At the hospital, Julie noticed that something was bothering Nathan. She asked what it was, and he said it was Melanie. Julie thought that his relationship with Melanie was over, because he had been with Stephanie at Christmas, but Nathan said that Stephanie was just a friend.
Nathan admitted to having a tough time letting Melanie go. Julie told Nathan to get over it, because Melanie had planned to marry Philip. As far as Nathan was concerned, Melanie was making a big mistake. Julie received a call from Hope, telling her of Mickey's passing. Hope asked where Nathan was, and Julie told her that she would inform him of Mickey's death.
Maggie was in the middle of cleaning when she received a delayed text message from Mickey. "So glad u talked me into this trip. Love u," the message read. "I love you too," Maggie said. She sat down, clutching the phone to her chest, and stared at Mickey's picture.
Julie and Nathan stopped by Maggie's house to see how Maggie was doing. Julie asked if her children and grandchildren would be in town, and Maggie said they would. Julie asked if Alice had been informed yet, and Maggie said that Hope was handling that. Maggie was Julie's main concern, and Julie asked for details on how Maggie had discovered Mickey was dead. Maggie explained how she tried to do CPR on Mickey, to no avail.
Nathan called his mother to talk to her about Mickey's passing. He noticed a note that Melanie had left telling Maggie that Melanie was going to Las Vegas to marry Philip. Nathan wished he had been at home when Mickey had passed away, and thought that there might have been something he could have done. Julie told him not to think like that. She suggested that Nathan move back in with Maggie.
Victor chastised Brady for helping Nicole get a reduced sentence. "I don't know which is worse, dating a drug dealer or begging for mercy for my baby-stealing slut of an ex-wife," Victor said. Victor couldn't believe that Brady had helped Nicole get leniency. Victor asked when Brady would learn that Nicole was a "whore" who tried to murder Victor.
Brady said that he had changed because of people like Victor who had given him a second chance. Brady defended his actions by explaining that Nicole was suffering. "You know, I think I liked you better when you were high," Victor said. Brady said that Victor was sounding like a recording. "Chloe's a slut, Arianna's a drug dealer, Nicole's a bitch," Brady said. Victor didn't care. He said that Brady had bad taste in women. Brady pointed out that Victor was living with Vivian. "That's not bad taste, granddad, that's nuts," Brady said.
Vivian received word that the documents detailing the birth of Carly's daughter were finally legible. "Once we find out who the little bastard is that Carly brought into the world, we can start making her worst nightmares come true," Vivian said.
At the Java Café, Vivian overheard Philip talking about eloping with Melanie, and she asked him about it. Vivian didn't understand why Philip wanted to elope when she had offered to throw him and Melanie a lavish wedding. Philip said that Vivian wasn't a part of his life. Vivian pretended to accept his decision and told him to go to Las Vegas and have a wonderful time. Philip was suspicious.
Vivian said that she was on Philip's side. She just wanted to have a warm relationship with the "little boy I carried in my tummy all those years ago." Vivian said that she had no agenda -- she just wanted to see him happy. She encouraged him to elope with Melanie but asked him to send her a picture of him and Melanie. Vivian asked for one favor before he left.
Philip wasn't surprised that Vivian had asked him for a favor. Vivian said she didn't want anything from him -- she just wanted to give him an antique brooch that Victor had given to Vivian a long time before. She wanted Philip to give it to Melanie to wear when they eloped. Philip agreed.
Carly was grateful that Bo was there for her after Vivian had trapped her in an elevator. Bo grabbed Carly and kissed her passionately. Carly started to wonder what would have happened if Hope hadn't returned and Lawrence had not swept her off her feet. Bo said all that mattered was that they were together. Carly stopped herself from sleeping with Bo, because things were moving fast. Bo asked if she was afraid that he would regret having sex with her, and she said, "yes."
Bo told Carly to leave the "outside world outside." He said for him and Carly at that moment, it felt right. Carly agreed. They began making love. Carly started to voice her regret, but Bo asked her to do him a favor, "Stay with us."
At the Brady Pub, Troy asked the man he had hired to kill Arianna if he had gotten a silencer, because he was eager to have her killed. Melanie stopped by to show Arianna the wedding dress. Arianna was still upset that Brady had spoken on Nicole's behalf at the sentencing. Melanie advised Arianna to let the situation with Nicole go.
Arianna gave Melanie a handkerchief as "something blue" for her wedding. Melanie's vintage gown would be considered old and new, since it was new to Melanie. For "something borrowed," she planned to stop by Maggie's house to borrow some costume jewelry. She assumed that Mickey and Maggie would be on their cruise already.
Troy learned that the hit man had bought a silencer, and Troy told the hit man to wait until Troy contacted him. Meanwhile, Brady told Arianna that any obligation he felt towards Nicole was over. "Who are you kidding?" she said. Brady insisted that Nicole was out of his life permanently, but Arianna said that after what he had done for Nicole at the hearing, it was hard for Arianna to believe that.
Arianna told Brady that she wanted to try again with him. Arianna asked Brady to put her drug operation on hold and focus on them as a couple. Troy watched Arianna from the window and told the hit man that she would soon be dead.
Doug encouraged Julie to rest, but she couldn't -- her mind was still in shock. Melanie stopped by Maggie's house. When she walked in, she said, "Nice welcome. Who died?" Maggie ran out of the room, crying. Melanie went to the kitchen and apologized to Maggie for being insensitive. Melanie asked for her forgiveness. Maggie said she wasn't upset with Melanie, because she knew that Melanie had a "caring heart."
Melanie said that Maggie and Mickey had made Melanie believe that it was possible to love someone for a long time and still be crazy about one another. Melanie asked when Mickey had died. Maggie explained that it had happened "a little while ago." Melanie talked about how Mickey had always asked Melanie how nursing school was going. Maggie said that Mickey had "thought the world" of Melanie, and that Melanie had made Mickey laugh.
Melanie said that Maggie and Mickey were like the parents Melanie had always dreamed she would have when Melanie was growing up. She said that if her marriage to Philip were half as good as Maggie and Mickey's, Melanie would be fine. Melanie apologized for talking about Philip, because Maggie had just lost the love of her life. Maggie said it felt good to hear about happy things. Melanie said that if anyone was lucky enough to have what Maggie and Mickey had, they would be "so lucky."
