Bo spoke to Ciara by webcam, but there was a knock at the door, so he said goodbye. Carly arrived to tell Bo that she felt that Melanie was warming up to Carly, and Carly wanted to tell Melanie that Carly was her mother. Bo thought it wasn't a good idea, because Melanie was an emotional person and wouldn't be able to keep news like that to herself. Therefore, Vivian would find out somehow.

Bo held Carly's face and told her that they would get through it together. Bo was sorry that Carly couldn't tell her daughter the truth. Carly agreed that Bo was right -- if Melanie knew that Carly was her mother, Vivian would get it out of Melanie.

At Maggie's house, Caroline and Maggie left Ciara in the kitchen to finish her food. While they were gone, she turned on the laptop webcam again so she could talk to Bo and saw Bo and Carly kissing on the couch. Ciara heard them discussing Melanie being Carly's daughter. Later, Caroline decided to take Ciara to Bo's house for a surprise visit.

Carly left to start her shift at the hospital. On her way out, just as she was opening the door, she told him she loved him. Caroline and Ciara were at the door and heard her. Caroline did not look happy. "This is a surprise," Bo told Ciara as he hugged her. "Apparently so," Caroline said. She told Carly, "Don't let me keep you." Ciara went upstairs to draw a picture.

Bo could tell that his mother was upset with him, so he let her have her say. She asked if he ever thought about anybody but himself. "I'm a selfish bastard, Ma. My family doesn't mean a damn thing to me," Bo said sarcastically. "That came out stronger than I meant it to be. God knows I'm not in a position to throw stones," Caroline said. "You always say that before the big guns," Bo said.

"Okay, the big guns. You think about what it does to Ciara when she comes home, and she sees Carly, and then she hears this woman tell her daddy that she loves him," Caroline said. "Is that any worse than her mommy in their new home, doing whatever she does with Justin?" Bo asked. "We're not talking about that -- we're talking about Ciara and about your responsibility to your daughter," she said.

Bo told Caroline that Hope took his daughter from him and ripped his family apart "Hell, my own ma doesn't even see that Hope is the one who did this," Bo yelled. Caroline asked if Bo thought that let him off the hook. "Hope's wrong, and anything you do is justified? You tell that to Ciara. That should be a big comfort," she said. Bo said he was doing the best he could, and Caroline said that Ciara would really be hurt.

Bo was frustrated that he and Hope hadn't been able to connect. He said they were having a hard time talking about anything. Caroline told Bo to think about what was best for Ciara, and the answer didn't have anything to do with Carly. Later, Bo looked for some markers for Ciara's picture, and he found a picture of him, Ciara, and Hope.

Vivian left a message for Melanie to go to the spa together. Hope overheard her and asked why Vivian was "so wrapped up in Melanie." Hope asked what was in it for Vivian. Hope surmised that Vivian was hoping that Melanie could help Vivian secure her place in Victor's life. Vivian wanted to be a member of the Kiriakis family, and she and Melanie would be the new girls in the family and needed to stick together.

Vivian wondered why Hope was being "antagonistic" given that they had a common enemy -- Carly. Hope suggested that Vivian was driven by the need for revenge. "Clearly I wouldn't be in this position if Lawrence were alive -- if Carly hadn't killed him. I could have left well enough alone," Vivian said. Hope found that "interesting," and she asked, "What would you have left alone, Vivian?"

"I would think that's rather obvious -- I would have left well enough alone if Carly hadn't killed Lawrence," Vivian said. "So maybe you are back for revenge," Hope said. Vivian said that revenge was her original intention. She started to say that she was welcomed back into the family with open arms, and then she suddenly remembered that she was missing her hair appointment. Hope realized that Vivian hadn't changed at all and was still after Carly, but Hope wondered what that had to do with Melanie.

Melanie stopped by the hospital so that Carly could have Melanie's finger x-rayed. Nurse Nadine told Melanie that Carly wasn't in yet, but there was someone on staff who could handle it. Nathan arrived just as the nurse was speaking. "Ah, speak of the devil," the nurse said about Nathan. Melanie told him that she could wait for Carly. Nathan tried to touch her to hand to see if she had any broken bones, but she told him not to touch her, and she walked off.

At the Brady Pub, Stephanie told Justin that she was falling in love with someone, but she didn't think he felt the same way about her. Justin said that if Stephanie loved a man who didn't love her back, that man was an "idiot," which meant that she "dodged a bullet." Stephanie thought that Justin reminded her of her father, because her father would think that a guy was an idiot without knowing anything about the situation.

"Fathers don't need to know anything about a situation to pass judgment. He's not good for you, and apparently, he has terrible eyesight," Justin said. "What if he's just hung up on someone else?" she asked. "Who cares? He's a jerk," he said. Stephanie revealed that she was referring to Nathan, "and you know he's not a jerk." Justin agreed that Nathan wasn't a "jerk." She explained that he had feelings for someone else, but Nathan had explained that he was over it. Stephanie was worried that Nathan was lying to himself.

Justin advised Stephanie to speak to Nathan honestly about what she was worried about. "Is that what you and Aunt Adrienne do?" she asked. "No, we just tell other people to do that," Justin said. He got a phone call from Adrienne and excused himself from the table.

At the police station, Chad delivered a file to his father, the district attorney. Chad tried to thank his father for letting him invite some friends to watch the Olympics. His father seemed preoccupied, so Chad decided to leave, but his father stopped him to apologize. He said that he was like that before every trial. "You'd think I'd have figured that out by now," Chad said. His father encouraged Chad to have a good time in Vancouver.

Chad thought that his father went easy on him, given Chad's record. His father was confident that Chad would do great. "You weren't the problem, Chad. It was that lying, little... Let's just say I'm glad Mia McCormick is out of your life for good," his father said.

