Carly hid in the supply closet, clutching pills she had stolen from the hospital, remembering her conversation with her estranged son, Nicky, who wanted nothing to do with her. She tried to reach Melanie, but Melanie didn't answer. She threw the pills away and went back on duty. Lexie noticed Carly's clenched fist and remarked about how Carly looked like she was ready for a fight. Lexie asked Carly to cover the operating room that night. Carly didn't think it was a good idea for her to cover the OR, because she didn't have time to prepare herself mentally for the task. Lexie decided to ask someone else instead. After Lexie left, Carly's hands were shaking.

Vivian recounted to Gus her earlier run-in with Carly, when she had made sure Carly overheard her talking to Nicky. Vivian decided that they needed to move on to the "next fight" of investigating Stefano. Gus told Vivian that everyone who lived in the DiMera mansion would be away, so Vivian felt like it was the perfect time to snoop around the mansion.

At the DiMera mansion, Nicole's car wasn't working, so she and Taylor couldn't drive to the hospital. Taylor tried to reassure Nicole that Fay would be okay at the hospital.

Chad blasted his music, which irritated E.J. Stefano explained that Chad was merely making a statement that he would not be controlled. E.J. wondered why Chad didn't do something quiet like getting tattoos or piercings. Stefano joked about E.J. being "an old fogey" and imagined the pain that Johnny and Sydney would inflict on him when they were teenagers. Stefano thought about calling the hospital to check on Fay, but E.J. said Nicole and Taylor were handling the situation, and he and Stefano needed to discuss what to do with "that ticking bomb we put in Samantha's lap."

Nicole asked E.J. if he had anything to do with her car trouble, then she explained it away as a lame attempt at a joke. E.J. didn't appreciate Nicole's "humor," pointing out that he had been supportive of Fay. Taylor tried to convince Nicole that Fay wouldn't know if they were there or not. E.J. thought that one of them should be by Fay's side at the hospital, so he offered to drive them.

Fake Rafe sneaked into Fay's hospital room and planned to kill her. Fay tried to press the call button while Fake Rafe pulled the plug on her monitor, but the button didn't work, because he had already unplugged it. Fake Rafe said he couldn't let Fay live with her knowing his secret. Outside her room, Lexie started to check on Fay, but got called away to the emergency room before she could go inside. Fake Rafe used the opportunity to smother Fay with a pillow.

Nicole and Taylor arrived at the hospital, and Carly said that Fay had been sleeping the last time that Carly had checked on her. Carly checked with Lexie on whether Fay could have visitors. Fay's monitor alarm sounded just after Fake Rafe slipped out of the room. He started to board the elevator, but E.J. was on it, so Fake Rafe had to hide. Lexie and Carly tried to revive Fay, and Carly gave her an injection, but it didn't work. Fay was dead. Nicole got angry, and Taylor tried to calm her down while E.J. held Nicole back.

Nicole and Taylor went into Fay's room, and Nicole demanded to know why and how Fay had died. She blamed Lexie for killing Fay, because Lexie had insisted that Nicole go home. Carly told Nicole that she thought she knew why Fay had died. Carly theorized that Fay had died from a stroke caused by a blood clot, which probably had nothing to do with her fall. Nicole still wanted an autopsy. Taylor said that it didn't matter why Fay had died, but Nicole wanted answers. E.J. tried to convince Nicole not to put her sister "through this." Nicole went back into Fay's room and cried on her mother's dead body.

Nicole told Fay she was sorry for everything. Taylor urged E.J. to help Nicole, so he pulled her off of Fay. Nicole said she had put her mother through hell. He reassured her that she hadn't put her mother through hell -- Nicole had done what she had needed to do to survive. E.J. reassured her that there was nothing Nicole could have done and that Fay had died knowing that Nicole loved her. Taylor went to call Brandon to tell him about Fay's passing.

Nicole asked E.J. to be nice to Taylor, because Taylor was grieving all by herself. E.J. touched Taylor's shoulder, but she turned around and warned him not to touch her. Taylor felt guilty for thinking about herself worrying that Fay would tell Nicole about Taylor and E.J. E.J. comforted Taylor. Nicole remembered that Fay had tried to tell her something about E.J.'s secret. Nicole vowed to find out what E.J.'s secret was.

Lexie asked Carly whether Lexie had missed something on Fay's chart and might be responsible for Fay's death. Carly explained that she believed Fay had died from a stroke due to her heart rhythm abnormalities.

Chloe and Philip went out for the evening, and Chloe felt guilty about leaving Parker at home. Philip reassured her that Parker would be okay at home with the hired help, and he said that she needed to get some rest and relaxation. Chloe thanked him for being so supportive. Vivian returned to the pier, looking for her scarf, which Philip had picked up. Vivian asked why Chloe was with Philip, saying that dealing with Chloe was like "dealing with disaster." Philip threatened Vivian. "Do you really want to get up in my face when we're standing next to a body of water with a swift current?" Chloe asked if he wanted her to gather rocks for Vivian's pockets.

Vivian listed all of Chloe's failed relationships. Philip wrapped Vivian's scarf around her neck and then reminded her of when she tried to kill Melanie, and Chloe reminded Vivian that she was the reason why Chloe had thought that Daniel had been having an affair. Philip and Chloe walked away, and Philip called Vivian "scum of the earth."

Gus called Vivian after Stefano left the mansion. When Vivian and Gus entered the mansion, Chad was in the living room. Vivian was surprised to see him and asked what he was doing there. He explained that he lived there. Vivian recognized him. Chad asked if she wanted him to call the police or Marco, and pointed out that the police would go easier on her. Chad agreed to let Vivian go just before Stefano walked in. Chad explained that Vivian had thought no one was home, and he hadn't let her in. Stefano warned her that she had made a "serious mistake."

Stefano asked Chad to go upstairs while he talked to Vivian. Vivian tried to talk her way out of trouble, saying that the door had been ajar when she walked by. Stefano said Vivian was stupid and arrogant to break into his house, so he was going to decide how she would pay for her mistake. Vivian said she didn't like being threatened, and he said if she didn't like threats, she shouldn't drive by his house or even think about his house. Stefano got a phone call about Fay, and when he got off the phone, he ordered Vivian to get out and stay away from him and his family.

At the pier, Vivian informed Gus that he had been wrong about no one being home at the DiMera mansion, because Chad had been there, and as a result, Vivian had incurred Stefano's "wrath." Gus said that he had discovered a jail cell in the DiMera basement that had been recently used.

At the Brady Pub, Chloe called to check on Parker, but he was fine, so Chloe realized she was being overly protective. Philip wanted Chloe to focus on what made her happy, and he suggested she should sing again. She said there was no opera house in town. Chloe recognized a man carrying a guitar who walked into the pub, and she asked what he was doing there. He said that it was open mic night and asked if she was going to sing. Chloe realized what Philip was up to.

Philip said he knew how much singing meant to Chloe. Chloe felt unprepared to sing, but Philip said she was lying. Philip urged Chloe to sing, but she didn't know what to sing. Philip pointed out that she would improvise when she sang to Parker, and she said that was because she could look into Parker's eyes. Philip said she could look into his eyes. Chloe finally agreed to sing.

