Sami demanded to know where Stefano was and why there were guards outside the DiMera mansion. E.J. told her it was none of her business, but she refused to back down because she was worried about her son, Johnny's, safety. E.J. assured her that as long as Johnny stayed put, he was safe.

At the Brady Pub, Arianna heard Rafe ordering roses for Sami, and she made it clear that she didn't like or trust Sami. Rafe told her that he didn't want to hear another negative thing about Sami, but Arianna felt she was just protecting him. She didn't see what Rafe saw in Sami, and Rafe said it wasn't up to her to understand. Arianna agreed not to disparage Sami anymore, so Rafe agreed to stay for a while.

Arianna asked if Sami was rich and if she was good in bed. Rafe felt uncomfortable talking to his sister about his sex life. Then Arianna realized that he hadn't slept with Sami yet. Arianna guessed that Rafe was waiting to sleep with Sami because he wanted everything to be perfect. She knew that Rafe was always thinking about Sami, because he was obsessed with her, but Arianna couldn't understand why.

Rafe explained that when Sami was in protective custody, she missed her kids, but she toughed it out. He also said she was a great mother, and she made him laugh. He said he was madly in love with Sami, and he wanted to know why Arianna hadn't liked Sami since the moment they met. Arianna said she'd heard stories about Sami around the pub and sensed that Sami was needy, clingy, and high maintenance.

Arianna thought Rafe just wanted to rescue Sami, and he said Sami didn't need to be rescued. Arianna pointed out that Sami was a single mother with four kids and would definitely need help. Rafe was offended, so he started to leave. Arianna said she wanted him to be happy, and if Sami made him happy, Arianna was happy. She just wanted him to know what he was getting himself into.

Brady wanted to know what drugs Mia was on when she was pregnant, but she said she never did drugs or alcohol. He wondered why she was at the drug and alcohol support group then, and she said it was because she told her friend that she was in rehab because she didn't want him to know the truth. Will walked in the room while they were talking and said hello to Brady.

Mia wondered how Brady and Will knew each other, and Brady explained that Will's mother was Brady's stepsister. Will asked how Brady and Mia knew each other. Then, he realized he shouldn't butt into their conversation, so he left the room. Brady asked Mia how she and Will knew each other, and she explained that they went to school together and he didn't know about the baby, which was why she lied to him about rehab and everything else.

Brady didn't understand why Mia told Will that she was in rehab, so Mia explained how her former classmates had been gossiping, assuming that she left school because she was an addict. Otherwise, she said she would have to tell Will about her baby. Brady asked why she didn't just tell Will the truth, and she said she had assumed that if Will thought she was an addict, he would want nothing to do with her. Brady said Will would have understood if she told him the truth about her baby. Mia thought that meant it was okay to tell Will that Nicole had her baby.

Brady said he couldn't tell Mia what to do, but he said if he were her, he would have kept his promise to keep the arrangement with Nicole a secret. Mia figured she'd kept her secret so far, so she could keep it for the next 50 or 60 years. Will came to inform them that the meeting was about to start. Brady realized he had work to do, so he had to leave. Will noticed she was upset and wondered if Brady said something to upset her. Mia said it wasn't Brady's fault - it was hers. She said she lied to Brady and Will about her addiction.

Mia said she was a recovering addict, but she lied about how often she went to the meetings. She said it was her first meeting since rehab and she lied because she was afraid he would judge her. She thought if he believed she was a good girl, they could continue to hang out and he would let her spend time with Grace. Will said he didn't hate her like Mia thought - he just wanted her to get help. Mia said she didn't use drugs since rehab, and she asked if he believed her. Will said he did, and he wanted to go with her to the meeting.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Philip cried out for Stephanie and then passed out. Daniel stopped by the mansion, and when he walked in, he noticed Philip passed out on the floor, so he called for an ambulance. Philip came to, and he refused to go to the hospital. Philip said his head was hurting and he felt tired, so Daniel refused to leave until he gave Philip a full exam.

He asked how much of the medication Philip took, but Philip couldn't remember. He wondered if it was normal for the pills to affect a patient's memory. Daniel thought it was possible someone tried to drug Philip again. Daniel planned to order tests to find out if someone tampered with Philip's pills, and he decided to write a prescription to counteract the effects of what Philip took. He still wanted Philip to go to the hospital, but Philip refused to go.

Philip said if someone wanted to kill him, he'd be dead already. He felt he was safer at home. He also wanted to stay there to spend time with his fiancée. Daniel's ears perked up, and Philip confirmed that he and Stephanie were engaged. Daniel wasn't sure it was the right time for Philip to get engaged. Philip was determined not to let Stefano or E.J. dictate his future.

Philip remembered his argument with Stephanie, so he went off to find her. Philip walked outside to the patio and saw Daniel again. Philip said he hadn't seen Stephanie, and he'd called her but wasn't able to reach her. Daniel got a page so he had to leave, but ordered Philip to call him if he had any side effects. Philip remembered his fight with Stephanie.

At the morgue, Owen stood over Stephanie's body, and he told himself that he had no other choice but to kidnap her. He tried to call E.J. When Sami heard E.J.'s cell phone ring, she snatched it from his hands. She demanded to know what was going on. Grace's cries distracted Sami, so E.J. wrestled the phone from her, but when he tried to put it up to his ear, she grabbed it again, threw it to the ground and it broke. She warned him not to ignore her again.

