In the park, Hope told Ciara that Bo would love the Christmas gift that Ciara got for him, but he would love the paperweight she made for him even more. Hope asked Ciara to find a good hiding place for the present, and Ciara suggested hiding it under her bed at her "real home." Hope reminded her that someone else was staying there, but Bo said that no one else was at the house -- just him. Bo pretended to guess what his present was. He gave her some money and told her to give it to the Santa.

Bo acknowledged that he should have asked Hope if it was okay for Ciara to see Santa Claus. Hope acknowledged that she had the tendency of being overprotective. Bo understood, because he felt the same way. Ciara returned and asked if they could go home, and Hope said yes. When they got home, Hope reminded Ciara to hide Bo's gift somewhere safe. Ciara ran upstairs to hide it. Bo said that all Ciara wanted "was a Christmas tree and presents." "... And us, just like it used to be," Hope said.

At Maggie's house, Carly realized that Maggie hadn't informed Melanie that Carly was moving in. "I guess Maggie's going to have to up her homeowner's insurance," Melanie said. Mia returned home and saw Carly, so she quickly made up an excuse to leave the room. Carly told Mia that Maggie said it was all right for Carly to stay there, but Carly was fine with leaving if Mia didn't want Carly there. Melanie said that it was a good idea for Carly to leave. Carly was taken aback by Melanie's rude behavior, but Melanie didn't care.

Mia tried to be diplomatic about the situation, and Carly was compelled hear how Mia felt. Before leaving, Carly told Mia that it wasn't wrong for her to share her feelings and Carly's feelings weren't hurt. Melanie asked if Carly needed help with her bag, and Maggie walked in and thought that Melanie was being helpful in helping Carly move in. Carly explained that Melanie was offering to take Carly's bags to her car, because Carly had decided not to stay at Maggie's house after all.

Melanie told Maggie that Melanie, Mia, and Carly had decided that they weren't compatible, and Carly would be moving somewhere else, where she wasn't "so much older than the rest of the roommates." Maggie figured it had to be Melanie's idea, because Mia wouldn't be so "cold." Carly explained that Mia agreed with Melanie for "somewhat private reasons." Mia apologized, but Melanie urged her not to "back down," because they had won. Melanie was late, so she left.

Maggie apologized for Melanie's behavior, and she told Carly that Melanie didn't make the rules in Maggie's house. Carly felt like it wasn't a good idea for her to stay. Mia went upstairs to her room, so Maggie asked Carly to level with her. Carly explained that she had listened to Mia when Mia was upset about her baby dying, and Carly had wondered why Mia was so guarded and seemed to feel embarrassed whenever she was around Carly. Maggie said that Mia was probably also embarrassed about feeling close to Carly, because it wasn't easy for Mia to trust people. Maggie explained the difference between Melanie and Mia. Maggie said that she wanted to "shuffle"ť Mia and Melanie. Accoding to Maggie, Mia "wouldn't say boo to a goose,"ť while Melanie "shoots first and asks questions later."ť Carly was impressed though that Melanie had stuck up for Mia.

Arianna called Brady in Cleveland, and he told her that they had found Nicole. Brady said that Nicole was unconscious and didn't have Sydney with her. Brady told Arianna that E.J. scared Nicole when Nicole was on the phone with Sami. An officer asked to speak with Brady, and at the same time, Arianna told Brady that she had something to tell him. Brady was talking to the officer while Arianna tried to tell him that she wanted to be with him and hoped that it wasn't too late. When Brady got back on the phone, he rushed Arianna off the phone.

At the hospital, Rafe tried to keep Sami calm, reminding her that although they didn't find Sydney, they knew where and when Sydney was kidnapped. Rafe chose to be there while the officer took some witnesses' statements. After he had left the room, Sami went to find Nicole to get some answers.

The nurse gave Nicole a sedative and left to find the doctor. E.J. grabbed Nicole by the neck and demanded to know where Sydney was. Nicole said she didn't know, but E.J. had to find her.

E.J. confronted Nicole about Sydney's whereabouts, but Nicole was confused and upset. She insisted that she didn't know where her baby was. E.J. lost his temper and blamed Nicole for Sydney's disappearance. He asked where Sydney was again, but she still didn't know.

