E.J. showed Sami a ransom note from the kidnappers that indicated that Sydney was still alive and that warned her not to tell the FBI or police about it. Sami questioned how they would know that Sydney was still alive given that they found Sydney's clothes, which had her blood on them. Rafe overheard E.J. and Sami talking and asked what was going on.

E.J. lied and said that Sami was thinking about canceling the family gathering that she had planned in Sydney's honor and that E.J. had told her not to be swayed by any external influences. E.J. admitted that he was referring to Rafe. Sami told Rafe that she was worried about her grandmother, and she wanted him to check on the kids because she was worried that the kids would walk all over her grandmother.

Rafe agreed to do as Sami asked, but she sensed that Rafe saw right through Sami. She felt bad lying to him. Sami felt like she couldn't trust her own judgment. E.J. told her to trust him and let him take control of the situation. Sami got angry and said that she didn't need E.J. to make decisions for her. She needed more time to figure out whether to tell Rafe about the ransom note.

Sami defended Rafe by saying that he wouldn't tell the FBI and wouldn't mess it up. E.J. said that Rafe was a liability, but Sami defended him. E.J. told her to do what was necessary to get their daughter back, so Sami agreed. She wondered, though, how she was going to keep Rafe from knowing the truth. E.J. told her to lie -- something she did very well.

Outside the Brady Pub, Carly called the hospital to check on Melanie, but the person who answered the phone wouldn't tell her. Carly got angry and said that she had the right to know, because she was Melanie's mother. Maggie overheard her and said that playing the mother card rang "hollow." Carly asked whether Maggie would play the mother card if it were Maggie's daughter who was injured. Maggie chastised Carly for giving Melanie up for adoption, which led to Melanie's unhappy childhood and then later accidentally getting shot.

Carly understood that Maggie loved Melanie, and Carly said she was grateful that Melanie had Maggie in her life. Maggie told Carly that Melanie was all right. Carly explained that she thought Melanie had been raised by good, decent parents. Maggie asked how Carly knew that. "Because Lawrence told you so?" Carly asked if Maggie knew Trent, and Maggie said that Trent had treated Melanie horribly.

While they were talking, Maggie almost fell. She blamed it on her arthritis. Maggie wished Carly good luck.

At the hospital, Daniel touched Melanie's cheek and reveled in the fact that he was her father. Melanie woke up and saw Daniel looking at her. She wondered why Daniel was looking at her funny, and then she jumped to the conclusion that something was wrong with the test she took, so she panicked. "Something's wrong, huh? I'm gonna die, aren't I?" she said. Daniel told her that there was nothing wrong with her, but he promised to tell her what was going on when he returned to her room.

Daniel got a text message from Carly summoning him to the Brady Pub. When he got there, Carly asked how Melanie was. Daniel said that she was okay physically, but she wasn't doing well emotionally. He said he had decided not to tell her yet that he was her father. Carly assumed that Melanie would be proud to know that Daniel was her father. He thought that Melanie would wonder why she had to suffer through a bad childhood, and she would be upset knowing that she was lied to.

Carly admitted she made a bad mistake not telling Daniel about Melanie, and Daniel said the mistake was "unforgivable." Carly emphasized that if she had told Daniel about Melanie when Melanie was a baby, both Daniel and Melanie would have been killed. Daniel felt that he could have dealt with Lawrence. Carly tried to convince him that he would have been no match for Lawrence, but Daniel was confident that he could have dealt with Lawrence.

"What does he got? He's got supernatural powers or something? He was a man, wasn't he? Mere mortal like the rest of us?" Daniel said. He realized that he had his daughter's heart in his hand during surgery and didn't know it. Carly said that Daniel could still love Melanie, but that wasn't any consolation to Daniel.

"As if some fantasy, candy-coated future is gonna wipe out all the pain she's been through. All those years that I didn't even know she was out there, and I couldn't help her, and all she wanted was one person to tell her that it was okay," he said. Daniel was distraught thinking about how Trent pimped Melanie out to pay off his gambling debts. He said that Carly didn't deserve Melanie.

Anna worried that the fake ransom would blow up in E.J.'s face. Even if E.J. got everything he wanted, nothing good would come from it, Anna said.

Arianna was working at the pub when Rafe stopped by and told her that the family gathering was canceled, because E.J. said it was a bad idea. Arianna told Rafe to cut E.J. some slack. Arianna said that Rafe shouldn't second-guess E.J.

Arianna went to the hospital to see Melanie, and Melanie said that Carly kept telling her how sorry she was. Melanie didn't care what Carly's excuse was -- she had still abandoned Melanie as a baby and left her to deal with Trent. Melanie was upset that she would never get those years back.

Rafe went back to the pier and asked Sami if everything was okay. She said nothing was okay. E.J. explained that he and Sami had decided not to tell the twins about Sydney's "death," and she asked him to respect her wishes. Rafe had some flowers with him, which reminded him of Sydney. Rafe suggested that instead of a family gathering, they should say a few words and then throw the flowers off the pier, but Sami couldn't do that.

Sami thanked him for the idea, but she said it hurt too much. Rafe gave the flowers to E.J., but he refused them also. Rafe said "Sydney, you'll never be forgotten," and he threw the flowers into the water.

At Maggie's house, she knocked over a cup, and her hand started hurting. She didn't understand what was going on at first. Then she looked at the picture of her and Mickey and wondered if her illness was returning.

An impatient Sami paced her apartment, checked her phone, and waited to hear from E.J. Rafe called out Sami's name, but, preoccupied, she did not hear him at first. Worried, Rafe asked Sami to talk to him about what was "going on." When Sami explained that she was worried about whether she had packed lunches for the twins, Rafe smiled and asked her to tell him the real reason she was preoccupied. Unnerved, Sami reiterated that her discomfort over the memorial was because she was not ready to deal with Sydney's death. Still suspicious, Rafe urged Sami to tell him what E.J. said to her on the pier.

