At the hospital, Julie spills the news to Mel that Nick is up for parole. She doesn't take it well. Julie says he's changed and won't hurt her. Maggie runs in and yells at Julie. Mel putters off as Julie apologizes. The redhead orders Julie to back off. They discuss how much better Nick has become and Julie is afraid that he could wind up paying for what Andrew did. Maggie won't let Mel be pushed around. "And that's that," she summarizes. Maggie sits down with Mel to make sure that she is cool and then insists on driving her home.

Hope heads to prison to visit Nick. She gives him a drawing from Ciara for his collection and says that everyone is proud of him for staying sober. He's not optimistic about parole and he hasn't forgiven himself for what's happened. He wants to make his life meaningful and help people. She fills him in about what Mel has been through. That makes him feel awful. He doesn't want to put her through any more.

Daniel visits Chad, who informs him that Mel is already back at work. He worries that Mel has been bottling too much up and might explode. Chad likes that Mel isn't like other girls. He could always tell what she was thinking, but not anymore. He tells the doctor that she has been yelling out Nick's name in her sleep. Later, Maggie drops Mel off. Chad gives his girlfriend a hug. Hope shows up at the door with the letter from the parole board. As Chad reads it, Hope explains that she can speak to the board or do nothing at all. It's up to her. After she leaves, Chad wonders why she didn't tell him about this. She just found out and she doesn't want to talk about her past because she was nasty. She sobs on his shoulder. Meanwhile, Julie and Maggie run into each other at the prison. They argue about Mel until Nick shows up. Maggie tattles on Julie for what just happened. Nick worries about Mel but Julie tries assuring him that she can get over her problems.

Sami bumps into Rafe in the square. She has the keys that he accidentally left behind. They argue about them and their hands touch. He begins apologizing for cuffing her when Nic shows up. Sami grimaces as they hug. She accidentally drops a scarf/hanky, or 'skanky' as they call it in Salem. The women begin insulting each other. Rafe tells them to grow up. Nic mocks Sami's mothering. He and Nic walk away and he lectures her for being nasty to Sami. "I'm not a serene pregnant lady," she apologizes and thanks him for his help. She fills him in about nearly losing the baby. They go to the pub for lunch. She starts gushing about the man who she feels so much for. He mistakenly thinks she's talking about him and he says he doesn't feel the same way. She starts laughing and explains it's not him. That's awkward. Daniel arrives and joins them. Nic says how happy she is to have them on her side. Rafe runs off and Nic keeps thanking Daniel. "I want us to be together," she bluntly tells him.

Sami visits Allie in the coffee house. She squeezes her and then they start drawing pictures of Stefano. After Sami leaves her with the sitter, she corners Lucas. "Newsflash! I don't want to talk to you," he snaps. They bicker about how she said she wanted to be with him but it didn't last more than a few days. He mocks her for thinking she's hot stuff and says she just duped him into loving her. "I am done with you," he declares. He thinks the kids should know what a manipulator she is. Meanwhile, Rafe returns to the square and finds the skanky. Hope wanders by and begins teasing him about it.

WEDNESDAY
Aug 29, 2012
Pregnancy Brain.

At the prison, Nick insists to Marlena that he has changed. He's a better man and he wants to make the world a better place. He feels like he owes Mel and doesn't want to cause her any more pain. Back in Salem, Daniel visits his daughter and they talk about Jenn. She wonders what's been keeping him away from her. He avoids discussing that and turns the topic back to her problems. She doesn't know how she can get in the way of Jenn and Abby getting a family member back. Mel doesn't want to be a victim. She sends 'helicopter dad' away.

Sami goes to the Salem PD looking for EJ. She finds Rafe instead. Bickering commences. Roman sticks his head in to say that all charges against Will have been thrown out. He was held a few minutes too long to be charged so Rafe got them dropped. He leaves and Sami tells Rafe that she and Lucas are over. The cop makes it clear that he didn't help Will for her sake. After he leaves, Roman corners his daughter and criticizes her for nearly orphaning her children to help EJ. He thinks she can do better than Elvis. Sami says she needs to follow her heart, wherever it goes.