Sami entered Nicole's hospital room and heard E.J. berate Nicole. Sami tried to convince E.J. to back off, telling him that Nicole seemed to genuinely be confused as to where Sydney was, but E.J. wouldn't hear of it. He threatened to kill Nicole. Nicole started hyperventilating and crying, and the nurse kicked him out of the room.

Sami told E.J. that they needed Nicole to be calm so that Nicole could think. E.J. thought that would only allow Nicole to be more convincing when she lied, but Nicole said that she wasn't lying. Sami told Nicole to stop crying and to calm down. Nicole told Sami that she didn't know what happened. Nicole said that she was in the process of calling Sami to tell her that Nicole had made a mistake. Nicole felt like someone was behind her, because she saw something out of the corner of her eye, but before she could turn around, someone knocked her out.

Rafe asked why Stefano was at the hospital. Stefano said that he was obviously there to find Sydney. Rafe reminded Stefano that E.J. and Sami didn't need to see Stefano -- the person who lied to them for Nicole's sake. "What I did then, and what I am doing now, is for the sake of my family," Stefano said. "My granddaughter is missing, and I am going nowhere until I know that she is safe and sound."

Rafe asked if Stefano would take responsibility for what happened. "What I do not do is answer to satisfy bores like you," Stefano said. "Right, you only try and kill them," Rafe said. He wondered why Stefano supported Nicole instead of E.J. Stefano told Rafe to "strut along somewhere else and do your make-believe." Stefano warned Rafe not to allow E.J. to be alone with Nicole, because E.J. had a temper. Rafe explained that Nicole seemed ready to return to Salem with Sydney, because she had called Sami, but E.J. had grabbed the phone from Sami and wouldn't let Nicole talk. Rafe urged Stefano to talk to E.J. and not let him act like a DiMera.

Nicole told E.J. and Sami that she was telling the truth and someone had her baby. "She's our baby," E.J. said, referring to himself and Sami. The doctor ordered Sami and E.J. to leave Nicole's room. E.J. was confident that Nicole was lying and that she was working with someone and knew who had Sydney. Sami was terrified that Sydney was with a stranger.

E.J. insisted that Nicole had planned the whole thing. Sami said that even if E.J.'s theory was correct, his course of action -- screaming at Nicole -- wasn't helping, because Nicole needed to calm down and start talking. If she talked, she might let something slip. Sami suggested that E.J. tell Nicole that he believed Nicole and forgave her. E.J. didn't think that Nicole would believe that. Sami volunteered to do it, but E.J. thought that Nicole wouldn't believe that Sami was friendly towards her, either. E.J. got an idea, just when Brady walked in.

At the Brady Pub, Melanie sensed that Arianna was in a bad mood. Arianna told Melanie that she had spoken to Brady and learned that they had found Nicole, but Sydney was still missing. Melanie told her that on the bright side, at least Brady had called, but Arianna said that she was the one who had called Brady. Arianna was frustrated, because Brady was acting like Nicole was the victim and was ready to give Sydney back, but then E.J. messed things up because he was yelling at Nicole. Arianna thought that Brady would never see Nicole for who she really was.

Arianna was afraid that Nicole would use Brady again. Melanie thought that Arianna was jealous of Nicole. Arianna denied being jealous. Melanie said that Arianna had talked about the situation for too long, and she needed to take action. Arianna agreed to fight for Brady. Melanie urged Arianna not to hesitate or she would lose Brady. Arianna realized that Melanie was right. She arranged for a plane ticket to Cleveland.

E.J. and Sami told Brady that Nicole stuck to her story -- that she didn't know where Sydney was. Brady said that Nicole wouldn't do anything to endanger Sydney. Sami said that they thought Nicole was working with someone else. Brady suspected that it was E.J.'s theory -- not Sami's. Sami reminded Brady that E.J. was Sydney's father, and if he didn't want to work with E.J., Brady needed to leave. Brady understood how Sami felt, even though he didn't share her theory.

Stefano shunned Rafe's advice, because he didn't think that E.J. would listen to Stefano. Rafe agreed that E.J. probably wouldn't trust Stefano again. Stefano pointed out that Sami and E.J. were close, and he suggested that Sami and E.J. might try to make a family for Sydney and Johnny once they found Sydney. Rafe could see Stefano's theory -- that the kids would bring Sami and E.J. back together -- but in reality, he said that it was unlikely, because E.J. was "almost as big of a jerk" as Stefano. Rafe went to tell E.J. and Sami that Stefano was at the hospital, but first, he warned Stefano to stay away from Sami.

