Sami arranged to meet with Chad in a secluded section of the town square, but when he realized she wanted to talk to him about his relationship with his brother, he informed her that he wasn't interested. Sami stopped Chad from walking away, suggesting that they could instead talk about their relationship. Sami said she had been happy to think that she and Chad had connected and gained a mutual respect for each other because of what had happened with Grace. Chad confirmed that he felt the same way.
Sami apologetically acknowledged that it was basically her fault that Chad had gotten shot during her and E.J.'s engagement party, since Bernardi's widow had crashed it with the intention of making Sami pay for shooting Bernardi. "That was the night that everything changed for both of us, wasn't it? If I hadn't taken that bullet for E.J., then Abigail and I would still be together, and E.J. wouldn't have slept with her," Chad mused.
Sami assured Chad that she knew how he felt, since it had been just as devastating for her to find out about E.J. and Abigail's affair as it had been for Chad to find out about it. Sami apologized for sending Chad a copy of the TruVista article that had exposed the affair, admitting that, while she had been angry and had believed that Chad needed to know about the affair, she still could have handled the situation better.
Chad assured Sami that he understood and that he was actually grateful that she had helped him finally realize what kind of man his brother really was, but he added that it was presumptuous of her to insist that she knew how he felt about the situation. "I do understand, okay? E.J. and I were having troubles, yeah, but he asked me to stay. I thought we were in a committed relationship when he -- I have found a way to forgive E.J. I have forgiven him. If I can do it, damn it, I don't understand why you can't," Sami countered.
Chad pointedly wondered just how many times Sami had forgiven E.J. in the past, and he guessed that she hadn't really gotten over E.J.'s betrayal -- she had just known how much she had stood to lose if she had walked away from E.J. for good. Sami insisted that wasn't true, but Chad ignored her protests. "Maybe you can't make yourself stop caring about the guy, but I can. I didn't even know he was my brother until a few years ago. If E.J. were gone from my life, I wouldn't miss him for a second," Chad concluded.
Chad told Sami that, while he wouldn't judge her for taking E.J. back again, since that was her prerogative, she would never be able to convince him to forgive E.J. "That bullet I took -- it doesn't mean a thing. [...] E.J.'s already dead to me," Chad added with a shrug before walking away.
At the DiMera mansion, E.J. contacted Stefano to find out if Victor's claim that Stefano planned to undermine E.J. was true. "Kiriakis is a liar. [...] I have no intention of undermining my own son. I intend to destroy him," Stefano angrily clarified. E.J. protested that, while he understood that his father was furious about what Sami and Kate had done, he had already promised to make restitution for the damage the women had caused. E.J. added that Sami was not only his wife but also the mother of Stefano's grandchildren, and he reasoned that Stefano wouldn't want to hurt those kids in any way.
"I am sick of you holding that over my head. Those two guttersnipes humiliated us both, but what they have done pales in comparison to the betrayal of my own son! [...] Your unhealthy addiction to that bitch, do you understand, is no excuse for betraying the man who gave you your life!" Stefano snarled. E.J. tried to protest that he would never do such a thing, but Stefano impatiently silenced him. "No. More. Lies. I know about everything that you have done. [...] You are the reason that I am a fugitive," Stefano growled.
E.J. feigned ignorance, pointing out that he had also faced criminal charges and had even spent time in jail, and he innocently clarified that Rafe had just happened to stumble upon new evidence against Stefano right before the hearing in which Stefano had expected the initial charges to be dismissed. "That idiot did not happen to do anything on his own, do you understand? You gave it to him[...], you self-righteous turncoat! You sold your own father down the river for that worthless whore!" Stefano knowingly countered.
E.J. unapologetically protested that his father had left him with no other choice, and he added that he wouldn't stand for such things being said about his wife. "Oh, and now he's offended -- the adulterer, the traitor who had sex with his brother's lover," Stefano mockingly replied. E.J. said he wouldn't defend what had happened with Abigail. "Because you can't, you traitorous swine! Oh, thank God I still have one loyal son. [...] Per l'eternità -- you are out of my life forever, Elvis. You are no longer...my son," Stefano replied through gritted teeth before ending the call.
When Chad returned to the mansion later that day, E.J. was waiting for him in the living room. "You son of a bitch," E.J. snapped as he glared at Chad.
At Club TBD, Brady argued that thanking Kristen for helping John was the decent thing to do, but Marlena insisted that Brady didn't owe Kristen anything. Marlena pointed out that Kristen had only helped John for selfish reasons -- not just because doing so had allowed her to escape prosecution but also because she wanted Brady back. "Is that why you can't leave this alone? Is that what you want, too?" Marlena wondered. Brady denied the suspicion and explained that he simply needed to thank Kristen because doing the right thing was part of the twelve-step process.
In Daniel's apartment, Daniel explained to a delighted Kristen that he was more suspicious of Theresa than ever before. When Kristen realized that Theresa had threatened Daniel earlier, she excitedly urged him to work with her to take Theresa down. Daniel reminded Kristen that they didn't have any proof of Theresa's guilt, and he insisted that he wasn't going to participate in railroading Theresa, since he only wanted her to be punished if she was truly guilty. Daniel reasoned that he and Kristen were just going to have to learn how to accept the fact that they might never know what had really happened unless John eventually regained his memories.
"You know what, Daniel? That is the difference between you and me. You're so happy just to sit back and let Theresa get away with doing something like that. Well, that's not me, and that is not our only option," Kristen countered. Daniel warned that he wouldn't let Kristen get away with falsely accusing Theresa or fabricating evidence in an attempt to implicate her. As Kristen feigned concern, she received a text message from her lawyer, and she happily informed Daniel that all the charges against her had been dismissed earlier.
Meanwhile, Parker's babysitter returned the boy to the apartment, and Kristen smiled as she watched Daniel interact with his son. After greeting Parker, Kristen abruptly excused herself so that he wouldn't have to be exposed to the likes of her for too long, but before leaving, she mused that Parker was precious, and she hoped Daniel knew just how lucky he was to have the boy in his life. Kristen lingered in the hallway for a moment to listen to Parker's laughter before heading toward the elevator. As Kristen waited for it to arrive, she received a phone call from Brady, who asked to meet with her someplace private right away.
Brady went to Kristen's hotel room to apologize. Kristen insisted that Brady didn't owe her anything, but he disagreed, reasoning that she had given him and his father their lives back. Kristen casually wondered what John had remembered about the night of his head injury. Brady replied that neither he nor John could remember much about what had happened that night, and he mused that it was probably for the best that they had forgotten the ugliness that had led to John's hospitalization.
Brady started to leave, but Kristen stopped him. "I really believe that fate wanted me to help you, you know? Maybe it makes up for some of the mistakes we've made -- with each other, with other people. You can't leave -- not now. I know in your heart you understand why," Kristen said as she leaned in to kiss Brady.
Upon request, Julie went to the Horton house to see Jennifer, who wanted Julie to convince Eve that J.J. was a good kid. Jennifer thought Julie might be able to get through to Eve because Julie had seen something good in Eve years earlier that Jennifer had never been able to see. Julie confirmed that she had been impressed with Eve's talent and passion when Eve had worked as a singer at Wings, and she happily agreed to talk to Eve.
Eve tracked her sister down in a break room at the hospital and started bragging that her earlier meeting with her throat surgeon had gone very well, meaning that she would likely be singing again soon. Theresa, who had been nervously pacing the floor, interrupted and irritably snapped that the world didn't revolve around Eve, who sarcastically agreed that it instead revolved around Theresa. "What the hell are you freaking out about now?" Eve wondered, so Theresa worriedly explained that John was starting to remember things about the night of his head injury.
Eve didn't think there was anything to worry about, since John probably would have already said something to someone if he had remembered anything important about that particular night. Theresa accepted Eve's logic and started to calm down. Meanwhile, Maxine entered the room. "Theresa -- just the person I'm looking for. John Black wants to see you," Maxine announced.
After Maxine left, Eve assured Theresa that John might just want to talk about Theresa's marriage to Brady -- which was, after all, the reason Brady had supposedly hit John in the first place. Realizing that Eve could be right, Theresa nodded and nervously headed to John's room, where he greeted her as Jeannie and cryptically informed her that he had started to remember certain things about the night he had been hurt -- and that he wanted to talk to her about those things, since he believed she had been present when Brady had hit him.