At the Java Café, Gabi, "T," and Kinsey were excited about going to Vancouver. Kinsey told Gabi that Chad clearly invited Gabi to Vancouver to be alone with her and "see what he can do to warm" Gabi up. Mia listened discreetly and fumed in anger. When Chad showed up, Kinsey suggested that Chad get them tickets to the curling competition. She told Chad that he was an "amazing friend." Chad asked Gabi if she had started packing yet, and she said she hadn't -- she couldn't believe she was going. Gabi promised to pack right away.

Mia had been eavesdropping on their conversation. She told Will goodbye, and claimed she was going to check on Maggie. Will stopped by Maggie's house, to say he was worried about Mia and that Mia had said she needed to see Maggie. Maggie told him that Mia wasn't home. Will tried Mia on her cell phone, but she didn't pick up. Maggie theorized that Mia might have run into some friends on the way home. Will said that she didn't have any friends, but Maggie didn't believe it.

Will confided in Maggie that since Grace had died, Mia wasn't the same person. Will compared the way Sami acted when Grace died and how Maggie acted when Mickey died to the way Mia was acting. "You're still you. You're you, but sad. I'm ... not sure I know who Mia is," he said.

Mia stopped by the police station to see Chad's father. He didn't think that they would have anything to talk about. She claimed she was there to thank him because Chad had invited her to Vancouver.

At the Java Café, Vivian cancelled her hair appointment and plotted a way to make Melanie's wedding "something that no one would forget."

Nathan and Melanie argued about Melanie pulling her hand away. He advised her to let another doctor look at her hand, because they were unable to keep a doctor-patient relationship. Carly had Melanie's hand x-rayed and found out it wasn't broken. They started talking about Melanie's upcoming nuptials. Melanie was nervous about having to write her wedding vows. Carly said that if Melanie didn't have any doubts about marrying Philip, the vows would write themselves.

Melanie realized that Carly had tricked her into staying at the hospital longer by asking her to fill out unnecessary forms. Carly had noticed that things looked intense between Melanie and Nathan. Melanie said she was trying to be sensitive to Nathan's feelings, because he still had feelings for Melanie. Carly said that if Melanie still had feelings for Nathan, Melanie wasn't "in trouble -- not yet anyway."

Carly said Melanie needed to take things slowly and enjoy her youth. Melanie thought that Carly was telling her to forget about Philip and give Nathan another chance. Carly asked if Philip could make her happy, and Melanie said yes. Carly admitted that it wasn't her business. Melanie apologized for passing judgment on Carly without knowing the whole story. She invited Carly to the wedding.

At the Brady Pub, Hope called Henderson to see if Vivian was home. When she heard that Vivian had left, Hope tried to rush out the door, but Justin stopped her. He had heard from Adrienne that Hope had called Adrienne to ask if Justin and Adrienne's marriage was over. He also found out that Hope had tried to convince Adrienne to give Justin another chance. "I'm a romantic," Hope said.

Justin said his marriage was over, and Hope's interference was just prolonging the "agony." Hope said she was in a hurry to leave. Justin told her that their conversation wasn't over, so Hope said she could use his help.

Justin accompanied Hope back to the Kiriakis mansion to get to Vivian's puzzle box to find out Carly's secret. Justin theorized that Hope would benefit by slaying "Carly's dragon," because Carly wouldn't seem so appealing to Bo. Hope didn't have time to discuss it -- she wanted to get to Vivian's room. Vivian returned sooner than Justin or Hope had estimated. Justin tried to stall to keep her from going upstairs while Hope sneaked downstairs.

Justin asked Vivian to talk to Victor about him. She agreed, and Hope made it downstairs before she got caught. She sneaked the puzzle box downstairs. Hope opened the box and found a paper. She read it and said to herself: "Damn you, Brady. Damn you."

At the dock, Stephanie had stepped in a puddle, and her toes were wet and cold. Nathan massaged her feet. Nathan asked Stephanie to join him at a ski lodge. Stephanie was interested until he told her it would be on Valentine's Day. She said that she was helping Melanie with the wedding, which took place on Valentine's Day, and if she told Melanie that she wouldn't be there, Melanie would ask where they were going. Stephanie and Nathan agreed not to go anywhere until the day after the wedding.

At the Java Café, Will questioned Mia on her whereabouts. Mia made up a lie about going for a walk instead of going home. Mia overheard Chad getting news from his father canceling Chad's trip to Vancouver. Chad told his friends that his father had changed his mind about the trip. Gabi, T, and Kinsey were disappointed. Mia turned around and told them it wasn't the end of the world.

At the Brady Café, Vivian told Gus that while she didn't know how to kill Melanie, she had decided it would be on Melanie's wedding day.

At the cottage, E.J. told Sydney that she would be going home soon. Anna asked E.J. whether the end was in sight now that Sami and Rafe had ended their relationship. "She brought this on herself," E.J. argued. "She gets what she deserves. Nobody keeps my kids from me," E.J. said. Anna asked E.J. whether his plan was "too cruel." E.J. warned Anna not to defend Sami, and Anna noted that E.J. was starting to sound like Stefano.

"Do you really want Sydney paying for what Samantha did?" Anna asked. Anna argued that as Sydney grew up, she would notice E.J's hatred for Sami. "You presume that she is going to know her mother," E.J. interjected. "It's up to me to determine whether Samantha gets to have a life with her daughter or not," E.J. said. After saying goodbye to Sydney, E.J. turned toward Anna. "You seem to be spending a little too much time thinking about things that don't concern you. Now it's not for you to question my methods or my motives. I'm doing what's best for Sydney. Are we clear?" E.J. lectured. Anna nodded in agreement, and E.J. slipped out the front door quietly.

At the Brady Pub, Vivian informed Gus that she would "eliminate" Melanie on her wedding day. With the event fast approaching, Vivian wondered aloud how she would kill Melanie and make sure that Carly attended the wedding. After Vivian gave Gus a shopping list for her plan, he suggested that she could watch the wedding video repeatedly and enjoy Melanie's death. Vivian's face fell and she remarked, "I just wish I despised the girl. I hate the idea of executing her. Oh well. When plotting revenge, you can't have everything."

