Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of January 27, 2014 on DAYS

Kate, Sami, and Gabi were fearful that their secret about Nick would be revealed. Kate and Gabi felt uneasy after talking to Nick. Daniel and Nicole left town to find Dr. Chyka so that they could clear Eric's name. Bev helped J.J. with his plan to stop Theresa. Maggie called it quits as Brady's sponsor. Nick's new friend stunned Kate.

Monday, January 27, 2014

by Mike

At the Horton Town Square, Jordan ran into Sheryl, who wondered how Arianna's christening had gone. Jordan explained that she had been unable to make it to the christening because a patient had needed her. Sheryl guessed that Rafe had probably missed having Jordan with him at the ceremony.

Sheryl said that she had enjoyed hanging out with Jordan and Rafe at the Brady Pub the previous night. Sheryl observed that Rafe seemed like a really nice guy, and when Jordan agreed without hesitation, Sheryl wondered how serious Jordan's relationship with him really was. Jordan noncommittally replied that she and Rafe were keeping things casual.

Sheryl smiled knowingly and reminded Jordan that they had spent a lot of time together in Birmingham. Sheryl mused that Jordan seemed more relaxed around Rafe than she had ever been around anyone else. "Right. Well, let's just leave it at that, okay?" Jordan suggested, so Sheryl changed the subject and asked Jordan to remind her how to get to Club TBD. Jordan was also headed to the club, so she invited Sheryl to join her.

While waiting for Jordan to arrive at Club TBD, Rafe talked to T, who noted that Rafe was missing the reception for Arianna's christening. Rafe made it clear that he had no interest in attending the reception because it was being held at the DiMera mansion. T nodded and changed the subject, admitting that he had something that he wanted to discuss with Rafe.

"Um, I know that you and Gabi are pretty tight, and, uh, you're always looking out for her, and, uh, we're gonna go out on a date," T said, although it seemed more like a question than a statement. Rafe started to act like that was going to be a problem, but T soon realized that Rafe was just messing with him. T breathed a sigh of relief as Rafe acknowledged that T was definitely an upgrade from the last guy Gabi had been involved with.

Rafe wondered if T had actually asked Gabi out on a date yet. "Well, not exactly, um -- you know, I mean, not in so many words, uh -- but I will," T assured Rafe, who wished him luck. Meanwhile, Lucas entered the club and greeted Rafe, who guessed that Lucas had also decided to skip the reception. Lucas confirmed that he didn't feel like hanging out at "the mausoleum of death and despair."

Lucas explained that he had arranged to meet with Sheryl at the club so that they could discuss some of her design ideas. Rafe observed that Sheryl seemed nice and that Lucas might have found himself a real winner. Lucas agreed that Sheryl was going to be a real asset to Mad World, but Rafe suggestively added that she was also going to be a real asset to Lucas. Lucas stressed that his relationship with Sheryl was strictly professional, and Rafe nodded skeptically.

When Jordan and Sheryl arrived, they went to separate tables with Rafe and Lucas, respectively. Sheryl was quick to ask Lucas about Arianna's christening, which he appreciated. Meanwhile, Jordan asked Rafe to show her the pictures of the christening that he had stored on his cell phone. Rafe wished that Jordan could have made it to the christening, but she mused that her absence might have had some advantages, since he had traveled from the church to the club without assistance and had barely used his cane for support when he had stood to greet her a few minutes earlier.

Rafe proudly informed Jordan that Pete had hinted that Rafe might soon be able to ditch the cane for good. Rafe suggestively stated that he intended to do something with Jordan once he got rid of the cane. Jordan nervously wondered what Rafe was talking about. "Once the cane is gone and I know that I am good with the hip action...we're going dancing," Rafe whispered. Jordan laughed as Rafe innocently assured her that he was a really good dancer.

As Rafe and Jordan continued to talk, he observed that she seemed happy, and she confirmed without hesitation that she was. Rafe was pleasantly surprised that Jordan had given him a direct and honest answer, and he decided to press his luck with another question, wondering if she had been happy before she had met him. Jordan said that, while she had not been unhappy in Birmingham, she hadn't felt the same way there. Jordan explained that she felt at home in Salem, where she had friends and people who actually meant something to her -- something that she had never had before.

Rafe was saddened to hear that, but Jordan quickly changed the subject. Rafe hoped that Jordan would one day feel comfortable opening up to him about her past. "I trust you, but Rafe, you have to realize...there are some things that I'm never going to want to talk about -- with anyone," Jordan replied.

Outside the Brady Pub, Lucas said that he was sorry that he hadn't gotten a chance to discuss Sheryl's design ideas with her earlier. Sheryl admitted that it was her fault, since she had taken up all of Lucas' time with questions about the christening. Sheryl said that she sometimes forgot that Lucas was her boss because he was such a nice guy, and he assured her that he didn't mind and that he really enjoyed talking to her.

At St. Luke's, everyone stared at Nick in disbelief. Nick apologized for interrupting and started to leave, but Julie stopped him and dramatically declared that everyone had been really worried about him. Meanwhile, Sami sensed trouble and quickly took Arianna from Gabi, who was starting to hyperventilate. Sonny and E.J. caught Gabi as she fainted, and they helped her over to the nearest pew so that she could recover.

Gabi was disoriented and wondered what had happened, so Julie helpfully summarized that Gabi had "fainted dead away" after taking one look at Nick. Confused, Gabi looked at Sami and Kate and started to say that Nick was dead, but Sami quickly interrupted and informed Gabi that Nick was back in town. Sami casually added that Nick's unexpected appearance at the church obviously had nothing to do with Gabi's fainting spell, and Sonny agreed, explaining that it had been a very stressful day for Gabi because of the christening. Julie wanted to call for an ambulance, but Gabi insisted that she was fine.

Nick apologized again and claimed that he had been completely unaware that Arianna's christening was being held at the church that day. Hope was suspicious about the timing of Nick's return and the fact that he had gone straight to St. Luke's after arriving in Salem, but Nick clarified that he had first gone to the police station to look for her. Nick said that the desk sergeant had told him that Hope was at the church but had neglected to mention why she was there. Nick made another attempt to excuse himself, but Julie once again stopped him and wondered why he had been out of touch with his family since leaving for New York the previous November.

Nick approached Julie as he vaguely started to explain that some stuff had happened recently, and Julie gasped when he got close enough for her to notice a scar on the left side of his forehead. Julie wondered what had happened to Nick, but he remained silent as he glanced at Gabi, who struggled to maintain her composure as she thought about the night that she had bashed him on the head with a rock to stop him from raping her. Julie stepped aside so that Hope could take a look at Nick's scar, and when Hope saw how pronounced it was, she demanded to know what had happened to him.

"I -- to tell -- I don't -- to tell you the truth, I -- I don't really know for sure. I just -- I -- I woke up, and I had this horrible, horrible headache, and a cut [on my forehead], and I just -- I figured I had taken a -- a really bad fall," Nick claimed. Julie was still concerned, but Nick assured her that he had taken care of the injury and was going to be fine. Meanwhile, Sami interrupted and predicted that Arianna would soon start to get cranky. Sami added that Gabi needed to get some rest, and she started to excuse herself as Will, Sonny, Gabi, Kate, and E.J. prepared to follow her lead.

Unsatisfied, Julie stopped Sami and pointed out that Nick still hadn't explained why he had been out of touch with everyone lately. Nick claimed that he had been planning to surprise everyone. "Well, he sure as hell did that," Kate whispered to Sami as Nick sheepishly conceded that his plan had been ill-conceived. Meanwhile, Will and Sonny helped Gabi to her feet. Abigail turned to E.J. and quietly demanded to know what was really going on, but he feigned ignorance.

Hope suggested that she, Julie, and Nick could continue their discussion at the Brady Pub, acknowledging that Sami was right and that it would be rude of them to continue to intrude on Will, Sonny, Gabi, and Arianna's special day. Nick announced that he had something that he wanted to say to everyone first. Kate started to protest, but Nick interrupted and addressed Gabi. "You didn't faint because you were tired, or because you've been standing too long, or any of that other stuff, did you? You fainted because you saw me...and we both know why," Nick said.

Before Gabi could respond, Will and Sami jumped in to confirm that Gabi had indeed been dealing with a lot of stress lately, due to the christening and the normal demands of caring for an infant. Unconvinced, Julie recalled that Gabi had been acting nervous and upset lately when people mentioned Nick's name, and she urged Nick to tell her if something had happened between him and Gabi before he had left for New York.

"What I was gonna say was...when I -- when I woke up from the accident, um, I -- I couldn't really remember what -- what had happened to me, but what I did remember was...that I had treated Gabi really badly before I left. Isn't that right, Gabi? I -- I set it up so that she had a big chance to -- to sign with a top modeling agency in New York, and...she didn't know that I was behind it. See, I -- I knew that I could get a job in New York myself, and my plan was that once we both got there, that -- that we'd -- we'd get back together. I know it was crazy, okay? I know that. I mean, to try and control Gabi like that, it was -- it was completely and utterly delusional and wrong, and -- and I know that now, and I should have been seeing a shrink the entire time, and -- and I wasn't, and I should have been. But I -- I will let you know that, um, I did start seeing somebody after -- after the accident, and he was really helpful to me, too. He -- he kind of helped me think through!what I had done and -- and see how I -- I kind of...lost a grip on -- on reality, so...I'm sorry, Gabi, and -- and I hope that you'll give me a chance to make it up to you now that -- now that I'm back," Nick quietly and reservedly explained to everyone.

