Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of January 25, 2010 on DAYS

Comprehensive daily recaps for Days of our Lives, dating back to 1996.

Monday, January 25, 2010

by LaDaisia

Troy overheard Arianna and Roman talking about what would happen to her undercover operation since Troy was arrested, and he realized that she was working for the police. "She's a narc," Troy yelled to E.J. The police led Troy away, and Brady realized what was going on and questioned E.J.

"Troy ran straight to you with his crazy accusations. Why? Why was he so intent on telling you?" Brady asked E.J. E.J. claimed he didn't know. E.J. pretended to be confused by Brady's question. Brady said that Troy looked at E.J. when he accused Arianna of being a narc. E.J. said that Troy looked at everyone when he made his accusation and, more importantly, Troy was lying. E.J. asked Arianna if Troy was lying, and she said, "Of course he is."

Roman covered for Arianna and said that no one was listening to Troy's accusation. He told E.J. to provide a statement to the police about what had happened. Arianna thanked E.J. for saving her, and Brady asked why E.J. had stopped by Arianna's place. "Unbelievable. I save your girlfriend's life, and you act like I committed some kind of crime," E.J. said. He said that he thought Arianna might want to know that he and Sami had received a ransom note from the kidnapper, but the drop didn't go well. Arianna tried to explain that she didn't know why Troy called her a narc. "We all have our secrets," E.J. said.

At the Brady Pub, Hope stared at a model sailboat and remembered the good times she had shared with Bo. She got up to leave and literally bumped into Bo, which caused the boat to crash to the floor. Bo picked it up and started to apologize, but Hope told him that she would just buy another one for Ciara. She said that Ciara had heard so much about Bo and Hope's boat that she wanted one.

Hope started to leave, but instead decided to ask Bo why he lied to her. Bo apologized for not telling Hope about Carly's intentions. Hope said she wasn't referring to that lie. Hope said she could believe that Carly never stopped loving Bo and returned to Salem to win him back. She said that Carly's plan to seduce Bo wasn't the secret that Bo and Carly were keeping from Hope. It was something "more dire," Hope said.

Bo wouldn't confirm Hope's suspicions. He said he had already told Hope all that he could. "So this secret is why our marriage ended, and you still don't have the decency to tell me what it is," Hope said. "It's not," Bo said. "It's not what?" Hope asked. "The secret didn't end our marriage. You did," Bo said.

"So we're back to that again -- blaming me. Must be easy for you," Hope said. Bo said he never meant to hurt her. She called it a "tired clich." "Not when I mean it," he said. "Mean it? How could you possibly mean it when you continue to hurt me -- when it just goes on," she said. Hope said she understood that Carly never stopped loving him, "but years went by" and Carly and Bo lived "two completely different lives."

"So why now? You see, there is another reason she came back to Salem, isn't there?" Hope asked. She said that if Bo was sincere about never meaning to hurt Hope, he would tell her what Carly's secret was. Bo refused to tell Hope. "I'm gonna go buy Ciara another sailboat. If only everything was so easily replaceable, but then again, I was, wasn't I? Like that," Hope said, snapping her fingers. Then she stormed out.

Maggie called Chez Rouge to let her employees know that she couldn't make it in to work. After hanging up, she burst into tears. Carly stopped by to apologize for causing a scene at Maggie's house the same day of Mickey's funeral. Maggie was too upset to listen anymore and said that she needed to get some rest. Carly told Maggie to call her if Maggie needed to talk about anything. Mia overheard their conversation and said that Maggie didn't need anything from Carly. Mia ordered Carly to leave.

Maggie reprimanded Mia for trying to throw Carly out. Mia explained that she had left her book. Maggie gave Mia her science book and told her to leave because Maggie needed to rest. After Carly left, Maggie looked at a picture of her, and Maggie and broke down into tears.

Vivian called Gus to tell him to keep digging into Melanie's past to find out if she was really Carly's daughter. Vivian walked in on Philip and Melanie kissing. Philip tried to hurry and leave the room with Melanie, but Vivian told him not to go anywhere. Melanie said she had enjoyed spending time with Vivian before Carly showed up at the Java Caf and ruined Melanie's wedding dress.

Vivian told Melanie that she wanted to go over their guest list, and she asked how many of Melanie's relatives would be attending the ceremony. Philip tried to convince Melanie to leave. He reminded her privately that he didn't like Vivian. Melanie convinced him to give Vivian the benefit of the doubt for her. Melanie told Vivian that Max couldn't fly back from London, because he was in medical school. Vivian asked about her parents, and she told Vivian that her parents were dead.

Vivian asked what happened, and Philip told Vivian that Melanie's past was none of Vivian's business. Melanie told Philip that it was okay, but Philip wasn't as understanding. He told Vivian that she was making Melanie uncomfortable. Vivian tried to encourage Melanie to talk about her mother's death, but Victor walked in and asked what was going on.

"Katie Couric over here is interrogating my fiance," Philip said. "I am not interrogating anyone. I was simply trying to draw the girl out -- that's all," Vivian said. Melanie told them that she needed to leave, because Mia was meeting with her study group, and Melanie didn't want Maggie to be alone for too long. After Philip and Melanie left, Victor told Vivian that Melanie's father used to pimp her and ended up with a knife in his back. Vivian thought the similarity in the way Trent and Lawrence died was eerie.

Vivian noted Carly's demeanor around Melanie and said she wouldn't be surprised if Melanie was Carly's daughter. Victor was impatient with Vivian's plan to get revenge on Carly. "First, you think this Mia McCormick was her daughter. Then, all of a sudden, you don't think her daughter's in Salem at all. Now, it's Melanie. Who's next? Lexie Carver?" Victor asked mockingly. "These things take time," Vivian said.

Victor wanted to seek revenge on Carly himself and said he didn't need Vivian anymore. Victor wanted results. Vivian had an epiphany about how to get to the truth about whether Mia or Melanie was Carly's daughter.

At the DiMera mansion, Stefano was angry after finding out that E.J. had lied to him about the reason why he was selling his stocks at a loss. E.J. had said that he was trying to distance herself from the family and create a new identity for himself. Kate wondered why Stefano was surprised that E.J. lied. She told Stefano that he didn't know the real E.J. -- no one did.

Kate tried to explain to Stefano that E.J. had changed, but Stefano didn't want to hear it. He told Kate that E.J. had sold his stocks to use the money for ransom to pay the kidnappers in exchange for Sydney. Stefano was upset that E.J. hadn't told him about the ransom, because Stefano could have helped and Sydney would be home.