Victor entered the pub and spotted Gus talking to Vivian. Suspicious, Victor asked Vivian what she was up to. Gus excused himself and left. Victor sat down at the table and warned Vivian that she better not be plotting against Melanie. Vivian promised that she had no plans to hurt Melanie, but skeptical, Victor questioned her promise. With a smile on her face, Vivian assured Victor that she would get his family back together. Victor told Vivian that he was fine with her murdering Carly, but "nothing happens to Melanie and you keep my name out of it. Got it?"

At the hospital, Carly declined Melanie's request for her to attend the wedding. Melanie reassured Carly that Hope was unlikely to cause a scene at the wedding and that she did not think there would be a problem with anyone else. Carly cautioned Melanie not to underestimate Vivian. Raising an eyebrow, Melanie playfully joked that Carly did not want to go to the wedding. Carly jumped in and adamantly affirmed that she wanted to attend the wedding, but that she wanted to make sure she did not interfere in Melanie's wedding day. When Carly appeared to agree to attend, Melanie excitedly jumped up and down and hugged Carly tightly. From across the hall, Bo watched Melanie hug Carly.

Carly pulled away from Melanie and corrected her. Carly noted that she did not agree to attend the wedding. "If I could be sure that I didn't ruin the day for you and a whole lot of other people," Carly said. Determined, Melanie argued that she wanted Carly there and that was all that mattered. Carly promised to think about Melanie's offer. "Okay, but I invited you, so you still have to get me something," Melanie joked.

As Melanie walked away, Bo crept up beside Carly and said, "Good work, that staying away from Melanie thing." Startled, Carly jumped upon hearing Bo. Bo noted that Carly did not see him watching her talk to Melanie and that Carly needed to be more careful with Vivian lurking about. Bo cautioned Carly to stay away from Melanie, and Carly told Bo that Melanie had invited her to the wedding. Bo noted that on such an emotional day, Carly was likely to have difficulty hiding her emotions in front of Vivian and might tip Vivian off that Melanie was Carly's daughter.

Pouting, Carly explained to Bo that she told Melanie that she could not go to the wedding. "I'm running out of options to keep you and your daughter safe," Bo said. Worried, Bo ordered Carly to move back into his house so that he could protect her. "You're the only person in my life right now that I can just be with," Bo added. "You make me smile at a time when I don't smile very often," Bo said. Bo explained that he needed Carly and her support so that he could deal with his problems. "I thought my life was over and not just beginning," Carly said softly. Bo assured Carly that he wanted to move forward with her and get on with his life.

Stephanie and Nathan sat in the Java Café and researched online for a vacation spot. When Nathan started to make a reservation for February 14th, an annoyed Stephanie said, "No, I told you I can't go then!" Stephanie reminded Nathan that she needed to help Melanie with the wedding before she could leave town. The hospital paged Nathan and he started to put on his jacket and head back to work. Arianna rushed into the Java Café and asked if she could help Stephanie with Melanie's wedding. With a grunt of annoyance, Nathan grabbed his bag and said goodbye.

Outside the Brady Pub, Melanie ran into Nathan. Nathan asked about Melanie's hand, and she noted that it was fine. "I though it would ruin my wedding, but everything is great," Melanie said. "Wow. What a relief," Nathan said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes and walked away.

In the Kiriakis mansion, Hope struggled to open Vivian's puzzle box. After caressing the case for a moment, there was an audible click. Hoping to learn Carly's secret by reviewing the contents, Hope eagerly opened the box. Hope pulled out a piece of paper and read it. "Damn you, Brady," Hope muttered.

When Justin asked what was written on the paper, Hope said, "Confirmation that my marriage to Bo is officially over." Hope explained that the box contained a letter from Lawrence cursing Carly for her infidelity as well as proof that Carly had a baby. "Carly Manning had a baby and Lawrence wanted it destroyed. So she killed him and ran. To Bo, to her baby's father," Hope said.

Justin warned Hope that the paper did not prove that Bo was the father of Carly's child. Fighting tears, Hope lashed out, noting that Bo's actions since Carly's return made sense if he was the child's father. "This is like history repeating itself all over again, only this time it's Carly and not Billie," Hope cried out in frustration. Shaking her head, Hope took a deep breath and noted that she was glad she was not working. "I made a wild assumption not warranted by the evidence," Hope said. Analyzing the situation, Hope argued that the child could not be Bo's because after all that happened with Chelsea, Bo would not keep such a secret from her.

"Bo should have trusted me with that secret, and he should have given me peace of mind to know everything that was going on. Can you imagine how different everything would have been if he had just been honest with me and open with me and just told me?" Hope said. Justin reminded Hope that by the time Carly arrived, she had already moved out of the house. Hope agreed that she had moved out, but she noted that the move was just intended to be a temporary solution.

As Hope gathered the letter and medical records to put back in the puzzle box, she wondered aloud how difficult life must have been for Carly to live with Lawrence and be separated from her child. "Having a baby should be the most wonderful thing in the world. It made her life hell," Hope said sadly.

Back at the Java Café, Arianna told Stephanie that she could not guarantee that she could be Melanie's maid of honor. As Arianna explained that she might be sent to prison, Melanie entered the café and overheard her conversation with Stephanie. "You're a hero and they're not gonna let you be in my wedding?" Melanie asked in shock. Arianna told Melanie that because she was unsure whether she would be available, that she wanted to back out. Shaking her head, Melanie argued that she would make Stephanie a bridesmaid and then make her the maid of honor in the event that Arianna could not attend the ceremony.

Arianna stepped aside to take a phone call, and Stephanie questioned whether Melanie's idea was feasible. As Arianna ran off to take care of some business, Stephanie marveled at the idea that Arianna was more worried about letting down Melanie than the possibility of going to prison. "So why can't you be a bridesmaid? Is it Philip or is it Nathan?" Melanie asked pointedly. Sighing, Stephanie remarked that she felt it was too awkward for her to be in Philip's wedding. Melanie suggested that they could use the occasion to move on with their lives, and she offered to talk to Philip for Stephanie.