Theresa confirmed the suspicion and apologized for starting the chain of events that had led to Brady and John's fight. Theresa assured John that she and Brady had gotten an annulment and were no longer married. "You mean you never were," John clarified. Theresa nodded and said she wished she had been in the room with John and Brady when their fight had started, since she might have been able to stop it if she had been. Theresa added that she would do anything to take back what had happened that night if it were possible to do so. "I bet you would," John muttered.
Theresa nervously wondered if John wanted to ask her about anything else. John shook his head and dismissively stated that he just wanted to get some rest. Theresa took the hint and started to leave, but she paused when she spotted a spare pillow laying on a chair. Theresa hesitantly approached John's bed with the pillow and hovered over him for a moment before stuffing it behind his head and stating that she hoped he would start feeling better soon. Theresa also hoped she and John could have a better relationship with each other, moving forward, but he noncommittally replied that his son was his only concern.
Theresa left John's room and breathed a sigh of relief, believing that he still hadn't remembered what had really happened to him. Theresa sent a text message to Eve to let her know everything was okay. Meanwhile, Jennifer approached and observed that Theresa seemed suspiciously pleasant for once. Theresa claimed that she was just thrilled about John's recovery and that nothing could spoil her good mood -- not even Jennifer.
Theresa seized the opportunity to ask Jennifer about Kristen, musing that it was interesting that Jennifer had been able to befriend someone like Kristen but had always treated Theresa like the devil. "I was Kristen's friend. I do make mistakes," Jennifer admitted. Theresa feigned disbelief, and Jennifer impatiently wondered what Theresa wanted to know about Kristen.
Theresa explained that her relationship with Brady had made Kristen jealous and had caused Kristen to start harassing her. Jennifer wished Theresa luck, insisting that it would be needed if Kristen were truly out to get Theresa. After Jennifer left, Theresa assured herself that Kristen wouldn't be able to touch her without John's help -- and that he wouldn't be giving that to Kristen anytime soon.
Meanwhile, John grabbed the pillow Theresa had given him and tossed it across the room. "It was her," John confidently concluded. Later, when Marlena entered the room, John urgently informed her that he needed to see Brady right away -- and that he knew what had really happened to him on the night of his head injury. Marlena said she first wanted to talk to John about some things that had happened while he had been unconscious -- things involving Kristen that Marlena wanted to be the one to tell John about. "John, she's back in Salem. Brady is with her right now," Marlena revealed, drawing a heavy sigh from John.
At Eve's apartment, Julie and Eve caught up with each other for a bit, with Julie ultimately concluding that she thought it was wonderful that Eve planned to return to a singing career in the near future, since that would likely mean that Eve wouldn't have as much time to devote to making J.J. and Paige miserable. Julie pointedly warned Eve that they both knew exactly what usually happened when a parent tried to forbid a child from seeing someone. Realizing the real reason for Julie's unexpected visit, Eve dismissively predicted that Paige's relationship with J.J. was just a teenage fantasy that wouldn't last long at all.
Bev spotted Paige studying in the town square and seized the opportunity to gloat about how Rory had mentioned that J.J. had hooked up with a random girl at the recent college party. Paige clarified that nothing had happened between J.J. and the girl in question, but Bev expressed skepticism. Bev warned that J.J. would always have girls throwing themselves at him, and she walked away after adding that he had never really struck her as the kind of guy who could just say no to them.
J.J. went to the Brady Pub to see Kayla, knowing that she had arranged to meet with Paige there later that day. J.J. thanked Kayla for being nice enough to show Paige around the hospital the previous day. Kayla guessed that J.J. had expected her to have a problem with Paige because Eve was Paige's mother. Kayla assured J.J. that she wouldn't hold that against Paige, who was a sweet girl Kayla had enjoyed getting to know better. Kayla thought J.J. had something else he wanted to say to her, but he claimed that was all he had wanted to talk to her about. Kayla watched suspiciously as J.J. walked away.
Later, during an interview Paige was conducting, Kayla credited Jack for being the first person to plant the seed in her head, years earlier, when she had been working as his private duty nurse, that she would make an even better doctor. Paige didn't know who Jack was, so Kayla clarified that he was J.J.'s father. Paige was surprised to learn that Jack had once been sick, since J.J. had never mentioned that. Kayla somewhat uncomfortably explained that Jack had gotten sick before J.J. and Abigail had been born -- actually, before Jack had even met Jennifer -- and that Jack had eventually made a full recovery and moved on with his life.
Oblivious to Kayla's discomfort, Paige wished that she could have met Jack before he had died, and she wondered if he had been just like J.J. as a young man. Kayla diplomatically replied that Jack had been one of a kind. As Paige recalled that Kayla had been married to Jack's brother, Steve, Kayla received a text message from the hospital, and she abruptly -- and somewhat gratefully -- excused herself, explaining that there had just been an accident on the expressway. Paige understood and reasoned that she and Kayla could finish their conversation at a later date. "Great," Kayla hesitantly agreed before exiting the pub.
J.J. went to Daniel's apartment to wait for Paige, since Daniel had told the young couple to think of the place as a refuge from Eve. Daniel quickly surmised that something was bothering J.J., so he urged J.J. to talk to him about the matter. J.J. admitted that he felt lucky that Paige believed he hadn't done anything wrong at the party -- and that Daniel believed him, too, since he had done some horrible things to Daniel the previous year.
Daniel said that was all ancient history, but J.J. didn't seem convinced. J.J. regretfully explained that when he had been living in England, he had -- among other things -- been with a lot of girls, all of whom he had treated poorly. J.J. stressed that he didn't treat Paige that way, but Daniel guessed that there was still some sort of problem between J.J. and Paige, and he urged J.J. to open up about it. "I guess...I'm just worried that I'm gonna screw things up with Paige," J.J. admitted.
Before Daniel could reply, he received a text message about the accident on the expressway, and he abruptly excused himself, leaving J.J. to watch Parker alone until Paige arrived. Daniel assured J.J. that they would resume the conversation later. After Daniel left, J.J. slumped down on the couch with a heavy sigh. "If I can't even bring it up to Daniel, then how am I ever gonna talk about it with Paige?" J.J. worriedly wondered.
When Paige arrived, J.J. happily greeted her. "J.J., why didn't you tell me about your dad and Aunt Kayla?" Paige wondered.
J.J. met with Paige at Daniel's apartment while he was babysitting Parker. J.J. was thrilled to see his girlfriend, but when she asked him why he had not told her about Jack and Kayla, J.J.'s smile fell away. Confused, J.J. stammered that he did not know what Kayla had said. Paige explained that Kayla had informed her that Kayla had been a nurse that had attended Jack when he had been ill and that the experience had made her realize that she wanted to be a doctor. J.J. nodded. When Paige noted that is was weird that Kayla had not known that her patient was the brother of her boyfriend, J.J. nodded.
"Why do you seem so surprised?" Paige asked. J.J. lied that he had not known the details. Curious, Paige asked J.J. why he had seemed upset. Parker cried in the other room, and Paige went to check on him. While J.J. waited in the living room, J.J. thought about when Jennifer had told him about Kayla's rape. J.J. wondered aloud how he could tell Paige what had happened. Paige overheard J.J. as she returned to the room, and she asked him about it.
"I found out that my dad wasn't always the dad that I thought was always so great," J.J. said. J.J. explained that he had learned that Jack had been a jerk before he had met Jennifer and during their marriage. Hurt, J.J. recounted how Jack had left his family multiple times to chase dreams. J.J. added that everyone had thought ill of Jack when J.J. was growing up but that J.J. had always loved his father. When Paige reminded J.J. that Jack had been good to him, J.J. said that he wanted to hold on to the good memories of Jack. J.J. asked Paige not to talk to Kayla about Jack anymore. Paige agreed.
After checking on Parker, Paige and J.J. discussed schoolwork then cuddled on the couch. J.J. was worried that Daniel would be uncomfortable with the two of them making out on the couch. Paige smiled and kissed J.J. J.J. pulled away and said that they needed to stop. Nervous, J.J. abruptly jumped to his feet and asked Paige to watch Parker while he went to lab. Concerned by J.J.'s abrupt exit, Paige wondered aloud why J.J. kept pulling away from her.
