Justin entered the Kiriakis mansion, carrying a bottle of Champagne, and joined Adrienne in the living room.
"We're gonna be late for Lani and Eli's wedding!" Adrienne pointed out. "I think you are going to agree [that there was a good reason for my delay -- see], I got held up at the courthouse, [where] I ran into your brother, [who] was picking up a marriage license..." Justin began to explain, and Adrienne squealed with delight after realizing the implication. "Coincidentally...I, uh, also picked up a marriage license," Justin continued while retrieving the document from a briefcase. "[But]...don't I have to sign, too?" Adrienne asked. "You already did," Justin replied.
"I'm gonna have to keep an eye on you," Adrienne teasingly declared after realizing that Justin had tricked her into signing the document a few nights earlier. "[But] then I wouldn't be able to surprise you," he pointed out. "And besides, you wouldn't have wanted to wait in the courthouse line, because there is nothing more unromantic than waiting in a courthouse line," he added, and she agreed with a laugh. "You...do still want to marry me...right?" he asked hopefully. "More than anything," she confirmed before giving him a passionate kiss.
Will and Sonny entered the town square just as Marlena was starting Eli and Lani's wedding ceremony. "What did we miss?" Will whispered to Gabi, who was still providing Julie and Doug with a live stream of the event. "Nothing -- you are just in time," Gabi excitedly replied as Will and Sonny settled into nearby chairs.
Meanwhile, Marlena continued the ceremony. "If anyone here can show any just cause [for] why these two people should not be united in holy matrimony, [then]...please speak now or forever hold your peace," Marlena said to the wedding guests. "Oh, I know a very good reason...but I'm gonna let the bride do the talking for me," Gabi silently mused while smirking at Lani. "I've never understood this part of the ceremony," Jack whispered to Jennifer. "When it's our turn, we're skipping this part!" Jack insisted as Jennifer stifled a laugh.
"All right -- I take it there are no objections, [so] I think it's time to get to the good part..." Marlena continued. "Wait -- um...there's something I need to say [first]. I just -- I gotta get this off my chest..." Lani announced while fighting back tears, and Gabi dramatically mimicked the confusion and suspense of the other wedding guests.
"What I have to say isn't about marrying Eli; it's about Gabi DiMera," Lani began to explain, returning Gabi's glare. "It is...incredibly gracious...for you to come here today, considering I'm the one who fired the bullet that killed your husband...[and I just] want you to know how deeply sorry I am, [and that] it was never my intention to hurt you [or] Stefan -- [that] I was just doing my job. [And] whatever bitterness or anger you might feel towards me, [I hope] that you can just set it aside, please -- [and] not just for my sake," Lani continued.
"Losing [Stefan] tore my heart in half, and everybody [here knows just] how upset I was when I found out what happened...but today's not about me; today's about you...[and about] Eli, and about the choices that you're about to make that will follow you the rest of your lives," Gabi pointedly stressed. "Gabi --" Lani began to protest. "Is there something else that you wanted to say? I can push the button [on my phone to make sure] Doug and Julie hear you. Should I?" Gabi preemptively countered while waving the device threateningly.
"No -- you don't have to push the button," Lani insisted with a sigh of defeat. "Then we understand each other," Gabi concluded with a smirk of triumph. "Should we, uh, get back to it?" Marlena, who seemed just as confused as everyone else who had witnessed the exchange, interjected. "Let's do it," Lani quietly agreed, turning to face Eli again. "Do you, Eli Grant, take this woman, Lani Price, to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Marlena asked. "I do," Eli replied. "And do you, Lani Price, take this man, Eli Grant, to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Marlena asked.
Lani fantasized about defying Gabi but wasn't able to think of a way to do so without essentially signing Julie's death warrant in the process.
"I can't do this," Lani eventually replied before rushing off in tears, ignoring Eli's protests. "What happened?" Jack asked, and Jennifer shrugged in response. "Eli just got the dumping of the century," Xander bluntly summarized, earning a smack of disapproval from Sarah. "I have no idea what happened! It's awful! I'm so sorry that you had to see that!" Gabi stressed during a phone conversation with Julie.
"Guess my work here is done..." Gabi mused in a singsong voice after ending the call. "What do you mean by that?" Will suspiciously demanded to know, approaching Gabi from behind. "Oh -- [my work] as the, uh, videographer for the wedding for Doug and Julie. No wedding, no broadcast, so..." Gabi explained with a shrug. "I wouldn't pack up your phone just yet," Sonny advised, joining Will and Gabi. "What do you mean? The wedding's over!" Gabi insisted. "I'm just hoping that Eli can talk to Lani, [and] they can get back on track," Sonny reasoned, and Will agreed. "Yeah, yeah -- let's cross our fingers..." Gabi muttered, feigning concern.
"You know, my parents are supposed to be here. I wonder what held them up..." Sonny mused. "Maybe they knew something we didn't," Will suggested.
Sonny tried to contact Adrienne, but the call went to voicemail. Meanwhile, at the Kiriakis mansion, Adrienne and Justin hurriedly dressed after making love on the living room couch. "Well, that was pretty impulsive," Justin acknowledged with a laugh. "That is how I roll, baby," Adrienne explained, also laughing. "Oh, my God -- imagine if Maggie knew what we just did under the watchful eyes of her figurines!" Adrienne mused, suddenly laughing even harder than before. "Hopefully they won't say a word," Justin joked before changing the subject, reminding Adrienne that there was a wedding to attend.
"What do we give as an excuse for being late?" Justin asked. "Well, honey, you're a lawyer -- I'm sure you'll come up with something. You talk for a living," Adrienne replied while following Justin out of the mansion, inadvertently leaving behind a silenced cell phone that had just announced the arrival of Sonny's voicemail message.
Jack, who had overheard Sonny recording the voicemail message, immediately thought of a reason for Adrienne and Justin's absence. "I ran into Justin earlier, at the courthouse. He was picking up a wedding license for himself. [So], maybe that's why they're not here; maybe -- maybe Justin got inspired, and they're over at the justice of the peace as we speak," Jack explained to Sonny, surprising Jennifer, who had not yet heard about Adrienne and Justin's engagement. "This is the best news ever! And we -- we really needed some good news today..." Jennifer declared.
Jennifer continued raving to Jack about Adrienne and Justin's engagement after Sonny rejoined Will. "Tell me -- when our day finally comes, are you gonna get cold feet?" Jack asked. "Are you kidding me? It would take a team of horses to drag me away from you!" Jennifer replied before optimistically predicting that Eli and Lani, like so many of Salem's other meant-to-be couples, might work things out sooner or later.
Marlena spotted Sarah with Xander and got the sense that they were attending the wedding as a couple. "My goodness -- if it isn't the jerk that tried to [kill] me at my own wedding," Marlena began while approaching Xander and Sarah. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about," Xander claimed. "Really? Because I saw the footage from my wedding -- the footage you managed to steal from Abe's office -- so I know that you shot me," Marlena countered. "What possible reason would I have to try and take your life? I -- I have nothing against you. I don't even know you," Xander argued. "You were trying to hurt my son," Marlena recalled.
"I have nothing against your son, [either]...except for how poorly he treated this wonderful woman," Xander insisted while gesturing to Sarah, who tried to stop the conversation from going any further. "Please don't tell me this clown is your date," Marlena said to Sarah, who confirmed the suspicion. "Look, I know you're nursing a broken heart, but you don't have to go out with this idiot," Marlena advised Sarah. "You should mind your own business, doc -- [it's] no wonder everyone in this town thinks you're a busybody," Xander argued. "Wow -- despicable!" Marlena mused. "You noticing [how he's talking to me]?" Marlena asked Sarah.