When Fake Rafe returned to the police station, Roman asked what he'd had to do that was so important that he'd abandoned his partner. Roman chewed Rafe out, and Fake Rafe said that Sami got her knack for "chewing guys out" from Roman. Roman warned Rafe that Roman was about to write him up. Fake Rafe's partner interrupted with news that Lexie wanted to speak with Roman. After getting off the phone, Roman informed Rafe that Fay had died.

Melanie jogged by the Java Café and spotted Daniel sitting at a table inside. Melanie went into the café and reminded Daniel that he was missing a meeting with Jennifer at the hospital. Daniel changed the subject to the reward that Melanie had offered to find Arianna's killer. With a big grin, Melanie informed Daniel that the reward had garnered fresh information on the vehicle that had struck Arianna. After catching up, Daniel excused himself to go back to the hospital.

As Melanie walked out of the Java Café, a shadowy figure followed her toward the pier. When Melanie stopped at the pier to check her music player, a man wearing a ski mask grabbed her from behind and placed a knife against Melanie's throat. The masked man warned Melanie to cancel the offer for the reward. Melanie elbowed her assailant in the gut and knocked him backward away from her. Dario ran onto the pier and fought with the masked man.

After a few punches, the assailant wrested himself free of Dario and ran off. Once Melanie and Dario determined that neither was injured, Dario asked Melanie what had happened. "I think that was the guy that killed Arianna," Melanie said.

In her office at the hospital, Jennifer waited with Maxine for Daniel to arrive. When Jennifer mentioned that it would be good to have Maxine in the room when she talked to Daniel about the PR plan she had, a suspicious Maxine raised her eyebrow. Jennifer explained that she respected Daniel and that they were friends. With a smirk, Maxine noted that Daniel was good-looking as well. As Jennifer blushed, Maxine announced, "I think you chose the best-looking doctor and nurse that you could find." Daniel walked in the room as Maxine finished her statement and asked what was going on.

Jennifer started the meeting and explained that she wanted the interns to shadow Maxine and Daniel so that they could get an idea of a "day in the life" of a nurse and a doctor at the hospital. As Jennifer nervously fumbled for her pen, Daniel reached out to grab the pen. Jennifer and Daniel awkwardly touched hands, then quickly pulled their hands apart. As Maxine watched the scene unfold, her pager went off. "I trust I can leave you two alone," Maxine quipped as she excused herself from the room.

Once alone, Daniel asked Jennifer to be honest with him about their relationship. When Jennifer refused to talk about the tension, Daniel noted that there was chemistry between them but that they were both on the rebound. Daniel explained that he was not emotionally available and that he did not want to use Jennifer to get over Chloe.

Jennifer agreed that she and Daniel should not act on the chemistry they were feeling. Clearing her throat, Jennifer stiffly shook hands with Daniel and said goodbye. After Daniel was gone, Jennifer muttered that she needed to keep her distance from Daniel. Outside in the hallway, Daniel coached himself to keep his distance from Jennifer.

Down the hall at the nurse's station, Carly advised Stefano that his diabetes was under control and gave him a clean bill of health. When Stefano talked about his new relationship with his son Chad, Carly's face faltered. Stefano asked Carly what was wrong, and unable to hold back her emotions, Carly told Stefano about her conversation with Nicholas. After Carly noted that she was on poor terms with her son, she apologized for becoming emotional.

Lexie interrupted to ask Stefano about his exam and whether he had seen Taylor or Nicole. Stefano told Lexie that his health was fine, then he headed home. Once Stefano was gone, Lexie noted that if Carly was opening up to Stefano about her problems, it was a sign that Carly needed to take some time off. With a sigh, Carly explained that she had fallen and hurt her elbow. Carly added that she had not been able to get an appointment for an exam, and the pain of the injury was keeping her from sleeping. Lexie offered to write Carly a prescription for pain medication to tide Carly over until she could see her doctor.

Carly eagerly thanked Lexie for her help, then encouraged her to prescribe a refill in case there was a delay. With a smile, Lexie obliged and handed Carly the prescription. After Lexie walked away, Carly changed the refill amount from one to four. Carly filled the prescription and was walking away from the pharmacist when she ran into Daniel. Daniel asked Carly about her elbow and admitted that Lexie had told him about her injury. Daniel offered to examine Carly, but she refused. When Daniel grabbed Carly's arm, Carly pulled away violently and screamed at Daniel to stop.

In the DiMera mansion foyer, E.J. introduced Taylor to Rafe. Faux Rafe gave Taylor his condolences for the loss of her mother and explained that he had stopped by the mansion to tell Nicole that he and Sami would watch the children. Taylor went upstairs to check on Nicole while an angry E.J. whispered a warning to faux Rafe to never visit the mansion. A pleased faux Rafe informed E.J. that he'd had a fight with Sami and that he believed the marriage would end soon. When E.J. wondered aloud whether faux Rafe could break things off with Sami, faux Rafe grunted, "You have no idea what I'm capable of."

In her bedroom, Nicole had a nightmare that Fay sat up on her deathbed and screamed at Nicole to learn E.J.'s secret. Shaken, Nicole sat in bed and wondered what Fay wanted to tell her. Taylor entered the room to see how Nicole was feeling and informed Nicole that Rafe had visited the mansion. Suspicious, Nicole wondered aloud why Rafe would stop by the house. Taylor explained that Rafe had promised to watch the children while Nicole was mourning the loss of Fay. Taylor noted that there was a strange vibe between Rafe and E.J. Worried by her dream, Nicole demanded to talk to E.J.

Taylor hurried downstairs to warn E.J. that Nicole was on her way. With a sigh, Taylor reminded E.J. that the last words Fay had said to her were "Help Niki." Taylor warned E.J. that they needed to keep their distance from once another, as E.J. clasped her hand and pulled her close to him. When Nicole arrived downstairs, she asked Taylor to go out with her. Taylor went upstairs to get her purse, leaving Nicole alone with her husband.

Nicole informed E.J. that Fay had warned her that E.J. had a secret and that Fay had been desperate to tell Nicole about it. Nicole begged E.J. to tell her his secret. E.J. exclaimed that he had no idea what Fay was referring to. Not swayed, an emotional Nicole cried out that her mother had desperately wanted to tell her something and that it was important to Nicole to find out the truth.

"I don't have a secret. I have a thousand secrets! Secrets is what I do. That's who I am. But none of my secrets pertain to you. I have secrets to protect the people I love. Not to hurt them," E.J. said. E.J. hugged Nicole tightly, and she seemed to soften. Taylor returned to the living room to fetch Nicole, and the sisters were leaving as Stefano arrived home. Once Taylor and Nicole were gone, E.J. commented, "Something is not right."

Dario and Melanie called Rafe's phone, but he did not answer. Frustrated, Dario and Melanie rushed over to the police station to report the attack on the pier. When Dario spotted Rafe, he appealed to Rafe to help them track down Melanie's attacker. Tired, faux Rafe referred Dario to Officer Dylan. When Dario explained that the attacker might be Arianna's killer, faux Rafe again referred Dario to another police officer. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Dario asked Rafe.