Will set up a welcome home party for Johnny, Sydney, and Allie in his apartment. While Will hung the banner, Sami knocked on the door. Will opened the door, and Sami handed Will a gift for Arianna. Sami thanked Will for throwing the party. Under the impression that Lucas had told Will about Sami and E.J.'s reconciliation, Sami apologized to Will for not telling him about it. Stunned, Will blurted out, "You took that creep back?"
Will was furious with his mother. Sami reminded Will that E.J. had been good to him, but Will said he was angry that E.J. had hurt Sami and had seduced Abigail. When Will asked Sami whether she had any pride in herself, a frustrated Sami asked Will if he had meant it when he had asked for a truce. Will clarified that he had offered the truce to Sami, not E.J. When Will asked Sami if she intended to forgive Abigail like she had forgiven E.J., Sami reminded Will that Abigail was not a victim.
"I'm not saying it's all her fault, but she certainly has a history. I mean she did pull quite a scam on Austin," Sami said with a smirk. Will reminded Sami that Abigail had not had sex with Austin. Will argued that Abigail was not capable of seducing E.J. DiMera. Sami yelled at Will to stop. Frustrated, Sami started to leave, but Will stopped her by promising to listen to Sami.
With a sigh, Sami noted that people made mistakes. Sami reminded Will of when he had lied to Sonny about Arianna's paternity because he had failed to trust Sonny. Sami noted that if Sonny had hurt Will by making a mistake but still loved Will, Will would be able to forgive Sonny.
"Are you sure that you would be able to throw away everything that you have?" Sami asked. Will said he was unsure. Will added that he understood why Sami was reluctant to throw away her marriage. "No one knows what happens in a marriage except for the two people in it," Will commented. Arianna started crying in her room, and Will rushed in to check on his daughter. Sami dried her eyes and noticed a pad of notes on the table about Chad. Concerned, Sami asked Will when he returned to the living room if the article on Chad was why Will had wanted to talk.
Sami warned Will that he should not write an article about Chad. Will explained that he had been hired as a writer, and his first assignment was to write the article. Sami pleaded with Will not to write the article because Chad and E.J. were feuding. With a gasp, Will asked whether Sami was surprised that Chad was angry. Sami worried aloud that Chad would trash E.J. in the article, but Will stressed that no one would stop him from writing the article. When Sami mentioned Abigail's feelings, Will dismissed Sami's ploy and argued that Abigail would not be in the article. With a grumble, Sami walked out.
In the DiMera mansion, E.J. and Chad argued. E.J. wanted Chad to leave the mansion, but Chad noted that Kate had more of a right to pick the inhabitants of the house than E.J. As E.J. growled a warning, Chad smiled and announced that E.J. had to have talked to Stefano. E.J. said that Chad had woken a beast. Chad shrugged and reminded E.J. of the last time E.J. had made a grab for the company, but E.J. clarified that what E.J. had done then was business, and Stefano had respected that.
"He knows it was me who turned him in to the police. He knows that if he comes back to this town, he's going to prison for a very long time, and he knows that because of you," E.J. said. Chad noted that Stefano could have learned the information on his own. E.J. said that he had handed the information to the police to protect Sami and Kate. Chad argued that E.J. was getting what he deserved.
"I've never informed on him to the police before. He sees that as the ultimate betrayal, but I'm sure he told you that," E.J. said. With a smirk, Chad sarcastically joked that Stefano was not likely to kill his own son. "That is precisely what he'll do," E.J. said quietly. Chad accused E.J. of being melodramatic. E.J. reminded Chad that Stefano had banished Tony to an island and had let Peter rot away in jail.
With a chuckle, Chad asked if E.J. was saying that Stefano was sexist. With a sad shake of his head, E.J. added that Stefano had taken his time extracting Kristen from the white slave trade and had abducted Lexie and held her in a cancerous, underground dwelling. Chad's face fell at the reminder of Lexie's death.
"He is the same vengeful monster that he was born to be, and you have unleashed that monster on me and my family. You may hate me, but Samantha, your niece, Chad, your nephew, would you have them be destroyed too? Could you live with that?" E.J. asked. Chad called E.J. pathetic for invoking his children as a reason for Chad to back off. E.J. asked Chad to tell Stefano that Kate had told Chad a lie and that E.J. had not betrayed Stefano.
"You should have thought about what I would do when you were tearing Abigail's clothes off. But you didn't, did you? You didn't even call me when everything blew up in your face. I had to get a package from Sami. And by the way, she highlights all the good parts, so thank you for that," Chad yelled. E.J. apologized for not reaching out to Chad, adding that he had hoped that everything would go away. Angry, Chad called E.J. selfish for not to telling Chad the truth and said that he had no plans to talk to Stefano.
"Seeing you squirm, it's making my day. Bottom line, brother, I don't care what father or anyone else does to you," Chad said.
In John's hospital room, Marlena attempted to break the news about Kristen's involvement in John's recovery, but John interrupted at the mention of Kristen's name. Panicked, John asked Marlena if Brady was with Kristen. When Marlena said yes, John demanded that Marlena hand him the phone.
In Kristen's hotel room, she and Brady stood close to one another, lips close to touching. Brady pulled away and argued that he could not fall back into Kristen's arms. As Brady turned to leave, Kristen begged Brady to remember what she had done to help John, and she asked him if Brady wanted to forget her. Brady stressed that their relationship had ended when Kristen had drugged and raped Eric. When Kristen countered that Brady still wanted her, Brady retorted that he still wanted cocaine too.
Confused, Kristen asked Brady why he had visited her. Brady explained that he had wanted to thank Kristen for helping John. As Kristen nodded, Brady's phone rang. Seeing that the call was from Marlena, Brady answered and asked about John. Marlena told Brady that John was feeling better and that he wanted Brady to return to the hospital with Kristen. Brady agreed. Kristen reminded Brady that there was a restraining order in place, but Brady texted Roman to lift the restraining order.
At the Brady Pub, Caroline thanked Eric for what he had done to help John. Eric shook his head and noted that the doctors had saved John. Worried, Eric wondered aloud if his part in freeing Kristen would enable her to sink her claws back into Brady. Caroline sighed in frustration. Caroline and Eric talked over coffee about the DiMeras. Caroline said she was thankful that Sami was rid of E.J. Eric abruptly stopped sipping his coffee.
When Eric asked Caroline when she had last spoken with Sami, Caroline noted that she had spoken with Sami when she had told her about Abigail. Eric told Caroline that Sami had reconciled with E.J.
While Will worked on his article in his apartment, Chad banged on the front door. Will rushed to answer the knock and warned Chad to keep quiet, as Arianna was sleeping. When Chad asked Will who he had been expecting to see, Will said that he had expected to find E.J. on his doorstep. Will explained that he had fought with Sami about her reconciliation with E.J. When Will noted Sami was upset about the article because she had worried that Chad would trash E.J., Chad raised an eyebrow. When Will said that he intended to write the article, Chad grinned and said he had a lot to say about E.J. and his family.
Sami returned to the Dimera mansion, and E.J. rushed to the door to greet her. E.J. whispered that Stefano had learned that E.J. had given the evidence against him to the police. Worried, Sami wondered aloud who could have told Stefano. With a dawning look of horror, Sami remembered that Kate had known what E.J. had done. E.J. explained that Kate had told Chad and that Chad had run to Stefano with the information. E.J. told Sami that Stefano had said that E.J. was dead to him.
Upset, Sami exclaimed that she would track down Kate and yell at her. E.J. gently grabbed Sami's arm to stop her. Sami argued that her business partner had sided with Stefano against her and that she was furious. With a shrug, E.J. advised Sami to pick a better partner next time. E.J. asked Sami to remain calm and said that they would act together. There was a knock at the door, and E.J. answered it and greeted Caroline and Eric. With a grim face, Caroline asked to talk to Sami.
In John's hospital room, Marlena asked John what he was planning. John explained that Brady was with Kristen because of him and that he needed to deal with the situation. Marlena walked into the hallway and met with Brady and Kristen when they arrived. Brady explained that they had been delayed because of the restraining order. Marlena noted that John wanted to talk to Kristen alone. Kristen reluctantly agreed.