At the police station, Roman informed Arianna that the DEA agent overseeing Arianna's case decided not to send her to prison. Roman added that Arianna would also be getting a commendation for her work. With tears filling her eyes, Arianna thanked Roman and hugged him tightly. As Arianna started to leave, she stopped and asked Roman, "You were married to Anna DiMera once right? Did you know that she was back in town?"

Confused, Roman asked Arianna whether she was sure that Anna was in town. Arianna explained that she accidentally picked up E.J.'s phone when Anna called. "I'm not supposed to say anything because she and Stefano don't get along, but I just don't see any harm in telling you," Arianna said good-naturedly. Shaking his head, Roman remarked that it was strange that he had not heard from Anna.

When Arianna had left the precinct, Roman called Anna's cell phone and asked her where she was hiding. "Spain," Anna said cheerily. "Wrong answer," Roman retorted. Roman asked Anna why she was in Salem.

Back at the Java Café, Stephanie asked Melanie to drop the subject of her becoming a bridesmaid. "You know what? We can't drop this because the way you're acting is making me think that you are still hung up on Philip," Melanie said. Stephanie swore that she was not hung up on Philip, but before Melanie could argue the point, Arianna called Melanie to tell her that she was not going to prison.

Melanie told Stephanie that Arianna was free but Melanie still wanted Stephanie to be a bridesmaid in the wedding. When Stephanie asked why, Melanie explained that she thought of Stephanie as her friend and that she wanted Stephanie to be a part of the wedding. Stephanie reluctantly agreed, causing Melanie to clap and rejoice. As Stephanie turned her attention back to her computer, Melanie noticed that Stephanie was looking at a website for a ski lodge.

"Who you going with?" Stephanie asked with a sly smile on her face. With her face still focused on the computer screen, Stephanie said that she was going with a sorority sister. "Maybe you'll meet the man of your dreams there?" Melanie said jovially. "Wouldn't that be nice," Stephanie said.

While in surgery at the hospital with Carly, Nathan nicked a blood vessel on a patient. As Nathan's breathing grew panicky, Carly asked Nathan to step aside, and she took over the surgery. After Carly repaired the blood vessel and finished on the patient, she asked Nathan why he seemed preoccupied during the surgery. Nathan said he did not have an explanation for his lack of focus, but Carly disagreed. "You were thinking about Melanie, weren't you?" Carly asked. "So now you're a surgeon and a mind reader?" Nathan joked.

Nathan stressed that his personal life was off-limits and that he was sure that his surgical error would never happen again. Carly rushed after Nathan into the hallway and explained that she had gotten close to Melanie recently. "I do not have any issues with Melanie, and that's about as much as I want to say about it," Nathan said firmly.

Outside the Brady Pub, Arianna left a voicemail on Brady's cell phone and told him that she had the "greatest news." Overhearing Arianna, E.J. asked her what the news was.

Bo carried Carly's suitcase back to his house and relieved the babysitter from watching Ciara. "Now I got to explain to my daughter just who this company is," Bo muttered to himself. Bo received a phone call from Abe, but the reception was so bad that Bo went out onto his front porch to better hear the call. While Bo was outside, someone crept into the living room from the kitchen.

After Victor left the pub, Gus called Vivian to tell her that he had obtained all the supplies she needed for her plan. "There's something else I need you to do for me," Vivian purred. Gus rejoined Vivian at the pub and handed her a bag with the items she had requested. Vivian asked Gus whether he had handled her second request. "I worked fast and was undetected," Gus whispered. Vivian handed Gus the name of a contact and sent him off on an errand. Whispering to herself, Vivian said, "I'm sorry, Victor. There's no other way. Carly's pain has to equal mine. She has to lose family. She has to lose Melanie."

At the Kiriakis mansion, Hope hurriedly returned the puzzle box to its hiding place in Vivian's room, and then she rushed downstairs to meet with Justin. Hope thanked Justin for his help and for being a "great friend." As Hope hugged Justin, Victor watched from a nearby doorway with a scowl on his face. Justin wished Hope well for her talk with Bo, and Hope ran out the front door. "You don't listen very well do you?" Victor said as he entered the living room behind Justin. Victor advised Justin to stay away from Hope.

"How about you go threaten Bo? Because the fact that he is nailing Carly is a little bit more of an impediment to them getting back together than my trying to help Hope through all this," Justin barked. Justin admitted he was interested in Hope, but that he was not attempting to steal her away, since Bo and Hope's marriage was over. Angry, Victor argued that there were "big changes" on their way, and that Justin had better not get involved in Bo and Hope's reconciliation.

On the pier, Hope thought about when Bo had told her that Carly's secret did not involve Hope or their marriage. "Well it's not a secret anymore," Hope said aloud. Hope turned around and ran directly into Vivian. Vivian dropped her bag of supplies and she looked up guiltily at Hope.

Bo returned to his living room to find Carly's suitcase open and her belongings strewn about the room and cut up. Worried, Bo ran upstairs to check on Ciara.

Roman demanded to know why Anna had lied to him about being in Spain when she was really in Salem. While Sydney played nearby, Anna struggled to invent a cover story. She finally admitted that she had returned to wrap up Tony's estate, and she hadn't wanted to bring down the people who cared about her with her grief. A skeptical Roman pointed out that Anna hadn't even seen Carrie, their daughter, in months.

Anna then confessed that Carrie had asked her to stop by and say hello to Sami while Anna was in town. Roman urged Anna to do it, despite her reluctance, because Sami could really use a friend. Seeing no other option, Anna gave in. As she left Sydney in Benny's care, Anna worried what E.J. would say. "But I don't have any choice-and it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?"

When Brady bumped into Rafe at the Java Café, Rafe informed him that Arianna didn't have to return to prison. Brady shook Rafe's hand with relieved thanks, but Rafe worried that Arianna could still be in danger if the head of the drug cartel wanted revenge.