"Don't worry, Dr. Evans -- my 'date' with Xander is a one-time thing. I'm leaving Salem tomorrow," Sarah clarified before walking away. "I might not have had a problem with you before...but I do now," Xander snapped at Marlena before chasing after Sarah.
Eli caught up with Lani in the nearby park and demanded an explanation for what had just happened. "Why do I deserve a husband [after] I took Gabi's away? Why do I get to be happy after I ruined her life?" Lani tried to reason, but Eli didn't buy that explanation. "[I'm] not worthy [of your love -- after all, I'm] a messed-up woman who left you for...for a...a child that wasn't even hers," Lani tried to reason, but Eli didn't buy that explanation, either. "The truth is...I just don't love you enough to marry you!" Lani finally spat, rendering Eli speechless.
"We will always share something...but we got together because David Abraham died. It wasn't 'love,' Eli; it was grief. [And] it took me a long time to accept [that]. I kept asking myself [if we were] together because we were really in love, or just out of obligation to our dead son. [And] I tried -- I really did try -- [to] convince myself [that] I would grow to love you more, [and] I walked down that aisle today, ready to marry you...[but] then I realized that it hadn't happened, [and] that if I went through with the wedding, then I would just hurt you. [And] I couldn't do that to you -- I can't do that to you," Lani tearfully continued.
"So, that's it? You're saying our relationship is over?" Eli asked incredulously. "It has to be. I'm sorry," Lani tearfully replied.
Abe and Tamara arrived just as Lani was fleeing from the park. "What happened?" Abe asked. "Just -- just go -- just go be with her. She's -- she's gonna need you," Eli replied.
Gabi arrived just as Abe and Tamara started chasing after Lani. "What happened?" Gabi asked. Eli broke down in Gabi's arms, too upset to say anything else. Gabi smirked triumphantly while sweetly comforting Eli.
Roman cut off drinks to a too-drunk Eve at the Brady Pub. "Why does this always happen? Why is everyone invited to the party but me?" Eve asked. Roman demanded that Eve give him her car keys. Reluctantly, Eve handed the keys over. Eve complained that she was miserable, and Jack and Jennifer were happy.
"The nerve of them to be happy!" Roman joked. When Eve complained that everyone took Jennifer's side, Roman countered, "Cause she's nice." Annoyed, Eve yelled out that she did not like the bar and would never return. Roman smirked. Eve leaned in close to Roman, and she whispered, "The wrong person fell down that elevator shaft and died, because if anybody deserved to be crushed to death, it's Jennifer Rose Horton!"
"I can't believe you actually said those words," Roman said. Eve complained that Jennifer had ruined her life. "Like you need any help to do that," Roman countered. Eve argued that Jennifer had stolen her boyfriend in high school and had just stolen her husband. Roman pointed out that Eve's marriage to Jack had been based on amnesia and not love.
"Jack and Jennifer are in love. And if you took the time to get sober and look in the mirror, you would see a very smart woman. A woman who is still very beautiful. Why pine over Jack, who is in love with somebody else, damn it? Let it go! Move on!" Roman suggested.
"I'm certainly not going to let Jennifer get her happily ever after!" Eve yelled as she marched out. Roman called Jennifer's cell phone to warn her that Eve was looking for her and was "very mean and very drunk."
In the on-call room at the hospital, J.J. and Haley dressed for Lani's wedding reception. Haley was hesitant to go because of J.J.'s past with Lani, but J.J. assured Haley that he only wanted to be with her. Haley admitted that she was nervous about going to a big family event with J.J. "You got nothing to worry about. You're with me, okay?" J.J. said.
In the square, Justin joked to Adrienne that weddings in Salem never worked out. When Justin complained about Lani's decision to dump Eli at the altar, Adrienne slapped his arm and told him he was terrible. "I can't believe I agreed to marry you," Adrienne teased. "Again!" Justin retorted.
Across the square, Jack told Jennifer that he felt sorry for both Lani and Eli. "I like that you are human again," Jennifer said. Jack laughed. Will interrupted to give Rolf's flash drive to Jennifer. "The IT lady at the Spectator asked me to give it to you," Will explained. Will said the woman had decrypted the drive but had not looked at the files. Will offered his assistance if Jennifer needed help with any story. Jennifer looked over at the platform as Marlena took the stage and asked for attention.
"I'm afraid there is not going to be a wedding here today," Marlena said. "Maybe. Maybe not," Jack whispered to Jennifer. Marlena added that everyone was welcome to enjoy the reception, since it had already been paid for. "Wouldn't it be weird to have a wedding reception without a wedding?" Sonny asked.
"What if there were one?" Jack and Adrienne simultaneously shouted out. Adrienne climbed onto the stage to joke that she and her brother had the same idea. "You're right! That Jennifer and I get married right here and right now!" Jack said. Jack turned to Jennifer and apologized for barreling through with wedding plans in his usual "Jack way."
"I love the Jack way. I hate waking up every morning, knowing exactly what my day is going to look like, and with you, I never know what my day is going to look like, and I love that. And I love you," Jennifer said as she hugged Jack. Jennifer shouted over at Adrienne that she loved her idea.
"I thought so, too, except I was thinking [that] Justin and I should be the ones to get married," Adrienne said. Jack and Jennifer looked at one another. "I said it first," Adrienne argued as she rushed over toward Jack. "No! We said it at the same time," Jack countered. Jack noted that Jennifer had already agreed to marry him, and he had not heard anything from Justin about a wedding for Justin and Adrienne.
"That's because you never give anyone a chance to say anything, Jack!" Adrienne objected. Jennifer suggested a game of rock-paper-scissors. As Adrienne and Jack furiously played to win, Justin smiled at Jennifer and said, "Isn't it sweet how young at heart they are?" Maggie suggested that Jack and Adrienne have a double wedding. Adrienne wondered aloud how Lani and Eli would feel about the double wedding.
"I'm not sure they'd be thinking about that right now, but I am sure that Abe would be very pleased if someone got married today," Marlena said. Adrienne took Justin and Jack's hands in hers. "I'm with the love of my life and my brother, who can remember everything including how absolutely fabulous I am, but more importantly, he remembers that Jennifer hung the moon," Adrienne said. When Adrienne noted that she, Justin, Jack, and Jennifer had all been friends for a long time, Justin yelled out, "Let's do this!"
When J.J. and Haley arrived in the square, Will informed them about the cancellation of Lani and Eli's wedding. Jack interrupted to tell J.J. the good news about the double wedding. "You guys are going to be really happy. You deserve it," J.J. said. While Adrienne and Jennifer rushed to the head of the aisle to start the ceremony, Jack asked J.J. to be his best man.
Adrienne and Jennifer walked one another down the aisle to their grooms. Marlena asked for any objections to the weddings. "It looks like I got here just in time," Eve shouted out as she stumbled into square. Jack gently suggested that Eve go home. "Before I drag you out of here," J.J. chimed in. Eve argued that Marlena had asked for objections and that she had a right to interrupt. When Jack asked about Eve's objection, she said she was pregnant with Jack's baby.
"Looks like I got the last laugh!" Eve chuckled. J.J. took Eve by the arm and started to back her up the aisle and out of the square. Eve pulled away. "You're too old," J.J. growled.
