Bo returned home to find Carly gone. He checked the laptop for clues to where she had gone. He grabbed his gun and went looking for her.

Carly told Mia that she put her baby first by giving her up so that she could have a better life. Mia felt like Carly understood her even though Mia didn't know Carly. "Sometimes a stranger can understand better than anybody," Carly said. Mia was embarrassed that she had let Carly know her whole life story, but Carly told her not to be, because she hadn't had anyone to talk to in a long time. Bo interrupted their conversation and asked Carly what she was doing there.

Carly apologized for leaving the way she did, but Bo said he wasn't upset about that -- he saw that she had used his computer and knew what she was up to. He reminded her that she faced extradition and the Alamains were after her, as well, so Carly needed to hide. Carly hugged Mia goodbye.

In the park, Vivian called Gus to track down Carly. Gus sent Vivian a picture message, showing Carly and Mia hugging. Vivian told Gus to follow Mia, instead of Carly.

Kate was surprised to see E.J. in the living room. E.J. reminded her that he lived at the DiMera mansion. Kate vented to E.J. that she was worried about Stefano and also about how annoyed she was that Marie had called her, because Sami and Rafe were looking for Sydney. E.J. asked what Kate meant about Rafe and Sami searching for Sydney. Kate said she thought that Chloe could watch Sydney, but no one knew where Chloe was. E.J. demanded to know what Kate had done with Sydney.

E.J. told Kate that he wasn't one of her "lap dog sons," and he wanted to be treated with respect. Kate explained that she gave Sydney to Chloe, and that Sami and E.J. were searching for Sydney. Kate couldn't understand why it was so important to Stefano that Sydney stay in the house. Kate asked why E.J. cared, because he had kicked Nicole and Sydney out, which Kate considered to be a smart move.

Kate realized that E.J. suspected that something was going on. E.J. told her to butt out. Kate asked if he was curious why Stefano tried to have Rafe killed.

Rafe demanded that Chloe hand Sydney over to him. Chloe refused to, saying that she had promised Nicole. Chloe told him that he didn't have a right to be there. "Trust me, you really don't want to be part of this," Rafe said. Chloe demanded to know how Rafe got into her and Daniel's apartment. Rafe told Chloe that Nicole was going down. Chloe wondered what Rafe was referring to. Rafe continued to argue with Chloe when Daniel showed up.

Daniel reminded Rafe that he was supposed to wait, but Rafe was eager to find Sydney. Rafe filled Chloe in on the details of the baby switch, but Chloe refused to believe him. Daniel confirmed to her that Nicole did switch Mia's baby with Sami's, and they had proof. Daniel tried to calm everyone down, but Chloe thought that Rafe was lying, because Nicole knew that something was wrong. Rafe tried to explain to Chloe that Sami was Sydney's birth mother, but Chloe refused to believe it.

Daniel told Chloe that Rafe had a DNA test backing his claim. Chloe thought that maybe there was a mix-up at the hospital, but Rafe assured her that Nicole deliberately switched the babies. Chloe didn't believe him. Chloe realized that it was her fault that Nicole knew about Sami's pregnancy in the first place.

Rafe apologized for scaring Chloe, and he left with Sydney. Chloe was upset, thinking that it was her fault. Chloe told Daniel how she ended up spilling Sami's pregnancy secret to Nicole while Sami was going into witness protection. Daniel tried to make Chloe see that it wasn't her fault. Chloe said that Nicole was just trying to have a family. Daniel said Nicole did that by taking another woman's baby.

Sami returned home when Nicole was trying to leave. Nicole tried to cover, saying that she thought that Sami was going to check on Rafe. Sami said that Nicole had disappeared. Nicole made up some excuse and tried to leave, but Sami stopped her and said Nicole wasn't going anywhere. Nicole knew she was in trouble. Sami confronted Nicole about her lies. "I can practically hear the wheels turning in your head. 'What's going on? What does she know?'" she told Nicole.

Nicole said she just thought that Sami was worried about Rafe. Sami told her that Rafe wasn't dead. "Something that makes me happy and you sad," Sami said. "I know you hate it when your plans go awry, but Rafe didn't die," Sami said. "He did tell me why you wanted to have him killed -- to keep me from hearing the truth," she added.

Nicole said that Sami was wrong. "I have been wrong about a lot of things, and I have been stupid, and naïve doesn't really begin to catch it all, for trusting you," Sami said. Sami couldn't believe that she even thanked Nicole for helping her death with Grace's death. "You sat there. You sat there and watched us grieve, watched everything we went through, and you did nothing!" Sami said. "You invited me. You insisted I attend the christening service, where you gave the name that you picked to my daughter," Sami yelled, knocking things over in anger. Sami threatened to make Nicole's life "a living hell."

Sami told Nicole that Rafe had told her everything. Nicole tried to convince Sami that Rafe was just against Nicole and hated their friendship. Sami said that he hated that she was cozying up to the woman who stole Sami's baby. Nicole brought up Grace in her attempt to defend herself, but Sami threatened to kill Nicole if she said Grace's name. Nicole said that the DNA tests were wrong, and Sami ordered Nicole to tell Sami where her daughter was or Sami would make Nicole tell her.

Sami knew that Nicole had returned to get the money that Sami had planned to give her. Sami realized that Stefano had forced Nicole to return to Salem with Sydney, because he knew that Sydney was Sami's child. Sami knew that Dr. Baker had helped Nicole, and she called Nicole a "cold-hearted bitch." Sami said that she was thankful that Sydney didn't have to grow up thinking that Nicole was her mother.

Nicole tried to convince Sami that Sami was in pain because of Grace's death and blamed Nicole for all the bad things that had happened to Sami. Sami warned Nicole again that if she said Grace's name, Sami would not stop herself from killing Nicole. Nicole tried to leave, but Sami stopped her and tried to call the police, but Nicole grabbed the phone from Sami and threw it.