Sami apologized for breaking E.J.'s phone. He ordered Sami to leave, but she refused to go without Johnny. E.J. accused Sami of being out of control, but she thought he was overreacting. Owen tried again to reach E.J., and when he couldn't, he assumed E.J. got caught and it was only a matter of time before he was caught, too. He was having second thoughts about E.J.'s plan. Then he remembered his conversation with E.J. about how Owen would be dead if Stefano found out he betrayed Stefano.

The mortician walked into the morgue and asked Owen what he was doing there.

Sami assumed E.J. could just call the person back, but he said that wasn't really possible. Sami thought maybe the phone was untraceable, and she demanded to know what he and Stefano were up to. E.J. said she and her "little orphan" would be safe as soon as they left the house, but Sami refused to leave until she got Johnny.

Grace started crying, so Sami checked on her and realized she left Grace's bottle at home. E.J. suggested Sami go home, and she said she would, but planned to return in the morning. Then she told him never to refer to Grace as an orphan, because Grace was her daughter. E.J. pointed out that he had no connection to Grace, and given the way Sami treated E.J., he didn't understand why he should feel sorry for her or Grace. Then he ordered her to leave.

Owen discreetly slid Stephanie's body back into the drawer, and greeted his father. His father was supposed to be out of town, but he had to reschedule it because he had a mortician's convention to go to. He asked Owen what he was doing in the morgue, and Owen said he wanted to become a mortician like his father. Owen's father told him to stay out of trouble, and after he left, Owen tried to contact E.J. again, to no avail.

Owen wondered what to do next. Owen figured even if E.J. got caught, E.J. had no idea where they were, so he couldn't tell the police. Then Owen noticed that Stephanie's earring was missing, and he started to panic. Owen worried that he left a trail for Stefano's enemies to follow him, and thought they could be on their way. E.J. found Owen's number again off the paper that was hidden in Stefano's safe. He looked for another cell phone, found one phone in the safe and called Owen.

Rafe showed up at Sami's place with a dozen roses to make up for their date being interrupted. He noticed Sami was hoarse, and she told him how she got in a shouting match with E.J. because E.J. wouldn't let her take Johnny home. Rafe suggested Sami call the police, but she didn't want to because her father made it clear he had to have a search warrant. Sami didn't even know what to tell Roman to look for. Rafe decided to go talk to E.J. personally.

Sami was afraid for Rafe to confront the DiMeras, but Rafe wasn't scared of them. Rafe needed E.J. to know that if he hurt Sami, he would answer to Rafe. Rafe refused to stand around while E.J. tried to make Sami's life miserable, but she said she could handle it. He assumed she just said that so he wouldn't do anything. Sami kissed Rafe to shut him up.

Outside the pub, Brady called Nicole to tell her how he ran into Mia at Maggie's house. Arianna walked past, and Brady wanted to know who she was and why she was listening to his phone call. She said she worked at the pub and gave him an ice pack the night he got beaten up, but Brady didn't remember. She said she was leaving because her shift was over, and if Brady didn't want to be overheard, he shouldn't have talked on the phone in a public place. Brady wanted to know what she overheard.

Arianna asked him if he was always so rude, so he apologized and chalked it up to a rough week. Arianna said she didn't hear anything and she wouldn't listen to a conversation from a guy she didn't know. Brady introduced himself, but she was still turned off by the way he grilled her and had no interest in getting acquainted. As she was walking away, Brady said, "Goodbye until next time," so she stopped and asked what he meant by that.

Brady said he meant that he would see her next time he was at the pub, since he was a regular. Brady introduced himself to her, and she realized that his family owned the pub. She assumed he would badmouth her to Caroline, but he said Caroline made up her own mind about people. Plus, Brady said he had a soft spot for feisty types, so he wouldn't say anything bad about Arianna. She said he hadn't seen feisty yet.

At the townhouse, Sami pulled away from kissing Rafe, mischievously asking if he wanted to finish their argument. He declined, and they resumed kissing. As Rafe lowered Sami onto the couch, suddenly she yelped in pain. Laughing, she removed a toy dinosaur from underneath her, but then stopped Rafe before things got too heated again. She professed to be worried about Grace interrupting them, but Rafe thought she wasn't ready for them to have sex.

Sami assured him that she was more than ready, but admitted she was afraid that he'd eventually come to his senses, and realize how much baggage went along with her having four kids. Rafe stopped her, reassuring her that he loved everything about her-including that she had four kids. "You're too good to be true," she whispered in amazement. Rafe insisted that he wasn't, but Sami clarified that she wasn't great at relationships, because she tended to push away the people she cared about-and she didn't want that to happen with him.

"There's no place else I'd rather be," Rafe assured her. He liked that her life was complicated, and he wanted to be a part of it. As they started kissing again, Grace began crying from the other room. Sami asked if Rafe would wait while she fed Grace a bottle. He willingly agreed, and she dashed into Grace's room.

When Sami returned to the living room, Rafe was nowhere to be seen. She sadly remembered how he'd told her that they didn't work together, because he wanted to be a bigger part of her life than she wanted. Suddenly Rafe reappeared, holding a single red rose, and she smiled with happy relief. Without a word, he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.

As Rafe placed her gently on the bed, Sami observed that he'd lit candles and poured champagne for them. She was further amazed when he told her that he'd done it all while she was putting Grace back down. She confessed that she thought he'd left, but he gently reassured her that he wasn't going anywhere.