"I believe that you are lying, but even if it were true, and it could be, what you need to understand is that even after all of these years, there is nothing that you can do to keep us apart," Jennifer said. "You go ahead and you marry this smug bitch," Eve said to Jack. Eve admitted she was not pregnant.
"I've humiliated myself again. So, go ahead and get married. Get married again and again and again! Till death do you part!" Eve hollered. Maggie offered to take Eve home. When Eve declined, J.J. stepped forward and whispered to Eve that she should accept Maggie's offer or else he would drag her out of the service and dump her in the trash.
"Let me handle it," Maggie pleaded. "All of you make me sick!" Eve shouted before she marched away. Maggie followed her out. Marlena asked if she should resume, and everyone returned to their places. Jennifer said she did not want to let Eve's "drunken tantrum" ruin the ceremony.
"Let's just rewind. Jennifer, will you marry me?" Jack asked. "Yes! I want to spend every day of the rest of my life married to you," Jennifer said with a grin. Marlena continued the service, and Jack and Jennifer said their "I do's." Marlena then turned to Justin and Adrienne and repeated the same vows. When the vows were done, Marlena pronounced them husbands and wives.
After the ceremony, Haley took pictures of the happy couples and then photos of Jack and Jennifer with J.J. Across the square, Sonny said to Justin, "Thanks for making my mother an honest woman." Justin joked that Sonny was a terrible best man. Will announced that he and Sonny needed to leave to pick up Arianna, and Justin suggested that they pick up Victor and escort him to the reception. Sonny was not sure that Victor would feel sociable.
"We'll go with you. We should really tell Victor in person that we got married," Adrienne said. When Adrienne added that she wanted to change into the dress she had planned to get married in, Justin joked that Adrienne could save the dress for their next wedding. "Oh, hecks no!" Adrienne said with a laugh as they left for home.
After photos, J.J. handed his phone to Jennifer. "Abigail!" Jennifer shouted excitedly as she looked at the caller ID. Jennifer handed the phone to Jack. "Your daughter wants to talk to you," Jennifer said. With his voice cracking, Jack said, "Hi, sweetheart." Jack fought tears as he told Abigail that this time, the marriage would be forever.
After the phone call with Abigail, Jack asked Jennifer to follow him up to his hotel room while he retrieved an item. "No, because we will never go to the reception if I go with you right now," Jennifer argued. "That's a bad thing?" Jack asked. With a laugh, Jennifer urged Jack to get what he needed from his room and meet her at the reception. Jack was hesitant to leave his bride. "We're married, so even when we're apart, we're together," Jennifer said.
At the Salem Inn, Maggie helped a combative Eve back to her room. Once Eve got the door to her room open, she shoved Maggie away and slammed the door in her face. Eve stumbled to her bed and fell onto it. "It's not fair," Eve cried.
When Maggie returned home, she ran into Justin. Justin told Maggie that he was sorry she had missed the wedding. Maggie asked about the reception. Justin confirmed that he intended to return for the reception, but they had run home in an effort to convince Victor to join them. Justin asked for help with Victor, and Maggie agreed. Adrienne entered the living room, clad in the gold dress she had purchased for her wedding.
"You're beautiful," Justin said. When Justin kissed his bride, Adrienne suggested that they could skip the reception. Justin objected because he wanted to show off his beautiful bride to everyone. "I do think we won't be staying late, do you?" Justin whispered. "I have this feeling I will be turning in early tonight," Adrienne said.
In the Brady Pub, Marlena told Roman that the reception was about to start. "I hope Lani and Eli didn't mind my missing the ceremony," Roman said. Marlena told Roman about the events of the evening. "I think Jack and Jennifer are going to have a happily ever after life," Marlena said.
Princess Gina returned to the secret loft after she learned that John would not be at the wedding. When Gina mentioned she was hungry, Rolf handed Gina a tray of snacks. "You know how protective I am of you? I am a little concerned you may have inadvertently given yourself away," Rolf said. Gina disagreed, and she countered with information for Rolf.
"Apparently, Jennifer Horton has a flash drive that belongs to you, and she is determined to access whatever is on it," Gina said. Rolf was furious. "I brought her husband back to life, and this is the thanks I get?" Rolf muttered. Gina asked about the information on the flash drive. Rolf told Gina that Hope was in the room.
"Are you telling me that I am Hope Brady?" Gina asked. Rolf explained that Gina's body had been mortally wounded when Hope had shot her, and he had saved the essence of Gina's personality on a microchip, which he had implanted into Hope's neck. Gina looked in the mirror.
"Well, if I needed a new body, I suppose this one shall do," Gina said. Gina asked Rolf why he was helping her. Before Rolf could answer, Gina guessed that Rolf had obliterated Hope's personality as an act of revenge for Hope's shooting of Stefano. With a shrug, Rolf said his main focus was to see Gina reign on her throne again.
"Is it possible? Is there even the slightest chance that she could somehow reclaim this adequate body of hers?" Gina asked. Rolf told Gina not to worry. With a nod, Gina suggested that they keep her return secret until she was ready for her coronation. Gina worried aloud that Jennifer could be a threat, and she asked Rolf again about the contents of his flash drive. "Details of everything I've done on your behalf," Rolf said. Worried, Gina said she needed to deal with Jennifer.
In the square, Jack ran into J.J. Jack informed J.J. that he had gone to retrieve rings from his room. Jack told J.J. about the shipwrecked cruise where he had first told Jennifer that he had loved her and how Jack had kept a part of the shipwreck. "I just had it made into these bands, and I when I see your mom, I'm going to take this ring, and I'm going to put it on her finger. I'm telling you right now, that ring will stay on her finger till the day I die," Jack said.
At the reception at the bistro, Jennifer thought about a memory of her and Jack as she walked across the empty room. Jennifer crossed to the balcony window and noticed a laptop on a table nearby. Alone and eager to know the contents of Rolf's flash drive, Jennifer grabbed the computer and plugged in the drive. "What?" Jennifer said as she reviewed the contents. Behind her, Gina walked into the room. Jennifer spotted Gina out of the corner of her eye and jumped. Believing that Gina was Hope, Jennifer hugged her.
"Listen, you need to see this. These are Rolf's files," Jennifer said as she guided "Hope" into the seat in front of the computer. When Jennifer announced that they needed to tell someone about Rolf's plans to turn Hope into Princess Gina, "Hope" demanded that Jennifer not tell anyone.
"It's too late. It is done. I am Princess Gina," Gina said. Gina shoved Jennifer over the balcony railing, and she plummeted to the square below. A horrified Jack and J.J. watched as Jennifer landed at their feet.
Eli returned home, with Gabi in tow, and started pacing around the place in despair, struggling to make sense of what had happened earlier.
"Just the other night, Lani said that she knew, in her soul, that she wanted to be my wife as soon as possible, [and now]...she just doesn't love me anymore? No -- something else is going on, and I'm not gonna stop until I figure it out," Eli insisted. "Look, I know you want to believe there's some other explanation for what happened today, but I think it's time for you to just face the truth -- Lani is not worthy of you, [and] she doesn't deserve your love, [especially] after all the things she's done to you," Gabi argued.
"Are you really concerned about me, or is this about you? [And] did you really forgive Lani [for what happened to Stefan]? Because the way -- the way you're trashing her, it's starting to make me believe that you were hoping she'd dump me," Eli countered, eyeing Gabi suspiciously. "I can't believe you're twisting this around to make me look like the bad guy when I have been nothing but supportive!" Gabi snapped before starting to storm off, prompting Eli to quickly apologize.