Kate tried to convince Stefano that E.J. wouldn't let Stefano have a relationship with Sydney, but Stefano was convinced that if Sydney had been returned unharmed, he and E.J. would have a chance at a relationship. Kate said she was trying to prepare Stefano for the reality that E.J. would never forgive Stefano.

Stefano asked if Kate gave up hope when her sons turned their backs on her. She said the situations were different. Stefano pointed out that Philip invited Kate to his wedding despite his earlier declaration that he was cutting her out of his life for poisoning Chloe. Kate acknowledged that she made inroads with Philip and Lucas, but she felt that her sons were more forgiving than E.J. Stefano thought that Kate was trying to say that E.J. was a pig. Stefano said that he and E.J. had a special bond that would never be broken.

Anna noticed that Sydney's fever was getting worse. She called E.J., but he rushed her off the phone and promised to call her back. Then he left the police station. Roman told Arianna that Troy blew her undercover operation, because whether people believed Troy or not, her cover was blown. Brady asked what happened next, and she answered for Roman. She said that she didn't complete her assignment, which meant she would be sent back to prison.

Roman told Brady and Arianna that there wasn't any news on her status, but he promised to inform her as soon as he heard anything. Brady tried to comfort her, by telling her not to worry. Arianna said that even if she got released, Troy's boss would know that she was working for the police and would be going after Arianna.

Brady told her that he would always protect her no matter what. She told him that he couldn't always be there. "Yeah, I can," he said. "What about tonight? You didn't protect me tonight, did you?" she said. Roman told Arianna that he was ordered to take her back to prison that night.

When he got home, E.J. phoned Anna, and she told him that Sydney' fever was worse. E.J. said he hadn't picked up the medicine yet and said he planned to pick some up later, but he had some medicine in his pocket and took it out and looked at it. Anna sensed something was bothering him and asked if E.J. was okay, and he said that he had just received some "unexpected news." "Give Sydney a kiss for me, will you?" He told Anna. E.J. turned around and saw Stefano standing behind him.

Stefano offered to help E.J. He said that his men would find Sydney a lot faster. He apologized for hurting E.J. but he said he did what he thought was best. E.J. said he was sorry too. E.J. said he was sorry that he and Stefano were estranged.

Stefano called E.J. a "smug son-of-a bitch" and told him to "go to hell." E.J. told Stefano to be careful what he said. Troy called E.J. from lockup and promised that he wouldn't tell anyone about their connection. E.J. promised that Troy would be safe as long as he was loyal.

"I'm sorry you found out about Nicole's secret. I'm sorry you decided to betray my trust by not telling me. I'm sorry that I may never see my precious little girl again, in large part to your machinations, and I am disgusted that you can stand here and profess your undying love and devotion to me. You have ruined my life," E.J. said.

Later, Stefano found the medicine that E.J. had bought for Sydney. It had fallen out of E.J.'s pocket without him realizing it. E.J. stood in the doorway while Stefano examined the medicine. "This is very interesting. Why do you have a medicine bottle for an infant?" Stefano asked.

Carly ran into Mia down at the docks, and Mia thought they had nothing more to say. "Actually we do," Carly said. Carly remembered meeting Mia for the first time on the docks and how receptive Mia was to Carly then. She wondered what changed. Mia said it was Carly wanting to move into Maggie's house. Carly realized that she had pushed too hard, and she promised never to bother Mia or Melanie again.

Maggie sat alone in the dark and was holding a picture of her and Mickey when Melanie returned home. She asked why Maggie was sitting in the dark. Maggie claimed she had just walked in. Melanie asked whether Maggie was supposed to be at work, but Maggie said that she had her staff so well trained that they could run the restaurant without her. Melanie offered to make Maggie some tea to help Maggie fall asleep. Maggie didn't want Melanie making a fuss over her, but Melanie said that Maggie was the closest thing Melanie would ever have to a "Mommy."

Melanie was preparing to take the tea upstairs to Maggie when there was a knock at the door. It was Vivian. She said she wanted to offer her condolences to Maggie over losing Mickey, but Melanie said that Maggie was in bed. Vivian asked where Mia was, and Melanie said that Mia wasn't home. Vivian wanted to talk about their previous conversation, and Melanie agreed to talk after she took the tea upstairs to Maggie.

Meanwhile, Gus called Vivian with good news -- Melanie was Carly's daughter. Melanie returned to the kitchen and overheard Vivian mentioning her name. Melanie asked whom Vivian was talking to about her.

Kate ran into Philip at the Java Caf and sought his permission to do something nice for Melanie. Kate wanted to take Melanie shopping for a wedding dress. Philip said that Kate was too late, because Vivian already found a wedding dress for her. Kate was shocked that Philip would allow that to happen.

He explained that he couldn't do anything to stop it. He said that Melanie didn't like Vivian at first, but at some point, that changed. Kate warned Philip that Vivian was "a dangerous, destructive woman." She said that if Philip allowed Vivian in Melanie's life, Philip was "even more stupid" than Kate thought he was.

"Even more stupid than you thought, huh?" Philip said. Kate told him not to take her words personally. She said she was just concerned and hurt. She reminded him of what Vivian had done to Kate and to Carly. She said that Vivian was nothing to Philip, yet he allowed Vivian to pick out Melanie's wedding dress. "Yeah, at least there's no brownies involved, no poisoned apples," he said. "Mother, weren't you all buddy-buddy with your future daughter-in-law, who you then tried to kill?" Philip asked.

Kate reminded him that there was no proof of those accusations. "Right, because your new charming husband got rid of the proof, but you know and I know that if history has anything to say about it, Melanie is a lot safer with Vivian than with you," he said.

Carly stopped by Bo's house to tell him that she offended Maggie and Mia, but she noticed that Bo was upset and asked what happened, but he didn't want to talk about it. Carly told him that they would get through whatever it was together. Meanwhile, Hope looked at the toy sailboat and thought of her life on the open sea with Bo. Hope threw the broken sailboat into the water.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

by Spalding

At Bo's house, Carly served snacks to Philip and Stephanie. While Philip went outside to check on Bo's progress with the grill, Carly and Melanie talked about the awkwardness of the evening. "It's a little weird. But it's not bad," Melanie said with a small smile on her face. "You're my mom and you're in my life and that's all that's good right?" Melanie said through tears. "I don't think I've ever been this happy," Carly countered. As Carly beamed at her daughter, a shot rang out and Melanie crumpled to the floor with a bullet in her back. Shocked, Carly turned to the doorway and saw Vivian walk into the house with a gun in her hand.