Julie was thrilled to learn that Nick was planning to stay in Salem. Nick conceded that moving to New York in an effort to escape his problems had been a mistake, and he confirmed that he had realized that Salem was his real home and the place where he belonged. "And -- and this time, I swear, um, I'm gonna turn my life around," Nick promised. Julie was delighted to hear that, but Hope remained skeptical and said that she still had some questions for Nick. E.J. interrupted and said that, while he was hopeful that Hope would eventually get the answers that she was looking for, everyone else was anxious to get back to celebrating Arianna's christening.

Sami, Kate, and E.J. quickly exited the church, and before Will, Sonny, and Gabi could follow them with Arianna, Nick approached Will, extended a hand, and congratulated him on Arianna's big day. After Will skeptically shook Nick's hand, Nick turned his attention to Gabi, reiterating that he was sorry that he had upset her and that he planned to make things right with her and everyone else. Sonny, Will, and Gabi excused themselves and left the church with Arianna, and Abigail announced that she was also going to leave.

In the church entryway, E.J. told Sami that he was going to talk to Abigail before heading back to the DiMera mansion. Sami encouraged E.J. to do whatever he had to do to keep Abigail quiet. When E.J. spotted Abigail leaving the church a short time later, he followed her. Meanwhile, back inside the chapel, Julie continued to stress that she had been really worried about Nick, admitting that people had started to suspect that she was just being paranoid or going crazy. Still suspicious, Hope pointed out that everyone else was finally gone, and she urged Nick to go ahead and reveal what had really happened to him.

Nick stuck to his original story and apologized profusely for worrying everyone. Nick promised to contact the rest of his loved ones later to assure them that he was all right. Hope wondered if Nick was going to continue his therapy sessions in Salem, and he claimed that he would, adding that he had finally realized that he couldn't control everything or everyone. Nick conceded that he couldn't even control many of the things in his own life and that it was important for him to accept that, move forward with his life, and stay positive. Julie enthusiastically agreed and hugged Nick, but as she escorted him out of the church, it was clear that Hope was still skeptical.

Later, at the Brady Pub, Hope continued to question Nick about what had happened to him. Nick claimed that he wasn't sure where he had been when he had regained consciousness after his accident. Undeterred, Hope asked for the name of the hospital where Nick had received treatment for his injury, reasoning that the hospital would have definitely filed a report about the incident that could help them fill in the blanks.

Nick clarified that he had actually received treatment from someone who had found him and had known how to treat the injury. Julie insisted that the person who had found Nick should have called the police or at least called for an ambulance, but Nick said that he had talked the person out of doing that because he had just gotten off of parole and hadn't wanted a bunch of cops asking questions about what had happened to him.

Nick excused himself so that he could get a cup of coffee, and after he left, Julie theorized that he had been mugged in New York City. Hope conceded that Nick's head injury could explain why his recent string of text messages had seemed peculiar. When Nick returned, he assured Julie and Hope that he was going to start looking for a job the following day so that he could get a fresh start. Hope mused that she had been under the impression that a fresh start was exactly what Nick had gone to New York to find, but he reiterated that moving to New York had been his totally unrealistic way of trying to manipulate Gabi into being with him again.

Nick summarized that he was back where he belonged and could start anew with no more lies hanging over his head. "How do we know you're not lying about that?" Hope skeptically wondered, adding that Nick had certainly told his fair share of lies in the past. Julie started to object, but Nick conceded Hope's point and said that the first person he had always lied to in the past had been himself. Nick claimed that he planned to stay honest and grounded in the future, and Julie happily accepted his word on the matter and observed that his therapy sessions had clearly done some good. Julie turned to Hope and pointedly added that Nick deserved a break.

Hope still wasn't convinced that Nick was telling the truth, but before she could continue their conversation, she received an important phone call. "You don't get a pass this time, so until you can give me enough good reasons to trust you again, I'm gonna be watching you. Yeah, I'm gonna be watching you very closely," Hope warned Nick before excusing herself to take the phone call. Stunned, Julie gave Nick a supportive pat on the arm as they watched Hope walk away.

At the DiMera mansion, Sami, Kate, and Gabi snacked on the reception goodies as they discussed what had happened at the church. "Seriously, I thought we did the world a favor, throwing [Nick] out like garbage in the river. And did you hear the way that Julie was, like, fawning over him? It was disgusting -- like he was an angel," Sami incredulously stated. Kate agreed and admitted that she had barely resisted the urge to wring Nick's scrawny neck when he had returned from the dead, since he had planted a virus in Mad World's computer network a few months earlier that had cost the company millions of dollars.

Sami agreed that Nick was a "disgusting worm," but she happily pointed out that the good news was that she, Kate, and Gabi no longer had his death hanging over their heads. Gabi was still worried, but Sami dryly pointed out that Nick couldn't exactly accuse them of not murdering him. Kate wondered how Nick had managed to survive after being dragged into the frigid Salem River. "It's because he's not human," Sonny said as he and Will entered the mansion with Arianna.

Gabi wondered if Will and Sonny believed that Nick really had no memory of what had happened to him. Sonny said that he and Will had talked about that on the way to the mansion, but before he could elaborate, Gabi worriedly pointed out that if Nick knew the truth, he could use that information to ruin all of their lives. Kate sighed with exasperation and told Gabi to stop worrying and enjoy the good news that they had just received.

Sami agreed, reiterating that Nick wasn't dead and therefore couldn't blame the women for anything. Gabi reminded everyone that she had bashed Nick on the head with a rock, but Will argued that she had acted in self-defense. Nick's curious claim that he couldn't remember what had happened to him was the thing that was bugging Sonny the most about Nick's story. Sami reasoned that Nick had suffered a head injury that could have caused amnesia, but Will pointed out that not all head injuries resulted in lost memories for the injured party.

Sonny noticed that E.J. was missing. Sami explained that E.J. was dealing with Abigail, and Kate hoped that he could finally "put a cork in it" and shut Abigail up. Gabi couldn't understand why the group was concerned about Abigail, since Nick could simply go to the police if he really did know what had happened to him. "He can't go to the police; he's an ex-con with a crush on crazy. Come on -- they're gonna take his word against ours?" Kate reasoned. Sami agreed and pointed out that Nick could have gone to the police weeks earlier if he had known what had really happened to him.

Gabi uncertainly conceded that there might not be anything to worry about, and Sami advised Gabi to focus on celebrating two things -- Arianna's christening and the fact that they no longer had a murder hanging over their heads. Kate announced that she knew where Stefano kept his finest bottles of champagne, and Sami followed Kate out of the living room, dragging a reluctant Gabi behind her. Sonny was anxious to say something to Will, so as soon as the women were gone, he smiled and draped an arm around Will's shoulders. "One reason for us not to get married is gone," Sonny pointed out, and Will grinned as he kissed Sonny.

Later, Gabi received a text message from Rafe and excused herself so that she could meet him and Jordan at the club. Gabi hugged everyone and thanked them for everything that they had done -- or, at least, had tried to do -- to keep her calm and protected in the months following Nick's presumed death. Kate cheerfully pointed out that the good news was that she and Sami no longer had to spend as much time together, and Gabi took that as her cue to leave.

Sami mused that it seemed like she had been right when she had observed earlier that Rafe and Jordan's relationship was apparently getting more serious. Kate nodded and innocently claimed that she couldn't possibly be happier for Rafe and Jordan. Later, after Will and Sonny left with Arianna, Kate and Sami found themselves alone in the mansion, and after a brief, awkward exchange, Kate abruptly excused herself.

E.J. followed Abigail to a secluded section of Horton Town Square, where she apologized and admitted that she felt awful about the fact that she had accused him of killing Nick, who was obviously still alive. E.J. assured Abigail that he understood why she had jumped to the wrong conclusion. E.J. suggested that he and Abigail could simply forget about the matter entirely, but she mused that the scar on Nick's forehead could suggest that someone had tried to kill Nick. E.J. reminded Abigail that Nick had said that he had gotten the scar in an accident, but she pointed out that Nick had only said that was what he thought had happened to him.

E.J. couldn't understand why Nick was of such importance to Abigail. "Seriously? E.J., you chased me all the way out to Smith Island to keep me from talking to Hope. It seemed like he was pretty damn important to you, too. In fact, he -- he was so important to you that we wound up sleeping together, and guess what? Congratulations -- it worked. Now that's all I can think about. I -- I see things, and I am reminded of you. I try to concentrate about anything else, and I am reminded of you. I understand that you are the type of person, E.J., that can just have sex with somebody and forget about it, but I can't do that. I'm embarrassed, and -- and -- and ashamed, and desperate -- yes, desperate, damn it. Yes, desperate. I am desperate for it to happen again," Abigail admitted.

Abigail was embarrassed and urged E.J. to forget what she had just said, but he assured her that it was natural for her to want to have something that she couldn't have. Abigail said that E.J. had misunderstood, and she clarified that when they were together, she found it hard to believe that they could ever be apart from each other. Taken aback, E.J. started to say something to Abigail, but she interrupted him. "E.J., I know that you haven't made me any promises and you haven't led me on -- I know that -- but come on -- I know you feel it, too. I can see it in your eyes," Abigail said.

E.J. remained silent, so Abigail turned away from him and added that she was still going to tell Hope about what had happened between Gabi and Nick before Nick had left for New York, since it could be an important detail that could jog Nick's memory. Abigail walked away, and E.J. followed her to the hospital, where he found her alone in a supply closet.

Nick called out to Gabi as she was passing through a secluded section of Horton Town Square. "You know, I've -- after everything that's happened between us, um, I'm glad I finally got you alone," Nick said as he approached Gabi.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

by Spalding

Abigail was looking for the 5K run T-shirts in the hospital linen storage room when E.J. entered the room and locked the door. Startled, Abigail stood speechless as E.J. sat down on a table next to her.

"You seem to think that you have something that you can hold over my head," E.J. said. "I do. It's about what you did to Nick," Abigail countered. As E.J. lowered his voice, he gently grabbed Abigail's hospital lanyard and pulled her close to him. E.J. said that she was playing a dangerous game.