Sami refused to let Nicole leave. She vowed that Nicole would end up alone and miserable, and wondered what E.J. would think when he found out that his and Sami's child was still alive. Sami said that she planned to take Sydney back. Nicole objected, and Sami slapped her. Sami ordered Nicole to admit that Sydney was Sami and E.J.'s daughter, but Nicole refused, so Sami slapped her again. Nicole finally admitted the truth.

Nicole told Sami that she had related to what Sami went through when Grace died. Nicole explained her motive in Sydney's kidnapping. She said that Sami had Grace, and E.J. had his daughter, and she thought that everyone could be happy. Nicole said that having children was easy for Sami -- Sami didn't even want kids and yet she got them. Nicole thought it wasn't fair that Sami didn't even tell E.J. about his baby, while at the same time Nicole wanted another child. "So you thought I had so many that I wouldn't miss one?" Sami yelled.

Arianna kissed Brady. Troy called, and she wanted to get it. Brady told her to let the call go to voicemail. Then he changed his mind and said he had to leave anyway. Brady planned to go to Victor to get information on "the scum of the earth." Arianna was worried that Victor would find out that she was working undercover, but Brady assured her that Victor would never know. Brady thought that one of Victor's associates might know something. Brady asked if she trusted him, and she said she trusted him with her life. Brady told her that one day their biggest problem would be what movie to go see and where to go for lunch.

When Brady returned home, Victor gave Brady a hard time about getting involved with Arianna. He said the last thing that Brady needed was to make "sweet music" with a drug dealer. Brady asked how Victor knew that Arianna was a dealer, but Victor refused to answer. Brady said that he knew Arianna was a drug dealer, but Brady planned to convince Arianna to stop. Victor thought that Brady was naïve to think that Arianna would give up drug-dealing. Victor vowed not to let Arianna hurt Brady.

Arianna saw Rafe at the Brady Pub with Sydney. He was looking for Sami. Arianna asked if Nicole admitted to switching babies. He said that Nicole hadn't admitted it yet, but she was "toast." Rafe tried to reach Sami on the phone and left a message telling her where he was. He told Arianna that Sami knew the truth about Sydney and Grace. Rafe told Arianna to inform Sami that he was taking Sydney back to Sami's place. Arianna wanted to call the police, but he told her not to, because he wanted Sami to have private time with Sydney.

Brady told Arianna that Victor wasn't in the mood to talk, and he shut Brady down completely. Arianna was relieved, because she didn't want Victor to be a part of her undercover operation. Brady searched through Victor's deleted files for leads. He stumbled upon deleted shipping orders, but they were in code. Brady pledged to find out what was going on if that was "the last thing" he did.

When Carly and Bo returned home, Carly suggested that Bo harass Chad for calling Mia a "slut." Carly said that if she didn't do what she was in town for, she might never get the chance. Carly was restless and hated being dependent on Bo. He tried to calm her down, but she said that she had nightmares about stabbing Lawrence.

Carly said there was a moment after she stabbed him that he knew that he was dying and that she was the one who did it. Carly was distraught that she killed someone despite being a doctor. Bo tried to reassure her that she did it because she had to. Bo got a call about Lawrence.

At the Java Café, Mia dropped a mug, and it broke. When she tried to pick up the pieces, Vivian grabbed her hand and offered to help. Vivian asked if someone had upset her, but Mia didn't want to talk about it. Vivian asked whether the person that Mia had been talking to was a stranger. Mia went to fill Vivian's order, so Vivian called Gus, vowing that Carly wouldn't be able to run and hide.

Chloe stopped by the DiMera mansion to see E.J. and tell him about what Nicole had done. Kate tried to eavesdrop on their conversation, so E.J. shut the living room door. Chloe urged E.J. to talk to Sami and Nicole.

Nicole tried to justify what she'd done. Nicole refused to tell Sami where Sydney was. She vowed to never give Sydney to Sami. Nicole said that Sami had held Sydney and didn't know that Sydney was Sami's, because Sami didn't really want Sydney. Nicole said that Sami only wanted Sydney because Sydney was Sami's property. Nicole backed up and grabbed a glass paperweight to hit Sami with. Rafe walked in holding Sydney, and Nicole dropped the paperweight on the floor.

At the DiMera mansion, Chloe urged E.J. to talk to Nicole and Sami at Sami's apartment, but she would not say why. "The sooner you get there, the sooner you'll understand," Chloe said before running out of the house.

With anger burning in her eyes, Sami blocked the doorway of her apartment, barring Nicole from leaving. Backed into a corner, Nicole yelled at Sami that she was Sydney's mother and would not let Sami take the girl away simply because she was Sami's "property." "I will not let you stop me," Nicole bellowed as she grabbed a heavy glass decoration and made a motion as if she were prepared to hit Sami with it.

As the argument grew to a feverish pitch, Rafe walked in the front door with Sydney in his arms. Both women fell silent, and Nicole dropped the glass object to the floor. Nicole asked Rafe to give her "her baby," but Rafe corrected her and said Sydney was Sami's. Rafe gently handed Sydney to Sami, who wept tears of joy. Overwhelmed, Nicole cried in the corner of the room as she watched Sydney coo in Sami's arms.

"My beautiful little girl," Sami whispered. "She's mine," Nicole cried out and reached out to Sydney. Rafe stepped in front of Nicole and gently pushed Nicole away. Nicole begged Rafe to let her have her daughter, but Rafe quietly urged her to give up the fight. "I'm her mommy," Nicole countered, barely able to speak through her grief.

As Sami quietly held Sydney, a emotionally broken Nicole ran out of the apartment and straight into the arms of E.J. as he strode down the hallway. E.J. asked Nicole to tell him what was wrong, but Nicole could only shake her head and weep. Rafe walked into the hallway and said, "Go on and tell him. Or would you rather Sami do it? Maybe the cops should fill him in?" Scared, Nicole ran down the hall with E.J. in pursuit.

Rafe went back inside the apartment and sat on the couch with Sami. "You're back where you belong. I can tell you're happy," Sami said to Sydney. Sami confided in Rafe that she had always felt a warm feeling whenever she was around Sydney. Noting the sad expression on Rafe's face, Sami asked whether he was thinking of Grace. "It actually makes me feel closer to her," Rafe said. Rafe explained that he felt like Grace played some part in reuniting Sydney with Sami.

