Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Sami is forced to tell Will and Allie some hard truths. At the same time, EJ confronts Kate about tipping Sami off which resulted in him getting shot. Kate denies, but EJ presses. Kate throws what he has done back in his face and leaves. Nicole tells Brady that EJ has Sydney and Johnny back. Brady thinks Nicole made the wrong choice by siding with EJ. He always lies and Nicole will be played for a fool. After Brady leaves for the hospital to check on Melanie, Nicole ponders her decision in trusting EJ’s word. EJ answers his phone to Sami, who pleads with him to let her see her children for the holidays. Grim EJ refuses and hangs up. Nicole shows up and wants to know her place in Sydney’s life. She and EJ come to an understanding. At the same time, Kate goes to Rafe and Sami to warn them. While Sami rests, Rafe goes to the DiMera mansion and tries to make EJ see reason, but he is not having it. In the garden, Nicole enjoys time with Sydney. The moment is interrupted when Sami shows up, ready to rip her daughter from Nicole’s arms. Melanie and Nathan, still suffering from symptoms of the deadly virus, discuss the positive things they have in their lives and finally admit they still have feelings for each other. At the same time, Daniel tells Carly that he’s identified the virus, and has a potential cure. Unfortunately, they don’t have time to test it. Daniel takes charge and tells Carly he will test the drug on himself. Carly, not comfortable with Daniel endangering his life, gets an idea. Later, Daniel tells a saddened Chloe what he must do to save his daughter. Chloe is deeply upset with his decision, but supports him. Daniel asks Philip to look after Chloe and his son if something goes wrong. Father Matt reminds Stephanie that she must do the right thing and she goes to Philip, ready to reveal the truth about Parker’s paternity. Kate shows up and pries Brady away from Chloe. Brady admits that Vivian is free and Kate warns him that she will want vengeance, and the first victim will be him. Daniel returns to the lab to get started, but he finds a note Carly left for him. He realizes she has already moved ahead. Carly enters the quarantine room and while Melanie and Nathan question her, she injects herself with the anti-virus just as Daniel runs up.  He’s too late.

Rafe tries to reason with EJ. Rafe asks EJ to let Will and Allie see their brother and sister, but he forbids it. He believes Sami will use it to worm her way back into Johnny and Sydney’s life. Rafe and EJ almost come to blows. Meanwhile, Sami confronts Nicole. She tries to convince Nicole to let her have just a moment with her baby, and it looks like she will give in, but instead she calls for EJ. EJ and Rafe race out. EJ is furious. He tells Sami if she does it again, all bets are off and the truth will come out. Sami and Rafe leave. Later, Sami admits she made things worse, and breaks down in Rafe’s arms. At the same time, EJ thanks Nicole, but tells her to go. Nicole takes Sydney up to bed. EJ finds himself alone and his victory is bittersweet. Carly injects herself with the deadly virus before Daniel can stop her. Daniel enters the quarantine room without protective gear, exposing himself. Melanie overhears Daniel and Carly arguing about what she has done and realizes her mother did it to save her. Daniel gives Carly the antidote and they wait to see if it works. Daniel tends to Melanie and Nathan. Nathan tells Daniel how much he loves Melanie and is about to spill the secret that Chloe cheated on Daniel. Melanie, moved by Carly’s sacrifice, calls her “mom.” Melanie tells her mom that she loves her, and doesn’t want to lose her as Carly appears to take her last breaths. Stephanie tries to tell Philip he’s the father of Chloe’s baby, but he misunderstands, and thinks she’s talking about his inability to be a good father. Chloe comes up with Parker and says she thinks Philip will make a great father one day. Ben enters and explains to Chloe what Daniel and Carly have done. They all worry and pray the antidote will work. Justin tries to call Bo, and Adrienne comforts Stephanie. Stephanie reveals to Adrienne that Philip is Parker’s father. Later, she decides that now isn’t the best time to tell everyone, but Adrienne thinks she must. Stephanie has to get Adrienne to promise to keep the secret.