Maggie said she had married her best friend. Maggie asked why Melanie wasn't at the airport. Melanie didn't feel like it was important for her to go off to elope while Maggie was mourning her loss. Maggie appreciated Melanie's sensitivity, but she encouraged Melanie to go get married.
Nathan entered the room after Maggie left and told Melanie that she had really helped Maggie feel better. Nathan reminded Melanie that she had to leave. He asked if she still planned to go on an extra-long honeymoon, but she didn't feel it would be right after all that had happened with Maggie. Nathan told Melanie that he would miss her. Maggie grabbed her purse and dropped the embroidered handkerchief on the floor. They both tried to pick it up and touched hands.
Vivian returned home to the Kiriakis mansion and told Victor that she had found more details about the baby that Carly had given birth to. Vivian showed Victor the latest report on Carly's baby. Victor wanted to know how soon they could break Carly and stop her from getting her "filthy claws" into Bo. It seemed to be too late, because Bo and Carly had already made love. Carly told Bo that she loved him.
Victor and Vivian could tell from the documents that Carly's child was a girl. Vivian said that Carly would know how it felt to "lose someone you love."
Doug and Julie left Maggie's house and promised to return "soon." Maggie walked over to her phone to look at Mickey's text and found that it had been deleted. She broke down into tears.
Philip tried to reach Melanie on the phone, but her phone was shut off, so he decided to go to Maggie's house to look for her.
After Carly and Bo made love, Carly told Bo that she loved him. Before Bo could respond, his cell phone began to ring. Worried that it might be important, Bo grabbed his phone and noted aloud that Hope was calling. Bo started to let the call go to voicemail, but Carly encouraged Bo to answer the call in case it was about Ciara. Hope was on the phone and was holding back tears; she asked Bo where he was.
Bo looked sheepishly at Carly as Hope went on to explain that Mickey had died. Bo offered to go visit Maggie, and Hope asked him to pick her up at the pub so that she could inform the employees at Mickey's office about his death. Bo assured Hope that he was on his way, and he hung up the phone. Turning to a concerned Carly, Bo told her that Mickey Horton had died. "Hope needs me," Bo said.
At the Brady Pub, Hope asked Doug how Julie was handling Mickey's death and breaking the news to the family. Doug told Hope that Melissa was having a difficult time dealing with the death of her father but that she was doing okay. With a small smile on his face, Doug said that though Mickey's sudden death was hard on the family, he believed Mickey would have preferred the suddenness rather than slowing down as he grew older. Hope nodded sadly and wondered aloud what was taking Bo so long.
Hope confided in Doug that she was preparing to file separation papers, but when she thought about going to Mickey's office to break the news about his death, she realized that what she needed most at that moment was Bo at her side. Doug advised Hope that she clearly had reservations about the separation and said not to do anything that "can't be undone." Hope admitted that she might be too late to stop Bo from doing something that would drive them further apart.
In the hotel room, Bo hurriedly dressed to go meet Hope, and Carly reminded Bo that she would be available if he needed her. Citing her daughter's closeness to Mickey and Maggie, Carly told Bo that she was going to find her daughter and see if she was doing all right. Bo apologized for taking off, but Carly told him not to worry because she had enjoyed their afternoon together. After Bo left, Carly pulled the picture of her daughter out of her wallet and stared at it.
Back at the Brady Pub, Doug asked Hope why she felt that Bo might have done something to drive them apart. Hope explained that she was the one who had moved out and that she did not want Doug to be mad at Bo. When Hope compared what Maggie had lost to her situation with Bo, Doug reminded Hope that she still had time to fix their marriage. "If you and Bo need to talk, take your time," Doug advised before leaving. As Hope sat at her table and sniffled back tears, she said quietly, "Maybe we don't need to talk. Maybe what I need to do is just go home."
Bo arrived at the pub, and Hope rushed, weeping, into his arms. Hope informed Bo that Doug had gone to Mickey's office to break the news about his death and had spared her the task. Hope apologized for taking Bo away from whatever he had been doing when she called, but Bo assured her that she was his priority. Nervous about seeing Maggie, Hope suggested that they stay at the pub for a while longer. Wiping away tears, Hope told Bo that she had been thinking about what Mickey and Maggie had had together and that it had reminded her of what she and Bo had together. With a look of hope on his face, Bo asked his wife what she was saying.
"I was thinking that maybe Ciara..." Hope started before a woman interrupted by inquiring about Carly's emotional breakdown earlier. "Did you get Dr. Manning home from the hospital all right?" the woman asked. After Bo assured the woman that Carly was fine, he turned his gaze back to Hope. "That's where you were when I called? That's why you couldn't talk?" Hope asked. "You slept with her didn't you?" Hope said, her voice cracking. Bo looked down at the table and said nothing.
"Thank you for not trying to lie about it," Hope said. Bo apologized, adding, "You're having a horrible day, and I made it worse." Upset, Hope grabbed her purse and announced that she was going to head to Maggie's by herself. "I need to start learning how to get through things alone," Hope muttered as she walked away.
In Maggie's kitchen, Nathan bent down to help Melanie pick up the items that had fallen out of her purse. When Nathan's hand grazed against Melanie's, she pulled away. Looking into her eyes, a shaken Nathan grabbed Melanie and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Nathan broke away, exclaiming, "What am I doing?" Nathan announced that he was embarrassed that he had gotten carried away, but then he asked Melanie why she had not done anything to stop him. Nervous, Melanie explained that she was in an odd state of mind.
Outside Maggie's house, Stephanie told Philip that Mickey had died. Worried, Philip headed inside to comfort Melanie. As Melanie and Nathan stood talking in the kitchen, Philip rushed through the kitchen door and hugged Melanie. Noting the awkward tension in the air, Stephanie looked at Nathan's face suspiciously. Through tears, Melanie explained to Philip that Maggie had urged her to go through with the wedding but that she was worried about Maggie. Stephanie encouraged Philip to go check on Maggie while Melanie got cleaned up.
Once Philip was gone, Stephanie offered Melanie her earrings so that she had "something borrowed" for her wedding. Sighing, Melanie said that she did not feel like she should leave town. Stephanie encouraged Melanie to get married, since that was what Maggie had requested and also because Maggie had a healthy support system around her. "I think you and Philip should go and not worry about it," Stephanie said.