"You picked the wrong man to play it with. You will lose, Abigail. I promise you that," E.J. said. "There he is. That bad man that you are so proud to be," Abigail said with a smirk. E.J. leaned closer and warned Abigail that the bad man was always there, and even had been in the cabin. E.J. warned that he would get what he wanted. When Abigail stated that E.J. did not want her to talk to anyone, E.J. countered that Abigail did not know anything.

Abigail argued that she knew about what had happened between Gabi, Nick, and E.J. When E.J. shrugged, Abigail asked him if the story was a lie. E.J. countered that it did not matter if the story was a lie because Nick had returned home. E.J. urged Abigail to move on with her life. Shaking her head, Abigail noted that there had to be a reason that E.J. was desperate to keep her quiet.

"I'm not desperate, but I am determined," E.J. said as he leaned in close. As Abigail stared at him, he ran his finger across her breastbone and up her neck. Abigail shivered. E.J. asked Abigail what she wanted in return for her silence.

"I think you know exactly what it would take," Abigail whispered. E.J. forcefully grabbed Abigail, kissed her, and pushed her up against a shelf. As E.J. and Abigail fell onto a nearby table, removing their clothes, an orderly attempted to unlock the door to the closet. Unable to find the right key, the orderly knocked on the door and asked if there was anyone in the closet.

In her most innocent voice, Abigail called out, "Just a second." E.J. and Abigail quickly pulled their clothing back on. As E.J. hid behind a shelf, Abigail unlocked the door and greeted the orderly. The orderly noted that he needed towels, and Abigail grabbed a pile of towels and handed them to him. After the orderly left, Abigail remarked that she was losing her mind, and she left. E.J. shook his head in frustration.

In the Horton living room, J.J. handed Abigail's misplaced check to his friend Bev. When Bev asked J.J. if his plan would work, J.J. admitted that he had no choice but to attempt to corner Theresa.

Theresa called Daniel at his apartment and asked him to meet her for dinner. Citing issues with work, Daniel declined the offer. When Theresa insisted, Daniel told her that he would call her back because someone was knocking on his apartment door. When Daniel opened the door, he found Eric. Eric asked if Daniel would be able to recover any of he evidence from Eric's case. Daniel informed Eric that all the files had been destroyed.

Daniel apologized and noted that it would be too late to duplicate the testing. As Eric sighed, Daniel urged Eric to put faith in Nicole's interview. Eric explained that his testimony in his interview could not be corroborated. With a sigh, Eric wondered aloud if it was God's will for him to leave the church.

At the hospital, a frustrated Theresa started to head over to Daniel's apartment. J.J. called her on her cell phone and informed her that he had information about Nicole and Daniel. When Theresa demanded the information, J.J. countered that he needed to show his discovery to her. With an annoyed groan, Theresa agreed to meet with J.J.

As Bev exited the elevator at the nurses' station, she narrowly missed being spotted by Theresa on her way to meet J.J. Once the coast was clear, Bev walked down the hall to Anne's office. Anne interviewed Bev for the candy striper position. When Bev nervously asked if she would need to deal with blood, Anne laughed and noted that the position was in a hospital. Nodding, Bev feigned thirst to avoid the topic.

When Anne suggested that Bev was not right for the candy striper position, Bev countered that her father would be grateful if Anne would hire her. Anne agreed. With a smile, Bev said that she would text her father to let him know how helpful Anne had been. While Anne started the paperwork, Bev texted J.J., urging him to send in Rory for the diversion.

In St. Luke's, Eric prayed in the church. Father Louie interrupted Eric's prayers and asked if he wanted to talk. Eric informed Father Louie that the medical records that could have exonerated him had been destroyed by the man that had attempted to murder Eric and Nicole. With a sigh, Eric explained that all the evidence that he had been drugged was gone.

"It's the first time that I've ever been in here alone. It's the first time that I've ever felt alone. I mean I know that he's here and I know that he is watching us. I know that he is listening to my prayer," Eric said. Father Louie advised Eric to remain faithful and that God would not abandon Eric. "All hope is never lost," Father Louie counseled.

As Eric talked about the gas poisoning, he sighed and looked at Father Louie. Eric confessed that he and Nicole had admitted that they loved one another when they had been trapped in the basement. Father Louie asked Eric if he wanted to walk away from the priesthood. Eric explained that he did not want to give up. Nodding, Father Louie countered that he, Father Matt, and the bishop had talked and that the bishop had reached a decision.

"If you still believe that you might want to be a priest again, he has a direct order about what you must do," Father Louie said.

In the Brady Pub, Nicole watched the video of her interview with Eric. When Miles entered the pub, he asked her about the interview. Nicole argued that the audience would root for Eric when they saw the final edit. Shaking his head, Miles informed Nicole that he had seen the footage, and he believed that there was a lot of the story that Nicole had not told him. Miles asked what was going on between Nicole and Eric.

Nicole stressed that she was only friends with Eric. With a smirk, Miles suggested that Eric's modus operandi was to befriend women and then sleep with them. Angry, Nicole rose to leave. Miles cheerfully noted that he hoped that Eric would seduce Nicole and that the video would end up on the Internet. Furious, Nicole slapped Miles.

As Miles stormed out, Daniel entered the pub and asked what was wrong. Nicole explained that she had fought with Miles over Eric. Daniel asked Nicole why she had not informed Eric that Eric's medical records were gone forever. Nicole admitted that she had not wanted to kill all of Eric's hopes to return to the priesthood. Nodding, Daniel noted that Nicole appeared to be agitated. Nicole admitted that she had told Eric that she and Daniel had not been dating.

The hospital texted Daniel, and he explained that he had to return to work. As Daniel rose to leave, he noticed the anxious look on Nicole's face. Daniel asked Nicole if she had something else to tell him. Nicole said no as Eric arrived at the pub, wearing his priest's collar. Daniel said hello to Eric and said that Nicole had informed him that Nicole had confessed that her relationship with Daniel was a lie.

Daniel apologized for lying then left for the hospital. When Eric sat down at Nicole's table, he asked why she was staring. With a sad smile, Nicole noted that she was staring at Eric's collar. Eric explained that the bishop had asked him to go on a retreat. Eric noted that he needed time to think and pray. Eric added that there was no guarantee that he would be reinstated to the church but that attending the retreat was the first step in restoring his position as a priest.

"So you want to be a priest again?" Nicole said with her voice shaking. Eric gently took her hand and stressed that he wanted to make the right decision. Eric noted that his feelings for her had not changed and that he had not fallen for her because his position at the church had been taken away.

"I need to be fair to you. You deserve a full and rich life with a man who can truly love you. Nicole, you want a life with the whole package. Someone who you can share everything, someone you can build a life with. Whether I can do that or not, I think we both need time to figure that out," Eric said softly. Nicole nodded. Eric suggested that they ask God to help them figure out what they should do.

Across the pub, a preoccupied Abigail sat at the bar. As Abigail thought about the incident in the hospital linen closet, she wondered aloud what she was doing.

Kate stopped by the DiMera mansion to pick up the scarf that she had accidentally left behind after the christening party. When Kate walked into the living room, she was surprised to find a jovial Stefano sitting on the couch. Stefano picked up Kate's scarf from the couch and asked Kate how Rafe was doing. With a shrug, Kate said she did not know.

Stefano reiterated his request for Kate to have dinner with him. When Kate declined, Stefano informed Kate that Chad had asked him to talk to Kate. Kate said that she did not believe that Chad had asked Stefano to talk to her. When Kate attempted to grab her scarf from Stefano's hand, he pulled her toward him and asked her to drop by whenever she wished. Nervous, Kate pulled away and walked out.

In the Horton living room, J.J. informed Theresa that he had found information online about Nicole. As J.J. opened his laptop, he lied and said that the information he had researched had been open on his desktop but was no longer there. While J.J. typed on the computer, Theresa called J.J. incompetent. With an eye roll, Theresa ridiculed J.J.'s friends and joked that Bev had a crush on J.J.

Theresa demanded to know what information J.J. had discovered. When J.J. stared, dumbfounded, Theresa asked why J.J. had asked her to visit the house. J.J. argued that he had not been able to get anyone in Salem to talk about Nicole's involvement with Daniel. Frustrated, Theresa started to leave. J.J. followed her to the door and suggested that he should talk to Nicole directly about her relationship with Daniel.

J.J. explained that Theresa could tell him what to say to Nicole. With a scowl, Theresa noted that she believed J.J. was plotting something. J.J.'s phone beeped, and he ignored it while he insisted to Theresa that he was attempting to help her win Daniel. When Theresa pointed out that J.J. hated her, J.J. explained that he was helping her to stop Theresa from blackmailing him. Theresa said that she was suspicious of J.J., and she opened the door to leave.

On the front porch was Roman, and he demanded to know why Theresa was at the Horton house, talking to J.J. Theresa explained that she was delivering materials from work for Jennifer. After Theresa left, Roman noted that either he or J.J. would tell Jennifer about Theresa's visit. Roman added that Theresa and J.J. were a toxic combination. J.J. agreed. J.J. begged Roman not to tell Jennifer, and Roman reluctantly agreed. After Roman left, J.J. texted Bev, urging her to bail on the plan because Theresa was returning to the hospital.

As Anne and Bev walked out of Anne's office, Bev dropped her purse, spilling its contents on the floor. Bev dropped to the floor and noted that she would collect her items and show herself out. Anne nodded and asked Bev to turn out the lights on her way out of the office. Once Anne was gone, Bev planted the interoffice envelope with Abigail's check in a mail slot with Theresa's name on the side.