Rafe continued to push Sami to explain why she changed her mind about the memorial, but she resisted. Sami complained that she resented the implication that she did whatever E.J. asked her to do. Rafe noted that Sami did not always follow E.J., but that the night before she did, and he wanted to know why. Before Sami could respond, her phone rang.

At the Brady Pub, Brady asked Arianna how they could work out their problems. When Arianna declined Brady's offer, Brady grabbed her and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Pulling away, Arianna joked that Brady was not "playing fair." Roman interrupted Brady and Arianna's bickering to tell Brady that he had talked to the warden about a visit with Nicole. Annoyed, Arianna excused herself and went back to work behind the bar. Roman explained to Brady that Nicole refused to see any visitors, especially Brady.

"This isn't right, Roman. She doesn't even have a friend in the world to tell her that the baby she loved so much is dead," Brady said. "It's not fair. She deserves someone to tell her that," Brady continued. Brady begged Roman to call the warden again and push for a visit. Concerned, Roman asked Brady whether that was a good idea and he nodded toward Arianna who was walking out of the pub.

E.J. went to the cottage to check in with Anna about his plan. Nervous, Anna reminded E.J. that she was worried about being caught. E.J. reviewed Anna's work on the computer and noted that it would be a matter of hours until Sami and Rafe were "history." Sighing, Anna suggested to E.J. that all the plotting he was doing indicated that he still loved Sami. E.J. dismissed Anna's theory and stressed that his only concern was that all his children grow up in the same house.

E.J. called Sami and asked her to get rid of Rafe because E.J. was on his way over to the apartment. Suspicious, Rafe asked Sami if E.J. was calling to make more demands. Sami lied that E.J. was calling to ask her drop off Johnny for him. Looking away, Rafe strode toward the front door and announced that he needed to leave for a meeting with his supervisor. Rafe kissed Sami goodbye and said, "Whatever is going on, I love you."

Rafe met Roman at the Brady Pub and noted, about Sydney's death, "I want to hurt whoever did this." Rafe asked Roman to look into the history of all the DiMera employees for the previous year. Roman noted that he had already been through the records multiple times and that he did not think searching the files would be productive. Rafe confided in Roman that he felt like something was going on with Sami. Rafe relayed the events of the night before at the memorial, and Roman suggested that Sami was probably reacting to the pain of losing two children in one year. Nodding, Rafe said that he would go talk to Sami.

When E.J. arrived at Sami's apartment, he told her about the newest note he'd received from the kidnapper. Sami reviewed the letter, which informed them to go to a website and not tell anyone. After reading the letter, and logging in to the cited website, E.J. burned the letter and said that he was preventing Sami from giving the note to Rafe "in a moment of weakness." Sami agreed to follow the instructions, and E.J. wondered aloud whether the latest letter was just a ploy to extort money. As Sami urged E.J. to believe that Sydney was still alive, the computer beeped with a message.

Sami rushed to the computer and cried out in joy when she saw Sydney on a webcam. E.J. and Sami gushed over how Sydney looked, but their celebration was cut short when the following message scrolled across the computer screen: "The father is to deliver five million dollars immediately." After noting the directions of the drop-off, the message concluded with a warning that Sydney's time "was short."

Frantic, Sami asked E.J. how they would be able to obtain five million dollars on such short notice. Acting as if he was just realizing his good fortune, E.J. countered that the FBI had just returned his money from the failed ransom drop. "I promise you that I'm going to bring our daughter back," E.J. said happily. Grabbing his jacket, E.J. urged Sami to keep her phone on and then he rushed out of the apartment.

E.J. returned to the cottage and informed Anna that the plan worked perfectly. Smiling, E.J. walked over to the computer and announced that his employee had installed a Trojan horse as part of the website, which would give E.J. access to Sami's webcam. Watching Sami cry as she looked at her computer, E.J. wondered aloud whether Sami would stick to her word that she would not tell Rafe about the ransom demand.

At the Java Café, Gabi visited Chad while he was working. Chad asked Gabi to go to the movies with him after work, while nearby, Mia watched jealously. When Will hung up the phone, he hugged Mia and thanked her for being by his side while he was dealing with his grief over Sydney. "Where else would I be?" Mia asked as she stared across the room at Chad.

When Chad walked over to clear a table, Mia asked Will to get her a coffee. While Will ordered a coffee at the bar, Mia sidled up next to Chad and asked him for help with Will. Mia reminded Chad that Will was grieving over his baby sister, just as they had grieved over a child. Chad said he understood and agreed to meet with Mia to think of ideas to cheer up Will. When Mia suggested that they meet at Maggie's house after Chad got off work, he agreed. Mia asked Chad not to tell anyone, including Gabi, because she did not want Will to find out what they were up to. Chad agreed, and then he went back to work while Mia grinned.

When Chad was alone, Gabi approached Chad and asked him what time the movie started. With a deep sigh, Chad asked, "Are you sure you're okay with what happened between me and Mia?" Chad explained that since the kids at school learned about Sydney, they had treated him badly and called him a "dirt bag." After a quick glance at Mia, Gabi assured Chad that she did not care about how people treated Chad. Smiling, Chad told Gabi that he would call her about the movie later.

Gabi ran into Will at the condiment bar of the Java Café and expressed her condolences over Sydney. Will admitted that he was having difficulty staying positive. "I don't know what I would do if Mia wasn't with me," Will said quietly. Gabi seemed surprised by Will's statement and asked him whether he was sure that Mia was "all that into" him. Confused, Will asked Gabi why she would say such a thing. When Gabi started to talk about Mia having problems, Will interrupted and noted that he was aware of Mia's issues. "I'm letting her have her space," Will said. "But we'll make it. I know we will," Will said confidently.

