Nicole doubted Stefano's ability to convince E.J. to take her back. Stefano was confident that if Nicole told E.J. that Chad might not be Sydney's father, E.J. would reconsider. Nicole felt that the only way it would work would be if Mia were able to spread the lie that she wasn't certain who the father of her baby was. Nicole wondered what would happen if Mia refused to lie. Stefano said it didn't matter, because once Nicole planted the seed with E.J. and the DNA test revealed that Chad wasn't the father, Chad would believe the lie.

Kate saw Nicole outside Stefano's room and asked if she had just visited Kate's husband. Nicole warned Kate not to do anything to upset Stefano. Kate asked Stefano why Nicole was there. Stefano said that Nicole might be moving back into the mansion but that E.J. didn't know about it. He asked Kate to get along with Nicole. Kate agreed to keep his secret and accept Nicole back into the household, but she said Stefano would owe her.

Victor arrived and stood outside Stefano's hospital room, watching Kate and Stefano kiss. Victor asked how Stefano was doing. Stefano said he was about to be released, and Victor said that Kate "must be thrilled." Kate said she was "very, very happy" and felt secure and loved "for the first time in a long time," and she kissed Stefano again.

Chad asked Mia why she didn't tell him sooner that she had slept with multiple guys and any one of them could be the father of her baby. She said she was afraid that Chad would tell Will that she was a "slut." Chad noticed Will walking towards them and said that Mia didn't have to worry about Chad telling him, because Mia could tell Will herself.

Will wondered why Mia referred to herself as a "slut" and asked Chad what he had said to her. Chad tried to get Mia to explain, but she was too afraid at first. Mia lied to Will about how her baby was conceived. Will didn't believe Mia. Chad got fed up and left. Mia begged Will not to hate her. Will assumed that Mia lied about sleeping with multiple people so that Chad would give up trying to get custody.

Will said he understood, but Mia said that he didn't. She said that she was telling the truth about sleeping with different guys, but she said it was a long time before, and she apologized for hurting him. Will asked if she had lied when she said she loved him. Will started to walk away, but Mia stopped him. She promised that she wouldn't lie to him again, but he didn't believe her. She said she had wanted to tell the truth many times. Will was fed up with Mia's lies and told her that he didn't want to see her again.

At the Java Café, Sami tried to reach Mia on the phone, and at the same time, Brady tried to reach Arianna -- neither of them was successful. Sami had a bad feeling. Brady told Sami not to worry, but she couldn't stop obsessing about Mia and her predicament.

When Sami got home, she left a message for Will saying she was worried about Mia. Chad stopped by because he needed someone to talk to. She asked if he knew what was going on with Mia. Chad told her that Mia admitted to sleeping with other people when Sydney was conceived. Sami found it hard to believe. Chad said he never stopped thinking about Mia the whole time that he was away and Mia was his "everything."

E.J. called his contact to ask whether Rafe knew that his sister was a drug dealer. E.J. heard Sydney crying, so he went to the foyer and saw Nicole standing there with Sydney. Nicole said she was there to give him his life back. She explained that Mia had confessed that Chad wasn't the only boy she had slept with. E.J. said that Mia didn't seem like "that type of girl." Nicole said, "Sometimes people can fool you," to which E.J. replied, "Yeah, I know that."

Nicole said Chad wasn't Sydney's father, and the only man that Sydney needed and wanted in her life was E.J. E.J. said Nicole didn't just want him to take Sydney back, Nicole wanted him to take her back, too. Nicole told him that she would always love him. She admitted that what she did was wrong. She asked him to give them another chance. She said they could all be happy, because love didn't die. Nicole said she knew he still cared, and she pulled him in close for a kiss.

Chad asked Sami if she thought that Mia had lied. Sami didn't believe that Mia was "that kind of girl," but she wondered why Mia would make it up. Chad thought it could be because Mia didn't want Chad to conduct the DNA test. Sami pointed out that Mia knew he could have the test done anyway and could still be the father no matter how many guys she slept with.

Sami questioned why Mia would make it up just to ruin her reputation, and Sami wondered what would happen if Will found out about it. Chad said Will already had, because Mia had told him. Sami figured that it had to be true. Sami and Chad left to find Mia and Will.

E.J. admitted that he "was never happier" than when he had Nicole in his life, but their life was over because of Nicole's lies. Nicole said she understood that he didn't want to take her back, but Sydney was innocent and Sydney's only sin was loving E.J. Nicole asked if E.J. wanted Sydney in his life.

Nicole saw Mia at the pier and asked what was wrong. "What do you think?" Mia asked. Nicole realized that Mia had told Chad the lie about her sleeping around. Mia said Chad seemed to believe her, but Mia had to tell Will, which was why he broke up with her. Nicole assured Mia that Will would take her back and forgive her. Nicole said that Mia would have a fairy tale ending and Nicole would have hers.

Mia felt like a loser. She said she didn't deserve to have "a beautiful baby," which was why Mia gave Sydney to Nicole. Mia said she knew that when she lied to Will that Will would leave her, but Mia felt she didn't deserve Will, either. Nicole said Mia did deserve Will and assured her that she did the right thing. Sami watched Nicole console Mia.

