JULY 2012:ml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Rafe and Spencer couldn't confront EJ about the box of bullets found in his apartment as the search was conducted illegally - by Nicole.  They advised him to take a lie detector test but he refused.  Will, meanwhile, was more determined than ever to uncover EJ's secret.  He went to the mansion, where he found the paper that revealed what EJ was hiding.  Will now knew he had something big on EJ, something that would have provided him the motive necessary to kill Stefano.

Will stored the document in a safe at the Brady Pub.  He ate with Sonny, all the while ignoring EJ's calls.  Will finally went to the mansion, where he told EJ he had the paper - in a safe place - and now he wanted all the perks of his job back, plus more.  He wanted POWER.  EJ gave in, but pointed out that backing prey into a corner put the hunter in a very precarious position.  Will convinced EJ to take the lie detector test to clear himself. 

Sami learned about Carrie's pregnancy and wanted to know why she'd been keeping it a secret.  Was it because Rafe was the father?  Carrie denied, and so did Rafe when Sami confronted him.  Carrie and Austin heard their baby's heartbeat and saw the ultrasound and were more positive about the future, but when she ran into Rafe, they yearned to be together.  Rafe walked away, dying inside, and Carrie burst into tears.  She tried to focus on Austin, but it was clear she was fighting a losing battle when they failed in an attempt to make love.  Later, she told Rafe she didn't know if she could do it. 

Nicole was surprised when Daniel stayed the night.  He took her to brunch and they got to know one another better.  Nicole refused to put a name to what they were doing when Daniel asked.  Their relationship nonetheless seemed to be progressing, until Rafe showed up at her hotel room.  She hid the fact that Daniel was in her room, and he told her he was no one's back up plan.  She later went to him with a peace offering, and we saw the strength of their connection.

Andrew brought Melanie some newspapers and magazines and she saw Lexie's obituary.  She realized Chad needed her now more than ever and, when Andrew brought her some tea, she threw it in his face and very nearly escaped, but he chloroformed her!  Gabi showed up to work out another stalker incident and was horrified to learn that Andrew had kidnapped Melanie!  She wanted him to release her friend, but Andrew pointed out they could BOTH be in a LOT of trouble.  After all, Gabi was the one who had hired HIM.  She saw the truth in what he said, but made Andrew promise not to hurt Melanie.

Brady came down from his latest high.  Madison managed to wake him and told him to get it together.  They had a meeting to get to.  Brady still thought Ian was setting him up, as did Kate.  Ian denied.  He would never do something like that to Madison or to their company.  Brady went to buy a pick-me-up; little did he know, Ian had someone snapping pictures of his illegal purchase.  Madison and Maggie met, both worried about Brady.  Maggie wanted to know if Madison was really committed to a relationship with an addict.  Strong and heroic Brady refused to take the drugs he bought.  He was determined to get his life back in order.  Later, he confessed to Madison that he had bought the drugs.  She reacted harshly, accusing him of lying to her. 

Cameron and Abigail shared a nice day with Ciara and Theo, one that culminated in a kiss.  Meanwhile, Kayla and Abe talked about how her relationship with Steve was truly over.  Abigail overheard and Kayla filled her in, then told her niece to go for it with Cameron.  Later, Cameron received a phone call with a job offer.  Fearing it was in Chicago, Abigail faced her fears and prepared to tell him goodbye.  Lucky for her, the job offer was in Salem. 

EJ took - and failed - the polygraph test!  We saw the real reason - a mysterious figure paid off the test administrator!  EJ was shocked.  Rafe and Roman laid into him, while Will defended him.  EJ blamed Will, who had convinced him to take the test.  EJ told Sami, and she wondered if he really did kill Stefano.  EJ did his best to defend himself, but Sami could tell he was hiding something.

Will moved up on Sami and EJ's argument and agreed with his boss.  Sami lashed out and angry Will left.  Sami and EJ's argument was fraught with tension and they very nearly kissed, but he pulled away.  He didn't want to continue rehashing things with Sami.  EJ wanted Sami to promise that, no matter what happened to him, she would look after the children.  She wished EJ had proof of his innocence, but he did not.  He needed her to take him at his word.  Lucas walked up on this and was shocked to see Sami and EJ together.  

Lucas told EJ to stay away from Sami, Will and Allie.  EJ told Lucas there was no way he could keep him away from Sami.  She got angry with both men; neither was taking her wants or needs into consideration.  Lucas drew Sami into a passionate kiss, promising to protect her no matter what.

Will asked EJ if he'd killed Stefano.  EJ denied.  Will assured him there was nothing to worry about; after all, there was no evidence.  Lucas once again warned Will against working for EJ.  Will assured he was in control and Lucas wanted to know what he meant.  Will said he had just gotten to know EJ better and he was confident his boss would treat him with respect from now on.  Lucas wasn't convinced and sought advice from John and Marlena.

A dark figure entered EJ's apartment and planted the gloves that he had thrown away.  Roman, Rafe and Spencer got a search warrant, entered EJ's apartment, and found the gloves. 

EJ reacted; he'd thrown those gloves away.  Lucas and Sami heard the argument and came over.  Everyone left before it got too violent, and Lucas followed the police to the station, where he learned EJ's gloves had tested positive for gunshot residue.  Sami, meanwhile, stayed in EJ's apartment, where he admitted to firing the gun while wearing the gloves, but then he got rid of them.  And he didn't kill anyone.  Sami wondered how the gloves ended up in EJ's apartment?  We crossed to Ian, who flashed to retrieving the gloves and planting them, as well as the bullets.  Ian is framing EJ?!

The sexual tension continued to build between Sami and EJ.  She got him to admit he was worried.  He was innocent and was clinging to that.  He assured Sami he wouldn't be taken away from the things that meant the most to him.  He was talking about his children, but did he mean Sami, as well?  

John realized EJ needed to be neutralized by stripping him of power and money.  John decided to claim his birthright as a DiMera and take over the family empire.  John, Marlena and Lucas reached out to DiMera board members but were thwarted.  John refused to back down.

Nicole and Daniel played an arcade basketball game.  She conned him into thinking she didn't know what she was doing, then beat him once they made a bet.  Nicole made Daniel buy her a necklace to repay the bet, then they raced back to her hotel room to make love.  Later, Nicole realized he didn't want to discuss "them" or their feelings.  Later, however, Daniel let his feelings show.  Nicole saw that Daniel feared he would end up in another triangle, with her and Rafe, and she was the one who avoided the conversation.

Carly called Chad, and he learned she had not heard from Melanie.  What?!  Chad was convinced something was wrong.  He sought out Daniel, who had also heard the distressing news.  They went to the police to report Melanie missing.  Bo and Hope learned that Melanie's last email had been sent from somewhere in Salem and started a search.  Daniel and Chad went to the location, hoping to find something.  

Melanie pretended to bond with Andrew.  He was eager to have a friend and bought the routine, until she tried to escape.  He went into a terrifying rage.  Gabi interrupted and privately warned that people were looking for Melanie.  He had to let her go.  Andrew refused and told Gabi he had recorded all of their conversations.  If he went down, she would, too.  Gabi left, then returned to find Andrew and Melanie were gone!  Later, Chad saw Melanie's bracelet through the window and crashed in to save her!

Sami realized there might be a way to clear EJ.  There might be surveillance footage that showed that he had thrown the gloves away and someone else retrieved them and planted them.  EJ realized Sami had defied Lucas's order to stay away from him.  He took it to be a sign of what was between them.  Sami argued that they were bad for each other.  EJ pulled her close, closer, forcing her to feel the electric attraction.  She was on the verge of giving in to a kiss when EJ let her go.  He had proved his point.  Sami was left breathless with desire.  

Sami and EJ bonded as they went through the surveillance footage together.  They hit the jackpot: after seeing EJ throw away the gloves, they saw a mysterious figure retrieve them.  EJ could prove he was being set up!  But before going to the police, he wanted to learn the identity of the mystery person.  

Will pulled Alice's letter that proved EJ is not Stefano's son from the safe at the Pub to find a safer place to hide it.  Unfortunately, he dropped the envelope and Lucas found it!  He called Rafe to meet, but first went to John and Marlena's.  This not only cleared the path for John to take over DiMera Enterprises, it was also a strong motive for EJ to kill Stefano.  

Will was frantic when he realized the letter was missing.  He made Sonny help him look for it, then realized his father had probably picked it up.  He rushed to the police station, and arrived just in time for Rafe to read the letter.

He ripped into his father for his betrayal.  The police verified the letter, then put EJ under arrest for the murder of Stefano DiMera.  Will and Lucas followed the police.   Lucas was upset to find Sami, while EJ realized how the police had learned the truth.  Will and the letter.

Bo, Hope, Daniel and Nicole arrived at Andrew's apartment and discovered the locked room where he had kept Melanie, and where now Gabi was hiding.  They got a search warrant and found Gabi, locked in the basement.  They assumed she was being held and she played on this assumption.  They found a note and knew that Andrew had Melanie, but were twigged that Gabi's number was on the back.  Chad came to her defense, saying the guy who had Melanie must be Gabi's stalker.  Bo sent the note off for fingerprinting.

Melanie woke up, chained to a pipe in the tunnels beneath Salem.  She smelled gas but Andrew didn't care.  She realized how much he DID care about her, and used it to her advantage.  She tried to convince him she was angry with Chad, but he was skeptical. 

When she saved him from some falling debris, however, she was able to win more of his trust.  Melanie feared the tunnel wasn't safe and Andrew agreed to look for a place above ground for them to hide.  Melanie begged him to take her with him, but he left and more debris fell on her.  

Bo and Hope learned the identity of the kidnapper; his name was Corey and he escaped from a mental institution.  Chad recognized him as a photographer's assistant at Countess W., but he went by a different name.  Gabi was forced to admit he looked familiar.  She was horrified when Bo and Hope said they were running his accomplice's fingerprints and hoped to have an ID soon.  

Daniel was worried sick about Melanie and Nicole was there for him.  Nicole, Daniel and Rafe went to the square to hang posters.  Rafe felt Nicole's baby kick, then took her hand, which Daniel observed, but ignored.  Nicole became more and more entranced with BOTH men.  Maggie noticed that there was something between Daniel and Nicole.  Nicole fought the conflict she was feeling, but Daniel picked up on it and walked out.

Carrie and Austin were excited about their new life and baby on the way, until she saw Rafe with Nicole and her feelings for him came rushing back.  She told Austin they were moving back to Switzerland.  Rafe took the news hard, but tried to be brave because Carrie told him it was what she wanted.  Roman wanted to know if she was leaving to put distance between herself and Rafe.  She would only admit that she was committed to making her marriage work.

Kate told Ian that Madison had gone with Brady to rehab.  Kate received a call from a contact at the police department, telling her that EJ had failed the lie detector and the police had gotten a search warrant for his apartment.  Ian overheard.

EJ told Will to look for the surveillance footage, and he and Sonny were shocked when it disappeared, while they were watching.  Sami was furious that EJ had lied to her about not being a DiMera and she ripped into him.  

Rafe questioned EJ.  Who else had keys to his apartment?  EJ tried to convince Rafe he was being framed.  Sami confronted Will, who told her that the surveillance footage had been altered.  Not a problem; Sami had copied it to her flash drive.  EJ was surprised to see Sami.  She wondered why he didn't tell her about Stefano not being his father.  EJ admitted he was having trouble processing the news, himself.  Sami told him about the surveillance footage, and he told her to take it to his lawyer.  She went to do so, but was attacked and her flash drive stolen! 

Sami returned home to worried Lucas.  She came clean about trying to help EJ and Lucas was furious.  Sami assured him she wasn't choosing EJ over him, but when Will called to say EJ couldn't make bail, Lucas reminded her that actions speak louder than words.  EJ gave Will the opportunity to walk away, but he stayed.  Sami bailed EJ out. 

Roman received an anonymous tip that EJ was planning on fleeing the country in the DiMera jet.  Will overheard him making plans to re-arrest EJ and he raced out to warn him.  The surprise?  EJ wasn't making any such plans.  He was clearly being set up.  Sami told him he had no choice.  He had to run.  And she was going with him.  They exited the house just as Roman arrived.  Will managed to deactivate EJ's monitoring device, and he ripped it off.  

Sami asked Will for help in allowing EJ to see his children one more time.  Roman followed Will to the warehouse and cornered EJ at gunpoint.  Sami stepped in front of EJ and told him to run, just as an explosion hit!  Roman and Lucas were showered with debris, and Sami was left hanging from a catwalk.  EJ caught her, but a second explosion hit and it looked like Sami was going to fall to certain death.  Can EJ save her?

Ian was shaken when Brady and Madison announced they were getting married.  Kate noted how it affected him.  Lucas let slip about the surveillance footage, and Ian hired a computer expert to get rid of it.

Austin said goodbye to Kate.  If he didn't leave Salem, he feared he would lose Carrie. Carrie told Rafe she was sorry things didn't work out but it was all for the best. She told Rafe she thought he could still have feelings for Sami. He denied, but then found a photo of Sami in his wallet and ripped it to shreds.  Austin and Carrie left Salem to start anew.

Cameron tried to keep Abigail's mind off of Melanie's kidnapping by enlisting her help with the party. Jack and Jennifer both got to know Cameron a little better were happy their daughter found someone.

Daniel worried about Nicole when he learned she'd been having nagging pains. Nicole tried to make Daniel eat a healthy meal before he rejoined the search for Melanie, but he took off.  Later, Daniel visited Victor, who took the opportunity to blast his godson for having any kind of relationship with Nicole.

Nicole wondered if this is why she was asked over. Victor said yes and Maggie went off on him. Daniel put Victor in his place, coming to Nicole's defense. After Daniel and Nicole left, Maggie told Victor he had no right to tell Daniel how to live.

Bo, Hope and Chad confronted Gabi about finding her fingerprints on the note from Andrew's basement.  Gabi thought the jig was up and was shocked when they just wanted to know if she could remember anything that happened after she was chloroformed.  Gabi got tripped up in their questioning and Bo and Hope realized something didn't add up.  Hope seized upon the idea of Marlena hypnotizing Gabi.  Gulp!

Melanie woke up in Andrew's arms and realized he came back for her.  She picked his pocket of his cellphone, then sent him off for help.  She called Chad! 

He was thrilled, but couldn't hear what she was saying before Andrew returned and threw the phone away. How could she betray him?!  Chad told Brady what had happened, and that he thought Melanie had mentioned tunnels.  Was she talking about the old tunnels beneath the city?  They found maps and raced off, while Gabi offered to call the police. 

Chad and Brady made it to the tunnels, where they found Gabi!  She lied about calling the police, and sent them off on a wild goose chase.  Gabi found Melanie, just as the tunnel was rocked by the explosion!  Gabi recovered, and tried to get Melanie out of there.  No such luck; Andrew returned and taunted Gabi, calling her by name.  How did he know her?  Gabi told Melanie that Andrew was her stalker.  She hinted that there were others in the tunnels and he should escape.  He wasn't buying.  Melanie spotted an electrical box giving off sparks and warned the next explosion might not be so small. 