Chad arrived at Maggie's house, and Mia apologized for dragging him away from Gabi. "Sometimes I think you're still mad at me," Mia said. Mia reminded Chad of how awful her behavior had been toward Chad when he first arrived in Salem. Mia noted that Chad seemed more mature since being sent to boarding school. "I think it just made you a better person. Kind of like what I went through, I think it made me a better person too," Mia continued. Mia thanked Chad for still being her friend. "Is that what we are? Friends?" Chad questioned.

Chad explained that he felt like Mia wanted him out of her life. Shaking her head, Mia noted that she was depressed and that Nicole had turned her head around. "I know I hurt you and I'm sorry. And sometimes at night I go over and over what happened and it makes me cry 'cause I wish I wouldn't have pushed you away," Mia said. When Chad asked whether Mia still thought about him, Mia responded that she could not stop thinking about him.

Chuckling, Chad admitted that he never thought he would hear that from Mia, especially since she was seeing Will. "It's not the same as what we had," Mia said blushing. Mia asked Chad whether he thought about her, and shaking his head, Chad admitted that he did not stop thinking about her while he was at boarding school. Chad added that he moved on after Mia pushed him away but that he still thought about her.

"I might have moved on but a part of me will always love you," Mia said. "Same here," Chad whispered. Smiling, Mia pulled Chad to her and they began to kiss. Chad pulled away saying "this isn't right." Stunned, Chad stumbled out the kitchen door. "So what? I gave up worrying about what's right a long time ago," Mia said aloud to the empty kitchen.

Brady caught up with Arianna in the park and assured her that she had no reason to worry about Nicole. Arianna told Brady that she was only worried about Nicole because "she is with you all day, every day, and I know that." Brady promised Arianna that his main concern was to make sure that Nicole heard about Sydney's death from a friend. Angry, Arianna reminded Brady that Nicole lied to everyone and stole a child. "When are you going to realize that she will never be out of your life?" Arianna cried out.

Brady argued that Nicole was his friend, but Arianna reminded Brady that he told Nicole recently that he loved her. "Past tense. I said loved her and that was before I learned about some of the things she's done," Brady countered. "Sydney is dead because of her," Arianna yelled. Brady defended Nicole and said that she was returning Sydney when the kidnappers took the girl. "We're not going to make it unless you change. And you're not going to," Arianna said quietly.

Brady attempted to appeal to Arianna by explaining that he wanted to move on because he loved Arianna and not Nicole. "Do you believe me or not?" Brady asked. "I want to believe you. It's just every time I do, Nicole, she just kind of comes in and takes over your life. I can't let myself fall into that same kind of trap," Arianna said. As Arianna started to leave, Brady stopped her and asked her to go on a trip with him.

As Carly walked along the water, she tried to reach Daniel, but got his voicemail. She left him a message stating that she agreed that he had been right not to tell Melanie just yet that he was her father. Carly then worried to herself about how Melanie would react when she did hear that news.

Chloe ran into Philip at the Brady Pub, just as he was hanging up from updating Melanie's brother, Max, that Melanie was on the mend. Philip asked how Chloe and Daniel were doing. Chloe acknowledged that Philip had been right: like Chloe, Daniel was also having to face never being able to have his own child.

Philip then got a phone call, from which he hung up angrily. He explained to Chloe that the hospital board was considering disciplinary action against Daniel for letting Carly into Melanie's room. Chloe was pretty peeved, since Carly had been the one who had broken the law. Philip vowed that he would do what he could to help Daniel.

Melanie awakened in her hospital bed to find Daniel looking down at her. They joked around easily with each other as he sat and checked her pulse, then Melanie noted that Daniel had looked like he was bracing himself to deliver bad news. Daniel assured her that she was actually making quite a remarkable recovery. Melanie wondered why he still looked so serious. "Because I am a doctor, and we are very serious people," he teased sternly. "Thank goodness for that, because without you, I wouldn't be here," Melanie replied with a laugh.

Daniel's eyes filled with tears, and to cover, he had to claim that he'd gotten something in them. Melanie didn't buy it for a second, and asked if what was wrong had anything to do with Carly. "She's ruined everybody else's life; why not have a go at yours?" Melanie noted. Daniel denied it, but before Melanie could press him further, Philip arrived.

After kissing Melanie hello, Philip pulled Daniel into the hallway and told him about the board's potential disciplinary action. "I just want you to know, I have your back," Philip assured him. "I know everything you've done for Melanie." As Philip went back into Melanie's room, Daniel muttered, "Not everything."

Philip climbed into bed next to Melanie and took her hand. "You just picture that beach in Greece," he murmured. Melanie laughed, but said that despite that lovely idea, she still couldn't shake the memory of Carly shooting her. She then theorized that Carly's refusal to divulge the identity of Melanie's father meant that he was even worse than Trent. Philip asserted that Melanie's father must be a great guy, because she had to have gotten her kindness and honesty from somewhere.

Melanie joked that she and Philip should take Kate, Vivian, and Carly to brunch on Mother's Day, and Philip laughingly agreed, but only if they made everyone go through a metal detector first. Melanie noted gratefully, "I have you, and I have Maggie, and that's a lot." Philip declared that Melanie had many more people who loved her-including Daniel, who obviously cared about her as more than just a patient.

A nurse entered to take Melanie's vital signs, and Melanie remarked that she hadn't seen the nurse before. "That's right," the nurse replied. "I transferred in from Springfield General." Philip then left to get some mocha for Melanie from the Java Café. The nurse asserted that aside from the gunshot, Melanie was lucky to have such a wealthy, gorgeous husband. Melanie asked whether Dr. Nathan Horton had inquired about her, but the nurse didn't know him. "Mrs. Kiriakis, is something bothering you?" the nurse asked when she sensed Melanie's disappointment. "No," Melanie replied unconvincingly. "I was just wondering why he hasn't come by to see me."