E.J. welcomed Stefano back home. Kate told Stefano that she wanted to make sure the kitchen staff had healthy foods on hand so that he would stay healthy. E.J. told Stefano what Nicole had said about Mia's sex life. Stefano said that Mia disgraced herself. E.J. explained that Sydney's biological father might never be found, and Nicole wanted E.J. to accept Sydney back into his life. Stefano asked what E.J. was going to do.

E.J. said he couldn't take his eyes off of Sydney. Stefano said it was because E.J. loved Sydney. Stefano said that no matter who Sydney's biological father was, E.J. was Sydney's father. E.J. said he wasn't going to take Sydney back.

Arianna filled Rafe in on what was going on with Nicole and Sydney. Rafe had an epiphany. He realized that the reveal about Nicole adopting Sydney made his theory about Sydney really being Sami's biological baby more plausible. Rafe explained what he thought had happened at the clinic where Sydney and Grace were born. Rafe said that he planned to talk to Mia to find out how Nicole knew that she was pregnant and willing to give her child up for adoption.

Arianna warned Rafe that if he confronted Mia, she might not tell him what he needed to know, and she would definitely go to Nicole. Rafe realized that Nicole would then make sure he wouldn't find anything about the baby switch. Rafe asked Arianna to pick up some clothes for him from his apartment. While she was gone, Rafe made contact with a friend.

Arianna returned with his clothes and his money. He told her that he had learned Meredith was sent to a psych ward after she got off the plane in Orlando. He said he still felt bad about what happened to Emily. Arianna made a worried face.

Rafe got dressed and planned to get DNA samples. Arianna said that if Rafe proved that Sami's baby belonged to Mia, someone had to explain to Mia that Mia's baby had died. Rafe couldn't let that stop him, and Arianna urged him to hurry, because once Nicole found out what he was up to, Nicole would "blow." She said that Nicole had planned on leaving the country before, so if Nicole found out that Rafe was onto her, Nicole wouldn't hesitate to leave, and Rafe might never find the truth.

Rafe said he wasn't planning to tell Sami anything until after he could prove that Sydney was really Sami's baby. Arianna asked what he would do if Sydney really was Mia's baby. Rafe said he would have wasted his time, but he was confident that that wasn't going to happen.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor asked Brady what was wrong, and Brady said it was personal. Victor asked if he was still upset that Arianna had dumped him. Brady said he wasn't upset, because he and Arianna had gotten back together. Victor said he was sorry to hear that. Brady asked why he felt that way. Victor said he was in an awkward position, because Victor had information from his sources -- people that Brady didn't want to associate with -- and Victor didn't want to be hated for being the messenger. Brady asked what it had to do with Arianna. Victor told Brady that Arianna was a drug dealer.

At the Java Café, Chad decided that even if Mia had slept with a lot of people, he still planned to run a DNA test.

Worried about Carly's safety, Bo took her up to his bedroom and told her that it was the most secure room in the house. Carly did not want to displace Bo, but he insisted he would feel better if he slept on the couch in front of the staircase so that no one could get to her. Carly suggested that they call Justin for help, but Bo vetoed the idea and cited the possibility that Victor would discover she was back in town.

Carly worried that Bo was overreacting to her suggestion to turn to Justin for help because Justin had assisted Hope in moving out of the house. Bo admitted that he was upset with Justin, but that he would not stand in Carly's way if that was what she wanted to do. Bo offered to contact Justin on her behalf and urged her to sleep and stay inside the house.

At the Brady Pub, Hope told Justin that Ciara was unhappy with her for moving away from home. Hoping to cheer up Hope, Justin took a funny picture of Hope, making Ciara laugh. Ciara said that she wanted to include Hope in her collage of things that she was grateful for, and then hugged her mother.

After Hope left for the Kiriakis mansion, Bo met up with Justin at the Brady Pub to ask about legal advice for "a friend." Before Bo could explain the facts of his friend's case, he noticed the picture on Justin's phone. "What are you doing with a picture of my wife on your phone?" Bo asked in an annoyed tone. Justin explained what happened earlier with Ciara, and Bo seemed to calm down. Justin inquired about Bo's friend, and Bo admitted that the person was Carly Manning.

Brady was stunned by Victor's news that Arianna was dealing drugs. Pacing the Kiriakis living room, Brady accused Victor of smearing Arianna's name in order to break them up. Victor stood his ground and asked Brady to think about whether he saw anything suspicious when he was around her. Brady thought about the bag of drugs he had found at the pub, and shook his head in despair. Victor assured Brady that he was looking out for him and not trying to control him. With a sneer on his face, Brady warned Victor to stay out of his life, and then he stormed out of the mansion.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Hope told Victor that she needed to go back to her house to retrieve a photo for Ciara's collage, but that she was worried she would run into Bo. Hope admitted that she also was hoping that she would run in to Bo, as well, because she missed him. Victor urged Hope to go visit Bo. With a wide grin on her face, Hope ran out of the mansion.

Back at her own home, Hope grabbed the photo that she needed and then started to leave. At the doorway, Hope decided to go upstairs and see Bo before she left. As Carly lay asleep in Hope's bed, Hope entered the darkened bedroom and saw her lying on the bed.