Carly awoke from her nightmare to the sounds of a knock at the front door. Still unnerved by her dream, Carly cautiously opened the door to find Justin standing on the porch. "This isn't right," Justin said. Carly noted that she was not living with Bo. Smirking, Justin argued that Carly's reason for returning to town was to steal Bo and that she was being indecent. "Couldn't you have just kept a lid on it?" Justin argued. Carly countered that they had not told Hope about the affair and that Hope had figured it out on her own.

Not swayed, Justin noted that Carly had no reason to be at Maggie's house after the memorial service for Mickey. "You give me one good reason why you went to that house and this conversation is over," Justin said. When Carly reiterated that she had gone over to Maggie's house to offer her condolences, Justin shook his head. "Bo leaves your bed to go to a grieving Hope and the next thing on your to do list is to offer condolences," Justin said sarcastically. "You always talk about how bad Lawrence was but I'm beginning to think that maybe living with you had something to do with it," Justin joked. Furious, Carly slapped Justin across the face.

"Do not make jokes," Carly said through gritted teeth. "Lawrence Alamain was a sick, depraved man," Carly said as she held back tears. Carly warned Justin not to blame her for Lawrence's cruelty. Justin theorized that Carly's life with Lawrence had changed her into a selfish person. Carly suggested that Justin was being hypocritical since he was interested in a romantic relationship with Hope. "Adrienne must be so proud to married to such a decent, caring jerk," Carly said venomously.

Justin clarified that although he had feelings for Hope, he had not acted on those feelings. Justin added that he did not mind that Carly had feelings for Bo, but he was critical of the fact that Carly had acted on her feelings. "What you and Bo have is not real. And what Bo and Hope has, is," Justin said. "So real that she took his kid and left their house?" Carly retorted. Carly reminded Justin that she was not the only reason that Bo and Hope's relationship was falling apart.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Philip asked Victor whether he was in love with Vivian. Surprised, Victor started to laugh and began to choke. "Do you think I'm non compos mentis?" Victor joked once he stopped coughing. "Well she has tried to kill people and I know how attractive you find that in women," Philip said with a grin. Philip asked Victor about Vivian's suggestion that she and Victor tag along on their honeymoon cruise. Victor assured Philip that he had no plans to join Philip and Melanie on their honeymoon.

While standing in Maggie's kitchen, Vivian took a phone call from Gus, informing her that Melanie's birthday was the same as Carly's daughter's. "Melanie..." Vivian said as Melanie walked into the kitchen behind her. "Were you just talking to someone on the phone about me?" Melanie asked. Thinking quickly, Vivian explained that she was working on a surprise for Melanie. "Why do you look so freaked out?" Melanie questioned. Smiling, Vivian offered to fix Melanie's necklace and wrapped her fingers around Melanie's throat.

Unnerved by the look on Vivian's face, Melanie backed away and asked Vivian to tell her what was wrong. Vivian admitted that she was feeling emotional and that she was charmed by Melanie. "For a second it looked like you wanted to kill me," Melanie joked. "Not you, honey," Vivian responded. Vivian fantasized about strangling Carly, then turned her attention back to Melanie. "Not you," Vivian said with a wide smile.

After Vivian had left, Maggie and Melanie drank a cup of tea in the kitchen and talked. When Melanie told Maggie that Vivian claimed to be offering her condolences to Maggie but that she felt like Vivian was actually there to visit Melanie instead, Maggie smiled. Maggie suggested that Kate's visit earlier seemed to be fueled by the same motive as Vivian's visit. "I guess that's better than trying to poison somebody," Melanie joked.

When Melanie admitted that she was concerned about Philip's relationship with Kate, Maggie warned her, "Don't try to fix things for Kate and Philip. 'Cause it won't work and you could end up getting hurt." Melanie agreed that Maggie was right, and she announced that if she started to feel warm toward Kate that she would think about Chloe's ordeal. Worried about Vivian's mannerisms during her visit, Melanie admitted that she feared there was something going on with Vivian.

While Melanie chattered about the "mommy wars" between Vivian and Kate, she noticed Maggie sagging in her chair. Melanie urged Maggie to get some rest, and Maggie headed upstairs. Philip stopped by to take Melanie to dinner, but she declined because she was worried about Maggie. Instead of going out, Melanie and Philip sat down and ate leftovers. Melanie told Philip about Vivian's visit earlier, which angered him. "She's so interested in me and my family and my background. I can't figure out why," Melanie said.

Sami was cleaning her apartment when she found an FBI sweatshirt of Rafe's. As Sami thought about the fight she had with Rafe, he silently walked through the front door. Rafe told Sami that he did not have any news about Sydney. Nodding slowly, Sami apologized for what she had said to Rafe earlier. Rafe told Sami that he was not upset, but Sami pressed on with her apology. "I wouldn't even know that Sydney was my daughter if it wasn't for you," Sami said.

"I was wrong," Sami continued. "I think you just told me what was in your heart," Rafe said quietly. "I'm a consultant. I can make suggestions, but I can't make decisions. You don't trust me," Rafe added sadly. Shaking her head vigorously, Sami disagreed and swore that she trusted Rafe. Rafe agreed that though Sami wanted to trust him, "deep down" she did not. Sami admitted she was scared because of the ransom letters and that she had been too frightened to tell Rafe.

"Maybe if you had told me then we'd have Sydney back right now. Instead we got to do it the DiMera way, and with the DiMera way, who the hell knows what's gonna happen? Well, you trust him more than you trust me," Rafe said. Sami cried out that if Sydney were not found then it would be her fault. Before Rafe could respond, there was a knock at the front door. Sami raced to answer it and was surprised to find Gabi standing in the hallway.

Gabi pleaded with Rafe to talk to her. Sami invited Gabi inside and then she went back to the bedroom to give the siblings privacy to talk. Gabi informed Rafe that Troy had attacked Arianna and that Arianna was going back to prison. Upset, Rafe ran out the front door with Gabi in tow. Sami returned to the living room to grab her phone, and she was surprised to find that Rafe had left. Furious, Sami grabbed her purse and phone and left the apartment in a huff.

In the DiMera living room, Stefano found a bottle of medicine for infants in E.J.'s coat pocket. When E.J. returned to the living room, Stefano asked his son why he was carrying the medication around. "You know where she is," Stefano said. E.J. denied that he knew where Sydney was being held. "I don't trust you," E.J. said to his father. Stefano argued that if E.J. refused to trust him that Stefano would tell Roman about the bottle of medicine that he found.