While waiting in the hallway, Brady and Marlena chatted. Marlena noted that when John had learned that Brady was alone with Kristen, he had asked Marlena to call Brady. Brady assured Marlena that he had stressed to Kristen that there was no hope of a romantic future with him. With a shrug, Marlena reminded Brady that Kristen only heard what she wanted to hear and likely believed that Brady was willing to forgive her and to reconcile in time. Brady assured Marlena that he was in control.
In the hospital room, John asked Kristen for details about the drugs that Kristen had secured. With a smile, Kristen asked John what he really wanted. John suggested that they take the opportunity to start fresh. Kristen joked that she felt like she was standing on a trap door. Marlena and Brady interrupted, and Marlena asked Kristen to leave. John winced and announced that his memory had returned. "I remember it all," John said.
In the park, Jeremiah stated that the crew had followed Clyde's orders and expanded to the entire town, and they were making a lot of money. When Miguel arrived, Clyde explained that Jeremiah was there from Poplar Bluff to help expand their operation. Miguel reminded Clyde that Mr. DiMera had expressly instructed him not to do that. Clyde had Jeremiah hand Miguel a satchel filled with cash to demonstrate how well they had been doing.
Clyde said he couldn't imagine that Mr. DiMera had so much money that he wouldn't care about leaving the piles that Clyde was making on the table. As he took the satchel and walked away, Miguel eyed Clyde and Jeremiah suspiciously. Clyde remarked that they would just have to wait and see what Miguel would do.
At Will and Sonny's, Chad helped himself to a beer while Will prepared to interview him for the magazine article. Chad assumed that Will was upset about how Sami had reacted when she'd learned about the article, but Will maintained that his mom's reaction hadn't surprised him -- and he could guess how E.J. would react, as well. Chad reiterated that he would not badmouth Abigail, and he promised not to "diss" Sami, either.
Chad asserted that Sami was stupid for taking his brother back. Will contended that Sami really did love E.J., plus it was none of Chad and Will's business. Chad complained that Sami was trying to tell him how to feel about his brother. Laughing, Will pointed out that his mother was notoriously bossy. Chad argued that he didn't have to forgive E.J. just because Sami had. Will guessed that Chad's bluster was just for show because he wanted everyone to know how hurt he was, but he pointed out that Chad and E.J. were still brothers.
"I'm new to this whole sibling thing, but, so I have this straight: I'm supposed to be cool with what he did just because we're related?" Chad questioned. Will reminded Chad that he had taken a bullet again, but Chad maintained that he would not do it again and suggested that Will could quote on that in the article. Will gently noted that Chad's unfiltered anger toward his brother could end up reflecting worse on Chad than on E.J.
Chad pointed out that the article would happen with or without Will, who would not be able to protect anyone if he didn't write it. "I want you to think about that, William, and get back to me," Chad said. On his way out the door, Chad playfully kissed Will on the head.
After Eric drove her over, Caroline showed up on E.J. and Sami's doorstep because she wanted to talk to Sami in private. While the women went into the living room, E.J. waited with Eric in the foyer. E.J. thanked Eric for what he'd done for Kristen. "I am truly sorry, and I do hope that I can make you believe that," E.J. declared earnestly. Eric noted that the only thing that really mattered to E.J. was whether Sami believed him.
E.J. insisted that Eric's opinion did matter. Eric snapped that E.J. had to find a way to live with what he'd done. Eric added that he would be returning to visit his sister and her children, so he wanted to make sure that E.J. understood that the only thing that mattered was how E.J. treated Sami.
After admonishing Sami for revealing that she'd gotten back together with E.J., Caroline said that she wanted to hear what Sami had to say about it. Sami began to cry as she apologized for not telling her grandmother and admitted that although she and E.J. loved one another, it would be difficult because everyone knew what had happened between them. Sami added that she had promised to let it go, and E.J. had promised that they would have a fresh start. Caroline cautioned Sami that the DiMeras made a lot of promises.
Sami asserted that even though she'd fought it, E.J. had earned her forgiveness -- and she wasn't exactly the forgiving type. "I love him, and there's nothing I can do about it," Sami admitted somewhat sheepishly. Caroline said that she couldn't simply forget how hurt Sami had been. Sami tearfully admitted that the reason E.J. had hurt her so deeply was that she loved him so much, but once she'd realized that she had to let go of her anger, she'd seen that her love for him was still there, and that E.J. had never stopped loving her.
Sami added that E.J. deeply regretted being unfaithful, and he wished that he could take it all back. "You can't take it back! I know that better than anybody!" Caroline shouted, tears welling up in her eyes. "Grandma, Grandpa forgave you," Sami reminded her. Caroline's anger softened, and she confessed that she'd talked to Victor, who had told her to try not to be so judgmental about what made other people happy. She added with a hopeful smile, "I pray for you. I pray for both of you." Sami embraced her grandmother.
When Caroline and Sami returned to the foyer, E.J. presented Caroline with a crayon drawing that the children had made for the pub. They had scrawled "Brady Pub" and "ice cream" above smiling depictions of Johnny, Allie, and Sydney enjoying bowls of the frozen treat. A tickled Caroline promised to hang it in the bar. E.J. started to tell Caroline something privately, but she suggested that they stick to neutral topics -- although she did kiss him on the cheek and thank him.
After Eric and Caroline left, E.J. noted that it was good to have the support of Sami's family, who only wanted her to be happy. Sami broke the news to her husband that Will was writing a new article for Sonix magazine -- about Chad. She filled E.J. in on how she'd found out about it then she voiced her fears that Chad would use the article to try to get back at them. Sami continued fretting about Chad and about her argument with Will even while E.J. pulled off her shoes and massaged her feet.
E.J. announced that he had a surprise for Sami and asked her to wait there for him. After E.J. left the room, Sami grabbed her shoes, muttering that she was supposed to be able to walk away in a huff. She put her shoes back on as she hurried to the door -- but when she opened it, she found Chad on the doorstep. "What the hell? You have some nerve, showing your face here again," Sami snarled.
While Chad poured himself a drink, Sami blasted him for telling Stefano about what E.J. had done. Chad reminded Sami that E.J. had stabbed both of them in the back. "Stop trying to put all of this on me. We both know that everything happening to E.J. is your fault," Chad asserted. "You tattled to your daddy, and you're saying it's my fault?" Sami asked incredulously. Chad maintained that Sami had "tipped the first domino" by rightfully going after E.J., but that had forced E.J. to go to extremes to win her back, and that was why E.J. had betrayed Stefano.
Sami warned Chad, "You are messing with a very dangerous man. Brother or no, you threaten E.J.'s kids or his wife, and he will kill you. In your family, that's not hyperbole." She added that Chad was out of his league. Chad gulped the rest of his drink then stepped outside to get some air.
Will wasn't really surprised when E.J. showed up at the apartment. E.J. explained that he wanted to speak privately with Will before the children arrived for the party, although E.J. was grateful to Will for doing that for the kids. Will stressed that he and Sonny wanted Sami and E.J. at the party -- but E.J. couldn't tell Will what to write about any more than Sami could. E.J. surprised Will by encouraging him to write the article. E.J. explained that he didn't want anything else interfering with Sami and Will's relationship. He promised to tell Sami that he had given his blessing to Will.
Will couldn't believe that E.J. would be all right with whatever Chad said about him in the article. E.J. pointed out that while he hadn't liked Will's other article, it had been well written. "I don't think the situation can get any worse for me than it already is, do you?" E.J. added. He requested that Will avoid negative mentions of Abigail or Sami. Will assured E.J. that he had no problem with that. E.J. vowed to prove himself to Sami, Will, and everyone else who counted -- and to never hurt Sami again.
When Eric took Caroline back to the pub, she asked him tell her what was going on with him. Eric maintained that he had just been focusing on his photography. "So Nicole is just in your rear-view mirror, as well as the church?" Caroline asked. Encouraging her grandson to do more than work, Caroline hinted that he needed a romantic life, as well. Eric insisted that it was too soon for him to trust anyone again. Caroline understood, but she was convinced that the right person for Eric was out there.
E.J.'s phone rang just as he was returning to the mansion, so he paused on the front steps to answer it. Miguel informed E.J., "I thought you should know, sir: Clyde Weston has begun selling his product all over town, outside of the area you specified... Give me an order, Mister DiMera. I'll do anything you ask." Just then, Clyde appeared in the park behind Miguel.