At the DiMera mansion, Stefano urged E.J. to open his heart to Sydney. E.J. admitted that he still loved Sydney but that he could not be her father. Stefano reminded E.J. that although Tony was not Stefano's biological child, he was Stefano'ss son in every way, and that E.J. could have the same relationship with Sydney. E.J. shared his fear that Sydney's real father could still come along and take Sydney away.

E.J. explained to Stefano that he was tired of reacting to people and that he wanted to "take charge." When Stefano continued to urge E.J. to rethink his stance, E.J. questioned why Stefano was pushing so hard for E.J. to reconcile with Nicole. Stefano assured E.J. that he was pushing because he had never seen his son so happy as when he was with Nicole and Sydney.

Stefano reminded E.J. that after having a miscarriage, Nicole did everything she could to provide him with a child and that Sami was the one that hid his child from him until it was too late. Confused, E.J. asked Stefano why he kept mentioning Sami when she was irrelevant to the question of whether he should accept Sydney back in his life. Treading lightly, Stefano cautioned E.J. to remember the mistakes he made with Sami and not to make bigger ones with Nicole.

Not swayed, E.J. said that Nicole and Sydney were out of his life for good. Shaking his head, Stefano told E.J. that he had information that E.J. needed to hear that could change E.J.'s life. "What if Sydney were your child?" Stefano asked. E.J. grudgingly admitted that if Sydney were his daughter that he would want her in his life, but that he would not take Nicole back.

When E.J. added that he would have a custody arrangement similar to what he had with Sami, Stefano grumbled about her again. "Look she's always going to be a part of my life, father. We're connected, we share a child together. I don't have that with Nicole and never will," E.J. remarked before walking out of the room.

At Arianna's house, Rafe explained to his sister that he was determined to find DNA evidence proving there was a baby switch before he told anyone else his theory. Rafe explained the plan to his sister, and then headed out into the night.

On the docks, Nicole attempted to comfort Mia. When Mia said that she did not deserve Will, Nicole urged her to believe that Will loved her and that she deserved him. As Nicole told Mia that she did the right thing, Sami interrupted and asked what the "right thing" was. After noting her conversation with Chad, Sami asked Mia whether she told Chad the truth when she confessed that she did not know who Sydney's father was.

Nicole intervened and told Sami that Mia had just informed her that Chad might not be the father and that she was telling her that she did the right thing in admitting her past mistakes. Upset, Sami argued that when Mia told the truth about the paternity that she hurt both Will and Chad. Sami demanded an explanation for why Mia did not tell the truth sooner, and Nicole took Sami aside and asked her to back off. Nicole noted that Sami made multiple mistakes when she was young, and she asked her to cut Mia some slack. Nicole urged Sami to let Mia correct her own mistakes.

When Sydney started to cry, Sami told Nicole to take the baby home. Concerned, Nicole warned Sami that Mia was still fragile. After taking a deep breath, Sami offered to talk to Mia and calm her down. Nicole reminded Mia again that she did the best thing for Sydney, and then left with the baby.

Once they were alone, Sami asked Mia what she was going to do if Chad was Sydney's father. "Trust me. He's not," Mia mumbled. Suspicious, Sami asked Mia why she was so sure that Chad was not the father. Mia backpedaled and explained that she was hoping Chad was not the father so that Sydney would stay with Nicole. Sami told Mia that she was impressed that Mia could give up her child.

"I could never do that even if I thought my kids would have a better life," Sami admitted. Smiling, Mia told Sami that Sami was a great mom and her kids would always be better off with her in their lives. As Sami sat quietly on the bench next to Mia, Mia continued to compliment Sami's parenting, noting Will in particular. Seeing the pained expression on Mia's face, Sami responded that she thought both Will's and Mia's hearts were broken.

"I still love him. Do you think there's any way that he could forgive me?" Mia asked hopefully. Before Sami could answer, she received a phone call from Arianna asking her to come over to talk about an important matter. Sami apologized for being so hard on Mia, and told her to call her if she needed to talk. Mia nodded, and Sami headed off to see Arianna as a heartbroken Mia sat on the bench crying.

While at the Java café, Will received a phone call from Lucas. Noting the tone in Will's voice, Lucas urged his son to tell him what was wrong. Will explained that he found out that Mia was a "slut."

After getting off the phone with his father, Will went back to typing on his laptop in the café. As Will sat at the table of the Java Café, Mia cautiously approached him and told him that she loved him. "Is there any chance at all that you can forgive me?" Mia asked. Mia promised never to lie to Will again. "You don't deserve to be forgiven. So live with it," Will said and then left the café.

When Sami stopped by Arianna's apartment, she was surprised to find Rafe's baseball cap. Noting the mark from when Johnny's toy had sliced the brim of the hat, an excited Sami asked Arianna whether Rafe had returned to Salem.

Arianna explained that she had found it in her apartment when she was cleaning and that he must have left it behind before he left town. Arianna told Sami that Rafe would call when he was ready and that she should not worry about him. Sami asked Arianna why she had called to talk, and Arianna explained that she was worried about Caroline working too hard. Sami promised to talk to Caroline about retiring, but added that she did not believe that it was the reason that Arianna called her to stop over and talk.