Andrew was just about to reveal Gabi's secret when another explosion hit!  He was knocked out.  Melanie was ready to run, but Gabi faked a twisted ankle and stayed behind.  She had to get Andrew out of there!  Chad and Brady split up.  Chad found Gabi and Andrew, while Brady found Melanie, when the gas ignited and exploded!

Madison was dressed for her wedding to Brady, but he was in the tunnels. Ian tortured her by telling her Brady had obviously changed his mind.  Ian was isolated with Madison outside of the ballroom when the explosion hit.  Abigail was trapped in the elevator.  Daniel was caught in the raining debris and Nicole, alone in a corner of the ballroom, was having cramps when the explosion hit.

It was the night of the fundraising party for autism that Abe had organized.  Most of Salem was gathered in the ballroom when an explosion hit, raining debris and glass on all those gathered there.  Who will survive?!

AUGUST 2012:

In the aftermath of the explosions, the citizens of Salem found themselves in a variety of life-threatening situations.  Kate, John and Marlena brought injured Lucas to the pub, where Kayla and Will had set up a triage center.  Bo and Hope brought in an injured and unconscious Roman. Lucas revealed Sami was still out there and Will took off. Lucas went to look for Sami himself.

Roman woke up, and filled John and Marlena in on the event in the warehouse, where Sami was helping EJ. They all feared Sami could be getting into serious trouble.  Theo reunited a young girl with her mother. Abe was impressed when Theo explained he listened to the young girl and used his "detective skills" to find her mother.

EJ struggled to hold onto Sami, who was dangling off a catwalk. At the last minute, Will arrived and helped rescue them. He warned EJ he must flee before the cops arrived. EJ thanked Will and turned to say good-bye to Sami, but she stunned both of them by saying she was going with him!  He balked at the idea; it would be too dangerous.  Will supported his mother's decision. EJ expressed his deep gratitude for Sami's help, and their bond deepened.

In the tunnels, Andrew escaped while Chad tended to Gabi. Brady and Melanie were trapped by a cave-in.  Brady revealed he was supposed to marry Madison that night. Brady was knocked out by a partial collapse. Melanie revived and tended to him.  Chad and Gabi broke through and found Brady and Melanie.  Gabi feared exposure but Andrew was nowhere to be found. Melanie and Daniel were reunited. 

At the hospital, Maggie reunited with her granddaughter.  Another victim from the explosion was brought in. Gabi and Melanie were both shocked and horrified to see it was Andrew! 

Ian was horrified to find Madison close to death. He revealed he'd always loved her - his romance with Kate was just a ruse to infiltrate the DiMera clan. Madison's dying words were, "Brady, I love you."  Ian was devastated while Kate was stunned and furious, having overheard everything.   John was shocked by Madison's death, realizing how it would affect Brady.  Kate and a drunk Ian faced off.   Ian admitted to Kate that he "got rid" of Stefano.  Kate was stunned and attacked him, vowing to turn him into the police.  

Brady arrived looking for Madison, and Kate had to break the terrible news to him.   She told him of Madison's last words ('Brady, I love you'). Brady tried to rush off to find Ian, but John stopped him from doing something he would regret.  Later, Kate heard how Lucas was done with Sami, and thought something good came out of all of the chaos and destruction.

Jack, Jennifer and Cameron tried to reach Abigail, who was trapped in an elevator. Jack fought through his PTSD, and he and Cameron pried open the doors.  Jack went in to help panicked Abigail.  They finally managed to open the doors again and Jack pushed Abigail out safely, but he remained trapped inside.

There was another explosion and the elevator cables snapped, plunging Jack and the elevator down the shaft.  Roman told Jennifer and Abigail that they had to face the fact that Jack was dead. 

Jennifer and Abigail reeled. Adrienne, Justin, and Kayla, had emotional moments while Jennifer remained shockingly strong.  When she received an envelope with Jack's belongings, however, she broke down, sobbing. 

Nicole was trapped behind a wall of debris, fighting through terrible pain.  She feared she was in labor and called out to Daniel. Bo arrived to assist Daniel, who tried to calm Nicole down. Suddenly there was only a terrible silence from her end. Bo, Hope and Daniel finally moved away all the wreckage - and were stunned when Nicole was nowhere to be found.

Daniel was frantic.  He and Bo went outside, where they finally found Nicole wandering in the square, dazed and in premature labor.  Daniel saved Nicole's baby. She realized Daniel was the one for her, and her newfound adoration and respect for him were clear.

Daniel confided in Maggie that his priorities had been a bit screwed up. He said he had sort of used Nicole and it had to stop. At the same time, Father Matt visited Nicole and she said that she intended to do the right thing for her and her baby.  After a good report from the OB-GYN, Daniel started to let her down easy.  Nicole wasn't having any of it, and wanted Daniel to listen to what she had to say. She was ready to tell Daniel she loved him but Maggie interrupted. 

Melanie and Gabi reacted to Andrew being alive at the hospital.  Melanie ran away, but Andrew stopped Gabi.  He threatened to tell all about what she did. He died before he could but Chad had overheard everything! Alone, he confronted Gabi and she confessed what she'd done. Chad didn't tell Melanie, only to protect her. He warned Gabi to stay the hell away from Melanie.  Maggie and Daniel found Gabi gone but Andrew dead. 

Lucas had lost a lot of blood and he passed out. Will found him and tried to convince his father to go back to the pub, but Lucas was determined to find Sami. He and Will returned to the warehouse, but Sami was nowhere to be found. Lucas started to panic and Will finally blurted out that Sami was fine; he told his father she left with EJ. Lucas realized Sami was helping EJ escape.  He burned with anger and hurt over the betrayal.

EJ and Sami settled into a DiMera hideaway. Silvio, one of Stefano's henchmen, helped them get clean clothes and dinner.  As EJ and Sami tried to figure out their next step, the sexual tension rose and they ended up in a kiss.  They were on the verge of rediscovering their passion when Sami stopped EJ. 

EJ received word via an encrypted message that he was to meet someone who would be able to help clear his name. Sami spilled tea on her clothes and had to change into the sexy dress Silvio had brought for her. Someone knocked on the door and she found herself face-to-face with Rafe!  Meanwhile, EJ arrived to meet his contact and was knocked out.

"T" returned to Salem.  He'd heard Will came out and angrily confronted him. "T" told Will he was a phony who didn't even know what he really wanted. "T" stormed off and Sonny found emotional Will.  Sonny was relieved Will wasn't hurt and soon expressed his relief physically, leaning in for a kiss.  Will broke away and denied any romantic interest. Sonny called Will on avoiding the fact that he was gay. Will stormed off, but after getting Marlena's counsel, realized that he did indeed have feelings for Sonny. Will sought Sonny out, but his heart sank when he found Sonny in an apparent intimate moment with Brian.

"T" gave Sonny a hard time for "turning" Will gay, then beat Sonny to a pulp! Justin was alarmed when he found his injured son. Sonny insisted they not call the police; he wanted to handle this on his own.

Both Gabi and Will were at rock bottom when they met at Brady's Pub. Will helped Gabi move in to the apartment upstairs.  Both yearned for simpler times and comforted each other, which led to a spontaneous kiss. They ended up making love! Afterwards, they shared an awkward moment - both felt they'd made a mistake but neither wanted to hurt the other's feelings. Will beat a hasty retreat, to both of their relief.  

Gabi bumped into Chad and Melanie at the memorial gathering for Jack. She was devastated when Chad told her their modeling careers were over. Chad and Melanie found comfort in each other, and he intensely vowed his love.

Maggie was anxious to get to Melanie and break news to her that Nick (her former stalker) was up for parole. Julie was sure Melanie must know and was anxious to talk to her about not sinking Nick's chances.  Maggie was kept from getting to Melanie because of the news about Madison. She had to tend to Brady. She finally went to find Melanie, but Julie found her first and delivered the news in the worst way possible. Melanie was shocked to hear that Nick might return to Salem.

Rafe had tracked Sami down to EJ's safe house. She tried to bluff, saying EJ wouldn't be coming back, but Rafe wouldn't allow her to lie. He could tell by the state of the room and her sexy dress that much more was going on.  Sami reacted to Rafe's serious anger with her, not realizing that it stemmed from something she didn't know: Carrie left Salem for good. She pressed for details but Rafe didn't want to discuss. She was sure Carrie had said something about her.  Rafe flashed back to Carrie telling him that he was in denial about his feelings for Sami. 

Rafe cuffed Sami to a chair and interrogated her, but she had questions of her own. Sami tried to rattle Rafe's cage - poking around his feelings for Carrie and Nicole - but he shut her down.  Silvio entered, and in the ensuing fray got the upper hand and was ready to stab Rafe. Sami got the gun and shot, grazing Silvio. Rafe tied him up, then thanked Sami for saving his life.

They found themselves both remembering another time when Sami took care of him and what that led to. Sami's wrist hurt from being cuffed. Rafe removed the cuff and tended to her. The moment was electric, leading Rafe to a roller coaster of feelings. He blurted his confusion and pain at how Sami ruined everything. Sami broke down, admitting she always destroys what she loves.

Meanwhile, EJ woke up, and found himself a prisoner.  His captor was Ian. EJ figured out that Ian was the one who set him up to look like Stefano's murderer... meaning Ian killed Stefano!  Ian insisted that EJ was going to get him "what he wanted," then pulled back a curtain to reveal his other prisoner - Stefano! Ian faked Stefano's death so he would be able to torture him in order to get the code from the coin that would give him access to hidden DiMera assets. Stefano did not crack, so Ian threatened EJ, who wondered why Stefano would care, since EJ is not his son. Ian revealed that he wrote Alice's letter, and that in fact EJ and Stefano are blood!

Ian asked if Stefano was going to allow his son to be killed rather than turn over the coin. EJ broke from his bonds, overpowered Ian, and knocked him unconscious. Stefano swore he never would have allowed Ian to harm EJ, but EJ didn't care. He coldly told Stefano he'd never think of him as a father, threw the coin at him, and headed back to the only family that meant anything to him: Sami. Bo and Hope walked in to Ian's hideaway and found Stefano alive.

EJ returned to the safe house to find Rafe and Sami in close proximity. EJ revealed that Stefano was alive, which meant EJ did not murder him. Unfortunately, EJ and Sami still had to face charges for skipping town. EJ realized there was a new dynamic between Sami and Rafe and he didn't like it. He tried to reconnect with Sami but she was already subconsciously pulling away. 

Sami made bail and reconnected with her kids, but knew it was Lucas she really needed to face.  Despite this, Rafe was very much on her mind, perhaps even more so because EJ remained in jail. The same was true for Rafe, but he worked hard to stuff the conflicting feelings he was started to have.

Kate learned Stefano was alive and rushed to see him at the hospital. She was stung when Bo and Hope informed her that Stefano didn't want to see her. Despite this, she barged into his room, only to find him gone.   Kate delivered a letter for Chad from Stefano and she was devastated to learn that the only mention of her was Stefano's intention to have no further contact with her. Determined Kate vowed to win Stefano back, even if she had to crawl on her knees to do it.

Family and friends gathered at the Horton house to pay their respects to Jennifer and Abigail regarding Jack. Much to Jennifer's confusion, Nicole showed up to express her condolences. She was really there to subtly make sure Jennifer didn't reunite with Daniel.  Meanwhile, Daniel continued to keep his distance from Jennifer, only sending her a comforting text.  Later, Abigail broke down over her guilt regarding Jack dying while saving her life. Cameron comforted her. Jennifer and Abigail traveled to scatter Jack's ashes.

Marlena counseled Brady to let the rest of his loved ones know about Madison's death and stop living in denial.  Nicole and Daniel separately learned about Madison's death and they came together to help Brady work through his loss. Nicole noted she and Daniel made a great team and was more determined than ever to be with him.

Will admitted to Marlena that he'd screwed up his love life.  He'd lost his chance with the guy he liked. Sonny and "T" had it out again. Sonny punched him, warning him to watch his step. "T" revealed to Gabi what happened between him and Will. Gabi realized Will slept with her because he was questioning his own sexuality.  She couldn't help but be hurt, but realized they'd both screwed up and they didn't want to let that affect their friendship.  

Will resigned, telling EJ that he'd been so focused on EJ's life, he hadn't been very focused on his own. EJ understood. Will had learned EJ is a DiMera, but EJ wasn't so sure he was going to have anything to do with that. He needed to put his own life in order and that might include Sami. 

Sami and Rafe met, and it was fraught. Nicole interrupted, insisting on talking to Rafe privately about "their" baby, and Sami fumed. Nicole sympathized about losing Carrie and told Rafe how Daniel had saved her baby. Daniel arrived and the three reaffirmed their pact to protect Nicole from EJ.

Nicole finally got to tell Daniel what had been on her mind for days: she wanted them to be more than friends.  He was flattered and touched, but let her down gently.  He felt she was confusing gratitude with something stronger. Upset Nicole really wanted to continue their affair - in secret - but Daniel refused. Nicole had a fantasy of a future with Daniel, and it was clear she wasn't giving up. Nicole used the EJ threat to get closer to Daniel, hinting that she should move in with him.

Daniel asked Maggie if Nicole could move in to the mansion temporarily.  Maggie agreed to talk to Victor about it. Nicole decided to grease the skids a little by apologizing to Abe - in front of Jennifer - for her dirty tricks during the campaign. Nicole meant the apology sincerely but knew that if it got back to Daniel he'd know she was a good person. Later, Daniel told her he had news about her desire to move out of the hotel. Nicole was full of hopeful anticipation, until he said he was arranging things so she'd be able to live at the Kiriakis mansion!  

Maggie made her pitch to Victor and he refused Nicole sanctuary. They fought about it and Jennifer arrived in the middle of the maelstrom. Wanting to help out and cool them both down, she offered to let Nicole move in with her!

Sami saw Lucas for the first time since running off with EJ. He was angry with her, but she was thinking of Rafe. Meanwhile, Rafe found something Sami dropped and gave it to Hope, who suggested he return it to Sami himself. Rafe, in denial about his unexpected feelings for Sami, didn't want to.

EJ was at the station because his bail hadn't been posted yet. Kate showed up to talk to him about Stefano and learned EJ was finished with him. Kate revealed Lucas was done with Sami, which was good news for EJ. Chad bailed EJ out. Kate met John, knowing he was upset about how she used Brady in her vendetta against Ian. John surprised her by understanding her feelings for Stefano. John said if Stefano didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be. Kate realized he was right and gave up her search, at least for the time being.

EJ went to Sami's, hoping to pick things up where they left off, but ran into Nicole. He reiterated his doubt that Rafe is the father of her child, and threatened to find out the truth. Rafe showed up to protect Nicole, and the two men locked horns, but the woman they were really fighting over was Sami, even though neither mentioned her by name. As Rafe started to acknowledge to himself his romantic feelings for Sami, she and EJ found themselves alone and things started to heat up, but she put on the brakes. EJ questioned, but Will called and interrupted.  Sami was relieved. After EJ left to meet Will, Sami realized that EJ, Rafe and Lucas were distractions, pulling focus from her children. She went to get the kids from Caroline, who noticed Sami and EJ weren't together.  Rafe learned his ex-wife wasn't with EJ.