In John's hospital room, John informed Brady, Marlena, and Kristen that he remembered everything about what had happened to him the night he'd been hurt. Marlena suggested that Kristen should leave, but John wanted Kristen to stay. It was apparent that John was still feeling quite weak, so Marlena offered to get a doctor. John agreed, since he wanted to make sure there were no questions in the future.
Theresa warned Daniel against angering her by telling John of his suspicions about her. Daniel countered that if Theresa had done nothing wrong, then she had nothing to worry about. Theresa pointed out that John hadn't contradicted anything she'd said. Daniel noted that John's memory could still return. Marlena exited John's room just then and said that John would like to see Daniel -- as well as Theresa.
Brady stepped outside as Daniel was entering John's room. Daniel paused when he saw Kristen, but John said that he had invited her. John pointed out that Kristen was the reason he was awake and remembering. He added that he wanted to make sure that there were no questions about his reliability later, after he'd said what he had to say.
Theresa was reluctant to go into John's room because she didn't understand why he wanted to see her, since she wasn't family. Marlena firmly emphasized that John had specifically asked to speak to Theresa about the night he'd been hurt. As she followed Marlena inside, Theresa tried to caution Brady not to take anything John said too seriously, but Brady reminded her that they had been waiting to hear what John remembered for a long time.
Theresa was dismayed to see that Kristen was also in John's room and didn't understand why no one else found Kristen's presence upsetting. John clarified that he had asked for Kristen to be there. Daniel urged John not to push himself. John said apologetically that before he began, he thought someone from the police should be there, as well. Marlena volunteered to fetch Roman, who was on the fifth floor, interviewing witnesses.
After Marlena left, Daniel expressed surprise that John's memory had returned in full. John said, "[Everything] just came rushing back. Obviously, that was after you and I spoke, Theresa. I was surprised to realize just how much you were holding back... But you remember everything now, don't you?" John clarified that although they had discussed the night he'd been hurt, Theresa had omitted their fights during the week leading up to that night. Theresa claimed that she hadn't wanted to upset John.
John continued that when they'd talked, Theresa had said that she and Brady had become close and that she'd been helping him deal with what had happened to John. "Dad, Dad -- what do you mean?" Brady asked. John replied, "What I'm about to say has to do with the three of us -- you, me, and Theresa." Kristen grinned gleefully.
Marlena returned with Roman, who was thrilled to see John looking so well. John asked to hear what Brady and Theresa had told the police the night he'd been hurt. Roman pulled up the police report on his tablet. He paraphrased Brady's statement but read Theresa's verbatim to John, ending with, "Brady, he grabbed the poker. He was just trying to defend himself, and he hit John across the head." Marlena asked, "John, is that the way you remember it?"
In John's hospital room, John announced that Theresa's account of what had led to his head injury didn't match his own recollection of the event. "It was so much more intense, so much angrier. I was angrier, and if Brady hadn't picked up that poker to defend himself, I don't know how far I would have taken it, I was so out of my mind. There's no other way to put it -- I was just in a rage," John explained.
Kristen listened in confusion as John stressed that Brady had acted in self-defense and had absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. Kristen played along, stating that she had always believed in Brady and that she was glad he could finally clear his conscience, and she politely excused herself so John could spend time with his family. John said he was tired and wanted to get some rest -- but he wanted to talk to Brady privately first.
Everyone else started to leave, but Theresa lingered in the room until Brady reminded her that John had asked to talk to him privately. After Theresa finally left, Brady wondered if his father had lied about what had happened in order to protect him. John claimed that he had not, but Brady still thought things would have been different if he had gotten his act together earlier. John dismissed the concern and made Brady promise to move on and stop looking back.
In the waiting area, Kristen and Daniel watched suspiciously as Theresa stood frozen in place right outside John's room. Theresa started to walk away when she realized that she was attracting attention, but Marlena stopped her and wondered if everything was all right. Marlena observed that Theresa had seemed jumpy in John's room earlier, but Theresa claimed that she had simply been worried that John might get confused and distort the details of what had happened on the night of his head injury. Theresa happily concluded that John had gotten everything right and that his ability to accurately recall what had happened was promising.
Meanwhile, Brady emerged from John's room and informed Marlena that John had asked to see her. Theresa took advantage of the distraction and walked away, cornering Daniel nearby so she could ask him why he and Kristen had been staring at her earlier. Daniel ignored Theresa and headed off with Brady to discuss John's treatment options.
Theresa wondered why John would have chosen to lie about what had happened to him if he had truly remembered everything. "This has gotta be about Kristen -- I can just feel the hate between them," Theresa mused before following Daniel and Brady so she could find out what Daniel was up to.
Theresa stopped outside the break room Daniel and Brady had entered, but she ultimately walked away without bothering to eavesdrop, reasoning that it didn't matter what anyone else believed, since John had already backed up her version of events. Meanwhile, Brady admitted to Daniel that he suspected that John might be lying about what had happened. After Brady left, Daniel muttered that he had the same concern.
John had a lot of things he wanted to talk to Marlena about, but she urged him to get some rest first, reasoning that they would have plenty of time to talk about everything later. After Marlena left John's room, Kristen sneaked in and closed the door behind her. Kristen admitted that John had managed to surprise her, and she guessed that he had been a little less than truthful earlier. "And you have such...deep regard for the truth," John sarcastically replied.
"You know what Theresa did to you -- I know you do. But still, you're willing to let her get away with practically killing you, because you think that's gonna keep Brady away from me. You know, John, for someone who's just recently in command, I've gotta tip my hat -- you sized up the situation quickly [and] decided how to play your hand. But I gotta tell you, John, you made the wrong choice. You decided that Theresa is the lesser of two evils, but even you have to admit that if she had even slightly better aim, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now, would we? You...have to live...with your choice. You have to pray that you didn't just put your son's life in danger," Kristen mused through gritted teeth.
John calmly and dismissively said goodbye to Kristen, who left after a moment of consideration. "You made the wrong choice, John...but it's not over," Kristen muttered in the waiting area before walking away.
At Club TBD, Jordan watched suspiciously as Ben whistled while he worked. Ben claimed that he was simply happy because it was a beautiful night and he had just gotten a generous tip from a customer, but Jordan wasn't convinced. "You're in love," Jordan knowingly guessed. Ben scoffed and jokingly looked to the heavens for a reminder of why having a big sister was supposed to be a good thing.
Jordan continued to tease Ben about being in love, so he pointed out that he hadn't used that word to describe his feelings -- she had. "Oh, come on -- it's so obvious, and, you know, it's really fun watching you try and deny it," Jordan countered. Jordan reminded Ben that she really liked his girlfriend -- one of the few real friends she had ever had -- and she warned him not to screw up the relationship.
Clyde arrived while Jordan and Ben were hugging, and he apologized for the interruption, explaining that he had just wanted to see if Ben needed anything else. Ben assured Clyde that everything was fine, and Clyde exited the club after offering Jordan a quick greeting, observing that she looked happy, and stating that he hoped things were looking up for her.
Jordan wanted to know what Clyde and Ben had been talking about, so Ben reluctantly revealed that Clyde had overheard him talking about money troubles earlier and had offered to loan him some money. Jordan couldn't believe Ben had accepted the offer, but he pointed out that he couldn't exactly take money out of his college fund to pay for regular stuff, since that money was tied up, and he would have to pay a penalty to access it.
Jordan wondered what kind of regular stuff Ben was talking about, but he dodged the question. "Oh -- the economics of falling in love. Dinner dates, flowers, motel rooms," Jordan knowingly guessed. Jordan stressed that, while she wanted Ben to be happy and have fun, taking money from Clyde was a mistake.
Jordan offered to give Ben enough money to pay Clyde back, reasoning that it would be better to owe her, but Ben refused the offer and insisted that he could handle the matter himself. Jordan started to protest before changing her mind and apologizing for butting in. Jordan excused herself after making Ben promise that he would talk to her before accepting help from Clyde in the future.
At the Horton Town Square, Chad greeted Abigail and observed that she was smiling -- which meant she probably wasn't thinking about him. Abigail, who had been daydreaming about the romantic evening she had spent with Ben, returned the greeting and started to walk away. "It doesn't have to be like this, you know," Chad pointed out.
