Nicole and EJ Make Two *Very* Different Vows About Sloan, While Melinda Gets the Upper Hand With Rafe

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In today’s Days of Our Lives, Melinda gasps in disbelief that Rafe is going to arrest her. He snaps that that got her attention then starts yelling that she lied to him about Jude and “you are in this up to your neck!” Melinda scoffs, even when Rafe tells her he learned she lied from Eric.

Whatever legal action she took on behalf of Sloan falls under client attorney privilege she snaps, before Rafe says she can go with him downtown for booking. He starts reading Melinda her rights, that snaps at her as she tries to stop him that she’s a criminal and she will be punished.

“Even at your sister’s expense?” Melinda asks, stopping him cold. What does that have to do with Gabi, Rafe wonders? Melinda rehashes the new evidence about Gil and Gabi. It’s compelling if Rafe has the book. Right now, she’s got it “for safekeeping.” They wouldn’t want anything to happen to it, would they? Rafe gapes that she’s blackmailing the commissioner?!

Melinda keeps speaking in hypotheticals about if she knew anything about what happened, Sloan’s still the kidnapper. And if he ever wants Gabi out, he’ll tell everyone she was never near the baby.

Outside of the pub, Leo tells EJ that him wanting to keep the truth about Jude silent makes no sense. “Why did you pay me all that money just to keep me from your own son?” Fine, EJ sighs, he’ll tell Leo the truth. He didn’t want Nicole to learn the truth about Jude until he was absolutely certain. He just wanted more time to be certain so he didn’t get Nicole’s hopes up for nothing.

Leo doesn’t buy it. If he was just protecting Nicole, why pay him to keep quiet and not just ask him? Because EJ knows Leo blurts things out, so the money was just a little extra insurance. He then condescendingly says goodbye and leaves with Jude.

Over in the DiMera mansion, Nicole calls the cops on Sloan just as she runs out — and right into Eric! “What the hell are you doing here?” he growls. Nicole shrugs that Sloan wanted a truce, but she told her to go to hell. She then calls Rafe and tells him to get over there right away to arrest Sloan.

Eric tells Sloan she’s going to pay for what she did to Nicole and him, but Sloan said there’s no worse punishment than losing him. Forgiveness is important to him in his faith, she reminds him — “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them. If they repent, forgive them.” Eric looks thoughtful, but says nothing.

She then insists she did what she did out of love, which gets a furious reaction from Eric. “Out of love?! It was cruel and deluded!” Sloan tells him that what they know isn’t the whole story. She thinks back to telling EJ the truth about Jude, but as she tries to stammer out what happened, EJ comes home. “Sloan, what the hell?!”

Nicole says she came to apologize and claims there’s more to the story. EJ grabs her and escorts her out and yells at Eric to stay and get ice for Nicole’s hand. “And I will go and take care of THIS,” he growls at Sloan. Before being dragged out, she tearfully tells Eric again that she loves him.

Outside, EJ tells her they had a deal. He paid her a lot of money and she disappeared. If she says a word about Eric, he’ll make her life a living hell! Sloan doesn’t want to live her life in fear, and thought she could convince Nicole to forgive her and understand. EJ mocks her hopes to face and snarls at her to take the money and disappear. “Do you understand me?”

Inside, Eric tells Nicole that Melinda was involved too, then sadly starts talking about Jude and his routines. He admits it’s hard being around Jude, so he’s going to go catch up with EJ and make sure Sloan’s taken care of. Nicole, he says, should just worry about making up for lost time. “With your son.” He walks out.

Stefan and Kristen, meanwhile, are meeting in the Horton Square for a not-so-secret talk. Stefan tells his sister that Melinda screwed him when he tried to get her to reopen Gabi’s case. They need more evidence to reopen the case. Li’s blood on Gil’s book wasn’t enough. Stefan says it’s up for Kristen to figure out how to get Trask to play ball — at least if she wants the DiMera CEO seat.

She thinks a moment… “I’ve got it.” Didn’t Melinda have a crush on Stefan at one point? All he has to do is rekindle that attraction. Seduce her, and she’ll do what he wants. Stefan hates the plan, but Kristen reminds him that all that passion for Gabi didn’t stop him from sleeping with Ava. He tries playing dumb, but Kristen tells him it would have been crazy if he hadn’t slept with Ava.

“How did you know?” Ava’s not that discreet, Kristen whispers. She just spit it out. He threatens her to never tell anyone about it, but Kristen guffaws that she’s not the problem. Ava is. “Because if Gabi ever finds out, I’m guessing that there’s gonna be hell to pay.”

Inside the Brady Pub, Roman is thinking back sadly about meeting Jude the first time. Kate snaps him back to the present and says she’s been calling his name. Roman tells her EJ was just in there getting lunch with Jude, “the sweet little guy who WAS my grandson.”

They sit down to eat and talk about how Eric is and how he’s looking for Sloan. “I knew that woman was bad news from the minute she told me she didn’t like Ma’s chowder.” He hopes Sloan and everyone involved in hurting Eric gets whats coming to them. Just then, Leo walks in and grabs a menu.

Roman offers him a knuckle sandwich, but Leo plays dumb and orders chowder. He then tells him he’s refusing service. Roman knows everything about him blackmailing Sloan. He’s not welcome in the pub. Leo claims that he didn’t do anything of the sort while Roman smirks and tells him “You’re guilty. You’re not going to get away with this, Leo.” Kate then asks him point blank if he stole the baby and he thinks back to confronting Sloan about her stealing him.

“Of course not!” he blurts. “What would I ever do with a baby?” Leo insists that Sloan’s a liar and no one can believe her claims about him. He rambles on for a bit, then runs out.

In the show’s final moments, Stefan insists that he loves his wife and tells Kristen his only concern is getting her out of prison. They’re never talking about it again, but what happened with Ava was a mistake, “and I’m never gonna do it again with anyone.” He’ll never betray her again. And that includes sleeping with Melinda. Kristen sighs.

Melinda teases Rafe and tells him he’ll get everything he wants. If he still wants to arrest her, she’ll go quietly, she says and holds out her hands. But she hopes Gabi understands he was more concerned about Melinda’s justice than hers. Rafe resignedly agrees to the deal. But she better keep her word because if not, he’s locking Melinda up and throwing away the key. He storms out.

Nicole talks to Jude, marveling that she knew he wasn’t gone, then thinks back to stealing him from the town square and EJ comforting her. She vows that Sloan will pay. Outside, Eric finds EJ laying on the front porch, apparently unconscious. He rouses him and EJ says Sloan hit him over the head and sends Eric off in the opposite direction of Sloan.

She returns to thank him and he scowls at her to get the hell out of here. “And don’t ever darken my doorstep again.”