Melanie was freaked out about the possibility of Nick's parole. Julie tried to persuade her to be understanding of Nick, who'd grown and changed, but Maggie fiercely protected Melanie and got Julie to back off. Hope delivered a letter from the prison authorities and Melanie told Chad about Nick's possible release.  He wanted Melanie to fight Nick's release and enlisted Daniel's help. Melanie admitted to her father that she was worried about Chad's over-protectiveness.  

Melanie woke from a nightmare about Nick. Brady arrived and she confessed there was a part of her that wanted Nick to stay behind bars and another part that didn't want to be responsible for him being there for another eighteen months. Chad tried to enlist Abigail's help in getting Melanie to write a letter to the parole board. Abigail didn't want to be put in the middle of things and snapped at Chad.  It seemed something was eating at her in the aftermath of Jack's death.  Chad returned home and he and Brady tried to get Melanie to see that she needed time to heal and she wouldn't be able to do that with Nick back in Salem.

Hope visited Nick.  She was supportive of the progress he'd made, but the timing of his parole hearing wasn't the best. Melanie had recently been through another situation in which she was held prisoner. Nick was rocked.  He changed his mind about seeking parole.   Julie pled with him to rethink and ended up spilling to Maggie that someone came after Nick with a knife a couple of months earlier. Maggie encouraged Nick to talk to Marlena, which he did. Marlena wanted to know if he'd turned his life around. He said no.  Marlena also talked to Melanie. It seemed that Melanie's fears and Nick's sensitivity to those feelings would keep him behind bars.   

Hope visited Nick, intent on getting him to reverse his decision to withdraw his petition for parole. She brought heavy ammunition: Nick's mom, Jessica.  He got a firsthand look at how his decision impacted others besides himself and Melanie. He was initially angry with Hope but she was unapologetic and forced him to see the consequences of his choice. He started to waver, even as we saw Melanie also react to the pressure Chad and Brady were bringing to bear.  He agreed to go through with the parole hearing just as we saw Melanie take pen to paper to oppose his release.

Jennifer and Abigail returned from spreading Jack's ashes. Will offered his condolences. Abigail deduced there was a guy, but Will told her he'd screwed it up. Meanwhile, Brian convinced Sonny to call Will, but Will forwarded the call.

SEPTEMBER 2012:

Sami asked Will why Gabi was upset and urged him to comfort her. Will, off his regrettable one night stand with Gabi, blurted he couldn't do that. Later, Kate asked about his love life. Still thinking Sonny was in love with someone else, Will admitted he was nursing a broken heart. Sonny tried to make amends with 'T' and managed just a smidge of progress. 

Sonny wanted to invite Will to a concert, and Will wanted to clear the air, but Chad showed up. When Sonny got a call from Brian, Will left.  Sonny was alone, holding the tickets. Will told Marlena he was still crushing on the guy that he screwed things up with. She thought he needed to try again, but Will said it was too late.

Maggie assured Nick that despite her support of Melanie, she still loved him and wanted what was best for him. Nick's parole hearing got underway. Bo recounted the details of Nick's crimes while Jessica and Hope spoke on his behalf. Melanie suddenly burst into the room, declaring she had something to say.  She was thrown to see Nick, and when she started to speak she was hit with bad memories and ran out.

Jessica was worried for Nick, while Daniel wanted Nick kept where he couldn't hurt anyone. When Melanie heard Jessica talking to Maggie about second chances, she pulled herself together and testified. After she came out of the hearing, Melanie quietly said she did what she had to do. Nick was paroled.

Chad and Daniel started to protest until Melanie revealed she supported the decision. Later, Melanie explained to Daniel and Chad that she felt partly responsible for what happened to Nick. Because Maggie still found a way to love Melanie, she felt like she owed her grandmother a second chance for Nick. Daniel later told Maggie he accepted and respected his daughter's decision.

Angry Brady warned Maggie that she made a mistake in not instructing Melanie to speak against Nick.  Brady felt he could be more dangerous than ever. Meanwhile, Chad assured Melanie that Nick would never hurt her. They made love as we wondered if Nick truly had changed.

Melanie was still thinking about Nick's parole. Chad sensed this, but the good news was Nick was leaving town and they could live their life. Later, Melanie learned from Abigail that Nick <i>wasn't</i> leaving. This freaked her out. Chad paid Nick a threatening visit, then proposed marriage to Melanie!

Melanie was stunned.  She thought it might be about Nick, but he just wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He gave her time to think it over. Melanie talked to Abigail, then went to seek Maggie's counsel. Meanwhile, Hope brought Nick to Maggie's house. By the terms of his parole, he had to stay with family. Maggie agreed to take him in. Melanie came in looking for Maggie, and came face-to-face with Nick.  She was shocked. He took a step towards her, making things worse when she recoiled in fear. Maggie arrived and sharply called Nick off. Melanie quickly denied she was frightened, insisting she was only surprised. She returned home and pleased Chad by accepting his marriage proposal. Meanwhile, Nick decided it would be better for everyone if he found another place to live. Later, while looking for a job, Nick ran into Caroline and the tension was instantaneous, given their history. When he told her he was trying hard to change, she surprised him by offering him a job at the pub.

Lucas showed up at Sami's to pick up Allie and was irked to find EJ there. EJ was reassured when Lucas confirmed that he was through with Sami. EJ was hit, however, when Lucas warned that Sami would soon tire of him and move on to the next challenge.  The only thing keeping her away from Rafe was the fact that he's the father of Nicole's baby.

Sami told EJ she still had feelings for him but she wasn't ready for a relationship. Sami met with her lawyer, who recommended she get her arresting officer to say she cooperated when she was arrested. Sami expressed concern for Gabi to Rafe. The tension between them started to thaw until her lawyer returned and revealed Sami needed Rafe's help. Feeling played, Rafe blasted Sami. She followed him to the square, where he told her off again and left. Sami caught a thief trying to steal her purse and Rafe rushed back to help. Sami and Rafe fell into a heap on the ground, their faces inches apart.

Rafe took Sami to the hospital where Cameron checked her wrist out. Nicole showed up and witnessed their bond.  Sami asked Rafe if he was really the father of Nicole's baby. He said he was. Nicole told Rafe she saw the moment between him and Sami and thought he was going to blow it. Rafe said the last thing he'd ever do is betray Nicole's trust. EJ decided to tell Sami that he was beginning to think he might be wrong about Nicole's baby and it might be Rafe's after all. This upset Sami, which pleased EJ.

Sami was baffled to learn Gabi and Chad had quit modeling. Knowing how much Gabi loved it, Sami offered to hire her back. Gabi asked Chad if it was okay with him. Cruel Chad told her no and threatened to use his family's power to make her life miserable if she didn't obey him.  A tearful Gabi told Sami she definitely wouldn't be able to model anymore.

Sami was still stewing over Rafe insisting he is the father of Nicole's baby. While talking to Marlena, this came out.  Marlena thought it was time Sami focused on her own life. Sami insisted it was all about the kids. 

Later, an accusatory Rafe showed up and blamed her for forcing Gabi to quit.  Sami couldn't believe he actually thought she'd hurt him that way. Rafe noted she'd hurt him in the past and Sami apologized, but it was time they moved on. Sami promised she didn't fire Gabi, and she confirmed this.  Rafe apologized. There was a slight thaw, and Rafe promised Sami that he didn't hate her. He could never hate her.

Nicole was stunned by Daniel's suggestion that she move in with Victor and Maggie. She tried to come up with every excuse not to do it, unwittingly digging herself into a hole when Jennifer arrived and offered to let Nicole move in with her. Trapped, Nicole was forced to agree. Later, Jennifer helped Nicole move in.  Nicole made it clear that she and Daniel were very close friends, which surprised - and slightly twigged - Jennifer.

Abigail invited Cameron over and turned on the heat, but just as it reached boiling point, she turned it off and kicked him out.

Daniel welcomed Kayla back to the hospital and she told him she wanted to rehire Jennifer. Thrown Daniel said that was great, but he was worried. Later, Kayla pitched her idea of Jennifer coming back to the hospital. Jennifer worried that Daniel was still angry with her.

Brady informed Kate he was giving her a promotion; she'd remain CEO of Mad World but would have more power overall at Titan. She went to the pub and ran into Sami. Kate taunted Sami about her newfound power and vowed to destroy her.

Sami put Will in the loop about her possible reconciliation with EJ. He was reluctant to giveromantic advice, especially given the mess he'd made with his feelings for Sonny, but he cautioned his mother to look before she leapt.  We saw a growing closeness between mother and son. Later, Will found out from T that Sonny indeed had feelings for him.

Adrienne was dismayed when Sonny revealed he had feelings for Will. She said she adored Will but felt like he had too much baggage and wasn't ready for a relationship. Meanwhile, Will headed to the coffee house to try to clear the air with Sonny. Chad interrupted and told them about his engagement and asked them to be groomsmen. Will finally let Sonny know he was aware that Sonny liked him and he felt the same way.  They were both full of anticipation for what was next, but resolved to take things slow.

Melanie bristled at the men in her life - Chad, Daniel and Brady - being too overprotective. Daniel found out that Melanie was engaged to Chad, and did his best not to flip out - even though he feared the engagement was a knee jerk reaction to Nick's parole.

Gabi met Nick at the pub and was stunned to realize who he was. Nick was straightforward with her and earnest in his desire to prove he's a changed man.  Gabi was affected.

Melanie shared her good news with Abigail and Gabi, and asked them to be in the wedding. Gabi had to accept the offer. Chad rushed in and pulled Gabi away.  He told her there was no way she was going to be in the wedding.  Gabi told Chad that if he didn't tell Melanie the truth it would inevitably come out that he'd known for a while and kept it from her.  Gabi took responsibility for what happened but it wasn't completely her fault. Chad was left having to let Gabi continue with plans to be a bridesmaid. When Melanie came home she told Chad that he was a loving, honest man and she wanted nothing more than to marry him. Chad stuffed his guilt.

Sami asked Rafe how he felt about her, but they were interrupted by EJ. EJ pointedly asked Rafe about Nicole, and this affected Sami. Rafe left but couldn't get romantic thoughts of Sami out of his head. He encountered Lucas, and their conversation about EJ twigged Rafe to understand that EJ was using Rafe's "paternity" of Nicole's baby to drive a wedge between him and Sami. EJ made his strong feelings clear to Sami, and was so romantic and persuasive she found herself swept up in his plans. Hope told EJ he had to resign as mayor and he did.

Sami got a nasty reminder via Kate that the way she bounced from man to man left a lot of wounded exes in her wake. She resolved that Rafe had moved on and deserved to be left alone - and when EJ showed up at her door she told him it was time they picked up where they left off - and they made a romantic date for the next night.

EJ spent the day multitasking -prepping for a romantic evening to win over Sami and starting the ball rolling regarding legal action to deal with Nicole and her baby. These two agendas came together as EJ planned to use Rafe's alleged paternity - a likely deal-breaker with Sami - to take his rival out of the running for her affections.

Sami reacted to Rafe's declaration that EJ was not the man for her. Who did he think she should be with if not EJ?  Rafe, unable to acknowledge his feelings for her, blurted no one. He said Sami should concentrate on her kids. Sami responded that reuniting with Johnny and Sydney's father would be a good thing for them, but Rafe pointed out that she and EJ were toxic together.

Rafe didn't want her to be with EJ but at the same time, he didn't want her, either. So what was she supposed to do?  Rafe started to leave but then he pulled Sami into a searing kiss. When they finally came up for air, both were stunned and Rafe quickly left. EJ showed up for their date and asked Sami if she was ready to go.  She was hesitant. 

EJ got an unwelcome surprise when Sami told him she couldn't go on their date. She made up an excuse and EJ quickly realized it was about Rafe. His temper flared but he quickly reined it in, pretending with Sami that if she was hesitant that was fine, he'd be patient. Once alone, however, we saw his real rage. He found Rafe and challenged him.  Rafe's real feelings came sharply into focus as the men looked ready to duke it out over Sami. The argument turned into a full blown fist fight. Lucas witnessed, but didn't intervene. John broke the fight up. He couldn't help telling EJ he chose the wrong way to deal with Rafe.

Nicole learned her baby is a boy. She went to tell Daniel the news, but found him defending Jennifer. Nicole pulled him aside to share her big news. She asked Daniel to be godfather. He accepted, partly based on his bittersweet memories of Parker, whom he lost. Nicole was still confident the baby would draw them together. Jennifer was upset that Daniel seemed angry with her. Kayla thought Daniel was just preoccupied. When Jennifer persisted, Kayla said Jennifer and Daniel were supposed to be just friends. Jennifer insisted they were, and got more upset with Kayla and caused a scene. She apologized, confessing to Kayla she was always angry these days. Kayla and Abe shared a nice encounter about her taking over Lexie's old job as Chief of Staff.

Jennifer and Abigail fought, fueled by the grief they were both feeling about the loss of Jack. Jennifer left and was overcome with emotion.  Daniel found her and offered a sympathetic ear, allowing her to vent her frustrations and it was the closest they'd been in a while. Nicole found them and knew this couldn't be. Once alone with Jennifer, Nicole was very blunt: Jennifer hurt Daniel horribly once and if she cared for him at all she'd let him heal and not draw him in now that she was alone. 

Meanwhile, Daniel impulsively intervened on Jennifer's behalf with a hospital employee and when it got back to Jennifer, she overreacted. When Nicole heard how Jennifer jumped down Daniel's throat, she nearly jumped for joy.  She headed for Daniel to exploit the moment - a vulnerable one for him.  Nicole managed to turn comfort into something more by kissing him, just as Jennifer decided to seek out Daniel and apologize.

Jennifer and Brady both ditched their group grief counseling session and ended up consoling each other.

Abigail came on to Cameron again, pulled back again. This time he voiced his understanding that she was still not over her grief and guilt about her father, but Abigail didn't want to talk about it. He backed off. Abigail regretted pulling back and left a sexy voice mail for Cameron.  Jennifer overheard. She tried to counsel her daughter, making sure they were being safe but this led to an argument in which Abigail blurted she was a virgin.

Sonny and Justin talked about Adrienne's likely unfavorable reaction to Sonny's growing involvement with Will. Justin had a much more positive reaction, respecting Sonny's judgment, and wished him well.  

Will overheard Justin and Adrienne arguing about his relationship with Sonny. Justin approved, but Adrienne most definitely did not. Will was shaken.  He returned to Sami, and blurted his date was with Sonny, and he was canceling. Sami finally got the reason out of Will: he thought he wasn't good enough for Sonny.

After canceling his date with Sonny, Will blasted Sami, and then Kate, for passing down the family trait of screwing up one's life. Sami and Kate confronted Adrienne regarding her put down of will, but she stuck to her guns.  She was certain that Will would break Sonny's heart, and sooner rather than later. Later, Sami bolstered Will - telling him to keep trying until he got it right.

Will found comfort with Marlena who quickly called him out. Will felt he wasn't good enough and Marlena urged him to think otherwise. Adrienne apologized to Sonny, who overreacted and told Will he needed to see him ASAP. Sonny explained he knew why Will cancelled and reassured him he couldn't care less about what his mom thought.