After Stephanie went to check on Maggie, Philip returned to the kitchen to comfort Melanie. Still stunned by Stephanie's offer, she told Philip that Stephanie had encouraged them to continue with their plans to leave town. "What do you want to do?" Philip asked. Unsure, Melanie thought about her kiss with Nathan. Melanie admitted that she did not feel up to leaving town, and Philip agreed, adding that he wanted Melanie to be happy on the day of their marriage.
In the cabin, Anna worried that the voice modulator she was using to call Sami did not disguise her voice well enough. E.J. assured Anna that Sami did not know Anna was involved. Anna worried aloud about how Sami was handling the separation from her daughter, and E.J. reminded Anna to think about how happy Sami would be when she was reunited with Sydney. When Anna complained that she was tired of looking over her shoulder, E.J. warned Anna to do what he told her to do. Noting that the ordeal would be over soon, E.J. kissed Sydney and said, "Soon, you'll be back with me." E.J. put Sydney in her playpen and promised that they would soon be together, "forever this time."
In her living room, a frustrated Sami left E.J. a voicemail demanding to know why he was not answering his cell phone while they were waiting to hear from the kidnappers. As Sami hung up, Rafe entered the living room and apologized for taking so long talking to work in the other room. Mid-explanation, Sami received a phone call from Julie about Mickey's death. Sami sent her condolences to Julie and promised to visit Maggie soon.
Sami informed Rafe about Mickey's death, then she called Will's phone and left a voicemail. Sami told Rafe that she was worried about Maggie and frustrated that she could not go over to visit Maggie, since she had promised E.J. that she would wait for him at the apartment. Rafe encouraged Sami to go over to Maggie's house, but unsure, Sami wondered what words of support she could offer Maggie. Overwhelmed, Sami confided, "Whoever took Sydney...it's changed me. And I'm never going back. And I swear to God, when I find out who did this, I'm gonna kill him."
Rafe offered to track down Will for Sami, and relieved, Sami willingly agreed. Sami ordered Rafe to find Will and send him back to the apartment so that she could tell him in person. Rafe agreed and, before he left, he assured Sami that her feelings about the kidnappers were healthy. "You can tell me anything that's good or bad or weird or kinky," Rafe said with a smile. Chuckling, Sami hugged Rafe fiercely and thanked him for being in her life. Frustrated with her inability to tell Rafe about the ransom notes, Sami punched the wall after Rafe left. "This just isn't right, E.J." Sami groused.
When E.J. arrived at Sami's apartment, he asked why Sami had left thirteen messages on his phone. "You didn't listen to them?" an incredulous Sami asked. "Oh, my God, our daughter is missing, and you can't be bothered to listen to my messages," Sami continued. E.J. encouraged Sami to calm down, but Sami reiterated that she wanted to tell Rafe everything. "I'm done listening to you," Sami exclaimed. When E.J. asked where Rafe was, Sami explained that Rafe was out looking for Will in order to tell him about Mickey's death. "It's too much death, and I can't stand it. I can't take it anymore," Sami yelled.
In an attempt to soothe Sami's temper, E.J. agreed to tell Rafe everything. "I can see that you think it's the right thing to do," E.J. said. "It's really important to me that you know that you can trust me," E.J. continued. While E.J. played with Johnny, Sami left Rafe a voicemail telling him that she wanted to talk to him as soon as possible.
At the Java Café, Will spotted Mia crying in the corner. When Will approached her, Mia told Will about Mickey. In disbelief, Will worried aloud about Maggie, and they headed over to her house to check on her. As Will and Mia were about to head into Maggie's house, Rafe stopped them. Will confirmed that he had heard the news from Mia. On Sami's behalf, Rafe asked Will to go pick up a casserole from Alice and check on her.
Down on the pier, Will confided in Rafe that he was worried about Mia, even though he did not feel comfortable being friends with her since they had broken up. "Mia, she really only has Maggie," Will said sadly. Will thanked Rafe for giving him the idea of being Mia's friend, and he left to go talk to her.
Desperate to hear from Mickey, Maggie grabbed her cell phone in order to look at the last text message she had received from Mickey. Maggie stared at her phone in disbelief as she realized that she had accidentally deleted the text message. Devastated, Maggie threw her phone on the ground. As the phone shattered into pieces, Lucas entered the front door, ran over to Maggie, and pulled her into a hug. In tears himself, Lucas tried to calm Maggie as she cried out in her grief.
Lucas gently guided Maggie to the sofa and sat her down. Maggie chastised herself for destroying her phone with the message on it, and Lucas promised to pass the phone along to a friend who might be able to recover the text message for her. Maggie told Lucas about the text message, and Lucas noted that the text message showed that Mickey had been thinking about her until his last moments. "He was thinking about the love of his life, the woman that he loved. I mean, Maggie, if you're gonna go, that's the only way to go, right?" Lucas said as he held back tears. "What am I gonna do? He was my everything," Maggie said as she wept.
Doug arrived at Maggie's house and informed her that the employees at Mickey's law firm were calling all of his clients and rescheduling all of the court dates. When Doug mentioned Mickey's clerk, Howard, Maggie remembered that Howard's son was getting married the following month. Wiping away her tears, Maggie asked Lucas to remind her to buy a wedding present. As Lucas promised Maggie that he would buy the gift for her, there was a knock at the door.
In the kitchen, Hope returned, looking for Maggie. Still shaken by the revelation about Bo and Carly, Hope sat down in a chair before going into the other room to find Maggie. Back in the living room, Mia opened the door and found Carly standing on the porch. Carly explained that when she heard the news about Mickey she had felt compelled to head over and check on how Mia and Melanie were doing.
Before Mia could say anything, Hope entered the living room and called out Maggie's name. As Hope rounded the corner, she spotted Carly and stopped dead in her tracks. "You whore," Hope spat out. "You sleep with my husband, and then you have the nerve to come here?" Hope questioned.
Back at Sami's apartment, E.J. talked about how Johnny had fallen asleep after E.J. had read the boy his favorite book six times. Smiling to herself, Sami turned to him and said, "I believe that you care about [your kids], that they're the most important thing in the world to you." Raising an eyebrow, E.J. asked Sami what she was thinking. "If it were up to you, would you involve the FBI?" Sami asked. "No. I wouldn't," E.J. admitted.
