Sonny stands with EJ in the living room of his apartment, as Gabi lays Ariana down in her crib. Sonny looks at a half-asleep Will, who stands in the doorway to their bedroom. Sonny is mystified by Will's acceptance of EJ gifting Gabi a gun to protect her.

 

SONNY: What is wrong with you, Will? You think it's a good idea to keep a gun in this house? With your daughter nearby?
WILL: Okay, Sonny, look. Nick has gone off the deep end before, and we all know that. And he has access to our lives in ways we may have absolutely no concept of. What's to stop him from finding a way to kidnap Gabi or Ari? He's already manipulated his way back into Gabi's life, and she was too afraid to say anything.

GABI: Not...exactly.
SONNY: What do you mean by that?

 

EJ interjects, trying to keep Gabi from spilling the beans on their plot.

 

EJ: Gabi...

 

Gabi sighs as she turns toward EJ. She shakes her head before she reveals her real plans with Sonny and Will.

 

GABI: EJ, we can't keep this from them. Look...my trying to reconcile with Nick, it's all been a ruse. Like Will suggested before. I've been trying to reel him in and get him to trust me again so I could use it against him.
WILL: Okay...but...
SONNY: Gabi, please tell me you're not doing anything dangerous.

 

Gabi shakes her head emphatically.

 

GABI: No, no. I umm...no, I went on a date with Nick and...well...EJ suggested I get him drunk and...give him his old pain medication to stop his hangover. And then...I replaced his Ibuprofens with lookalikes EJ had made that are really a stronger version of the pain meds Nick got hooked on when he killed Trent Robbins.
SONNY: WHAT?! Gabi, what the--
GABI: I had Hope investigate and I was hoping to have him caught with the pills before his parole ran out so that I could have him arrested, but...

Will sighs, putting a hand on his forehead as he finishes Gabi's sentence.

WILL: But she didn't find them, and now Nick's back to full-on psycho mode, and if he finds out that Gabi's been duping him...

 

Sonny turns back toward Gabi and EJ, who both look on very seriously at Will and Sonny.

 

EJ: You all could be in very grave danger.

 

---

 

Jerome steps into the living room at the Grant house, just as Valerie is about to begin her video interview with Crystal Clarke, the nurse she's looking to hire at the hospital.

 

He steps into the room and interrupts her before she hits "connect".

 

JEROME: Hey! Grandma, just...one thing I forgot to do before you start that call.
VALERIE: Oh! Sure, honey! Go ahead.

 

Jerome opens up the computer's media player, and sets up the media player to begin recording video and audio of Valerie's computer screen (including the video interview) without Valerie noticing.

 

Once the recording is set up, he turns the computer back over to Valerie.

 

JEROME: There you go, Grandma.
VALERIE: Thanks, baby. Okay, here we go.

 

Valerie hits "connect", and Crystal appears on the screen, ready to start the interview. Jerome hangs back, watching the interview begin with a big smile on his face.

 

---

 

Sami and Marlena sit in traffic along the highway, desperately trying to get to City Hall in time for Eric and Nicole's wedding.

 

SAMI: Come on, come on, come on!!

 

Sami blares on her horn, trying in vain to move traffic. Marlena winces from the noise of the horn blast.

 

MARLENA: Sami, that's not going to help.
SAMI: No, but it makes me feel better.

 

After a moment's pause, Marlena looks over, a bit annoyed at Sami's impatience, and dubious of her motives.

 

MARLENA: And just what, exactly, is Eric doing that's going to ruin his life? You never did explain that one to me.

 

Sami sighs heavily, not wanting to say anything but deciding there's really no time like the present.

 

SAMI: well...I guess, since we're stuck here. I might as well tell you.

 

Marlena snaps back, sick of all the mystery.

 

MARLENA: Tell me what?
SAMI: Eric's getting married this morning. To Nicole.

 

Marlena looks back at Sami, completely in disbelief.

 

---

 

Eric and Nicole step up to the door of the Justice of the Peace's office. They stand together, holding hands, and looking lovingly at each other.

 

ERIC: You ready?
NICOLE: Am I ever.

 

Eric opens the door to the office and they step in together, hand in hand.

 

---

 

 

---

 

Eric and Nicole walk into the office of the Justice of the Peace, hand in hand. Both of them smiling widely as the smiling older gentleman behind the desk looks up, greeting them.

JUSTICE OF PEACE: Mr. Brady, I presume?
ERIC: Good morning! Mister...
JUSTICE OF PEACE: Greg Watkins.

 

Justice of the Peace Watkins extends his hand to Brady and then to Nicole, both of whom graciously shake his hand. As Nicole shakes his hand, Daniel opens the door and steps into the room. Eric and Nicole turn to see who's come in and smile.

 

DANIEL: I...uh...I heard there was gonna be a wedding in here?

 

Eric walks over and greets Daniel with a handshake and a hug, as the two laugh.

 

ERIC: It's good to see you, man.
DANIEL: You too. Nicole, you're looking fantastic.

 

Nicole smiles and curtsies in jest.

 

NICOLE: Thank you.
DANIEL: I uh...I'm sorry I was a bit late, I had to drop Billie off at Kate's.

 

Nicole raises an eyebrow at Daniel after his remark about Billie.

 

NICOLE: You and Billie, eh?  Sounds like that's getting pretty serious.
DANIEL: Well....you could say that.