E.J. explained that the medicine was for Johnny, but Stefano did not believe him. "What's going on?" Sami asked suspiciously from the living room doorway. Quick to seize the moment, E.J. grabbed the medicine off of the desk and showed it to Sami. Much to Stefano's dismay, Sami noted that the medicine was Johnny's. When Stefano questioned why they were using medicine for infants, Sami explained that Johnny had choked on a pill the previous week and that they were using the dropper version as a precaution.

Stonewalled, Stefano slipped out of the room as Sami sullenly sat down on the couch. When Sami announced that she did not "want to be alone," E.J. swiftly crossed the room and sat down beside her. "Rafe and I aren't seeing eye to eye," Sami complained. "Maybe we should have told him earlier," E.J. wondered aloud. Frustrated, Sami disagreed and told E.J. that he was right. E.J. calmed Sami down and swore to her that they would hear from the kidnappers again.

E.J. told Sami that it was important to him that they work together to get Sydney home. E.J. offered to take the blame for lying to Rafe. "If you and Rafe break up because of this, that would be awful," E.J. said. E.J. slid his arm around Sami and promised that they would get Sydney back. From the hallway, Stefano watched E.J. and wondered aloud what his son was up to.

Down at the police station, Roman informed Arianna that she would have to go back to prison since her cover was blown. Brady begged Roman to help Arianna, but Arianna admitted that she knew al along that her return to prison was a possibility. Brady accused Roman of using Arianna, and Roman argued that Brady was talking out of anger. "This situation could get worse for both of you, do you understand that?" Roman asked. "I'm gonna be locked up with Nicole," Arianna said with a wry smile.

When Rafe arrived at the police station, he warned Roman that "this is not over." Roman asked Rafe whether he had any luck with his contacts, but frustrated, Rafe stormed out of the station without saying another word. Rafe headed to the docks to meet with his friend Tim. Rafe suggested that if the drug enforcement agency (DEA) agent did not let Arianna go based on her work trapping Troy, that he would make sure the news touted the failure of the undercover operation and how it almost got a young woman murdered.

"This dude is mean, vindictive, and loves to throw his weight around," Tim said. When Rafe asked if he would talk to the agent, Tim responded with a smile, "Can't wait." Rafe thanked Tim and then headed back to see Arianna.

Back at the police station, Brady swore to Arianna that he would call his grandfather, but she pleaded with him not to. Arianna explained that she was too prideful to ask Victor for help. Roman returned to inform Arianna that she had to return to Statesville immediately. Arianna said goodbye to Gabi as a police officer handcuffed her, and Brady swore he would not give up on Arianna. The police officer started to lead Arianna to the door when Roman intervened.

Roman explained that someone from the DEA had called to offer a stay for Arianna pending further investigation into her case. "I think Rafe happened. Whatever he did, I think it worked," Roman said with a grin on his face.

Down on the docks, Vivian looked over the paperwork that Gus had received regarding Melanie. "This is disturbing," Vivian mused. "There can be no doubt. Melanie Leighton is Dr. Manning's daughter," Gus announced. "I really thought that Carly's daughter would be someone I'd enjoy eliminating," Vivian said sadly. "I remember burying Carly. It was so satisfying at the time," Vivian said fondly. Gus reminded Vivian that she could not live in the past. Shaking her head, Vivian agreed with Gus and admitted that she would have to think of Lawrence. "Melanie is just a pawn on the board, and pawns were meant to be sacrificed," Vivian said.

Vivian returned to the Kiriakis mansion and showed Victor the proof that Melanie was Carly's daughter. "Mia is not Carly's daughter. Melanie Leighton is, and that's who Philip is going to marry," Vivian said annoyed. Victor warned Vivian to think seriously about whatever action she took and reminded her that he had banished Kate for hurting his godson. "Imagine how I would feel if you did anything, anything at all to hurt Philip," Victor said tersely. Vivian told Victor that he did not need to worry about Melanie because Vivian liked her. Vivian assured Victor that she would find another way to hurt Carly.

"If I promise not to kill Melanie, can I tell Carly that I did anyway?" Vivian asked hopefully. Vivian noted that by telling Carly that Melanie was dead that she would still accomplish her goal of making Carly feel the way she felt when Lawrence died. Rolling his eyes, Victor reminded Vivian of how badly things had gone when she buried Carly alive. Vivian lamented that she was back to square one. "Kill Carly. It's so anticlimactic," Vivian said with a sigh.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

by ChickenGrrl

Melanie was gazing dejectedly at her stained wedding dress in Maggie's kitchen when Maggie walked in. Maggie immediately got to work attempting to remove the stain, as Melanie related the story of how it had happened: Carly had spilled coffee on the dress while warning Melanie that Vivian was a horrible, sadistic woman. When Melanie described her supposedly witty retort, Maggie gently admonished her for being rude. Melanie agreed to make an effort to be polite and tolerant in the future, no matter how uncomfortable Carly's unwanted attention might make her.

A deliveryman arrived with some boxes of Mickey's things from his office, and Maggie did her best not to burst into tears. After the man had gone, Melanie helped Maggie unpack them. Melanie found a heart-shaped box inside one, with a card addressed to "Red." Reading the anniversary card aloud, Maggie became emotional as she realized that Mickey had intended to give it to her on their cruise. She then opened the box, which contained the season tickets to the ballet that she'd hinted for. Knowing she wouldn't be able to bear going without Mickey, Maggie offered them to Melanie. When Melanie politely declined, Maggie decided to donate the tickets to the hospital charity. Her altruism impressed Melanie.

After Melanie left to drop off some of Mickey's things at the homeless shelter, Maggie opened a box marked "Christmas gifts." As she removed the presents from Mickey's coworkers, she uncovered a bottle of Scotch. She lifted it out slowly, and carried it over to the sink to pour it out-but then stopped before she'd finished unscrewing the cap. She looked across the room at a picture of her and Mickey, and gazed at it for a long moment, as she held the bottle to her chest, before picking up a glass from the drainboard.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Vivian fantasized aloud about all the cruel ways in which she could exact her revenge on Carly. Victor irritably cut her off by declaring, "I don't give a damn about avenging your nephew!" He maintained that the only thing he cared about was removing Carly from Bo's life-permanently, and soon. Vivian protested that she had to come up with a new plan, since she could no longer go after Melanie. Victor reminded her that as Philip's fiance, Melanie was to remain off-limits.