Chloe was on her way out of the pub when she ran into Carly, who remarked that she'd been trying unsuccessfully to get in touch with Daniel. "You're still not done with him? You don't think you've done enough damage?" Chloe retorted, which baffled Carly. Chloe snapped, "Don't play innocent with me; I know everything." Carly was stunned, because she assumed Chloe knew that Daniel was Melanie's father. "Daniel told you?" Carly asked.

Chloe ripped into Carly: "Daniel, the man I love-after a whole lot of pain and suffering-has finally found a life that he's happy with, and you just breeze in here and destroy it just like that?" Carly insisted that she didn't think it would destroy Daniel's life, but she felt terrible for not being able to tell him sooner. Chloe was puzzled, but Carly plowed ahead, asserting that Daniel and Chloe could get through it.

"I don't know if you believe in a higher power," Carly continued excitedly. "But isn't it remarkable, the coincidence that she already knew him? Not only knew him but liked him and admired him-and vice-versa. You saw how hard he fought to save her life. Chloe, I swear, I think Daniel loved Melanie long before I even told him that she was his daughter."

Chloe's eyes widened in disbelief and shock, and she sat down heavily in a chair. Taken aback, Carly whispered, "You said you knew!" Chloe explained about the hospital board's disciplinary action against Daniel. Carly apologized profusely, but insisted that what she'd said was true. "You may have conned Daniel, but not me," Chloe maintained firmly. "You're never gonna make me believe that Daniel is Melanie's father."

Daniel arrived just then and overheard, and was livid that Carly had told Chloe. An apologetic Carly explained that she had misinterpreted what Chloe had said. Daniel demanded to know whom else Carly had told, and she swore that Bo was the only other person. Daniel then ordered her to leave after threatening hoarsely, "If Melanie finds out from anyone other than me, your life won't be worth living." A sheepish Carly hurried out.

"Well, your dream came true," Chloe told Daniel sadly. "You're a father now." Daniel quietly explained that he'd just found out and had been trying to find the right time to tell her. Chloe realized that Carly had been telling the truth, and wanted to know if Daniel had loved Carly. Daniel replied that the relationship hadn't been that serious.

Chloe remarked that when she'd been in the hospital, she'd seen how great Melanie was at her job-which made perfect sense after the revelation that both of Melanie's parents were doctors. "Chloe, please just tell me this doesn't change things between us," Daniel implored. "That's a little naïve, don't you think?" Chloe replied. "You're never going to be the same: you're a father now."

At the Alpine Valley Lodge, Nathan returned to the room after paying the bill, and found Stephanie packing for both of them. As he began cutting off the ski-lift pass from his jacket, he explained that he wanted it as a souvenir of the best trip he'd ever taken. But Stephanie pushed him away gently when he started kissing her. "Nathan, listen, I have to talk to you about Melanie," she stated.

An exasperated Nathan didn't want to talk about Melanie. Stephanie wondered if his refusal to discuss his ex meant that he wasn't over her. Nathan insisted he was. "Melanie's the past," he maintained. "You-you're now, and the future." To prove it, he kissed Stephanie deeply.

As they lay in bed together later, Nathan joked that he was giving up his medical career to become a ski instructor. Stephanie suggested that they stay another night, and then drive back early the next day for his shift at the hospital. Nathan switched on his phone and frowned. "I have, like, twelve messages from my grandma," he noted. "Something's wrong."

Stephanie and Nathan quickly got dressed and finished packing. Nathan tried several times to reach Maggie, but couldn't, which worried him. He also felt guilty for leaving his grandmother alone right after Mickey had died. Stephanie tried to reassure him that Maggie was all right-and not alone-and they would be back in Salem soon to check on her. They left.

After Nathan and Stephanie got back to town, they stopped by the Java Café for coffee. Kissing Stephanie, Nathan remarked that they didn't have to hide their relationship anymore, since Mr. and Mrs. Kiriakis were on their honeymoon. Nathan then headed to the hospital to check in.

Philip walked in, just as Stephanie was about to leave, and she was surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?" she asked worriedly.

At the nurses' station, Nathan met the new nurse and introduced himself. "Oh, that's right," she said. "The patient in room 306 was just asking about you." Nathan was horrified when the nurse told him that the patient was Philip Kiriakis' wife, who had been shot. He rushed anxiously into Melanie's room.

From the cabin, E.J. secretly spied on Sami via webcam, to make sure she didn't break her promise not to tell Rafe about the new ransom note and video from the kidnappers. Meanwhile, at the townhouse, Sami watched the video of Sydney again through happy tears. "Sydney," she whispered. "I can't believe you're still alive." Unfortunately, Rafe returned home at that moment and heard her. "What'd you just say?" he demanded.

Sami covered, claiming that E.J. had sent her a video that Nicole had taken of Sydney. Rafe asked to see it, but Sami quickly switched the video off. She claimed that it had upset her, and she didn't want it to do the same to him. Rafe tried in vain to hide his skepticism and grief. Sami grabbed him and looked into his eyes. "Rafe, there's something I have to tell you," she declared.

"Don't you do it!" E.J. growled at his computer screen, and then grabbed the phone and called Sami before she could tell Rafe anything. E.J. informed her that he'd made the ransom drop, and asked her to meet him at the mansion for moral support while they waited to hear from the kidnapper. When she hung up, Sami claimed to Rafe that E.J. wanted her to pick Johnny up and drop him off at the mansion.

After Sami left the townhouse, E.J. shut off his spyware program. He cuddled Sydney in his lap for a bit, and then called to Anna.