 

Eric smiles, and pats Daniel on the shoulder.

 

ERIC: I'm really happy for you.

 

Eric turns toward Nicole and JOP Watkins, checking to see who's here.

 

ERIC: Are we ready to go?
NICOLE: Uh...just waiting on Chloe.
DANIEL: Chloe texted me about five mintues ago, she's just parking her car. She'll be up in a minute and we can get started.

 

Nicole walks over to Eric and takes his hands in hers. She beams with excitement as she leans in and quickly kisses her husband-to-be on the lips.

 

NICOLE: Eeee it's happening!
ERIC: I know! (laughs)

 

---

 

Marlena sits in heavy traffic in Sami's car, stunned by the news that Eric is marrying Nicole.

 

MARLENA: You've GOT to be joking!
SAMI: I am not.
MARLENA: How did you find this out?
SAMI: Nick Fallon came over this morning. We'd been working on a project for Countess Wilhelmina and, he let me know that he'd found out. I guess to give me a warning as a....bizarre thank you for helping him out.

 

Marlena looks on, confused by the scenario.

 

MARLENA: Nick Fallon...but doesn't Nick work for Kate?
SAMI: It's...it's a long story. The point is we have to get to City Hall before that wedding happens.
MARLENA: Oh you're not kidding. After all the hell that woman put Eric through...and you? I'll be damned if she gets her claws into Eric again.

 

Marlena and Sami stare out the window, internally screaming as they watch the traffic remain at a standstill before them.

 

---

 

Sonny looks to Gabi, completely stunned by her plan to hook Nick back on his meds.

 

SONNY: Gabi, what did you think was gonna happen when you started feeding Nick those pills?
GABI: I seriously thought that Hope was going to see the pills and arrest him.
SONNY: Oh. Yeah. Hope. Nick's cousin. You know much tension that would cause in the Horton house if they found out Hope was the one that busted Nick? She's not going to bust him even if she DID find the pills.
GABI: As I found out at Brady's wake.

 

Will looks over at Gabi, interested.

 

WILL: What do you mean?
GABI: I uh...after I got Nick hooked on the pills, Hope didn't find anything, and so I...had someone grab more of the same pills and he...kinda...stole Marlena's perscription pad so that it would look like Nick was stealing drugs from the hospital...

 

Sonny interjects, rolling his eyes at Gabi.

 

SONNY: Oh God, Gabi--
GABI: Well, I had to because by that time, Nick's parole was up and I wouldn't have been able to have mere possession stick, so...unfortunately...
WILL: Let me guess...she wouldn't look into it.

 

Gabi looks down, arms folded. She looks back over at Will and Sonny and shakes her head. Sonny reacts immediately.

 

SONNY: Figures. See, Gabi, you're always going off and...taking matters into your own hands when we should be all trying to get through this together.
GABI: Look, I know, okay? But I didn't think you guys needed the added stress with everything else you guys are dealing with right now, and Will starting a new job and you're trying to plan a wedding. I just didn't wanna burden you.
SONNY: Well, consider us sufficiently burdened. Now Nick's so far off the deep end, we have to keep a gun in the apartment. Good job, Gabi.

 

Gabi looks down, not responding to Sonny's words. Sonny, angry about the situation, grabs his jacket, and heads for the door.

 

SONNY: I need to go grab a coffee.
WILL: Sonny, wait...

 

Will jumps in, heading for the door to follow Sonny, hoping to calm him down, but EJ stops him.

 

EJ: William...I'll...you stay here, I'll...take care of him.

 

Will stops, before nodding at EJ. EJ takes the gun, and hands it to Will. Will holds it in his hands, as EJ closes the door to the apartment. He and Gabi look down at the gun, grave concern in both their eyes.

 

---

 

Sheryl lays back in her hotel room at the dive motel at the edge of town where Jerome's put her up. She lies on the bed, watching TV, thoroughly bored. She shouts at the TV as a game show plays.

 

SHERYL: NO, you idiot, $600!

 

As she shouts out, the hotel room phone rings. She leans over to pick it up, still annoyed at the contestant on the TV screen.

 

SHERYL: Dumbass...

 

Picking up the phone, she speaks, knowing who's calling.

 

SHERYL: (into phone) What you got for me?

 

...

 

Jerome paces the Grant kitchen, trying to speak just softly enough so that Valerie can't hear him from the living room.

 

JEROME: (into phone) Okay, so she's doing the interview now, and I'm 100% this chick's got the job.

 

...

 

Sheryl listens, contemplating her plan of action.

 

SHERYL: (into phone) Okay. So how are we gonna pull this off?

 

...

 

JEROME: (into phone) Simple. I'll try to access her e-mail based on her resumé, and delete the acceptance letter when it comes in, hopefully before she sees it and makes the arrangements, and no one will be the wiser.

 

...

 

SHERYL: (into phone) And if she does?

 

...

 

JEROME: (into phone) Then we cross that bridge when we get to it.

 

...

 

Sheryl sits up in the bed, getting increasingly agitated.

 

SHERYL: (into phone) No, that's not good enough. There is no recourse on this. If she sees that e-mail and comes to Salem to start this job? We have to stop her...and I think I know exactly how to do it.

 

Sheryl gives a bit of an evil grin.

 

...

 

Jerome looks off, unsure if he likes what Sheryl has cooked up.

 

---