Covering his tracks, faux Rafe explained that he was exhausted and that the person that had attacked Melanie could have been anyone that was spurred on by her offer of a reward. Faux Rafe asked Dario for the story and at the conclusion, faux Rafe noted that there were no identifying characteristics for the assailant who had attacked them and escaped. Gruff, faux Rafe told Dario to talk to Officer Dylan and stop wasting his time. As faux Rafe marched out, Dario's mouth fell open, and he commented, "Okay we haven't always gotten along, but that's so not my brother." Frustrated, Dario vowed to track down the murderer, and Melanie insisted that she would help Dario.

At the Java Café, Taylor and Nicole talked about the funeral arrangements for Fay. As Nicole grew quiet, Taylor asked Nicole about her conversation with E.J. Annoyed, Nicole noted that E.J.'s ability to explain everything was "one of his greatest gifts." Tired, Nicole asked Taylor to meet her at home so that she could take a walk by herself. "I'm sorry if I'm acting weird," Nicole said. "No explanation needed," Taylor returned. After Taylor walked out of the café, Nicole muttered to herself, "I've got to stop sharing with you, Taylor. Mom knew a DiMera secret, and look what happened to her."

In the DiMera living room, E.J. confided in Stefano that he believed faux Rafe was pushing the envelope, which showed that E.J. and Stefano had no control over him. E.J. added that Fay had told Nicole that E.J. had a secret, and he was worried that Nicole would not stop until she learned what the secret was. With a sigh, E.J. admitted that he was concerned that the secret Fay knew was not about his attraction to Taylor. Stefano scoffed at the idea that Fay could have figured out the truth about faux Rafe.

"I don't know how she knows, but I think that she knows okay? I think that Fay was trying to tell Nicole about Rafe," E.J. said. Out in the foyer, Nicole eavesdropped on E.J. and Stefano's conversation.

At the hospital, Daniel questioned Carly about her elbow injury. Carly grew defensive and insisted that she was fine, but Daniel wasn't convinced. Carly refused to allow Daniel to examine her injury; she claimed that she had already arranged for someone to run tests on her elbow. Daniel pointed out that a second opinion wouldn't hurt, but Carly insisted that she would be all right.

Daniel accidentally hinted that he wasn't the only one who had been worried about Carly. "Are you and Melanie getting all worked up over some imaginary problem that you have to solve?" Carly asked defensively. Before Daniel could respond, Jennifer interrupted and explained that she was the other person that Daniel had been referring to. Carly said that she wanted some privacy so that she could talk to Jennifer. "You need to leave me alone. I can't say it enough -- we're done," Carly told Daniel before she followed Jennifer out of the waiting area.

In Jennifer's office, Carly furiously insisted that she was a grown woman who could take care of herself. Jennifer pointed out that Carly had been under a lot of stress because of her breakup with Bo and her memories of Lawrence's abuse. Carly interrupted before Jennifer could finish. "Stop obsessing over my problems; get your own damn life! The last thing I want is you and Daniel sneaking around and whispering and feeling sorry for me," Carly snapped. Jennifer denied Carly's allegations and tried to justify her actions, but Carly was too furious to listen.

"I don't care what you meant -- you're supposed to be my friend! Friends don't gossip about friends, no matter how good it makes you feel, Jenn!" Carly said as Jennifer stared at her in stunned silence. Jennifer quietly apologized, but Carly insisted that she didn't need Jennifer's sympathy. After a brief pause, Carly realized that she had been too harsh; she tried to apologize, but Jennifer walked out of the room before Carly could stop her. When Jennifer returned to the waiting area, Daniel could tell that she was upset. Daniel tried to comfort Jennifer and said that he was certain that Carly had not meant to hurt Jennifer.

After Jennifer left, Carly retrieved the bottle of pain pills from her pocket. Carly dumped a few of the pills into the palm of her hand as she started to tremble. After a brief pause, Carly tossed the handful of pills into her mouth and swallowed them. Carly sighed heavily and silently admonished herself for the way that she had treated her friends. As Carly placed the bottle of pills back into her pocket, Jennifer and Daniel walked back into the office.

Daniel started to speak, but Carly interrupted him. "Let me go first -- let me apologize. I am so sorry that I lost control like that; you're just worried about me, and I jumped all over you. The thing is...there is something wrong," Carly said. Carly paused and admitted that her behavior had been shameful. "My son's birthday was yesterday; I called him, hoping that we could reconnect a little bit," Carly said. Jennifer frowned and wondered if Nicholas had refused to accept Carly's call.

"Well, it would've been better if he'd hung up on me. That's actually what he did -- he hung up on me -- but not before telling me that he would never forgive me for what I did, and I will never be a part of his life again," Carly admitted. Daniel said that he thought that Nicholas would have understood because Nicholas had known that Lawrence had been a vicious psycho. "It's still his father, and he's dead because I killed him," Carly pointed out. Jennifer assured Carly that Nicholas would eventually understand why Carly had killed Lawrence, but Carly wasn't convinced.

Carly explained that Vivian had been encouraging Nicholas' resentment toward his mother. Carly assured Daniel and Jennifer that it had not been their fault that Carly had snapped at them. Carly promised that there would not be an encore performance of her meltdown. Daniel and Jennifer told Carly that they would always support her. Carly smiled and excused herself so that she wouldn't be late for an appointment.

After Carly left, Jennifer assured Daniel that confronting Carly had been the right thing to do. Jennifer observed that Carly had seemed calmer than before. Daniel agreed and admitted that he was worried that Carly might not keep her word about letting them in on her problems. Daniel pointed out that he and Jennifer had found a common interest in Carly's welfare. Jennifer smiled and agreed that they would be able to work together for Carly's sake.

At Sami and Rafe's apartment, Johnny rummaged in the refrigerator and retrieved a bottle of beer; he took the beer to Rafe. "Hey, keep these coming, okay? I had a rough night -- long night -- so this time right now, this is my time, okay? It's a special time; Rafe's buzz time," fake Rafe said as Sami entered the room and cleared her throat. Johnny proudly informed his mother that he had given Rafe a bottle of beer. After Johnny left, Sami wondered why Rafe had been drinking alcohol for breakfast.

Fake Rafe reasoned that it was all right for him to be drinking because he had spent the previous night working. Sami said that she didn't want Johnny to see Rafe drinking during the morning hours; she added that she didn't want Johnny to be Rafe's personal bartender, either. Fake Rafe informed Sami that he wasn't in the mood for another one of her lectures, but Sami refused to back down. Fake Rafe started to lose his temper, but then he paused and claimed that he had been dealing with some grief because Fay Walker had died the previous night. Sami admitted that Fay's death was sad news.

Sami wondered why Rafe had been affected by Fay's death when he had not even known Fay very well. Fake Rafe insisted that Sami had no idea how much Fay's death had impacted him, but Sami wasn't convinced. Sami reiterated that she didn't want Johnny to deliver beers to Rafe. "You get all weird when I'm not this oh-so-sensitive, mushy-headed guy, and then when I show a little feeling, you get weird anyway. I can't win with you, Sami -- I'm always the bad guy. No matter what I try to do, I am never, ever going to be able to please you, am I?" fake Rafe asked angrily.