Lani was alone in a room at the Salem Inn, crying about what had happened earlier, when Abe arrived and demanded a face-to-face conversation.
"I spoke to Tamara, [so] I know your reasons [for calling off the wedding]...but I don't believe them, so...please, tell me the truth," Abe began after Lani reluctantly opened the hotel room door. "I love Eli like a son, but my loyalty will always be to you, so...I have to ask -- did he do something to hurt you?" Abe continued while joining Lani inside the room. "No -- Eli is the most wonderful man I have ever known, [and] all he ever did was love me...[but] I can't [be with him]. It's impossible. [See], I don't have a choice," Lani insisted. "That doesn't make any sense," Abe protested.
"I don't want to talk anymore. I just...I just need you to hold me -- that's it," Lani evasively stressed before breaking down in Abe's arms.
At the hospital, Julie fretted to Kayla about what had happened during Eli and Lani's wedding. "You need to stay calm, okay? You are still recovering," Kayla eventually pointed out. "Oh, please -- the pacemaker's working just fine. It's [Eli's heart] I'm worried about -- I'm afraid [it] was broken today!" Julie countered before trying again to contact Eli, who had been ignoring all calls.
Julie eventually received a visit from Eli, who recapped everything that had happened after Gabi's live stream of the wedding had ended. "When you were dating Gabi, I was always afraid she might do something to hurt you...but I never thought Lani... When the two of you are together, the way she looks at you -- it's clear she's crazy in love with you. And I know how much you love her. [So], don't give up. You can't do that. You -- you have to find her, and talk to her, and tell her you'll do anything to work this out. She's worth it, you know. Your love is worth it," Julie advised.
Deciding to take Julie's advice, Eli headed over to the Salem Inn to see Lani -- but found Abe instead. "Lani just left," Abe revealed. "I figured [that] if I came here [and] told her how much I love her, [then] we could work through this, [because] I don't care what [she] did or what she said -- I know, with every fiber of my being, that she loves me," Eli explained. "I believe that, too...which is why none of this makes any sense," Abe replied. "What do you think is going on?" Eli asked. "I wish I had the answers for you, Eli, [but] I just...don't," Abe admitted with a shrug.
Meanwhile, Gabi ran into Lani in the town square. "Returning to the scene of the crime?" Gabi teasingly observed. "Are you happy? I broke Eli's heart," Lani replied. "[And, in doing so], you kept his grandmother's heart from exploding, [so] it's not all bad," Gabi argued. "It's horrible! You forced me to dump the man that I love at the altar! How do you even live with yourself?" Lani snapped. "You want to know how I live, Lani? Alone. I go to sleep alone, I wake up alone -- I'm gonna be alone forever, because my husband is dead," Gabi countered.
"You took away the man that I love...[so now], every single day of your miserable life, you're gonna feel the same pain that I feel. [Still] want to know if I'm happy? Damn right I am," Gabi concluded with a smirk, prompting Lani to throw a punch. "You really should not have done that," Gabi snapped after recovering from the blow. "Oh, please -- you're not gonna blow up Julie's pacemaker now, off of one sucker punch, are you? You are enjoying your power way too much to give it up now," Lani countered before storming off.
Jack, J.J., and Haley watched in horror as Jennifer fell from the Bistro's balcony to the ground below.
"Moving her could do more damage. [Just] call an ambulance," J.J. said to Jack, whose first instinct had been to personally transport Jennifer to the hospital. "She's still breathing," Haley, who was cradling Jennifer's head, said to J.J. as Jack stepped aside to dial 9-1-1 and report the incident. "I have a pulse, but it -- it's low," J.J. said to Haley as Jack ended the call.
Rafe arrived just then, purely by chance, and wondered how Jennifer had ended up falling from the Bistro's balcony. "We don't know! You're the detective, [so] find out!" Jack snapped at Rafe.
"You're an EMT, [Haley] is a nurse -- you gotta do something!" Jack desperately urged J.J. "We would, but we don't have the right equipment," Haley explained. "We're doing our best," J.J. insisted.
Gina was fleeing from the Bistro with Rolf's flash drive when Rafe arrived and called out Hope's name.
"Jennifer -- she...she fell off the balcony," Gina dramatically informed Rafe, pretending to be Hope. "I know -- I saw her," Rafe replied. "Is she...?" Gina asked, feigning concern. "No, no -- she's...she's alive, and an ambulance is on its way. She's with Jack [right now]...and J.J. and Haley -- which is great, 'cause they're medically trained," Rafe clarified. "Great..." Gina repeated, forcing a smile.
"You were here [when Jennifer fell]?" Rafe, whose badge was hidden behind a suit jacket, assumed while leaning over the balcony's railing -- a movement that caused the suit jacket to shift, revealing the badge. "Yeah -- I mean, no... I wasn't here... I didn't see her fall; I was coming off the elevator [at the time], and I heard a scream coming from here, so I ran out to see what happened, and when I looked over the side, that's when I..." Gina nervously replied, realizing that Rafe was a cop. "I have to go," Gina concluded before starting to rush off.
"Hold on a second," Rafe requested, extending a hand. "Let go of me!" Gina demanded, pulling away from Rafe. "My cousin needs me," Gina quickly added in a gentler tone before trying to rush off again. "Jennifer's on her way to the hospital, if she's not already there, [and] Jack is demanding answers, [so] if you really do care about your cousin, then [stay here and] help me, please -- [help me] get to the bottom of this," Rafe countered. "When you came up here, was -- was there anyone here? [Or anything] suspicious [about] the balcony?" Rafe continued. "No!" Gina tiredly replied.
"Then I don't get it -- how does Jennifer just...just fall over the balcony?" Rafe wondered. "I don't know... Uh...maybe she...was looking for Jack -- she was probably looking for Jack, and she leaned over the side, and she fell. It's a freak accident," Gina reasoned with a shrug. "Drawing conclusions without evidence -- that's...not like you, detective," Rafe curiously noted. "What other explanation could there be?" Gina countered before once again trying to rush off. "Okay, well...sorry to hold you up," Rafe stressed while stepping aside.
"I know how much you love Jennifer. I love her, too. We were...we were like family -- I mean, we were family -- when you and I were married," Rafe continued, surprising Gina. "Keep me posted, okay? I'm gonna stay here and poke around. And, hopefully, Jennifer will -- will be okay, and then she can tell us what happened," Rafe concluded. "Hopefully..." Gina repeated, again forcing a smile.
At the hospital, J.J. and Haley took turns filling Kayla in on what had happened to Jennifer. "They brought her in on a stabilizing board, but there is no spinal damage -- only multiple fractures to the left femur," J.J. reported. "Her heart rhythm and oxygen levels are -- are normal; her BP was low, but it seems to be doing fine now," Haley reported.
"So, she'll -- she'll -- she'll be okay, then?" Jack asked hopefully -- but before Kayla could respond, the machine that was monitoring Jennifer's vital signs started beeping rapidly. "BP's dropping again," Haley observed. "We're losing her!" Kayla fretted as J.J. helpfully dragged a horrified Jack out of the room.
Kayla eventually managed to get things under control again. "Her blood pressure is much better now. The reason it keeps falling is because she's hemorrhaging," Kayla explained when Jack and J.J. returned. "Internal injuries," J.J. realized. "We need to take her to surgery right away to stop the bleeding," Kayla continued.