At last Sami relaxed, and soon the two were undressed, under the covers. They sipped champagne, gazing into each other's eyes, until their passions took over, and they made love. Afterwards, Sami lay with her head on Rafe's chest, as he teased her about how hostile she'd been when they first met at the safe house. She playfully countered, "Well, you were hardly a ball of charm." He maintained that she always tried to manipulate him by turning on the waterworks-but he could never stay mad at her.

Sami turned her eyes away. "I just don't deserve this," she said softly. Rafe sat up and made her look at him. "What do I have to do to convince you that you're all I ever wanted?" Sami burst into tears, which she assured him were not manipulative ones. "I'm so happy," she assured him, beaming. "I've never felt this way before." She then kissed him firmly to demonstrate.

Brady was on a business call in front of the Brady Pub, when Arianna stepped outside. As soon as Brady hung up, Arianna assured him that she hadn't been eavesdropping; she only wanted to return the credit card he'd forgotten earlier. Observing that it was a black card, Arianna noted, "Cute and rich. Your wife's a lucky lady."

Brady pointed out that she had practically snarled at him when they'd first met, but since learning that he might be wealthy, she was flirting. Arianna retorted that he must have an enormous ego, because she was just trying to take care of a paying customer. "But now I'm sorry I crossed paths with you," she said. Brady argued playfully that she'd called him cute, and coyly tried to find out whether he was married.

Though Arianna insisted she didn't care, Brady informed her that he was divorced. He added that he'd gotten a little rusty at flirting, and she softened a little. They each admitted they'd been a bit grumpy with the other. As Arianna was leaving, Brady declared, "Just for the record, I want to let you know that I think you're cute, too." Arianna just shook her head, although she smiled reluctantly, and walked away.

At the DiMera mansion, E.J. called Owen, who didn't answer because he didn't recognize E.J.'s new number. Realizing that was probably the reason, E.J. sent a text message to Owen, using the safety-deposit box number as a "password," and ordered Owen to call back immediately.

While E.J. impatiently awaited Owen's call, Nicole carried the baby monitor into the living room. She explained that she hadn't been able to get Johnny to stop crying-which they could clearly hear over the monitor-so she'd left the boy with Mary. E.J. threw a minor temper tantrum, so Nicole quickly turned the baby monitor off.

Nicole gently noted that she knew how worried E.J. was about his father, and she wished she could do more to help. E.J. relaxed a little, kissing her and pulling her close, and thanked her for being so patient. Nicole noticed the pieces of E.J.'s old cell phone, and asked what happened. E.J. irritably blamed Sami-whom he would never forgive if something went wrong because of the broken phone.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Philip ordered one of his henchmen, Carlo, to search the house and grounds for Stephanie. Philip then tried to call Stephanie on her cell phone. When he couldn't reach her, he called all the staff at home, dialing Owen last. Philip explained that he couldn't find Stephanie, and thought Owen might have seen her when she'd gone out for some air, since Owen walked the perimeter of the grounds every night.

Owen denied that he'd seen Stephanie-even though she lay unconscious on the morgue drawer in front of him. Stephanie moaned as she began to wake up, so Owen quickly shoved the drawer closed. Owen apologized for being presumptuous, but suggested that perhaps Stephanie had simply left the mansion after her argument with Philip.

Carlo returned and reported to Philip that he hadn't found Stephanie. Philip directed him to check to see if her things were still in the bedroom. As Carlo obeyed, Philip tried calling Stephanie again. He left a message stating how sorry he was about their fight, and imploring her to call him back to let him know she was okay. Carlo then returned from upstairs and informed Philip that none of Stephanie's belongings appeared to be missing. Philip wanted to know if Carlo had seen her engagement ring, and Carlo said he hadn't.

E.J. again dialed Owen, who finally answered after several rings. E.J. quickly explained the situation, repeated the box number to prove who he was, and demanded, "Mission accomplished: yes or no?" Owen replied that he had Stephanie, and asked what Mr. DiMera wished for Owen to do with her.

Stephanie slowly awoke in the dark morgue drawer and tried to look around. "Where am I?" she whimpered. She felt her cell phone vibrating in the pocket of her gown, and fumbled for it, sobbing.

After E.J. gave instructions to Owen, he asked that Owen not do anything further until E.J. gave the word. Owen agreed and hung up. He immediately pulled the drawer back open, and took Stephanie's phone out of her hands before she could finish dialing. She was startled to recognize him as he apologetically explained that no one could ever know she was there-or they were both dead.

Stephanie tried to raise her head to see where she was, but Owen cautioned that she was still weak from the chloroform. She realized with horror that she was in the morgue, and began to cry in earnest. "Why are you doing this to me?" she whimpered, weakly begging him to let her go. Owen explained ruefully that he'd had no choice. Urging her to lie still, he smoothed her hair, and then snapped a picture with his cell phone camera. He gently reassured her that he would never hurt her, because she was too beautiful.

Philip arrived at the Brady Pub, and found Brady outside. Brady demanded to know where Philip's bodyguards were, but Philip assured him that they were keeping a reasonable distance. Brady was alarmed that Philip seemed so unsteady, especially when he learned that Philip was out looking for Stephanie.

Inside, Philip paced while he waited for the waitress to get Caroline. Brady pressed for more details about what had happened to Stephanie, but Philip told him to butt out. Brady pointed out that Brady had been keeping Titan afloat while Philip and Victor waged war with the DiMeras, and demanded answers. Philip argued that Brady's family loyalties seemed to change constantly, and maintained that Brady really only cared about himself. Brady stormed out.