Sami noted that Rafe would have to tell the FBI if she told him about the ransom, and E.J. agreed. Sami explained that when E.J. gave her permission to tell Rafe, she had given extensive thought to what was best for Sydney, and she had decided that keeping the secret was the right thing to do. "I really do trust you," Sami said quietly. "You can, Samantha. You always can," E.J. promised.
At the Brady Pub, a police officer handed Bo an envelope with new information about the kidnapping case.
Brady, Arianna, Chloe, and Daniel entered the Java Café, discussing the opera they had just attended. Arianna and Chloe teased Brady for sleeping through the entire second act. As the men went to the counter to order dessert, the women found a table. Arianna commended Chloe for being able to maintain a friendship with Brady, and asked if Chloe thought that Brady and Nicole were also just friends. Chloe guessed that Arianna suspected that Brady was still in love with Nicole.
Troy entered and somewhat snidely greeted Arianna, who was clearly not thrilled to see him. When Daniel and Brady returned, Troy quickly left and sat at a table in the corner. Brady teasingly explained to the others that Troy was "one of Arianna's pub groupies," like the elderly man who had declared that Brady wasn't good enough for Arianna. Arianna tried to play along, but Chloe wasn't convinced, because Troy was still staring at Arianna. Brady maintained that Troy was harmless.
As Brady and Arianna sat on a park bench later, Brady was relieved that Daniel apparently hadn't believed anything Victor had said about Arianna. When Brady got a text message to call Philip, Arianna realized that her phone was missing, and she left to retrieve it.
Daniel remarked that Chloe had never told him what had happened between her and Brady, and echoed Arianna's earlier remark about their comfortable friendship. Chloe replied, "I guess Brady and I just make better friends than we ever were husband and wife." Daniel asked if they'd divorced because of Brady's drug use. Chloe explained that she'd been intensely focused on her career after they'd moved to Europe, and the problems had started because Brady hadn't known what to do when she hadn't needed him to rescue her anymore.
Chloe feared that Brady still felt the need to save women, and cited everything he'd done to help Nicole. Daniel was pointing out that Arianna didn't seem to need to be rescued, just as Arianna returned to look for her phone. Arianna hung back and listened. Chloe asserted that while Brady was a great guy and a good friend, "If Arianna plans on keeping Brady, she'd better start acting like she needs to be saved."
Arianna then apologetically interrupted, explaining that she needed to look for her misplaced phone. Daniel quickly helped her find it. Arianna thanked him and warmly wished the two them a good night. After Arianna left, Chloe worried that Arianna had overheard them. Daniel believed Arianna would have been "straightforward and uncomplicated" enough to admit it.
Daniel announced that he was the luckiest man in the world, because he got to wake up to Chloe humming opera every morning. Touched, Chloe declared that it was time for the two of them to go home. "I like the way you think," Daniel murmured, kissing her. They quickly pulled on their coats and, giggling, hurried out the door.
When Arianna returned to the park, Brady sadly informed her that Mickey had died. Arianna realized that was why Caroline had asked Arianna to look after the pub the next day. Arianna offered to accompany Brady to the funeral, but Brady declined. He apologized for having to cut their date short, but he wanted to check in on Maggie. They agreed to meet at the pub after the funeral.
After eavesdropping on Arianna and Brady's conversation, Troy called the hit man to tell him that Arianna would be alone at the pub the next day. "Proverbial fish in a barrel," Troy declared.
At the Brady Pub, a uniformed officer handed over some new evidence in Sydney's kidnapping to Bo. Will arrived and overheard, and excitedly concluded that his baby sister had been found. After a quick phone call, Bo explained that a child matching Sydney's description had been spotted with a woman in Atlanta, but the girl had actually been the woman's niece. After a disappointed Will headed into the kitchen, Bo left a succinct message for Carly: "Hope knows."
Carly went to the Hortons' house to pay her respects to Maggie. As Mia was trying to politely turn Carly away, Hope walked into the room and froze when she saw Carly on the doorstep. "You whore," Hope uttered contemptuously. "You sleep with my husband, and you have the nerve to come here? Get out. Get out. Get the hell out!" Hope ordered, her voice growing louder with each syllable she spat out, until she was shrieking.
Maggie let out a choked sob from the couch behind Hope, and Hope whirled around, immediately appalled at her behavior. Maggie invited the others -- Mia, Melanie, Philip, Doug, Julie, Lucas, Nathan, and Stephanie -- to join her in the kitchen for some tea. A remorseful Hope hugged Maggie and begged her forgiveness. Maggie could only manage to cry, "It's simply too much to take on this horrible day!" before following everyone out. Doug asked if Hope wanted him to handle Carly, but Hope firmly refused. Doug glared at Carly with disdain as he stalked out of the room.
In the kitchen, Maggie hung up the phone, and tearfully informed the group that because of bad weather, Melissa couldn't get a flight into Salem until the next morning. Philip assured Maggie that he would make sure Melissa got there, and he stepped outside with his cell phone. An emotional Maggie gratefully asked the others, "What would I do without all of you?"
After Julie and Maggie left to check on Alice, Lucas asked Doug how he was doing. Doug noted with irony that he'd just that afternoon been telling Hope not to give up on Bo. Lucas noticed that Carly's car was still parked outside, and he jokingly offered to "do something about it," but Doug declined. While their backs were turned, Melanie quietly pushed through the swinging door into the front room.
Carly, who had waited uncomfortably outside, explained apologetically to Hope, "I honestly didn't think you would be here. Bo said you were going to Mickey's office." She offered to leave, but Hope declared that they should finish their "little talk." Hope asserted that the only possible reason Carly could have for leaving Bo's bed to visit Hope's newly widowed aunt was to inflict pain. Carly's posture changed from contrite to defensive as she urged Hope to think about Maggie's family and not to get into a fight with Carly right then. Hope replied bitterly, "Good, sound advice from the woman who's sleeping with my husband."
Fed up, Carly noted that Hope had been pushing Bo away for months, so she was hardly blameless in the situation. "You're hilarious," Hope scoffed, continuing, "You sleep with my husband; it's my fault." Carly maintained that Hope had ended the marriage, so Bo had moved on. "I am sorry for your uncle," Carly declared. "I am not sorry about Bo." Hope believed that Carly had returned to Salem to bed Bo -- and then she'd gone to Maggie's to gloat about it. Carly insisted that she had returned because she'd needed help; she'd never expected to fall in love with Bo again. Hope was incredulous. "You murdered your husband, but now you love mine?"