"It's because of you that I am holding my daughter in my arms right now," Sami said, noting that she could have lost her daughter forever if not for Rafe's help. Sami apologized for not trusting Rafe, and thanked him for not giving up on investigating Nicole. Rafe explained that he was happy to take away some of Sami's pain, and that he felt like a family again. "I love you, Sami," Rafe said as he pulled Sami and Sydney into his arms.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Hope and Ciara were coloring when Ciara demanded to return home. "Why can't we stay with daddy?" Ciara asked. Hope explained that even though they were living apart from Bo that they were still a family. Hugging her daughter tightly, Hope assured Ciara that everything was going to be okay.

At the police station, Justin looked over a fax and shook his head. "I don't get it. Why would you lie to us, Carly?" Justin said. After receiving a quick phone call from Justin, Bo arrived at the station with Carly in tow. With a smile on his face, Justin announced that Carly was not going to be deported, since someone had stepped forward and confessed to killing Lawrence.

Confused, Carly told Bo that she was the one that had killed Lawrence and no one else. After thinking about it for a moment, Bo theorized that someone was playing mind games with Carly and doing this to "toy with her life."

In the Java Café, Gus told Vivian that her plan to have another person confess to Lawrence's murder was complete. Unsure of Vivian's reasons for letting Carly get away with murdering her nephew, Gus asked her why. Vivian explained that she wanted to be the one to punish Carly.

At the Brady Pub, Mia cautiously walked up to Will and said hello. Will politely greeted her and asked about the paternity results. Mia told Will that Chad was not Sydney's father. "That's what you wanted the whole time, right?" Will said. Before Mia could say anything else, Will said that he needed to study. Nodding, Mia rushed outside.

In front of the Brady Pub, Mia ran into Maggie. When Mia told Maggie that Will hated her, Maggie assured Mia that Will was upset because there was a lot of information about her that he did not know. Maggie encouraged Mia to remember that she had done everything she could to protect her daughter. When Mia still looked unhappy, Maggie urged Mia to tell her the whole story. Mia admitted that there was more to the story but that she had promised Nicole that she would not talk to anyone about it. With tears welling in her eyes, Mia ran off down the sidewalk.

Back at Bo's house, Carly announced that she was going to pack her things and leave Bo's house. Bo urged Carly to realize that someone was attempting to flush her out and grab her. When Bo ordered Carly to stay, Carly told Bo that she would stay if he would take the time to repair his relationship with Hope.

Justin arrived home at the Kiriakis mansion and informed Hope that Carly was cleared of murder charges. Hope noted that under the mysterious circumstances of the murder confession that Bo would be worried about Carly and want to continue to protect her. Annoyed, Hope added that Bo had not told her about the news yet and that she was worried that Bo had chosen Carly over her.

Unsure, Justin told Hope that she was losing perspective. Hope argued that because Bo failed to call her with the news about Carly, it was evidence that things were not okay between them. Worried, Hope wondered aloud whether her marriage was ending. Scared, Hope hugged Justin as Bo watched from the doorway. "You have me and you always will," Justin assured her.

While Carly typed on the computer in the living room of Bo's house, there was a knock at the front door. Thinking it was the guard, Carly opened the front door to find Vivian instead. "Long time no see," purred Vivian.

Down on the docks, E.J. caught up to Nicole and grabbed her. Nicole struggled to get away, but E.J. demanded to know what was going on. "I'm being punished over and over again. And I've lost everything I've ever loved when all I was trying to do was to give you what was rightfully yours," Nicole cried out as she sank to her knees.

"What is rightfully mine?" E.J. asked. "Your daughter," Nicole whispered. Overcome with tears, Nicole clutched on to E.J. and pulled him close. Softly stroking her hair, E.J. told Nicole that although she was grieving, he did not want her to lie and say the child was his. Nicole told E.J. that she was not lying and that when he learned the truth, she hoped he would "see that I did the right thing."

"What are you talking about? You never do the right thing," E.J. said. Wiping away tears, Nicole told him that she was reuniting him, "with the daughter that Sami was never going to let you keep." Nicole admitted that she took Sami's daughter and gave her to E.J. Confused, E.J. reminded Nicole that Grace was dead. Nicole explained that Sydney was the daughter that Sami gave birth to and not Grace.

E.J. resisted believing Nicole, but Nicole explained that Sami also gave birth at the clinic that night. Angry, E.J. demanded to know all the details of the night of Sydney's birth. Nicole told E.J. that she learned from Chloe that Sami was pregnant and where she was hiding. Nicole continued that when she went to the convent to confront Sami that she heard her praying aloud that she would never tell E.J. about the baby.

Nicole explained the rest of her plan and how she switched the babies. "I knew it would all be worth it in the end because you would have your child," Nicole pleaded. "The child that Sami was gonna keep from you. I did this for you," Nicole said as she reached out to E.J. "You did this for me? You're gonna pay for what you have done," E.J. growled.

As police sirens filled the air, E.J. looked down at his wedding ring and noted that he must have held on to his ring out of "misguided loyalty." After flinging his ring into the river, E.J. turned on Nicole, grabbed her arm, and demanded to know where Sydney was. Nicole begged E.J. to let go of her arm so that she could run, but E.J.'s grip only grew tighter.

Crying out, Nicole admitted that Sydney was with Sami. "Your precious Samantha. The same Samantha who is always gonna keep you from your child and never let you have anything to do with her. The same Sami who will always want to be with Rafe and not you. That Samantha," Nicole screamed. As a hysterical Nicole grabbed her head and cried out about what could have been, the police arrived and handcuffed her.

After learning from the police that Nicole was being arrested down on the docks, Rafe and Sami arrived with Sydney. Stunned to see Sydney since he knew she was his real daughter, E.J. started to rush toward Sami, then stopped and turned to look at Nicole weeping.