Abigail argued that Chad had set the tone on his first day back in Salem. Chad reminded Abigail that he had already apologized for his overreaction, but she suspected that his behavior had actually been an accurate reflection of his true feelings. "So we're just stuck there?" Chad wondered. Chad stressed that he wasn't going anywhere, and he guessed that the same could probably be said for Abigail and Ben, as well.
Abigail asked Chad to leave Ben alone -- not just at the club but also in general. Chad argued that Ben had made his true feelings pretty clear, too -- and that such disrespect from an employee wasn't really acceptable. Abigail angrily refused to let Chad get away with firing Ben out of spite. Abigail started to storm off, but Chad grabbed her arm to stop her, and he clarified that he was the one who was taking a step back from the club, not Ben.
"Look, I -- I talked to Sonny and told him that Ben and I weren't a good mix. You know, Sonny had said that Ben and T have been doing a really great job, so I thought about it, and I realized that the club had been doing great without me, so I decided not to go back. [...] You know, I was really looking forward to it -- getting involved again -- but it's Sonny's place now [...], so we reworked the partnership deal -- I'll take a lower percentage, Sonny will get a bigger cut. [...] You can't be gone as long as I have and expect everything to stay the same as when you left, right?" Chad reasoned.
Stunned, Abigail nodded and hesitantly excused herself. Chad assured Abigail that he understood that his stock wasn't very high with her at the moment, but she replied that it might have just gone up a bit. Chad stressed that he hadn't made the decision to step away from the club for Ben's sake, and he asked Abigail not to say anything to Ben about the decision. Abigail agreed and thanked Chad before walking away.
Abigail went to Club TBD to see Ben, and they had a somewhat awkward exchange but were obviously pleased to see each other. Ben offered to fix Abigail a drink, and he encouraged her to wait for him outside so he could deliver it to her there, since it was a beautiful night, and he wanted to surprise her with his concoction of choice. Ben joined Abigail outside a short time later, and they held hands as they enjoyed the perfect weather together.
Outside the DiMera mansion, E.J. ordered his henchman, Miguel, to set up a meeting with Clyde so E.J. could make it abundantly clear that he was in charge, not Clyde. After ending the call, E.J. entered the mansion and assured a pleasantly surprised Sami that he had talked to Will earlier and that everything would be okay -- not just at the party Will and Sonny were throwing for the kids but also in general.
E.J. also announced that Sonny was going to pick the kids up and take them to the party himself. Sami insisted that was an unnecessary gesture, but Johnny -- who had been sitting with Sami in the living room, impatiently waiting for his sisters to finish getting ready -- disagreed, revealing that he enjoyed going places with Sonny because Sonny didn't listen to "old people music" in the car.
Sami went to change clothes, and after she left, Johnny wondered if E.J. had attended any camps as a kid. E.J. confirmed that he had attended a soccer camp that had been a blast. "Did the other kids make fun of your name, too?" Johnny wondered. E.J. assumed -- with a bit of disbelief -- that some of the kids had made fun of Johnny's first name, but the boy clarified that they had instead made fun of his last name, DiMera.
"One of [the older kids] said their dad knew all about us. I didn't know what that meant, but they were all kind of laughing at me until the counselor made them stop," Johnny added. E.J. delicately explained that Johnny had a very special last name -- a name to be proud of -- and that people might occasionally recognize that name and react to it in a certain way. E.J. advised Johnny to ignore such reactions, which would often likely have more to do with Johnny's father or grandfather than with him, anyway, and be his own man -- a good man people would learn to respect in spite of his last name.
Sami returned and informed Johnny that his sisters still weren't ready for the party, so he rushed off to hurry them along. Sami could tell that something was bothering E.J., and she guessed that the situation with Stefano was really worrying him. E.J. dismissively predicted that things would eventually settle down, but Sami suspected that he didn't really believe that. E.J. admitted that he didn't know what he would do if Stefano ever tried to go after Sami or the kids. Sami offered to talk to Stefano -- and even grovel if necessary -- but E.J. insisted that he needed to be the one to close the door, since he was the one who had opened it in the first place.
Changing the subject, Sami asked E.J. for more details about his earlier conversation with Will. E.J. explained that he had encouraged Will to go ahead and write the Sonix article, since he hadn't wanted to cause more friction between Will and Sami, and he was determined to make them one big, whole, happy family, even if he had to enlist the help of hired muscle to do so.
E.J. received a text message and abruptly excused himself so he could take care of an errand before the party. Sami wanted to walk into Will and Sonny's apartment with E.J., so he agreed to call her later so they could meet up and head over there together. After E.J. left, Johnny returned and showed Sami a rock he had forgotten to give E.J. earlier. Johnny explained that he had found it at sleep-away camp and that he wanted his father to have it for good luck. Sami assured Johnny that he would be able to give the item to his father the following day.
Chad watched curiously as E.J. passed through the town square, looking a bit upset. A moment later, Chad spotted Jordan and waved at her. As Jordan approached Chad, he smoothly grabbed a white rose from a nearby table decoration and handed it to her, observing that she had seemed a million miles away when he had noticed her. Jordan confirmed that she had been distracted, and she turned to leave after adding that it had been good to see Chad again.
"Oh, your brother got to you, didn't he?" Chad disappointedly guessed, but Jordan dismissed his concern and assured him that she really had just been distracted. Chad pulled out a chair and invited Jordan to join him, so she accepted the offer and gestured toward his foreign coffee cup, wondering if he ever ordered coffee from his own establishment. Chad claimed that he was simply checking out the competition, but Jordan thought he might instead be trying to steer clear of Ben -- which struck her as a pretty considerate thing to do, since it implied that he didn't want to make waves.
Chad admitted that Jordan was probably the only person he knew who believed he didn't want to make waves. "Ask her," Chad added before greeting Sami, who had been eavesdropping nearby. Chad wondered if Sami wanted something, and she replied that she was looking for E.J. Chad reported that he had seen E.J. head toward the park earlier. "Did he get off the leash again?" Chad asked with feigned concern. Sami ignored the comment and walked away.
Jordan admitted that she might have to reconsider her earlier observation about Chad's reluctance to make waves, since his exchange with Sami had been pretty tense. Chad apologetically confirmed that family stuff had crept into the conversation, and he conceded that he probably should have instead invited Sami to join him and Jordan. Jordan dismissed the idea, explaining that Sami couldn't really stand her.
"See, I knew I liked you. Something else we have in common," Chad replied with a smile. Jordan challenged Chad to list the other things they supposedly had in common, so he reminded her that he'd had tennis elbow and she was a physical therapist -- a truly uncanny coincidence. Jordan laughed and started to excuse herself, but Chad tried to stop her, assuring her that he could find more things to add to the list if given the time to do so. Chad added that he knew Jordan had time to chat, since it was her day off. Confused, Jordan wondered how Chad had known that.
E.J. met with Miguel in the park and angrily complained that it was time to lay down the law with Clyde. Miguel led E.J. to another section of the park, where Clyde was waiting. E.J. pointed out that Clyde had been given explicit orders to follow. "Well, maybe your damn orders didn't make any sense. [...] You talk a big game, but only a fool would be so shortsighted. Now, I'm here to make money, so why don't you go home to your wife and let me send you your cut. I promise you, you'll be a happy man," Clyde suggested.
E.J. said he wasn't going anywhere until he made it perfectly clear that Clyde was finished. "And I'm not just talking about the territory that I designated you -- you're finished in Salem. You're gonna be going home -- you're going back tonight," E.J. added. Unfazed, Clyde mockingly replied that he didn't see such a thing happening. Scowling, E.J. observed that it seemed like Clyde had not yet learned to fully appreciate who he was talking to, but Clyde stressed that he knew exactly who he was talking to -- a man who needed some schooling.
"You see, I thought I was getting involved with a professional, but a pretender is more like it. Yeah, you've got the fancy accent, the mistress on the side, and the nice, cushy lifestyle -- handed to you on a platter by a gangster father who doesn't seem to have taught you the first thing about how this all works!" Clyde concluded, prompting E.J. to angrily punch him in the face.
Elsewhere, Sami gave up after failing to locate E.J. in the park -- and failing to acquire a cell phone signal so she could contact him. As Sami started to leave, a gunshot rang out. "E.J.?" Sami worriedly called out as she glanced around, searching for the source of the disturbance.