At the Brady Pub, E.J. congratulated Arianna on the good news that she wasn't going to prison, but she admitted that she was worried because the big boss knew who she was. In an attempt to reassure her, E.J. asserted that if the man intended to retaliate, he would already have done so. E.J. then offered to buy Arianna a celebratory drink. Although she was at work, Arianna agreeably stepped behind the bar. She suggested "cerveza with lime," and E.J. was dubious but went along with it. After toasting to Arianna's freedom, E.J. took a sip, and made a face.

When Rafe and Brady arrived, they both hugged Arianna happily. E.J. pointedly asked whether the "FBI boys" had any news about Sydney, but Rafe didn't. After E.J. left, Arianna tried to encourage Rafe not to give up. He confessed that he was beginning to doubt himself-and Sami had lost faith in him. He then left so Arianna could celebrate with Brady.

Brady and Arianna went upstairs to her room. Brady was concerned that she was worrying about what "Mr. Big" might do to her. "There's only one thing on my mind right now," a grinning Arianna assured Brady, and then kissed him.

At the docks, Rafe pensively fingered the medallion from the convent. Looking heavenward, he prayed-to God, St. Anne, and Grace-to guide him, and help him get Sydney home safely.

Anna knocked on Sami's door, and was relieved when there was no answer. She quickly dashed off a note, which read, "Sami - Sorry about your baby. Too bad I missed you. XOXO, Anna." She then folded the note and slid it under the townhouse door. As Anna was walking away, Rafe's arrival startled her. Hands on his hips, he glared at her suspiciously, and she responded with a sheepish smile.

In the foyer of the DiMera mansion, Kate showed her mother-of-the-groom dress to Stefano, and asked for his opinion. Looking at the dress and his wife appreciatively, Stefano praised, "Well, if Philip doesn't mind you upstaging his bride..." Just then, a process server delivered an envelope to Stefano, who chuckled heartily when he read the contents. "Elvis is evicting me from my own home-today!" Stefano's reaction puzzled Kate, but he believed that E.J. was merely trying to be a man of his word and wouldn't actually evict them.

Stefano wondered why Kate wasn't more involved in Philip's wedding plans. She informed him that Vivian had taken over after somehow ingratiating herself with Melanie. Stefano couldn't believe Vivian's nerve, and urged Kate to shove the "opportunistic nut job" aside and take control. Buoyed by Stefano's confidence in her, Kate left to try a different tactic with her son.

E.J. arrived at the mansion and sarcastically noted that Stefano hadn't yet disappeared. "I've given you enough time to mourn," Stefano declared. "I've made allowances for your anger, and now it's enough. Your time is done." He asserted that life was too short to be as consumed with the desire for revenge as E.J. seemed to be. Stefano knew that one day, E.J. would have to make a decision to which his children objected-and about which E.J. would have to stand strong. E.J. clapped his hand confidently on Stefano's shoulder. "Oh, father, I already know exactly what you mean."

At the hospital, Carly apologized to Nathan for having reprimanded him so harshly earlier, and for getting so personal. Nathan admitted that he had been at fault, but assured her that he hadn't been distracted because of his grandfather's death or his breakup with Melanie-and that it wouldn't happen again. He pointed out that he'd never said a word about Carly's affair with his cousin's husband, and thought he deserved the same courtesy about his personal life.

Daniel witnessed their tense exchange and asked if there were a problem. Nathan quickly left for rounds. Carly explained to Daniel that she had encouraged Nathan to own up to any feelings he might harbor for Melanie, instead of daydreaming on the job. "So this is about Melanie," a confused Daniel replied. Carly clarified that she had married Victor and then Lawrence when she should have followed her heart. "I just hope Melanie's not making the same mistake I did," Carly stated. Daniel pointed out that Philip wasn't Victor, and Melanie was nothing like Carly, but agreed to let it drop. Carly embraced Daniel and thanked him for being there.

Philip met Melanie at the Java Café to discuss their wedding plans. When Melanie tried to show him the seating chart that Vivian had helped her create, a dismayed Philip reminded her that they had agreed that she wouldn't let Vivian help them anymore. Melanie confessed apologetically that she'd given in, because Vivian was "actually really good at this kind of stuff." Shrugging, Philip looked at the chart, but worried that the arrangement would cause a war among their guests. Melanie showed him alternative configurations, and he admitted that Vivian's plan was the best way to keep the drama to a minimum.

Philip and Melanie were about to leave when Kate entered. She cheerfully offered to help with the wedding in any way she could, and Philip acknowledged that he did need her help. After Melanie left the two of them alone, Philip hesitantly referenced the part of the ceremony when the mother walked the groom down the aisle-and asked if Kate minded sharing the spotlight with Vivian.

Furious and hurt, Kate refused. Philip admitted that Vivian had been good to Melanie, and he was just trying to keep everyone happy. Kate warned that he was being dangerously naïve in allowing Vivian to be part of his life. Philip still wanted Kate to be in the wedding, so because she loved him, she agreed. Philip gratefully kissed his mom and left. Brushing away an angry tear, Kate quietly declared, "I would not have to get along with you, Vivian, if you weren't here."

When Hope accidentally bumped into Vivian on the pier, it sent Vivian's shopping bag flying. As Hope bent to pick it up, she noted Vivian's somewhat overprotective reaction. Vivian confessed that she didn't want anyone to see what was in the bag, because it was a surprise "something borrowed" gift for Melanie. Vivian was excited about the wedding, especially because she had never had a daughter-and Melanie had never had a mother. Hope realized that she'd never heard Melanie talk about her mother. Vivian divulged that Melanie's mother had died when Melanie was very young. As Vivian hurried away to attend to more wedding business, a suspicious Hope wondered aloud, "What in the hell are you up to, Vivian?"

Later, Vivian met a man on the pier. She gave the bag to him and asked, "Can you do it?" The man assured her that he could do it by later that day, much earlier than her deadline of Valentine's Day.

Vivian was pleased when the man returned the shopping bag to her a short time later. As she exclaimed over the festively wrapped gift inside, the man warned her, "You must handle the contents with the utmost caution. This is exceedingly lethal." Vivian replied gleefully, "I'm counting on it."