Rafe shook his head wryly after Sami closed the door. "Sorry to doubt you, Sami," he said. "But that call didn't sound like you were talking about Johnny to me." Wondering aloud why E.J. would send Sami a video, Rafe sat down with the computer, but his phone rang before he could finish his task. "Good work; I'll be right there," Rafe said, and then rushed out.

At the DiMera mansion, Sami expressed her optimism that they would get Sydney back that day. E.J. cautioned her not to be too hopeful, and asked if she thought Rafe suspected anything. "Yeah, I do," Sami replied somewhat reluctantly. E.J. exploded, accusing Sami of giving something away. "If we don't see our daughter again, it will be because of that man!"

Carly spotted Rafe down on the pier, and teased him that he shouldn't jump, because she didn't want to fish him out of the river again. They both acknowledged that they were having rough days, and Carly asked how Rafe and Sami were holding up since learning about Sydney's presumed death. "One minute she's a mess," Rafe replied. "And the next, she's a mess." Carly maintained that Sami was lucky to have him, but Rafe wasn't so sure about that-or anything else-anymore.

Sami paced, wondering fretfully how long they would have to wait. "I wish Rafe were here," she stated apologetically. "He's just my rock, and it's just hard to do this alone." E.J. reassured her, "You're not alone. You got me." He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. Sami thanked him for all he'd done to try to get Sydney back, and added, "It's nice to see that guy I've always known is inside of you. It's nice to see him again."

Nathan imagined Melanie telling him that she loved him. Melanie woke him out of his fantasy. He asked what happened, and she told him she had been shot. He asked if she would be okay, and she asked if he even cared. He said of course he cared. He felt regretful for leaving town, and he assumed that she got shot because of Philip's family, but she set him straight. She said it was about her family and she was descended from generations of "the scum of the universe," which was why she was the way that she was.

Nathan noticed Melanie's wedding ring and realized she'd gotten married. She explained that she got married and then got shot. Nathan thought it was an omen and marrying Philip was a mistake. Melanie thought that Nathan had some nerve saying that and acting like she mattered to him. He reminded her that he told her that the night before her wedding. She pointed out that he was drunk. "That didn't mean I didn't know what I was saying," he said. "What's your excuse?" he asked.

Nathan said the nurse told him that Melanie was wondering why he hadn't visited her yet. Melanie pretended not to know what he was talking about, but Nathan said he felt like Melanie still cared about him.

Nathan pressed Melanie to tell him what she was hiding from him. She thought about the letter that she gave Stephanie to give to him. She got upset, and he asked what was wrong. She said that he knew.

Stephanie was surprised to see Philip in town. She expected him to be on his honeymoon. He realized that she had left the wedding early and didn't know what had happened. She asked if Philip and Melanie got married. He wondered why she would ask that and added that they just got married. Stephanie said that given all that Melanie and Philip had gone through, Stephanie didn't want to see anything go wrong between him and Melanie.

Philip thought that Stephanie was being "decent" by what she said, especially after what she had gone through because of Philip. She said she would always want him to be happy, and he felt the same about her. She said she was happy with Nathan. Philip thought that her grandmother would love that. She said that her grandmother didn't know yet, because they had been keeping it a secret.

Philip hoped that Nathan would finally stay out of Philip's life. Philip thought that Melanie acted like she felt guilty for dumping Nathan, but Stephanie knew the truth. She thought about the letter that Melanie gave her to give to Nathan. Stephanie said that Philip didn't need to worry about Nathan, because he had moved on. Stephanie asked why Philip wasn't on his honeymoon, and Philip said that Carly put an end to that. Stephanie asked what Carly had to do with it, and he said a lot -- since Carly was Melanie's mother.

Stephanie was shocked to hear the news, and she imagined how Melanie felt to hear it. She asked if Carly had told Melanie on Melanie's wedding day. "No, no, she did it after she shot her," Philip said. Stephanie couldn't believe it. She asked how Melanie was, and Philip said Melanie recovered fine from surgery and would be released from the hospital soon. Stephanie remembered that Nathan was going to the hospital and excused herself so she could "visit" Melanie.

Bo told Carly that Vivian had sneaked into Melanie's room, but Melanie was sedated when Vivian got there and Philip caught Vivian in the room. Bo assured Carly that the matter was being handled, but Carly said that the only one who could handle Vivian was Carly. Bo told her to leave Vivian to him. Carly said that Vivian didn't really want to hurt Melanie -- she wanted to hurt Carly. Carly said she planned to plead guilty and wanted to spend the rest of her life behind bars.

Bo said that Carly would be found innocent in court, because they would prove that the shooting was accidental and only happened because she was trying to protect her daughter from a "crazy woman." Carly didn't want Melanie to know that Carly's fate was in Melanie's hands. Bo said it wasn't up to Carly, because they were handling it his way. Carly forbade Bo to bother Melanie about it. He asked what would happen if he did it anyway, and Carly said she would be "really, really mad" at him, which would probably be the best thing that happened to him.

Bo said he had to interview any material witnesses, and he assured Carly that he was just going to ask Melanie what happened. Carly planned to tell Melanie not to cooperate. Bo said that if she did that, she would be obstructing justice, and he would send Carly "up the river." Carly said that if there were any justice, Melanie wouldn't have been given a mother who did nothing but hurt her. Bo said that as a responsible parent, hurting kids went with the territory.

Carly said she hadn't just hurt Melanie; she'd hurt Daniel as well. Bo reminded her that Daniel got Carly pregnant, and she dealt with it the best way she knew how. Carly felt like she was a curse for Daniel, like she was to Lawrence and to Bo. Bo pointed out that if she had let Lawrence live, he could have killed Melanie or Carly when he was in one of his rages. Carly said that she cursed Bo, too, but Bo told her not to worry about him, because Bo had not been hurt

Carly asked if that was why his face looked the way it did after he would hang up from talking to Hope or Ciara or when he would walk around in the middle of the night because he couldn't sleep. Bo said that what happened between Hope and Bo was between the two of them. Carly said that his decision to keep Carly's secret made things worse for Bo and Hope. Carly felt he would be better off if Carly left Salem forever.