Melanie let out a disbelieving laugh from the kitchen doorway. "I'm sorry -- you're a murderer, too?" Although Carly tried to explain, Melanie angrily ordered her to leave. Hope put an arm around Melanie and gently urged her to return to the kitchen. Melanie agreed, but first hissed at Carly, "Can you just think about how sad everybody is, and how you're just making things worse?"
After Melanie left, Carly apologized for what Hope was going through, but castigated her for making Carly's private life public. An unsympathetic Hope lashed out furiously at Carly for dragging Bo into her "sordid, ugly life" and then sleeping with him -- just as Bo walked in the front door.
Hope declared, "Welcome to your worst nightmare." Carly quickly explained to Bo that she had gone there to offer her condolences to Maggie. Pacing back and forth, Hope quietly ranted that she was acting out because Carly had shown up to gloat about sleeping with Bo. Bo gently suggested that Carly should leave, and Carly wasted no time in exiting.
Hope demanded that Bo leave, as well, but he wanted to know if anyone else had heard her and Carly's argument. Hope assumed it was because Bo didn't want his dirty laundry aired. He clarified that it would just be better for Maggie and her family if they didn't know all the sad details of Bo and Hope's lives. Hope became increasingly upset as she revealed that she'd only known about Bo sleeping with Carly for a short while when Carly had shown up, and Hope had lost her temper. Hope then tearfully ordered Bo to leave. After he had gone, she sat down in a wing chair and sobbed bitterly.
When Doug returned, he found Hope pacing and crying on the front porch. "Oh, Daddy!" she wailed, flinging her arms around him. Once she'd calmed a little, she apologized for her behavior. Doug assured her that no one blamed her, and he asked if it were true that Bo was with Carly. "It's like what I said this afternoon. Something happened that I can't get back from," Hope replied miserably. "I waited too long. Oh, Daddy, I lost him. I lost Bo!" Doug held her tightly as she wept.
Bo knocked on Carly's door at the Salem Inn and was surprised to find her packing to leave town. "What about your daughter?" Bo asked. "She despises me," Carly replied, continuing to hurl things into a suitcase, adding, "And for good reason." Bo grabbed her and forced her to stop packing. "You can't go," he declared. Carly argued that she had ruined his life. Bo assured her that she wasn't responsible for the breakup of his marriage -- and he didn't want her to leave.
Melanie went to the Brady Pub to look for Philip, and she ran into Nathan. Nathan was surprised to see her there, since she was supposed to be on her way to the airport to get married. Melanie informed him that she and Philip had postponed their wedding plans, out of respect for Maggie. Nathan wanted to discuss what had happened in Maggie's kitchen. Melanie declared loudly that the kiss had meant nothing to her. She was chagrined when Stephanie rounded the corner from the kitchen.
Stephanie didn't appear to have heard what Melanie had said. Philip arrived and noted that Melanie looked upset, but she insisted everything was fine. Nathan jumped to Melanie's defense, and pointed out that they were all emotional because of Mickey. Once Nathan and Stephanie went into the kitchen, Philip asked what was going on between Nathan and Melanie. Melanie didn't answer.
Philip later told Melanie that he'd been able to make arrangements for Melissa to arrive in Salem the next day. Melanie knew that it meant a lot to Maggie. Melanie then stated that she wanted to have the wedding in Salem, so Maggie could be there, although she didn't want to wait too long. Philip agreed that they could get married the following month.
Lucas found Will at the pub. Will said he was on his way over to see Maggie because he was worried about her. Lucas replied, "Good, 'cause the Hortons are hanging from the rafters, and Mia looked lost." Will knew it had to be hard for Mia to see Maggie so upset. Lucas mentioned the situation with Bo and Hope but said that Mia could fill Will in. Although Will divulged that he and Mia had broken up, Lucas pointed out that Will could still be her friend.
Maggie and Mia were alone in the kitchen. Although Maggie told Mia that she didn't have to stay, Mia wanted to, because she loved Maggie. Mia informed Maggie that Will had been there earlier, but Caroline had needed him at the pub. Maggie was relieved that Will wasn't alone. "No one should be alone tonight," Mia replied, and Maggie hugged her gratefully.
A little later, an exhausted Maggie patted Mia's hand. "I suddenly feel so tired," Maggie said with a sigh. "I think I'll go upstairs and..." She stopped herself, and added tearfully, "I was going to say, 'and wait for Mickey's call.'" Maggie explained for Mia that Mickey had always called her from his business trips to say goodnight, then she would sleep on his side of the bed to feel closer to him. Mia volunteered to sleep on the couch so that Maggie could sleep in Mia's room. "He's never going to call again," Maggie replied, fighting back the sobs. Maggie thoughtfully said, "So maybe if I sleep on his side, I'll feel safe again."
After Maggie went upstairs, Mia started to straighten up the kitchen but dropped a cup on the floor. It shattered, and she burst into tears. Will walked in the back door and found Mia sobbing despondently over the sink. He rushed to her and held her as she cried.
Mia and Will were gone when Nathan and Stephanie returned. Nathan was relieved to see that his grandmother had gone to bed. Stephanie asked what had been going on between Nathan and Melanie earlier, noting, "The vibes were really strong." Nathan insisted that they were both just grieving, and anything Stephanie might have sensed meant nothing. Stephanie understood, and Nathan embraced her, grateful for her support.
Upstairs, Maggie took off her jacket and her jewelry, and sat on the edge of the bed. She picked up the wedding photo of her and Mickey from the nightstand, and hugged it to her. Crying softly, she lay back against the pillows, stretched her arm out to Mickey's side of the bed, and caressed the pillowcase. She moved over so that her head rested on Mickey's pillow, then clutched his pillow tightly and began to weep.
Maggie prepared for the reception following Mickey's memorial service. Hope told Maggie to sit down and relax, and Hope would take care of the food, but Maggie needed something to keep her busy. Doug asked Hope where Bo was and whether he had arrived at Maggie's house, but Hope said, "Obviously not."
Instead, Bo had stopped by the hospital to fill a prescription for Alice, and while he was there, he saw Carly. She asked why he wasn't at the service, and he explained that it was over, and everyone was gathered at Maggie's house. He wanted to give Hope some time before he went over there. Carly encouraged Bo to go to Maggie's house and be with his family.