Vivian returned to the Kiriakis mansion with Melanie's wedding dress, fresh from the dry cleaner. Melanie hugged her gratefully, and apologized for having been cold in the face of Vivian's kindness. Vivian understood that Melanie was only being cautious. She then showed Melanie the "something old" wedding gift, but with eyes twinkling mischievously, Vivian declared that the contents were a surprise. Melanie worried that if it were jewelry, she might need to coordinate it with her wedding dress. "If you're so eager, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't open it," Vivian conceded. "Let's just open it and get it over with."

Bo returned home and found Carly's clothing slashed to shreds and strewn about the living room. He immediately suspected that Vivian had done it, and, terrified, he ran through the house, shouting for Ciara. When Ciara ran out from the kitchen, he rushed to her, and scooped her up in relieved hug-then he spied the scissors in her hand.

Bo sat his little girl down on the couch and explained that Carly was moving back in, but assured her that he and Hope would always listen if Ciara were upset or angry. He urged Ciara to give Carly a chance. "No," Ciara replied. "I hate her. I hate her!" Bo gently asked if Ciara had ruined Carly's clothes. The girl nodded, but refused to discuss it further, and stomped upstairs to her room.

Hope was stunned when she arrived and saw Carly's mangled clothing-and horrified when Bo informed her that Ciara had done it. But the news that Bo had asked Carly to move back in-without first telling Ciara-infuriated Hope, and she heatedly reminded Bo of everything their daughter had been through. "How could you do it?" she demanded in disbelief.

Hope suspected that Ciara's acting out was a cry for attention. After assuring her that they both wanted the same thing, Bo cautioned her not to use Ciara as leverage against Carly. Hope agreed with Bo that they shouldn't reward Ciara for her bad behavior-but after he'd moved a murderer into his house, Hope didn't think their daughter should visit Bo there anymore.

Biting back his anger, Bo reminded Hope that they had agreed he could see Ciara whenever he wanted. Carly arrived, but hung back before entering, and heard Hope say, "That was then; this is now. With the way things are now, the choices that you're making..." She paused, then concluded, shakily but firmly, "I'm not sure that you should see your daughter anymore."

Bo couldn't believe that Hope wanted to keep Ciara away from him. Carly had overheard their conversation, burst into the room, and demanded to know why Hope would take Ciara away from Bo. Hope asked Carly why she thought that Hope was doing it. Hope thought that Ciara had been through enough trauma, especially after the kidnapping. Hope accused Bo of being selfish. Carly thought that Hope was being unfair. She told Hope not to take her anger out on Ciara.

Bo said that Ciara would never have done something like cutting up Carly's clothes before. "Before what?" Hope asked. She realized that Bo thought that Hope had badmouthed Carly to Ciara. Hope denied it. Ciara heard them fighting and asked them to stop. Hope tried to downplay her argument with Bo to Ciara. Hope said that she and Ciara had to leave, and Ciara assumed it was because Bo was mad at her, but Bo said that he could never be mad at her.

Bo was fuming after Ciara and Hope left. He couldn't understand why Hope was trying to keep him from seeing his daughter. Carly felt guilty and started to pack. Bo said that he didn't want Carly to leave, because he had lost enough and he wasn't about to lose Carly too. Carly decided to stay, and Bo thanked her. Carly decided not to go to Melanie's wedding, because it would be too risky.

Hope took Ciara to the Java Café where they saw Justin. Hope watched Justin bond with Ciara and thought to herself about how wrong the situation was.

Kate stopped by unannounced at Maggie's house just as Maggie was getting ready for bed. Kate said she wanted to warn Melanie about Vivian. Kate said that Vivian was a dangerous woman. Maggie told Kate that Melanie was at the Kiriakis mansion with Vivian. Kate left to go see Melanie.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Vivian gave Melanie a gift to be the "something old" for Melanie's wedding day. Melanie asked what it was, and Vivian encouraged her to open the gift and "get it over with." Melanie thought that Vivian was hinting that the gift was a bad thing, but Vivian insisted it was good. She imagined giving Melanie a tiara with poisoned tips and Carly watching Melanie die. Vivian changed her mind and wanted to wait until the wedding to let Melanie open it.

Melanie was anxious to find out what the gift was and asked for a hint. Vivian said it was something that Melanie "would absolutely die for." Kate arrived and overheard Vivian talking to Melanie. Kate wanted to know what Vivian meant when she mentioned making sacrifices for love. Vivian said she was referring to Melanie's wedding to Philip. Melanie didn't want to get in the middle of Kate and Vivian's argument, and on the way out she tried to pick up the gift that Vivian got for her, but Vivian reminded Melanie to wait until her wedding date.

Vivian and Kate bickered some more, and when Vivian went to answer the phone, she ordered Kate to leave before Vivian had her thrown out. On her way out the door, Kate stole the gift that Vivian had intended for Melanie. Vivian was glad that Kate was gone, and she told Gus that she wanted to give Melanie her gift on her wedding day. Vivian noticed the gift was missing and realized that Kate must have taken it.

Kate tried to guess what Vivian's gift to Melanie was. She started to throw it away, but then she got curious about what was in the box.

Melanie went home to Maggie's house, and Melanie asked Maggie to stand in as the mother of the bride. Maggie said she would. Melanie was excited, but couldn't wait until the wedding was over so that she could move on with her life.

Sami took Johnny to the DiMera mansion to spend time with E.J. Sami noticed a brochure for a pirate adventure tour and questioned E.J. about it. E.J. said that he planned to take Johnny on the tour, because E.J. needed a distraction from the stress of Sydney's kidnapping. Sami didn't understand why he wanted to go away while Sydney was still missing. E.J. said that they would find Sydney.

Anna stopped by Sami's place to say hi. To Anna's chagrin, Sami wasn't home, so Anna decided to leave her a note. Rafe caught Anna lurking outside Sami's door and questioned her. First Anna said that it wasn't any of his business who she was, but Rafe wouldn't let her leave without answering his questions. Then Anna said that it wasn't her idea. Rafe demanded to know what wasn't her idea. Before she could answer, Sami returned home and asked what was going on. Sami introduced Anna to Rafe.