Arianna was surprised to find Brady at the Java Café later. She confessed that she thought the coffee there was better than at the pub, and Brady concurred. Arianna started to say something, but they both turned at the same time-and her hot coffee spilled all over Brady.

Victor loomed over an unconscious Stefano, and gestured for the nurse to administer Stefano's insulin. Once she had gone, and Stefano was awake, Victor phoned E.J. He informed E.J. that they'd just given Stefano the last of the insulin. E.J. was furious, but calmly called Victor a son of a bitch. Victor asked, "Do you have all the documents signed and ready for me, to turn over the DiMera enterprises-or is your father going to die tonight?" E.J. confidently replied that he would see his father shortly.

Nicole returned from the nursery with news that Johnny had finally fallen asleep. She was happy to hear that E.J.'s plans were back on track, and gave him a kiss for luck as he left.

Victor taunted Stefano. "How does it feel, Stefano, to be a pawn instead of the king?" He added, "It's going to be very interesting to find out which E.J. finds more valuable: your money or your life." Stefano chuckled weakly, but declared with confidence that Victor had severely underestimated E.J. "If this were a game, and I was a gambling man," Stefano declared, "I'd put everything I have on my son."

At the docks, Carlo waited nearby while Philip called to see if Max had heard from Stephanie. Max suggested that maybe she had gone to visit her parents. As a relieved Philip hung up, E.J. arrived with one of his goons. E.J. accused Philip of blithely walking by the spot where Tony had died, but Philip maintained that he thought about Tony all the time.

While Owen borrowed Stephanie's phone to send a text message, she noticed a tray of instruments next to her. She furtively grabbed a pair of scissors, and lunged at Owen. He was able to disarm her fairly easily, but she continued to struggle even as he swore that he really was her friend. Frustrated, he gave up, shoving her back into the pitch-black drawer as she wailed in horror. Sobbing, Stephanie pounded against the metal, crying in vain for him to let her out.

E.J. countered that he knew that Victor was holding Stefano-and declared neither Kiriakis was going to win. Philip chuckled. "Pretty cocky, aren't you, for a guy who's about to lose everything?" he asked. E.J. laughed wryly. "No, that would be you," he replied, clarifying, "I'm talking about Stephanie. You see, I have her." Philip's smile quickly faded.

At the Java Café, Brady quickly stripped down to his undershirt, because Arianna had just spilled scalding hot coffee on his sweater. He headed for the door, joking about getting a skin graft, but Arianna made him sit down while she fetched some ice.

Melanie sat at the bar at the Brady Pub, regarding Stephanie's earring. She wondered aloud if it were valuable, and contemplated selling it online. "Finders, keepers," she declared, reasoning that while she needed the money, Stephanie no longer did.

As Arianna tended to Brady's arm, they bantered about whose fault the coffee-spilling incident had been. Melanie arrived, and Brady introduced the two women, who acknowledged that they'd already met at the pub. Melanie took a look under Brady's ice pack, and pronounced playfully that Brady would probably live. She then excused herself to use one of the café's computers.

Brady agreed when Arianna suggested that he owed her a fresh cup of coffee, but he joked that it would have to be iced. As Brady returned from the counter, one of the employees greeted him. They discussed their upcoming community-league softball game, and Brady volunteered to pick up some equipment at Sami's place on the way. When she heard Sami's name, Arianna made a sour face, which Brady asked about as soon as his friend left.

"You're related to Sami Brady?" Arianna asked incredulously. Brady clarified that Sami was his stepsister. Arianna admitted that she was "not a fan," because she thought Sami was a phony. Brady called Arianna out for making snap judgments about someone she barely knew, but she maintained that she had good instincts about people. Brady confessed that he and Sami didn't get along perfectly, either, but he thought she meant well. They exchanged some more good-natured teasing about her causing him "grievous bodily injury," and then Brady wished Arianna a good night.

At a computer nearby, Melanie was playing with Stephanie's earring and talking to herself. She noted with annoyance that Maggie must have rubbed off on her, because she knew she had to give the earring back. Snapping open her phone, she left both a voicemail and a text message for Stephanie.

When Melanie closed her phone, she was startled to find Brady peering over her shoulder at the "We Buy Gold" website she'd been perusing. He recognized Stephanie's earring, and asked if Melanie were planning to sell it. She denied it, irritably asserting that her conscience had gotten the better of her. Taken aback, Brady declared that he was truly impressed-and proud of her.

Melanie scoffed. "Don't get use to it; I'm not completely reformed," she retorted, trying to hide her pleasure. Brady noted that wanting to return Stephanie's earring showed that Melanie must have moved on from Philip, and asked if it felt good. She countered that it probably felt as good as when he gave up Nicole. After a moment of awkward silence, they shared a wry laugh.

Sami and Rafe lay in each other's arms after making love for the first time. They laughed and kissed and made pillow talk, teasing each other about the months they'd wasted while in the safe house, when they could have been having sex. Rafe confessed that he liked that Sami never pretended to be someone she wasn't. He joked that she was a "smoking-hot pain in the ass." When Sami became mock indignant, he assured her that he meant it as a compliment, because he was crazy about her.

Sami asked why, then, Rafe had given her such a hard time when he was guarding her. Rafe asserted that her multiple attempts to escape the safe house had been reckless, but he loved that it had all been to protect Grace. As they laughed and kissed some more, Rafe suddenly noticed the time. He jumped out of bed and pulled on his clothes, reminding Sami that it wouldn't be right for Will to return home and find Rafe there.