Brady went to talk to Nicole to see what information he could glean from her. E.J. reminded Sami that Nicole had Brady wrapped around her finger for most of the year. Sami chose not to think about that. Rafe told E.J. that someone was waiting for him in the waiting area, but he wouldn't say who it was. E.J. went to see who it was, and Sami asked Rafe where E.J. went. "Trust me. You don't want to know," Rafe said.

E.J. demanded to know what Stefano was doing there, and Stefano said he was there to help. "If you'd like to help, leave," E.J. said. Stefano said that E.J. needed to be surrounded by family. E.J. said that Stefano didn't qualify as family. "I can help," Stefano said. "Three most dangerous words in the English language," E.J. said, and he ordered Stefano to leave.

Brady walked into Nicole's hospital room and asked how she was feeling. She was distraught because no one knew where Sydney was. She wondered why he was there, because everyone hated her. He said that he felt she needed someone on her side. She wondered why he would be on her side after everything she had done. Brady said that he had made mistakes, too.

Nicole said that every time she closed her eyes, she heard Sydney crying, and she worried that Sydney was probably scared. Brady said that Sydney probably was scared, which was why everyone was trying to figure out what was going on. He urged Nicole to tell him everything. Nicole realized that Brady thought she hid Sydney somewhere. Nicole swore that she wasn't hiding Sydney. Nicole begged Brady to help her, and he agreed. Nicole prayed that Sydney was safe.

Brady told Rafe, Sami, and E.J. that he didn't believe Nicole knew anything about Sydney. E.J. accused Stefano of having Sydney.

Bo told Hope that Ciara was playing with her dollhouse and wanted to know if she could stay there longer. Hope said it was okay. Bo offered Hope some tea, and Hope said she felt like a guest. "Move back in. I'll never offer you tea again," Bo said. Hope felt like it looked like she was the "bad guy."

"I never said that," Bo said. "You kinda did. You didn't disagree with me. Who's keeping her daughter from her father? Who's breaking her heart?" Hope said. Bo said that he didn't look at it that way. He said it was about the two of them. Hope said it was "more complicated." Bo said Carly was gone. Hope suggested that it would really be a "fantastic step in the right direction" if he would tell Hope what was really going on with Carly.

Maggie apologized for Melanie and Mia not wanting Carly to move in. Carly said that the girls were lucky to have Maggie. After Carly left, Mia asked if Maggie hated Mia. Maggie said she didn't. Mia acknowledged that Carly tried to be nice. Maggie corrected her and said that Carly was nice. Mia didn't know why, but she couldn't deal with Carly. Carly peered through the window as Maggie hugged Mia.

Bo asked why Hope couldn't accept that he couldn't tell Hope about Carly's secret. Hope said that they were partners and they had always shared everything. Bo pointed out that Hope was the one who moved out of the house. "It always comes back to that, doesn't it?" Hope asked. The doorbell rang. Hope answered the door, and it was Carly. Hope looked at Bo.

Hope was surprised when she opened her front door and found Carly. Smirking, Hope invited a hesitant Carly into her house. Carly told Bo that she was stopping by to tell him that she would not be moving in with Maggie. Worried, Hope demanded that Carly explain why she was "cozying" up to Hope's family. On the defensive, Carly said, "Not everything I do is connected to you."

Victor arrived at the house, visibly annoying by Carly's presence. "For God's sake get this intruder out of here," Victor barked. Bo started to warn Victor not to insult anyone in his home, but his speech was interrupted when Ciara ran down the staircase to hug her grandfather. Victor offered to take Ciara to his home for an early Christmas present, and Hope said that she would meet up with them later. Once Victor was gone, Carly apologized for visiting the house, and Hope countered that she could forgive Carly if Carly would explain why she tried to move in with Maggie and why it did not work out.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Just one more secret you don't want to share?" Hope said haughtily. Worried about the tension, Bo urged Hope to let the issue go. "A lack of trust has been a major issue for us," Hope said pleadingly. Carly noted that she did not plan to have much contact with Bo anymore. Suspicious, Hope argued that Carly's explanation seemed hollow considering that she stopped by the house to tell Bo where she would be staying.