Sami conceded that Rafe had been right. "I would like nothing more than for things to go back to the way they used to be, and I would do anything to make that happen. But there are a few things I won't do; I won't tolerate my children's welfare being in jeopardy, I will not put up with you encouraging my son to fight other kids, and I certainly won't tolerate you asking him to get you a beer first thing in the morning," Sami said. Fake Rafe sighed with frustration and muttered that he never seemed to be able to do anything right.

"So, you don't want to stay here anymore, is that it? I mean, how could you possibly stay with me, Sami?" fake Rafe asked. Sami admitted that she didn't think that she would be able to stay with Rafe any longer. Sami said that she had talked to Caroline the previous night. Fake Rafe assumed that Sami had decided to move in with her grandmother; Sami said that she had planned to ask Will to stay with Caroline. "Actually, I called my brother, and Johnny and Sydney and I are gonna go stay with Eric...for a few days," Sami explained.

Fake Rafe nodded and asked if Sami wanted a divorce; Sami insisted that she did not want to end their marriage. Sami explained that she was going to stay with her brother for a few days so that she and Rafe could have some distance from each other. Sami hoped that the distance would help them figure out a way to repair the damage that had been done to their marriage. Sami handed Rafe a piece of paper with Eric's phone number written on it so that he could reach her. Fake Rafe responded with indifference; he told Sami to have a nice trip, then he sprawled out on the couch and turned the television on without giving her another glance.

At the DiMera mansion, Stefano and E.J. discussed the secret that Fay had been trying to tell Nicole. Stefano was incredulous that Fay Walker could have discovered their secret when they had successfully hidden it from everyone else. "I don't know how she did it, but the more I think about it, the more I keep going over it...it's the only thing that Fay could have been trying to tell Nicole; it's about Rafe," E.J. said as Nicole listened from the foyer. Nicole quietly pondered E.J.'s statement; as Nicole backed away from the door, she accidentally bumped into a nearby table. E.J. demanded to know who was in the foyer.

Nicole walked in and explained that she and Taylor had been at the Java Café making plans for Fay's funeral. Nicole said that they had decided to return to the mansion because they had not been able to focus. Stefano wondered why Taylor was not with Nicole; Nicole claimed that she had received a text message from Taylor that had stated that Taylor had needed to run a few errands. Stefano seemed suspicious, so Nicole innocently asked if everything was all right. E.J. assured her that they had just been discussing business, and Stefano excused himself to return some phone calls.

After Stefano left, E.J. asked if Nicole had been thinking about what Fay had said about E.J. having a secret. Nicole admitted that she hadn't forgotten Fay's statement. E.J. insisted that he had no idea what Fay could have been referring to. E.J. wondered if Fay had offered any other clues that would have allowed them to figure out what she had been talking about. Nicole ignored the question and instead admitted that E.J. might have been right earlier when he had suggested that Fay's medication might have caused her to say things that she had not really meant to say.

Nicole changed the subject and asked E.J. to accompany her to Chicago for Fay's funeral. E.J. assured Nicole that he was not going to force her to deal with Fay's funeral on her own. E.J. said that he would do everything that he could possibly do to help Nicole. Nicole thanked E.J. for his support, then excused herself to run some last-minute errands before their trip. "Mom, I just want to cry -- for you, for myself -- but I can't. You knew about a secret E.J. was hiding; you were so desperate for me to know, and now it turns out it's about Rafe? Oh, God, I gotta get myself together and find out what it was," Nicole said as she stood outside the mansion.

After Nicole left, Stefano returned and wondered if Nicole had overheard anything incriminating. E.J. assured Stefano that Nicole had not overheard their discussion. E.J. said that Nicole had been so consumed by her own grief that she had not been able to focus on anything else. Later, Sami arrived at the DiMera mansion and asked to speak to E.J. Sami said that she had wanted to offer Nicole and Taylor her condolences.

E.J. said that Nicole and Taylor had both been running errands; he promised that he would pass Sami's message on to them. E.J. explained that Fay's funeral was going to be held in Chicago and that he and Nicole would be leaving for Chicago later that day. E.J. said that they would probably be gone for at least one night. Sami said that she had made travel plans of her own. Sami explained that she had decided to visit Eric, and she had hoped that E.J. would agree to let her take Johnny and Sydney with her.

Sami assured E.J. that Rafe would not be joining them. E.J. wondered if everything was all right. Sami shrugged and reiterated that Rafe wasn't going to be joining them. "Samantha, I have known you for a very long time, and you are not fine; has Rafe done something to you? Whatever this is, this had better not affect the children," E.J. said. Sami assured E.J. that Rafe had not done anything to Johnny and Sydney.

Sami said that she had decided to take the kids to Colorado so that she and Rafe could each have some space. E.J. wondered if Sami had finally started to understand the concerns that E.J. had been harboring toward Rafe. Sami insisted that she had not given up on Rafe; she explained that he had changed after the accident, and she admitted that she was going to have to learn how to accept that. E.J. assured Sami that she had his full support. E.J. said that Sami could take the kids to Colorado for as long as she needed to; he added that he would suspend the terms of the custody agreement temporarily.

E.J. said that he was proud of Sami for putting their children's needs first. Sami thanked E.J. for not fighting her about the trip. Sami excused herself so that she wouldn't be late for her flight. E.J. assured Sami that she would not have to worry about an exact return date. After Sami left, E.J. smirked and replayed his performance in his head; he congratulated himself and admitted that he had been quite convincing.

At Bo and Hope's house, Bo recalled making love to Hope the previous night. Hope walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him; Bo smiled and leaned in to kiss Hope passionately. Later, Ciara returned home; Hope hugged her and asked if she had enjoyed her visit with her grandparents. Hope started to explain that she and Bo had something that they wanted to discuss with Ciara, but Theo entered and interrupted their conversation. Hope assured Ciara that they would continue their discussion later.

After Hope left, Ciara gave Theo her interpretation of Hope's announcement. "My mommy and daddy are getting a divorce...'cause of me. They're gonna tell me after school, so we have to run away today -- and this time, we can't get caught," Ciara explained. Later, Hope placed camping supplies into a backpack as Ciara watched quietly from the staircase. When Hope was finished, Ciara claimed that she had promised to take her tea set to school for show and tell. Hope reminded Ciara that they had packed that tea set away in the attic because Ciara had not been using it.

Ciara insisted that she had promised to take it to school, so Hope excused herself so that she could go to the attic and retrieve it. Hope told Ciara to let Bo know that he would need to wait a few minutes before he could leave to take them to school. After Hope left, Bo returned and said that he was ready to leave. Ciara told her father that Hope had gone to the attic to find Ciara's tea set; Ciara claimed that Hope had agreed to drive them to school herself. Ciara assured Bo that it would be all right for him to leave without them.