Inside the Brady Pub, Chloe asked Will for Lucas' phone number at the rehab clinic. When Will objected, Chloe explained that she and Lucas shared a secret about Sami and that she needed to talk to him about it. When Will refused to give Chloe the phone number, Chloe changed her mind and said that she did not want to burden Lucas. Chloe told Will that the news was good and that he should find his mother.

After Will left, Chloe called Nicole's cell phone and left a voicemail message telling her how hurt she was by Nicole's lies. "It was one thing to think that you'd adopted a baby and pretended like it was yours and E.J.'s, but now to find out that the baby that you were trying to pass off as your own is Sami's, that Sydney is Sami's baby and not Mia's," Chloe said.

"Sami's baby?" Mia asked worriedly as she walked up behind Chloe. Mia pressed Chloe to tell her what was going on. As Maggie walked into the pub, Mia demanded to know why Chloe said that Sydney was Sami's baby. "Where is my baby, Chloe? Where is she?" Mia asked. Uneasy, Chloe remained silent. Maggie intervened and asked Chloe to tell Mia what was going on. "Tell her it isn't true, Chloe," Maggie said. Caught, Chloe turned and looked at Mia silently.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Hope was worried about her marriage, and how Bo's protection of Carly might damage it even further. Justin reassured Hope that she wasn't alone, and Bo walked in just as the two of them were embracing. A resentful Bo expressed his displeasure, but Hope accused him of overreacting. Justin excused himself, but on his way out, warned Bo, "You're acting like a complete jerk!"

Hope concurred, which rankled Bo. He lashed out irritably about how hard it was not to be suspicious of Justin's motives, but Hope shushed him lest Ciara hear them arguing. Bo then tried to tell Hope that Carly had been exonerated. Hope interrupted and informed him that Justin had already told her. They agreed that it was good news, although Bo wondered how Justin had managed to break the news in such a way that he had to console Hope afterward.

Hope pointed out, "When it comes to Carly, when it comes to the Alamains, things aren't always what they seem to be. This could be a setup. Carly's going to need you-now more than ever." She asked if Bo would share Carly's secret, but he asserted that it wasn't his secret to tell, which irked Hope. Bo reminded her that she had taken Ciara and moved out before Carly had even arrived in town.

"Point taken. Everything's my fault," Hope replied sarcastically. Exasperated, Bo contended that Carly wasn't the problem; the problem was that Hope didn't seem to want him to be himself anymore. "You know who I am," he declared. "I haven't changed: I do not coddle kidnappers. And I don't like it when my cousin has his arms wrapped around you all the time." He became even more incensed as he continued, "I get mad, and I say the wrong thing. And I do love my wife and I love my child more than life itself. And if that doesn't work out for you, I'm sorry."

Bo stormed out in frustration just as Justin returned. He offered to go after Bo to apologize, but Hope declined. She then wondered aloud why Carly would confess to a murder she hadn't committed. Hope theorized that Carly really had done it, and the person who had taken the fall was working for someone who wanted to set Carly up.

A process server arrived with divorce papers for Justin. Hope asked if he'd been expecting them. "I knew that our problems were serious," Justin replied with a sigh. "But I thought she would at least wait until we could talk about it face-to-face." Hope sympathized. Justin started talking about hiring a divorce attorney, but stopped himself. "I'm not ready to go into lawyer mode," he said. "And I can't pretend that this doesn't really hurt." Placing her hand on his shoulder comfortingly, Hope reassured him that he didn't have to pretend with her.

Vivian stood on the doorstep of Bo and Hope's house, holding a flowering plant, ostensibly a sympathy gift for Carly. Vivian wanted the two them to share their grief over Lawrence's death, but Carly ordered her to go away. "We have so much to say to each other," Vivian insisted, pushing past her into the house. "We'll remember Lawrence, and then we'll laugh, and we'll cry...and then we'll talk about how he died."

After a brief once-over, Vivian made a disparaging comment about the décor, and Carly retorted dryly that "really, really old" age hadn't mellowed Vivian a bit. Vivian apologized with mock-sincerity for trying to have Carly killed years earlier. As the two women continued to exchange pointed barbs, Vivian seemed delighted to hear that Hope had moved out and was living at Victor's. Carly maintained that she was only staying with Bo because Vivian's people were trying to have her killed.

Vivian and Carly's venomous banter continued until Bo arrived, livid that Vivian had gotten past his security. Vivian just chirped that they all simply must catch up while she was in town, and left, blowing insincere kisses. Bo and Carly watched from the doorway as Vivian left; they agreed that the "dragon lady" had surely returned to town to exact revenge.

Bo warned Carly that Vivian didn't make idle threats, and urged Carly to get out of town-quickly. "I'm not leaving Salem, not now, not ever," Carly replied firmly. "And you know why."

Gus found Vivian at the Java Café, pouring liquor from a flask into her coffee. She thanked him for distracting the guard, but asserted that thanks to Bo, her plan might be more difficult than she'd thought. Gus asked if Vivian were worried that Carly would leave town. "No, I'm not," Vivian replied confidently, "because I don't think she's gotten what she's come for yet."

At the Brady Pub, an emotional Mia refused to believe that Nicole had switched Sami's baby with Mia's. Maggie tried to comfort Mia, then turned to Chloe, demanding that Chloe tell them it wasn't true. Chloe's grim silence provided the answer. Horrified, Maggie pulled Mia closer as the awful realization hit Mia full force. "No, no, no! Grace can't be my baby!" Mia cried. "She's dead. My baby is dead!" She sobbed inconsolably on Maggie's shoulder.

As Mia grew more upset, so did Maggie. She asked Chloe what had happened. "Nicole took Mia's baby," Chloe replied sadly. "And she switched her with Sami's baby." Maggie took charge, firmly rejecting the idea, and marched off to call Roman and find out the truth.

Mia tearfully told Chloe, "I never understood. When Grace was dying, Nicole made sure I held her. She made sure I said goodbye." Mia concluded that Nicole had done it to ease her guilty conscience. Chloe believed that, in her own warped way, Nicole had probably been trying to do the right thing. Mia couldn't understand why Nicole had switched the babies, so Chloe informed her that Sydney was Sami and E.J.'s baby.