Melissa made it to Maggie's house, but she had missed the funeral. She was upset, because the weather had been so bad that she hadn't been able to fly in sooner. Maggie told her that it was okay because Melissa had made it in. Melissa apologized for not going home for Christmas because of work obligations, and Maggie said that everyone understood.
Melanie offered Melissa something to eat, but Melissa said no. Melanie didn't know who Melissa was and mistook Melissa for an employee of Mickey's. Nathan walked in the room with Stephanie, and he hugged Melissa. Maggie received another arrangement of flowers, but she didn't think she had anywhere to put them. Mia suggested that they take some of the flowers to the hospital.
Nathan tried to introduce his mother to Stephanie, but before he could do the introduction, Melissa mistook Stephanie for Melanie. Nathan corrected Melissa, and she apologized to Stephanie and said she hadn't seen Stephanie since Stephanie was much younger. Melissa said the only way she had known about Melanie was from what Maggie had said. According to Melissa, Maggie had said that Melanie was a troubled soul, and Stephanie wasn't like that.
Maggie told Nathan that Mickey had gotten Nathan's latest arrest expunged from Nathan's record. Nathan promised to stay out of trouble. Melissa overheard Maggie mention Nathan staying out of jail and wondered what they were talking about. Nathan explained to Melissa that he hadn't wanted to worry her, which was why he hadn't told his mother about getting arrested. He let it slip that he had been arrested twice, and justified it by saying, "Both times were so stupid."
Melissa guessed that both times that Nathan had been arrested had been because of Melanie. He said that Melanie wasn't to blame. Melissa didn't have a good feeling about Melanie. He said that it didn't matter what Melissa thought or how Nathan felt because Melanie was engaged. Melissa asked why Nathan was getting upset with her, and he apologized. He reassured Melissa that he and Melanie were over, and he planned to keep his distance from Melanie.
E.J. stopped by Maggie's house to offer his condolences for Mickey's passing, but Brady told him, "Send a card. You're not welcome here." Brady said that E.J. didn't belong there. E.J. said that he wanted to tell the family that Mickey had been a "fine man" and E.J. mourned Mickey's passing. Doug told Brady that it was okay to let E.J. in. E.J. explained how Mickey had given E.J. a chance when no one else would once they found out that E.J. was a DiMera.
E.J. considered Mickey to be a "mentor" and a "great friend," and he asked the family to give his condolences to Maggie. As E.J. started to leave, Hope told him "thank you" and said that she was "praying for Sydney's safe return." He told her that he appreciated her extending herself during her time of loss and added that Hope's words were a "great comfort."
Bo stopped by with Alice's medication and planned to drop it off and leave, but Hope told him that he could stay if he wanted to. Once Bo and Hope were alone in the kitchen, Bo said that he was surprised that she wanted him to stay. "Today's about Maggie and Gram, not about us," Hope said. Bo apologized for hurting Hope. "I thought I had time to figure out what to do about us, but I was a fool," Hope said.
Bo said Hope wasn't a fool. She acknowledged hurting Bo. "I know that you think I am so self-righteous, and maybe I come off that way sometimes when I'm angry and upset and not quite myself," she said. She admitted being partly responsible for what had happened. Hope said it felt like "there's no going back now."
"I can't remember the last funeral I wasn't by your side, leaning on you," Hope said. Bo knew she was referring to Zach's funeral. Hope said she was tired of saying goodbye to the people she loved, and she hugged him and cried in his arms just as Justin walked in. Bo heard the door shut, and they stopped hugging. Hope thanked Justin for being there, and Bo left the room to give them privacy.
Rafe went to the Brady Pub and expected to order some coffee, but Arianna explained that the pub was closed out of respect for Mickey. However, she offered to get him some coffee. She asked about the search for Sydney, and Rafe said there was a new development. He suspected that the woman who had taken Sydney had known that Nicole had been in Cleveland and had been able to get to her "at a moment's notice," and that Stefano and Nicole were innocent of the kidnapping. Rafe decided to "go back to the scene of the crime."
After Rafe left, Troy called his associate and said that it was time for the hit man to finish his job. "The next funeral in this town will be yours, Senarita Hernandez" Troy said to himself, referring to Arianna.
At the DiMera mansion, Stefano looked at some documents and discovered that E.J. had sold a large sum of his stockholdings. Stefano made a phone call. "So Elvis thinks he can best the man who taught him everything? Well, he's about to learn a little lesson from the master," Stefano said to himself while he was holding on the phone for Mr. Davis.
Stefano asked E.J. why he thought that Stefano wouldn't find out that E.J. was selling millions of dollars in stocks at "bargain-basement prices." E.J. said he wasn't doing it behind Stefano's back -- he didn't care if Stefano found out. Stefano asked why E.J. had sold the stocks, and Rafe walked in, saying he wondered the same thing. Stefano demanded to know how Rafe had gotten in, and Rafe said the door was open.
Rafe asked why E.J. had a "sudden need for cash." E.J. explained that he was "divesting" himself of "all things DiMera" because he wanted to establish a good name for himself and his children. Rafe bought E.J.'s lie and planned to question the staff. He gave E.J. an updated sketch of Sydney.
Stefano talked about how much he missed Sydney. E.J. told him to go ahead and miss Sydney and be "sentimental" about it if Stefano wanted to. Stefano said that he wasn't missing Sydney because of sentimentality -- he missed her because he loved her. E.J. vowed that Stefano would not see Sydney once E.J. got her back.
After Rafe had finished his interviews with the staff, Stefano warned Rafe to watch himself with E.J. He said that E.J. could be "duplicitous" and was getting closer to Sami all the time.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor thought that Vivian would have a tough time figuring out who Carly's daughter was, but Vivian was undeterred. She said that she was determined to make Carly suffer for cheating on Lawrence and killing him years later. Vivian referred to Carly as a "cold-blooded bitch" and vowed to avenge Lawrence's death.
Vivian asked Victor's opinion on how they should find Carly's daughter, and he wondered if Carly had reached out to Carly's daughter, and if so, whether anyone had observed her doing so. Vivian had remembered receiving a picture of Carly hugging Mia on the pier. She told Victor that she knew who Carly's daughter was. Victor asked who it was, but Vivian wouldn't tell him yet. She said she had a "strong suspicion" about a young woman that "Carly showed a great deal of interest in."