Later, Vivian was alone in the parlor, gleefully imagining hacking Carly into tiny pieces with a meat cleaver. She groaned in pain, then took some ice out of the ice bucket, wrapped it in a napkin, and placed it on her aching head. As she lay back on the sofa, a vision of Lawrence appeared before her. She embraced her nephew, relieved for the chance to tell him goodbye. "This isn't a dream, you know," Lawrence told her. "It's a warning-about Carly." He stated that if Vivian loved him, she would forget about Carly.

Vivian was bewildered that Lawrence seemed to want Carly to get away with murdering him. Lawrence was grateful to Vivian for trying to avenge his murder, but he asserted that death would not cause Carly nearly enough suffering. "Make it happen, Auntie," he demanded sweetly. "Make Carly suffer every day of her miserable life!" He implored Vivian to reconsider her plan to destroy Carly's "bastard" daughter.

"Do you really want that classless, shallow girl flouncing through this house-while Carly follows me around, making me miserable for all eternity?" Lawrence wondered pointedly. Vivian admitted that perhaps Melanie was expendable. Lawrence assured her that Philip would quickly find another "unworthy slut" to replace Melanie. "Yes, I think it's a perfect plan," Vivian conceded. "Better for everyone if Melanie Layton dies." Lawrence's image evaporated. Vivian unwrapped the ice cubes and looked at them contemplatively. "Now, that's what I call an inspiring dream!" she proclaimed.

Bo was surprised to find Rafe sitting at a computer in the police station at such an early hour. Rafe admitted he'd never gone home, because he'd been reviewing the evidence in Sydney's kidnapping while waiting for the forensics report on the ransom notes. Bo urged Rafe to go home and be with Sami, but Rafe didn't think Sami wanted to see him. Rafe explained that Sami blamed him for the bungled ransom drop, and had started to lean on E.J. Bo thought that was a bad idea. An officer delivered the forensics report, which Bo and Rafe then read together. The results infuriated Rafe, and he stormed out of the station.

When Justin joined Hope for breakfast at the Brady Pub, he spotted Carly at the bar and suggested to Hope that they go elsewhere. "This is my family's pub," Hope replied. "I'm not going anywhere." Carly overheard, ordered her coffee to go, and then left. Justin noted with chagrin that Carly was a completely different person from the woman he'd known. Hope wanted to know what he meant, and was concerned for Ciara's sake, but Justin's ringing cell phone interrupted them before he could explain. Hope assured Justin that she understood, and dashed out.

Carly called Bo from the pier, and asked if he would meet her at the Java Caf instead of the pub. As Carly hung up, Hope approached her and stated calmly that they needed to talk. Carly concurred, so Hope declared, "This isn't a game. You hurt my husband, you will answer to me." Carly pointed out that Hope had walked out on Bo and taken Ciara with her, despite the obvious pain it had caused him. Hope contended that Bo was oblivious that the supposedly kind woman he'd once known had become a cold-blooded killer. "Whatever secrets-or should I say baggage-you're dragging into my husband's life, it had better not hurt my daughter," Hope warned. "Or Bo, for that matter."

An aggravated Carly noted that during the time she had spent with Bo and Shawn-Douglas after Hope had been presumed dead, she had believed that Hope must have been an amazing woman to have raised such a beautiful little boy, and to have meant so much to Bo. "You want to talk about what someone's become, you need to do it with someone else," Carly concluded. "Because what you've become?" Exasperated, Carly started to walk away without finishing the though, but Hope grabbed her arm. "Don't you dare walk away from me," Hope hissed.

Just then, Bo arrived, and demanded to know what was going on. Sidestepping the question, Hope quietly asked Bo if she could speak to him alone. Bo replied that if it wasn't about Ciara, they had nothing to say to each other that needed to be in private. Hope gave up, but expressed her gratitude to Carly for being there for Shawn. "You could have had Bo then," Hope continued. "But instead, you ran off with Lawrence, so you could have all that money. You chose money over love." Bo shook his head in disgust, and then led Carly away. Hope's eyes filled with tears as she watched them leave together. "And I have nothing," she whispered.

As they arrived at the Bradys' house, Bo asked Carly what Hope had said to her. Carly wouldn't answer, believing that Hope was understandably angry and jealous. Bo offered to talk to Hope, but Carly pointed out, "Hope is the least of my worries." She wished aloud that she could tell Hope and Justin that Melanie was the real reason for Carly's return to Salem, then noticed that Bo wasn't really listening. "Go talk to her," Carly urged. Bo reminded her that he'd tried that, but he and Hope apparently had nothing left to say to each other. "Besides," he added, putting his arms around Carly, "I'm right where I want to be."

E.J. called the cabin to let Anna know he was running late. She informed him that Sydney no longer seemed to be running a fever, but the child had been asking for her "Dada." E.J. quickly hung up when Sami arrived at the mansion. Clearly upset, Sami confessed that she was beginning to forget what Sydney looked like. She declared that every decision she had made since Sydney's kidnapping had been wrong -- and she still regretted lying to E.J. about Sydney's very existence. E.J. tried to reassure her that he understood. Sami hoped that E.J. could forgive her some day, because she knew he was a great father.

E.J. found an album of Sydney's photos for Sami to look at, but the pictures made her worry that her daughter would be scarred for life by the kidnapping. E.J. promised that Sydney would be all right, but Sami was skeptical. E.J. disclosed that he had numerous operatives looking for Sydney in places even the FBI didn't know about. Sami calmed a little, because she knew that E.J. always kept his promises.

When Rafe barged in, he was stunned to find Sami there, looking through Sydney's baby pictures with E.J. Rafe angrily informed the two of them that the lab had found DNA and fingerprints on the ransom notes from a single contributor: E.J. Because E.J. had decided to keep the FBI out of the loop, Rafe continued, it prevented them from being able to find evidence from the actual kidnapper -- which meant they had nothing. A distressed Sami asked in disbelief, "What can we do?" Somewhat flippantly, Rafe replied, "We can pray."

Sami hotly reminded Rafe that when they'd agreed to do things his way, he'd blown the ransom drop. E.J. stated that he had already given the ransom notes to his own forensic team, and they had found nothing, because the kidnapper was obviously "untraceable." "The FBI may be at a loss," E.J. declared, "but my men are working day and night, and we will find Sydney." He left the room.

Rafe assured Sami that there would be more leads, because the ransom notes proved the kidnapper didn't intend to keep Sydney. Sami was dubious. She then asked why Rafe hadn't returned home the night before. He told her that he'd spent the night at the police station, going over all the evidence again. Sami admitted that she had been worried, since he'd disappeared before. Rafe scoffed. "Didn't look like you needed me this morning," he retorted sarcastically, noting Sami and E.J.'s closeness when he'd arrived.