Daniel learned Melanie was moving the wedding date up and expressed his opposition. EJ and Chad talked about the wedding, the problem with Nick and the complication of an unnamed girl (Gabi). Meanwhile, Gabi and Nick grew closer while working together. Nick overheard Abigail telling Gabi about the early wedding date, then dragged her along to help Melanie with wedding stuff. Melanie quizzed Gabi about Nick, knowing she would warn her if it seemed he was a danger to her again. 

While outside the Brady Pub, Chad saw Gabi and Nick with their heads together and imagined they were conspiring to break up him and Melanie.  His paranoia continued to grow. When he got rough with Gabi, Nick intervened.  Chad wanted to fight, but Caroline kicked him out of the pub. Nick and Gabi acknowledged the start of a friendship while Chad asked Melanie to leave Salem with him - for good.  Melanie called him on this.  She didn't want to run from Nick. 

Maggie found herself between Victor and Brady, who both disapproved of Melanie and Chad's wedding. Maggie and Brady heard the wedding had been moved up and worried about the reasons why.  Maggie visited Melanie, who got worked up about everyone's negative reaction to the wedding. Maggie urged her to be sure of what was in her heart before she took this step. Melanie was left to consider Maggie's words and finally made a decision. In a surprise move, she sought out Nick and said it was time to talk.  Through a series of scenes, Melanie saw Nick had changed and the two shook hands, trying to move from their past to the future. Later, when Chad found Nick - and saw him holding Melanie's scarf - he went ballistic.  He violently attacked Nick!   Gabi stopped Chad, and told him that Melanie was with Maggie.

Sami found Rafe with a little cut, and learned he fought with EJ. She probed about the fight, hoping it was about her, but Rafe didn't give her anything.  She brought up their kiss, but he wouldn't talk about it, and refused to admit it meant anything.  Sami revealed to EJ that Rafe wanted nothing to do with her. Still, she couldn't commit to EJ because she needed to focus on her kids and work. To Sami's surprise, EJ wasn't all that upset.

Lucas and Sami crossed at her apartment and when she told him both Rafe and EJ had backed off, he felt the need to remind her he had zero interest in rekindling things with her. Sami reassured him she wasn't thinking that and he told her he'd moved on. Sami wondered if that was what Rafe was doing.  Meanwhile, Rafe caught up with Gabi, who said that in her opinion he and Sami were good together and despite the problems, it was the happiest she'd ever seen him. 

Rafe and Sami met and he impulsively helped her with a problem Kate had dumped in her lap. Sami suggested they sit down over dinner to figure everything out.  Just dinner - no strings - and Rafe agreed. Later, Rafe ran into EJ and asked if he wanted a rematch.  EJ was done fighting with Rafe, who was glad.  He hoped EJ would steer clear of Sami. EJ said Rafe should be focusing on Nicole instead of worrying about Sami. Rafe had the final dig when EJ overheard he had dinner plans. EJ wondered with whom!

Nicole had a bad dream about EJ taking away her baby and she realized she had to stall him and somehow cast a shadow of a doubt, that maybe she did have sex with Rafe. She came up with a clever plan and gave it to someone who was guaranteed to make a big deal about it: Sami!

Jennifer was on her way to find Daniel to apologize for going off on him, as Nicole was kissing him. Daniel quickly backed off and more strongly than ever told Nicole they had to be just friends. Trying to salvage at least their friendship, she backtracked and tried to draw him out about Melanie, but Jennifer interrupted. Daniel was paged, and Nicole attacked Jennifer for interrupting their important talk.  Jennifer probed one more time about the Daniel and Nicole "friendship." She still didn't quite get the reason for it, especially given their history. Nicole finally left, and Jennifer apologized to Daniel for her earlier outburst. Later, Daniel reassured Nicole that their secret was not at risk. Meanwhile, rocked Jennifer overheard EJ's big reveal to Justin about Daniel changing the baby's DNA test, and his willingness to destroy both Rafe and Daniel's careers.

Jennifer confronted Nicole. She knew EJ was the father of her baby and that Daniel was lying for her. The two women got into it, with Jennifer furious that Nicole was compromising Daniel's integrity and his career. Nicole revealed she and Daniel slept together and implied there was still a connection. Abigail came in on them fighting. Jennifer went to work, while Nicole feigned concern for Abigail's mother, and her bursts of anger since Jack died.  Nicole warned Abigail not to believe anything Jennifer said about her.

Jennifer confronted Daniel, telling him she overheard EJ's suspicion that he switched Nicole's paternity test so that Rafe appeared to be the father of her child.  Daniel neither denied nor confirmed, but was rocked that Jennifer thought less of him for doing what she believes he did - committing fraud - and sleeping with Nicole. After Daniel filled Nicole in, she realized that Jennifer was a growing threat that she had to make her top priority.

Bo and Hope were separately informed by Roman that their salaries were being cut. Hope agreed, but Bo wanted to think it over. Later, he opened up to Hope that this change was a wakeup call for him. He hadn't wanted to face it, but he'd been really restless in his work lately, feeling there was a lot he wanted to accomplish in his life that he hadn't. Hope supported him no matter what.  Hope said if he decided to go he should throw out the rulebook and pursue his dreams. She showed him an article she'd read about it and said it would be a win for both of them.  Bo was intrigued.

After Chad's attack, Gabi took Nick to the hospital. He was worried his parole would be revoked if the police heard about the fight, but Gabi assured Kayla would keep quiet.  Gabi and Nick grew closer, and she realized she could stop Chad from hurting Nick again. 

Melanie told Maggie she'd had a long talk with Nick and believed he had truly changed. Maggie left to run an errand and Chad arrived, relieved to see Melanie was okay.  She told him about her encounter with Nick, but he kept quiet about the fight. Gabi arrived and told Melanie that Chad nearly killed Nick.  Melanie didn't understand why Chad didn't say anything. Gabi pointed out that he had kept other things from her, things she should have told Melanie a long time ago. And nothing would stop her from finally revealing all.

Chad tried to get Gabi to back off but Melanie insisted she wanted to hear what else she had to say.  Gabi finally released all she'd held inside about Andrew kidnapping Melanie. She tearfully confessed it was all because she wanted Chad and never wanted to harm Melanie. When Gabi left, Chad went to comfort Melanie but she recoiled; she knew this wasn't a secret only Gabi kept.

 Chad confessed he only found out on the day Andrew died and insisted he was just trying to protect Melanie by not telling her. Chad's need to protect her worried Melanie.  How far he would go to do it. Seeing blood on his hand only made it worse and she cried for him to leave. Maggie arrived and Chad left.  He had to face the prospect that his own actions may have cost him Melanie. Melanie stayed with Maggie and Daniel joined them.  Chad visited Nick, hoping to make an apology (to win points with Melanie), but Nick didn't buy it.

Gabi confessed her crimes to Rafe. At first she thought he hated her, but he was processing and only wanted to help her by finding a good attorney. Gabi thanked Rafe and he told her not to mention any of this to anyone. She confessed to Nick, who wondered why she was telling him. 

Chad tried to get through to Melanie, but she had decided to visit Carly. Chad thought they would have time on the trip to work through their problems, but she told him she was traveling alone.  Her mind was made up. Melanie went to see Gabi and told her she wouldn't send her to prison, but she couldn't guarantee what Chad would do. Melanie apologized to Nick for Chad's attack. He wouldn't let her blame herself. Melanie told him goodbye.

Gabi went to see Justin and told him all. She learned she was facing a long prison sentence. The whole case hinged on Chad's testimony since Andrew was dead. Gabi knew Chad hated her and would never help her. Rafe reassured his sister all would work out. 

Melanie told Brady, Daniel and Maggie she was leaving town for a while to sort things out and spend time with her mother. She said goodbye to those she loved and asked Maggie to return her engagement ring to Chad.  Chad still hoped his brother would be able to help him win Melanie back. EJ did show up at Daniel's to try to help his brother out regarding Melanie, but he learned she had left Salem.

EJ and Rafe nearly came to blows again when Rafe revealed he had a date with Sami. Kate intervened and had a heart-to-heart with EJ. She pointed out Sami's duplicity was a clear sign that EJ should walk away but she knew he couldn't. Sami was in his blood and that would be his downfall. Did Kate get through to EJ?

Rafe asked Justin to help Gabi, which he did. Rafe went back to his loft and EJ showed up to make a demand. 

Sami reacted to the photo of Nicole and Rafe in bed together. Hoping this would all get back to EJ, Nicole tried to leave no doubt that Rafe was the father of her baby. Sami sought advice from Marlena.  She confessed she wasn't sure she could handle being with Rafe if he was having a child with Nicole. Marlena advised Sami to be more forgiving and accepting. Sami wasn't sure she could do that, but when Rafe showed up for their date, she did the unexpected and set aside her concerns.  She told Rafe she was looking forward to their evening out.

Rafe took Sami out on their "date" and she saw the night as an opportunity to make some things clear. She brought up Nicole and the baby she was carrying and told Rafe she was no one to judge the situation and hoped it all worked out; she knew he'd always wanted to be a father. Rafe was moved and nearly confessed the truth but with great effort he pulled back.

With the groundwork laid, Sami went for broke and told Rafe she'd tabled things with EJ.  She knew that even if they got together it would never approach what she and Rafe had shared. She waited for his response and then was thrown when he almost withdrew into himself, not acknowledging the opportunity she hinted at. He said it had been a nice dinner and it was time to go home. We saw him fighting the conflict he felt inside but just as he was about to go he gave into his feelings and pulled Sami into a lingering, romantic kiss.

Sami was on a major high after her date with Rafe. She tried to call him, but got no answer. She had decided to go look for him when EJ showed up. Sami confessed there was still something between her and Rafe. EJ reminded Sami that Rafe would never be able to forgive her for committing adultery with him. Sami said that wasn't true. Later, however, when she tracked Rafe down, he was cold and aloof, because he was trying to help Gabi. Sami pressed and he snapped, telling her that their date was just that and she shouldn't read anymore into it. Meanwhile, EJ realized he couldn't wait for Nicole to give birth to discredit Rafe; he had to deal with him now.

Nicole filled Rafe in about the photo and how she hoped it would rattle EJ's cage. She knew it wasn't enough to get him to completely back off his plan to uncover the truth, but she hoped it would be enough to buy them more time. Rafe worried about how the photo would affect his fresh start with Sami.   

Jennifer told Nicole that she had to move out once the baby was born. Nicole made sure Jennifer got another reminder about how she and Daniel were going to remain close. Jennifer went to the hospital and started researching DNA labs. When Daniel caught her, he warned her off, but she wouldn't give up.

Roman needed an answer from Bo about leaving the force. Caroline overheard and Bo told her about his desire to shift gears. She was supportive of his decision and later he and Hope spent a romantic morning.

OCTOBER 2012:

A volatile Chad received a goodbye note from Melanie and - with nothing more to lose - went to unleash his wrath on a vulnerable Gabi.  He vowed to tell the police about her part in Melanie's kidnapping. Nick arrived and told Chad that if he exposed Gabi, he would press assault charges against him.  Chad was forced to back down and Nick made him sign legal papers to hold him to the deal. Later, Gabi thanked Nick, and they shared a sweet kiss.

Nicole began to doubt Rafe's commitment to their secret, knowing that the cost he would have to pay - to never be with Sami - might be too high for him to bear.  Sami went to find out if she and Rafe still had a chance but she was unaware of the stranglehold EJ had over him. Rafe cut things off with her, saying they couldn't be together.  She pressed to know what had changed but he couldn't tell her. 

EJ learned from Daniel that Melanie left town. This threw a wrench into his efforts to reunite her and Chad. Nicole, having heard about Melanie's departure, arrived to console Daniel. EJ left, knowing he had to figure out his next move.  EJ went straight to Sami, playing ignorant about the distressing day she'd had. When her emotions took over and gave way to tears, EJ was there to comfort her. As planned.

Rafe interrupted EJ and Sami's intimate moment. EJ excused himself to take a call, and Rafe couldn't help but warn Sami that EJ was not the man for her. Sami was confused by Rafe's hot and cold behavior and demanded he explain himself, but he kept his mouth shut and left. 

Chad confessed to EJ that he'd made a deal with Nick never to expose Gabi. EJ realized there was nothing to hold over Gabi's head (and therefore Rafe's) and exploded with anger. Chad was baffled. They went their separate ways and then Sami emerged from the shadows, twigged at having overheard.

Gabi told Rafe about Nick and Chad both giving depositions that essentially guaranteed she'd never face charges for her role in what happened to Melanie.  Rafe didn't have to protect her any longer. Rafe realized the hold EJ had over him was gone.  Rafe thanked Nick for helping Gabi get out from under Chad's potentially damning testimony.

EJ was also aware that nothing was keeping Rafe from Sami now. He met with a criminal attorney for advice on how to neutralize the depositions. Meanwhile, Sami asked Chad why EJ was so concerned about Gabi. She finally realized that EJ blackmailed Rafe into staying away from her. Against this a stricken EJ learned from his lawyer friend that the depositions were rock solid and any hold he had over Gabi was gone.

Sami and Rafe desperately sought one another. At the same time Chad, realizing EJ had his own agenda the whole time he claimed to be helping Melanie, confronted him and let him know that Sami had put it all together and was looking for Rafe. EJ panicked and rushed out, just as Sami and Rafe found each. They came together in a kiss just as horrified EJ arrived to see.

A bitter EJ could only watch as Sami and Rafe reveled in their romantic reunion. When Rafe went out to get food, Sami made an excuse to see EJ and blasted him for his deception. EJ returned fire; time would show that Rafe was just as big a liar as he was. Later, Sami was honest with Rafe about her meeting with EJ and asked Rafe to come clean regarding his paternity or non-paternity of Nicole's baby. 

Daniel reiterated his conviction to stand by Nicole so long as EJ posed a threat to her child.  Nicole knew her baby was the key to keeping Daniel close. Later, Daniel told Jennifer to stay out of his business and his life. She challenged Daniel - trying to preserve her high opinion of him - but he took the fall in her eyes to push her away and protect her. Maggie counseled Daniel and stated the obvious: he and Jennifer still cared for each other.

In front of a gathering crowd Jennifer ripped into Nicole, accusing her of destroying Daniel's life with her schemes. Nicole made sure she appeared completely innocent. Brady arrived and intervened. He took Jennifer home. She asked him to look out for Daniel. He then went to Daniel's, where Nicole had convinced him to let her stay the night. She pretended to head off to bed while Brady told Daniel he thought Jennifer was still in love with him. Daniel admitted he loved Jennifer, too. Nicole, having overheard, was privately devastated. But Daniel told Brady he'd stand by Nicole's side as long as her baby needed him.

Nicole, doing what she could to make sure Daniel and Jennifer never worked things out, suggested sunny Utah as a place to escape EJ's ire.  Daniel wasn't sold on the idea, but Nicole wasn't giving up.  She went to the hospital for an appointment with her OB-GYN.  