Maggie returned and stated that Roman had confirmed the story. Mia became even more distraught and angry that she had ever trusted Nicole. "I've lost everything and it's my own stupid fault!"

After Chloe had gone, Maggie and Mia sat at a table, and Maggie informed the heartbroken teen that Nicole had been arrested. Mia was furious that she'd lied about her past for Nicole, but Nicole had known all along that she wasn't raising Mia's baby. Mia got up from the table. "There's something that I have to do," she told a concerned Maggie.

On the pier, uniformed officers handcuffed Nicole and read her rights to her, while an angry E.J. warned her to keep silent. Rafe and Sami arrived with Sydney, and once Rafe was satisfied that the situation was under control, he stepped back to let Sami speak to E.J. alone. E.J. gazed at Sydney for a moment with silent wonder and amazement before allowing himself a small, hopeful smile. "That's my daughter," he said softly. "She's our daughter," Sami corrected him lightly. E.J. nodded.

While Nicole watched and wept, E.J. berated himself for not knowing Sydney was his daughter-and for having thrown her out. He gently caressed the baby's head, blaming Nicole for everything, and vowing to make Nicole pay for what she'd done. "Take a look, E.J.," Sami noted sadly, gesturing toward a weeping Nicole. "Nicole is already paying." When E.J. turned, Nicole began to sob even harder.

E.J. held Sydney, continuing to question how Nicole could have known all along that Sydney was his daughter, yet she still allowed him to kick them both out. "Nicole was in too deep," Sami reasoned. "She didn't want you to know that Sydney was mine." E.J. pointed out that Sami and Nicole had both kept him from his children, but Sami argued that it wasn't the right time to talk about that.

Sami told the officers that there was something she needed to do before they took Nicole away. She explained to E.J. that although they hated Nicole and what she'd done, Sydney loved Nicole and deserved to be able to say goodbye. E.J. initially refused, but Sami quietly commanded, "Stop thinking like a DiMera and be her daddy." E.J. handed the child to Sami, conceding gruffly, "You do it." Sami took Sydney from him and asked the officers to remove Nicole's handcuffs.

A grateful Nicole held out her arms for Sydney, and then held her close. She observed that Sydney was cutting a new tooth, and cautioned Sami that the little one might get fussy. "I'll handle it," Sami replied icily, her eyes filling with tears. Nicole earnestly declared to Sami that she had never wanted anyone to get hurt. "Well, Nicole, they kind of did," Sami pronounced. One of the officers stated that it was time to go, so Sami took Sydney back from Nicole. "Mommy loves you," Nicole wailed, her gaze fixed on Sydney, as the cops led her up the stairs. "She always will, Sydney. I'm so sorry!"

Sami kissed Sydney's head reassuringly, although she seemed more upset than the child from Nicole's wails. Rafe, who had watched the entire exchange from afar, asked if Sami were all right. Sami replied that she just wanted to go home-but then E.J. declared that Sydney's home was with him. Before the two of them could become too cross with one another, Rafe urged them to continue putting Sydney's needs first. He suggested that they needed to work out where Sydney was going to live-but the docks weren't the place to do it.

An officer took Nicole to a cell at the police station and locked her inside. Nicole sat forlornly on the bunk, waiting until she could make her one phone call. "Oh, Sydney!" she cried despondently, rocking herself back and forth.

The officer returned and informed Nicole that the public defender had negotiated bail for a single count of baby trafficking. He suggested Nicole hurry and make bail before they added more charges. "Baby trafficking?" a perplexed Nicole exclaimed. "What other charges?" "Word is you've been a very bad girl," the officer replied, then left Nicole alone to use the phone. Not knowing where else to turn, Nicole dialed Chloe.

When Chloe answered, Nicole explained that she'd been arrested and needed Chloe to bail her out. Chloe refused to help. "How could you, Nicole?" she demanded. Nicole pleaded with Chloe, citing their friendship, but Chloe argued that after all the months of lies, she was only Nicole's patsy, not her friend. "You're exactly where you belong," Chloe declared. "With lots of time to think about everything you've done and all the people you've hurt." Stunned and hurt, Nicole insisted she'd only wanted E.J. to raise his child, but Chloe abruptly hung up. Nicole could only stare at the phone in disbelief.

Nicole was relieved when the officer announced later that she had a visitor. Nicole rushed to the bars gratefully, assuming that Chloe had changed her mind. She called out to Chloe-but instead, it was a perturbed Mia who appeared on the other side of the bars.

E.J., Sami, Sydney, and Rafe were soon at the DiMera mansion, where Sami tucked Sydney into her playpen for a nap. E.J. turned to Rafe. "I have a daughter," E.J. stated frankly. "I will forever be grateful to you for that. Thank you." Rafe replied wryly that since E.J. had saved Rafe's life, they were square. Rafe started to leave to allow Sami and E.J. to discuss Sydney's living arrangements in private, but Sami argued that Rafe should stay, since he was a part of her-and her children's-lives. E.J. agreed, pointing out that he was hardly in a position to a judge anyone's choice of life partner.

Sami hoped that they could have a new beginning, and find a way to work things out as a team regarding Johnny and Sydney. E.J. shared a funny story that illustrated how much Johnny was like Sami, adding that he was glad his children had Sami's genes to offset Stefano's. He maintained that he wanted the two of them to raise Sydney and Johnny together, and he really wanted to be involved in Sydney's life. Sami concurred.

Sydney began burbling from her playpen, making noises that sounded almost like "Mama." E.J. recognized that the sound meant Sydney wanted her mother. Sami lifted the child out of her playpen, and Sydney promptly settled down. E.J. was amazed at how quickly Sydney took to Sami. "Maybe she should stay with you tonight," he offered. Sami was grateful.

Just then, a police officer arrived to take E.J. to the station. "We need to have a little chat about that attempt on Mr. Hernandez's life," the cop explained. E.J. argued that he had foiled the attack, but the officer firmly replied, "I have my orders." E.J. immediately assumed that Roman had issued said orders at Sami's bidding. "She stays," he declared angrily, pointing at Sydney. Sami insisted she'd had nothing to do with it, and again, Rafe intervened before an argument could start in earnest. He escorted Sami and Sydney out, promising to call E.J. the next morning as they'd agreed. E.J. shook his head in anger and disbelief.