Rafe told Anna to explain why she was there to see Sami. Anna said that she wanted to say hello to Sami because Anna was in town "for two seconds on business." Anna tried to excuse herself and leave, but Sami insisted that Anna stay for a visit so that they could catch up. Sami asked why Rafe was there, and he said he wanted to pack up the rest of his things.

After he left the room, Anna asked how the rest of Sami's kids were. Sami said she tried to keep her kids away from the stress of Sydney being gone. Sami vented to Anna about her worries about the kidnapping. Sami asked Anna if she had spent time with Sydney while Anna lived at the DiMera mansion. Anna claimed that she had traveled a lot at that time and didn't spend much time with Sydney.

Sami worried whether Sydney was being treated well by whoever had kidnapped her. Anna said that Sydney was being well taken care of. Sami asked how Anna knew that, and Anna covered by saying, "Who could harm such a beautiful little girl?" Anna encouraged Sami to "stay strong" and she would get Sydney back "some day."

After Anna left, Rafe pointed out that Anna seemed "jumpy" to him, but Sami said that was just how Anna was. He noted that Anna and Sami seemed close, but she said that they weren't. Rafe said that he thought about Sydney all the time, and he vowed that they would get Sydney back, then he left with his belongings.

When Anna returned to the cabin with Sydney, she felt conflicted about helping E.J. keep Sydney from Sami. Meanwhile, Meanwhile, Rafe went to the DiMera mansion to question E.J. about Anna

When Brady stopped by the townhouse, he was surprised to learn that Anna had visited Sami earlier. Sami confided that Anna's behavior had struck her as odd, because Anna had gotten really upset while Sami was talking about Sydney. Brady didn't think it was strange for Anna to be sympathetic to what Sami was going through.

Sami regretted that her kids wouldn't get to experience the kind of closeness that Sami, Eric, Carrie, and Brady had, because Sydney was missing. Noting Sami's somewhat pessimistic attitude after having stayed hopeful for so long, Brady asked if it was because she and Rafe had broken up. Sami confessed that it was, but it was better for her sanity if Rafe stayed away.

After Brady left, Sami remembered the joy of holding Sydney in her arms for the first time after Rafe had uncovered the truth, and how grateful she had been to him. She sighed determinedly, grabbed her keys and coat, and hurried out.

At the cabin, Anna fretted to Sydney about how much Sami was suffering because she missed her daughter. Anna also worried that Rafe would figure things out. "Which is why I can't do this anymore," she declared anxiously. "I have to make it right." Anna then called Carrie to tell her that she'd been to visit Sami. After Anna hung up, she announced that she had to tell E.J. what had happened, despite how much it would anger him, but she couldn't bring herself to make the call.

E.J. was at the DiMera mansion when Rafe arrived. Rafe had just talked to E.J.'s sister-in-law, Anna DiMera, at Sami's, and wanted to ask E.J. some questions. Trying to cover his shock and remain casual, E.J. demanded to know what Anna had said. Rafe immediately noted that E.J. seemed nervous, and pointed out that Anna had been somewhat of an enemy to the DiMeras-and as the kidnapping was likely DiMera-related, maybe Anna knew more than she realized.

E.J. dismissed Rafe's investigation of Anna as a waste of time, and asserted that the FBI shouldn't harass a recently widowed woman who was still in mourning. Rafe was irked when he realized that E.J. knew that Anna was in town and had even been in contact with her. "Look, Rafe, Anna DiMera had nothing to do with Sydney's disappearance," E.J. declared. "Did I say she did?" retorted a suspicious Rafe. E.J. believed that Rafe was trying to ingratiate himself back into Samantha's life-but she didn't want to be with Rafe anymore, and never would.

Just as E.J. began disparaging Rafe's investigation of the kidnapping, Sami arrived and demanded to know what they were fighting about. "Rafe was just telling me his brilliant new theory about how Anna DiMera has kidnapped Sydney," E.J. stated mockingly. The two men began to argue again, and E.J. ordered Rafe to leave.

After Rafe escorted Sami out, E.J. called Anna. "I don't know what you think you are doing," E.J. declared, "but you are going to be very, very sorry." An uneasy Anna insisted that she could explain. "Oh, you'll explain," E.J. replied coldly. "You're going to explain to my face." He snapped his phone shut.

When E.J. arrived at the cabin, Anna explained that Roman had trapped her into a lie and practically forced her to visit Sami. She admitted that it had been wrong not to tell E.J. about it, and vowed that it would never happen again. E.J. icily informed Anna that because they had been compromised, she had five minutes to pack her things and get out. Anna indignantly maintained that E.J. couldn't throw her out, because he still owed her money. E.J. began dialing his bodyguard to look after Sydney, and told Anna that it wasn't her decision. "Actually, E.J.," Anna declared, her jaw clenched. "That's where you're dead wrong."

As Rafe returned with Sami to the townhouse, Sami asserted that E.J. was right that investigating Anna was a dead end. Rafe hotly insisted that he was merely being thorough. He wondered whether Sami believed as E.J. did, that Rafe was grasping at straws because he wanted Sami back. "Are you?" Sami asked softly. "Do you?" Rafe replied simply, "No. And yes." He added somewhat irritably that he had to check Anna out because it was what made sense.

"The part about wanting you back..." Rafe began more calmly. "Maybe you look at me right now and you can't stand the sight of me. And maybe you make me pretty mad, too, sometimes. But the fact of the matter is that I love you and I always will and nothing will change that." He tried to leave, but Sami blocked his way. "I love you too," she whispered earnestly, then grabbed him by the lapels and kissed him.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Vivian was furious because Kate had purloined the toxic wedding gift Vivian intended to give to Melanie. After cursing Kate to Gus, Vivian realized that she had to get the box back immediately.