When Grace began to cry, Sami flirtatiously asserted that Rafe had the magic touch and could get Grace right back to sleep. Rafe agreed to stay a while longer, and went to check on Grace. A little while later, Sami peeked into the living room, and found Rafe on the sofa, singing a lullaby to a very sleepy Grace.

Smiling contentedly, Sami sat down with them. She assured Rafe that she would have a talk with Will soon, and tell him that the Rafe and Sami were together. Rafe announced that, since they were together, he wanted to make a proper commitment. A bit puzzled, Sami asked him to clarify what that meant. "I want to be a father to Grace-in every way," Rafe replied.

Victor went to the cell to check on Stefano, remarking that Stefano appeared to be feeling better. Stefano asserted that he would remain healthy for years to come, thanks to his faith in God and family. Victor reminded Stefano that unless E.J. signed over everything, Stefano would die, since he had received the last of the insulin. Stefano was confident that E.J. would come through.

After Victor had gone, the nurse checked Stefano's vitals. Stefano asked for her honest opinion about how long that last dose of insulin would last. She was concerned that his body would absorb it too quickly. "Which means I don't have much time, eh?" Stefano asked. She shook her head. "I'm sorry," she replied sadly.

At the docks, Philip didn't buy E.J.'s claim that he had Stephanie. E.J. replied cheerfully that Stephanie must be at home at the Kiriakis mansion, then. Realizing that E.J. might not be bluffing, Philip angrily declared that Stephanie was not involved in the battle between their families, and ordered E.J. to stay away from her. E.J. countered that it was "tit for tat," since the Kiriakises had kidnapped Stefano.

When E.J. chuckled about how easy it had been to take Stephanie, it suddenly dawned on Philip. "Oh my God, you drugged me," he stated accusingly, but E.J. feigned ignorance. Philip managed to hold his anger in check as he proposed exchanging Stephanie for Stefano. "I want him released immediately," E.J. ordered.

Philip scoffed ironically, asserting that he wasn't a fool. E.J. chuckled and produced the photo of Stephanie on his cell phone as proof that they had her. The terrified expression on her face really got to Philip. E.J. stated that once Stefano had been returned, Stephanie would be, as well. Philip agreed to discuss it with Victor-and not to go to the police. E.J. then defiantly ripped up Victor's contract, and left.

After several attempts, Philip finally reached Victor by phone. He informed Victor that he would be home right away, because they had an emergency to discuss.

Back at the DiMera mansion, E.J. poured a drink, and stood before his father's portrait. "You'll be very happy to know I finally have the upper hand. You're going to be coming home soon-very soon," E.J. assured Stefano's image.

Philip returned to the Kiriakis mansion, and informed Victor that E.J. had kidnapped Stephanie from the estate. Victor replied grimly, "It's unfortunate." Philip angrily reminded Victor that Stephanie was the woman Philip loved. "They want us to release Stefano in exchange for Stephanie," Philip said, demanding, "So we do it-now." Victor replied, tersely but firmly, "No."

In the morgue, Stephanie banged and pleaded for Owen to let her out. At last he relented, sliding the drawer open, but he angrily reminded her that she hadn't given him much of a choice: "You just attacked me, for God's sake!" Stephanie apologized tearfully, pointing out that one minute, she'd been at home, and the next, she had woken up in the morgue. Owen reminded her that he was just following orders, and urged her to stop screaming.

Stephanie lay still, and quietly promised not to try anything else. She asked if his orders included taking her to the morgue. He proudly declared that the morgue had been all his idea, since he knew no one would think to look for her there. Stephanie asked if the DiMeras had been the ones who'd ordered Owen to kidnap her. When Owen wouldn't confirm it, she warned that the Kiriakises would kill him the instant they found out he'd been spying for the DiMeras. Owen was doubtful, but began to pace nervously. Stephanie then calmly informed him that her uncle was the police commissioner, and urged Owen to let her go before something terrible happened.

Owen argued softly that he really was a good guy. "I know you are," Stephanie asserted. "You're just mixed up with bad people, that's all." Owen turned back toward her, and knelt near the drawer. "You know, under different circumstances, I bet you'd even like me." Stephanie turned her head, although she still couldn't see his face, and assured him kindly that she already liked him. Owen was dubious, so Stephanie acknowledged that although she didn't like the situation they were in, he seemed like a good person.

Owen took the bait eagerly, moving to a chair where she could see him as he assured her that he'd never done anything like kidnapping before. She asked if perhaps he could take her someplace else, since the morgue gave her the creeps. Owen said that he couldn't, because the morgue was convenient for him, and because no one else knew she was there. "I guess I could keep you here forever if I wanted to," he joked. Though clearly freaked out, Stephanie forced herself to smile.

Stephanie then casually asked if she could have some water, and if Owen would let her sit up for just a minute so she could drink it. Owen agreeably retrieved a bottle of water, and gently helped her to sit up. While Stephanie opened the bottle, Owen apologized for her missing earring, and asked if it were real gold. Stephanie's hand went to her empty earlobe. She confirmed that it was gold, but it was more valuable because her grandmother had given it to her. She added with a shrug, "What can you do? Things get lost."