As Carly nears death, Bo meets with Warden Smith about Hope’s solitary confinement. His meeting is interrupted when he learns that Carly is gravely ill. Bo’s presence gives Carly strength, and the cure begins to work. Nathan and Melanie are injected with the drug and also begin to recover. Philip witnesses a close moment between Nathan and Melanie. Jennifer tells Bo about her phone call from Hope. Bo realizes they may need to circumvent the warden to find out what Hope wanted to tell them. Hope summons Warden Smith and shares her concerns about Lee when she realizes that another woman might be in danger of dying. Later, Warden Smith makes plans to dispose of Hope. Stefano is shocked to learn that EJ has gotten his children back. He is upset that EJ has allowed Nicole back into Sydney’s life and even more so when he realizes that Kate is the reason Sami shot his son. He promises to deal with Kate. Later, a nervous Kate comes home to face the music. Meanwhile, Nicole is on cloud nine about having both Brady and Sydney in her life. However, EJ reveals to her that she will have to make a choice. Sami, without revealing too much, tells her family what EJ has done, and how they can never see Johnny and Sydney again. Will, Roman and Caroline are all outraged. Roman wants to take care of it, but Sami says there is nothing that can be done – EJ has won. Meanwhile, Rafe has hired a diver to look for the gun Sami threw in the river, but it’s not there. Later, he goes to Sami and reveals it’s gone. EJ calls and tells them nice try, but no cigar.

Lexie and Theo drop in on EJ. She learns the kids are there. Lexie doesn’t understand, and EJ – while not admitting anything – lets her guess it was Sami who shot him. She is horrified and EJ asks Lexie not to judge him. Later, Lexie runs into Sami and Rafe. Sami tries to get Lexie to hear her side of the story. Lexie wants nothing to do with her. Later, Lexie feels nothing good will come from this Sami and EJ war. At the same time, Roman visits EJ and puts the screws to him, vowing to find a way to neutralize him. EJ tells him if he tries, he will send Sami to prison. Rafe tells Sami to dial it down, but she is on edge and claims she destroys everything she touches! Stefano rakes Kate over the coals for causing the events that got EJ shot. Kate explains why she did what she did, but Stefano is not happy. When he receives news about Chad’s paternity test being in, he realizes Kate is the one who sent Chad the birth certificate. Kate tries to explain, but Stefano is furious and tells her to get out. Chad learns the test results are in. He talks to Will, who tells him nothing good can come from being a DiMera. Vivian visits Maggie and tells her Victor wasn’t the only one who kept her locked up tight in the sarcophagus. Brady, Philip, Kate and Nicole also played a part in keeping her entombed.

The paternity test proves that Stefano is Chad’s father. Stefano is willing to make Chad a part of his family, but Chad rejects him. He wants no part of the DiMeras’ lives. He only wanted the test to stop the secrets and lies that cost him his mother and his daughter. Stefano insists that Chad can never escape who he is. An unmoved Chad walks out on him. Victor learns that Vivian told Maggie that he, Brady, Kate, Nicole and Philip kept her in the sarcophagus. Maggie tells Victor she never wants to see him again. Later, Victor wants to know when Vivian’s plans of revenge will end. Deadly Vivian says when all their lives have been destroyed. She tells Gus her plan. He’s amazed by its brilliance and audacity, but is not sure she can pull it off. Vivian feels that she is fully capable of doing so. Meanwhile, Victor warns Kate to watch her back. Both are unaware that Stefano is watching them. Melanie has a loving reunion with Philip. They visit Maggie, who insists Philip tell Melanie the truth about Vivian. Philip confesses all, especially about his part in keeping Vivian in the sarcophagus. Melanie forgives him, knowing she might have done the same. They make love. Meanwhile, a recovered Nathan is about to tell Stephanie he loves Melanie when he’s called to a dying patient’s bedside. Their conversation makes him realize he can be happy without his soul mate and instead of telling Stephanie the truth; he commits himself to her even more. Stephanie, feeling their love can withstand the truth about Philip fathering Parker, leaves a message for Caroline, insisting that they talk. Chloe has a meltdown over being a rotten wife and mom. Daniel assures her she’s the best. Alone with Parker, Daniel tells him he will always love him, unaware that moved Chloe has overheard him.