Bo started to go upstairs to tell Hope that he was leaving, but Ciara stopped him and assured him that she would pass his message on to Hope herself. Bo shrugged and gave Ciara a hug, then turned and walked out the door. After Bo left, Ciara told Theo to grab the backpack that Hope had been packing earlier. Ciara said that it would be a perfect backpack for a camping trip. Ciara rushed to the door and confirmed that Bo had left.

"Now we can go out the back so no one can -- no, wait, there's a truck outside. They're picking up branches from the storm last night; we can ride on the truck," Ciara told Theo. Ciara and Theo quickly left the house and hopped onto the bed of the truck to hide under the foliage. Meanwhile, Hope returned to the living room and called out for Ciara and Theo. When the kids did not respond, Hope assumed that Bo had already taken them to school.

When Bo returned to the house to grab his coat, he was surprised to find that Hope had not left yet. Bo and Hope quickly realized that they each believed that the other person had been watching the kids. Bo explained that Ciara had claimed that Hope had decided to take them to school; Hope assured Bo that she had never agreed to do that. Hope realized that their backpack was missing; she and Bo frantically started to search the property for Ciara and Theo. "They'll never find us -- now Mommy and Daddy won't be sad ever again," Ciara told Theo as the truck drove down the road.

Nicole went to Sami and Rafe's apartment and told Rafe that she needed to talk to him. Fake Rafe let Nicole into the apartment and told her that they were alone. Nicole claimed that she had stopped by to thank Rafe for the kind words that he had given Taylor after Fay's death. Nicole said that she had appreciated the effort that Rafe had been making. Fake Rafe smirked and said that it was nice to know that someone appreciated him.

As Nicole continued to charm Rafe, she faked a coughing fit and asked for some cough drops. After fake Rafe went to find the cough drops, Nicole started to search the apartment for a spare key so that she would be able to return to the apartment and snoop around when no one was home. As Nicole searched the kitchen, she found a portion of the paper that Sami had written Eric's name and number on. Fake Rafe had torn the paper in half, but Nicole had been able to make out Eric's name.

When fake Rafe returned, Nicole questioned him about the piece of paper that she had found. Fake Rafe admitted that Sami had left him. Nicole offered Rafe her condolences and comforted Rafe with a hug as she assured him that everything would be all right. After a reasonable amount of time, Nicole tried to pull away from the embrace, but fake Rafe ignored her efforts and continued to hug her.

Finally, fake Rafe released his grip on Nicole. Nicole suggested that Sami and Rafe might have needed a break from each other so that they could put things in perspective. Fake Rafe agreed and cryptically noted that sometimes an opportunity presented itself. Nicole nodded and said that she would keep their conversation a secret. Fake Rafe misinterpreted Nicole's statements; before Nicole could protest, fake Rafe grabbed her and started to kiss her.

Bo and Hope frantically searched for Ciara and Theo. "No sign of Theo or Ciara out front, down the street, anywhere. You know, I wasn't gone that -- it's like they vanished," Bo said as he struggled to catch his breath. Hope wondered why Ciara had taken the backpack that had contained the camping supplies. Bo suggested that Ciara had decided that the camping equipment would have been better for show and tell.

Bo reasoned that Ciara had lied to her parents because she had known that they would not have permitted her to take the camping equipment to school. Bo called the school to see if the kids had made it there; meanwhile, Hope started to call their neighbors. When they realized that Ciara and Theo were not at school, Hope tried to call Ciara's cell phone. Bo noted that the tracking device that they had placed in Ciara's phone would only activate itself if Ciara placed or received a phone call.

Ciara and Theo trudged through the woods. "We're really a long way from home -- this is like the country," Ciara said. Theo agreed as he dropped their backpack on the ground. "This is a good place for us. It's not nice like at home, but...now that I'm gone, Mommy and Daddy won't have to fight anymore," Ciara said. Ciara's phone started to ring; Theo urged Ciara to answer her phone, but Ciara said that she didn't want to talk to her mother.

Ciara explained that her parents would get divorced if Ciara returned home. "They'll never get back together as long as I'm there," Ciara said. Theo admitted that he was scared. Ciara told Theo that he could go home if he wanted to, but Theo insisted that he wasn't going to leave his friend alone. Theo said that he would protect Ciara. "When Mommy and Daddy find my note, they'll know they won't have to fight anymore. They'll be happy because...I'm gone for good," Ciara quietly stated.

Meanwhile, Bo rushed off to the park to see if Ciara and Theo had gone there to set up their tent. Hope went upstairs to check Ciara's room. Later, Bo returned and called out for Hope; Hope walked down the stairs with a dazed expression on her face, as Bo explained that he had not been able to find the kids at the park. Bo noticed that Hope was holding a piece of paper. Hope handed the paper to Bo and explained that she had found it under Ciara's pillow.

The letter had been written with a red crayon; slight errors in the letter suggested that a child had written it. The letter read, "You are sad and I want you to be happy. So I am going to run a way so you both can be happy again. I am sorry that I made you want a duvors. I love you so much. Love, Ciara." Ciara had signed the letter with a heart. After a moment of stunned silence, Bo said that he would call the station and ask them to put out an APB on Ciara and Theo. Meanwhile, Hope called Abe and Lexie so that she could give them the painful news.

At the hospital, Abe and Lexie discussed Fay's death. Lexie assured Abe that she understood that Fay had been a very important part of his life. Abe admitted that he had been harboring a few regrets about his time with Fay. "Things I wish I'd done, said...at least done better. But maybe...the biggest regret...is Brandon; I didn't get to raise my son," Abe said. A phone call from Hope interrupted Abe and Lexie's conversation.

Later, Bo told Hope that none of the police officers had seen the kids. Bo assured Hope that it would only be a matter of time before someone found Ciara and Theo. Before Hope could respond, Lexie and Abe arrived. Hope embraced Lexie and apologized for Theo's disappearance. Hope said that she and Bo had been planning to tell Ciara that they were going to be a family again; Hope wondered what had caused Ciara to believe that Hope and Bo had been planning to get a divorce. Lexie comforted Hope and assured her that they would find Theo and Ciara.

At the DiMera mansion, E.J. told Stefano that Sami had requested permission to take Johnny and Sydney to Colorado to see Eric. Stefano was shocked that E.J. had agreed to Sami's request. E.J. chuckled and said that he had been delighted when he had heard Sami's request. Stefano realized that Sami's trip had been an excuse to get away from her husband. E.J. smirked and admitted that it had been difficult to keep a straight face during his earlier conversation with Sami.

"All right, look, are we taking bets here? Because I say that the marriage will be over within the week when she gets back," Stefano gleefully speculated. E.J. assured Stefano that it would happen more quickly than Stefano had anticipated. E.J. said that their plan had ended perfectly. "No one knows we put our man in Rafe's hospital bed, and then we put him in Samantha's bed, and the real boy is locked in an asylum somewhere!" E.J. exclaimed with a devilish grin. Stefano pointed out that the best part was that no one would ever know that he and E.J. had orchestrated the entire plan.

