Stephanie tells Nick the truth, Kayla starts cramping and Steve realizes someone's after him!

Max is working down at the docks when Stephanie arrives and asks him to tell her what his involvement is with Nick's grant proposal. Max claims he was just being a good friend and helping Nick out. Stephanie asks how he did the proposal, since it seemed so complex. Max chalks it off to not being a big deal and asks her to trust him. She does, but wonders why he doesn't trust her. He tries to kiss her to distract her but she pushes him away and says she's on to his tricks! She walks off in a huff. Afterward, Max flashes back to visiting Pop's grave and discussing Nick's grant and how he makes mistakes and needed a little guidance. He remembers saying he wants more to his life than running the pub so he can care for Stephanie.

One of Nick's students from Salem U, Alicia, finds Nick working at the pub and asks if he can answer a few questions for her. He rudely snaps at her and tells her he's busy and goes back to his work. Later, he apologizes to her and lets her know about his grant proposal and how he's focused on figuring a prototype. Alicia is confused and tells him she works in the Dean's office. His proposal was already delivered for approval, to the administrator's office. Nick is incredulous.

Nearby, Steve meets EJ, who wonders why Steve wanted to meet him there. "Aren't you concerned someone will see us together," he asks. Steve doesn't care. He just wants what he came for! EJ gives Steve a legal document while a Vitali goon watches from outside the pub. Since it's all in order, Steve says they've got a deal, but hopes he doesn't regret this. Steve looks around the pub, uneasily during the conversation and at one point, turns to where the goon was standing. The man is gone. EJ wants to buy Steve lunch or at least coffee but Steve's preoccupied. Stephanie interrupts the two and comments she's surprised to see them together. She spots Nick and dashes off.
Steve leaves the pub and Vitali's goon follows him.

Stephanie goes right to Nick's table and offers to lend an ear. Nick opens up about his breakup with Chelsea and says he thought she was "the one". They discuss his prototype proposal and he admits his confusion over someone turning in his work for him! Max shows up and Nick shares the news about his grant showing up at the Dean's office. Max thinks it's great but Nick is upset and tells Max that it was incomplete. He doesn't understand why someone wouldn't just send it to him. Steph goes off to a nearby table to lunch with a sorority sister while Nick flashes back to discussing his grant with Max, days before and asking Max for support. He remembers asking Max why he tore a page out of his proposal.

At Salem PD, Roman and Abe discuss the Vitali case until Sami barges in on them and tells Roman that Lucas refuses to see her. She wants Roman to talk Lucas into seeing her and though he will help, he can't make any promises. Later, Roman tells Sami that while he spoke with Lucas, he refuses to see her, but may call. Sami's hopeful. Roman's advice is for Sami to reassure Lucas that she loves him. An officer arrives with an email addressed to Sami from Lucas. Bo and Roman step outside while she reads it. "Dear Sami I'm going to be in prison for a long time and I've caused you so much pain, so I'm letting you go. I still love you, Sami, and I always will but that's why I'm telling you to forget about me and move on with your life." Sami starts weeping.

Hope and Kayla take tea at Hope's place and Kayla admits her annoyance with Steve for being overprotective and asking Hope to take her to her doctor's appointment. Hope reminds her of who they're up against and wonders what Vitali is planning. Even though Ava's off those drugs, Hope thinks it's still a good idea for them to be careful around her.

Ava meets with Angelo at the hospital, after Lexi gives her the good news about her toxicology reports. The drugs don't seem to have done any permanent damage, she says with a grin and Angelo beams. "She's back!" Ava wonders if Nusbaum drugged her in order to try to extort money from her dad. Hope and Kayla arrive at the hospital and Ava thanks Kayla for treating her and hopes Kayla has a good appointment. After the two leave, Angelo blames Kayla and Patch for Ava's issues. Ava doesn't agree but Angelo says her father thinks so. "Really? What else did my father say?" She asks if he's put a hit out on Patch, but Angelo says he hasn't a clue.

Hope and Kayla arrive back at Hope's place and Kayla complains about Dr. Elman putting her on bed rest. Hope tells her to take care of her baby and let the cops worry about Vitali. Hope offers tea and apple pie and once Hope's in the kitchen, Kayla starts having cramps.

Sami arrives home to EJ working in the morning room. EJ asks what's wrong. Sami claims she's tired and didn't sleep well and EJ wonders if it's because of what happened between them last night. Sami says nothing happened. "Did I just imagine you kissing me," he asks. Sami refuses to discuss it and asks him to drop Nicole as a client. "Is there anything else I can do?" Sami says no and he notices how sad she is. She doesn't want to discuss it and starts to cry. EJ offers a hug, but she refuses and says she'll be fine. She'll go for a walk. She runs off, "I'll be back, okay?" EJ takes a call from Nicole as Sami is leaving and she's annoyed to overhear him make plans to meet Nicole in an hour.

Steve walks down by the docks, where Vitali's goon is waiting with a sniper rifle trained on Steve. Steve plays his harmonica and moves about so quickly, the sniper can't get a shot. It's obvious that Steve knows he's being stalked and he makes a call to Bo. He says he hasn't got much time. "So you have to listen." He tells Bo he's catching some rays down at the docks and he'll see him real soon. Bo turns to Roman and tells him Steve's in big trouble.

Later, at the pub, Stephanie tells Max she can't keep lying to their friend. She goes to Nick and tells him the truth. An angry Nick goes to Max for an explanation but Max thinks Nick will still get the approval for the prototype. Nick can't believe he'd do this to him and stomps off. When Stephanie asks Max to come clean with why he did all of this, he refuses and she leaves, too!

Ava and Angelo arrive at the pub and watch Stephanie talking with Nick. Ava calls her pretty and Angelo says, "She's not as pretty as you, Twinkle Toes!" Ava wonders how Angelo knew she had a doctor's appointment today and he says she must have told him. Ava wants to know why he's keeping tabs on her. Angelo hems and haws but eventually admits that something is going down today and her father doesn't want her to get hurt.

Next on Days Of Our Lives:
Nicole tells Philip despite what he thinks, she really cares about him.
Chelsea wants Kate's advice. "How do I get a guy to realize he loves me?"
Marlena asks Daniel, "You said you had a personal issue. What is that?"
Thank-you for your comments and feedback! We do ask that our visitors abide by the Guidelines and try to keep all posts on the topic of the show. If you have a Spoiler that you want to post and/or discuss in the comments section below, please always remember to start your post with ***Spoiler Alert*** so others who do not wish to read spoilers can skim over your post. Please feel free to Contact Us if a moderator is required to handle any bad posts. Above all, have a great time posting!
All photographs are courtesy of Soaps.com