Before Arianna could answer, Brady knocked on the door. "Don't tell me I can't come in, don't tell me that we don't need to talk because we need to talk right now," Brady growled when Arianna opened the door. Sensing the tension, Sami excused herself and left. When they were alone, Brady demanded that Arianna tell him what she was hiding from him. Furious, Brady started to search through Arianna's drawers as she stood by watching, confused. Brady ordered that Arianna show him the cocaine that she was dealing.

At Sami's apartment, Rafe grabbed the spare key from the top of the doorway and entered the living room. Rafe skulked around the apartment and was surprised to find Nicole's luggage in the living room. "My God! She's staying here while she is hiding Sami's baby," Rafe said in disbelief. Rafe noted his good fortune in that he could collect all the needed DNA in one place, and he grabbed one of Sydney's teething rings that was sitting on the counter.

Before Rafe could grab any more evidence, he heard the rattle of keys in the lock of the front door. Nicole opened the door to Sami's apartment and turned on the lights. When a fussy Sydney cried out, Nicole went to get the teething ring to calm her down. Hiding behind the armchair, Rafe looked down sheepishly at the teething ring he was clutching in his hand while Nicole complained aloud that the ring was not where she had left it.

As Nicole searched for the teething ring, Stefano called her. Rafe eavesdropped and heard Nicole ask Stefano whether he had spoken to E.J. Stefano ordered Nicole to go to the DiMera mansion to talk to him. "We need all the help we can get from him," Nicole said to Sydney as she pushed the stroller out the front door.

"Whoa. Stefano's on her side. What the hell?" Rafe said to himself. Rafe collected more DNA evidence from around the apartment and was just exiting into the hallway when he ran into a shocked Sami.

At the DiMera mansion, Stefano closed the doors to the living room in order to speak privately with Nicole. Stefano admitted that he might not be able to convince E.J. to take Nicole back. Nicole begged Stefano not to tell E.J. that Sydney was Sami's baby. Stefano promised to keep working on E.J. but insisted that it would take time.

Vivian Alamain's servant, Gus, awakened his mistress to inform her that he would know Carly Manning's location very soon. Annoyed that her men hadn't learned more, Vivian ordered Gus to light a fire under them, because she needed answers immediately.

Later, Gus returned and notified Vivian that the sighting of Carly had been confirmed—in Salem. Vivian laughed. "Of course! Carly is nothing if not predictable." Gus asked what was next on Vivian's agenda. Vivian replied mischievously that she always preferred the planning and anticipation of a foolproof plan to its execution. "I'm just going to stretch out and relax, and invite the muse of vengeance to put the pieces in place of my plan...and then anticipate the hell out of the end of Carly Manning."

At the Brady Pub, Justin was surprised when Bo informed him that Carly Manning was the friend who needed a lawyer. Justin immediately deduced that it had something to do with Lawrence Alamain's murder. Bo confirmed it, adding that Lawrence's people were out for revenge, and Carly needed someone who had experience with international law. Bo continued that Carly would have to fill in Justin on the rest of the details, but stressed that no one else could know she was in town—especially Hope.

Justin wanted to know where Carly was staying, and was taken aback to learn that she was staying with Bo. Bo asserted that he couldn't have just turned her away when she'd shown up. Justin understood, and after some prodding from Bo, agreed to at least talk with Carly.

Hope was livid to find a strange woman in her bed, so she flipped on the lights and demanded to know who the woman was. Carly awkwardly introduced herself, explaining that she'd gone to Bo because he was the only person who could help her, and he had only kept her presence a secret because she'd insisted. Hope asked if Carly were there because of Lawrence's murder. "Yes," Carly replied. "I killed him. And now his men want my head." Hope was furious that her own family was in danger thanks to Carly's reckless actions, and threatened to have Carly arrested on the spot. "Please don't," Carly pleaded. "At least hear me out first."

Carly described how she and Lawrence had once shared a great, normal life with their son, Nikki. But after Nikki had grown up, Lawrence had gotten very sick and almost died. Afterwards, he'd been a completely different man—paranoid, abusive, and dangerous—and would have killed Carly if she hadn't killed him. An unsympathetic Hope pointed out that Salem would be the first place Lawrence's men would look. Carly insisted that she'd had to return to Salem, because Bo was the only person who could help her—but he couldn't do so if Hope turned Carly in.

Unmoved, Hope declared, "I want you out of here—now." Their argument continued downstairs until Justin and Bo entered. Hope confronted her husband: "I finally met our elusive houseguest. You failed to mention that you were once engaged to this woman."

Bo and Hope went outside while Carly and Justin talked. Hope blasted Bo for inviting a murderer into their home, regardless of whether the murder had been justified. Bo countered that Hope had moved out and taken their daughter with her, and that was the only reason he'd even considered letting Carly stay there. Hurt, Hope reminded him why she'd left, adding, "I never realized that my taking a break meant that this was no longer my home."

Hope wondered why Bo hadn't at least let her know before allowing "that woman" into their home. Bo quietly noted that Hope hadn't let him know before she'd packed up and left with Ciara, with no contact for days, and then moved into the house of a criminal. Full disclosure was a two-way street, he added. Hope argued that what she'd done hadn't put their family in danger, and suspected that there had to be more to Carly's story for Bo to be covering for her.

Inside, Justin asked Carly why she had run if she'd really killed Lawrence in self-defense, but Carly insisted that she'd only run to save her life. Just then, Hope and Bo returned. Hope repeated her assertion that Carly wasn't telling them the whole story. "If you expect us to keep our mouths shut, you're going to have to tell us everything." Carly maintained that she already had.