Stefano admitted that he was still worried that Nicole had overheard something during their earlier conversation. E.J. assured Stefano that Nicole had no idea what they had been planning to do. E.J. changed the subject and told Stefano that he and Nicole would be leaving to attend Fay's funeral in Chicago later that night. Stefano was surprised that E.J. had agreed to attend the funeral. E.J. reminded Stefano that he was Nicole's husband and that she needed his support. "Oh, please -- she's the hired help, for goodness sake!" Stefano said.

Stefano wondered if Taylor had been enjoying E.J.'s performance as Nicole's dedicated husband. E.J. admitted that he had not seen Taylor recently. E.J. quickly added that he and Taylor would be staying on separate floors of the hotel in Chicago. E.J. wondered if Stefano would be attending the funeral; Stefano dryly asked if E.J. had been trying to make a joke. Stefano said that he was going to spend some quality time with the latest member of the DiMera family; E.J. realized that Stefano had been referring to Chad.

Later, Taylor stood in the foyer of the mansion and studied a photograph of her mother. E.J. entered the foyer and immediately rushed to Taylor's side to comfort her. After E.J. offered Taylor a few words of encouragement, he asked if Taylor would mind having him at Fay's funeral. Taylor admitted that having E.J. at the funeral would make everything better. E.J. gave Taylor a quick kiss on the lips; he left the mansion before Taylor could respond.

At Sami and Rafe's apartment, fake Rafe grabbed Nicole and kissed her. Nicole pulled away and slapped Rafe. Fake Rafe was puzzled; he said that he thought that Nicole had been waiting for him to make the first move, but Nicole wasn't convinced. Nicole believed that Rafe had been trying to manipulate her into revealing incriminating information about E.J. Nicole assured Rafe that she wasn't going to do that.

Nicole said that E.J. was going to be furious when he learned that Rafe had kissed her. Fake Rafe insisted that E.J. did not need to know about their kiss. Fake Rafe apologized and blamed his inappropriate behavior on his head injury. Fake Rafe asked Nicole to forget that the kiss had ever happened. Nicole reluctantly agreed; she said that she wasn't an idiot -- she knew that if she had told E.J. about the kiss, Rafe would have just lied and claimed that Nicole had fabricated the incident.

Nicole admitted that she had a tendency to stretch the truth sometimes. Nicole said that she knew that E.J. would have chosen to believe Rafe's version of the events instead of her own version. Nicole warned Rafe not to pull a stunt like that again. Before fake Rafe could respond, Nicole rushed out of the apartment. When she was out of fake Rafe's earshot, Nicole vowed to find out what had been going on between Rafe and E.J.

After Nicole left, fake Rafe's phone rang; when fake Rafe answered the phone, E.J. said that he wanted to have a chat with fake Rafe. Later, E.J. arrived at Sami and Rafe's apartment and explained that he had heard that Sami had left town to visit Eric. E.J. congratulated fake Rafe and wondered what had caused Sami to make the decision to leave town. Fake Rafe said that Sami had started to lecture him, so he had gone off on her. Fake Rafe asked if Nicole was going to be a problem.

E.J. wondered what fake Rafe had been referring to. Fake Rafe pointed out that Nicole had been really attached to Johnny and Sydney. Fake Rafe said that Nicole would probably be upset when she learned that Sami had taken the kids to Colorado. E.J. said that Nicole had been too consumed with grief to worry about anything else. Fake Rafe smirked and muttered that it had not seemed that way earlier when she had been at the apartment.

Back at the DiMera mansion, Taylor wondered if Nicole was all right. Nicole admitted that something had been bothering her. Taylor guessed that Nicole had been worried about the secret that Fay had mentioned. Nicole whispered that she had learned that Fay's secret had involved Rafe. Taylor wondered why Fay would have known a secret about Rafe Hernandez; Nicole shrugged and told Taylor to forget what Nicole had told her.

At the pier, Kate tried to call Philip. As Stefano entered the pier, Kate ended her phone call and sighed. Stefano wondered what had been bothering Kate. Kate furiously explained that her sales manager had informed her that Philip and Chloe had been on a date at the pub the previous night. Kate added that Chloe had serenaded Philip with an idiotic song.

"Philip has sole custody of Parker -- why doesn't that jackal just move on to some other prey?" Kate asked. Before Stefano could respond, Kate continued her rant; Kate said that Philip was a good man with a conscience who had made a terrible mistake when he had slept with Chloe. "And now he feels like it's his duty to save that bipolar piece of garbage! She should be fish food -- she should be fish food in that river!" Kate exclaimed. Kate quickly added that Chloe had not even been able to properly kill herself.

Stefano made another attempt to respond, but Kate continued her tirade. Kate reminded Stefano about Chloe's litany of past sins -- she had hurt Philip during high school; she had turned Brady into a drug addict; she had caused Lucas to move to Hong Kong so that he could get as far away from her as possible; and she had ruined Daniel's happiness. Kate vowed that she was not going to let Chloe hurt Philip again. Stefano grinned and said that Chloe would not stand a chance against Kate.

"I'm sure you'll do whatever it takes to make sure that your son is not hurt. But please, this time, would you scratch off 'poison' in your plan, all right? Just for me, for my sake?" Stefano jokingly requested. Stefano changed the subject and told Kate that he had made plans to meet Chad at the Brady Pub. Stefano invited Kate to join them. Stefano said that he had noticed a difference in Chad. "I mean, of course, I miss -- oh, my God, how much I miss Anthony -- and you know how I feel about Elvis, and there's no boundary in my love for my daughter, but I don't know...Chad...he's special," Stefano stated with pride.

At the Brady Pub, Abigail greeted Chad and informed him that she had been accepted to a summer internship at the hospital. Chad sarcastically pointed out that she would be spending the summer changing bedpans. Chad said that he was happy that Abigail had gotten the internship. Chad explained that he had studied Advanced Biology the previous semester; he admitted that the subject had fascinated him. Abigail helpfully informed Chad that there had been another internship position at the hospital that had not been filled yet.

Chad said that he was going to spend the summer working for Stefano. Chad explained that he had not been interested in an internship at DiMera Enterprises because everyone would have known that he had gotten the internship because of his last name. Chad said that he wanted to be doing entry-level work so that he would be able to get a real taste of DiMera Enterprises. Abigail reluctantly wished Chad luck, but Chad could tell that she had not been sincere. "You hate that I'm gonna work for my dad, don't you? Just like you hate that I moved into his house," Chad said.

Abigail said that her opinion didn't matter; Chad assured Abigail that her opinion mattered to him. Chad insisted that the people of Salem had misjudged the DiMera family. Abigail reminded Chad that the first thing that they had seen when they had walked into the DiMera mansion had been a bloodstain. Chad explained that the blood had been because of Fay's fall, which had been an accident. Abigail pointed out that Fay had died as a result of that fall.

"You have to admit that when there's blood and the DiMeras are involved, odds are it's probably not an accident. Have you really convinced yourself that everything's legit?" Abigail asked. Chad said that he did not have any reason to doubt his father. Chad stated that he was going to trust Stefano unless he received actual proof that Stefano had lied about something. Chad said that he wanted to treat Stefano fairly. Abigail admitted that Chad was right, but she cautioned Chad to keep his guard up.