Jennifer regained consciousness just then and tried to explain what had happened. Jack quickly interrupted with words of comfort, and Jennifer soon lost consciousness again.
Gina returned to the makeshift palace and told Rolf about what had happened with Jennifer. "I never imagined that you would kill Ms. Horton just to get back my flash drive..." Rolf admitted, sounding more horrified than impressed. "Did you ever get those Belgian chocolates I requested? I am famished!" Gina said to Rolf, who didn't respond but seemed to find the quick and easy change of subject a bit unsettling. "[Rafe Hernandez] -- poor thing, he does not hold a candle to my John," Gina continued, having gotten Rafe's name from Rolf during the recap.
"I must go -- I must get to the hospital," Gina eventually announced before starting to rush off. "What for?" Rolf wondered. "Jennifer survived the fall," Gina revealed with a shrug. "Then why did you come here and talk to me [first]?" Rolf snapped. "I would watch that tone if I were you," Gina warned, glaring at Rolf. "I came back here because I had to. I could not risk anyone finding that flash drive on me," Gina explained. "Yes, but if Jennifer talks..." Rolf fretted. "She will not. She was not even conscious when they took her away...but, should she wake, I will keep her quiet," Gina insisted.
At the hospital, Haley gave Jennifer's engagement ring to J.J., who explained why a wedding band hadn't been found with it. "I am trying really hard to be strong for my dad, but I'm scared for my mom. [You know], this was supposed to be the happiest day for my parents...[so] how is it that my mom is fighting for her life [right now]?" J.J. fretted to Haley before going to look for Jack.
J.J. found Jack near the nurses' station -- just as Rafe emerged from a nearby elevator. "I talked to the staff [at the Bistro]. They were all inside, [and] no one saw anything -- they were just getting ready for the reception. [But] the manager [is] gonna send me the security footage which covers the terrace -- which seems structurally sound to me," Rafe reported. "Did you see anything else?" J.J. wondered. "Well, there was a laptop up there, which appeared to be there to play music for the reception..." Rafe recalled with a shrug, assuming that wasn't a particularly important detail. "Was there a flash drive in that laptop?" Jack asked. "Not that I saw," Rafe replied.
"To be honest, there was nothing [at the Bistro] that looked suspicious [to me -- and] Hope agreed," Rafe concluded. "Hope?" J.J. repeated. "Yeah -- she...she was arriving just, uh, as Jennifer fell, but she didn't see anything; she only heard...she only heard Jennifer scream," Rafe explained. "Where is she, by the way? I figured she'd be here by now," Rafe continued, looking around. "We haven't seen her," J.J. revealed.
Shortly after Rafe left, Gina arrived and asked Jack and J.J. for an update on Jennifer's condition, pretending to be Hope. Gina feigned relief upon hearing that Jennifer was still alive -- and feigned disappointment upon hearing that Jennifer hadn't managed to say anything about the fall yet. Gina decided to wait with Jack and J.J. until Jennifer was out of surgery, just in case.
Kayla eventually approached the group, ready to provide an update. "She pulled through the surgery, and we were able to stop the bleeding...[but] I'm afraid the surgery didn't go as well as we had planned, [and] she lapsed into a coma," Kayla gently revealed. Gina put a hand on Jack's right shoulder while suppressing a smile.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Kristen awoke just as Brady entered her bedroom with a tray of vitamins and breakfast foods. She was thrilled with the start to her day -- until she sat up in bed and discovered blood on her sheets.
Meanwhile, Sarah carried some luggage into the foyer -- and found Maggie and Xander together in the living room, hanging a string of letters that spelled out "Bon Voyage!"
"Well, that's...understated," Sarah observed with a laugh. "Well, we couldn't let you go without giving you a proper send-off," Xander reasoned with a shrug. "Xander made the banner --" Maggie began to explain. "With the invaluable assistance of, uh, sweet little Ari," Xander stressed. "And I made your favorite breakfast," Maggie continued, holding up a tray of lemon bars.
Touched, Sarah started to thank Maggie and Xander for the kind gestures -- just as Brady burst into the living room.
"Thank God you're still here! Um, it's the baby -- Kristen's bleeding! Can you please take a look at her?" Brady said to Sarah, who nodded in response then started to rush upstairs. "Stay here," Sarah requested when Brady tried to follow. "But I'd like to go --" Brady began to protest. "Hey, hey -- do what the lady says, man," Xander demanded, grabbing Brady's left arm. "I mean, there still might not be anything she can do, [but]..." Xander continued, shrugging. "What the hell do you mean by that?" Brady wondered. "Well, you know, [this] might just be nature taking its course. Kristen's a bit long in the tooth to be having a --" Xander reasoned.
"You son of a bitch!" Brady snapped while lunging at Xander, prompting Maggie to intervene. "Fighting isn't gonna help Kristen -- or the baby," Maggie advised Brady. "And you could try to refrain from being a complete jerk," Maggie advised Xander. "I'm going to check on Kristen," Brady announced before storming off. "What you [said] was unpardonable!" Maggie snapped at Xander. "Sorry... I'm just -- I'm just upset about Sarah leaving," Xander sheepishly explained. "So am I, but that is no excuse!" Maggie countered. "You're right... I -- I hope you can forgive me," Xander replied. "Fine," Maggie agreed after just a moment of hesitation.
Meanwhile, Sarah finished examining Kristen. "So, judging by the amount of blood and the lack of cramping, I think you're just spotting. It happens in the first trimester, [and] it's very common," Sarah declared. "[So], this doesn't mean I'm having a miscarriage?" Kristen asked. "No, it doesn't," Sarah replied. "And the baby's all right?" Kristen continued. "I don't think that you have anything to worry about. Like I said, spotting is not unusual," Sarah reiterated. "[And] you'd know all this firsthand..." Kristen noted, breathing a sigh of relief. "What is that supposed to mean?" Sarah wondered.
"Well, it's just that...you're a doctor, [so] you've probably seen this kind of thing before..." Kristen clarified, deciding not to mention the fact that Sarah was also pregnant. "Yeah..." Sarah agreed, relieved to know that there wasn't more to Kristen's earlier comment. Just then, Brady entered Kristen's bedroom and asked Sarah if everything was okay. "I'm...95% sure," Sarah confirmed before advising Brady to take Kristen to the hospital for a checkup, just to be safe. "Wish you were staying. It'd be nice to know there was a doc in the house," Brady said to Sarah as Kristen listened.
Kristen sincerely thanked Sarah, who nodded in response then headed back down to the living room, where Maggie and Xander were still waiting. Maggie was relieved to hear that Kristen and Brady's unborn child seemed to be okay. Maggie was disappointed, however, to know that the good news meant that nothing was stopping Sarah from heading over to the airport right away. Sarah braced for another guilt trip, but Maggie claimed to be done with those. "Although I did think that you would stay for Jennifer's sake..." Maggie quickly added, annoying Sarah. "I'm sorry -- I shouldn't have gone there," Maggie conceded.
"This is tearing her up," Xander told Sarah after Maggie rushed off to the kitchen to put the remaining lemon bars in a travel container. "Thank you for the insight, Xander -- I didn't pick up on it," Sarah sarcastically countered before quickly apologizing. "I'm just not in the best mood," Sarah explained. "Maybe this'll help," Xander replied while producing a gift box. "I know it's pretty puffed-up -- giving you a picture of myself -- but it fit the frame so nicely, and no one's ever gonna put it up in here, so..." Xander reasoned with a shrug after Sarah opened the gift box. "No -- it's really sweet," Sarah assured Xander.
