After a tearful Sami went into the bedroom to pack, E.J. declared that he didn't believe Sami's story-and he didn't think Marlena did, either.

In the bedroom, Lucas told Sami that he was proud of her for doing the right thing, but asked her when she planned to tell E.J. about the baby. Sami confessed that going into hiding would buy her some more time, and begged Lucas to help her keep it a secret until she could tell E.J. Lucas started to argue with her, but when he saw how genuinely upset and scared she was, he reluctantly agreed. Laughing ironically through her tears, Sami acknowledged, "I'm probably the only person in the whole world whose life gets simpler when they go into the witness protection program."

When Sami had finished packing, Marlena asked if there were anything Sami wanted to tell her, since they couldn't contact each other once Sami was in hiding. Sami said there wasn't. Roman brought Allie and Johnny in, and Sami quickly dried her tears. She held them and kissed them, and asked them to draw pictures for her every day while she was away. Meanwhile, Roman had found a photo album in Sami's things. He pulled her aside and quietly informed her that she couldn't take family pictures into witness protection, because they could be used to identify her. Sami's face crumpled, and she dissolved into tears. "I don't think I can do this," she whispered.

Marlena got an emergency call and had to leave, so she and Sami said hurried goodbyes, but Marlena promised they would say goodbye again later on the phone. Marlena hugged her daughter and told her how proud she was. Roman and Chloe grabbed Sami's bags and followed Marlena out. Sami, holding Allie in her arms, bent down to pick up Johnny's toy car. Johnny toddled over and put his hand on Sami's stomach and squealed, "Baby!" Sami's eye grew wide as E.J. repeated, "Baby?"