As Abigail and Ben were kissing outside Club TBD, Abigail stopped for a moment to ask how soon Ben got off work. He reminded her that they didn't have anywhere to go. Abigail remarked that it was probably just as well, explaining that she thought they should take things a little more slowly and get to know one another, so that their relationship wasn't just about sex. Ben thought that sounded like a good idea.
When Ben and Abigail started kissing again and it quickly turned passionate, Abigail admitted that she had sort of lied when she'd said she wanted to take things slowly. She explained that she'd been trying to make Ben feel better about their not having anyplace to go and to remember that what was important was that they had each other. Ben kissed Abigail again and declared, "You are an amazing woman." They agreed to get together as soon as he was off work.
In Horton Square, a nonplussed Jordan asked Chad how he'd known it was her day off. He explained that as a DiMera, he could find out anything he wanted with just a phone call. Clearly a bit distressed, Jordan left.
Chad caught up with Jordan in the park outside the square so he could explain that he'd been kidding. He clarified that since he didn't have her phone number, he'd called the hospital, and they had told him that it was Jordan's day off. Chad assured Jordan that he had never done the kinds of things that his father and brother had done, and he apologized if he had upset her. "I'm just a really private person; that's all," Jordan said. She asked why Chad had wanted to talk to her.
Chad said that he had wanted to invite Jordan to dinner. Jordan laughed and asked, "Dinner? What? Like a date?" She wondered why he hadn't simply asked her at the café. Chad explained that it would have been easier for her to say "no" on the phone -- and her rejection might have been easier to take that way, as well. Jordan agreed to think about having dinner with Chad. He asked for her phone so he could enter his phone number. "This way, if you want to say 'no,' you can call, and I won't have to embarrass myself again," Chad said as he typed in his number.
Jordan was staring at Chad's number in her phone with a big grin on her face when Abigail showed up a few minutes later. Abigail asked why, but Jordan wouldn't say. Jordan did remark that Ben had seemed very happy, and she knew it was because of Abigail.
At Will and Sonny's apartment, which was decked out with balloons, streamers, and colorful paper plates and cups, Will was getting out a game to play when Sonny arrived with the kids. Sonny assured Will that E.J. and Sami would be there soon. Johnny presented Sonny and Will with a drawing the kids had made of themselves. Sonny declared that he would frame it, and Johnny said that E.J. was doing the same thing with their family portrait. Allie asked Will, "Did you know Mom and E.J. are double married? They're really happy." Sonny said that Allie should tell Sami and E.J. that when they arrived.
After a game of Candyland, the kids ran into the kitchen to eat cupcakes. Sonny asked if Will had heard back from his mom yet. Will said that he hadn't, and he acknowledged that his mom was furious about the article on Chad. Sonny reassured Will that Sami would not miss the party. Later, they all discussed what game to play next. Johnny pronounced Sydney's choice, Ring Around the Rosie, "lame-o," but Allie asserted that he only thought that because no one won. Sonny quietly asked Will if he'd gotten ahold of Sami. Will said his call had gone straight to voicemail, and she hadn't returned any of his text messages, which was unlike her.
Rafe ran into Kate outside the Brady Pub and asked if she were on her way to Will and Sonny's party for the kids. Kate said that she wasn't going because E.J. was going to be there. "If I have to deal with that smug bastard tonight, I think I just might kill him," Kate added lightly, explaining that E.J. and Sami were "revolting" together.
Rafe asked if, instead of going to the party, perhaps Kate had another date with Clyde. Kate pointed out that it was really none of Rafe's business. Rafe agreed but urged Kate to be careful because he had a bad feeling about Clyde. When Rafe's phone rang and he had to leave after a quick call, Kate asked, "Duty calls?" Rafe replied, "I'm pretty sure it's none of your business."
When Chad met Kate inside the pub later, he informed her, "Stefano was thrilled that he was able to maneuver you into backing out of Frankfurt." Kate remarked that Stefano needed to feel in charge. Although Chad didn't know the details, he said that Stefano kept talking about something big he had in the works for Kate. Kate remarked that Chad seemed "chipper" and asked if he had something to share. "Not yet, but things are falling right into place," Chad said.
In the woods near the park, E.J.'s henchman Miguel stood by while Clyde and E.J. argued. After Clyde made disparaging remarks about the way E.J. did business, E.J. punched him.
Sami was in the park when she heard a gunshot ring out. "E.J.?" she exclaimed anxiously. She rushed around, trying to get a signal on her cell phone, and was finally able to call 9-1-1 from the east entrance. She told the operator that she'd heard a gunshot in the woods and asked them to send help right away.
Clyde stood up and looked around in shock as E.J. clutched his side and Miguel lowered his gun. E.J. dropped to his knees and looked down at his hand, and saw that it was covered with blood. His face quickly growing ashen, E.J. collapsed, facedown, in the dirt. Clyde demanded to know what Miguel had been thinking. "He was attacking you," Miguel said, justifying his actions. Clyde took the gun and ordered Miguel to take E.J.'s watch, wallet, and ring. After turning E.J. over, Miguel obeyed. Clyde broke a couple of branches off a tree and handed one to Miguel, ordering the henchman to cover their tracks.
Both men hurriedly swept the ground with the branches. When they were finished, Clyde took E.J.'s pilfered items from Miguel and instructed the lackey to leave via a path where no one could see him -- and not to call Clyde. "You don't know me, okay. You only saw me with your boss," Clyde stressed. As Miguel retreated, Clyde shook his head and remarked contemptuously, "You stupid son of a bitch." Clyde left in the opposite direction from Miguel.
Sami was angry when she tried to call E.J. but got his voicemail instead. After leaving him a testy message to call her right away, she charged off into the woods to look for her husband. A moment later, she found E.J. lying lifeless on the ground. Sami rushed to E.J.'s side and felt his throat and was relieved when she found a pulse. She peeled back his suit coat, and as soon as she saw the bullet wound, she whipped off her jacket and the thin sweater she was wearing over a sleeveless top, and used the sweater to apply pressure to the wound.
While Sami tried to stop the bleeding, she told E.J. that she was there and asked him to open his eyes. She got no response, so she got right in his face and shouted, "E.J., open your eyes!" When E.J.'s lids lifted slightly, Sami managed to smile at him through her tears. She explained that he had been shot, but help would be there soon. E.J.'s eyes closed again. Sami couldn't find her phone, so she searched E.J.'s pockets until she found his, but his phone had no reception, either. She stuffed the phone into her back pocket.
Sami urged E.J. to hang on and stay with her. She balled up her jacket and put it under E.J.'s head and begged him to stop bleeding. Sami turned around and screamed out for someone to call an ambulance because a man had been shot. She coached E.J. to breathe, and he obediently inhaled and exhaled raggedly. "I don't want to leave you," E.J. whispered. "Then don't! You stay right here!" Sami commanded. E.J. touched his chest, and Sami nodded encouragingly. "Yes. Yes. That's right. This is where we live...and nothing else matters," she said.
Sami ordered E.J. to fight to stay there, just as he had fought for her, even when she had pushed him away. "Here...always," E.J. managed. Sami agreed. As E.J. labored to breathe, Sami shouted again for someone to call an ambulance. Sami wiped the dirt from E.J.'s face and assured him that he would be fine once the ambulance took him to the hospital. "This is so you, isn't it, E.J.? You love scaring me to death, right? How many times have I found you like this, you know, on the ground, banged up or worse? And you are always fine, right?" Sami attempted to joke.
Trying to lift his head, E.J. struggled to speak: "Tell the children --" he began, but Sami interrupted, "No. You tell the children." She urged E.J. to save his strength. Fighting to keep his eyes on Sami's, E.J. managed, "You...were worth...everything." Sami declared that she loved E.J., though she acknowledged that she didn't say it often enough. She made a deal with him, vowing to tell him that she loved him every minute of the day if he would just stay with her. "I love you, Samantha DiMera," E.J. declared haltingly.
"I love you, E.J. DiMera," Sami said softly, beaming at her husband through her tears. She leaned down and kissed him tenderly on the lips. E.J. closed his eyes and did not open them again. Panicked, Sami said, "I love you. E.J., I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you, E.J.!" She continued repeating it, over and over, even though she had begun to sob.