Arianna and Brady discovered that Victor was involved in the drug trade. Brady thought that Victor was still involved, but Arianna looked at the files closer and realized that Victor had sold the drug operation to someone else.

Nathan stopped by Maggie's house to pick up the rest of his belongings, and Stephanie was there with Maggie planning the hospital's rooftop garden. He suggested that they put a play area next to the garden so that the children in long-term care would have somewhere to play on nice days. After Nathan left, Stephanie remarked on how she admired Nathan more each day, and she worried that he might get hurt.

Melanie stormed into the Kiriakis mansion to chew Philip out for leaving so many messages on her voicemail. She told him to stop leaving messages, texting her, and accidentally running into her. Philip pointed out that she could have said that over the phone but instead decided to say it face-to-face. He asked why that was. He said that she wanted him in her life as much as he wanted her, but Melanie denied it and said that she wanted Philip out of her life, because she was with Nathan.

An officer tried to keep E.J. at the DiMera mansion, but he was hell-bent on leaving. E.J. opened the door, and there was Roman. E.J. announced to Roman that he was on his way to see Sami and get Sydney back, but Roman said E.J. wasn't going anywhere. Roman received a call from the station and told E.J. that the hit man who tried to kill Rafe had changed his story and said that E.J. was the one who hired him. Abe and the district attorney showed up.

E.J. assumed that Sami was behind the police showing up at the house, because it would make her look good in court. The DA asked E.J. if he wanted a lawyer present during questioning, and E.J. reminded the DA that he was an attorney. The DA threatened to handcuff E.J., but Abe tried to defuse the situation. E.J. claimed that it was a set-up so that Sami could get custody of Sydney. The DA told E.J. that his office would notify E.J. if they decided to pursue charges. E.J. told Roman to get a warrant before he returned.

E.J. told Abe that he suspected something was going on, and it had something to do with his family situation. E.J. got a call saying the judge granted his request to speak to his accuser. Abe said he needed to accompany E.J., and he asked if E.J. planned to see Nicole while they were there. "I certainly hope not," E.J. said.

At the jail, E.J. confronted Mateo about his reason for changing his story and fingering E.J. as the one who ordered the hit on Rafe instead of Stefano. When Mateo wouldn't cooperate, E.J. grabbed him, so Abe had to intervene. Abe reminded E.J. that Mateo was a material witness. E.J. told Abe to let Roman know that Roman would be sorry and so would Sami.

At the jail, Nicole tried to convince Mia to help her get out of jail. First, Nicole asked if Mia talked to Sami or E.J., and Mia shook her head. Nicole said that if Mia didn't help Nicole, they could lose their little girl forever, but Mia said that her daughter was already lost. Nicole explained that Sami had Mia's baby, but if Mia and Nicole worked together, they could get her back. She said if it didn't happen soon, they might never get Mia's baby back. Nicole claimed that Sami and E.J. were being vindictive.

Mia told Nicole that Mia's baby was dead, and Mia would never get to see her again, thanks to Nicole. Mia asked how long Nicole had planned to hide the truth from her. Mia confronted Nicole about her lies and said that Nicole took away Mia's chance to mourn Grace as a mother should. Mia said she used to feel awful that Sydney didn't mean that much to Mia while Mia felt a connection with Grace. Nicole tried to explain.

Mia said it was Nicole's fault that Mia lost Will and her self-respect. She said that giving her daughter to Nicole was the worst thing she ever did, and she hated herself for it. Mia called Nicole a "cold, selfish bitch" and she hoped that Nicole would rot in jail. That angered Nicole, so Nicole decided to give Mia a reality check.

Nicole reminded Mia that Mia got pregnant in the backseat of a car and then Chad left town. Nicole said that she was the only family that Mia had, because Mia's real family wasn't there, and Nicole reminded her of the money Nicole had given her to start a new life in Japan. Mia didn't even want to hold her own baby once she was born, Nicole added, and she told Mia to look in the mirror if she didn't like the way that Nicole had handled the situation.

Nicole said she never told Mia about Grace being her baby to spare Mia a loss. Mia pointed out that she felt the loss anyway. Nicole said that she empathized with Mia for losing her baby, because Nicole had miscarried. Nicole felt that she didn't do anything wrong, because she lost E.J.'s baby and then Sydney. Nicole said that she was Sydney's mother no matter what anyone said. Mia said that Nicole was not sorry, and Mia didn't care whether Nicole stayed in jail forever -- she just hoped that Nicole burned in hell for what she did.

At the Brady Pub, Caroline told Victor that he didn't need to send her flowers everyday when she was fighting the flu. He said he was worried about her. She said she was worried about him, too -- specifically about Kate marrying Stefano. Victor said that he and Kate hadn't had a "meaningful relationship in years," and besides, Caroline was the only woman for him.

At the hospital, Melanie told Nathan that she went to see Philip because of the messages he had left on her phone. Nathan already knew about that, because he heard Philip leaving a message. Melanie admitted that she was torn between Nathan and Philip. Nathan vowed that he would fight for her. Stephanie watched as Nathan kissed Melanie.

After Melanie left, Stephanie tried to make conversation with Nathan about the plans for the rooftop garden. When she started to walk away, she almost fell, but Nathan caught her. Nathan tended to Stephanie's foot. She imagined him asking why Stephanie tried to get away from him so fast and whether she was upset with him. She daydreamed saying no and that he was a great guy. She fantasized that he said he never knew that she felt that way about him, and if he had, things might have been different, and she pretended that he kissed her.

Stephanie was shaken out of her daydream by the sound of Nathan's voice. He told her to ice her foot and keep it elevated. Then Stephanie tried to warn Nathan that he was making a big mistake.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady confronted his grandfather over his involvement in a drug operation. Victor asked where Brady got his information, and Brady admitted to accessing Victor's personal files at Titan. Brady accused Victor of being selfish for trying to deflect the blame to Arianna when Victor was her distributor. Brady warned that Victor would end up alone.