Bo could relate to what Carly was going through because of when he'd lost Zack. He said Melanie needed Carly, but Carly felt that she didn't deserve to be a mother to Melanie. Bo used reverse psychology on Carly and said he would go along with her plan and then her daughter would miss out on a future with Carly and so would Bo. Bo predicted that Carly would put the ordeal behind her some day and would have Melanie in her life. He asked if that was worth fighting for.

Daniel went to the Kiriakis mansion to see Vivian. He told her that she would never insult or try to hurt anyone that he cared about. She pretended she didn't know what he was talking about. He said she knew what he was referring to, because she went to Melanie's hospital room. Daniel took off his tie and begged her to say what she was doing in Melanie's room. Victor interrupted them and asked what was going on.

Daniel filled Victor in on what had happened, and Victor said that Vivian knew she wasn't supposed to be anywhere near Melanie. Daniel said that Vivian had defied him and sneaked into the hospital room. Vivian offered to explain, but Daniel insisted on explaining. He said that when Philip arrived, Melanie was asleep and Vivian was hovering over Melanie. Vivian claimed she was just trying to make Melanie more comfortable. Daniel accused Vivian of trying to kill Melanie.

Vivian said she had no intention of hurting Melanie -- she sneaked into Melanie's room to tell Melanie that she didn't want to hurt her. Vivian pointed out that if she had wanted Melanie dead, Melanie would be dead. Daniel vowed that Vivian wouldn't get that chance again, and he asked Victor to back him up on it. Victor said that as Daniel's godfather, he swore to look out for Daniel, and he planned to keep that promise. Victor wanted to know what Melanie was to Daniel.

Daniel said that Melanie was his patient and, as a doctor, he was upset when someone tried to undo what he had done by saving her life. Daniel threatened Vivian again, and Victor tried to calm him down by saying there was no proof that anyone other than Carly did anything to try to harm Melanie. "You just keep her away from my ... patients," Daniel said and stormed off.

Victor asked Vivian why she defied him, and he demanded the truth. She confessed to trying to smother Melanie with a pillow. Vivian said that she didn't go through with it because she realized that hurting an innocent girl wasn't the answer. Vivian said that Carly was the target and would receive "poetic justice." Victor said that she broke her promise to him twice that she wouldn't hurt Melanie. "I didn't, technically," Vivian said.

Victor asked if Vivian had noticed a car parked across the street. He said that was someone Bo had hired, and Bo wanted Victor to help Bo put Vivian behind bars. "I would become father of the year for helping Bo, and you would move into a big house with a lot of scary, horny women," Victor said. Vivian tried to excuse her behavior and said that she thought that hurting Carly's daughter was what Lawrence wanted, but Vivian was back to her old self. "That should be very reassuring to me," Victor said.

Vivian said she was no longer a threat to Melanie, and she swore on Lawrence's life. "What life? Lawrence is as dead as Vaudeville," Victor said. Vivian swore on her life that if anything happened to Melanie, Vivian would be struck dead. Vivian insisted that she'd had a change of heart.

Melanie was having trouble breathing while she was talking, so Nathan calmed her down and listened to her heartbeat. Stephanie walked in and saw them. He diagnosed Melanie with an anxiety attack. Stephanie interrupted them and said she was out of town so that was why she hadn't arrived sooner. Melanie realized that Stephanie and Nathan had gone out of town together.

Daniel went to see Melanie, but decided to wait until Nathan and Stephanie were done with their visit. Bo asked Daniel for permission to take Melanie's statement, but Daniel wouldn't allow it because she wasn't in a good condition to be grilled. Bo said that he knew Melanie was up for visitors, but Daniel insisted she wasn't. Daniel said that he knew that Bo and Carly knew that Daniel was Melanie's father. Daniel asked why Bo didn't have the decency to tell Daniel.

Bo said it wasn't his place to tell Daniel. Daniel said it was Carly's place. Bo started to say that Carly was trying to tell Daniel, but Daniel threatened to punch Bo if he said that Carly tried to tell Daniel about Melanie. Daniel pointed out that Carly had been ineffective at protecting Melanie up to that point. Daniel felt that Carly had worked him. Daniel said Bo would regret being Carly's "wing man." Bo said Daniel had a reason to be upset with Carly, but that was no reason to prevent Bo from asking Melanie a few simple questions.

Stephanie said they went skiing together. Melanie asked if they had made it to the slopes. "Eventually," Nathan started to say. Melanie pretended to be happy for them. Nathan asked what Melanie had tried to tell him, but she said it didn't matter by then. Melanie asked Nathan to leave so she could talk to Stephanie. Stephanie apologized for not telling Melanie that she and Nathan were going away together, but Melanie didn't blame her for it.

"The four of us have switched partners enough. I think it's time that dance was over," Melanie said. Stephanie was surprised by how understanding Melanie was being. Melanie said she just wished that Stephanie and Nathan had waited a little longer until after her wedding to go away together.

Melanie was upset with Nathan for acting concerned when Nathan didn't even bother to read Melanie's letter. Stephanie said that didn't mean Nathan didn't care about Melanie -- he just didn't want anything bad to happen to Melanie.

Melanie asked what happened to the letter, and Stephanie said she didn't do anything with it. Melanie asked her to destroy the letter. Bo interrupted them and asked to speak with Melanie alone. He tried to defend Carly to Melanie. Bo told Melanie that Trent, the man who had raised Melanie, wasn't as evil as Lawrence. He told her that Carly's ex-husband had killed a good friend of Bo's and raped Hope's cousin. Melanie said that Bo and Carly were a "match made in heaven." Bo said that Carly and Melanie were smart women who had made some mistakes.