Nicole's doctor tensed when she hooked up the fetal heart monitor. The doctor couldn't get a heartbeat on the baby.  Tests confirmed that the baby was dead!  Nicole's desperation set into denial, as she stole and destroyed the only medical records of her hospital visit, then modeled baby clothes for Billie.

Bo was still undecided about what to do about his job at the police station. He went to Caroline, and she reminded him that Ciara was growing up fast.  Soon he'd wonder where the years went. She suggested taking a risk would be good for him.  At the same time, Hope learned that at least two other detectives were getting fired because of the budget cuts. Billie gave Bo advice about leaving his job at the police department; she thought his rebel spirit was never a good fit for being a cop, anyway. Bo came to a decision - and gave Roman his resignation. He was still unsure of what to do, but started by making up for lost time with his baby girl.

Sami and Rafe returned to the scene of their first "date" and reminisced. Rafe finally admitted he forgave Sami. She forgave him for Carrie. Sami gave him one more chance to come clean about Nicole's baby and he shut her up with a kiss. It grew in passion, but they agreed their recommitment needed to be very special and made plans to meet later that night. Later, Rafe and Sami shared a romantic evening.

Abigail was still confused about Melanie's departure and pressed Gabi for details. When she saw Nick's bruises she realized that he and Chad fought. She went to Chad, angry that he let things get out of control.  He told her to butt out but Abigail angrily told him it wasn't over.

Nicole believed Rafe was the only person she could tell about losing her baby, but Sami interrupted the moment. Nicole felt truly alone, until she got Daniel's phone message. He told her he wanted to go with her to Utah. Nicole could hardly believe it; maybe this would be the answer to her prayers. She just wanted to get herself and Daniel away from Salem - and Jennifer.

Jennifer was determined to confront Nicole over how she was ruining Daniel's life. What Jennifer didn't know was that Nicole had lost the baby and was anxious to hide that news.  Jennifer told Nicole she and Daniel would never raise that child together. Hugely emotional Nicole insisted she and Daniel had a big future ahead of them. She left when Brady arrived, having been sent by Daniel.  Fuming Jennifer insisted she was going to stop Nicole from hurting Daniel, and it was left to Brady's imagination what she would do.

Nicole pled with Daniel to leave with her that night for Utah. Daniel said Nicole needed to get checked out by her OBGYN to make sure she was able to travel this far along in her pregnancy. Nicole realized there was no way around Daniel learning she had lost the baby, at which point she would also lose him. Daniel left for the hospital and Nicole broke down. She heard Jennifer leave a voice message, asking Daniel to meet her in the town square. Nicole headed there and, as she and Jennifer argued, Nicole grabbed Jennifer, who yanked away and accidentally caused Nicole to tumble down the stairs! Brady and Billie arrived in time to see Nicole hit the ground. 

After Nicole fell down the stairs and went into labor, she managed to blame Jennifer.  To Brady and Billie, who witnessed it, Jennifer looked guilty. The EMT's arrived and were forced to call the police. Nicole was taken to the hospital and Roman arrived to question Jennifer. At the same time, Nicole gave birth to her stillborn son. She couldn't believe it and, despite knowing the child was dead earlier, her new reality seemed to be that Jennifer was responsible. Daniel arrived and she told him as much.

Roman questioned Brady, who had no choice to tell the truth. He confirmed to Daniel Nicole's claim that Jennifer pushed her. Jennifer was arrested for the murder of Nicole's unborn child!

Bo told Hope he had finally decided what he wanted to do with his life, subject to her agreeing, of course.  He wanted to take Ciara out of school and sail around the world with his family. His enthusiasm was so infectious that Hope went along in the moment, but Marlena saw she wasn't as excited as she professed and urged her to level with Bo about her true feelings. 

Caroline exhibited another episode of forgetfulness, but assured Bo it was nothing. Bo asked Gabi if she'd seen anything worrisome. Gabi revealed the little episode she'd witnessed and promised to keep an eye on Caroline. Bo met with Hope again and she told him she wasn't sure about this trip right now.  She was surprised when Bo said he'd been rethinking the trip, too, and told her he was starting to get concerned about Caroline.  He described the slips she'd been making. Hope reminded him of Caroline's stroke and was concerned, too. Bo went to Caroline, who got defensive when he tried to broach the subject but she made yet another slip, calling him Shawn. Bo struggled to makes her confront what was going on.

Caroline admitted she'd been forgetting things lately, but tried to insist it was no big deal.  When Bo suggested they talk to Kayla.  Caroline explained what had been happening. She didn't want to beat around the bush; they all knew what was wrong with her.  She faced her fear of Alzheimer's head on. While Caroline was having blood drawn, Bo and Kayla vowed to see their ma through this. 

Stefano reached out to EJ - who was distraught over losing Sami - but he rejected his father's help. Stefano made a mysterious call to a person unknown, who was his only hope to regain his son's confidence and affection.  Later, Stefano met with the mysterious woman and explained he needed her help to unite his splintered family. In a shocking moment, the woman was revealed - it was Kristen!  And Stefano urged her to return to Salem.   She agreed.

Will and Sonny ran into Nick and Gabi, who were enjoying their first date. Nick was taken aback to learn Will was gay but covered.  Will and Sonny left. Nick and Gabi shared a kiss and made plans to go out again.

Rafe and Sami were on their way to making love when he got a call from Daniel summoning him to the hospital. He left Sami, who wasn't thrilled but covered her frustration.  Rafe and Nicole's grieved the loss of her baby.

Slightly drunk EJ went to Rafe's place and confronted Sami. He got curious when he realized Rafe had gone and cleverly figured out where. As Nicole and Rafe talked about losing the baby and decided they'd continue to keep the secret that EJ was the father, we saw him arrive in time to hear!  Instead of confronting them, however, he quietly backed out of the room unnoticed. His world came crashing down, however, when a nurse accidentally revealed the baby boy died.

EJ hit the record button on his cell phone and entered Nicole's room. To Nicole's surprise, he was kind to her. They bonded over the loss, especially when EJ agreed Jennifer must pay. EJ finally admitted he overheard her and Rafe talking; he knew the baby was his. He gently asked Nicole to just admit the truth, as the phone continued to record their conversation.  Nicole finally acknowledged his paternity, and EJ got her admission on tape.

Rafe returned to Sami and shared his grief over the baby's death.  Sami consoled him, and they eventually fell into a passionate kiss.  They were about to finally make love but Rafe put the brakes on, weighed down by his lie.  Sami confirmed her belief in him and her efforts at consoling led straight to grief sex. Unfortunately, EJ arrived to ruin their afterglow - the damning recording in hand - and, as Rafe reiterated his lie and Sami stood by her man, EJ played Nicole's confession and waited for the inevitable fireworks.

Rafe realized the jig was up and came clean. Sami couldn't believe it. Rafe told EJ that he'd do it again in a heartbeat. After EJ realized he'd destroyed the reunited couple, he left, and Sami let Rafe have it. He did his best to explain, but Sami wouldn't accept it. She felt used for having let him make love to her.  She left.

EJ went to his office where he received a visitor - Kristen! At first he thought she was his mother, but then realized she wasn't. Kristen explained that Stefano sent her, but EJ didn't care. He didn't need his father, or her. Kristen disagreed and left.  We saw EJ, still awash in grief.

Jennifer was in jail when Hope showed up with Abigail. Jennifer was unable to say for sure what happened. Finally Hope took Abigail away and promised to hire a lawyer for Jennifer. Daniel made a beeline for the jail, anxious to hear Jennifer's side of things. With him, Jennifer came to the conclusion that there was no way she'd done this. She asked Daniel if he believed her and he said he did. 

Jennifer learned from Justin that her bail had been set. She told Justin that she did not push Nicole but she realized that there were many people who weren't sure about that. She knew her fate was in Nicole's hands, and she was terrified. Abigail visited Nicole, and her appeal on her mom's behalf made Nicole feel guilty, but not guilty enough to change her story.

Daniel went to see Nicole and she admitted that she'd confirmed to EJ that he was the father of her baby. The repercussions were huge for Daniel's career but he was understanding. She asked him to pick up something for her at home. When he did, he noticed some distinctive baby clothes.

Hope filled Bo in on what had happened with Jennifer. She asked how Bo's talk with Caroline went.  Bo tried to cover, having promised his mother he wouldn't reveal anything, but Hope easily saw through this and finally got him to open up. He painfully recounted how Caroline mistook him for his father, and Hope, hurting for her husband, pulled him into a hug. Kayla and Bo rallied around their mom.  She asked questions about her treatment and took her symptoms head on.

Caroline had a nice "coherent" moment with Victor. They reminisced about the past and after she went to bed, Victor told Bo how sorry he was. Bo assured his father that his family would look after their ma. Victor told his son how proud he was of him and this wasn't lost on Maggie and Hope. Later, Maggie joined Victor, who gave her a kiss and said he wanted to cherish every moment with the woman he loves. At the same time, Hope offered to stay with Bo, but he said it was okay. He should stay with his ma. He gave Hope a kiss, then saw a photo of Shawn and Caroline. He promised his pop he wouldn't let either one of them down.

Bo, Kayla and Roman made plans for Caroline. She could get worse; she might need care. They understood how proud she was and how resistant she might be to the idea of help. Bo volunteered to be the front line caregiver. He had more time and argued that he wanted it more than they did, because of the time he lost being angry at his mom when he found out Victor was his father. He also wanted to be the one to break the news that she needed help. Kayla and Roman encouraged him to talk to them whenever he needed them.

John had a nightmare about his tortured past with Kristen.  He couldn't understand why he was having these memories of her.  Why now? Marlena joined him and questioned what was going on.  He covered, saying it was nothing. They went home, but little did John know ... Kristen was back.

Marlena wanted John to join her for a romantic picnic, but he had important business to attend to first. Kristen got her first glimpse of the loving couple, while watching them from afar. Marlena went to lookout point alone and got the surprise of her life: Kristen.

T went to the coffee house and Will and Sonny made an effort to put the past strife behind them all. T was receptive and when he left it looked like Will had gone a long way toward getting his friend back.

Chad and Abigail connected and he was solicitous, knowing she was going through hell with Jennifer's arrest. Chad got a call from Stefano and put him off, still angry and hurt. Abigail saw this and they shared a moment despite their fight the previous week. Later, Chad got a surprise when he learned that EJ was the father of Nicole's baby.

Nick was uncomfortable around Sonny and Will's sexuality, but successfully covered. Gabi questioned him, assuming his discomfort was because he's shy and they are so outgoing. Nick kissed Gabi, but they were interrupted by a phone call about Caroline. 

Sami confided in Lucas that Rafe lied to her about being the father of Nicole's baby. She was furious it was more important to Rafe to keep Nicole's secret than to tell her the truth. Lucas pointed out that Sami was being hypocritical and that she was holding Rafe to an impossible standard. Later, Sami and Rafe ran into each other, and the mood was fraught with tension.  There was an opportunity for a thaw until Gabi rushed up, making Rafe's lie about being the father of Nicole's baby fresh all over again. Sami left and Rafe explained to Gabi how he'd been trying to help Nicole and confessed it had probably cost him Sami.

Brady visited Jennifer and she realized he believed she pushed Nicole down those stairs. Jennifer felt Daniel was the only person who believed her but there was only one person who must.  Meanwhile, Daniel broached the idea with Nicole that she might be mistaken and the whole thing was an accident. Nicole insisted Jennifer did it on purpose because she was jealous, wanted Daniel and that she and her baby were in the way. Jennifer arrived to tell Nicole she was sorry for it all, but before long it turned into a series of angry scenes.  Nicole was determined to keep Jennifer from ever knowing the truth about her fall.

Daniel visited Maggie, reeling and full of guilt.  He was trying to reconcile two different versions of the same event, and he felt awful for both women. Maggie gave him food for thought when she said there was nothing he could do about it.  Daniel was hit with an idea.  

A furious EJ confronted Jennifer about killing his child. She tried to defend herself but it only made him angrier. Hope showed up and kicked him out. Jennifer told Hope she now knew she did not push Nicole on purpose.  Hope believed her. Jennifer called Daniel and warned him about EJ. Daniel assured Jennifer he believed her and all would work out. She came away from the call with the feeling that Daniel was trying to save her.

Daniel returned to Nicole and said he thought they should go away together.  She was elated, but they were interrupted when Rafe informed them that EJ was out for revenge. The three vowed to protect each other. Later, EJ arrived and stunned them all by revealing he wasn't pursuing legal action. He felt they had all suffered enough and none of them was truly to blame for his child's death. Rafe questioned EJ's motives. EJ maintained his sincerity but Rafe realized this had something to do with Sami.  Meanwhile, Daniel assured Nicole he had feelings for her and someday they might even grow into love. Daniel said he didn't doubt that Nicole was telling the truth, but the only way he could leave town with her is if she promised not to press charges against Jennifer.  

Roman came to take Nicole's statement and she told him she was not 100% sure Jennifer pushed her. When she told Daniel what she did, he was moved and grateful. He reiterated his desire to go away with her- maybe to Hawaii. Later, Nicole remembered the truth of what really happened, but decided she never had to think about that again. Daniel found a part of an outfit in his apartment while going through Nicole's baby things to give away, while the other part of the outfit was in a lost and found bin at the hospital.

Roman informed Jennifer the charges had been dropped. Jennifer couldn't believe Nicole changed her mind.

Bo and Hope tried to discuss the need to hire a caretaker for Caroline. She bristled at the idea of losing her independence. Bo gently said none of the kids was comfortable leaving her alone and this could be a good compromise. Kayla arrived and told Bo and Hope she had a program she could get Caroline into but it was all the way across the country.  It was Caroline's best chance. Bo volunteered to go with her. He realized he was asking a lot of Hope with this impulsive suggestion, but she was 100% on board. With Hope's support, Bo finally managed to convince Caroline it was the right thing to do.

Sami learned that Caroline was suffering from dementia and was leaving with Bo for California. She berated herself for not paying attention sooner, and said thank you and goodbye to her grandmother.

Marlena was stunned to see Kristen back in Salem and instantly felt endangered. Kristen claimed she was there to make amends. Marlena wasn't interested.  Kristen withdrew and Marlena realized she needed to warn John. When she looked for her cell phone, however, it was gone.  She was immediately suspicious that Kristen took it to buy time to get to John first.

John was ready to join Marlena at lookout point but before he could leave he got a surprise visitor: Kristen. He was stunned. She swore she wasn't in town to cause trouble; she only wanted to make amends with him and Marlena. She reminded him that she was a different person when they first met and insisted it was only the loss of their baby that drove her to extremes. She owned her actions but John was still skeptical. Marlena arrived and accused Kristen of stealing her cell phone so she couldn't warn John of her arrival. John's assistant interrupted and handed Marlena her phone; she must have left it there. Kristen left. John wondered if Kristen was telling the truth.  Marlena warned him not to trust her.  

Kristen went to EJ and offered to help him get what he wanted.  He was surprised by how much she knew about what he'd been involved with and how his goal had been to get Sami back. Kristen put it together that EJ's plan was to back off going after Daniel and Rafe in order to get Sami. She offered to help him. EJ called Stefano and complained about Kristen.  Stefano smiled to himself, knowing that if EJ called him, even in anger, then there was hope.