Maggie stopped by the Java Café looking for Mia and ran into Philip. She warned Philip not to mess things up with Melanie and Nathan. Philip said that if Maggie was so worried that someone would interfere with Nathan and Melanie, then maybe Melanie wasn't in a good place, after all. Maggie got a phone call from Mickey, which interrupted their conversation.

Brady returned to Arianna's place and said that Victor denied being involved in the drug operation. Arianna felt responsible for Brady's problems with Victor. Brady said it had nothing to do with her, because he and his grandfather had been at odds for years. Brady vowed to find out who was behind the drug cartel. Brady turned his phone on and got a message saying that Nicole had been arrested.

Nicole worried that she might never get out of prison, and she realized that it might be what she deserved. Brady showed up and said he was there to help her.

At Maggie's house, a man named Mark paid Melanie a visit. She assumed it was Philip knocking, but when she opened the door, Mark burst in. She tried to explain that she had a different life and couldn't do what she used to do. He said that he traveled "4,000 miles" just to see her and she couldn't say no to him.

E.J. called Stefano and left him a message informing him that Mateo was blaming E.J. for the hit on Rafe. Then E.J. realized that Stefano made Mateo lie. E.J. got angry and told Stefano, "Damn you."

In Maggie's kitchen, Melanie claimed to be flattered that Mark had traveled all the way from Europe to visit her. Mark reminded her that the last time they'd been together, Melanie had left him in the middle of the night. He grabbed her menacingly by the arms, declaring, "You're not getting away from me this time, Melanie, not until I get what I came here for." Melanie broke free, promising with an uncomfortable laugh to pay him back.

Mark gruffly agreed, and took hold of her arm, yanking her toward the front door. Suddenly Philip appeared at the back door, demanding to know what was going on. Mark ordered him to mind his own business or risk being hurt. "Who is this dude?" Philip asked somewhat disparagingly, noting Mark's accent and greasy hair. Melanie made hasty, reluctant introductions. Philip surmised that Mark must be one of Melanie's old friends from "back in the day" in France--and based on the way Mark was manhandling her, she owed him money.

Mark informed Philip that, indeed, Melanie owed him $10,000. Philip was impressed. He took off his watch and handed it to Mark, noting that it was worth about half that amount. While an unconvinced Mark scoffed and inspected the watch, Philip asked, "Tell me something--you ever hear of the Kiriakis family where you come from?" Mark replied that everyone in Europe knew who the Kiriakises were, adding, "Everybody knows those they must respect, or they don't live very long, no?" Philip declared simply, "My name is Philip Kiriakis."

Mark's demeanor instantly changed. He thrust out his hand, proclaiming that it was a pleasure to meet Philip, and tried to return the watch. Philip told him to keep it. "Fifty cents on the dollar ain't bad in a recession, but if you ever bother Miss Layton again..." Mark assured him, "Not to worry, my friend!" Mark kissed Melanie on both cheeks, then embraced Philip, thanked him, and left in a hurry.

Melanie, relieved, expressed her gratitude to Philip, adding, "I owe you." Philip took off his coat and stated that he knew exactly how she could repay him. Melanie replied sarcastically that he probably wanted her to kiss his ring and then take him upstairs to the bedroom. Eyes twinkling, Philip only wanted to know how she'd scammed Mark out of $10,000. Melanie chuckled, explaining that she'd told Mark that she could get him an Arabian horse for that price. They agreed that if Mark were that gullible, he deserved to be conned. "I've got to wonder, though," Philip noted seriously. "How many other Marks are out there, waiting to get even?"

At the hospital, as Nathan finished wrapping Stephanie's ankle, she fantasized about kissing him. She snapped her out of her reverie, and Nathan instructed her to keep ice on her ankle while she was at her desk. When he started to leave, Stephanie blurted that he was making a big mistake. Nathan asked what he meant, and she covered, claiming that he'd simply wrapped her ankle too tightly. Nathan agreeably began rewrapping it, but wanted to know what Stephanie had really meant.

Stephanie insisted that she was just having one of those days, and everything was fine with the two of them. Nathan had to leave, but promised that they would talk soon. Stephanie overheard a phone call at the nurses' station and asked what was going on. A nurse informed her that there had been a bus accident, and their department needed to send a doctor down to the emergency room. When the nurse said that it would be "an all-nighter," Stephanie piped up that Dr. Horton was still in the hospital. The nurse immediately paged Nathan.

Stephanie commiserated with Nathan when he returned to the floor for a cup of coffee later. Nathan was disappointed that the long night would mean he'd have to cancel his date with Melanie, and left to call her. "I hated doing that; I really did," Stephanie said to herself. "But Melanie just doesn't deserve Nathan."

Melanie was sorry to hear that Nathan would be stuck at the hospital all night, but knew that she would have to get used to it if she wanted to date a doctor. Nathan thanked her for understanding.

Nathan was surprised to find Stephanie still at the nurses' station later. She stated that she'd wanted to hang around in case she could help out in some way. "What you're doing, Stephanie, is a really nice thing," Nathan remarked, thanking her on his way back to the emergency room.

After Melanie hung up, Philip wondered what Nathan would think about all the scams she'd pulled in Europe. Melanie hinted that she didn't want Nathan to know. Philip asked, "What do you care what anyone thinks, including Nathan Horton?" Melanie replied that she cared about Nathan. "You want to keep telling yourself that, go ahead," Philip said with a shrug. "But things would be working out a lot better for you if you'd just be honest with yourself." Melanie shook her head, but soon found herself kissing Philip, anyway, despite her objections.

At the Brady Pub, Rafe informed Arianna that he'd found Sydney and returned her to Sami, and Nicole had been arrested. An ecstatic Arianna ran out from behind the bar and hugged her brother proudly. Rafe continued that Caroline and Roman were with Sami and Sydney, so he'd left the townhouse to give them all some space. Arianna gushed about what a hero Rafe was, but he shrugged it off. While they chatted, someone eavesdropped from behind the pages of the Salem Spectator .