When her phone rang just then, Owen opted to let the call go to voicemail, since it wasn't his contact. Stephanie casually tried to get more out of him, but Owen firmly stated that they just had to wait there for further instructions. He appeared to be about to start pacing again, so Stephanie suddenly grabbed her lower back and moaned in pain. A concerned Owen asked what was wrong.

Stephanie claimed that she had a history of back problems, and that the cold metal table was only making the pain worse. She asked him to let her get down for a few minutes. Owen was reluctant, citing her attempt to stab him with scissors earlier. Stephanie calmly reminded him that she'd been disoriented and scared, and apologized again. Owen finally agreed to let her get down, but only for a minute.

With Owen's help, Stephanie gratefully jumped to the floor, massaging her back while furtively eyeing her cell phone on the table nearby. E.J. called Owen on Stephanie's phone just then. As it rang, Stephanie swiftly kneed Owen in the crotch, and shoved him against the wall. She ran, staggering, across the room, and lunged to answer the phone. "Philip, is that you?" she cried urgently. Owen quickly recovered, grabbing her with one hand and trying to wrest the phone away from her with the other. "Help me! He has me! Philip!" Stephanie shrieked as she struggled to get free.

Rafe told Sami he wanted to be Grace's father in every way possible, and Sami asked if he wanted to adopt Grace. She told him that meant Rafe would be a part of Sami's life, too, for the rest of Grace's life. Rafe said he liked that. She thought that meant he was proposing. She told him it was too soon for them to get married. He said he didn't propose. Sami was upset that Rafe didn't propose, even though she had no intention of saying yes yet.

Rafe wanted both of them to be sure when they did get married, because he planned for him and Sami to be together for a really long time. Sami wondered how Rafe could adopt Grace without the court finding out Sami was Grace's mother. Rafe told Sami to sit down before telling her that she was right - about the adoption. Rafe's solution was to tell the court that he wanted to be with Sami and Grace as a family. Sami said him adopting Grace would mean the world to her.

Sami wondered if Rafe planned to adopt Grace all along, because he helped Sami get a false birth certificate and all the necessary papers for Sami. Rafe admitted he fell in love with Grace early on and he wanted to make sure she was safe. He knew Grace was safe with Sami. Sami worried about Johnny's safety, and Rafe said even though he didn't like E.J., he knew E.J. would never let anything happen to E.J.'s son. They kissed, and Will walked in and got grossed out. He had gone home early because his plans to go bowling were scrapped.

After Rafe kissed Sami goodbye, Will asked Sami if Rafe would have spent the night if Will hadn't returned home. Sami was taken by surprised by his questioning, so she put Will in a headlock, gave him a noogie, and asked if he got to second base with Mia - to prove a point. Sami told him to be careful how he talked to her about her social life. She said she wanted Will to be comfortable in their home. Will didn't know when Rafe would be there or how to act when Rafe came by. Sami understood how he felt. She said Rafe was living in town and would be around more.

Will asked if what he thought made a difference. Sami said she would talk to Will about Rafe, but if Will was upset that she was with another man who wasn't Will's father, it wasn't fair to her. Will worried that she and Rafe were moving too fast. Sami told him that Rafe wanted to adopt Grace and Sami had agreed. Will wondered how Rafe talked her into it.

Sami told him it was Rafe's idea to adopt Grace. Will wondered why Rafe would want to be Grace's father and why he decided to do it so soon. Will could tell there was something else going on that Sami didn't want him to know about.

Philip went to Victor to ask him to release Stefano so they could exchange Stefano for Stephanie. Victor wasn't willing to do that, so Philip went ballistic. He told Victor he wasn't asking for permission - he was ordering Victor to release Stefano. Victor said that the men guarding Stefano only took orders from Victor. Philip said the men were loyal to him, too. Victor said letting Stefano go wouldn't ensure Stephanie's safety.

Philip pointed out that E.J. retaliated when Victor kidnapped Stefano, and he thought E.J. might go even further, but Victor didn't think that made sense. Philip said E.J. was trying to prove to his father that he was a real man, and Philip could relate because he felt the same way before Tony died. Victor thought the reason E.J. chose to kidnap Stephanie was because he knew Philip would give in.

Philip said he was supposed to feel guilty because he almost got Stephanie shot and then she was kidnapped. Victor thought Philip shouldn't be making any decisions because he was too emotional. Philip suggested they kidnap Theo to prove they didn't have any feelings at all. Victor didn't feel he could talk to Philip because Philip wasn't thinking rationally.

Philip wondered if Victor thought E.J. wouldn't let Stephanie go, and Victor pointed out that Stephanie could testify against E.J. in court, so she would be a liability. Philip believed that Victor had Stephanie's safety in mind, but he thought Stephanie couldn't take being kidnapped, because she was already traumatized by Philip's shooting.

Philip accused Victor of messing up, and Victor apologized, but Philip didn't want an apology. All Philip wanted was for Stephanie to be safe, and he told Victor that if Stefano died and they didn't get Stephanie back, Philip would never ever forgive Victor. Victor said he would do anything to get Stephanie back, but they needed to formulate a plan first.

Philip told Victor not to call his people, because it would only postpone what they needed to do. He suggested they call E.J. Philip asked Victor to think about how he would feel if the DiMeras had Caroline, and Victor decided to leave it to Philip to handle.

Owen helped Stephanie get down from the morgue slab and stretch, because she had said she was having back problems, but the minute his guard was down, she kicked him in the groin and shoved him into the wall and tried to run away. Stephanie's cell phone rang, so she stopped to grab it, and Owen took advantage of her hesitation and grabbed her and the cell phone. It was E.J. calling, and he heard Stephanie answer the phone, assuming that it was Philip calling.