"[But] I won't have any trouble remembering you," Sarah stressed before giving Xander a hug. "Are you crying?" Xander asked after Sarah pulled away. "It's just hormones," Sarah claimed as Xander produced a handkerchief. "I didn't take you for the 'white handkerchief' type," Sarah admitted with a laugh while accepting the item. "There's still a lot you don't know about me," Xander pointed out.
"But, um...you have to go, so...we'll just have to wonder what might have been," Xander conceded with a sigh. "Take care of Mom for me, okay?" Sarah requested, and Xander agreed.
Alone in the living room of Eric's apartment, Nicole stared at the results of Sarah's pregnancy test while recalling one of Xander's warnings about what might happen if the secret ever got out. "You're right, you smug creep -- I could lose everything. [But] someone's having Eric's baby -- how can I not tell him?" Nicole mused -- just as Eric emerged from a bedroom.
"What's that you're staring at?" Eric asked. "What? Oh, uh...I'm sorry -- um, I'm a million miles away... I was just, uh, going over...the Horton Center...fundraising projections...so..." Nicole replied while stuffing the test results between some other documents in a work folder. "Well, let me help you --" Eric tried to offer. "No, no, no -- that's okay... I, uh... You don't have to do that... As a matter of fact, uh...I just finished," Nicole insisted before quickly changing the subject, probing for details about Eric's plans for the day. "I was gonna go by the hospital and check on Jennifer," Eric revealed. "Send everyone my love," Nicole requested after declining to tag along.
At the DiMera guesthouse, Ciara tried to rouse Ben, who was having a nightmare.
"Same one I had on Halloween," Ben told Ciara after finally waking up. "You're freaking out because Jordan is still on the loose, but the police are gonna find her, and then you're gonna stop having this dream," Ciara tried to assure Ben. "It's already been a couple days, [and] the cops have no idea where she is," Ben grumbled. "Maybe she left the country," Ciara suggested. "I have a feeling that she's not that far away," Ben admitted. "[But] she knows the cops are looking for her, [so] staying in Salem would just be --" Ciara began to argue. "Crazy?" Ben concluded for Ciara.
"She is crazy, and David being here is the prime focus of her craziness," Ben pointed out. "Well, David is with Rafe, under police protection," Ciara reminded Ben. "Yeah, but you're not," Ben countered.
"If she comes after you again --" Ben began to add. "She won't," Ciara insisted, but Ben didn't seem quite as confident.
Later, while Ciara was taking a shower, Ben contacted Rafe, who reported that David was safe and sound. "It's, like, freezing in here," Ciara observed after emerging from the bathroom. "Yeah, I guess it is..." Ben distractedly conceded while abruptly ending the phone call. "You called Rafe, didn't you?" Ciara guessed while closing a window. "Would you please just leave this to the police? [Look], they're gonna find Jordan, and they're gonna put her away --" Ciara began to stress. "What if they don't?" Ben argued. "You cannot let Jordan's craziness push you over the edge. [Remember], she is the sick one here, not you," Ciara maintained.
At the hospital, Jack and J.J. stood watch over Jennifer, who was still in a coma. "When does this end? When does she wake up?" J.J. asked when Kayla entered Jennifer's room. "I wish I could tell you, but I can't," Kayla replied. "What the hell happened?" Jack wondered. "Basically, the body goes dormant so that it can heal --" Kayla began to explain. "That's not what I was asking; what I meant was...how the hell did she fall off that balcony in the first place?" Jack clarified. "Hope told Rafe that she -- she didn't see it happen, but...she heard the scream," J.J. informed Kayla. "Hope must have seen something," Jack insisted.
Alone in the makeshift palace, Gina opened a tablet computer and loaded the Spectator website. "'Jennifer Horton remains in coma after mysterious fall'... Yes, 'mysterious' -- oh, please, let us keep it that way..." Gina said before glancing over at Stefano's portrait. "I am not a violent person. I was desperate," Gina explained to the portrait with a shrug -- just as Hope's cell phone began ringing.
"Hmm -- Kayla Johnson... Bad timing, but all right..." Gina grumbled before answering the call, pretending to be Hope.
"I literally had the phone in my hand -- seriously, about to call you... How is Jen?" Gina began. "Still comatose," Kayla reported. "Oh, gosh -- I...I'd been praying that she'd be conscious by now..." Gina claimed. "When do you think she'll wake? Or will she?" Gina asked. "We're just gonna have to wait," Kayla replied. "Jack and J.J. are just -- they're ragged... Uh, are you gonna come this morning? Because I know that he wants to talk to you -- Jack -- [because] you were at the restaurant when Jennifer fell, and he thinks that maybe you can shed some light on the situation," Kayla continued. "I will be right there," Gina grudgingly promised.
Gina arrived at the hospital a short time later and joined Jack and J.J. in Jennifer's room, still pretending to be Hope. "I wasn't there -- I didn't actually see her fall... I was coming off the elevator, and I, um, heard a scream coming from the balcony, so I ran out there to see what had happened, and... But there was no one there; it was [just] an accident -- a terrible, tragic accident," Gina claimed when asked about Jennifer's fall.
"[Jennifer's] so steady on her feet -- it just doesn't make sense that there could be an accident," Jack argued. "Well, maybe...she...had too much Champagne," Gina suggested with a shrug. "Jennifer doesn't drink -- you know that," Jack countered. "Right, of course -- I...wasn't thinking," Gina conceded. "[And Rafe said] the structure was sound -- the railing was sound -- so it doesn't...it doesn't make sense...[which is why] I think she was pushed," Jack continued. "Pushed? Who would ever want to hurt Jennifer?" Gina asked dramatically. "I can think of at least one person..." Jack replied, causing Gina to start squirming.
"Dr. Rolf -- [I mean, after all], Jennifer was trying to break into that flash drive of his," Jack continued. "She told him she'd lost it," Gina pointed out, relaxing a bit. "What if he thought she was lying? He basically said that to us, time and time again -- every time we ran into him. What if he found out that the IT department had actually decrypted that flash drive? What if he found out that Will gave it to her? What if he tracked her down and found her on the terrace?" Jack argued. "Then I would have seen him -- [but] no one was there," Gina insisted. "[Then] what happened to the flash drive?" Jack countered, causing Gina to start squirming again.
"I know that Jennifer had that flash drive on her when she went into the restaurant, but [Rafe] couldn't find it anywhere," Jack continued. "Maybe Mom [still] had it on her when she fell. We [should] search the square," J.J. suggested. "[And] the ambulance, [and] the E.R.," Jack agreed. "Great idea -- check all of those places," Gina encouraged Jack and J.J. "Although...I'm sorry, but...guys, I really think you're grasping at straws," Gina quickly added, annoying Jack and J.J. "We can't just..." Jack began to protest before stopping abruptly. "Stay here with Jennifer, please," Jack eventually requested. "Of course," Gina replied.
"Good luck," Gina called out as Jack and J.J. rushed off. "We both know neither Jack nor J.J. will find that flash drive," Gina said to Jennifer once the coast was clear.
Brady and Kristen entered the hospital and approached Eric and Kayla, who had been discussing Jennifer's condition. "Is there any news on Jennifer?" Kristen asked. "Like you care," Eric replied. "Jennifer's condition hasn't changed...but I don't think that Jack or J.J. are really up for visitors --" Kayla carefully began, guessing that Jack and J.J. wouldn't want to see Kristen, of all people. "We're actually --" Brady began to clarify. "I had some spotting this morning, and Sarah thought that I should get a checkup," Kristen explained, trying not to show how hurtful Kayla and Eric's dismissals had been.