Rafe wondered why the DiMeras would want to kill him, when he was trying to prove that E.J. was Sydney's father, thereby returning her to the family. Rafe then announced that he was headed back to Sami's. On his way out, he walked right up to the mystery person and yanked down the newspaper. He and Arianna were stunned to see their little sister, Gabriella. "Gabi, what the hell are you doing?" Rafe demanded. "Mom told me to come," Gabi replied with a shrug. "She was worried about you guys."

Gabi explained that the family was worried because neither of her siblings had called home in a long time. Rafe and Arianna asked why Gabi wasn't in school. Gabi retorted that she was on winter break--and besides, she hadn't been the one who'd been in prison for drugs, like Arianna. Rafe chided her, and Arianna acknowledged that she'd let everyone down, so Gabi apologized. Rafe promised that he and Arianna would call their mom the next morning, and go home for a visit soon.

Gabi was happy to hear it, but couldn't return home yet, because their mom was spending Thanksgiving with their grandmother. Arianna reacted badly to the news that Gabi was sticking around for a few days, so Rafe pulled Arianna aside. Arianna pointed out that her room was too small for Gabi to stay with her, and Gabi surely couldn't stay at Sami's townhouse. Rafe countered that there was a vacant room down the hall from Arianna's, and wondered why she was so reluctant to have their little sister spend Thanksgiving with them. Arianna conceded that Rafe could ask Caroline if Gabi could use the vacant room.

In the park later, Rafe explained to Gabi that Arianna had a new boyfriend, and that was probably why she hadn't initially been too thrilled about Gabi's visit. Gabi asked, "Does this new boyfriend know she's a jailbird?" Rafe cautioned Gabi that no one could know about that, but Arianna's boyfriend was a nice guy. "I hope so," Gabi replied. "I don't want to see her get hurt again." Rafe concurred.

At the jail, Brady explained to a relieved Nicole that Chloe had sent him a text message, telling him that Nicole had been arrested. Nicole was surprised that Chloe had bothered, but completely floored that Brady seemed to have forgiven her so easily, since everyone else hated her. Brady replied that he understood that everything Nicole had done had been out of love for E.J. and Sydney. Nicole caressed his face with wonder and disbelief. "Why couldn't I have tried to build a life with you?"

When Nicole sadly stated how much she missed Sydney, Brady referenced the paternity test. He assumed the results had shown that Chad was Sydney's father, and that Nicole had been arrested for illegal adoption. Startled that he didn't know the truth, Nicole wanted to know what the cops and Chloe had told Brady. He immediately concluded that there was more going on, but Nicole denied it. Brady asked how he could help Nicole, and she begged him to post bail for her. She became emotional about how lost she was without her daughter, and Brady quickly agreed to post her bail.

Brady returned to the cell later and informed Nicole that she would be free to go as soon as they processed her paperwork. Brady continued that he would arrange for her to stay at a motel out in Graymore, and he would take care of her financially. Nicole was grateful, but cautioned, "When everything comes out, and everyone does hate me, I hope you still understand that anything I did, I did because I loved E.J., and I loved that baby girl." Brady reassured her that he was her friend, and nothing could change that. "You want to bet?" Nicole whispered after he'd gone.

A guard soon released Nicole from the cell, and had her sign for an envelope containing her personal effects. As the guard walked off, Nicole pulled out her wallet and opened it to a picture of Sydney. "I'm going to find my baby and do what has to be done," she vowed.

Brady stopped by the pub to tell Arianna about posting Nicole's bail. "After everything she did?" replied an appalled Arianna. "Are you out of your mind?"

As E.J. returned to the DiMera mansion, he left an angry message for Stefano, accusing Stefano of ordering Mateo to say that E.J., not Stefano, had ordered the hit on Rafe. Suddenly, Stefano appeared in the parlor behind E.J. Stefano admitted that he had returned because he'd learned the police no longer held him accountable for Rafe's attempted murder. E.J. was incredulous that Stefano had let him take the fall, but Stefano assured him that Mateo would continue to change his story about who had hired him, naming different people on a daily basis, until the DiMeras were off the hook.

E.J. pointed out that Samantha could still use the charges against him in a battle for custody of Sydney. Stefano was unconcerned. Citing his position as head of the family business, E.J. asked if Rafe were a threat to it--and if Rafe's life were still in danger. Stefano maintained that Rafe was not a threat. E.J. then informed his father that the day of the hit, Rafe had been carrying DNA evidence that proved that Samantha was Sydney's mother, and E.J. her father. Stefano feigned shock: "Dio mio!"

E.J. filled Stefano in about the baby switch, while Stefano sputtered indignantly about how Nicole should be in prison for such an outrageous deed. E.J. accused Stefano of playing a part in the plot. Stefano replied that it didn't matter as long as Nicole had been arrested, and Sydney would soon return to "la famiglia." E.J. theorized that no one would have ever learned the truth had the hit on Rafe been successful--and that was precisely why Stefano had ordered it, concluding, "That means you knew her secret, and you knew from day one."

Stefano tried to claim that he'd thought Rafe was investigating their family. E.J. didn't buy it, pointing out Stefano's inexplicable loyalty to Nicole- -and his hatred of Samantha. He reminded Stefano that he'd been planning to tell E.J. something in the hospital, until Samantha had angered him to the point where he decided he didn't want her to be any further involved in E.J.'s life. Finally Stefano conceded, but argued that because of the switch, Nicole had allowed E.J. to raise his biological daughter, because Samantha would never have told E.J. that Sydney was his child.

E.J. became enraged, choking back hot tears as he lamented how Stefano--the one person E.J. thought he could trust--had lied to E.J. and allowed him to mourn the death of a child who wasn't even his. Stefano earnestly insisted that he'd only wanted to help, because if E.J. had known the truth, he would have run back to "that lowlife Brady bitch." "But it's my life, Father!" E.J. cried, then grew eerily calm as he took Stefano's face between his hands. "I love you, but you can't do this." His hands moved to his father's throat, and an astonished Stefano could only struggle in vain as E.J.'s grip got tighter and tighter.