A phone call from Victor interrupted them. He informed Hope that Ciara had awakened from a nightmare and was asking for her mommy. Hope hung up and told Bo that he and Carly had 24 hours to straighten things out before Hope turned Carly in.

After Hope left, Justin said he knew that Carly had told Bo the whole story, and asked her to trust him as much as she'd trusted Bo. "What really happened between you and Lawrence, and how in the world did he provoke you into committing murder?" A defensive Carly declared that she'd told Justin everything she could, but it wasn't enough. "So to hell with you! I'll find somebody else." Justin replied that unless he knew every detail about what had happened, he couldn't represent Carly in a court of law. He left after urging Carly to call him if she changed her mind.

"What am I going to do?" Carly fretted to Bo. "No one can know the extent of Lawrence's evil, because it's way too dangerous." She almost broke down as she reminded Bo, "It's not just my life that's at stake here; it's somebody else's." Bo put his arms around her, reassuring her that they would find a way out of it.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor told Hope that Ciara had been crying that she missed her father and wanted to go home. Hope snapped that the situation was difficult for her, too, but if she'd stayed with Bo, Ciara would have picked up on the tension between her parents. Victor asked whether Hope and Bo had made any progress toward working things out. Hope replied that things were more complicated than ever, but wouldn't tell Victor anything more. Victor wanted to know if something had happened when Hope had gone to her house.

In Arianna's room above the Brady Pub, Brady angrily demanded that Arianna admit she was a drug dealer. Arianna quietly replied, "Okay. I deal drugs." Brady started to storm out, but Arianna grabbed him and asked him to let her explain. Brady reminded her that he was a recovering addict, and berated himself for trusting her. Arianna pointed out that although it had killed her, she'd tried to break things off with him, because she knew it would have broken his heart if he found out. Brady argued that he'd given her every opportunity to come clean the night they'd gotten back together, but she hadn't.

Arianna claimed that she only dealt drugs because she had to, because she had grown up poor. Brady scoffed. Arianna insisted that she'd never sold to children, and though that didn't make it right, it made it easier for her to sleep at night. "Alone," Brady retorted. "You're going to be sleeping alone tonight, and many, many nights after that, at least until you find someone else that you can lie to." He stormed out, and a desperate, tearful Arianna chased after him.

As he tore down the stairs and through the pub, Brady nearly knocked Roman down. Roman stopped him and asked what was wrong, just as Arianna caught up to Brady. "I think you need to know something about the woman who's running your family's pub," Brady replied, glaring at Arianna. When Roman asked what was going on, Brady simply said, "I'll let her tell you," before stalking out. Arianna whispered to Roman that Brady had learned that she was a dealer. Roman sternly reminded her that if Brady ever found out that she was undercover, she would return to prison. "Don't count me out just yet," Arianna replied determinedly, and then followed Brady out.

Arianna found Brady on the docks, talking to himself. "How could I be so stupid?" Arianna insisted that he was not stupid, adding, "It doesn't have to be like this." She suggested that they try to talk things out. Brady scoffed that no amount of talking would make it okay that she was a drug dealer. He gave her one day to quit her job at the pub, because Caroline deserved better, then declared, "I never want to see you again."

Just as Rafe let himself out of Sami's townhouse after collecting DNA samples, Sami returned home. Stunned, she asked what he was doing there—and where he'd been. Rafe hedged that it would take too long to explain, and asked her to be patient with him. Sami wanted to know if Rafe were back for good. When he said that he was, she asked, "And what about us? I mean, you can't just show up here and..." Rafe replied by grabbing her and kissing her.

As their kissing grew more intense, Sami breathlessly unlocked the door. Once inside, they began kissing again, and Sami peeled off Rafe's jacket. Suddenly, he gently pushed her away, insisting, "I gotta go." Sami was incredulous, and then irked when Rafe told her that he had something important to do, but couldn't divulge more—except that he was doing it for her. She pleaded with him to tell her what he was up to, but he asked her to trust him until he could tell her everything.

Sami told Rafe how worried she'd been, because he'd been gone for so long, and she was afraid that if she let him leave again, she'd lose him forever. "You won't; I promise," he assured her. Soon, they were on the couch, feverishly pulling off each other's clothes. After they made love, Sami laughed about how awkward it would have been if Nicole had returned home. Rafe feigned surprise that Sami and Nicole had become roommates.

As they got dressed, Rafe told Sami that he was working on a very important case that involved their future, and asked her not to tell anyone that he was back. Grinning, Sami agreed that it would be their secret. They declared their love for one another. As Rafe rose to leave, there was a knock at the door. Guessing that it was probably just Nicole, Sami started to open the door.

Bo told Carly to go upstairs and get some rest, but she was worried that Hope might turn her in. Bo reminded Carly that Hope said she wouldn't do anything for 24 hours, but Carly wasn't convinced. Bo got angry and yelled, "You can trust her." Brady told Carly to calm down, and he assured Carly that Hope wouldn't break her word. Bo wanted to know more about the man that Carly nursed back to health. Carly felt bad about disrupting Bo's life.

