Ring Of Fire

EJ and Stefano stand in a near-embrace in the DiMera mansion rumpus room. "My boy," says Stefano, "you have become a man."

"No," says EJ, "That happened years ago back in the pantry with our maid Fifi."

They agree the ugly affair between them is over. Stefano, however, has a condition. Doesn't he always?

Chloe comes back home and finds Carly sitting in the living room. Apparently Daniel gave her a spare key. Carly asks if this is OK with Chloe. Chloe says of course it's OK with her. Translation: murder is still illegal in Salem. Daniel comes out carrying a large box and announces his presence. Chloe grabs it from him and trundles off.

Phillip finds Adrienne in the alley by the Cheatin' Heart, as Adrienne cradles Justin's lifeless body.

Stephanie finds Melanie at the hospital. Melanie says she's coming back into the nursing program. She says Stephanie looks a little sick, "A peso for your thoughts?"

"If it's for my thoughts, I'd have to give you change," says Stephanie, who thinks her Melanie reapplying to nursing school is a really, really, really bad idea. Really bad.

Madeline tells Chad he's been strong through his father's ordeal. Of course Chad isn't the one who had his skull bashed in. Chad leaves to talk to Daddy's doctor. Madeline flashes back to seeing Kate in the Java Café.

Sami comes into the Java Café and runs into Kate. "Nice bruises," says Kate, "Catfight?"

"Know what boggles my mind," asks Sami.

"I suppose the same thing that would boggle any gnat's mind," says Kate.

"I don't see how a person like you could drive a wedge between me and my son," says Sami, "You love that Will wants to live with you instead of me. You are such a manipulative witch!" Kate starts to leave, but Sami drags her back and tells her she will soon be out of the DiMera mansion on her ass, "EJ is over there now kicking Stefano out." Kate explodes into a belly laugh.

Elvis asks, "What ring of fire would you like me to jump through?" Stefano says if they are to truly reconcile, he must have what he needs. And he wants EJ to do it tonight.

Kate tells Sami off. She insists Will is coming to live in the DiMera mansion, "You and EJ have underestimated Stefano DiMera."

EJ asks, "What do you need?"

"Elvis," says Stefano, "You are pretty good at playing dumb."

"I've had a lot of practice," says EJ.

"The most important thing to me is family," says Stefano, "I want Giovanni and Sydney back in this house within an hour."

"I can't just tear them away from Samanther."

"It would be harder to tear them away from their babysitter," says Stefano, "Why does Samantha even matter?"

"She's their mother."

Adrienne begs Justin to live. She looks up and screams at Phillip, "He's not responding."

"It might help if you weren't sitting on his chest," says Phillip.

Melanie snarls, "You seem to have me mixed up with someone who cares about what you think."

Stephanie decides she shouldn't have said anything, "I don't admire quitters."

"How's your racing career going," asks Melanie.

"I quit."

"What was your college degree in," asks Melanie.

"I quit."

"Well," says Melanie, "I don't admire mean people. So..." She turns to a nurse and gives her the form and asks her to see to it that it gets delivered to the right place.

"Who the hell are you to give me orders," asks the nurse.

"I am Mrs. Phillip Kiriakis," says Melanie.

"I'll deliver it to the dean of the nursing school personally," says the nurse.

Melanie turns back to Stephanie, "What I do and where I work is none of your business." She walks off.

Steponme whispers so Melanie can't hear, "The hell it isn't."

Chloe goes through the box. Daniel asks what she is doing. She tells Daniel she's just seeing what he took out of the drawer. She also says she's sorry she didn't help with the move and becomes all-helpful. She and Carly go off to work on things. Daniel takes the blanket out of the box and finds baby clothes underneath.

EJ says it's awkward to do this. Stefano encourages him to come up with something. EJ wants more time. Stefano makes threats, "You will have those children in this house within the hour. Are we clear?" EJ picks up his things to leave. "One hour," says Stefano, "Non-negotiable."

Carly comes out and tells Daniel she can't do this. Chloe follows. Daniel tells Carly he wants to talk later and suggests she follow up on one of her patients. Carly leaves.

Chloe says it's nice to have Carly around. Daniel shows her the baby clothes. Chloe says she bought them when she thought she was pregnant, "I couldn't bring myself to return them, so I hid them and now sometimes I like to look at them. Is that a problem?"

Daniel says, "It's not a problem. It's darn weird, but not a problem."

They wheel Justin into the hospital. Nathan checks him out and follows the gurney into the operating room. Roman questions Phillip, who says he saw the guy who did it, but can't say much more about him. Adrienne says Justin was robbed.

Chad comes back and tells his mom, "That lawyer they brought in was attacked just like Dad was.

EJ is with Sami in her Marlena's apartment. Sami prattles around and talks about the kids. EJ cools her jets and tells her things are complicated and the situation has changed. He tells her he didn't exactly kick Stefano out of the DiMera mansion.

Daniel hugs Chloe. He plays the role of the mythical tender sensitive guy who actually gives a flying leap, "There are things you aren't being honest with me about. You say you're fine that Carly is living here, but I don't think you are. Am I right?"

Wow. Daniel actually got a clue. Chloe tells him he's right. Daniel says something to her that no guy has ever said to her before, "Talk to me."