Stephanie screamed for Philip to help her, but Owen took the phone. Stephanie was able to elbow Owen and gain the upper hand again. She pushed him into the wall again, grabbed the phone and ran out of the room. Owen ran after her.

When she got outside, she stopped to call Philip, but Owen caught up to her and grabbed her again. They struggled, and Stephanie fell, hitting her head on a large rock. She was knocked out. Owen worried that Stephanie was dead.

Owen brought an unconscious Stephanie back to the morgue, tied up her hands and put her back on the slab. Then he noticed Stephanie's phone was missing and wondered if the person who tried to call her earlier was E.J. and he heard them struggling. Owen wanted to go find the phone, but he was concerned about leaving her in the morgue alone.

Nicole walked into the DiMera living room, while E.J. stressed about what was going on with Owen and Stephanie. She asked what was wrong with E.J., but he was reluctant to tell her anything. He told her everything was under control. Nicole told him that she was in his corner and she understood what it meant to be a DiMera. E.J. thought it would be easier for her not to betray the family if she didn't know what was going on. She knew whatever he did he was doing for their family. She promised not to betray him and said she loved him unconditionally.

Nicole checked on Sydney, and when she returned, E.J. decided to confide in Nicole. He told her how she had Stephanie kidnapped and explained that he had to go for Philip's greatest vulnerability. He thought Nicole was thinking that Stephanie was innocent and shouldn't be caught up in their feud, but Nicole blamed Victor for it all. Nicole applauded E.J. for taking action. She knew E.J. wasn't trying to hurt Stephanie - he was just using her as leverage. Nicole also thought her getting kidnapped was karma for Stephanie agreeing to marry Philip.

E.J. told Nicole about Owen and how Stephanie answered the phone when E.J. called. He was worried that he might have upset Victor by kidnapping Stephanie and Victor might take it out on Stefano. Nicole didn't think Victor would let Stefano die. E.J. worried that he might have pushed Victor to kill Stefano, and E.J. wasn't sure if he still had Stephanie. Nicole didn't think Stefano would hire someone who couldn't handle the job, and even if Stephanie had escaped, E.J. would have heard from Victor already.

Nicole said there could be a good explanation as to why Owen didn't answer Stephanie's phone. She thought E.J. was just distracted by his worry about Stefano, and she encouraged him to be patient. Philip called to inform E.J. that he agreed to exchange Stephanie for Stefano.

At the Brady Pub, Arianna noticed what a good mood Rafe was in and figured it was because of Sami. She teased him about it, and Rafe said he was serious about Sami. He said he planned to adopt Sami's daughter. Arianna thought Rafe was crazy, and she asked how Sami talked Rafe into adopting Grace, but Rafe said it was his idea. He thought Grace was meant to be his daughter.

Arianna worried about Rafe being tied to Sami's life, because she felt Sami was nothing but trouble. Rafe felt he made the wrong decision to tell Arianna his good news. She told him to open his eyes, because it was all happening again.

In Sami's apartment, Will was skeptical of Sami's explanation about Rafe's desire to adopt Grace. Sami denied Will's charge that she was scheming, but he countered, "Of course. You'll just lie." When Sami sarcastically responded about what a horrible mother she was, Will apologized for suggesting that she was manipulating Rafe. Sami assured her son that the adoption was Rafe's idea.

"No scheming? No big secret planned?" Will asked sternly. Sami thought about her discussion with Rafe about keeping Grace's parentage a secret, then looked Will in the eye and promised she was not scheming or lying. Will tentatively accepted her promise.

After changing clothes, Sami asked Will to baby-sit Grace so she could go out to the Brady Pub and run a couple errands. Will agreed to keep an eye on Grace, and Sami rushed out the door. After Sami left, Mia stopped by to talk to Will about a chemistry test. Noting the furrowed brow on Will's face, Mia asked him what was wrong. Will told Mia about the fight he had with his mother and explained that he did not believe that Sami was telling him the whole truth.

Will retrieved a fussy Grace from her crib and brought her out to the living room. Mia happily took Grace from Will and attempted to calm her down and feed her a bottle. Still frustrated, Will told Mia about Rafe's plan to adopt Grace. Will explained that he was unnerved that a man that had come into his mother's life so recently was so eager to take on the responsibility of fathering one of her children. Mia asked whether Rafe was a good guy, and Will answered that Rafe was "really cool."

Shaking his head, Will explained that Sami had lied a lot throughout his life. "If I had a friend like that, I could never forgive them. Ever," Will said. As a look of guilt spread across Mia's face, an oblivious Will hoped that Sami was telling the truth to him this time.

At the Brady Pub, Rafe assured his sister that Sami was "the best thing that ever happened to me." Shaking her head, Arianna said, "It's happening all over again." "What?" Max asked when he overheard Arianna's statement. Arianna introduced Rafe to Max and explained that he was her brother. Max recognized Rafe's name and asked whether he was "Sami's Rafe." With a smirk on his face, Rafe looked at Arianna and said, "Yes. I'm Sami's Rafe."

Rafe walked to the back of the room to make a phone call, and Max apologized to Arianna for interrupting her conversation with her brother. Arianna asked Max to forget he heard anything, and Max agreed. When Arianna asked about Chelsea, Max explained that he was talking to her on the Internet regularly.