Carly didn't want to go upstairs, so Bo tried to convince Carly to let Justin help her by telling him why she killed Lawrence. She refused to talk to Justin about it. Bo said he respected the way Carly protected the people she cared about, although he was annoyed by how stubborn she could be. Carly worried that she put his family in danger. She asked about Shawn, and Bo told her that he had a child of his own. Carly teased Bo, calling him Grandma.

Bo showed Carly a picture of Zack and explained how Zack had died. Carly wanted to leave, but Bo stopped her. He said that if Hope knew why Carly killed Lawrence, Hope would be willing to help.

Carly dreamt that Lawrence was standing over her while she was sleeping on Bo's sofa. Bo tried to protect her from Lawrence, but he stabbed Bo. Bo woke Carly up and explained that she was just dreaming. Carly was adamant about leaving Bo's place so that she didn't put Bo in any danger. As soon as Carly opened the door, the Feds were there to arrest her.

Victor asked Hope what happened to upset her, but she was evasive. He guessed that Bo did something to upset her and offered to talk to him. Victor insisted that something bad must have happened, and Hope admitted it. Victor asked if Bo threatened Hope, and she said "no." Hope thought about how she went home and saw Carly sleeping in her bed.

Hope admitted that she had hoped to find Bo despondent when she went home, but Bo wasn't like that. He had moved on to other women when Hope wasn't in his life in years past. Victor said that she was the love of Bo's life. Hope mentioned Carly, and Victor said that Carly couldn't compare to Hope. Hope asked why Victor had married Carly. He said he did it out of gratitude for Carly saving his life, but he called Carly a "predator" for playing the innocent role.

Hope asked Justin about Bo's past with Carly. Hope made a phone call.

At the pier, Arianna was upset that Brady broke up with her. Someone touched her shoulder, and she assumed it was Brady, but it was E.J., who offered her a handkerchief. She told him that she didn't need anything from him. Arianna walked away from him. E.J. said there were no strings attached to his offer, but she said it was about the principle. He said she was like E.J. in that she was "quick to pass judgment." She tried to walk away, but E.J. grabbed her arm and told her that he needed to speak with her.

Brady was still upset about Arianna's career as a drug pusher. Brady thought about his promise not to tell the police about her dealing drugs, but he realized he might not be able to keep that promise.

At the Java Café, Melanie checked her makeup. Philip saw her and told her that she was wasting her time, because she couldn't improve on perfection. Melanie said she was excited about her date with Nathan and wanted to make him forget about the hospital. Philip asked why Melanie was going out with Nathan when she could go out with Philip. Philip told Melanie that they were meant to be together, and he kissed her. She kissed him back.

Nathan walked up and called Melanie's name, and she realized she was just daydreaming. She promised Nathan the "best day" of his life.

Sami admitted to Rafe that she couldn't move on, because she still loved him. He admitted he loved her, too. Nicole returned to Sami's townhouse, and as she turned the key, Rafe reminded Sami that no one was supposed to know that he was there. Sami ran to the door and stalled Nicole so that Rafe could hide.

Nicole told Sami that she'd had a bad day, Sydney was teething, and Nicole's back was hurting. Sami offered to take Sydney out of the stroller, but Nicole refused Sami's offer. Nicole apologized for snapping at Sami and for bringing up her past earlier. Nicole said neither of them should judge Mia. Sami said she wasn't judging -- she was just upset that Mia lied to Will.

"Don't you just hate women who lie," Nicole said. They laughed. Sami reminded Nicole that Mia was willing to testify that Will was the father to save her reputation. Nicole asked if Sami had seen Sydney's teething ring. Sami asked if Nicole was worried about the DNA tests that were planned for the next day. Nicole wasn't worried.

Sami said that E.J. still loved Sydney and Nicole. Sami warned that E.J. could try to take Sydney from Nicole, based on his history. Sydney fell asleep, and Nicole had to go to the drugstore to pick up her medication. Sami offered to watch Sydney while Nicole was gone.

After Nicole left, Sami talked about how ironic it was that she and Nicole got along, given how they used to loathe each other. Sami told Rafe that it would be hard to say goodbye to Sydney. Sami believed that Nicole had changed, but Rafe didn't think so. Rafe and Sami said goodbye, and he promised to return, but he didn't want to tell her where he was staying.

Nicole ran into Brady outside the pub and apologized. Brady assumed that Nicole had changed her mind about skipping town, and he asked why. She said her mind was changed for her. She told him about Mia's story that she had slept with different men before her daughter was conceived. Brady expressed sympathy for Mia, and Nicole asked why everyone was always so worried about Mia. Brady told Nicole that he and Arianna had broken up. Brady told Nicole that she and Sydney belonged together.

At Nathan's place, Melanie and Nathan were kissing, and she thought about what it was like to have sex with Philip. Nathan got called back to the hospital.

Rafe called a friend of his and asked him to run DNA tests on the samples he had. Arianna returned to her room, where Rafe was waiting. Arianna asked if Rafe thought about what would happen when E.J. found out that he was Sydney's father. Rafe assumed that E.J. would act like a "jerk," and Arianna theorized that the news would send Sami back to E.J.'s arms.

Sami went to the DiMera mansion to pick up Johnny. E.J. arrived after Sami got there, and he told his butler to get Johnny ready. Sami told Sydney that E.J. was stubborn. Sami asked why E.J. couldn't be happy with Nicole and Sydney. E.J. said it wasn't that simple.