"I know what that baby means to you, [and] I want only the best for you and that child," Eric assured Brady after Kayla took Kristen to an examination room. "But how can I forgive Kristen after everything that she's done to me?" Eric continued. "I have not forgotten what she did to you -- or Nicole," Brady stressed. "[But] she's getting under your skin, isn't she?" Eric guessed. "She's having my baby," Brady evasively explained. "I'm in your corner...but I just don't trust Kristen -- not as far as I can throw her," Eric declared. "I've always hated your honesty," Brady grumbled. "I know," Eric countered, shrugging unapologetically.
"Good luck," Eric concluded before starting to walk away. "I'm gonna need it," Brady admitted, causing Eric to stop and turn around. "I'm gonna go down to the chapel and pray for Jennifer...[but I'll also pray] that you get good news about your baby," Eric promised Brady before starting to walk away again.
Kristen, who had returned in time to witness the end of the brothers' exchange but had not been spotted, approached Brady after Eric disappeared from view. "The doctor said [everything's] fine, [but] she wants to order some more tests -- routine -- [so] I need to stay here," Kristen reported.
Kristen sent a relieved Brady off to the cafeteria to pick up some food -- then rushed off to the chapel in search of Eric as soon as the coast was clear. "Not scared you're gonna be struck by lightning in here?" Eric asked. "I have something to tell you -- something important," Kristen replied.
Meanwhile, Sarah said goodbye to Maggie then started to leave the Kiriakis mansion -- and ran into Nicole outside.
Ben protectively insisted on personally transporting Ciara to the hospital to check on Jennifer. After dropping Ciara off, Ben returned to the DiMera guesthouse and discovered that a window was open -- the same one that had been open earlier. "I locked this when we left..." Ben curiously mused.
At the hospital, Ciara searched for Jennifer's room -- just as Gina, who was still in the room, picked up a pillow and prepared to smother Jennifer with it.
In the square, John and Marlena celebrated their one-year anniversary. John had a gift for Marlena, and she lamented that she had not gotten him a present. John told Marlena that she was his gift. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me," John said. Marlena opened her gift bag and found an hourglass.
"This is one of the centerpieces from the reception we did not have," Marlena said. John informed Marlena that he had carried the hourglass to Marlena's bedside when she had been in the hospital. "Giving this to you this year is just my way of saying that love never gives up hope," John said. Across the square, John saw Jack and called out to him.
"I'm so sorry about Jennifer," Marlena said. John asked Jack if he needed anything. "Tell me how you stayed sane when this happened to Marlena," Jack asked. Marlena took Jack's hand in hers. Frustrated, Jack told John and Marlena about the missing flash drive.
"If I could find it, if I know what's on it, I feel like I'm doing something to help her," Jack said. John asked Jack if he was sure that Jennifer had had the flash drive on her when she had fallen. Jack said he had been unable to locate the drive on Jennifer, in the square, at the hospital, or in the Bistro. Jack shared his suspicion that Rolf had pushed Jennifer off the balcony.
"I'm not going to stop until I find out who did that to her," Jack vowed. John offered to investigate for Jack. With a nod, Jack agreed. "Jennifer tried to reach me for so long. So very long. And I had no idea who she was. And now? I know. I know who she is, and I know she's my everything. Now I can lose her like that," Jack whispered. John counseled Jack to believe that the worst would not happen.
"A love like ours is stronger than anything else on this earth," John said as he put his arm around Marlena. John added that when he had gone home at night to his empty bed while Marlena had been in a coma, he had turned over the hourglass on the nightstand. John held the hourglass up and flipped it over so that the sand ran through it.
"I would say, by God, this is the night. This is the night that she is going to wake up. And then in the morning, I would look over, and [the hourglass] would be empty. I would just turn that sucker over and say, this is it. This is the day when she is going to open her eyes and she is coming back to me. And that day finally happened," John said. Jack thanked John. "I really needed to hear that," Jack said.
"I think Jack needs the hourglass more than we do," Marlena suggested. Jack objected, but John agreed, and he handed the hourglass to Jack. "You turn this over every day, and you have faith that this is the day that Jennifer Rose comes back to you. When that day comes, then and only then can you give that back to us," John said.
After Jack left, Marlena asked John if he minded that she'd given Jack the hourglass. "Your generous heart is just one of the many things I love about you," John said. John said he hoped the hourglass would help Jack get through his ordeal.
In the hospital chapel, Kristen told Eric, "There's something you don't know about Sarah." Eric said he was not interested in hearing what Kristen had to say. Eric urged Kristen to perform an act of contrition. "For what it's worth, I've forgiven you for what you did to me," Eric said. Kristen offered absolute truth for her act of contrition.
"I don't think any of us know what tomorrow will bring. My focus is on today. Taking care of myself so that I can have a healthy child. And one way I'm going to do that is to make amends to all the people I've hurt," Kristen said. "You have your work cut out for you," Eric countered.
"What I did to you was hideous, and I don't ever want my child seeing me do things like that. So, I have to live a truthful life. I can't keep secrets anymore," Kristen said. Worried, Eric asked Kristen what she meant. "Sarah is pregnant. With your baby," Kristen confessed. Eric glanced over and saw Brady standing in the doorway, his mouth agape at the news.
"If Sarah was pregnant, she would never tell you about it," Eric pointed out. Kristen said that she lived with Sarah and had observed the signs of early pregnancy. Eric thought about when Sarah had fainted at the hospital and her startled reaction to when Eric had said he had known about Kristen's baby.
"I have taken so much from you. I had to give you this. You are going to be a father," Kristen said. As Eric stared at the wall, Kristen noted that it was clear that Eric knew she was telling the truth. "Go ask her. She is about to leave, but if you leave right now, you might just catch her," Kristen advised. Without a word, Eric rushed out.
"Why did you lie?" Brady asked Kristen. Kristen swore that she had told the truth. Suspicious, Brady asked Kristen why she had sent him away instead of letting him hear about Sarah's baby. "Because I thought it was important to tell Eric first," Kristen said. When Brady wondered aloud why Sarah had not told Eric the truth, Kristen suggested that Sarah had been concerned that the baby would upset Eric's relationship with Nicole.
"You know that Eric and Nicole went through hell to be together, and that's mainly because of you and me. If Sarah is pregnant with his baby, and she doesn't want him to know about it, why wouldn't you just keep your mouth shut?" Brady asked. "Because I did it for you," Kristen said. Kristen explained that she had told Eric in an effort to make amends to Eric.
"Were you trying to make amends? Or were you trying to score points with me?" Brady asked. Kristen said she wanted Brady to believe that she was capable of change, but she also knew that that desire had played a factor in telling Eric the truth. Kristen argued that there was nothing she could do to make up for the pain she had caused or to make Brady love her again.
"This baby I am carrying? It's a true miracle, and somehow, God blessed a wretch like me with a child, and I am going to do everything I can to be worthy of that blessing!" Kristen cried out. Kristen started to walk away, but Brady grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into his arms and kissed her.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Sarah opened the front door to leave and found Nicole on the doorstep. Nicole showed Sarah the pregnancy test results. "I know you're pregnant with Eric's baby," Nicole said softly. Confused, Sarah asked Nicole how she had obtained the test results. Nicole explained that Rolf had given her the paper.