When Max went to talk to Chelsea on his computer, Rafe returned and stared at his sister. Arianna promised that Max would not talk about the conversation he overheard. Rafe remained silent, so Arianna pushed him to talk to her about Sami again. Unbeknownst to Arianna, Sami entered the pub through the kitchen and walked into the room behind her.

"After what happened before, I'm worried that woman could destroy your life," Arianna pleaded. Noting the look of surprise on Rafe's face, Arianna turned around and found Sami smiling behind her. Arianna excused herself and rushed out of the pub. Sami was upset that Arianna already disliked her, but Rafe reassured Sami that his sister was overprotective and that she would eventually "come around."

Sami told Rafe about the fight she had with Will, and explained that she was upset because Will was correct when he accused her of lying to him. Smiling, Rafe reminded Sami that her lies were necessary to protect Grace and that her kids were lucky to have her as their mother. "You always know the right thing to say," Sami sighed. Rafe urged Sami to lean on him and let him take care of her. Sami resisted, but she admitted that she wanted Rafe to help her be strong.

In the Kiriakis mansion living room, Philip talked to E.J. on the phone about the exchange of hostages. Philip was anxious to complete the trade, but E.J. explained that he needed time to secure a neutral exchange. Philip grudgingly agreed, but reminded E.J. that Stefano's last shot of insulin was administered a while before. E.J. promised to call back with the details soon.

Victor agreed to get Stefano ready for the exchange, and Philip promised to get him the details as soon as they were available. "Why? What's going on?" Brady asked as he entered the living room. "I'll take care of that problem we discussed," Victor said gruffly as he left the house. Philip told Brady that they were going to end the feud peacefully, and then explained that he owed Brady an apology. Philip admitted that he should have left the situation to the cops, but that he was going to correct his mistakes.

Brady urged Philip to tell him more details, and he was furious when Philip resisted. Frustrated, Brady warned Philip that whatever his plan was, it could backfire and make things worse.

At the morgue, Owen applied make-up to the scratch on the forehead of an unconscious Stephanie. "You weren't supposed to get hurt," Owen whispered as he stared at her face. Owen muttered to himself about whether he should turn Stephanie over to the DiMeras or not. As he paced the room, Owen realized that he needed to find Stephanie's phone in order to talk to E.J. With Stephanie lying unconscious and tied up on the body drawer, Owen raced out the door in search of the phone.

Owen searched the clearing where Stephanie had fallen and hit her head. Unable to see in the dark, Owen tore frantically at the grass and bushes until he heard the phone ringing. Relieved, Owen listened for where the ring was coming from.

At the DiMera mansion, a worried E.J. paced the living room. Nicole asked whether he had reached his contact, but E.J. explained that there was no answer on Stephanie's phone. When E.J. attempted to call Stephanie's phone again, a breathless Owen answered. Owen explained that he still had Stephanie, but that he had to leave her alone in order to find the phone. E.J. screamed at Owen to get back to Stephanie and then bring her to him at the place where they had met earlier. Owen reluctantly agreed.

Back in the Kiriakis living room, Philip received a call from E.J. with the details for the exchange. When Philip started to leave, Brady stopped him and asked whether Stephanie had ever been found. Nervous, Philip lied that Stephanie was fine and had called him earlier. When Brady did not respond, Philip turned around and ran out the front door.

In the basement where the Kiriakises were keeping Stefano, he whispered, "I know you will not fail me, Elvis." As the weak Stefano struggled to remain conscious, Victor entered the room to say that Stefano would be returned to his son. "You lost, Victor. Otherwise I would not be going home," Stefano said triumphantly. Victor explained that they decided to end things between the families. Smiling, Stefano remarked, "But still, I won." With a grin on his face, Stefano collapsed to the floor.

Outside the Brady Pub, Max heard Bo on the phone talking about securing warrants. Curious, Max inquired whether Bo was hunting bad guys. Bo told Max that he was working on an end to the Kiriakis and DiMera feud. "It's gonna end. I'm gonna make sure," Bo growled. Bo then explained that a surveillance tail was placed on Victor, but that he had slipped out of sight.

Brady called Bo and asked to meet him at the Java Café to talk. When Bo arrived at the coffeehouse, Brady informed him that he was worried that something had happened to Stephanie.

Philip waited down at the pier for E.J. and called to confirm with Victor that Stefano had arrived for the exchange. Meanwhile, E.J. waited in a wooded clearing for Owen to bring Stephanie.

Back at the morgue, Stephanie started to wake up just as Owen returned from his search for her phone. Owen excitedly told her that she had hit her head, but that he had patched it up for her. Owen then explained that he needed to take her to E.J. "I don't think he thinks very kindly of you," he said sadly. When Stephanie cried out for help, Owen assured her that he had her best interests at heart. Stephanie urged him to untie her, since she knew he was a good person.

Owen claimed that he had no choice but to kidnap her for the DiMeras, and Stephanie countered that he could change his mind. Conflicted, Owen paced back and forth and wondered aloud what to do. Sensing a weakness, Stephanie promised Owen that if he freed her, she would not tell the Kiriakis family that he had taken her. "You'll do this for me?" Stephanie asked.

As Owen thought about her offer, the phone rang. Noting that the call was from E.J., a stressed Owen closed the door to the body drawer that Stephanie was lying down on, shutting her inside the drawer. When E.J. asked where Owen was, he responded, "It seems there's gonna be a slight change in plans."