Stephanie ran into Nathan at the Brady Pub as he picked up some coffee on his way home from an all-night shift. They exchanged pleasantries, and then Nathan headed for the door. But on his way out, a woman fell to the floor in front of him, coughing and gasping for breath. As Nathan sprang swiftly into action to check on the woman, Caroline rushed out of the kitchen to help. The woman was having trouble breathing, so Nathan instructed Caroline to call 9-1-1.

Nathan quickly ascertained that the woman was having an anaphylactic reaction. He asked Stephanie to hand him his grandfather's medical bag, from which he removed a syringe full of medication. After a relieved Nathan got the woman breathing again, Caroline commended him for saving the woman's life. "That's not your grandfather's bag anymore. It's yours," she proclaimed.

Later, Stephanie and Nathan sat together in a hospital waiting room. He confided that he'd been complaining earlier about not having a nine-to-five job, but after saving the woman at the pub, he wouldn't trade being a doctor for anything in the world. Stephanie hugged him warmly, declaring, "I am very proud of you."

Melanie spotted Brady at the Java Café and tried to join him, but he irritably informed her that he was in a lousy mood. Ignoring him, Melanie sat down anyway, because she needed his advice. She confessed that although she was dating Nathan, she still wanted Philip, and asked Brady what she should do. "Dump 'em both," he replied. "Go it alone." Noting Brady's jaded attitude, Melanie guessed, "You screwed it up with Arianna again, didn't you?"

Brady assured Melanie that he would freely admit it if he had, but it had been Arianna's fault that they'd broken up-this time for good. Melanie pleaded with Brady to talk to her about it, but he refused. Brady then reminded her that Philip had broken her heart the last time they'd gotten together, and urged her not to give him the chance do it again.

A while after Brady left the Java Café, Melanie went to the Kiriakis mansion to look for him, and ran into Philip in the parlor. Philip invited her to sit and have some water, but she didn't think it was a good idea. He replied simply that he wanted to be with her, but she believed that he was playing her and wouldn't stop until he got his way. Philip reassured Melanie that he would not chase after her, because he respected her decision not to have a relationship with him.

Philip then revealed that he'd just spoken with Brady on the phone. Philip wondered why Melanie had dropped by to find Brady, when the two of them had just seen each other. "So, did you really come to see him, or me?" Philip asked. "You are so conceited!" Melanie declared with a scornful laugh. "You just think everything's about you, don't you?"

Philip replied that he thought he was an idiot for taking so long to realize what he really wanted. Although Melanie maintained that he was only telling her what he thought she wanted to hear, he assured her it was the truth. "No games and no pressure," he stated. "This is all up to you, Melanie. It's whatever you want."

On the docks, Rafe gave Sydney's teething ring and Sami's toothbrush to his FBI buddy, stressing the urgency of getting the DNA test results back quickly. The agent teased Rafe, but he could tell how important it was to Rafe. Arianna watched their exchange, and approached her brother after the agent had gone. Rafe bristled at having his little sister follow him, but she reminded him that he'd almost been murdered recently. She admitted that she was still worried that if the DNA test proved that Sydney was Sami's daughter, it could push Sami and E.J. together.

Rafe shared Arianna's fears, but felt that the possibility of losing Sami to E.J. was far less important than exposing the baby switch. Arianna noted that Sami would probably want to kill Nicole when she found out what Nicole had done, and Rafe agreed. About Nicole, he asserted, "That girl has got a lot of nerve, and she has done some real dangerous stuff with real dangerous people." But because of what he'd learned from loving Grace, Rafe understood Nicole's motives: "It doesn't matter who the biological parents are. Once you fall in love with that child, you'll do anything for them."

Arianna said that she suspected that E.J. still had strong feelings for Sami, and she worried about what would happen between them when they found out they shared a child. Rafe argued that Sami wouldn't fall for E.J. again, because she had already been through a custody battle with him over Johnny, plus she knew that E.J. had thrown Nicole and Sydney out.

As Rafe and Arianna returned to her room, he asked why she'd been talking to E.J. Arianna replied that E.J. had been gloating about how Rafe was out of Sami's life. Rafe was confident that things between Sami and E.J. were long over. Arianna cautioned, "I don't know if E.J. would agree with you on that." Rafe declared that even if it meant that Sami and E.J. might get back together, he wasn't going to stop trying to prove that Sami was really Sydney's mother. He added, "I can just hope that Sami loves me, and sees him for the jerk that he really is."

Arianna looked stricken when she went downstairs to the pub later and saw Brady sitting at the bar. She approached him warily and asked, "Are you here to see me?" Brady replied that he just wanted to make sure that Caroline was all right. "What, you're going to protect her from me?" Arianna asked incredulously. Caroline appeared just then, and Brady watched while Arianna fumbled for the right words. At last Arianna said simply, "I'm giving you my notice, okay? Effective immediately." A puzzled Caroline asked why Arianna wanted to quit.

Sami called E.J. to ask if she'd left Johnny's scarf at the mansion the night before, but she accidentally said "Grace" instead of "Johnny." When E.J. commented on it, Sami admitted that Grace was often on her mind, even when she didn't realize it. E.J. understood. He offered to drop off Johnny's scarf at the townhouse, instead of Sami picking it up at the mansion, so that the two of them could talk alone.