Nicole bumps into EJ in the street. He has daffodils. She talks about how the flowers mean new beginnings. "Good luck with that," she says. He screws up his mouth and then talks about how he's innocent. "You're a lot of things but innocent is not one of them," she snipes. He still hasn't forgotten about their paternity problem. She doesn't want to have this conversation again. "I love my children with a vengeance," he warns. As he starts doling out threats, Rafe intervenes. "Oh look! It's Detective Baby-daddy to the rescue," quips Elvis. Rafe gropes her gut and she departs to call Daniel and worry. EJ and Rafe bicker. Rafe says he can rig elections and abduct people, but bullying pregnant women isn't cool. EJ warns him that Nicole is a recipe for misery. He blinks up a storm. Rafe sneers back. Eventually EJ and his bouquet saunter away. He drops in on Sami and the kids. Caroline suddenly appears and ushers the children away for ice cream. She advises Sami to 'be good' while she's gone. EJ tells Sami how grateful he is to her for all of her help and he wants to show her this gratitude in a more physical way. They kiss.

Nicole meets Daniel at the hospital and she tells him what a swell dad he is. She worries about EJ seeking revenge on them. She's terrified. He has an idea. Suddenly, he gets down on his knees and declares that he doesn't want to keep their relationship a secret anymore. This is just a hallucination. She snaps out of it and says she suffers from 'pregnancy brain'.

Abe, Hope, Bo and the kids meet up at the pub. The kids go off to discuss broccoli and Abe tells the other adults that he knows he will be able to make it through life as long as he has his son to concentrate on. Maggie shows up. Hope sits down with her and they discuss Nick. Maggie worries about his ability to handle stress in the outside world. Then she worries about Mel. When Hope walks off to take a call, Marlena walks in. She tells Maggie that Nick seems to be a healthy, well-adjusted young man. The shrink offers to talk to Mel. She heads straight over to see her. Mel doesn't know what to do. Marlena tells her to stop caring about what other people think and concentrate on her own needs.

Hope heads to the prison. Nick tells her he's not seeking parole but she tells him it's time to get out. He worries about Mel. She explains that she's done terrible things while stoned too but she got back to being an ordinary family person. She's been in jail too and knows what that's like. Hope says his family needs him. Back in Salem, Bo goes back to the office and congratulates Rafe on his promotion. Rafe wanders off and smiles when he sees Johnny and Syd eating ice cream with Caroline.

Rafe runs into Brady in the empty pub. He pays his condolences for Madison. "I know I'm not the only one who has lost someone," says Brady. They go over what's been happening. Brady declares he's done using drugs forever. He's having a hard time letting go of Madi. The cop heads to work but then notices he left his phone at the pub.

Daniel and Cam are working at the hospital. Cam says that Jenn and Abby just got back to town. Meanwhile, Jenn is at home mumbling to Jack's photo. Abby shows Will in. He pays his condolences. When he's alone with Abby, she tells him how strong her mom has been. He apologizes for not coming to see her sooner. She questions him about what's new in his life. They discuss his coming out and he sheepishly admits he has a crush. He keeps sending the guy mixed signals. Will leaves to make a call as Cam arrives. He asks her out tomorrow. She's tired of feeling sad all the time so she agrees. Down in the square, Jenn wanders around, chatting on the phone to JJ. Billie walks over to her. They hug. Later, she runs into Daniel. Things are difficult. She explains that they spread Jack's ashes off the coast of Big Sur. They talk about loss and how hard it is.

Sami an EJ are inhaling each other at her place. She pulls away and tells him this is wrong. He sucks her neck. She makes him stop and says that what they had in the safe house wasn't real. Her feelings about them still haven't changed, but she needs to focus on her kids. He wonders if this is really about Carrie. She claims she can send 'fresh beginning flowers to the Swiss miss' when she wants to. He brings Rafe up so they talk about Nic's baby. She's startled when he suggests the baby could actually be Rafe's. Will calls EJ and asks him if they can meet. Elvis fondles a ball and says yes. After teasing Sami and sniffing her, he leaves. She stands around and thinks of the three men who love her. She kicks herself and tries to concentrate on what's important. She heads down to the pub and tells Caroline that she's not with EJ 'at all'. Rafe arrives as she says this.