While Rafe and Sami quarreled noisily in the living room, E.J. was on the phone with Anna in the foyer. Anna heard the shouting in the background, and declared with a chuckle that it sounded like Armageddon. E.J. replied, "Someone's world is certainly coming to an end." Without divulging more, he assured Anna that their plans were "moving along very nicely."

Meanwhile, Sami was contending that if she'd been stuck in the safe house with any other FBI agent besides Rafe, she would never have been able to keep the truth from E.J., and Nicole couldn't have switched the babies. "And then none of this would have happened!" she concluded. Rafe asked if that meant she wished she'd never met him. "Rafe, I just want her back," Sami declared tearfully. "And you keep telling me that it's gonna happen -- and you know what? It hasn't." Fighting back sobs, she grabbed her coat and left, while a smug E.J. watched.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

by LaDaisia

Maggie thought about calling her sponsor, because she was tempted to drink the Scotch that Mickey had intended to give someone as a Christmas gift. She grabbed a glass and opened the bottle.

Nathan and Stephanie made plans to go dancing. They started kissing, but Melanie called and interrupted them. Stephanie thought that it was a bad idea that Stephanie and Nathan were keeping Melanie and Philip in the dark about their relationship, because Melanie deserved to know. Stephanie had noticed that Nathan got "awkward" anytime that Melanie's name came up. Nathan said he was fine with Stephanie telling Melanie.

Melanie vented to Stephanie about all the complications of planning her wedding. Stephanie suggested that Melanie was rushing the wedding, and she proposed that Melanie postpone the nuptials until later in the year. Melanie wasn't interested in waiting to get married. She felt guilty for talking about Philip to Stephanie since Stephanie and Philip had been engaged. Stephanie told Melanie not to feel guilty, because Stephanie had realized that Stephanie and Philip weren't meant to be.

Melanie asked how Nathan was doing, and Stephanie started to tell her about Stephanie and Nathan, but Stephanie's cell phone's alarm alerted her that she had a meeting to go to.

At the hospital, Daniel was impressed with Chloe's work ethic. They were happy that they were working together so that they could spend more time together. They made plans to meet up later during his break. He saw Carly and demanded to talk to her. Carly regretted losing her cool with Vivian. Carly thought that Vivian was winning Melanie over, but Daniel believed that Melanie would see through Vivian.

Daniel encouraged Carly to stop blaming herself about the way she handled her interaction with Vivian around Melanie. They talked about Daniel's late wife, Rebecca, and how much he missed her. Carly asked when Chloe and Daniel were getting married. He said they hadn't set a date. Carly asked when they planned to start a family, and she regretted asking the question as soon as she asked it. He wasn't fazed by it though. He said they would start a family some day.

Arianna, looking for Rafe, stopped by Sami's place, but he wasn't there. Arianna told Sami that Rafe "saved" Arianna by preventing Arianna from going to jail. Sami wished that Rafe would do the same for Sydney. Arianna said she was about to go to prison. Sami asked why, but Arianna wasn't comfortable sharing that with Sami. She told Sami to ask Rafe to explain it, but Sami knew that Rafe was too upset with her to share the information. Sami demanded that Arianna explain what Rafe was keeping from Sami.

At the DiMera mansion, Rafe still had no leads on who took Sydney. E.J. was surprised that Rafe was still at the mansion. Before Rafe left, E.J. offered to help Rafe with Sami, because E.J. felt that he understood Sami better than Rafe did, especially where Sydney was concerned. E.J. said that intellectually, he knew it was unfair to blame Rafe that Sydney was not home, but in E.J.'s heart, E.J. did blame Rafe and so did Sami.

Rafe said he didn't need E.J. to tell him how Sami felt, because Rafe and Sami had a special connection. After Rafe left, Anna called E.J. to check on how things were going, and E.J. was practically glowing with joy. "Things are going great, just great," he said. He told her that the FBI didn't get any evidence from the ransom notes that Anna had sent him. He also said that Sami was upset and blamed Rafe.

Rafe returned home to Sami's place to find Sami and Arianna. Arianna explained that she wanted to thank him, but she knew that he and Sami needed to talk, so she left. Sami was upset with Rafe for not telling her that Arianna was dealing drugs out of the Brady Pub. He said that he had only found out recently, but since she was working undercover, he didn't feel it was her place. Sami felt that Rafe was being hypocritical for keeping that a secret and yet being mad at Sami for keeping the ransom notes a secret.

Rafe said that two situations didn't compare. "Yeah, you're right. If I hadn't told you my secret, I would have my daughter back," Sami said. Rafe realized that they wouldn't agree about how they should have handled the ransom note. Sami said that she loved Rafe, "but I can't do this."

Rafe said that he would have his second in command take over Sydney's case. "I wasn't talking about who's in charge, Rafe," she said. "Neither was I," he said. He said he would pack his belongings. It hit Sami that Rafe was moving out, and she broke down into tears. Rafe and Sami looked at each other as Rafe headed towards the door with his bag.

Nathan went to Maggie's house and noticed the empty bottle of Scotch on the counter. Maggie entered the kitchen and told him that she didn't drink it. He apologized for thinking that she did. Maggie said that he was right to suspect that she did, because she struggled internally about her alcoholism for years. Maggie regretted not going upstairs to check on Mickey sooner to help Mickey pack the day that he died. She thought that she might have been able to save his life. Maggie broke down into tears in Nathan's arms.

Daniel stopped by the pub and asked how Melanie was doing. Melanie complained about how Carly ruined Melanie's wedding dress. Daniel explained that Carly was sorry about what happened. Melanie asked if Daniel could explain why Carly was "such a crazy person." Daniel chastised Melanie and said that Carly wasn't "a crazy person" -- she was a caring person who deserved Melanie's respect.

Vivian was someone who didn't deserve Melanie's respect or time, Daniel said. He explained that Carly was trying to help Melanie when she confronted Vivian about getting close to Melanie. Melanie felt that Carly had been "acting funny" about Melanie's plan to marry Philip. Daniel wondered if Melanie was sure about marrying Philip since she had dated Nathan not too long before. Melanie got defensive and told him that she was wearing Philip's ring, and she didn't want Daniel's opinion.

Anna told E.J. that Sydney was feeling better, so E.J. didn't need to deliver any medicine. E.J. said he needed to be careful anyway about traveling to the cabin where Anna had Sydney. Arianna stopped by to thank him for saving her life. She set her purse and cell phone down on the table in the foyer next to E.J.'s cell phone. He said that she didn't need to thank him.