As Bev returned to clean up the contents of her purse, Anne returned to the office and was surprised to see Bev was still on the floor. Anne escorted Bev to the elevator as Theresa returned to the hospital. J.J. called out to Theresa to distract her.

In the DiMera living room, Stefano talked about the christening as E.J. stared off into the distance. When Stefano mentioned Nick's appearance, E.J. refused to talk about Nick, the christening, or Sami. Stefano started to talk about work, and E.J. interrupted to growl that he had everything under control. The front door opened and closed, and Stefano noted that Sami was home. Stefano wished E.J. good luck. E.J. muttered that he would need luck as he looked across the living room.

In the town square, Roman called Daniel on the phone to talk to him about "Dr. Duvall." When Roman asked Daniel if he believed his abductor was a real doctor, Daniel noted that the man had seemed to know a lot about medicine. Roman thanked him for the help and hung up. In Daniel's apartment, Daniel wondered aloud if his abductor had been a real doctor. Daniel thought about the list of doctors he had researched that had access to the drugs used on Eric.

With a smile, Daniel walked over to his laundry and fished out a pair of jeans. Daniel found a folded-up paper with the list of doctors in the pocket of his jeans. "Maybe this isn't over, after all," Daniel said.

In the park, Nick stopped Gabi and asked to talk. When Nick said that he understood Gabi would be uncomfortable talking after the events of their last meeting, Gabi thought about when Nick had attacked her near the river.

"You remember that? Don't you, Gabi?" Nick asked. Nervous, Gabi fell silent. Nick continued that their last encounter had been in the town square when they had argued. When Nick mentioned the christening, he added that the church had reminded him that a lot had changed since they had married in the church. Nervous, Gabi started to leave, but Nick blocked her path. Nick stressed that he had meant what he had said in St. Luke's.

Nick asked Gabi if she wanted him out of her life forever. Gabi thought about when they had pushed an unconscious Nick into the river. "I never wanted that to happen," Gabi stammered. With tears in his eyes, Nick told Gabi that he was happy to hear that. Nick said that he understood that Gabi had to have spoken out of anger that night in the town square.

Nick noted that Will and Sonny had looked almost as surprised to see him as Gabi had. Gabi stood there quietly. Nick asked Gabi to give him one more chance. Stunned, Gabi's mouth fell open. Nick added that he wanted an opportunity to be Gabi's friend. Nick swore that Gabi would see how much he had changed.

"Don't you think we at least owe that to each other after everything that we've been through?" Nick asked. Nick said he did not want to dwell on the past, especially the incidents prior to when he had left for New York. "What we both need is a fresh start. Isn't that what we both need, Gabi? A clean slate," Nick said. After Nick walked away, Gabi's eyes darted nervously around.

As Nick walked back through the town square, Nick called out to Kate and asked her to talk. When Kate asked what Nick wanted to talk about, he smiled and noted, "I think you have a pretty good idea."

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

by ChickenGrrl

Hope arrived at Father Louis' office at St. Luke's to discuss the problems between Chase Jennings and Ciara. Just as Hope was explaining that her first meeting with Chase's father hadn't gone well, Aiden entered and rather rudely interrupted. Hope asked Aiden what he thought the solution to the problem was, and he replied that Hope should take her daughter out of St. Luke's. "Or you can wait till she gets expelled for acting like a hooligan, but either way, problem solved, right, sweetheart?" Aiden added snidely.

Hope bristled, and Father Louis said that Aiden had been out of line. Aiden complained that he'd learned after doing some research that the Bradys and Hortons owned the town, and he'd seen what had happened when Father Eric Brady's sex video had been shown to a church full of people. Aiden kept at it until Father Louis warned him, "If you can't have a civil conversation and resolve this amicably, Mister Jennings, it's your son who's going to be asked to leave."

Softening a little, Aiden explained that since Chase's mom had died, he'd been raising his son alone. Aiden pleaded with Father Louis not to kick Chase out. "All right, fine, but you have to stop demanding that Ms. Brady's daughter be kicked out," Father Louis said. He suggested that both parents and both children sit down with him to talk things out. Father Louis left Aiden and Hope in his office to coordinate their schedules and figure out a time.

Hope acknowledged, "I know how stressful it can be to raise a child on your own... Ciara's father isn't around, and it can be difficult." Aiden and Hope agreed to meet the next day after school. Hope was optimistic that things between them might get easier, but all Aiden wanted to know was, "Are we done?" After he left, Hope pronounced him a "creep."

At the Brady Pub later, Hope asked Ciara about her day at school. With a shrug, Ciara replied, "School was like it always is." Hope said that she had gone to see Father Louis earlier, and she'd learned that Ciara was having problems with a boy named Chase. Ciara complained that Chase was mean because he said things that made her mad, and then they would fight. Hope reminded Ciara that she'd asked if Ciara were having problems with kids at school, but Ciara had said no.

"I don't like to think about it," Ciara admitted. Hope asked what Chase was like. "Well, he's always talking about how great his dad is. He says he's going to be just like him when he grows up," Ciara explained. Hope said that she was beginning to see the picture.

At the hospital, J.J. tried to distract Theresa while Anne was escorting Bev out of her office. When J.J. claimed that he was there to meet his sister, Theresa didn't buy it -- but Abigail got off the elevator just then. Theresa cornered Abigail and remarked that J.J. had been afraid that he was late. Abigail dropped a bunch of papers, which gave her a moment to assess the situation and cover for J.J.

Abigail wondered why Theresa cared so much about what she and J.J. did, but Theresa claimed that she didn't. Anne spotted Theresa talking to J.J. and Abigail and asked if there were a problem. Theresa and Abigail insisted that everything was fine then Theresa left to return to work. Abigail asked J.J. what was going on, but he didn't want to discuss it at the hospital, so she reluctantly left with him.

After Bev left the hospital, she left a message for J.J. to let him know that she'd left the envelope that he'd given her in Anne's office -- and she hoped the plan would get Theresa off his back.

When J.J. and Abigail went back to the Horton house, J.J. asked his sister why she was so "wired." He guessed that it had to do with a guy. Abigail admitted that it did, but she refused to reveal anything further, since it was over. Changing the subject, Abigail asked what was going on with Theresa. J.J. admitted that he was trying to make sure that Theresa didn't mess things up for him at his sentencing.

J.J. explained that Theresa knew "some stuff" about him from his drug-dealing days, and if she showed up at his hearing, she would probably make it sound even worse than it actually had been. Abigail didn't understand why Theresa had it in for J.J. "Because she hates Mom, [...] and mostly she just lives to make trouble," J.J. guessed. Abigail wanted to know what J.J. was going to do about Theresa.

J.J. explained that he was trying to get something to use against Theresa to make the threat go away. He clarified that Theresa's probation would be revoked if she lost her job. Abigail warned J.J. that Theresa wasn't stupid -- and the best way to deal with Theresa was to do nothing. J.J. admitted that Abigail was right. Abigail tried to reassure her brother that he would be fine.

After Abigail had gone back to the hospital, Bev showed up. J.J. outlined the next steps: "Theresa has to find the envelope and open it, and then once she sees the check, I'm just praying that her natural instincts kick in." He admitted that he'd had to tell his sister some things, but he'd left Bev's name out of it. J.J. conceded that if things blew up, Theresa would make sure that he went to jail. Bev fretted that the plan could backfire, and J.J. admitted that a lot of things had to go right for it to work.

In Anne's office, Anne announced that she had appointed Theresa to head up a sensitivity seminar. The women guffawed over the notion that Theresa was the most sensitive person for the job. After instructing Theresa to post notices on the bulletin boards and hand out packets to the attendees, Anne asked why Daniel had rescued Theresa that morning. "I think he's finally starting to see what a kind and thoughtful person I really am," Theresa maintained with a sly grin. She took the material that Anne gave her and headed out.

When Abigail arrived, Theresa asked why Abigail had been so flustered earlier. Abigail calmly insisted that she was fine. Theresa feigned concern for Abigail, whose boss was very demanding. "I love it. This is amazing: a world-class slacker is calling my mom 'demanding.' Wow, Theresa, even after she saved your ass?" Abigail marveled. Theresa remarked cheerfully, "Doesn't take much to set you off. You know, if you ask me, somebody needs to get laid."

After hanging the flyers, Theresa headed into Anne's office, but Anne wasn't there. Theresa spied the interoffice envelope in her mail slot, so she pulled it out and opened it. Seeing Abigail's name on the check, Theresa guessed that whoever had made the check out thought that Theresa was still Jennifer's assistant. As Theresa started to grab a pen off of Anne's desk, an idea seemed to dawn in her eyes.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Maggie caught Brady pouring himself some "hair of the dog" at the bar. Maggie informed Brady that she'd heard from a couple of people about the meeting where he'd shown up drunk -- and she had hoped it would be enough to make him realize that he needed to be in rehab. Brady denounced the idea as "stupid." Producing a couple of books, Maggie offered a counter-suggestion: for Brady to attend meetings and work on his steps. "The big book? Really?" Brady asked, incredulous.

Maggie explained that she'd thought they could read it together from the beginning. As Maggie sat down with her copy, Brady stalked over to the bar, poured a drink, and downed it defiantly. When he got the appalled reaction he'd been looking for from Maggie, Brady insisted that his problem was with cocaine, not alcohol. Maggie was incredulous, but Brady contended that it was all right for him to have an occasional drink after a rough day. "A drunk can't have an occasional drink -- and Brady, you're a drunk!" Maggie insisted.

Brady ordered Maggie to "butt out." Fed up, Maggie turned to leave. Brady reassured her that he loved her, but he wouldn't tolerate the pressure that she was putting on him. Maggie said that if Brady had no desire to get completely sober, then she could no longer be his sponsor. Brady maintained that he didn't need a sponsor or a program to stay off drugs. "If they're looking for me at the meetings, you tell them I'm done," Brady declared before storming out.