Anna was anxious to hear from E.J., and she said that E.J. would be in for a "rude awakening" if he thought that he could "put off Auntie Anna forever." Anna was annoyed that E.J. hadn't returned her phone calls. "Maybe it's time to shake things up a bit," Anna said. "Your Uncle Tony never did trust your father completely. He always had a contingency plan, and now so do I, and spending more time with you, my darling, would just be icing on the cake," Anna said.
E.J. stopped by to see Sydney and assured Anna that Rafe didn't suspect anything about E.J. getting the five million dollars. Anna worried that the ransom drop would happen soon. E.J. told her that it would, and phase two of his plan would happen soon.
Carly pressed the elevator button, but while she was waiting, she remembered how she had felt claustrophobic the last time she'd had a showdown with Vivian and the elevator had shut down. Carly vowed to kill Vivian if Vivian laid a hand on Carly's daughter.
Vivian sneaked up on Carly and startled her while she was reviewing a patient's file. Carly said she was busy and walked away. Mia and Melanie walked in with the flowers, and Vivian made up some excuse about needing to talk with Melanie about her wedding plans. Vivian asked what Mia's name was, and Mia told her. "Lovely, wonderful bones -- maybe you got those from your mother?" Vivian inquired. "Yeah, I guess so," Mia said.
Vivian excused herself as Carly walked nearby. Mia and Melanie thought that Vivian was "strange." "Speaking of strange," Melanie said, as she glared at Carly. Carly walked over to them and said hello. Melanie said, "Goodbye." Carly noticed Melanie's engagement ring and assumed it was from Nathan. Melanie corrected her and said she was marrying Philip. Carly expressed her condolences to Melanie and Mia, but Melanie just ignored her and walked away.
The hit man approached the Brady Pub, but he saw Brady walking towards the restaurant, so he ran off. Arianna asked Brady how Maggie was, and he said she was keeping herself busy and pretending to be okay. Brady asked if something was wrong, and she said she had to take care of everything so that the pub didn't open too late. After he left, the hit man returned, put on a mask, and opened the door.
The hit man held a gun on Arianna and demanded that she empty the cash register. She got the money out and explained that there wasn't much there because the restaurant had put everything else in the bank the night before. The hit man didn't believe her. Brady sneaked up behind him and wrestled the gun away from him. The weapon fell on the floor, and Arianna managed to grab it, but the man ran off. Brady ran after him.
Arianna tended to the cut on Brady's face while he explained that he might have been able to catch the hit man if a car had not pulled out in front of Brady. He hoped that the police would catch the man, but she thought it would be difficult, since they hadn't seen his face. Brady was grateful that he had shown up when he did. He didn't even want to think about what he would have done if anything had happened to her.
The family shared their favorite memories about Mickey. Julie said Mickey had always been there for her and had always managed to lift everyone's spirits. Hope told Maggie that Maggie's marriage to Mickey was an "inspiration to all of us," and she looked at Bo. Nathan said he hoped that someday he would meet someone that he could love like Mickey had loved Maggie. Melissa talked about how Mickey and Maggie had adopted her and loved her unconditionally. Melanie said that Mickey had been smart, because he "chose the most amazing, beautiful, caring, generous woman in the whole world to be his wife."
Melanie said that Maggie was the best role model anyone could ask for, and Melanie hoped to be one one-thousandth of the woman that Maggie was when Melanie grew up. Maggie said she wouldn't be the woman she was if it weren't for Mickey. She remembered when they first met while Maggie had been living on a farm by herself. Doug toasted to Mickey.
When Vivian got home, she told Victor that Carly's daughter was Mia.
Bo went to the hospital to see Carly, and she said that her daughter hated her. "Melanie hates me," she said.
At Maggie's house, Melanie looked at a photo album of Mickey and Maggie. Maggie planned to meet Julie at Chez Rouge for a luncheon. Hope offered to drive Maggie there, but Maggie said that Sarah would drive her. Maggie went to get her purse and told Melissa she would meet her in the car. After everyone left, Maggie stared at Mickey's portrait and remembered her time with Mickey.
At the townhouse, Sami left a frantic message for E.J. She was incensed because he hadn't been returning her calls, and she ordered him to call her back.
Meanwhile, at the cabin, E.J. ignored his ringing phone, and remarked to Anna with a chuckle that it was the tenth time Samantha had called. Anna worried that not calling Sami back would make her -- or Rafe -- suspicious. E.J. replied, "Samantha deceived me, so shall I return the favor." Anna was still nervous, because Rafe was smart enough to have already tripped E.J. up without E.J. realizing it. E.J. irritably maintained that he had orchestrated their entire plan flawlessly.
Suddenly, E.J. noticed that Sydney had stood up in her playpen and was taking her first steps. He was elated that he had gotten to witness it, because he'd missed so many of Johnny's firsts.
At the hospital, Carly fretted to Bo, "My daughter hates me. Melanie hates me!" Bo thought Carly was overreacting and pointed out that Melanie could sometimes be defensive, even aggressive. Bo was surprised when Carly informed him that Melanie had gotten engaged to Philip. Carly was more concerned about what Vivian would do to Melanie in order to avenge Lawrence's death if Melanie moved into the mansion after marrying Philip. Although Bo tried to talk her out of it, Carly decided that she had to see Melanie right away and apologize for her quarrel with Hope.
As Mia and Melanie were cleaning up the Hortons' living room after Mickey's wake, Melanie remarked that it must have been amazing for Melissa and Sarah to grow up with a mom as loving and supportive as Maggie. Mia asked what Melanie's mother was like, since Melanie had never talked about her. Melanie replied that she hadn't known her mother, because she'd died when Melanie was very young, so Melanie's dad had raised her. Melanie continued sadly that with her father dead and her brother living in London, she'd been thinking about how different her life might be if her mom were around.
When Will arrived at the Hortons' to see Mia, she said that she needed to get out of the house, so the two of them left for the Java Café. After they left, Melanie picked up a picture of Mickey and Maggie and began to cry.
At the townhouse, Rafe told Sami that he felt like E.J. was keeping something from them, because he'd overheard Stefano chastising E.J. for selling off DiMera stocks -- and then Stefano had warned Rafe about E.J.'s duplicity. Sami flipped out, becoming almost hysterical as she asserted that Rafe should never listen to anything Stefano said, and reminded him of all the horrible things that Stefano had done to her family over the years.