Abigail pointed out that an internship at the hospital would have allowed Chad to help a large number of people. Chad pointed out that it would have also allowed him to spend more time with Abigail. Chad wondered if that had been the real reason that Abigail had wanted Chad to take the internship. Before Abigail could respond, Stefano and Kate entered the pub. Abigail excused herself and went to a table on the other side of the pub.

After Abigail left, Stefano said that he had wanted to talk to Chad about his summer job at DiMera Enterprises. "Yeah, um...this is, uh...it's kind of hard for me to say -- I don't want you to feel bad or anything -- I'm thinking of applying for an internship at the hospital for the summer...kind of, uh, put the DiMera thing off until later," Chad said hesitantly. Stefano assured Chad that it would be all right for him to work at the hospital for the summer instead of working at DiMera Enterprises. Chad was shocked that Stefano had not been upset.

"Look, son, I, uh...I told you right from the start, I have no desire to control you. I just want to see that you're happy," Stefano stated sincerely. Chad thanked Stefano and admitted that he had not made a final decision yet; Chad promised that he would let Stefano know when he had made his decision. Chad's phone rang, so he excused himself to answer the phone call. After Chad left, Kate nodded in Abigail's direction and guessed that she had been the one who had convinced Chad to work at the hospital instead of at DiMera Enterprises. Stefano said that the thought had crossed his mind.

Kate said that Abigail might have been trying to keep Chad from getting too close to Stefano. "Abigail Deveraux, Jennifer's daughter -- a Horton. And as I recall, the DiMera family is not Jennifer's favorite," Kate noted. Stefano wondered if Kate believed that Abigail would be a problem; Kate insisted that Abigail already was a problem. Stefano reminded Kate that Lucas was Abigail's uncle. Kate claimed that Abigail's relationship to Lucas was immaterial.

Stefano pointed out that Kate had accused Abigail without any proof. Kate wondered when Stefano had started to take the high road. Stefano said that Kate had always been quick to judge people. Kate said that she did not want Stefano to make the same mistake that she had made when she had believed that Philip would not have allowed himself to be influenced by another woman. Kate scowled and pointed out that Chloe and Philip had been going on dates together and bonding over Parker.

"Do you think that a parent is going to be more influential than a girlfriend to a boy who's only 21? If she wants to turn him against you, she will. And she's a Horton -- I think you need to assume that she will," Kate added. Stefano conceded that Kate might be right, but he added that he did not want to make the wrong move. Stefano said that he did not want to do anything to jeopardize his relationship with Chad. Kate agreed that Stefano would need to be subtle.

At the Cheatin' Heart, Philip apologetically informed Chloe that he had not been able to convince the Department of Social Services to grant them joint custody of Parker. "They think I'm an unfit mother...and maybe I am. Maybe that's what you think, too," Chloe sullenly stated. Philip assured Chloe that he was going to continue to appeal the decision, but Chloe's hopes had been noticeably deflated by the news.

Later, Kate entered the Cheatin' Heart and found Chloe sitting at the bar with a martini. Kate angrily snatched the martini glass out of Chloe's hand and placed it on a nearby pool table. Kate said that Chloe should have been spending time with Parker instead of drinking at a bar in the middle of the afternoon. Chloe said that she was with Parker all the time. "Oh, really -- all the time? Like now, or the other night when you were out trying to seduce my son?" Kate asked.

Kate pointed out that Philip could have any woman that he wanted. "What if the woman he wants is me, Kate? What are you gonna do then -- you gonna poison me again? Did you save that brownie recipe?" Chloe asked. Kate claimed that Philip had been spending time with Chloe because he had been worried that Chloe might jump in the river again. Kate said that she was concerned about Philip and Parker. "You wrapped your tentacles around Lucas' throat and you tried to squeeze the life out of him, and I swear to you, I will not let you do that to Philip or to Parker," Kate snapped.

Chloe calmly walked over to the pool table and picked up the martini glass that Kate had placed there earlier. Chloe defiantly took a sip out of the glass, then she tossed the drink in Kate's face. Chloe left the bar before Kate could retaliate. "Stupid slut. This is not over -- not even close," Kate muttered as she followed Chloe out of the bar.

At Bo and Hope's house, Lexie wondered if Theo was all right. Abe assured Lexie that Theo would be okay because he was with Ciara. "Oh, I'm sure she'll be a great comfort to him, Abe! Our son won't even go on a sleepover, and now he's run away?" Lexie said as her frustration grew. Bo noted that the kids could not have gone very far on their own, but Lexie wasn't convinced. Lexie pointed out that Ciara and Theo could have boarded a bus or a train.

Bo assured Lexie that someone would have noticed two kids who had been traveling without adult supervision. "Ciara talked him into this. Theo was fine -- he was happy, he was doing well in school. He never would have run away if your daughter hadn't forced him to," Lexie snapped. Hope begged Lexie not to blame Ciara; Hope said that Ciara was just a very unhappy little girl. Lexie apologized and conceded that Theo had gone with Ciara because he had not wanted Ciara to be alone. Abe agreed; he added that Theo would have done anything for Ciara.

Roman arrived and announced that they had not found any sign of the kids in the neighborhood. Hope told Lexie that they would be able to use the tracking device in Ciara's phone to locate the kids if Ciara placed or received a phone call. Later, Roman received a report that two kids had been admitted to the hospital. Unfortunately, when everyone arrived at the hospital, they learned that the lead had been a false alarm. Hope tried to call Ciara again.

In the woods, Theo told Ciara that he wanted to go home. Ciara said that they couldn't go home because the truck that they had stowed away on had taken them too far away from Salem. Ciara reminded Theo that her parents would never be happy together if she returned home. "But I want my mommy and daddy," Theo insisted. Ciara assured Theo that they would be all right; before Theo could respond, some leaves started rustling nearby.

Theo was excited by the presence of a deer near their campsite. Ciara pointed out that the deer had not tried to bother them; she reiterated that there was no reason for them to be scared. Ciara's phone rang; Theo suggested that they should answer the phone, but Ciara reminded him that they couldn't do that. "Don't answer phone...don't answer phone," Theo said as he repeated the phrase like a mantra. Ciara added that she wasn't going to listen to any of the messages that her parents had left for her, either.

Meanwhile, Bo and Hope returned home and turned on their laptop. Bo logged into Ciara's email account and started to read the messages that Theo and Ciara had been sending to each other. Bo and Hope were disappointed to learn that Ciara and Theo had discussed their plans, but they had not mentioned where they had been planning to go. Later, Abe and Lexie returned to Bo and Hope's house. Bo said that he was going to help Roman with the field search; meanwhile, Hope tried to call Ciara again, and prayed that she would answer.

As Ciara stared at her phone and walked around the campsite, she tripped and hit her head on a nearby rock. Theo gently shook Ciara and told her to wake up. Ciara's phone started to ring as Theo attempted to rouse his friend. "Don't answer...don't answer," Theo repeated as he looked at Ciara's phone.