In Horton Square, Nick referenced the last time he and Kate had been together. Kate reminded Nick that he had given her a flash drive that had contained a virus, which had cost the company a lot of money. Nick claimed that he felt terrible about that and wanted to make it up to Kate. He explained that he had some good ideas for Mad World. Kate asserted, "I think the less we have to do with each other, Nick, the better."

Nick countered, "I really don't think you want to be turning me down." Kate pointed out that after the computer virus, she would never be able to justify rehiring Nick to the board of directors. Nick warned Kate that she should try, because she knew that he was capable of making her life "a living hell." He pointed out that if he went to a rival company, the profits that she would lose would make the money she'd spent on computer repairs pale in comparison.

"Just trying to be fair, after everything that you did for me. You don't want me to have to hurt you, right, Kate?" Nick asked ominously, then a bit more jovially, he urged Kate to take some time to consider hiring him. After Nick strolled off, Kate muttered, "You son of a bitch. What are you up to?" She got a text message just then that caused her to roll her eyes.

Nick went to Club TBD and ordered a beer. T recognized Nick and introduced himself but remarked that he'd thought Nick had moved to New York. Nick admitted that he had, but he was back. As soon as T was out of Nick's sight, he sent a text message to Will that said, "That psycho Gabi was married to is here! What the hell!"

At Will and Sonny's apartment, Gabi wondered how she and Nick could be friends, as he'd asked. Will noted that Nick had behaved the same way -- saying nice things while thinking the opposite -- when he'd been trying to keep Arianna from Will. When Arianna began to cry, Gabi went into the bedroom to check on her. Will privately vowed not to let Nick worm his way back into their lives.

At the DiMera mansion, Sami asked E.J. if he'd been able to convince Abigail not to talk to Hope. E.J. maintained that Sami's real problem was not Abigail but Nick. Sami seemed unconcerned. E.J. asked irritably, "You don't seriously believe that song and dance he put on about not being able to remember what happened, do you?" Sami pointed out that Gabi had hit Nick very hard in the head that night -- hard enough to make them think that he was dead -- so it was likely that he really didn't remember anything.

E.J. guessed that Sami just didn't want to think about what would happen if Nick did remember. "What are you doing? Trying to scare me into coming to you for help?" Sami asked. E.J. cautioned Sami not to underestimate Nick. Reiterating that Nick had taken a big blow to the head followed by being dumped in an icy river, Sami asserted that if Nick had remembered anything, he would have gone to the police. E.J. wasn't convinced.

E.J. reminded Sami that they had just been about to end their standoff. "Right, I remember -- and then my mother called to tell me that your sister had hired someone to murder my brother!" Sami pointed out. She pleaded with E.J. to find whoever had tried to kill her brother. E.J. insisted that he would if he could. Just then, Sami got a text message from Will, who said he needed to see her. "Samantha, we cannot go on like this. One way or another, this has to change," E.J. said firmly as Sami left.

E.J. was alone in the DiMera living room when Abigail called a little later. She apologized for threatening him earlier. "You're very sweet. I wouldn't worry about it; I've fended off far more serious threats, I can promise you," E.J. said with a chuckle. After Abigail reassured him that she wouldn't say anything to Hope, she acknowledged that she wasn't supposed to be calling and started to hang up. "Abigail -- actually, I'm glad you called. Have a good night," E.J. said. After Abigail hung up, she wondered why E.J. had said that. "What just happened?" she asked herself.

When Sami and Kate arrived at Will's, Will advised them that he had to go take care of something, but Gabi would fill them in. After Will had gone, Gabi explained that she'd been alone when she'd run into Nick, who'd told her that he wanted to be friends. Kate revealed that Nick expected her to give him a job. Sami playfully suggested that it might be a good idea: Kate could give Nick an office with a view of the river.

Sami pointed out that, no matter what Nick had said, none of it meant that he remembered anything -- and even if he did, they couldn't give him any power over them. Sami pointed out that it was their word against his, and they could not give in to Nick on anything. "Are you in?" Sami asked the others. "I'm in," Kate agreed. "Me, too," Gabi concurred.

Brady showed up at Club TBD and introduced himself to T, then ordered a scotch. Brady eyed the amber liquid for a moment.

Brady returned home a few minutes later and found Maggie reading her book in front of the fire. He revealed that he'd gone to Sonny's bar and ordered a drink -- but he had not drunk it, and Maggie could call the bartender to confirm it if she wanted. "But you didn't think I could walk away from a drink, did you?" Brady said. "So you did this to show me?" Maggie asked.

Will arrived at the club and made a beeline for Nick to talk to him about his conversation with Gabi. Nick admitted that he did want to be friends with Gabi, although he knew he had a lot to make up for. Nick continued that he had been trying to atone for his mistakes ever since he'd gotten out of prison -- and Will knew better than most what the experience had done to Nick. "But now you're different? Better?" Will asked skeptically. Nick maintained that he was working on being better.

Nick acknowledged that people would be doubtful, but since he and Will were family, he hoped it would count for something. "The whole family thing -- don't push it too hard," Will warned. Nick promised to prove himself to Will and to everyone else. "You have no idea how motivated I am," Nick said. He admitted that seeing everyone with the baby at the church had made him realize just how much he'd messed up. "I had it out. I was on the outside looking in. It didn't have to be that way," Nick said, adding, "You're a lucky man, Will."

Nick pulled on his coat and strolled out without another word. T observed to Will, "It's kinda hard to tell what that dude's really thinking, but I get the vibe he is some piece of work." Will admitted, "That's what I'm afraid of."

Thursday, January 30, 2014

by Mike

As Jennifer was jogging through Horton Town Square, she paused to catch her breath and change the song selection on her MP3 player. Jennifer caught a glimpse of Daniel and Theresa sharing a laugh as they strolled out of a nearby restaurant with their arms wrapped around each other. Jennifer closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an effort to maintain her composure, but when she took another look, she realized that the couple simply had a very strong resemblance to Theresa and Daniel.

At the hospital, Theresa was sitting alone in Anne's office when a young woman arrived to deliver some mail. Theresa thanked the woman and casually mentioned that she had received some mail the previous day that had been meant for someone else. The woman apologized for the mix-up and offered to take the mail off of Theresa's hands, but Theresa claimed that she had already rerouted it to the appropriate party. Theresa wondered how that sort of thing could happen, and the woman dismissively replied that the people she worked with in the mailroom were barely functional.

After the woman left, Theresa retrieved Abigail's check from a desk drawer. "Well, at least somebody up there is finally taking care of me," Theresa happily mused as she turned her eyes toward the ceiling. A short time later, after contacting someone and asking them to meet her in Anne's office later that day, Theresa glanced at her watch and realized that she was late for a very important date.

Daniel returned to his apartment after an all-night shift at the hospital and excitedly informed Nicole that there might still be a way for them to prove that Eric had been drugged. Daniel proceeded to show Nicole the list of people who were known to have access to the drugs that had been given to Eric. Nicole thought that it might be a good idea to give the list of names to the police, but Daniel didn't want to do that because he was sure that Stefano had sources within the police department. Daniel warned that Nicole could be putting her life at risk again if she agreed to help him, but she replied without hesitation that she was willing to take that chance.

"At work, our computer has an -- an IP address that's totally masked so we can cover our -- our sources and keep them all confidential. We also have other search tools, and let's just say that the NSA has nothing on Titan TV," Nicole revealed. Daniel was pleased but not surprised to learn that Victor's company had such impressive tools at its disposal. "Only, um, one...teeny, tiny little problem -- uh, I'm not sure I work there anymore," Nicole reluctantly added.

Nicole vaguely explained that she and Miles had recently had a disagreement, but she was certain that she could find a way to resolve the issue. Nicole assured Daniel that there was nothing to worry about, and he joked that when she said things like that, he felt compelled to worry. Nicole admitted that she hadn't planned on returning to her job at the television station after what had happened with Miles, but she added that she was willing to do so for Eric's sake.

Daniel excused himself so that he could change out of his hospital scrubs, promising that he would meet Nicole at the television station later. After Daniel left, Nicole grabbed her jacket and purse and started to exit the apartment, but when she opened the door, she found Theresa standing in the hallway. Theresa sweetly observed that Nicole looked much better in person than on the nightly news broadcasts. Nicole replied that Theresa was exactly what she had imagined that Theresa would be.

Theresa guessed that Daniel had neglected to mention that she would be visiting him that day. Before Nicole could respond, Daniel emerged from his bedroom as he finished putting on his shirt. Daniel claimed that he hadn't forgotten about his agreement to have breakfast with Theresa, but Nicole wasn't convinced and proceeded to tease him about it. Daniel reiterated that he would meet Nicole at the television station later, and she took the hint, giving him a knowing smile as she exited the apartment.

Daniel suggested that he and Theresa could get breakfast at the Brady Pub, but she claimed that she wasn't eager to talk about such a sensitive subject while her grandmother was lurking nearby. Theresa suggested that she and Daniel could have their conversation in his apartment instead. Daniel agreed, reasoning that it was probably best for him and Theresa to skip the breakfast anyway, since he only had a few minutes to spare because he and Nicole were working on something that was really important.

Theresa somewhat bluntly asked if Daniel and Nicole were a couple, and he replied that he was sure that she would rather spend their limited time together talking about whatever it was that she had been desperate to talk to him about lately. Theresa conceded the point and innocently claimed that she was just trying to make sure that her meeting with Daniel didn't inadvertently cause problems for him and Nicole.