"You chose to come here to my house," Hope said as she advanced toward a clearly uncomfortable Carly. Interrupting, Bo said, "If this is your house, why did you leave it?" Backing away, Carly started to leave. "No, don't go. I should be the one going," Hope said. Grabbing her purse, Hope turned to Bo and said, "It was clearly a mistake for me to come here or to ever think that we could rebuild our family." Hurt, Bo watched in silence as his wife walked out the door.

"This has to end. We have to tell Hope about my daughter," Carly said firmly. "If it were just about that secret, I'd say, 'Yeah, let's tell Hope,'" Bo countered. Bo said that he worried that Hope would accidentally tell someone about Carly's daughter just like she had accidentally told Victor that Carly was in town. Noting Vivian's emergence in Salem, Bo reasoned that Vivian would likely be looking for Carly's daughter in order to hurt her.

Carly agreed with Bo's argument and then started to leave for the hotel. Noting the immense expense of the nearby hotel, Bo ordered Carly to move back in with him so that he could protect her. Looking unsure, Carly resisted. Bo asked why Carly had left Maggie's. When Bo asked whether Carly's daughter had vetoed her living there, Carly smiled. "You were right. I shouldn't have tried to rush things," Carly said. Carly worried aloud whether her daughter hated her.

At the Java Café, Vivian and Kate fought over a cup of coffee. As the barista made another cup of coffee for Vivian, Kate attempted to avoid listening to Vivian talk to her. "You're not Philip's long lost mother," Kate sniped. Kate mockingly imitated Vivian and then warned her that she was only a "gestation device." "And who are you, Kate? The mother he wants to die and go to hell? You did marry the man that tried to have him murdered," Vivian joked.

Kate inquired whether Vivian was pursuing Victor. "And why exactly would you care about that? After all, you know Stefano owns your soul as well as what's left of your body," Vivian countered. Kate warned Vivian not to go after Philip through Victor. With a chuckle, Vivian that Kate was not likely to grow close to either Victor or Philip ever again. Furious, Kate stormed off.

Talking on her cell phone, Vivian said, "Well if she's not staying there, then she is staying at a hotel. Stay on it and get back to me." As Vivian hung up her phone, Gus handed Vivian a letter from the deposit box of Lawrence's secret Swiss bank account. "Well, well, well. There's someone else that needs to read this," Vivian mused as she looked over the letter.

In Maggie's kitchen, Mia returned home to get her purse before heading back to work. Maggie offered to make Mia a sandwich, but when Maggie mentioned chicken, Mia became emotional. Mia explained that she used to crave chicken when she was pregnant. Mia talked about her memories of Grace, then wiped her tears away. Maggie suggested that Mia talk to her mother.

"Why would I do that?" Mia asked. "Family is the most important thing in anyone's life," Maggie responded. Maggie urged Mia not to let her grief change her and to keep herself open to finding happiness again. Maggie assured Mia that things were going to be okay, and smiling, Mia thanked Maggie for always being the one to say that to her. "You're the only person I know who will tell me the truth," Mia said. "Nicole sure taught me that," Mia joked. Maggie warned Mia not to become cynical, but upset, Mia left for work.

At the Java Café, Hope asked Mia about how life was over at Maggie's house. After a couple of questions, Hope inquired whether anyone else besides Mia and Melanie was living at Maggie's house. Mia noted that a woman named Carly had started to move into the house but that she changed her mind. When Hope inquired about Mia's opinion of Carly, Mia admitted that her first impression was that "I couldn't really trust her and that I should stay away from her." While Hope looked on in stunned silence, Mia excused herself and went back to work behind the counter. "Hmmm. Smart girl," Hope mumbled to herself as she walked away.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Vivian visited Victor and thanked him for warning Ciara against the "murderous" Carly Manning. With a raised eyebrow, Victor asked Vivian whom Carly murdered. Victor reminded Vivian that someone besides Carly had confessed to stabbing Lawrence. With an angry stare, Vivian said that she believed Carly was to blame for his murder. "You came here to see that Carly gets exactly what she deserves," Victor mused. Noting that he was on her side, Victor urged Vivian to admit that she was in Salem in order to exact revenge.

"It's time for revenge," Vivian purred. Vivian explained that having Carly arrested, tried, and executed was not enough torture in Vivian's mind. Vivian asked Victor if he would help her make Carly suffer. "Do you really have to ask?" Victor said with a devilish smile on his face.