Sami was still saying, "I love you," to E.J. when Rafe arrived, the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle bouncing off the trees behind him. Without taking pressure off E.J.'s wound, Sami told Rafe to call an ambulance because E.J. had been shot. Rafe shouted to the ambulance crew, who wheeled a gurney into the small clearing. Speaking so quickly that she was almost unintelligible, Sami explained that she'd been trying to stop the bleeding, but she needed the EMTs to help her.
As the paramedics got to work, Rafe pulled Sami away from E.J. and urged her to let the men work. Handing her sweater to the EMTs, Sami tried to tell them how to apply pressure to the wound. Abe arrived and quickly assessed the situation. "Don't put this out over the radio. E.J. DiMera's been shot," Abe told someone on the phone, ordering them to send a C.S.U. unit to the scene and alert the hospital. Rafe asked Sami if she had seen the shooting, but she said that she hadn't. He asked why she was there.
Sami explained that Chad had told her that E.J. was there, and she'd gone out there to get E.J. because they were late for the kids' party at Will's. Suddenly, Sami noticed that the paramedics had stopped working on E.J. Rafe quietly asked the men what was going on. "We're calling it," one of the men replied. Sami anxiously told the paramedics that all they had to do was make the bleeding stop. Rafe pulled Sami away again and told her gently but firmly, "E.J.'s gone. He's dead."
Sami refused to believe it. She reminded Rafe with a lighthearted shrug, "He does this. It's E.J., right? He gets hit, or he gets shot. One time, his heart stopped, and I had to do CPR, and then Lucas had to do CPR, which was kind of funny afterwards. And he was fine!" Sami became more determined as she insisted to Rafe, "He's fine! If they would just make the blood stop coming out, he would be fine! You just have to make the blood stop coming out!"
One of the paramedics told Sami that E.J. had, indeed, stopped bleeding. Rafe told Sami again that E.J. was gone, but she insisted on riding in the ambulance with E.J. to the hospital. As she followed E.J.'s gurney to the ambulance, she kept telling him that she loved him. "She just won't hear it," Rafe said sadly to Abe. Abe noted, "You're never ready, even when you know it's coming. It'll hit soon enough." Rafe wanted to follow Sami to the hospital, so he asked Abe to stay at the scene.
Jeremiah met Clyde nearby and wiped down E.J.'s stolen property. Clyde instructed Jeremiah to make sure that whoever ended up with the gun and E.J.'s things had a record, preferably a junkie because they were sloppy, just like the shooting had been. He added that Jeremiah should make sure the junkie fired off a couple of rounds from the gun, too.
Later, a somber Clyde went to Club TBD and ordered a whiskey from his son. As Ben handed his dad the drink, he promised to pay Clyde back for the loan. Clyde said that the money had been a gift, but Ben was determined to repay it. Clyde said that he respected Ben's integrity. Noting that it wasn't Ben's dream to tend bar at the club, Clyde offered to help Ben find something else.
Since Clyde had no job contacts in Salem, Ben guessed, "Are you saying I should come work for you?" Clyde maintained, "Hell, no. I want better for you than what I had. I was thinking more along the lines of, I don't know, paying for school or something." Insisting that he would jump at the chance to help, Clyde urged Ben to think about it.
Abe called the sitter from the crime scene and asked her to please keep Theo away from the TV. "I need to be the one to tell him about his uncle in person. Oh, listen, can you stay? I don't know how late I'm going to be," Abe added. As he hung up, Abe looked down at the spot where E.J. had fallen and a crime-scene tech was gathering evidence. "Who the hell could have done this?" Abe muttered.
Sami was holding onto E.J.'s hand as the paramedics wheeled him off the elevator. Rafe urged Sami to let the men take E.J. inside, but she refused to leave E.J. alone unless they were taking him to surgery. Rafe informed her that they were taking E.J. to the morgue, and that was why they had covered him with a sheet. Sami said that it was so that no one would recognize E.J. "Because he is gone," Rafe reiterated, but he agreed that they needed to keep it quiet. He asked Sami to let the men do their jobs.
"And then I can see him? He'll be in the morgue?" Sami asked, still confused. "That's right," Rafe assured her. Sami watched helplessly as the EMTs wheeled E.J. away. Rafe took Sami into the waiting room and gave her a cup of water. She told him that E.J. hadn't been wearing his wedding ring, which he would never have taken off, so someone had to have stolen it. Rafe said that Roman was on his way and asked if he could call Marlena for Sami. Sami just wanted to see E.J.
"Yeah, of course, once they, uh, fix him up," Rafe said. "That's all I'm asking. Just fix him up," Sami pointed out. She sank into a chair and stared numbly into space. Rafe sat next to her and started to tell her again that E.J. was gone, but suddenly Sami remembered that the kids were still at the party at Sonny and Will's. Rafe assured her that kids wouldn't hear anything until she told them. Patting Sami gently on the back, Rafe urged her not to worry about anything.
Sami said, "I just want E.J. to come home with me tonight." She asked when she could see E.J. Rafe asked if she were sure she wanted to do that, but she asserted that she would not leave E.J. alone there, and she wasn't going anywhere until she got to see him. Rafe agreed to check on it. As he left the room, Sami remembered that she'd left her purse in the ambulance. Rafe promised to get it for her.
Rafe was waiting at the nurses' station when Roman arrived. Rafe informed Roman that Sami was in such complete shock that she didn't believe that E.J. was gone, even though he had died in her arms. Roman asked if it looked like a professional hit. Rafe said it had been too clumsy to have been a hit; it appeared to have been a mugging, because the killer had taken E.J.'s wallet, watch, and wedding ring.
Rafe continued that Sami didn't know why E.J. had been in the woods. "Maybe they walked him from the park into the woods," Rafe guessed. He assured Roman that the kids didn't know anything because the news of E.J.'s murder had been kept off the police radio. Roman knew how difficult it would be for Sami to tell the kids. "I hate this night," Roman added ruefully.
When E.J.'s phone rang, Sami fished it out of her back pocket and stared at it, a bit puzzled, before answering. "Samantha? Why are you answering Elvis' phone? Where is my son? Let me speak to my son," Stefano demanded. "You can't," Sami replied flatly. Stefano began ranting that Sami would answer to him if she didn't put E.J. on the phone immediately. "I can't. The EMTs took him to the morgue," Sami said.
Stefano demanded to know what Sami was talking about. Sami slowly moved the phone away from her ear, hung up, and let the phone drop onto the chair next to her. Although Sami could no longer hear him, Stefano accused her of lying, but as the news sank in, he began to weep. "My son! My son!" Stefano cried.
Sami was staring blankly into space when Roman walked in and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. He sat next to his daughter and urged her to let him take her home. "Daddy, I can't leave, not until I see E.J. They're fixing him up right now," Sami said. Rafe returned as Sami asked her dad if he would pick up the kids at Will's and take them home, since it was past their bedtime, plus she didn't want them to hear anything until she got there.
Roman promised to wait at the house with the kids until Sami got home. He tenderly pulled his daughter to him and told her that he loved her very much. After Roman had gone, Rafe told Sami that she could see E.J. She excitedly thrust her water cup at him and hurried out.
The kids were still playing "Ring Around the Rosie" when Roman arrived. Roman tried to remain lighthearted and nonchalant as he explained that Sami and E.J. weren't going to be able to make it to the party. "Boo!" jeered all three kids. Roman told them, "Believe me, they would much rather be here, but your mom said for you guys to have a lot of fun and to eat her cupcake for her." While Sonny and the kids resumed playing, Will asked his grandfather if everything were really all right. "Yeah. Yeah, sure," Roman replied unconvincingly, unable to take his eyes off the frolicking kids as they chanted, "Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!"
The morgue was dark and silent when Sami arrived. She strode eagerly over to where E.J.'s body lay as if she expected him to open his eyes and greet her, and she appeared not to notice that he was on a cold metal slab instead of a hospital bed. "Okay, E.J., it's me. I'm here," she whispered, moving the sheet that covered him from the chest down in order to put her hands on his chest. When he didn't respond, she put her head on his chest, pressed her ear against his skin, and tried to listen to his heart. "I can't hear it!" Sami cried, desperately listening for E.J.'s heartbeat and beginning to weep. "E.J., please, please! E.J.! No, please!" Sami broke down, wailing inconsolably, her body convulsing in sobs.