Daniel assured Theresa that he and Nicole were just friends and that he didn't have time to date anyone at the moment. Theresa claimed that she felt the same way about dating, although she admitted that she didn't really have many friends in Salem, anyway, reasoning without a hint of irony that she found it hard to form friendships with people because she had a tendency to be reserved due to the fact that she was a recovering substance abuser. Theresa credited Daniel as the reason that she was on the road to recovery in the first place, but he dismissed her praise and pointed out that her recovery was in her own hands.

Theresa, who had managed to bridge the gap between herself and Daniel so that there was very little distance between them, insisted that she owed her life to him, and she suggestively added that she had been trying to think of ways to thank him for what he had done for her. Daniel assured Theresa that she didn't need to do anything to repay him for saving her life, but she ignored his statement and mused that helping Brady a few days earlier had made her feel really good about herself. Theresa pointedly added that she and Daniel made a very good team.

Daniel stopped Theresa and sidestepped her, crossing to the other side of the room as he reminded her that they had each just established that they weren't ready for a relationship. Daniel added that there were many reasons why it would be a bad idea for him and Theresa to get involved with each other -- at that time or at any time in the future. Theresa innocently agreed and explained that she was just really unclear about what had happened between them on the night of her overdose. Theresa bridged the gap between herself and Daniel again as she added that, while she understood why he might not yet feel comfortable talking about what had happened on the night in question, she hoped that he would eventually be able to give her what she needed.

Before Daniel could respond, Theresa's cell phone started ringing, and he sidestepped her again to grab it for her and show her that Anne was trying to reach her. Daniel mused that Anne despised him and probably wouldn't be pleased to learn that her employee had left work to visit him at his apartment. Theresa conceded the point and excused herself after stating that she hoped that she and Daniel would be able to have another conversation with each other in the near future. "Slow and steady," Theresa muttered after leaving Daniel's apartment.

In a monastery chapel in an undisclosed location, Eric was in the middle of a silent prayer when he suddenly sensed that he was no longer alone. Eric turned and found a monk standing behind him. Eric extended a hand and introduced himself to the man, Brother Timothy, who was going to be serving as Eric's confessor during the retreat. Timothy -- whose accent suggested that Eric might be somewhere in Ireland -- shook Eric's hand and said that he had heard that there were many things that they needed to discuss.

Timothy wondered why Eric was suddenly starting to question his vows after months of maintaining his innocence and fighting to return to the priesthood. Eric replied that he had started questioning everything, including his vocation, as a result of what had happened to him. Timothy noted that he had heard that Eric had started to develop feelings for a woman, and Eric stressed that he had not acted on those feelings. Timothy wondered if Eric believed that forsaking his vows would be the best way to solve that dilemma, and before Eric could respond, Timothy pointedly mused that doing so might be too easy, since priests were supposed to remain priests forever. Eric didn't understand how that argument could remain valid if he was not allowed to return to the priesthood.

Timothy took that as a natural way to segue into the reason that Eric had been removed from the priesthood in the first place. "Tell me about Kristen DiMera...and what you claim happen between you two. Look, Eric, I know this is difficult, and I'm not making any accusations, but as much as you've tried to substantiate your claims, you really haven't been able to produce any hard evidence," Timothy pointed out. Eric defensively countered that Timothy didn't know Kristen and had no idea what she was capable of. Eric insisted that the facts of the case supported his version of events, but Timothy argued that Eric had seemed very willing in the incriminating video.

Eric grew more defensive as he maintained his innocence. Timothy stressed that he wasn't interested in passing judgment on Eric and that he was simply trying to help Eric do a thorough examination of Eric's conscience, even if it was painful for Eric to do so. Eric insisted that his conscience was clear and that he knew what had happened to him, but Timothy was more interested in discussing what was in Eric's heart than discussing what had happened to Eric. Timothy wondered if Eric was certain that his devotion to his vows was absolute. Timothy advised Eric to give the question some serious thought before answering it, musing that it didn't sound like that was still the case.

At the Horton house, Rory flopped down on the living room couch as he wondered why he hadn't been invited along on J.J. and Bev's "excellent adventure" to try to "trip up that skank," Theresa. Bev admitted that she wouldn't exactly say that the adventure had been excellent, and J.J. assured Rory that he would be needed for the next phase of the plan -- if it went that far without blowing up in J.J.'s face. J.J. conceded that Theresa would probably sabotage his sentencing hearing and get him thrown back in jail for the foreseeable future if she figured out what he was up to, but he reasoned that it was worth the risk because getting Theresa out of the way would be a victory for everyone else.

J.J. started to grab his backpack and jacket so that he, Rory, and Bev could get to school in time for their first class of the day, but Rory protested that he believed that J.J.'s plan to get rid of Theresa needed to involve skipping school. Meanwhile, Jennifer returned home unexpectedly and was shocked to find Bev and Rory standing in the living room with J.J., who innocently greeted her and said that he had been under the impression that she had left for work earlier that morning. "Clearly," Jennifer replied.

J.J. tried to excuse himself so that he could get to school on time, but Jennifer ordered him to stay so that she could talk to him for a minute. Bev tried to assure Jennifer that J.J. had done nothing wrong, but Jennifer wasn't inclined to trust Bev, who had once fooled Jennifer into believing that Bev and J.J.'s friendship had started when they had bonded over their mutual love of Hemingway during summer school. Jennifer pointedly recommended that it might be beneficial for Bev to spend some time studying nonfiction for a change. Getting the hint that they weren't welcome, Rory and Bev showed themselves out of the house.

Jennifer wondered how she had allowed herself to believe that J.J. had changed when he was clearly still doing the same things that had landed him in trouble in the first place. Jennifer wondered if J.J. had forgotten the fact that his sentencing hearing was scheduled for the following day. "Of course I haven't forgotten! It's all I can think about!" J.J. insisted. J.J. assured Jennifer that he didn't want to go to jail and end up like Nick, adding that he wanted to go to college and have a good future. Jennifer was pleased to hear that, but she couldn't understand why J.J. was still hanging out with Bev and Rory when he knew that doing so could jeopardize his future.

"Do you see me hanging out with other kids at school? All right, do you see me going to football games? Do you see me going to dances? That's not my thing. Plus, everyone at school thinks I'm this loser druggie -- the kid who smashes windows. But you know what? But -- I -- I don't care, okay, because they are not my friends. But Bev and Rory are, okay? They have stuck by me, even though I'm not doing drugs and they're still doing --" J.J. tried to explain, and Jennifer interrupted to stress that he had just zeroed in on her main problem with his friends.

"But they do not do it in front of me, okay? They get it; they understand. All right, you know what? I -- I don't think I'll ever get you to trust me again, all right? But you know what? After all the lies I told you, if I were you, I'd probably feel the same way. But this is not a lie. And I know that I am down to my last chance, okay? And I know damn well what will happen to me if I screw it up," J.J. assured Jennifer. Realizing that J.J. was being sincere and that he was truly worried, Jennifer tried to comfort him with a promise that everything was going to be all right. J.J. sighed and summarized that he simply had to make it through one more day -- and, of course, the rest of his life after that day, as well.

Jennifer gave J.J. a quick kiss on the cheek and reminded him that he was going to be late for school. Jennifer started to leave, but J.J. stopped her and admitted that he wished that he could take back all of the things that he had done to her and Daniel when he had first arrived in Salem the previous summer. "You can't change what you've done; you can only change what you do," Jennifer replied before heading upstairs. J.J. nodded and quietly agreed with Jennifer's philosophy.

Later, J.J., Rory, and Bev were standing outside the Brady Pub when Bev suddenly received some bad news. Bev reluctantly informed J.J. that the judge who had been assigned to his case -- Judge Goldberg -- had also been assigned to Cole's case and had just given Cole the maximum sentence in an effort to make an example out of Cole. J.J. was worried because Goldberg had said something similar at J.J.'s sentencing hearing. Rory optimistically reminded J.J. that Goldberg had also said that he was willing to give J.J. a second chance. "If my plan blows up, Theresa's gonna blow my second chance to hell," J.J. replied.

At the hospital, Jennifer accidentally bumped into Theresa, scattering a stack of fliers on the floor in the process. Sensing an opportunity, Theresa knelt down to help Jennifer pick up the fliers, which were for the hospital's annual Valentine's Day luncheon. "You know, you should be thinking of who your date's going to be for the big day -- I know I am," Theresa said before walking away. Meanwhile, Jennifer received a phone call from Liam, and she told him that she had just been thinking about him.

Meanwhile, in Anne's office, the man Theresa had contacted earlier -- who was apparently responsible for making the hospital's employee identification badges -- met with Theresa to help her create a badge that identified her as Abigail Deveraux. Theresa flirtatiously promised to find a special way to thank the man for his help.

At Club TBD, T accidentally knocked over Rafe's cane as he was walking past Rafe's table. As T knelt to pick up the cane, Rafe apologized and admitted that he couldn't wait to get rid of it. T pointed out that Rafe seemed to be doing pretty well, since he had been on crutches or in a wheelchair the previous two times that T had seen him. T wanted to know how Gabi was doing, so Rafe reported that she was doing well and that the christening had been beautiful. "Oh, I'm sure. But Nick showing up, I'm sure, flipped her out," T replied. Rafe was shocked to learn that Nick was back in Salem.

Later, Nicole met with Miles, who ordered two mimosas but told T to make hers without alcohol. "Uh, and by the way, note that I am keeping a safe arm's length from her, because, you know, you just never know with her. Oh, and by the way, I would guard your barware, just in case," Miles advised T, prompting Nicole to impatiently wonder if Miles wanted an apology or not. Miles claimed that he wasn't sure, but Nicole wasn't convinced, reasoning that he wouldn't have agreed to meet with her in the first place unless he wanted an apology from her. "Look, you need me more than I need you, so do you want to hear what I have to say, or shall I just go ahead and go straight to the competition?" Nicole asked.