Kristen lowered the boom by informing Sami that she was her boss, unless she decided to quit. We saw the animosity between the two women. Kristen sent Sami to get EJ's signature, signing off on a part of the business she should have taken care of a long time ago. EJ was stunned when Sami showed up.  Later, Kristen and EJ met, and while he was impressed she was able to get Sami to come to him, he doubted she'd be able to follow through on her promise to help him win Sami back.

Kristen ran into Brady, who was very protective of his father and Marlena. She told him she'd changed and was there to make amends. Brady promised Marlena he'd keep an eye on Kristen. Later Kristen "ran into" John in Horton Town Square, and they worked together to help a little girl. Marlena met up with John, and he neglected to tell her about his encounter. When Kristen herself mentioned it, Marlena confronted John: why didn't he tell her?

Things were heating up between Sonny and Will when there was a loud pounding on the door.  They heard Lucas's voice. Will thought Lucas was there to spy, but he said he was there to tell Will to go see Caroline before she left. Will left and Lucas stayed behind with Sonny. Lucas wasn't happy about Will spending time with Sonny but Sonny wasn't apologetic. Later, when Sonny caught up with Will, he kept the encounter to himself, after seeing how torn up Will was about Caroline's condition. Against this, we saw Lucas with Billie as he said he thought Will was making a mistake with Sonny.

Nick also didn't approve of Will and Sonny's relationship. He and Gabi had it out and he explained his stance. Gabi was taken by him and they kissed. Very soon it led to making love. When Nick told Gabi how lucky he felt being with her, she was rocked; she was the one who felt lucky having found him.  They were fast falling for each other.

Billie told Will that Lucas didn't like him getting close to Sonny. Will asked Sonny what happened with Lucas.  Sonny revealed he and Lucas had exchanged words. Kate tracked down Sonny and cautioned him about taking things too fast with Will. Will sought out Lucas and blasted him.  Lucas wondered what Sonny really saw in Will.  He insinuated that Sonny was a user who probably saw Will as just another conquest. Will defended, then went right to Sonny and kissed him. Sonny immediately put on the brakes, seeing Will was upset. Will wanted to know about Brian and others Sonny had been with.  Sonny knew Will's questions were really coming from Lucas and asked him to leave. Devastated Will left.

Rafe surprised Sami by tracking her down, worried about how she was handling the news about Caroline.  Caught off guard, Sami opened up a little and we saw their connection, but she pulled back, reminded of how he hurt her with his lack of trust. She confessed she still loved him and he said he did, too.  They nearly got past their hurt and pain but EJ interrupted. He told Sami that he had decided not to go after Rafe, Daniel and Nicole for deceiving him. Sami later questioned Rafe as to why he didn't tell her and he said she never asked. Sami realized Rafe thought she was self-centered and it escalated into a fight. Rafe left. EJ made a point of supporting Sami, trying to prove he was more accepting than Rafe. Sami let her guard down a little and thanked him.  After she left, Kristen approached EJ and pointed out she could speed up a reunion between him and Sami.

Nicole was worried that Daniel would somehow learn she lost the baby before the accident and that she accused Jennifer on purpose. Daniel gave a box of baby clothes to a charity and nearly saw the other half of the outfit Nicole unknowingly left at the hospital when she originally lost the baby.    

Justin warned Jennifer to lay low until the charges against her were officially dropped. She still went to Daniel to thank him for changing Nicole's mind. She realized he was planning to move away with Nicole as part of some sort of deal to save her. Daniel insisted he wasn't making any sort of sacrifice. Jennifer begged him not to go and to stop protecting Nicole.  In a big moment, Daniel blurted he loved her!  But he shut down her attempt to talk him out of leaving town with Nicole and bid her an emotional goodbye, then resigned his job at the hospital. A desperate Jennifer went to Maggie, knowing she was the only one who might be able to reach Daniel.  Maggie met with Daniel but her pleas for him to stay in town fell on deaf ears.

Nicole checked out of the hospital and returned to Daniel's apartment, where she dispelled her doubts with a fantasy of the happiness she and Daniel might share a year from now. Her optimism was shattered when an angry EJ arrived, wanting to know why she dropped the charges against Jennifer.  Nicole didn't give anything away. EJ believed Daniel somehow convinced Nicole to save the woman who killed their baby. Nicole snapped and told EJ there was no way Jennifer could be responsible. EJ twigged to this, but Nicole covered.  EJ vowed to avenge his baby's death, even if he had to break his promise not to go after Daniel and Nicole. EJ left and called Kristen to confide in her. 

Daniel returned to Nicole, who was freaked off her scenes with EJ. She wanted to leave Salem ASAP and Daniel agreed.  Nicole saw Daniel was missing his necklace and encouraged him to look in the hospital lost-and-found for it. When he left, she immediately made a call to someone she was sure could help her- Sami.  Nicole needed Sami to get EJ to back off.  Sami wondered why Nicole really changed her story about Jennifer.  Maybe Nicole lied about Jennifer pushing her? Nicole denied and told Sami to just help her! 

After an emotional goodbye with Victor, Daniel was looking for his necklace when he found the distinctive other half of a baby outfit, the matching piece to one he knew was in his home. He was starting to realize something wasn't right.

While Sami told John and Marlena about Caroline, Rafe got a call from Gabi alerting him to same. He went to Caroline and she told him that when she returned, she hoped it would be to a reunited Sami and Rafe. He was the best thing that ever happened to Sami and she wished that they could work it out.

Bo told Victor he'd be leaving with Caroline while she sought treatment for her early stage dementia. Victor was proud of how Bo was stepping up for his mother. John pressed Bo about the real reason he left the force. Bo admitted to being frustrated by coming close to bringing Stefano down so many times only to come up short. John guessed that Bo intended to continue to go after the DiMeras on his own. Bo admitted that was his plan but for now it was on hold while he focused on Caroline. 

Bo and Caroline shared heartfelt goodbyes with Roman, Kayla, Hope and Ciara.  Before Bo left, Hope gave him two disks - one containing home videos and the other containing information on Stefano so he could continue working while he was away. Bo and Hope shared a tearful goodbye.  Kayla - feeling alone and overwhelmed off her goodbye to Caroline - received a boost from Abe.

An on-edge Marlena learned Kristen was intending to set up therapy sessions with Marlena's therapist.  Marlena didn't believe for one second it was a coincidence and blasted Kristen for playing games. Kristen calmly maintained her innocence and left. Later, Marlena ordered Sami to quit her job with Kristen. Sami took her mother's concern as an attack on her judgment and ability to handle trouble. She questioned the level of threat - if any - that Kristen really posed and John echoed the possibility that maybe Marlena was just overreacting, which opened a small rift between the couple. They reconciled but Marlena feared Kristen was up to her old tricks.

Brady confronted Kristen regarding staying away from John and Marlena.  She promised she wasn't up to anything.  Brady told her to cut the crap. The conversation ended in an insult and Kristen slapped Brady and told him to get out. Brady left, then sought out John and asked what he ever saw in Kristen. John assured Brady that Kristen wasn't a threat.  Brady was determined to make sure of it.

Sami agreed to continue working for Kristen when she learned she'd earn a significant bonus if she helped to defeat Kate. Kristen got another call from Stefano.  He had a further request of her. She went to Kate with a message from Stefano.  

NOVEMBER 2012:

Nick and Gabi made love, and then ran into Sami at the pub. She picked up on their uneasiness and realized they were an item. Gabi asked Sami not to tell Rafe. Sami was protective of Gabi.  Nick swore he wouldn't hurt Gabi; he really cared about her.  Sami talked to him about a possible job and was impressed with his computer skills. Later, Gabi went back upstairs, where she was surprised by a romantic scene Nick had set up for her. He told her he loved her.  She loved him, too. They made love again.

Will confided in Gabi about his fight with Sonny. Gabi urged him to call Sonny and try to work things out.  Meanwhile, T also encouraged Sonny to make up with Will. Since Sonny hadn't heard from Will, however, he believed he didn't care. Later, Gabi told Sonny how much Will missed him. At the same time, T and Audrey (T's girlfriend) told Will the same thing, and he finally picked up the phone and called Sonny.

Victor tried to persuade Nicole to leave Daniel alone by paying her off. Nicole balked, stating her love for Daniel.  Victor left but refused to give up.  Later, Victor implored Brady to stop Daniel from leaving town, by throwing himself and his money at Nicole. Brady refused this cold-hearted scheme.  Later, however, he tried to reach out to his friends to stop them from making a huge mistake, but they didn't answer his calls.

Sami visited Jennifer and told her about her strange request from Nicole to talk to EJ. Sami confided she couldn't figure out why Nicole suddenly dropped the charges against Jennifer. Jennifer didn't want to talk about it and ordered Sami to leave.  Sami apologized for upsetting her, admitting her own history with Nicole probably made her suspicious. Later, after Lucas comforted her, Jennifer couldn't help but think about what Sami said. She came to the conclusion that Nicole definitely confronted her on purpose the day she fell down the steps. Jennifer wondered if that meant Nicole also consciously lied.

Daniel realized Nicole left behind part of a baby outfit at the hospital the morning she lost her baby. He was twigged because he didn't think she had an appointment that day. He checked with Maxine, who referred him to Nicole's OBGYN, who revealed her colleague Dr. Sedwick covered for her that day but she was now somewhere in South Africa.  With Rafe's help, Daniel tracked down her number. He called Sedwick and asked if she remembered examining Nicole. 

Of course she remembered; she felt terrible about her loss. Daniel, confused, thought Sedwick left for Africa that morning - well before Nicole lost her baby. He was rocked to the core when Sedwick corrected him; she was the one who told Nicole her baby died!

Daniel confirmed the awful truth - Nicole's baby was dead before she fell down the stairs and she knew about it. Meanwhile, an unaware Nicole - while counting down the moments until she and Daniel went away together - got an unexpected and unwelcome visit from Jennifer. Nicole kicked her out, but not before Jennifer sowed some seeds of doubt in her mind and heart. When Daniel returned home to confront Nicole with what he learned, he found her gone.  Nicole's paranoia and guilt brought her to Jennifer's doorstep - armed and dangerous.

When Daniel couldn't find Nicole he called in help from Rafe.  Meanwhile, Nicole went to Jennifer's to accuse her of yet again trying to come between her and Daniel. When Jennifer convinced her that she'd had no contact with Daniel, Nicole tried to withdraw, but it was too late; Jennifer knew something didn't add up.  Just as Daniel realized where they were, things at Jennifer's got truly ugly.  Nicole unleashed all her paranoia about how Jennifer was trying to come between her and Daniel, even as Jennifer stayed on the sidelines refusing to tell Daniel she wanted him. Finally Nicole lost it and declared she was going to the police and would tell them Jennifer did indeed push her intentionally. Into this came Daniel, and he said said Jennifer couldn't have. Nicole's baby was already dead.

Meanwhile, Brady was with Maggie, who was beat up about Daniel leaving.  She wished her goodbye hadn't been so filled with tension, and she told Brady that if Daniel was going, then they both needed to do what they could for Jennifer. Brady heeded Maggie's advice and headed for Jennifer's, just as things were spiraling out of control. Separately, both EJ and Rafe headed that way, as well.

As Nicole screamed her denial, EJ, Rafe and Brady burst in. Daniel tried to take Nicole to a private place, but she would only talk to him on the plane. Daniel told her they weren't going to Hawaii. Finally, in front of everyone, Daniel confronted her with the truth, and the proof. Everyone was in shock. Daniel finally got Nicole to admit the truth and made it clear to one and all that it wasn't her fault that her baby died. 

Abigail confronted Nicole for charging Jennifer with murder when she knew the baby was already dead! Daniel finally convinced Nicole to speak to him alone. She tried to convince him everything truly was Jennifer's fault. Jennifer came in, giving Nicole the chance to run away, back to the stairs at Town Square, the scene of their confrontation.  Nicole raced up the stairs, and Daniel followed. Nicole told him to stand back. She pulled the scalpel from her purse. Daniel wasn't sure if she was going to harm herself or lunge at someone else.  Jennifer, Brady, Rafe, EJ and Abigail all arrived to witness this.

Nicole threatened to kill herself and Daniel tried to talk her down.  Devastated Nicole claimed she couldn't go on after having lost her baby and now Daniel, too. Daniel finally managed to get her to drop the scalpel, but his relief was short-lived; Nicole decided to fling herself off the staircase.  Rafe and Daniel stopped her. At the hospital, a detached Nicole gave her statement to Rafe, detailing how and why she framed Jennifer for the death of her baby. Brady apologized to Jennifer for jumping to conclusions and being so harsh. She accepted his apology and the two friends hugged. 

EJ admitted to Daniel he believed no one was at fault for his son's death. He was still angry with Nicole and Daniel but he was willing to let Daniel off the hook as repayment for the times he performed life-saving operations on him and Johnny. Later, everyone asked Rafe what would happen to Nicole. Rafe said she was facing some serious charges.

Marlena continued to worry about Sami working for Kristen. John tried to reassure her, to no avail. Once Brady showed up, John made an excuse to leave. Alone, Brady confided in Marlena that he had confronted Kristen and warned her to stay away from their family.

John went to Sami's office, hoping to talk to his step-daughter. Instead, he ran into Kristen, who swore she didn't follow him. John got confirmation when Sami arrived and revealed Kristen was meeting her there. John tried to convince Sami to quit, but she refused. At the same time, Kristen called Marlena, ostensibly to calm her fears about her motives. The call only riled Marlena up more and Brady comforted her.

EJ remained conflicted about what he should do about Daniel and Nicole's betrayal. Kristen realized he'd even contemplated an "accident" for Daniel.  She only told him he needed to do what was right. We saw that had meaning for her, as well. 

Kristen assured Stefano that her efforts to bring the DiMera clan together were on track, then she headed to a church board meeting, where she ran into John.  He was suspicious, but then started to thaw as Kristen's reason for being there got Father Tobias's blessing. Later, Marlena challenged John's lack of vigilance and wanted to know what it would take before John recognized the threat Kristen posed.  Meanwhile, Kristen flashed back to a fraught moment with John.    

Hope asked John to handle some repairs out at the Smith Island cabin and Marlena endorsed the idea, knowing it couldn't be a bad idea to get some distance between him and Kristen. When John arrived at the cabin, however, Kristen was already there!

John didn't believe that Kristen arrived at the cabin by coincidence and accused her of stalking him. She denied, then ran out to catch the last ferry, but it was too late. On her return, John insisted she tell him why she came here and how she got in.  She showed him the key and said she came to exorcise her memories of John. This was a place where they shared so many memories. She just wanted to remember those innocent, happier times, before everything turned so bad. She broke down, shivering from the emotions and the cold. John finally softened and gave Kristen his jacket. She didn't want his jacket; all she wanted from him was something he could never give her! Meanwhile, Marlena opened up to Hope about her fears that Kristen would not only drive a wedge between her and John, but would also affect her relationship with her children, especially Sami. Sami and Marlena had a rapprochement.  Sami revealed she had been trying to reach Kristen - with no success - for hours.