"I hate that she gave you a child and I can't."

Melanie is in Maggie's kitchen. Stephanie arrives for another heapin' helping o' re-hash. Melanie greets her and rambles on until Stephanie shuts her up. She says she thinks Melanie's reapplying is a bad idea for other reasons than the ones they already went over and over and over. Melanie starts to slam the door but Stephanie forces her way in.

Roman meets Chad and talks to Judge Woods. "I think Chad might have hit on something important," says Madeline.

EJ says he was just using the threat to sign over the house as a lure to manipulate Stefano, "I feel like I'm a bloody fool."

"You're the last one in town to realize that." EJ says Stefano wants to see Johnny and Sydney very badly. "So do I," says Sami, "I wonder where they are."

Chloe and Daniel embrace. Daniel says when he fell in love with her she was everything he wanted in a woman, "Mainly that means you were willing.

"But I was married and wasn't available," says Chloe.

"Like that matters," says Daniel, "All I wanted was to be with you and share a life. That's enough for me."

Chloe apologizes for her attack of self-pity. She says she wants Daniel to have a relationship with Melanie, but thinks he's getting sucked back into Carly's life. Daniel insists not, "Nothing is going to come between you and me. We will be together for all the Days Of Our Lives." Translation: kiss him goodbye now or kiss him goodbye later.

Carly finds Adrienne. She says she'll look in on Justin. Adrienne apologizes for being cold to her earlier and says she misses their friendship, "I know you're going through a rough time and I want to (say it with her) be there for you. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you."

"Actually," says Carly, "there is something I need."

Chad tells Madeline he thinks something else is strange, "It has to do with you."

Back at her apartment, we have a Sami-clysm. EJ says he knows what Stefano did was wrong, "But does that mean I should banish him from his grandchildren?"

"What part of 'I never want Stefano to see Johnny or Sydney again' confused you," asks Sami.

EJ tries again, "He showed genuine contrition."

"I was there earlier this evening and I didn't see it," says Sami.

EJ makes his case. Sami can't believe the 180°., "You're sleep deprived. So one time only you are getting a get out of jail free card from me. Go sleep on it and we'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Actually," says EJ, "I want to take them to see him this evening."

Nathan talks to Carly at the nurses' station and tells her he now realizes Melanie is married. If the guy were any quicker he'd be a glacier. He says he's dating Stephanie, "I feel really lucky." He walks off.

Stephanie tells Melanie she's making a mistake. Melanie nukes. Stephanie says if Melanie goes back to nursing school she will force Nathan to interact with her every day, "It's not what he needs."

Melanie asks, "So I should deny myself a career so he can get over things?"

"You have Phillip," says Stephanie.

"That's a non sequitur," says Melanie.

"Whatever that means," says Stephanie, "You know I don't speak French. Go make babies and play house."

Melanie calls her names. Stephanie says she's just there to give advice because she cares about Nathan. Oh, the sincerity! Melanie figures she and Nathan are back together again and that's why Stephanie is being manipulative, "Man, I thought I was insecure."

Sami says she hopes EJ is joking. EJ says he has never been more serious. Sami refuses to take the kids over to the DiMera mansion.

Daniel and Chloe are in bed cuddling. His phone rings. Carly tells him she's decided not to stay with them, but will stay with Adrienne instead, while she stays in Patch and Kayla's place, which of course just happens to be across the hall, "I'll return your key, and give you a key to my place instead." Daniel says that's a good solution. He hangs up and moves back to cuddling.

Stephanie and Melanie keep it up. Same stuff, same insults. Melanie figures Stephanie read the letter. Stephanie admits it and says she's not sorry.

Justin sits propped up in his hospital bed and asks Adrienne what happened. Adrienne says he was mugged, "They took your wallet and money."

"And a chunk out of the back of my brain," says Justin.

"It's a good thing you never use that," says Adrienne, "You won't miss it. I'm going to stay here with you."

"You don't need to."

Kate and Stefano toast the fact that Sydney and Johnny will be there tonight. "I am on cloud nine," says Stefano, "Outside of you I have not been this happy in a long time." He senses Kate isn't happy, however.

She says she's disconcerted, "I saw someone today. We didn't speak but acknowledged each other's presence. It was Madeline."

Sami and EJ argue for a change. Sami says she thought EJ had changed, but if he's serious about this, anything between them is over. He says he's sincere about changing.

"Then this 180° is either crazy or there is something else going on," says Sami.

Daniel and Chloe continue to cuddle. He sees the clock... Two clocks in fact. He jumps and Chloe wants to know what's wrong. "Nothing," says Daniel, "Go back to sleep."

Adrienne huffs out of Justin's room. Nathan stops her, "I'd like to update you on your husband's condition."

"He's not my husband any more."

Stephanie wonders about Melanie's transgressions, especially writing that letter. Phillip listens outside as Stephanie rambles on about her writing it.

Stefano says he doesn't want Kate thinking about Madeline at a joyous time like this. Kate says she can't be too joyful, "What if... What if EJ can't get Sami to cooperate?"

EJ says, "You're right. Something else is going on. You have a right to know what it is. I'm not going to tell you, but you do have a right to know."

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