Daniel found Nicole at the television station later that day, and when he asked her to tell him how things had gone with Miles earlier, she replied that Miles only cared about ratings and that she was the only person who was delivering those ratings. Nicole announced that she had managed to eliminate another one of the names on Daniel's list of suspects -- a guy who had been in prison for nearly one year. Confused, Daniel reminded Nicole that he hadn't supplied her with a copy of the list of names, but she simply shrugged and revealed that she had a photographic memory.

There were five names left on the list, and Daniel feared that he and Nicole might not be able to eliminate many more suspects using simple search strings. Daniel didn't want to get Eric's hopes up for no reason, but Nicole assured him that he wouldn't have to worry about that because Eric had left Salem earlier to go on a spiritual retreat. Daniel was surprised and tried to probe for more details, but Nicole was too distracted to answer them because she had just found something online that had piqued her interest -- a fairly small image of a man who looked familiar. When Nicole used Titan TV's advanced technology to enhance the image, she recognized the man as the person who had tried to kill her and Eric -- whose name she and Daniel had just learned was Dr. Jakub Chyka.

Chyka entered a cabin in an undisclosed location and smiled as he took a seat on the couch. "Finally -- a little rest for the wicked," Chyka muttered. Later, as he was browsing the Salem Spectator's online site, he found an article that revealed that Eric and Nicole were still alive.

At the park, Nick escorted a blindfolded Gabi toward a surprise that he was certain that she would love. Nick assured Gabi that she didn't have to be scared, since they were friends, and she skeptically agreed as she tried to identify the noise that she was hearing. Nick stopped leading Gabi forward and announced that they had reached their destination. When Gabi removed her blindfold, she realized that Nick had taken her to the river's edge.

Nick mused that the serene, secluded spot was the perfect place for a picnic. Gabi pointed out that it was too cold for a picnic, and Nick conceded the point, adding that the water was probably also too cold for them to go swimming in the powerful river. "Probably about as cold as the night you pushed me in here. Only one way to find out," Nick added as he shoved Gabi into the river. Gabi screamed for help as she struggled to stay afloat, and Nick apologized for his actions and knelt down to offer her a hand. When Gabi was within reach, Nick pushed her head under the water and held it there as he laughed heartlessly.

Gabi gasped as she woke up and realized that she had been having a nightmare. Gabi emerged from her bedroom a short time later and found a note from Will on the kitchen table, explaining that he and Sonny had gone to get breakfast with Arianna and would be back later. Meanwhile, someone knocked on the apartment door, and when Gabi heard Rafe's voice, she rushed to the door and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

Rafe wished that he had stuck around after the christening so that he could have been there when Nick had arrived. Gabi asserted that Rafe would not have been able to do anything about the situation if he had been there, but he disagreed, pointing out that his cane doubled as an excellent weapon. Rafe wondered if Nick was going to be staying in Salem for a while, but before Gabi could respond, Rafe guessed that the answer would probably depend on whether she agreed to give Nick what he supposedly wanted -- another chance to be her friend.

Gabi was surprised to learn that T had told Rafe that Nick wanted to be her friend again, since she hadn't even been aware that T knew that piece of information. Rafe reminded Gabi that there were a lot of people in Salem who cared about her and didn't want to see "that S.O.B.," Nick, hurt her again. Rafe wasn't impressed when he heard that Nick was supposedly getting professional help, reasoning that it would take much more than a psychiatrist to fix Nick's issues because Nick had been messed up before he had gone to prison.

Gabi agreed and promised that she wasn't going to get involved with Nick again, but Rafe feared that Nick might not allow her to have a choice in the matter. Rafe vowed that he wasn't going to wait for Nick to change and that he was instead going to ensure that Nick stayed out of Gabi's life for good. Gabi begged Rafe not to provoke Nick, prompting Rafe to wonder if there was something that Gabi wasn't telling him. Gabi evasively replied that she had simply realized that it was never a good idea to anger Nick. Gabi also admitted that she was partly responsible for what had happened with Nick because she had given him mixed signals after finalizing their divorce.

Rafe insisted that Gabi couldn't blame herself for Nick's actions, but she clarified that she was simply trying to say that she wasn't going to give Nick mixed signals again. Gabi reasoned that Nick would eventually realize that they were never going to be together again, but Rafe was doubtful and wondered what would happen if that message never sunk in. Ignoring the actual question, Gabi stressed that she simply wanted to forget about Nick and move on with her life, and she begged Rafe to promise that he would leave Nick alone. "I promise you -- I promise you that I will protect you and that beautiful little baby of yours, and I am gonna make sure that you never have to worry about Nick again. Okay?" Rafe replied, and Gabi admitted defeat and sighed as she hugged him.

Later, Gabi went to Club TBD, where T greeted her and apologized for inadvertently alerting Rafe to the fact that Nick was back in town. Gabi understood and assured T that she appreciated his concern. T explained that he had seen Nick the previous night and that Nick had been as freaky as ever. T wondered about the scar on Nick's forehead and the timing of Nick's sudden return to Salem, but Gabi claimed that she didn't know the answers to T's questions. Changing the subject, Gabi apologetically informed T that she felt that it would be best for them to postpone their plans to go on a date for a while, although she was quick to assure him that she wasn't getting back together with Nick. Gabi said that she simply wanted to wait until things were less complicated, and T claimed that he understood.

At the Brady Pub, Julie asked Nick if Gabi had seemed receptive to the idea of being his friend again. Ignoring the actual question, Nick replied that he believed that if Gabi agreed to give him another chance, she would be really surprised to learn just how much he had changed. Julie warned Nick not to push things too hard with Gabi, and he promised that he was going to let Gabi decide what kind of relationship they were going to have with each other.

Julie regretted the fact that she had been off on one of her cruises when Nick had really needed her the previous summer. Julie gently tried to talk about what had happened to Nick in prison without getting too specific, but he assured her that it was okay for her to say that he had been raped. Nick said that he had been too ashamed to talk about what had happened to him at first but that he had eventually realized that it wasn't his fault and that it had been brutal and totally unprovoked. Julie agreed and apologized for dredging up the worst memories in Nick's life, but he admitted that what had happened to him in prison was on his mind every single day regardless.

Nick added that he had realized that it was best to keep traumatic memories at the forefront and remain conscious of dealing with them at all times instead of trying to bury them. Julie smiled and gushed that she was extremely proud of Nick. Later, after leaving the pub, Nick passed through the town square, where Rafe spotted him. Rafe called out to Nick, and when Nick didn't respond, Rafe followed him to a secluded section of the town square.

Nick claimed that it was good to see that Rafe was walking around on his own, but Rafe countered that Nick might not feel the same way once Rafe was through with Nick. Rafe made it clear that he was never going to believe that Nick had changed, and he warned Nick to stay away from Gabi and Arianna. Nick said that was Gabi's decision to make, and he started to walk away from Rafe.

Rafe tried to stop Nick, insisting that they weren't finished yet, but he lost his balance and fell to the ground. Nick simply stared at Rafe without a hint of concern.

Friday, January 31, 2014

by ChickenGrrl

In the park outside Horton Square, Rafe fell to the pavement as he tried to keep Nick from leaving. Nick was gazing impassively down at Rafe when Jordan arrived. 'What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jordan demanded as she rushed to help Rafe. Nick calmly explained that if he'd offered Rafe a hand, Rafe wouldn't have accepted it. Rafe concurred.

"You should be more careful. You worked so hard on your recovery. I'd hate to see you do anything to risk your health," Nick said indifferently. As he left, Nick urged Rafe to accept -- as Nick supposedly had -- that Gabi was grown-up enough to make her own decisions.

"Let me guess: that was Nick Fallon," Jordan deduced. Rafe explained that Gabi had refused to go with Nick to New York, so Nick had returned to Salem. Jordan declared that Gabi was too sensible to put up with Nick's "antics" again, but Rafe was a little worried because Nick had a way of getting inside people's heads. After Jordan determined that Rafe hadn't been injured in the fall, the two headed toward Club TBD.

When a reluctant Kate met E.J. at Club TBD, he complained that he had been dealing with a problem that she'd created. Correctly guessing that E.J. had been referring to Nick, Kate urged E.J. to calm down. "Since we didn't kill him...there's no reason for anyone to ever find out about any of this -- unless, of course, you don't follow through on your promise to do whatever it takes to keep Abigail quiet," Kate said. E.J. assured Kate that Abigail would keep her mouth shut.

E.J. wondered what would happen if Nick were lying about remembering what had happened. "Then it's the word of an ex-con against mine, Sami, and Gabi's," Kate said. E.J. pointed out, "So we have one convicted criminal against two. I wonder who I'd believe. You know, I'd probably go with the person who's telling the truth." E.J. wanted all of the details from when Nick had asked Kate for a job. After Kate had related the story, E.J. demanded to know why she hadn't refused Nick's demand. Kate admitted that some of what Nick had said had been "disconcerting."

Before E.J. and Kate could discuss Nick further, Rafe and Jordan arrived. After Rafe and Kate had exchanged pleasantries, Rafe grumbled, "Nick Fallon should have stayed the hell out of Salem." After E.J. left for a hospital board meeting, Kate learned that Rafe had taken a tumble during an encounter with Nick. Rafe assured Kate that he was fine. Kate left after making an excuse about getting back to work.

"Why do I get the feeling you are going to have lots of help keeping Nick Fallon in line?" Jordan said to Rafe. Jordan and Rafe compared notes about their worst Super Bowl parties. Jordan's story involved someone changing the channel with under a minute left in the game. Rafe said that he had once been called away from a party he'd been hosting to make a drug bust -- and the "perp" had asked Rafe to let him watch the end of the game. Rafe had allowed it, but then his team had lost. Rafe thanked Jordan for taking his mind off of Nick.