Bo said that Melanie could have something she thought she would never have -- a mother who loved her and would do anything for her. Melanie asked why Bo was telling her that. Bo said that she would have to get used to Bo giving Melanie advice, and he asked Melanie to give Carly another chance.

Nathan asked how Stephanie's talk went, and she said Melanie was upset about Stephanie and Nathan. Stephanie started to say that if she had known Melanie would get shot, she would have given him the letter, but her voice trailed off before she could get all the words out. Nathan assumed that Melanie was angry at him because of what she had been through. Nathan assured Stephanie that there was nothing she could have done to change what Melanie had gone through.

At the pier, Carly asked Philip how Melanie was. He told her to break into the room like Vivian did and find out for herself. Carly said she had that coming. He said she had a lot worse coming. "Karma's a bitch," he said. He wondered where her concern was when Melanie's adoptive father was abusing the girl. Carly just wanted to know how Melanie was. Philip said Melanie wouldn't be great as long as Vivian planned to go after Melanie as a way to get to Carly. Carly warned Philip not to take Melanie back to Victor's house once Melanie was released from the hospital. Carly thought about making love to Bo when they were together years before.

Philip returned home and interrupted the conversation between Victor and Vivian. Philip announced that Melanie wouldn't return to the mansion until Victor kicked "that crazy bitch to the curb." Victor reminded Philip that Vivian was Victor's guest. He said the police hadn't arrested Vivian. Victor said that he had a score to settle with Carly, but he wouldn't do it by using her daughter, because that was cowardly.

Victor asked what Philip would do since Victor had rejected Philip's terms. Victor reminded Philip that if it weren't for Vivian, Phillip wouldn't exist. Philip told Vivian that he never wanted to speak with or see Vivian again, and he stormed out. Vivian planned to move out, and Victor offered to talk to Philip. Victor predicted that Vivian that would be back though.

Carly went to the hospital to apologize to Daniel again, but he didn't want to hear it. Carly realized she needed to take action and make it up to Daniel and Melanie, but Daniel said that Bo was interviewing Melanie, so Carly's future was in her daughter's hands.

Philip walked in on Bo trying to give advice to Melanie. Philip was irate. Melanie said to take it easy on Bo. Bo interviewed Melanie about getting shot. Melanie said that Carly pointed the gun right at Melanie and intended to kill her and Melanie didn't know why.

At the cabin, Anna asked if E.J. were really sure about what he was doing. "Of course I'm sure," he replied. "This is the beginning of the end for Samantha." Anna accused him of being just like his father. E.J. just ignored her and fidgeted with his cell phone.

At the townhouse, Sami stared at the phone as if willing it to ring. When Rafe walked in and touched her lightly, it startled her and she jumped. As Sami caught her breath, Rafe asked what was going on. She tried to insist everything was all right, but then conceded that watching the video had been harder than she'd expected. Rafe guessed that she had begun to regret calling off the memorial for Sydney.

Before Sami could answer, the phone rang. She leapt for it eagerly, but when she answered, E.J. told her, "The ransom note was a hoax." Taken aback, Sami asked what he meant. "I mean our baby is dead," E.J. declared coldly. He apologetically explained that it appeared as if the kidnapper wanted to pay them back, and then he hung up somewhat abruptly.

An angry Anna began to confront E.J., but he cut her off. "I'm not going to let you spoil this perfect little moment for me," he declared smugly. "Finally, she pays for what she did to me." E.J. was ready to pack up his children and leave the country, and he hoped that Rafe dumped Samantha when he found out about the ransom note. "That is the cruelest thing I've ever seen anyone do!" a distressed Anna proclaimed.

Sami sank down into a chair, utterly devastated. Rafe asked what had just happened, but just then, Allie ran into the room. As Sami hugged her daughter and softly wept, Rafe called Will. Rafe explained that Sami was in bad shape and he wanted to get her out of the house, and asked Will to meet them at the pub. Will wanted to know what had happened, but Rafe didn't know.

When Will met Rafe in front of the Brady Pub a little later, Sami and Allie were already inside. Rafe explained that Sami had started to fall apart right after E.J. had called. He asked Will, "When you talk to her, can you just steer away from saying that there's any hope about Sydney?" Will was skeptical, and Rafe conceded that he had no idea what was best.

Rafe watched Will go inside and hug his mom, and then called E.J. "What the hell did you just say to Sami?" Rafe demanded. "She was a wreck when you hung up." E.J. maintained that he was too busy to talk to Rafe, but was curious when he heard car horns in the background. "We're at the pub; I had to get her out of the house," Rafe explained before E.J. brusquely hung up.

E.J. told Anna, "If you can manage to keep your moral outrage in check for five minutes, I believe we have an account to settle." He opened a briefcase, and revealed the five million dollar ransom-in cash-and Anna's eyes widened. "Unless, of course, your newly developed moral core prevents you from taking it?" he asked. "No!" she replied quickly, adding, "God knows I've earned it." E.J. then ordered her to get Sydney ready to leave.

Anna returned shortly with a bundled-up Sydney. "I'm going to miss you, my sweetheart," Anna cooed sadly. "I hope your daddy lets me come and visit you some time." Taking the child from Anna, E.J. teased, "I don't think your Auntie Anna is going to want to come and stay with you, darling, now that she's a millionaire."

Anna insisted that she truly cared for Sydney, and pointed out that it wasn't too late for E.J. to make things right. He maintained that her late husband, Tony, would have done the same thing. Anna vehemently denied it, adding that E.J. was about to rip out the heart of the woman he loved. "I do not love Samantha!" he maintained. "Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that, E.J.," Anna retorted with a sigh, as he carried Sydney out.

