Billie steps off the elevator at University Hospital. Standing at the nurses' station is Daniel. Billie and Daniel smile at each other as they give each other a peck on the lips as a greeting.

 

DANIEL: Well, you're out and about awfully early.

 

Billie chuckles to herself, checking her watch as she responds.

 

BILLIE: More like up really late...we had a hell of a night at work and...(sigh) I just needed to see some friendly faces.

 

Daniel looks up from his tablet, where he's finalizing some work, and gives Billie a stern look.

 

DANIEL: Well, I hope one of those faces isn't Theresa Donovan.

 

Billie furrows her brow at Daniel, frustrated.

 

BILLIE: Of course she is.

 

Daniel sighs, glowering at Billie's bullheadedness.

 

DANIEL: Billie--
BILLIE: ...Well, what do you expect me to do, Daniel? That girl was like a daughter to me before I had Chelsea in my life. I'm closer to her than her own mother. I have a right to see her, regardless of what her mother says.
DANIEL: You and I know that but I still don't think it's a risk you should be taking. Remember? If I let you in that hospital room, I'm putting my career on the line, and yours as well.

 

Billie looks to the side, biting her lip, trying to hold in her frustration at Daniel.

 

BILLIE: Five minutes.
DANIEL: Billie--

 

Billie gets agitated, leaning in close to Daniel so as not to project her voice and potentially have others hear their conversation.

 

BILLIE: Daniel, come on. Just...five minutes, you stay closeby, check in and I'll head home. Okay?

 

Daniel hesitates another moment, Billie persists.

 

BILLIE: The guard's on his break, no one will know I'm there. Come on.

 

Daniel sighs, before taking a moment and motioning silently toward the door.

 

Billie turns and makes a beeline for Theresa's hospital room door, she looks back at Daniel and smiles warmly at her boyfriend before winking at him, then stepping into the room, closing the door behind her. Daniel looks on, gravely concerned for the consequences if she's caught.

 

---

 

Sami stands in the DiMera living, still in her robe. It's early in the morning with the sun just peaking out. She paces the living room, studying work documents on her tablet, as she sips her morning coffee.

 

Down the steps comes EJ, groggy, but noticing the lights on in the living room. He steps into the room, surprised to see Sami up so early.

 

EJ: Samantha...what are you doing up at this hour?

 

Sami turns to look at EJ, she sets her coffee and tablet down on the desk in front of her.

 

SAMI: Oh, I...I couldn't sleep so I...I figured I could at least get some work done.

 

EJ steps into the room and walks over toward Sami, he hesitates before putting a hand on Sami's shoulder, unsure of her reaction. Sami doesn't pull away, though the uncertainty is still on her face.

 

EJ: I...umm...if there's anything I can do to help.

 

Sami looks up at EJ, and smiles.

 

SAMI: Nah it's...it's okay. I gotta present this contract to Gabi at some point today and then...help Will with some wedding plans, and...
EJ: Contract?

 

Sami turns back to the desk to pick up her tablet, she taps it a couple times before presenting it to EJ.

 

SAMI: Oh yeah...it seems Nick Fallon's trying to pit Kate and I against each other for his golden girl. So Kate, Gabi, and I are gonna play along and get the drop on Nick. And hopefully he'll keep his mouth shut on what happened by the river that night.

 

EJ looks down at the tablet, before looking up at Sami, a grave concern on his face.

 

---

 

Nicole stands in front of the mirror, beaming from ear to ear as she looks at herself in her wedding dress.

 

NICOLE: Well...take two, Nicole. Hopefully this time, it goes off without a hitch and you'll become Mrs. Eric Brady.

 

Nicole looks herself over, before her face drops, the worry hitting her like a ton of bricks.

 

NICOLE: Just so long as Nick Fallon doesn't pull anything first. (sigh) Nothing can go wrong today. I won't let it.

 

---

 

Aiden sits in his office, taking a sip of his first coffee of the morning. He sets it down on his desk, then getting to signing a document on his desk, when a knock is heard at the door. He looks up, calling out to the person at the other side.

 

AIDEN: Come in!

 

A delivery man steps into the room.

 

AIDEN: Oh! Great. Yes. Ahhh....here it is.

 

Aiden picks up a large manila envelope and hands it to the delivery man.

 

AIDEN: And that's going to Mr. Eric Brady at the Salem Inn. That's Room 226.
DELIVERY MAN: Need a signature on that?
AIDEN: I will, yes. And uh...please make sure, no earlier than 6pm this evening.

 

Aiden and the Delivery man nod to each other, acknowledging their arrangement, as the man steps out of Aiden's office. As the door closes, Aiden looks on, sighing.

 

AIDEN: Alright, Nick. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into.