"Has Eric seen them?" Sarah asked. Nicole said no. Sarah asked Nicole why she had not told Eric the truth. "I'm not proud of this, but I was terrified that your baby would bring you and Eric back together. I just wanted you to know that I know," Nicole said. Sarah asked Nicole to leave. Nicole agreed to go if Sarah promised not to tell Eric about the baby. As Sarah stood speechless, Nicole said that she could not give Eric a child.
"He said it doesn't matter, but he doesn't know that you're pregnant," Nicole explained. "Are you that insecure?" Sarah asked. Nicole admitted that she was. "Otherwise, I wouldn't keep something so important from the man I love," Nicole added. "What do you want from me? I'm leaving town, isn't that enough?" Sarah asked. Nicole said she understood if Sarah decided to tell Eric the truth, but she did not think that Sarah wanted to tell Eric about the baby.
"You seem determined to not have him involved," Nicole said. Upset, Sarah said she did not want Eric to know. Nicole apologized. "It's been too much suffering. You and Eric, you have been through hell, and now? You are together, and that's the way it should be. Which is why I don't want him to feel any obligation to me. I do not want to come in between you two," Sarah stressed. Sarah said that she believed leaving town was the best choice for everyone.
"You do not need to feel guilty about that," Sarah said. Sarah urged Nicole to go home and move on with Eric. "I'm not the only one that knows about your secret," Nicole confessed. Sarah ushered Nicole out of the foyer and into the living room so they could talk privately. Nicole said it was not just Rolf that knew the truth, and Sarah noted that Xander had known about the pregnancy since the beginning.
When Sarah argued that Xander would not tell anyone about the baby, Nicole said that Xander had paid Rolf to deliver the test results to Eric. Confused, Sarah asked why Xander would do that. "Xander has a crush on you, and he doesn't want you to leave town," Nicole said. Sarah noted that Xander had not been subtle about his affection for her.
"Xander has got it in his head that Eric will convince you to stay in Salem if he knew that you were pregnant," Nicole said. "What a creep! He swore that he wouldn't say a word!" Sarah lamented. Nicole added that Xander had changed his mind, and he had frantically rushed over to Eric's apartment to intercept the letter. Nicole confirmed that she had promised Xander that she would not tell Eric about the baby.
"Are you going to change your mind? Are you going to decide that he should know?" Sarah asked. "This is your secret. It's not mine to tell. And I wish to hell I didn't know, but I promise, Eric will never hear about your baby from me," Nicole said as she handed the test results to Sarah. Without a word, Sarah took the paper and threw it into the fireplace. Eric walked in.
"What are you doing here?" Eric asked Nicole. "She just came to say goodbye," Sarah lied. Eric asked Sarah if she was pregnant. "I'm out of your life, Eric. We've already said our goodbyes, now I don't want to miss my plane," Sarah said as she started to leave. Eric said that Kristen had told him about the baby. Sarah averted her gaze and argued that Kristen could not be trusted.
"I want you to look me in the eye and tell me the truth. Why are you leaving town?" Eric demanded. Sarah yelled that Eric did not have any right to ask her any questions. "Why are you so anxious to get away from me? Why did you faint?" Eric demanded. "Because she's pregnant!" Nicole exclaimed.
In the DiMera guesthouse, Ben told Rafe that he had locked up the house before he had left, but when he had returned home, the window had been open. "Is David all right?" Ben asked. Rafe confirmed he had a cop covering David at all times. Rafe inspected the window while Ben looked around the room.
"She was here," Ben said. Ben pointed at a cracked photo of Ciara. "Who else would have done that?" Ben asked. Ben was anxious to locate Jordan, but Rafe cautioned Ben to leave the search up to the police. Ben ordered Ben to take Ciara and hole up in a police safe house until Jordan was captured. Ben agreed.
After Ben packed a bag, he called Ciara's cell phone and left a voicemail asking Ciara not to return home. Ben told Ciara he would pick her up at the hospital. As Ben exited the house, someone watched him from the bushes.
Jennifer lay unconscious in a coma at the hospital as Princess Gina held a pillow. Before Gina could smother Jennifer, Ciara walked in. "Mom? What are you doing?" Ciara said. "Hope" said she thought Jennifer would be more comfortable with an extra pillow as she stuffed it gently behind Jennifer's head.
"Does anybody know what made her fall?" Ciara asked. "It was an accident. A terrible accident," "Hope" whispered. Ciara confided to "Hope" that Ben was suffering from nightmares about his sister, and Ciara was anxious to see Jordan get caught. "I have been so worried about you," "Hope" said in an attempt to act motherly. Ciara noted that Brady had offered a security guard, but she did not think Victor would approve because he hated Ben.
"You have so much on that beautiful mind of yours. You don't have to stay here. I'm going to stay here with Jennifer," "Hope" offered. Ciara declined. "I want to stay here with you. Mommy, I'm so scared," Ciara said as she hugged "Hope" tightly.
Once Gina was alone with Jennifer, she pulled the pillow out again and held it out. Ben walked in. "I thought Ciara was with you," Ben said. "Hope" told Ben that Ciara had left for home to retrieve her phone. "Oh, my God! She doesn't know," Ben said as he rushed out. Gina turned back toward Jennifer, but she was interrupted by a phone call from Rafe. Rafe asked "Hope" to meet him at the station to talk about Jennifer.
"Hope" met with Rafe at the station, and she argued that Rafe should be less concerned with Jennifer's accident and more concerned with capturing Jordan. Rafe said he understood, but he asked "Hope" to review the security camera footage from the Bistro with him first. "Then you can actually help me nail down what really happened to Jennifer," Rafe said.
Rafe played the footage, and "Hope" noted that Jennifer was alone. "She must have tripped," "Hope" said as she leaned forward to press stop on the video. Rafe blocked her. "Let it run," Rafe said. "I don't want to see my cousin fall," "Hope" objected. Rafe pointed out that there was a shadow, which showed that someone had joined Jennifer on the terrace.
Ben returned to the DiMera guesthouse, which had been trashed by someone since he had left for the hospital. Worried, Ben called Ciara's phone. Across the room, Ben saw a hand underneath a pile of furniture. "Ciara?" Ben asked weakly. Ben rushed over and checked the wrist for a pulse. "It's cold," Ben said through tears.
When Jack returned to Jennifer's hospital room, she was alone. With tears in his eyes, Jack sat beside Jennifer and clutched the hourglass to his chest. Jack told Jennifer, "I'm going to turn this hourglass over, and when the sands finish coming through it, I expect you to wake up and come back to me." Jack flipped the hourglass over and placed it on the nightstand so that the sands ran through it.
In the square, Marlena asked John if any other couple had been through as much as they had. "I don't think any other couple has been through as much as we've been through this year," John joked. "So much can happen in one year," John added. As Marlena furrowed her brow, John asked Marlena what she was thinking about.
"I'm thinking about something Tom Horton said a long time ago. Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives," Marlena said. With a smile, Marlena took John's arm in hers, and they walked away.
When the sands finished falling through the hourglass, Jennifer whispered, "Jack." Jennifer fluttered open her eyes. "Everyone has been praying. It's a miracle! And it happened," Jack said. Jack told Jennifer that he had been waiting for her to wake up. Jennifer asked what had happened. Jack told Jennifer about her fall and the coma. Jack promised to answer all of Jennifer's questions.
"All that matters is that you're back. You're here. You're with us. After so much time," Jack said. Jennifer asked how long she had been unconscious. "You've been asleep for an entire year," Jack said.