Arianna also told him that she had been working undercover for the DEA. E.J. congratulated her for cracking the drug cartel, but she said she hadn't -- the ringleader was still on the loose -- and she was worried about it. She assured him that she could take care of herself, but she thanked him again and decided to leave.

Before Arianna left, E.J. showed Sydney's photo album to Arianna. Harold, the butler, told E.J. that he had a call from Berlin. E.J. excused himself, and Arianna heard a cell phone ring. She picked up E.J.'s phone by mistake. "Hi, it's Anna. What can I say, willpower's out the window. Go ahead and bring the chocolates whenever it's safe," Anna told Arianna by mistake.

At the hospital, Carly and Chloe talked about a girl who was a patient at the hospital. Chloe wanted to have a little girl with Daniel, and as she talked about it, Carly got choked up. Carly said she knew that Chloe was told she wouldn't be able to conceive. Chloe asked her not to mention their conversation to Daniel, because she didn't want him to worry about it. Chloe was determined to make her dream of having a baby with Daniel come true.

Maggie planned to go next door to thank her neighbor for giving Maggie food when Mickey died. Nathan wanted to go with her, but Maggie asked him to go upstairs and look through some of Mickey's things that Maggie had set aside for Nathan. He hugged her and promised to wait for her to get back. Melanie overheard their conversation and told him what a wonderful person he was.

Nathan thanked her, but he didn't think they had anything to talk about. Melanie got upset and stormed out. She walked to the dock and thought about when Nathan had kissed her. "What are you doing? What are you doing? You're getting married," she said, hitting the metal railing in frustration. Carly walked by and noticed Melanie wincing in pain and offered to look at her hand. Melanie didn't want Carly touching her, but Carly insisted she examine Melanie's hand.

Melanie allowed Carly to look at Melanie's hand. Carly determined that Melanie's hand wasn't broken, but Melanie had a bone bruise. Melanie couldn't understand why Carly was always kind towards Melanie even though Melanie had never been nice to Carly. Melanie asked Carly to explain why Melanie meant so much to Carly. Carly asked if Melanie could keep a secret.

Chloe met with Daniel at the pub and said she had something to tell him. She started telling him about the patient at the hospital when she noticed an envelope on the table that Daniel addressed to Chloe. He had bought opera tickets for her. She was excited about seeing the opera in Chicago, especially since the show was sold out for months. Daniel joked that he was disappointed, because she didn't understand how amazing he was. She agreed with him. He could tell that something was bothering her, but she said she didn't want to talk about it yet.

Maggie returned home. She looked at the picture of herself and Mickey and wondered what she would do without him.

Stephanie told Nathan that she had a chance to talk to Melanie. He said he talked to Melanie too, but he didn't tell Melanie about him and Stephanie. Stephanie admitted that she didn't tell Melanie, either, because it didn't seem right. Stephanie didn't want bad feelings to surface every time she and Melanie spent time together. Nathan said that Melanie was bound to find out about them. "Maybe not," Stephanie said.

Stephanie said that they could keep their romance a secret until after Melanie and Philip got married, because after that, it wouldn't matter anymore. Once Melanie and Philip got married, they planned to honeymoon for about six months, anyway, Stephanie pointed out.

Friday, January 29, 2010

by ChickenGrrl

In the DiMera mansion foyer, Arianna picked up E.J.'s ringing cell phone. Before Arianna even spoke, Anna blurted, "Hi, it's Anna." She then asked E.J. to take the aforementioned chocolates to her as soon as it was safe. "Hello?" asked a bemused Arianna. "Do I know you?" Anna hung up abruptly. Arianna frowned at the phone in confusion, just as E.J. returned to the foyer. "What exactly were you doing with my telephone?" he demanded suspiciously, and accused Arianna of spying on him.

Meanwhile, Anna fretted to Sydney, "I think Auntie Anna just made a huge mistake! Did I just blow it for all of us?"

"I thought that was my phone," Arianna explained, demonstrating that her phone and his, which had both been on the entry table, were identical. Chuckling, E.J. admitted that he was a little paranoid. Arianna asked with a sly grin if he were hiding something. E.J. snapped that his cell phone was the only way he had of getting news about his daughter. Arianna understood why he was so edgy, and E.J. apologized sincerely.

"Now that we're friends again... Who's Anna?" Arianna asked. E.J. wanted to know what Anna had said, and guessed that she'd hung up because she'd thought she called the wrong number. After some prodding from Arianna, who seemed to sense that he was stalling while he thought up an answer, E.J. explained that Anna was his late brother's widow.

"She also said to come when it's safe," Arianna noted. "Why would she say that?" Stammering, E.J. claimed that Anna simply didn't want Stefano to know that she was in town to take care of some of Tony's business dealings, because she hated Stefano, whom she believed had betrayed Tony and caused Tony's death. Arianna voiced her suspicions that there was more going on than E.J. was telling her, and E.J. blew up at her.

After urging him to calm down, Arianna clarified that she'd seen the pain in his eyes, and guessed that Stefano had betrayed E.J. like he had Tony. E.J. quietly admitted, "Yes, he has. If he'd told me the truth about my child, this whole nightmare would never have started." Arianna hoped that E.J. got Sydney home soon. Before Arianna left, E.J. asked her not to tell anyone that Anna was in town, so as not to cause friction with Stefano. She agreed.

As soon as Arianna had gone, E.J. called Anna and excoriated her for identifying herself to Rafe's sister. "How about you stop being so mean and nasty, and tell me how we're going to fix this?" Anna retorted. "Don't you worry about Arianna Hernandez," E.J. assured her coldly. "I'll take care of her."

At the townhouse, Rafe slung a duffel bag over his shoulder and told Sami that he'd get the rest of his stuff the next day. Sami stopped him as he opened the door to leave, and told him that she had something for him. She opened a drawer and removed a St. Anne's medal, a gift from Sister Theresa while Sami was pregnant with Sydney, and stated softly that looking at it gave her hope. She wanted Rafe to have it, because she felt that he needed it more than she did right then.

As Sami closed his fingers around the medallion, Rafe tried to decline, but she insisted. She apologized for the hurtful things she'd said to him in the heat of the moment, especially because she would not even have Sydney without him. "We're bonded forever because of our love for Grace," Sami told him. "And for Sydney." He finally consented to keep the medallion, but vowed, "I'm not going to rest until I find Sydney. Not until I bring her home safe and sound to you." He hoped when he did that, things might be different for the two of them.