 

---

 

 

 

---

 

EJ's concerned face confuses Sami, she furrows her brow as she steps over to the desk in the DiMera living room, grabbing her cup of coffee to take a sip.

 

SAMI: Why do you look like something terrible's just happened. 

 

EJ looks away, suddenly deep in thought.

 

EJ: Because something terrible may be just about to happen.

 

Sami suddenly looks concerned.

 

SAMI: What do you mean, EJ?

 

EJ turns to face Sami, a sense of urgency in his voice.

 

EJ: I can't get into it, but you need to be VERY careful how you proceed around Nick Fallon from now on. You, Gabi, and Kate.

 

EJ turns to head out of the room, leaving Sami stunned and confused.

 

SAMI: EJ? What...where are you going?
EJ: I have to take care of something.

 

Sami stands dumfounded as EJ runs off up the stairs.

 

---

 

Nicole continues to insepct herself in the mirror, when she hears a knock on the door. She turns around quickly, confused as to who would be there.

 

NICOLE: Now who would that be at this hour?

 

Nicole opens the door to find Eric standing on the other side, dressed in his tuxedo and ready to go, taking Nicole by surprise.

 

ERIC: Morning!

 

Nicole jumps back behind the door to hide her wedding dress.

 

NICOLE: Aah! Eric! What are you doing here?? It's bad luck to see me in my wedding dress before the ceremony!

 

Eric chuckles to himself as he leans against the doorframe.

 

ERIC: You're really gonna play traditional right now? This is probably the least conventional wedding I've ever seen.
NICOLE: Yeah, well...I have my reasons for being a little bit superstitious. This doesn't exactly have the highest marital success rate, if you hadn't noticed.
ERIC: Yeah, well...I figure we can be an exception. 

 

Eric smiles widely and melts Nicole's defenses. She cracks a smile and chuckles to herself before looking into her fiancé's eyes.

 

NICOLE: (sigh) Okay. Let me grab my coat, and let's go!

 

Nicole steps away from the door, and grabs her coat, putting it on and grabbing her purse before opening the door to her suite. She steps out to find Eric stood with his elbow stuck out to one side, inviting Nicole to wrap her arm around his.

 

ERIC: M'lady.

 

Nicole takes Eric's arm and looks warmly in his eyes as they head for the elevator.

 

---

 

Aiden continues to work at his desk, when he receives a call. Without looking up from his papers, he picks up the phone on his desk.

 

AIDEN: (into phone) Aiden Jennings.

 

...

 

Nick stands in the Brady pub, a to-go cup of coffee before him as he shakes the sugar packets in his other hand.

 

NICK: (into phone) Aiden, it's Nick Fallon. Is it sent?

 

...

 

AIDEN: (into phone) It is, as requested.

 

...

 

NICK: (into phone) Excellent. I'll be contacting you probably tonight with what I need next from you, alright?

 

...

 

AIDEN: (into phone) Hey, as long as you keep paying my fee, I'm all yours, Fallon.

 

...

 

Nick stirs his coffee casually as he looks up, smirking once again.

 

NICK: (into phone) Oh, trust me, that won't be a problem.

 

Nick hangs up the phone, chuckling smugly to himself.

 

---

 

Billie sits next to Theresa's comatose body in her hospital room. She holds Theresa's hand as she speaks gently to her.

 

BILLIE: Hey, Sweetie. I've been meaning to come see you more but...well...you know your mom.

 

Billie laughs half-heartedly to herself as she looks down at her friend. She sighs, trying to hold her emotions in.

 

BILLIE: I guess I should let you know what's up. I...uh...well, Daniel and I are getting pretty serious now. I know he's...not exactly your favourite person, but...he's been good to me. Hell, he's the one making sure I can still come to see you, so that's gotta count for something, right?

 

Billie stops a moment, never taking her eyes off Theresa's face, as she holds Theresa's hand in hers.

 

BILLIE: We miss you, Theresa. I know you've got a long way to go and...you may...no, I'm not gonna think like that...I'm not giving up. You're gonna make it all the way back to us, you hear me?

 

As Billie squeezes Theresa's hand, she feels Theresa squeeze gently back, her thumb moving, causing Billie to jump after a moment, as the heart monitor makes note of Theresa's slight increase in heart rate.

 

BILLIE: Theresa??

 

Billie jumps up, and heads for the door of the room to find Daniel to let him know that Theresa's starting to wake up. She stops for a second at the door, a big smile appearing on her face, as she carefully steps back out into the hallway to look for Daniel.

 

After a moment, the door to Theresa's room, creaks open. A woman in a pair of black pumps steps into the room. She carefully closes the door behind her.

In her hand is a filled syringe.

 

---