Rafe calmly observed that Sami was overreacting and asked if there were something else going on. Sami argued that she had plenty to be upset and fearful about, adding tearfully, "Every day that goes by, it's harder to be hopeful." Rafe put his arms around her and apologized but wondered why she got so defensive when he mentioned E.J. or Stefano. He pleaded with Sami to trust him and believe that they were a team.
Sami assured him that she did, but as she started to confide in him further, his cell phone rang. When Rafe hung up, he informed Sami that there had been an armed robbery at the pub, and he had to go check things out. Sami was just relieved that her grandmother and Arianna were all right.
Chad dropped by the Brady Pub to visit Gabi, and she explained that she was helping Arianna get the pub ready for the late opening. The ice machine suddenly began to make loud grinding noises, so Chad quickly used his experience from working at the Java Café to fix it. A grateful Gabi was impressed.
Chad then apologetically declared that he'd learned from the mistakes he'd made with Mia, and he was trying to be a better person. He hoped to be friends with Gabi, but she contended that he still liked Mia. Chad insisted that he was over Mia -- and he enjoyed hanging out with Gabi. They agreed to meet at the Java Café when she was finished at the pub.
Rafe arrived at the pub as Chad was leaving, and Gabi informed him that Arianna was still doing paperwork at the police station. Rafe was upset that Arianna and Gabi hadn't called him, but Gabi pointed out that he had enough to worry about with Sydney's kidnapping. Rafe was confident they would find Sydney and get her home. Gabi wanted to know about Rafe's first impressions of Sami. Rafe replied with a grin, "I thought she was a handful. I mean, she is, but in a good way." After Rafe left, Gabi wondered if she'd been wrong about Chad.
At the Java Café, Mia apologized to Will for the mistakes she'd made regarding Chad, and declared that Will was the only person she wanted to be with. Will happily agreed to give her another chance and kissed her.
As Will and Mia rose to leave, Kinsey and Tad arrived. Kinsey commented snidely that Mia looked like she'd been crying. Mia reminded Kinsey that Will's uncle had passed away. Tad tried to stifle Kinsey, but her barrage of insensitive remarks continued, and she demanded to know if Will and Mia were back together. As Mia was confirming that they were, Chad walked in. Chad tried to appear enthusiastic as he congratulated them.
After Mia and Will had left, Gabi arrived. Chad invited Gabi, Kinsey, and Tad to join him at his parents' condo in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics. Gabi hedged, and as Chad was encouraging her to go, Mia returned.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor wondered if Vivian had been "dead wrong" in deducing that Mia McCormick was Carly's daughter, and he pointed out that they looked nothing alike. Vivian conceded that her original theory might have been incorrect, but she wasn't terribly concerned. She showed Victor a tracking device she intended to plant on Carly. Victor was skeptical that Vivian could pull it off, but Vivian was confident the device would help lead her straight to Carly's daughter.
Bo arrived as Vivian was headed out to put her plot into action. He presented Vivian with a restraining order, which prevented her from getting anywhere near Carly. An indignant Vivian claimed she had never tried to harm Carly. Bo angrily warned Vivian that if anything happened to Carly, "What happened to your nephew will seem like child's play."
A smirking Vivian inferred from Bo's impassioned defense that he was sleeping with Carly. Victor was furious, but Bo refused to acknowledge the accusation. As he stormed out, Bo ordered, "Stay the hell away from her -- both of you!"
A livid Victor ranted that Bo hadn't considered how Ciara would suffer if she learned about her father and Carly. Victor blamed Vivian, contending, "You made Bo be so protective of that harlot, she wormed her way into his bed." He demanded that Vivian definitively determine who Carly's daughter was. "Find her weakness, and destroy her. Do it now!"
Melanie was annoyed when Carly showed up at the Hortons' house, and Melanie informed Dr. Manning that Maggie wasn't home. Carly explained that she was there to apologize to Melanie about her confrontation with Hope. Melanie wasn't interested, pointing out that Carly had murdered her own husband and was sleeping with Hope's. Carly pleaded with Melanie not to judge until she'd heard the whole story.
Melanie asserted that Carly's apology should be directed at Maggie, not Melanie. Carly agreed, and then asked when Melanie and Philip were getting married. "February," Melanie replied. Carly wondered why someone so young felt compelled to rush into marriage. Melanie angrily declared that Carly had crossed the line and read Carly the riot act about the terrible things she'd done.
Through gritted teeth, Carly retorted, "I am really sorry that you have such a low opinion of me." Melanie demanded to know why Carly cared what she thought. Carly just shook her head. "This was a mistake," she concluded, and quickly left. "Great seeing you again!" Melanie muttered sarcastically.
Outside, Carly instantly regretted leaving things like they were. Bo showed up just as she was about to knock on the door again, and she informed him that it hadn't gone well with Melanie. Bo put his arm around her and began to lead her away. "I played this all wrong," Carly stated, just as Melanie opened the front door, adding, "I need to tell her the truth." Melanie's eyes widened. "I'm sorry -- tell me the truth about what?" Melanie demanded.
Right after Rafe left the townhouse, E.J. called Sami. She anxiously told him that since they hadn't heard back from the kidnappers, she thought they should handle things differently. "We just did," E.J. replied. "Come here quickly. Alone." Sami ran out the door.
When Sami arrived at the DiMera mansion, E.J. showed her a new ransom note, which he said he'd just found on his car. Sami read over the instructions, but worried that the kidnapper wouldn't take Sydney to the ransom drop. E.J. believed they should follow the instructions to the letter, but Sami thought they should call Rafe. E.J. was furious that Sami had changed her mind, since they'd agreed not to involve the FBI.
While they were arguing, Sami's cell phone rang, and E.J. listened in as Sami spoke to the kidnapper. Anna, using a voice modulator, asked if they had gotten the cash. When Sami replied that they had, Anna instructed them to take the money to Pier 47. After Sami hung up, E.J. suggested that they exit the mansion via the secret tunnel, to avoid detection. As E.J. grabbed the satchel full of cash, Sami reiterated her assertion that they should call Rafe. E.J. firmly assured her that they would get their daughter back without Rafe, so an anxious Sami followed E.J. out.
When Sami and E.J. arrived at the deserted pier, Rafe's appearance startled them both. "What are you two doing here?" Rafe asked.