As E.J. was on his way out, Stefano remarked that the house seemed quiet and empty, but knew that he had to try to come to terms with E.J.'s decision not to pursue custody of Sydney. E.J. snapped that he missed Sydney every day, and still mourned Grace, so he didn't need Stefano needling him. Stefano insisted that he was merely concerned for E.J.'s happiness, noting that although Grace was gone forever, Sydney was not. E.J. stated that he'd decided not to press charges against Nicole, because although he could never forgive her, he believed she had suffered enough.

Nicole ran into Chad at the hospital, where he was about to have blood drawn for the DNA test that would determine whether he was Sydney's father. Nicole reminded him that Mia had told him that he might not be the father. An unconcerned Chad was determined to go through with the test, believing that the DiMeras could have forced Mia to lie. Lexie listened in from the desk while Nicole implored Chad to let her be a part of Sydney's life, if he did turn out to be Sydney's father. Chad wasn't interested in making any deals with Nicole.

After Nicole left, Lexie introduced herself to Chad as E.J. DiMera's sister. Chad assumed that she was going to threaten him. Lexie assured him that she was trying to stay neutral, but warned him somewhat reluctantly to be careful about trusting Nicole. "With Nicole, you never really know what's going on," she explained.

When Nicole met Stefano on the pier later, he told her that E.J. seemed to be softening, and might soon take her and Sydney back. Nicole was skeptical, so Stefano informed her that E.J. wasn't going to press charges against her. He urged her not to push E.J., and to be patient until the DNA test proved that Chad was not Sydney's father. "It's scary to think that this could almost be over," Nicole said with a small, hopeful smile. Stefano hoped that it was, too.

After E.J. arrived at Sami's with the scarf, he asked somewhat uncomfortably if she would visit Grace's grave with him. At the cemetery, E.J. admitted that he hadn't been sure she would accompany him after the huge fight they'd had there over the "DiMera" marker he'd installed. He was surprised that she had left it in place. Sami replied that it wasn't worth battling over, because Grace wasn't just a DiMera; she had belonged to everyone who had known and loved her.

E.J. confessed that when Sami had mentioned Grace on the phone, it had made him want to mourn her together. E.J.'s voice trailed off, and he turned away, gazing down at Grace's headstone. Sami stood next to him and gently put her hand in his. As they regarded their daughter's grave together, Sami confided softly that she'd been so edgy and anxious while in witness protection that she had been worried about what kind of baby she would have-but Grace hadn't been a jumpy, nervous baby at all.

A tear rolled down Sami's cheek as she continued that even in the hospital, Grace had seemed at peace and unafraid. When E.J. put his arm comfortingly around Sami, she looked up at him and apologized earnestly for not telling him that Grace was his daughter. She hoped that he could forgive her some day. E.J. tenderly wiped away her tears, whispering that he had been mad at her for too long, and didn't want to be any longer. A grateful Sami rested her head on his shoulder, and they held each other for a long moment.

E.J. and Sami then returned to the townhouse, laughing about some treats they'd gotten for Allie and Johnny. E.J. was grateful to Sami for accompanying him to the cemetery, and she asked if that meant he might forgive her. He conceded that he might, but only if she swore never to tell his father that he'd gone against the DiMera policy of no forgiveness for anyone, ever. Sami laughed, but hoped some day E.J. would trust who he really was, so he could be happy.

When Rafe called and heard E.J.'s voice in the background, he demanded to know what E.J. was doing there. After making sure that E.J. was out of the room, Sami pointed out that she shouldn't be talking to Rafe in front of E.J. Rafe apologized for freaking out. After Sami hung up, she gently admonished E.J. that every child was a gift, adding sincerely that she just wanted him to be happy. E.J. returned the sentiment, kissed her on the cheek, and then left.

As Rafe wandered down on the docks, he called to check on the DNA test results, and was disappointed to learn that there was a delay. When he hung up, he was irked to see E.J. standing there-and E.J. looked equally unhappy to see Rafe.

Sami was leaving a message for Rafe, explaining E.J.'s visit, when Nicole returned to the townhouse with Sydney. Sami quickly hung up and asked Nicole how things had gone at the hospital. Grinning, Nicole said she was unconcerned about the DNA test, because she believed that things were looking up for her, though she wouldn't divulge any details. Sami enthusiastically declared that she was really happy for Nicole. Nicole marveled that Sami genuinely meant it, and proclaimed that Sami was a good person. "I tell you that Sydney and I are probably leaving, and I have this good stuff happening-and here you are, raising three kids alone, and you're happy for me."

Scoffing at the idea of being a "good person," Sami assured Nicole, "First of all, I'm not that great." Then, unable to contain her glee, she added, "But secondly, I'm not alone, either." Sami immediately realized that she'd said too much, but Nicole reminded her that they'd been through a lot together and Sami could trust her. After swearing Nicole to secrecy, a beaming Sami declared, "Rafe's back." Nicole tried to appear happy for her friend and not panic-stricken, while Sami gushed happily about how Rafe was working on a top-secret case. She didn't know what the case was about, but he'd told her that it could affect her entire future.