Kate was down on the pier, contemplating the brightly wrapped gift, when Melanie arrived. Startled, Kate tried to claim that the box was for Allie's birthday. Melanie knew that it was the gift to her from Vivian, and challenged Kate. Kate insisted that she and Vivian had called a truce, because they both loved Philip, and Kate had chipped in so that the gift could be from both of them.

A dubious Melanie asked what the gift was, so Kate told her to open it and find out. As Melanie was about to lift the lid, Vivian rushed up, shouting, "Stop! Don't open that!" She snatched the box away from Melanie, who demanded to know what was going on. Vivian complained, "This harpy, this cross that Philip has to bear, stole this from my home like a jackal in the night!" Melanie accusingly reminded Kate, "You told me that you two patched things up."

When Kate and Vivian began to bicker, Melanie hastily retreated up the stairs. "What is in that box?" Kate hissed. "Why were you so afraid to let her open that, Vivian?" Vivian retorted that Kate was a fool, and wondered what Victor and Philip would think about Kate's larceny. Kate asserted that Vivian's embryo theft was a far more egregious crime. "Oh, Kate, this was never about you," Vivian countered cheerfully. "But the collateral damage is quite satisfying."

"Collateral damage? What the hell are you talking about?" demanded a puzzled Kate. Gus arrived just then, to Vivian's relief. Vivian advised Kate, "I suggest you go to Philip and put a positive spin on this fiasco, before he rescinds your wedding invitation." Kate spat that it would be Vivian who was uninvited once Kate found out what Vivian was up to.

After Kate stormed off, Gus agreed with Vivian that it would have been a catastrophe if Kate had opened the gift in front of Melanie. Vivian was just glad that their plans for Carly hadn't been ruined, and that Melanie would receive the gift on her wedding day. As they hurried away, Kate emerged from her hiding place beside the stairs.

Vivian returned to the Kiriakis mansion with Melanie's gift. "My precious, deadly little gift box," she addressed it admiringly. "You won't hurt anyone until the right moment-and then, tragedy."

At the hospital, Carly asked Daniel if, as a favor to her, he could make her work the shift that fell during Melanie and Philip's wedding. Daniel wondered why Carly didn't want to attend the nuptials. When she insisted that she merely didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, he asked why she cared so much about Melanie. Carly pleaded with Daniel to drop it, and he agreed, but added that he hoped things worked out however she wanted them to.

Chloe arrived and greeted Daniel and Carly. After Daniel rushed off to deal with a patient, Carly urged Chloe to consider opening up to Daniel. Carly knew how much pain Chloe was in about her inability to conceive-and how understanding Daniel would be if Chloe shared her feelings with him. Sensing Chloe's discomfort, Carly immediately apologized if she'd overstepped. Chloe maintained that she was no longer sad about the situation, because she knew she and Daniel would have a family someday.

Melanie found Carly at the hospital, and asked why Carly wanted to see her. Carly apologetically explained that she couldn't get off of work for Melanie's wedding, and she felt especially bad because they wouldn't get to see each other during Melanie's extended honeymoon. Carly added that she had gotten a gift for Melanie, a bracelet, which she then fastened around Melanie's wrist.

Touched, Melanie admired the bracelet, but worriedly noted that it looked like a family heirloom. Carly reassured Melanie that it was a recent purchase, so a grinning Melanie thanked her. "I hope you and Philip will be happy, always," Carly stated earnestly. As she watched Melanie leave, Carly whispered, "Goodbye."

As Carly left a message for Bo, informing him that she told Melanie that she couldn't go to the wedding, Kate got off of the elevator and approached Carly cautiously. "And I told her goodbye, which was a lot harder than I expected," Carly continued into the phone with a sigh. "But I'm glad I did it, because you're right-there's no way we can alert Vivian to the truth. Not now, anyway."

Kate stepped forward and said hello to Carly. Carly's eyes narrowed, but she returned the greeting cordially, and asked how she could help Kate. "Actually, it's how we can help each other," Kate replied cryptically. "But first you have to tell me what the connection is between you, Vivian, and Melanie Layton."

Nathan waited for Stephanie at the Brady Pub, and downed a beer while glumly reading Melanie and Philip's wedding announcement in the newspaper. Stephanie arrived and, noting his sour mood, tried to cheer him up by changing the subject to their upcoming ski trip. A phone call, alerting Stephanie to a problem with Melanie's wedding gift, interrupted them, so she offered to pick up some coffees for the two of them on her way back from dealing with it. Nathan agreed to wait there for her.

After Stephanie left the pub, Nathan intentionally poured beer on Melanie's wedding announcement. He then asked the bartender to let Stephanie know he'd gone for a walk, and went outside. As Nathan plopped drunkenly onto the bench, Melanie arrived. Singing The Wedding March, Nathan tossed snow into the air like rice over Melanie's head. When she asked if he were all right, he told her that he wished she weren't marrying Philip.

As they jogged along the water together, Daniel remarked that Brady must be glad that Arianna's undercover assignment was over. Brady asked whether Daniel and Chloe had set a wedding date, and if they planned to have kids. "I know Chloe's always wanted to be a mom," Brady added casually, but worried that he'd said something wrong when Daniel didn't reply. Daniel assured Brady that nothing was wrong, and hedged simply that timing was everything.

At the Java Café, Chloe confessed to Father Matt that she'd allowed Daniel and her friends to think she'd accepted her inability to get pregnant and was considering other options. "But you're not?" Father Matt asked. Chloe confided that after surviving cancer, a disfiguring accident, and a coma, she felt like there was one more miracle left for her. Father Matt reminded her that no matter how deep our faith, God didn't always give us what we wanted. As he left, Chloe thanked him for putting things in perspective.

Sitting alone at the table, Chloe refused to accept what Father Matt had told her, choosing instead to believe that God's plan was for her to have a baby. When Stephanie walked in, Chloe went to the counter to greet her. Stephanie mentioned Philip and Melanie's wedding. Chloe was surprised that it was so soon, and realized she'd confused the dates.

After Stephanie left, Chloe's eyes grew wide, and she looked down at her belly. "Oh, my God, could it be?" she wondered, beaming. "Could I be pregnant?"