Sonny and Adrienne discuss the funeral at the coffee shop. She notices he has a bruise. Brian strolls in. Adrienne asks Sonny to introduce her to his friend. Sonny sends him to fetch the lattes and his mom decides to make herself scarce. Brian tells Sonny he's slowly ingratiation himself with his family so they can start dating. He asks him out to see a band. Victor wanders in and pays his condolences to Adrienne. He spots Sonny with Brian and walks over to them. Brian makes himself scarce and Victor congratulates Sonny on decking Tad. He remarks that Brain is a 'good looking fellow.' Later, Brian returns with some tickets to a show. Sonny seems unsure, so his friend tells him to do something about Will before he loses him. Sonny tries calling Will but he won't answer his phone. And Brady goes to the mansion to see Victor. He tells him that he wants the CEO job at Titan. Brady explains that John will let him leave Basic Black. "My place is at Titan," he says. Victor's glad he finally figured that out. He fills him in about Nick being up for parole.

William and EJ meet at Mandalay and catch up. Will announces that he can't work for him anymore. He's been so wrapped up in EJ that he's been ignoring his own life. Elvis agrees to respect his decision and says he's come to appreciate their relationship. EJ explains that he is putting his house in order and asks Will if he should involve Sami. That makes Will uncomfortable. "That's never going to work," he says. They start arguing about this. William can't understand why he keeps going back to Sami, a woman who can do nothing but fail at relationships. He doesn't see how things can be any different. "I don't want to see you get hurt," Will adds before he leaves. He runs into Adrienne and apologizes for not attending Jack's memorial. He asks about her son and she says he's with Brian right now. "Is he cool?" she asks in air quotes. Will acts happy about this. Back at Mandalay, Billie sits down with EJ and starts quizzing him about his legal problems. She wonders why he's looking so miserable.

FRIDAY
August 31, 2012
Don't Have A Cow.

Chad shows up at Abigail's and tells her she has to choose between Mel and her family. "What?" she asks. He explains and asks her to convince Mel to write a letter to the board fast. Abby refuses to take sides. Meanwhile, Mel rolls around in bed and thinks of Nick. She hallucinates him asking her for help. Brady shows up. She hugs him and admits that she's as worried about Nick not getting parole and being released. Mel is concerned about about what could happen to him in prison. Brady tells her just to think about herself. Chad walks in on them hugging. "What the hell is going on?" he asks. The two men argue about the Nick situation with her. She accuses them of being over-bearing. Chad keeps lecturing her about how much she needs to heal. They order her to look out for herself. She finally asks for paper and a pen and starts to write.

Nicole gets a letter from the parole board about Nick but doesn't care. She looks through the pub window and sees Jenn hugging Abe. Jenn tells Abe how impossible their losses feel. Nic interrupts them to apologize for what happened during the election campaign. She takes Abe aside to apologize again. She even gives him a hug. Kay and Jenn are perplexed as they watch. Nic keeps apologizing. Abe says he's a changed man and he wants to move on. They sob and hug. She leaves, hoping to herself that her contrition will get back to Daniel. Kayla tells Jenn the divorce is in motion. She goes off to the kitchen and Jenn quizzes Abe about the apology. He thinks it was sincere. Besides, forgiveness is easier than holding a grudge. Kay tells him she was offered a job at the hospital. He's sure that would provide a distraction from divorce. Abby walks in to hear that. Kay assures her that Steve will be okay without her. Abby doubts that. She's disappointed and leaves in a huff.

Daniel meets Maggie in the square and tells her a friend of his needs a place to stay. She guesses it's Nicole and agrees to allow her to move in. They're sure Victor 'will have a cow' but Maggie is sure all will be well. He heads back to work. Nicole corners him there and worries about Mel and the parole. She offers to make a PR stink about it. He won't ask her to get involved. "I would do anything for you," she says. He explains that he has a plan for her living situation. She's confused when he explains she wouldn't be living with him... she'd be living with Victor. Meanwhile, Maggie goes home and finds Victor in a rare good mood. She asks him to let Nicole move in. He lists all of the reasons that's a horrible idea. Maggie orders him to be reasonable but he refuses to help. He doesn't want a 'sociopathic woman' in his house. "For God's sake, I was married to her once, obviously in a period of my life when I was insane!" he argues. She yells back that this is a totally grand idea. Jenn walks in on the bickering. That doesn't stop them. Victor refuses to let Nicole live there. Jenn suggests that Nicole move in with her instead.

Hope drops by the prison with Jessica. They ask Nick not to back out of seeking parole. Jessica wants him to come home with her where he belongs. Hope backs that up and yells at him to fight. He sends his mom away to wash away her tears and then lectures Hope for dragging his mom in. "If you do anything to sabotage yourself... I'm going to kill you."