At the Horton Cabin, Kristen clarified that what she wanted from John was forgiveness, not love. She had dealt with her feelings for him long ago and had taken responsibility for her terrible actions. His forgiveness would mean a lot to her because he meant so much to her. She realized she was asking too much and though John was moved by her words, he couldn't bring himself to say he forgave her.  Later, Kristen fell asleep on the couch and John gently covered her with a blanket. His anger toward Kristen started to lessen.

EJ and Abigail bonded as they talked about their loss. EJ knew what happened to his son was no one's fault and that he needed to try to move on. Abigail was supportive and affected by EJ's closeness with Johnny. 

Gabi, after a night of love with Nick, confided in Abigail, who in turn confided that she was still a virgin. Gabi was supportive; she knew Abigail would find Mr. Right. Nick had a meeting with his parole officer and Chad tried to screw it up, but Gabi got the upper hand.  Chad left, then Gabi fell into a dead faint!  Nick took her to the hospital. Sami got wind of what happened and showed up, too. Cameron returned with Gabi's blood work, and news: she was pregnant!   Sami thought it was Nick's baby and urged her to talk to him, but Cameron privately told Gabi that she was three months pregnant.  She realized Will had to be the father. Nick left the hospital (thinking Gabi was okay), but was slightly twigged when he didn't hear from her.

Will nervously anticipated meeting with Sonny so they could talk out the tension between them. He ran into Lucas and Sami.   Sami took Will's side as Lucas defended what he'd done. Will insisted he had a lot to make up to Sonny since Lucas put a lot of negativity in his head about their relationship.  Will finally saw Sonny and admitted he missed him terribly and that he screwed up. Once they worked it all out, they decided to return to Sonny's apartment.  Will confided in Sonny how happy he was but it was short lived.  Distraught Gabi showed up, saying they needed to talk. 

Will learned he was the father of Gabi's baby.  He couldn't believe it and worried his family would think he was a screw up.  He realized he had to support Gabi. Nothing could be decided that night, so they went their separate ways. Will went home to Sonny and Gabi with Nick. Both of their partners, unaware, held them tightly. 

Nicole was reliving what happened when Brady arrived. She told him if he thought she was sorry for what happened, he was wrong. She knew he disapproved of her actions, but she'd do it all again. She asked Brady why she never got to love. She lost her baby and now Daniel. 

Jennifer visited Nicole and told her how sorry she was.  Nicole told Jennifer that if she wanted an apology, it wasn't going to happen. She hated Jennifer and always would. Later, Nicole realized she should have been nicer to Jennifer; her fate was in Jennifer's hands. 

Hope told Jennifer that the D.A. was going to want to talk to her and that Nicole's fate was in her hands. Daniel checked in with Hope and, later, Jennifer.  She explained she just saw Nicole and spoke to the D.A. She decided to not press charges. Daniel impulsively pulled Jennifer into an embrace but, quickly self-aware, he pulled back and thanked her. She could tell he still cared what happened to Nicole and he admitted he felt responsible for her. Jennifer wondered if he still had some feelings for Nicole.

Nicole was relieved she wasn't facing charges but was consumed with grief for all that she'd lost. When Daniel arrived she assumed he hated her.  He didn't, but she knew he didn't love her, either. Alone later, she was disappointed, overcome, railing at her failings, having truly hit bottom; that's when she saw a familiar figure jogging and reacted with surprise.  Eric!  Later, she came face-to-face with her old love and received another shock.

Nicole was reeling that Eric was back in town - and he was a priest! He said that he found a higher calling. He knew she had a rough go of it. He didn't know about recent events, but offered her comfort over her past. When Marlena, Roman and Sami showed up, Nicole beat a hasty retreat.  Sami warned her twin to stay away from Nicole.

EJ told Nicole that she created a hell for herself he could never rival. He ripped her to shreds and assured her that Daniel would never forgive her for what she did to Jennifer. Nicole was a wreck when Eric came upon her.  He was unaware of what she recently did and as he offered help she at first resisted... but finally said it was time he knew just how low she had sunk.

To Daniel's surprise, Jennifer had been doing research on the tremors that sidelined his surgical career and found a clinical trial that might help him. He seemed interested but Jennifer later discovered he threw the research away. When she confronted him about it Daniel admitted he was afraid to get his hopes up.  If he tried the medication and it failed, he'd lose any chance of a cure in the future. Jennifer pulled out all the stops to convince him to try, and he agreed to consider it.

Marlena found John at Horton Cabin - with Kristen. She tried to remain calm as they explained what happened. Marlena was dubious.  Before Kristen left, she thanked John for hearing her side of things.  Marlena thought Kristen set the whole thing up and was a bit upset when John sort of defended her. He was beginning to believe Kristen was trying to bury the past and move on, but Marlena wouldn't buy it. John and Marlena left Smith Island on opposite sides. Meanwhile, Kristen ran into Brady. They exchanged words and, when she gave him his father's money clip back, he was stunned to realize his dad and Kristen had been together.

Kristen met EJ to discuss her plan to help advance his relationship with Sami, but she got distracted when Marlena showed up and laid into her. John pulled Marlena away.  EJ noted that Kristen was getting under Marlena's skin. Kristen downplayed and turned the attention to EJ. She wanted to leave CW, so EJ could take over and be Sami's boss. Not only would Sami be working for EJ, he might actually succeed in keeping her from Rafe. Of course, this came with a price. EJ would have to make amends with Stefano. Later, he made the call and asked to come back into the family. Stefano was pleased. 

Sami went to the office where she was surprised to find EJ.  He told her he was returning to the DiMera fold and taking over the company.  Could she handle it if he was her new boss? Sami jumped to the assumption that part of his motivation was to help ease the strain she'd had lately with Marlena over working for Kristen and EJ let her think that. She told him she was okay with him being her new boss. EJ was pleased as he took yet another baby step to getting Sami back.

Marlena warned John that if he let his guard down and Kristen hurt someone, it would be on his head. When Kristen visited John at Basic Black, she offered her solution to helping put Marlena at ease and John felt that she was being super sincere. They shared a touch that John accepted.  Brady caught Kristen's hand on his dad's and, when he was alone with his father, he laid into him.  John defended Kristen and Brady thought he was a fool. 

Kristen sought out Jennifer to reconnect. She offered her friend her condolences regarding Jack. At first, Jennifer was skeptical, but she slowly began to thaw. 

Kristen went to see Father Tobias. He informed her there was a new priest coming aboard. When Brady showed up, Kristen told him there was a board meeting.  Brady surprised her by saying he was now on the board.  He also told Kristen there would be no meeting; he cancelled it so they could talk. He was determined that Kristen leave Salem. She said she was getting tired of him sticking his nose where it didn't belong. The fight escalated and frustrated Kristen finally left. Brady followed. At the square, Kristen was accosted by a mugger. Brady came upon the scene and, despite all, came to her rescue. He had the upper hand, but a second mugger appeared and Brady was hit from behind.  He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.  Kristen called 911 and then called John, leaving him an urgent message about Brady being hurt.

John told Marlena that things were looking good on the Kristen front: he quit the church board and Kristen wasn't Sami's boss any longer. Marlena was glad John could understand her feelings about Kristen. Later, when she saw Kristen had called John she erased the message without even listening to it.  

Lucas went to Sonny - hoping to make peace - and the two agreed that their love for Will was common ground to build a truce on.  Lucas ran into Will and revealed that Sonny said he loved him. Will was truly touched. Lucas once again voiced his support for his son's relationship.

Eric and Nicole were up all night, talking. She was afraid he'd judge her for the terrible thing she did to Jennifer, but he was deeply sympathetic about the loss of her child. Nicole forced Eric to be honest with her, and he shared his opinion that she should find some way to make things right with Daniel and Jennifer. He knew apologizing wasn't her strong suit, but believed she would find forgiveness for herself and from God. Nicole railed at God, but Eric calmed her.  He talked a little about how and why he became a priest. He hoped Nicole would find peace. Nicole left abruptly and went to the Square where she remembered her terrible history with Jennifer. Later, she quietly let herself into the Horton House, and came face -to-face with Jennifer.  Nicole apologized to Jennifer for the hell she put her through. She confessed she'd always felt threatened by Jennifer and that was why she sank as low as she did.  

At the hospital, Kristen visited Brady, who was being held for observation because of the concussion he received while fighting off her muggers. Kristen thanked him for coming to her rescue but Brady still insisted she leave town and stay away from his father and Marlena.  Later, despite Cameron's orders, Brady insisted he was ready to leave the hospital and attempted to get dressed.  He got dizzy and fell into Kristen's arms. She helped him get back into bed and he reluctantly thanked her.

John and Marlena spent the morning together. She was relieved that Kristen was out of their lives. When Kristen left messages about Brady on John's phone, Marlena deleted them without listening to them. Later, she was horrified when she learned Brady had been attacked. She and John rushed to the hospital. Kristen intercepted Marlena and mentioned the messages she left. Marlena realized she inadvertently kept John from his son and tried to fess up, but she was too late; Kristen revealed she left him several voicemails about Brady. John was baffled over why he didn't get them.

Marlena admitted that she erased Kristen's messages to John.  He blew up, angry that Marlena's actions prevented him from being there for injured Brady. John asked that Marlena let go of her growing paranoia regarding Kristen, but she refused, and the rift between them widened.  

Brady started to see Kristen in a different light, believing that she may have indeed turned over a new leaf. Meanwhile Kristen - for the first time, showing her cards - "thanked" Marlena for playing right into her hands.

Kayla told Hope that Caroline's doctor was optimistic she would be a good candidate for their Alzheimer's program. Once she got started on the medication, she and Bo could return home. Hope was ecstatic and they shared the news with Abe. Later, all three observed a sweet moment between Ciara and Theo.  Abe confided in Kayla he wasn't sure he was doing a good job raising Theo on his own.   Kayla was sure Lexie would be proud. 

Jennifer, Adrienne, Billie, Kayla and Hope bonded during their book group meeting. Hope and Kayla visited Eric.  Hope warned him against becoming involved on any level with Nicole. She was trouble, and she hated Jennifer. Eric told Hope that he thought Nicole could change,. Adrienne and Jennifer bonded about life moving on after a great loss.

Sonny tried to question Will about what was eating at him.  Will finally admitted that he couldn't get into it; he made a promise to Gabi that he wouldn't. Sonny said he couldn't imagine ever making a promise to keep things from Will. Later, Chad hinted to Sonny that if he knew what Gabi had done, he'd have second thoughts about letting Will anywhere near her.

Maggie visited Daniel, curious to know what Jennifer wanted. He explained how she did some research about a clinical trial to help his tremors and she talked him into thinking about it. Maggie sought Jennifer out and told her that Daniel was still grappling with everything that had happened.  Jennifer went too far pressuring him to do this. Jennifer realized she pushed too hard because she was anxious to do something good for Daniel. Jennifer found Daniel, ready to apologize for pushing him about the clinical trial but he thanked her.  He was ready to give it a try.

Nicole went to Daniel's, ready to try to apologize to him as she had with Jennifer, but she heard him on a call with Melanie and she pulled back.  Nicole returned to Eric and confessed she apologized to Jennifer as he'd advised, but couldn't do the same with Daniel.  It was too hard as she listened to him trying to move on without her.

Eric offered Nicole a job as the church secretary. She initially balked, but agreed to think about it. Eric then encouraged her to try again to make amends with Daniel. Nicole visited Daniel and apologized. He graciously accepted and Nicole learned about the treatment he was about to get. She was truly happy Jennifer could do this for him.  Then she realized Daniel and Jennifer were not yet a couple, which she confirmed with an unwitting Abigail.  Nicole was unable to stop herself from holding out hope for Daniel.

Jennifer told Daniel that he could receive treatment that day! Although he was still a bit nervous about the risks, he thanked Jennifer and told her he'd head to the hospital.  He was waylaid by Maggie, who was distressed over having learned how risky this injection could be. Daniel told her he was having it done that day and she angrily rushed off to confront Jennifer. She blasted Jennifer for pushing Daniel into this procedure. She ordered Jennifer to stop Daniel.  Jennifer believed he made the right decision. Daniel showed up for the appointment, but when the doctor arrived, he hesitated.

Jennifer saw Daniel's hesitation.  She indicated to him how confident she was.  Daniel made his choice; he was ready to continue.  There was a waiting period for a diagnostic test to determine the results, so Daniel and Jennifer went to get some air.

Kayla and Roman were stunned when Hope revealed Caroline and Bo made an early return from the Alzheimer's clinic. Everyone was relieved to learn Caroline was responding well to the medication. Later, Caroline reunited with Eric and inexplicably broke down in tears. Eric questioned her, fearing his grandmother was not as well as she claimed.

Caroline told Eric about what she did to Daniel when she was a party to switching Parker's paternity test results.  She knew now how wrong she was and felt she never really made Daniel aware of that. Eric said it was never too late to make amends. Daniel and Jennifer arrived and Caroline decided to heed Eric's advice.  She tried to explain what she did to him. Daniel - feeling positive off the treatment and hopeful about the future - forgave Caroline.

Jennifer and Daniel returned to the hospital. He was given the diagnostic test and he learned the treatment was a failure. Daniel was devastated, Jennifer rocked.

Rafe showed up at Sami's office with flowers. He wanted to thank her for her help with Gabi, but instead he found EJ. He learned EJ was Sami's new boss. Sami arrived and EJ left. Rafe couldn't believe Sami didn't tell him she was working for EJ. He thought she purposely kept it from him. Sami denied, and promised she could handle EJ, but Rafe wasn't so sure.  EJ returned and Rafe left. EJ hoped Sami had no plans, as he wanted to work through the night. Sami stuffed her feelings for Rafe. We saw Rafe, realizing he and Sami were a long way from meeting in the middle.

Kate tracked down Stefano in his European café and confronted him regarding the divorce papers. Her attempt at reconciliation was met coolly.  Kate signed the papers and stormed off, leaving Stefano to show his sadness.

As John admitted to a grateful Kristen that he believed in her redemption, Marlena reached out to Brady to try to convince him to stay vigilant. Marlena found that Brady shared his father's view of her nemesis - and she was now alone in her suspicions.  Desperate, Marlena broke into Kristen's hotel room, hoping to find incriminating evidence. She opened a computer file on Kristen's tablet which seems to indicate her obsession with John was ongoing.  Kristen caught her snooping. John called, and Brady and Marlena worried Kristen would tell him about Marlena breaking into her hotel room, but she covered.  After Kristen hung up with John, Brady thanked her for her cooperation and saw her in a new light. He was about to leave when Kristen winced in pain from her injured wrist. As Brady gently examined it, they were both affected by the physical contact. 

Marlena made the huge decision not to tell John about what happened with Kristen. Later, Brady ran into John and admitted he still didn't completely trust Kristen. At the same time, Marlena almost confessed to Eric regarding Kristen but she interrupted them. Later, as Brady arrived unnoticed, Kristen asked Father Tobias to hear her confession. Brady was unable to stop himself from eavesdropping as Kristen admitted she was afraid she was about to repeat a mistake from her past she deeply regretted.