Rafe didn't buy it when Sami tried to claim that she and E.J. had just talked about Johnny. Sami asked him to drop it, but reassured him that he helped her just by being there, and by making her go on when she didn't want to. They sat at a table with the kids, and Sami nestled sadly against Rafe when he put his arm around her.

"Sami, if there was any way that I could bring Sydney back, I would," Rafe gently asserted. "I thought I was ready to let her go. I just don't know how to go on without her," Sami replied quietly. "You don't have to," said E.J. from behind them. Rafe and Sami whirled around, and her face lit up with elation when she saw her daughter in E.J.'s arms.

In a private waiting area at the hospital, a furious Daniel ripped into Carly. He believed Bo was trying to get her off the hook by needlessly interrogating Melanie, and making Melanie relive the worst moment of her life. Carly argued that she'd tried to talk Bo into letting her plead guilty for shooting Melanie. Daniel responded with bitter sarcasm, which caused Carly to explode into angry tears.

"I get it; you hate me!" Carly cried. "I'm a horrible mother. I'm the worst thing that's ever happened to you, to Chloe, and especially to Melanie. I can't stop Bo, I can't stop Vivian-I can't do anything to help our daughter! Okay, I get it!" Daniel apologized for upsetting her, although he was still irritated with Bo for grilling Melanie. Carly reminded Daniel that Bo was trying to put Vivian away to protect Melanie, but he needed Melanie's testimony to do it.

Daniel admitted that Melanie might be the one person who could help nail Vivian-who so far hadn't responded to his threats. Carly was pleasantly surprised, especially when Daniel vowed to protect Melanie from Vivian, even if he had to take matters into his own hands. Daniel countered that despite the child they shared and both wanted to look out for, he hadn't forgotten about the pain Carly had inflicted with her lies.

Justin found Hope sitting glumly by herself at the Java Café. Hope admitted that her sour mood was partly because she was not looking forward to returning to the Kiriakis mansion and seeing Vivian. "I lost him, Justin," she added sadly. "I lost Bo, and I don't want it to be true." Justin wasn't convinced, because he believed that Bo and Carly's relationship wasn't necessarily permanent.

Hope conceded that she still loved Bo-but she wasn't sure if she wanted him back, because she couldn't believe he had moved on so easily after their 25 years together. Justin sympathized, but Hope reminded him that while Bo had loved other women, she had only ever loved one man: Bo. "How do I move on from that?" she wondered.

Later, Justin ran into a melancholy Carly on the pier, and mentioned that Hope was also feeling low. Carly crossly retorted that it wasn't Justin's turn to tell her off. Justin countered by offering to take Carly's case, but she skeptically demanded, "What's in it for you?" She pointed out that if Justin kept her out of prison-and in Bo's life-it improved Justin's chances of getting together with Hope. Without admitting it, Justin replied that if that were true, "Doesn't that guarantee that I'll go the extra mile? Sounds like a plan, doesn't it?"

At the hospital, Bo questioned Melanie about the shooting. Philip tried to discourage his brother, but Melanie insisted that she wanted to get it over with. "Carly looked at me, and she shot me," Melanie attested. "Case closed." Bo accused her of lying, which infuriated Philip. Melanie stuck to her story, and reminded them that she was familiar with Bo's strong-arm tactics from when he'd investigated Trent's murder. She believed that the only reason Bo wanted her to say that Vivian was trying to hurt her was to exonerate Carly-the woman he was sleeping with.

After Philip left the room, Bo urged Melanie to reconsider. "As long as you're alive, your life is in danger," he asserted. "If I were you, I'd be scared." Although Melanie refused to believe that Vivian was really out to get her, Bo stressed that he couldn't protect Melanie once she left the hospital. Daniel walked in just then, and Melanie asked him to get Bo out of her room. Bo agreed to leave, but first privately emphasized to Daniel that someone had to get through to Melanie.

When Hope found Philip in the waiting area, he was still peeved about Bo questioning Melanie. Hope firmly reminded him that Bo was a good cop who was trying to keep Philip's wife alive-for which Philip should be grateful. Philip argued that it just seemed like everyone was pushing at Melanie, so he intended to stand by her, no matter what she told Bo.

Bo entered just in time to overhear, and asserted that Philip would be making a mistake if he did, because Melanie was lying. Philip retorted, "I'm just doing what I think is best for my wife. You should try it sometime." He stormed out.

Bo admitted to Hope that it hadn't gone well with Melanie, who was hurt and angry-and didn't think Bo could be objective. Hope needled Bo a little, but assured him that she knew he would never manipulate a witness to clear someone else. She then suggested, "What if we had someone interview Melanie who actually has a shot at gaining her trust? Like someone who clearly isn't lobbying for Carly?" Bo asked if Hope meant she would take over the interview. "I thought you'd never ask," she replied.

Daniel patiently let Melanie rant about how Bo had seemingly wanted her to lie about what had happened. Daniel then asked if Carly's story-that she had been aiming at Vivian but Melanie had jumped in to protect her-was untrue. Melanie maintained that Carly lied all the time, then demanded petulantly, "Whose side are you on?" Daniel assured her, "Your side, Melanie. I am always on your side."

Melanie apologized for snapping at him. Daniel quietly declared that Melanie needed to hear the whole story-Carly's and his. Melanie impatiently assumed that he was also going to warn her about Vivian, but Daniel insisted that wasn't it. "I'm trying to-to-explain to you why I care so much about what happens to you," he stammered awkwardly. "You see, Carly and I, uh, you know that we've known each other for a very long time... I do think that everything she did, she did it for you."

Melanie was dubious. "You don't know that," she stated somewhat uncertainly. "I kinda do," Daniel asserted. "I understand how she feels about you, because now I feel the same way." His voice broke a little as he explained falteringly, "I just found out-Carly told me...uh..." He finally blurted, "I'm your father."