Sami and Rafe acknowledged that each thought the other had been wrong in the handling of the ransom drop. Sami added tearfully that she had believed in her heart that she'd been doing the right thing for Sydney by not telling Rafe about the ransom notes-and she knew he believed the same thing. "I gotta go," was Rafe's terse reply, and after he left, Sami broke down sobbing.

At the police station, Brady told Roman that he had been trying unsuccessfully to reach Arianna for the past couple of hours. Brady was worried, because he feared the head of the drug cartel had learned about Arianna's undercover work. An annoyed Roman firmly reassured Brady that someone was watching Arianna at all times, and urged Brady to settle down. "I'm not going to settle down!" declared Brady. "I'm going to find her-myself." He stalked out.

Rafe arrived at the station and asked Roman if the higher-ups still wanted to send Arianna back to prison, but Roman had no news. Roman then admitted that he would have done the same thing Rafe had done with the ransom drop. "Even if it meant losing the woman you love?" Rafe wondered. Roman was saddened to hear that Rafe had moved out of the townhouse, and Rafe was sorry that Sami had to go through the kidnapping ordeal all alone. Roman tried to reassure Rafe that Sami had her family. "And E.J.," Rafe noted gloomily.

Sami sat dejectedly on the sofa, contemplating her cell phone, but there was a knock at the door before she could dial. She rushed to answer it, and tried not to show her displeasure when she saw Brady on the doorstep. Brady apologized for upsetting Sami by testifying for Nicole, but Sami just wanted to know why he was there. Brady told her that he hoped Rafe knew where Arianna was.

Sami reluctantly informed Brady that Rafe had moved out, and caught Brady up about the botched ransom drop. Brady acknowledged that both Rafe and Sami had good reasons to be upset, but urged her to try to work things out. "How am I supposed to do that?" Sami demanded, voice quavering. "There's just too much resentment. We betrayed each other's trust-and not about something stupid, about our daughter-about a child. And she's still lost. How am I supposed to get over that?"

After Brady left, Sami pulled on her Chicago Bears baseball cap, and recalled Rafe giving it to her while she was in witness protection. She curled up with a blanket clutched to her chest, and her eyes filled with tears.

As Rafe walked past the pub, E.J. called out to him. Feigning concern, E.J. asked if the bag Rafe was carrying meant that he'd moved out of Samantha's. Rafe refused to answer, and walked off.

When Brady finally found Arianna in her room above the Brady Pub, she admitted that she'd been at E.J.'s to thank him for saving her life. Brady exhorted her not to get involved with the DiMeras. Arianna insisted she wasn't, and changed the subject to ask how Sami was doing. Brady sadly informed her that Rafe and Sami had broken up, probably for good.

On the pier, Melanie assured Carly that she could keep a secret. "Good," Carly replied. "'Cause it's time you knew the truth." Carly asked if they could talk someplace more private, so Melanie offered Maggie's house, since no one was supposed to be home.

Maggie's kitchen was dark when Melanie and Carly arrived. After Melanie proved that no one else was there by shouting, "Anyone home?" through the empty house, Carly insisted on putting ice on Melanie's injured hand. "Dr. Manning, we didn't come here to talk about my hand," Melanie pointed out. "What's your big secret, and what does it have to do with me?"

Holding the ice pack to Melanie's hand, Carly acknowledged that it was difficult to talk about. "Many years ago, I had a daughter," Carly finally stated. Carly added that not many people in Salem knew about it, and she hoped that Melanie's admittedly low opinion of her would improve after Carly had a chance to explain. Melanie agreed to listen, and asked where Carly's daughter was. "I want nothing more than to be with her," Carly assured her.

"I didn't get to have a mommy," Melanie admitted. "Sometimes I wouldn't care if she was a monster, as long as she was around." Carly was glad that Melanie had Maggie in her life. Melanie joked that she had too many mothers fighting over her-but stopped Carly before she could issue any more dire warnings about Vivian. Carly rose to leave, but Melanie stopped her, and demanded to hear the rest of the story.

Carly revealed, "Shortly after I gave birth to my daughter, I lost her." A sympathetic Melanie immediately assumed that Carly's baby had died, and that was why Carly had bonded with Mia. Melanie apologized earnestly for the way she'd treated Carly. Fighting back tears, Carly insisted, "I completely understand why you looked at me so strangely, why you felt like I was intruding in your life."

Melanie confided that, much like how Maggie was always urging her to take the high road, Daniel had pointed out that perhaps Melanie was being a bit too judgmental about Carly. Carly was just relieved that the two of them had a chance to start over. Melanie asked if Carly thought about her daughter. "All the time," Carly choked tearfully, but managed to compose herself. She confessed that she and her only child, Nicholas, weren't getting along very well.

Melanie's eyes filled with tears as she asked, "So, you're kind of all alone in the world, huh?" She asked if Bo had been the reason Carly had returned to Salem. Carly assured her that he wasn't; Salem had just always felt like her home. Melanie agreed that it did to her, too, and then confided that she didn't really like Vivian, and describd her phoniness as "sincerity-challenged." The two of them shared a chuckle.

As Carly started to leave, Melanie promised to stop by the hospital to have her hand checked out while Carly was working the next day. A relieved Carly allowed herself a small, hopeful smile as she walked back out into the cold night.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Vivian excitedly announced that she'd had an epiphany about what to do with Carly. She explained to an impatient Victor that she was returning to her original plan, which was to "obliterate [Carly's] bastard child." Victor reminded her irritably that said child, Melanie, was his son's fiance, and asked what had happened to Vivian's affection for the girl. Vivian claimed that she'd faked the whole thing, but Victor didn't buy it for a second. "What made you change your mind about Melanie?" he demanded. "Who got to you?"

"Lawrence," Vivian replied sheepishly. Victor pointed out that her nephew was dead, and accused her of having "gone bonkers." Vivian assured him that Lawrence had only visited her in a dream, to remind her of her original goal: to make Carly suffer by eliminating her daughter. A livid Victor adamantly ordered Vivian to stay away from his future daughter-in-law. "You are not to lay a finger on Melanie Layton. Is that clear?" Vivian threw up her hands, conceding, "Fine; whatever you want." After Victor stalked out of the room, Vivian quietly called Gus and asked him to meet her immediately.

Soon, Gus found Vivian shivering on the pier and informed her that he'd been able to track down her request. Vivian told him that they had to be a bit more discreet about their plan, because Victor had put his foot down. "But, accidents happen, don't they?" Vivian noted gleefully. "And Carly will be there to see this one."