It was a struggle for Kristen as she admitted she'd tried to get past her negative feelings for Marlena but had largely failed. That was in part, she said, because Marlena would not allow it.  She told Father Tobias about Marlena snooping in her hotel room. She initially wanted to bust Marlena for it but was stopped.  Father Tobias assumed by John. Kristen said no, by someone else, someone amazing. Brady reacted, listening even more closely.  Kristen knew the feelings she was having were wrong. In fact, she was horrified by them. She quickly rushed out and Brady followed. Kristen was in her room, upset, when Brady arrived.

DECEMBER 2012:

Nick shared his plans to marry Gabi and raise her baby as his own with Will, who was too shocked and overwhelmed to make a decision.  Will and Gabi talked about Nick's offer. Gabi told Rafe that Nick wanted to marry her and he supported them. Gabi urged Rafe to think about Sami; she thought they were good together. 

Will finally signed off on Nick's commitment to Gabi and his child. Nick got preachy and Will got terse with his cousin. Will later ran into Eric and said that he was gay. Eric assured Will that he would always be his uncle first.  Nick and Gabi told Sonny their plan and he realized they were keeping this secret.

Daniel learned that his treatment failed and that his condition was permanent. Maggie and Nicole blamed Jennifer for pushing him to make the decision. Jennifer tried to comfort Daniel but he rejected her and asked her to keep her distance because her pity was too painful to bear. 

Eric gave Nicole tough love; he told her that she wouldn't get over Daniel as long as she was lying to herself and him, too, for that matter. Nicole tried to be a friend to Daniel but he was unresponsive. She railed against Jennifer and Daniel kicked her out. Nicole told Eric that he was right about her dealing with her problems, and we learned that Eric might have some demons of his own that he was dealing with.

Nicole and Eric grew closer on her first day of work. Sami was appalled to see Nicole working for Eric. She gave Eric a piece of her mind. Eric told her that some of the things she had done were just as bad, if not worse, than Nicole.  EJ gave Nicole a hard time about working for a priest. Nicole assured EJ that he was doomed because Sami only loved Rafe.

Maggie went to Daniel. She blamed Jennifer for raising his hopes. He admitted he needed some time off, and Maggie encouraged him to get away from Salem, and from Jennifer. He agreed to go to the cabin on Smith Island.   Jennifer learned where Daniel went and followed. 

Nicole heard Eric crying out, having another nightmare. He sent her to pick something up from Maggie, who she knew hated her, but she went anyway and made amends. While there, she overheard that Daniel was at Smith Island, and she decided to follow him, too. 

Nicole let Eric know she'd be away overnight and showed up at the cabin offering a shoulder to Daniel. There was a knock at the door...it was Jennifer.  Nicole blasted her and told her that she should leave and that Daniel hated her.  Daniel arrived. He asked for some time alone with Jennifer, but Nicole remained within earshot. Daniel lost his cool with Jennifer and said he didn't want her friendship. She collapsed. Daniel realized she had appendicitis. He told Nicole that Jennifer needed a hospital, fast.

Nicole and Daniel couldn't catch the ferry and he was forced to operate to save Jennifer's life. In a brief moment of consciousness, Jennifer told Daniel she loved him.  Groggy, she repeated her declaration. Touched, he returned the sentiment and Nicole overheard. She knew she'd lost Daniel. She mentioned that she was glad his tremors were gone, and that the treatment must've been a success! They heard the ferry and got Jennifer to the hospital, where Daniel admitted to himself that he was cured. Maggie and Abigail rushed to the hospital. Daniel broke the good news to Maggie! She made amends with Jennifer.  

Sami wanted to accompany EJ to see her brother, hoping to get the two of them on good terms. Eric sized EJ up. In the end, Rafe walked into a close moment between Sami and EJ.  He turned to leave and "met" Eric. They talked about Sami, then Rafe introduced Eric to Gabi. Sami and EJ enjoyed working together, but she continued to be pulled toward Rafe. 

Brady told Kristen that he heard her confession about having feelings for him. Kristen tried to deny it but Brady stood his ground. She tried to kick him out but he held his own, and things then got <i>physical</i>. They woke up together and decided that their encounter was a mistake. She didn't want to cause problems with John and Marlena, and she knew how much Brady's family meant to him. Despite their intense physical attraction, Brady left. Kristen called John and told him that she needed to see him.  Before John left, Marlena almost told him about breaking in to Kristen's room, but he thought it was best to not talk about Kristen.  As John left, a lipstick fell from his pocket and Marlena found it. Kate arrived to tell her about signing divorce papers from Stefano. She saw the lipstick and confirmed it could be Kristen's.  Billie revealed that she just saw John going into Kristen's hotel. Marlena went to the hotel, where she heard Kristen in the throes of passion.

Marlena walked in on Brady and Kristen making love! Kristen saw Marlena, who fled. Brady didn't see Marlena and Kristen chose not to tell him. They resumed making love. Later, Kristen told Brady that his coming back was a mistake, but he wanted to see where this might lead. Kristen was touched, but argued against it. They put their discussion on hold when Kristen received a call from EJ, and Brady had a meeting with Victor.  

Kristen told EJ the "someone" was about the get the shock of their life, while Brady admitted to Victor that he misjudged someone and was surprised. Meanwhile, Marlena ran into John. He felt guilty that he didn't tell her that he went to see Kristen, but he overheard Billie and realized Marlena already knew. 

Gabi told Rafe she was going to marry Nick. She was worried that he would think it was a bad idea, but he was just worried about how fast everything was happening. This inspired him to go tell Sami he needed her help with Gabi. She agreed.  Rafe apologized to Gabi for his reaction when he learned how long she had been pregnant.

Marlena was on the verge of telling John she saw Kristen and Brady in bed together when Brady interrupted. Marlena realized he didn't know that she saw him with Kristen. Marlena kept quiet. John told Brady that there were still some problems between him and Marlena regarding Kristen. Meanwhile, Kristen confronted Marlena about what she saw and tried to justify that it just happened. John arrived and Kristen watched.  Marlena told John about breaking into Kristen's room. John was called away on an emergency. Marlena told Kristen it wasn't up to her to tell John; it was Kristen and Brady's business. 

Kristen texted Brady and he met her at her hotel room.  They made love, then Kristen hinted that Brady should come clean to John. Brady used her own words against her and said that this should be their secret. Kristen realizes it was in her best interest to keep John in the dark ... for now.

Will confided in Lucas about a huge disagreement he had had with Sonny. Lucas offered advice.  Sonny confided in Chad about the argument. Chad encouraged him not to let Gabi get in the way. Lucas told Sonny that Will was torn and asked if their argument was over the money Will borrowed. Sonny figured out what the money was for and told Will he knew his secret.  Will was freaked that Sonny knew, but he said he understood. Sonny was referring to Will taking Gabi to the abortion clinic. Sonny and Will planned their first Christmas together. Gabi heard that Sonny knew and was scared others would figure it out, as well.

Sami involved Rafe in the wedding planning.  Rafe asked Eric to counsel Nick and Gabi and preside over the wedding. Eric realized Gabi was pregnant, and decided to meet with them. Rafe and Sami shared a nice moment, which turned sour when the subject of trust came up.  Chad told Sonny about Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping.  Sonny told Justin what Chad told him about Gabi. Justin warned Chad he was in breach; if he didn't stop harassing Gabi, he would do time. Abigail saw this and asked what was going on, but Chad turned the tables and asked her out.  

Nick and Gabi met with Eric for pre-cana. She was worried he would tell the truth. John and Marlena talked with Nick and Gabi and learned she was pregnant. Marlena wondered if she was ashamed. Gabi assured she wasn't. Nick and Gabi reassured her and John that they were in love.   

Chad told Sonny about Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping.  Sonny told Justin what Chad told him about Gabi. Justin warned Chad he was in breach; if he didn't stop harassing Gabi, he would do time. Abigail saw this and asked what was going on, but Chad turned the tables and asked her out. 

Sami and Caroline urged Will to be Nick's best man. Gabi and Nick were unable to help him out of the uncomfortable situation. Will felt overwhelmed and left. Gabi went to look for him and ran into Sonny, who had just learned about her role in Melanie's kidnapping. He was cold with Gabi and warned her against hurting Will. Will ran into Chad, who asked for confirmation about Gabi, then walked away, still suspicious. Gabi questioned Sonny's new attitude and was unnerved when she saw Chad smiling smugly at her.

Hope and Sami got together to discuss the wedding, but Gabi didn't show up. She was tracking down Chad, and reminded him that he'd go to jail if he broke their agreement. Chad told her he was suspicious that she was lying. Gabi returned to the pub to meet with Sami and Hope. It slipped how long she'd been pregnant, which contradicted what Hope had heard from Nick.  Gabi was on the spot.  Nick came in and saw that she was terrified. He covered, saying they didn't want people to realize they got pregnant the day he came out of prison. Rafe thought Nick took advantage of Gabi and was disappointed in his sister. Nick reassured and comforted Gabi. 

Will was taken aback when Sonny admitted he didn't like Gabi and wanted him to stay away from her. Will was offended and defended Gabi. Sami asked Sonny to be an usher and he quickly declined, leaving her confused.

Daniel got checked out and confirmed that his tremors were cured. Jennifer was ready to be released. When she and Daniel were face-to-face, he realized she didn't remember telling him she loved him. He was crushed, but didn't remind her. Once she was home, however, the memories came flooding back and she was stunned when she realized what she told Daniel.  She told Abigail, who assured her that if she was ready to move on, she was supportive. Jennifer privately said goodbye to her life with Jack and made a decision. She returned to the hospital and told a surprised Daniel she needed to see him.

Daniel saw Kate showing a photo of Parker to Maxine. He couldn't help but steal a look. Kate was compassionate and told him about Parker. She mentioned Chloe and Philip weren't together, and that Parker wasn't doing very well. Kate left Daniel with Parker's photo.  

Brady bought Kristen a bracelet and wrote a love note. Victor called John to come over and told him to tread lightly. As John was leaving, he saw the envelope and gift addressed to Kristen. Meanwhile, Brady had gone to see Kristen and they had sex. He realized he left his gift for her at home. While they were getting dressed, there was a voice/knock at the door. Brady hid and Kristen let John in, with Brady's gift in hand. He thought the gift was innocent and explained that he was there because of what Marlena told him about the break-in.  He was grateful Kristen didn't press charges. John left and Brady officially gave Kristen the gift; we saw he was falling for her. Kristen was still going off her personal agenda.

Marlena realized that was relieved Kristen was with Brady and not John.

Jennifer finally told Daniel how she really felt.  They almost kissed, but Lucas burst in disapprovingly.  He crossed a line when he questioned Jennifer's respect for Jack's memory. Jennifer set Lucas right, then turned her attention back to Daniel.

Eric checked in on Caroline. She told him he looked tired and that he seemed uneasy since Africa. Later, he had an intense flashback of a gunshot and cried out.  Nicole asked him what was wrong.  She thought he might have residual feelings for her, but he let her down easily. He finally told her a story of a horrific incident in Congo. Nicole tried to ease his guilt, but Eric felt responsible. 

Sami met with EJ and found loads of presents delivered for Johnny and Sydney. She was impressed when he told her that the kids needed to know how lucky they were and that there were others who were not. EJ arranged for Johnny and Sydney to donate some of their toys. Sami was touched. Rafe admitted EJ was doing a good thing. Kristen confessed that she was getting close to someone but that EJ wouldn't like it. Sami encouraged EJ to steer clear of the DiMeras by implying he was on the right track to win her back. EJ wouldn't renounce his family, just their ways. Those who loved him must accept him.  Sami was impressed.

Sami was with the kids and Caroline and Rafe at the pub. Being with the family reminded Rafe and Sami of what it was like when they were together. Sami opened up to Caroline and told her that she was torn between Rafe and EJ. Caroline advised her not to choose rashly. EJ was at Lexie's gravesite, then went to the pub where Sami comforted him. Kayla told Abe not to make any Christmas plans.  

Kristen faked a nightmare in bed with Brady.  She confessed that she was worried about Marlena and John learning about their affair. Brady told her they could continue in secrecy. Meanwhile, Marlena didn't know what to do about Kristen. She asked Hope to help her figure out how much Brady had fallen for Kristen. Marlena learned he was vested in the relationship and worried about telling John. Hope reminded her that it was just a matter of time.

After seeing Johnny and Sydney, Kristen plotted to use her infertility to draw Brady closer. Her ploy worked and Brady pushed for a commitment. Later, Jennifer walked in on them in a compromising position.  Brady rushed after Jennifer and tried to explain. She questioned how Brady could be with Kristen. He told her he wanted to see where things went and urged her not to tell anyone. Kristen ran into Hope. She was suspicious that Hope knew about her and Brady. Kristen visited Jennifer and tried to convince her that her motives with Brady were innocent. Kristen realized John would find out soon.

The Horton family welcomed Gabi as one of their own, while Lucas welcomed Sonny.

EJ encouraged Chad to date, telling him it was time to move on. Chad saw Abigail and wanted to ask to spend New Year's Eve with her, but when he heard she had plans, he backed off.

Will had a bad dream that his son wouldn't ever know him. Sonny asked what was wrong, but Will couldn't tell him the truth.  

Eric told Gabi and Nick that he could marry them in the church. Gabi told Will that his dream was reality; his child now belonged to Nick. Gabi went to Father Eric, who wanted her to talk about what was wrong. It looked like she might come clean. Nick was on his way to Gabi, while Kate warned Will that Nick was not to be trusted.   

Kate questioned Will about Nick, worried about his arrogance and hiring him. Will admitted that Nick loved Gabi and that he was doing the right thing. Meanwhile, Nick rushed to Eric's meeting with Gabi. Sami got there first and stopped him from interrupting.  She barged in, instead, and offered to tell Eric the truth. Eric gave his blessing anyway.

Daniel and Jennifer exchanged a heartfelt text.  They planned a lunch date, but Jennifer was nervous as it had been so long since they last tried. Jennifer overheard Daniel confide in Maggie about the time he thought he was Parker's father and decided to cancel their date. Nonetheless, he showed up at her doorstep with flowers.  He insisted they go on their date and they shared a sweet kiss.

Nicole almost gave up on faith, but received a sign and message from an unexpected person.  Nicole invited Eric to spend New Year's Eve with her so she wouldn't be alone, but he declined.  He urged her to spend it volunteering. She ran into Rafe, and they decided to spend New Year's Eve together. 

Eric talked to Brady and sensed there was a woman in his life, but he wouldn't say who.   Later, Kristen gave Brady a personal gift. Meanwhile, Marlena and Roman celebrated with Eric at Christmas, while Hope reached out from across the globe to hang family ornaments together.

While Kristen continued to plot against John, he suggested Brady double date with him and Marlena on New Year's Eve, so he wouldn't spend it alone. Brady wanted to spend New Year's Eve with Kristen, but she thought it was too risky. They devised a plan to sneak some time in. Kristen ran into Marlena and pushed her buttons. Marlena lashed out, but John didn't want to hear it.