After Jordan and Rafe smooched at their table for a bit, Rafe asked her to massage a knot in his neck, which he playfully kept moving around. When Jordan called him on it, Rafe suggested that they go back to his place to investigate. Jordan reluctantly told Rafe that she had to return to work, but they agreed to watch the Super Bowl together.

In the hospital storage room, Abigail recalled her last encounter with E.J. in that very spot. Taking a deep breath, she exited the storeroom.

A little while later, Abigail ran into Nick outside the Brady Pub. After congratulating Abigail on being Arianna's godmother, Nick mentioned Chad staying in Boston. "I'm sure you're as sick as I am of people saying that the DiMeras are bad news. People have been saying the same thing about me. I'm sure you're sick of it," Nick acknowledged. Abigail said that she had to return to work, but Nick asked if she were trying to avoid him.

Nick pointed out that when he'd shown up at the church, Abigail had seemed just as shocked as Will, Sonny, and Gabi. Abigail reminded Nick that everyone had thought he was in New York. "You really don't know what happened to you?" Abigail asked. Without answering directly, Nick guessed that his memories might return someday. Abigail reiterated that he had to get back to the hospital. After Nick congratulated her on the new job, Abigail left.

Later, Abigail was at the nurses' station when E.J. got off the elevator. Without a word, she walked away, but E.J. followed her into a waiting room. He noted that they were bound to run into one another from time to time, and he hoped it would eventually become easier for them. Abigail agreed then left without another word.

Kate got a text message from Nick that read, "When should we meet to negotiate the terms of my employment?" Kate vowed to deal with Jordan just as soon as she'd dealt with Nick.

Nick had already gotten a table when Kate arrived at the Brady Pub. Kate warned Nick, "Save the sales pitch, okay? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. There is certainly not going to be a third time." Nick advised Kate to listen to his ideas, which he was sure would blow her away. He produced his tablet to show her a completely waterproof makeup. "That's not possible," Kate noted.

Nick contended that the makeup would not run when exposed to any type of moisture. "Blood, sweat, tears -- of course, the marketing department probably won't want to focus on the former or the latter," Nick said. Kate conceded that she would be open to paying Nick a consulting fee, but he wanted a regular job with benefits and perks. Again, Kate declared that it wasn't possible. "Are you sure about that, Kate? Because lately, 'impossible' has been my middle name," Nick said.

Kate warned Nick, " Mad World is not mad enough to deal with your very special brand of genius." Nick threatened to take his valuable ideas to the competition. Kate conceded that, if Nick agreed to work on the projects on a freelance basis, she could perhaps spare a lab person for him. Nick said that he already had someone in mind. "Okay, you listen to me. You are not in a position to be hiring an assistant," Kate hissed. Suddenly, the infamous bird watcher appeared behind Nick and trilled, "Greetings!"

In the chapel of the monastery, Eric confessed to Brother Timothy that Kristen had violated him, body and soul, and had sent a man to kill him and someone he cared about. "The only thing I feel for her is hate," Eric admitted. "Then you do have a part in all of this," Brother Timothy advised.

A little while later, Brother Timothy returned to the chapel, where Eric was praying. Eric admitted that he knew he needed to find a way to forgive Kristen. Eric continued that his brother blamed him for what had happened, and Eric believed that it was because Brady wouldn't accept blame. Eric explained that everyone had warned Brady about Kristen, but the stubborn, prideful Brady had refused to listen.

Eric admitted that although Kristen had gone to Salem to destroy his family, he knew that he was helping her by holding on to the hatred in his heart -- and he didn't know if he could forgive her. "Maybe that means, regardless of what the bishop decides, I'm not worthy of being God's servant," Eric said. Brother Timothy pointed out that Eric couldn't fully examine his conscience without looking at every aspect of his life. "You can't separate your anger at Kristen and the man she sent to hurt you from your attraction to Nicole," Brother Timothy said.

Eric wondered if he should accept the bishop's decision or keep fighting for what he thought was right, because there was more than one way to serve God. Brother Timothy asked if one of the other paths was for Eric to seek solace in Nicole's arms. Eric said that he would accept it if the church decided that he was no longer fit to serve God -- but he wouldn't consider it a sign from God and throw everything away to be with Nicole.

Eric clarified that if he decided to be with Nicole, it wouldn't be because his original plan hadn't worked out, because she deserved better. Brother Timothy cautioned Eric, "You're here in the hopes of discerning what you want, but I'm sure you realize that what you want is not always what God wants, or what you need. And that's what you must truly understand before you leave here."

"You believe that you must choose between your love of the church and your love of this woman, but there's another option I'm not sure you've considered," Brother Timothy said. After a moment, Eric realized that he might have to let go of both the church and Nicole.

In the cabin hideaway, Chyka was dismayed to read an online news story that Eric and Nicole had survived the attempt on their lives. Closing his computer, Chyka said determinedly, "On the road again, and where I go, nobody will know."

In Nicole's office at Titan TV, Nicole viewed the image of Dr. Chyka that the station's search had turned up. "I will never forget the face of the man who tried to kill Eric and me...and now that we know who this guy is, we've got to find this S.O.B. and make him pay," Nicole told Daniel. He warned her that Chyka would disappear if the DiMeras found out they were looking for him. Nicole assured Daniel that the station's computers were more powerful than any normal search engine, and their IP address was masked, so no one would ever know they were looking for Chyka.

Daniel was worried that a judge would throw out anything they found against Chyka unless they went to the police. Nicole was determined to help Eric because he had almost died in that basement before he'd gotten the chance to prove his innocence. She declared that it should be Eric's choice whether or not he should be a priest again. Daniel wondered what Nicole thought Eric's other option was. He asked what had happened between Nicole and Eric in the basement. Nicole reluctantly confessed, "He told me he loved me, and I told him I still love him, too."

When Daniel asked if Nicole wanted to be with Eric, she replied, "Desperately." Daniel pointed out that Eric would return to the priesthood if they could prove his innocence. Nicole explained, "I can't be another man's second best, Daniel. [...] And if Eric chooses me, he needs to be able to make that choice freely -- and if it is me, then I'll know it's right." Nicole and Daniel eagerly stared at the screen when the computer began to beep. "It's from his cell phone number. The program tracked it as of two hours ago to a fixed location in the middle of nowhere," Daniel read.

Nicole was determined to get on a plane and track Chyka down, but Daniel refused to let her go alone. He instructed Nicole to meet him at the apartment in a little while, after he tied up some loose ends at the hospital.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor was angry because of a mistake that the marketing department hadn't caught. Brady admitted that he might have caught it had he been present. When Maggie entered, Victor immediately sensed the tension between his wife and his grandson. Brady explained that Maggie was upset with him because he hadn't gone to a meeting that morning, although he insisted that he hadn't needed to go.

"Brady, either you tell your grandfather the truth, or I will," Maggie demanded. Brady admitted that he'd gotten drunk while Victor had been out of town. Brady added that he had already left messages for Will and Sami, apologizing for missing Arianna's christening. After pointing out to Victor that Brady had consumed far more than a few drinks, Maggie demanded to know if Brady had explained why he hadn't been at the christening.

Brady maintained that it was none of their business -- or Maggie's. Victor was alarmed when he learned that Brady had decided to leave A.A. Insisting that he knew what he needed to do, Brady said that he hoped his difference of opinion with Maggie wouldn't affect his return to work.

When Victor asked to speak privately to Maggie, Brady went upstairs to his room and retrieved a bottle of booze from its hiding place. Agitated, he threw the bottle on the bed and declared that he didn't need it. "I'll show 'em they're wrong," Brady told himself.

Maggie informed Victor that Brady had shown up drunk to an A.A. meeting; Theresa Donovan had been there and had called Daniel. Daniel had told Maggie that Brady had been lucky not to have alcohol poisoning. Victor wondered if perhaps things weren't as black-and-white as they seemed to Maggie. Maggie started to freak out. Victor pointed out that, although he knew it was just as dangerous and addictive, at least alcohol wasn't illegal -- and perhaps Brady's slip had been a one-time thing, and maybe they should give him one more chance.

Brady returned downstairs and eavesdropped outside the living room door as Maggie fretted to Victor that Brady would kill himself. Victor pointed out that she had told him that rehab would be a "colossal waste of time" unless Brady wanted help. Victor promised that Brady would have to prove himself it he wanted to continue working at Titan -- and the staff would make sure that Brady didn't drink or run away. "If he chafes at the arrangements, I'll let him luxuriate in the corporate suites," Victor said, promising that Brady would never know that they were watching.

When Victor announced that he was going to make some phone calls, a disgusted Brady wandered away from the door. After Victor had gone, Daniel called to tell Maggie that he had to leave town on an "emergency consultation." Since Nicole had to be away "on assignment," Daniel asked Maggie to sign for a bicycle he'd ordered for Parker. Brady's ears perked up when he overheard that Daniel and Nicole would be out of town. He watched, unseen, while Maggie made sure that she had Daniel's house key on her keychain.

As soon as Maggie had left the room, Brady slipped in and removed Daniel's key from her ring. Just as soon as Brady had stashed the key in his pocket, Victor and Maggie returned to the room.

Daniel called Chloe so that he could talk to Parker before leaving town.

At the apartment, while Nicole finished packing, she recalled Eric proclaiming his love for her. When Daniel arrived, Nicole informed him that she'd rented a car under an assumed name. Daniel reiterated his determination to accompany Nicole, so the two headed out together.

Meanwhile, at the hideaway, Chyka removed some items from his briefcase then used a fireplace poker to smash his cell phone. He gathered up some drug vials and carried them into another room. He returned and took a painting off the wall so he could open the safe behind it. He removed a pistol from the safe, placed the items from his briefcase inside, closed the safe, and rehung the painting.