At Sami and Rafe's apartment, E.J. wondered why Nicole had visited Rafe earlier. Fake Rafe shrugged off Nicole's visit, then asked if E.J. was jealous. E.J. slammed fake Rafe against the apartment door and demanded to know why Nicole had visited him. Fake Rafe gasped for air as he stated that Nicole had wanted to thank him for the condolences that he had offered her sister. E.J. released his grip on fake Rafe's neck and stormed out of the apartment.

E.J. called Stefano and demanded to meet with him. Stefano wondered if there had been a problem; when E.J. confirmed Stefano's suspicions, Stefano guessed that the problem had involved Nicole. Later, E.J. met Stefano at the pier and explained what had happened. "If she keeps digging, that idiot's going to open up his mouth, and God knows what she's going to do with that information," E.J. said. E.J. wondered what Stefano planned to do about the situation.

Stefano cryptically stated that they were going to kill two birds with one stone. A short time later, fake Rafe arrived at the pier and asked why Stefano and E.J. had summoned him there. "We've come to tell you that it is over, finito," Stefano said as E.J. reached into his coat pocket. Fake Rafe stepped back defensively as E.J. and Stefano chuckled. E.J. removed an envelope from his coat pocket and handed it to fake Rafe; E.J. explained that the envelope contained a wad of cash and a card that fake Rafe would need to use to access the bank account where the rest of his payment had been placed.

The name on the bank card was Javier Morales. "That is your new name. And we have given you all the documents you need for your new identification, plus more than enough money to start a new life, eh? Now, once you are gone, you are to never contact us again," Stefano stressed. Fake Rafe agreed and started to leave, but E.J. stopped him and said that they had some unfinished business to discuss. E.J. told fake Rafe that he couldn't just vanish -- he was going to have to make a believable exit. Fake Rafe wondered what E.J. had in mind.

"You need to go and say a proper goodbye to Samantha's family and her friends, and then you need to enjoy all of their shocked reactions, and then you need to listen -- listen, with your ears, patiently -- when they tell you that you need to go back to Samantha and work things out," E.J. explained. E.J. told fake Rafe to leave a goodbye note and divorce documents for Sami. After fake Rafe left, Stefano said that he hoped that fake Rafe would be able to complete his last assignment. E.J. was worried that Nicole might learn the truth if she managed to speak to fake Rafe again. E.J. said that they would need to get Nicole out of town as soon as possible.

At the DiMera mansion, Nicole wondered why Taylor had seemed so interested in Fay's secret. Taylor claimed that she was concerned because she knew that Nicole cared about E.J. Taylor explained that she didn't want to see Nicole get hurt. Nicole told Taylor to disregard her earlier statements; Nicole claimed that she was certain that Fay's secret had not been about E.J. Taylor seemed convinced; she changed the subject and mentioned that she had some things that she needed to take care of before the funeral.

Taylor showed Nicole the photograph of Fay that Taylor had been looking at earlier. When Nicole saw the photograph, she started to get lightheaded. Taylor asked if Nicole was all right. "We're going to Chicago to bury our mother, Taylor -- why would I be okay?" Nicole quietly stated. Nicole assured Taylor that she would be all right, so Taylor excused herself so that she could take care of her errands.

After Taylor left, Nicole recalled the conversation that she had overheard between Stefano and E.J. Nicole imagined herself having a conversation with her mother. Nicole said that she had learned that Fay's secret had involved Rafe. Nicole admitted that she had no idea what the secret could have been about. Fay told Nicole that it wouldn't be very difficult to figure out the secret. "Don't you remember? I always told you that E.J. was a bastard, and that he's capable of anything," Fay reminded Nicole.

"What does that have to do with Rafe? That is what I don't get; E.J. hates Rafe, he always wanted -- oh, my God, he finally did it. E.J. got rid of Rafe," Nicole realized. Nicole wondered if E.J. could have caused Rafe's accident. Fay said that Nicole needed to ask herself if E.J. was capable of doing something like that. Nicole admitted that E.J. had never been a saint, but she wasn't certain that E.J. could have actually tried to kill Rafe. Fay suggested that E.J. might have tried to kill Rafe, and she wondered if E.J.'s attempt had been a success.

"Not in ending his life, but the guy's never been the same since the accident; everyone sees it. Sami left; that's why she took the children to see Eric...so, I guess it makes sense. E.J. did succeed. Even though he didn't actually kill him, the old Rafe's gone, nowhere to be found," Nicole said. Fay wondered what Nicole was going to do next. Nicole said that she needed to talk to Rafe again, so that she could find out if her suspicions were correct. Meanwhile, E.J. and Stefano returned home and wondered who Nicole had been talking to.

Nicole said that she had been talking to her mother; Nicole explained that she had found it comforting. Stefano offered Nicole his condolences, then excused himself. After Stefano left, E.J. said that Fay had been a lovely woman who had been very devoted to her daughters. Nicole muttered that Fay had been particularly devoted to Taylor. E.J. started to say something in Fay's defense, and Nicole wondered if E.J. had believed that Taylor had been more deserving of Fay's devotion.

Nicole accused E.J. of believing that Taylor was a better person than Nicole was. E.J. defensively claimed that Nicole had jumped to the wrong conclusion. E.J. changed the subject and announced that their plane had been cleared for takeoff. Nicole said that she had an errand that she needed to take care of before they left for Chicago. E.J. told Nicole that her errand would have to wait. After E.J. left, Nicole vowed to find a way to talk to Rafe and figure out what had been going on between him and E.J.

At the Brady Pub, Will showed Maggie some photographs that Lucas and Ali had sent him. Will told Maggie that Sami had taken Johnny and Sydney to Colorado. Maggie wondered if Sami had gone there to visit Eric. Will confirmed Maggie's suspicions; he explained that Sami had also left because she had needed to get away from Salem. Gabi overheard and wondered if Rafe had been the reason that Sami had left.

Later, Taylor arrived at the pub and greeted Maggie. Maggie wondered if Taylor was all right. Maggie said that she had been worried because Taylor had not had anyone to lean on for support. Taylor claimed that she was all right, but Maggie wasn't convinced. Maggie said that losing Mickey had made her realize how important it had been to have a soul mate -- someone who would always be there for you during life's difficult times. Taylor agreed, but she insisted that she had not found that person yet.

Back at Sami and Rafe's apartment, fake Rafe decided that he wasn't going to follow E.J.'s final orders."Yeah, right -- like I'm really sticking around saying weepy goodbyes to people I don't give a rat's ass about," fake Rafe muttered as he packed his bags. "It's time to start a new life. I'm gonna miss this one, though. Sami and her, uh...'twins.' Nicole -- well, I can always catch up on her watching some DVDs. I wonder if she ever made any movies with that sister of hers -- that'd be hot," fake Rafe said as he started to leave the apartment.

Fake Rafe opened the apartment door and found Gabi and Will standing in the hallway. Gabi wondered if Rafe had been headed to the gym. Fake Rafe explained that he had decided to take a vacation. Gabi wondered if Rafe had been planning to leave without saying goodbye. Gabi said that she was sick of Rafe's attitude. Gabi insisted that she wasn't going to let Rafe ignore her any longer.