In Ohio, Sami and E.J. accused Stefano of abducting Sydney. "I have an idea," Stefano said calmly. When E.J. and Sami began to yell at Stefano, he ordered everyone to be quiet. Stefano suggested that Nicole was the only one that knew where Sydney was hidden. Frustrated, Sami explained to Stefano that Nicole did not admit anything to Brady and that Nicole had been hit on the back of the head.

"What if she really doesn't know what happened to Sydney?" Sami exclaimed. Calm, Stefano reiterated his argument that Nicole was a liar and the likely suspect. E.J. reminded Stefano that he was the one to help Nicole lie previously and could be helping her now. "How do we know that you haven't been in this every step of the way?" E.J. asked. Sami argued that she could not stand to lose another daughter, and she urged Stefano to explore every avenue in order to secure Sydney's safe return.

Stefano said he sympathized with Sami but that he believed that Nicole had the baby. Stefano reasoned that he would not be so cruel as to take the baby from its parents. E.J. countered that Stefano had a clear motive, since E.J. had told his father that he was going to be cut off from visitation with Sydney. "I didn't think you really meant that," Stefano said. Turning to Sami, Stefano told her that he had an idea of how to track down Sydney. E.J. was still suspicious, but desperate, Sami asked E.J. to hear Stefano out in case he had any ideas that could lead to the safe return of their daughter.

Stefano explained that he had some of his people tracking down Nicole. "And he did the same thing no matter what he denies," Stefano groused as he pointed at E.J. When Sami quietly asked E.J. if Stefano was right, E.J. admitted that he also had people tracking down Nicole because she had left the jurisdiction of the Salem Police Department. Stefano urged E.J. to combine the resources of the men that they had tracking Nicole in order to find leads on where the baby was stashed.

Worried, Sami asked E.J. whether he thought they should follow Stefano's plans. With a sigh, E.J. noted that Stefano's men "will make sure that we never find our daughter." E.J. added that he was worried that if his people found any information about Sydney's whereabouts that Stefano's men would destroy the evidence. Stefano urged Sami to trust him, but setting her jaw, Sami sided with E.J.

"I don't think E.J. would be suspicious of you unless he had a good reason. You are gonna burn in hell for this, Stefano. How could you do this to your own granddaughter?" Sami marveled. Throwing up his hands, Stefano warned them that he had experience in kidnappings and that without his help, they would never find their daughter. Attempting to calm Sami, E.J. pulled her into his arms.

In her hospital room, a groggy Nicole called out Sydney's name. "Oh God, please be safe," Nicole murmured. Dreaming of Sydney, Nicole cried out that she was on her way to find her. Nicole woke up and struggled to get out of bed. After passing out on her first attempt, Nicole was able to get to her feet and peek out the door of her room. Spotting a guard outside her door, Nicole crept slowly over to the back door and found that it was locked. Nicole searched through her clothing, found a bobby pin, and picked the lock to the back door of her room.

Down the hospital hallway, Rafe greeted Roman and updated him on the kidnapping investigation. Rafe argued that the evidence showed that the kidnapping appeared to be a professional job. Nodding, Roman agreed and said that the Cleveland police had an idea about who might be responsible for taking Sydney. Roman explained that Nicole's mother, Faye, lived in Cleveland and had been helping Nicole. Rafe scoffed at the idea that Nicole's mother would hit her daughter over the head and take her baby. Smiling, Roman agreed and told Rafe that he knew Faye very well, and that she was not the kind of person to do that.

Outside Nicole's room, Roman hugged his daughter and asked Stefano to speak to the police. Arguing that he had been accused enough for one day, Stefano warned Roman to tell the police to speak with his attorney. As Stefano walked away, he growled at E.J., "No one is going to turn me into the villain here. I just want my granddaughter back."

Down the hall, Stefano called Kate and told her that Sydney was still missing. Kate expressed her concern for Stefano's health, which angered Stefano. "Elvis, Nicole, and Samantha are trying to keep Sydney away from me and damn it, they are going to pay for it!" Stefano exclaimed. When Kate asked how they would pay, Stefano countered that Sydney would be found.

Sami wondered aloud whether she should believe Nicole or Stefano, and E.J. agreed that he was not sure what to believe either. When Sami expressed her concern that the trail to Sydney might be going cold, E.J. turned her toward him and assured her that they would find their daughter.

Rafe attempted to speak with Nicole, but the guard outside her room said that the doctor had forbid anyone entrance. Taking the guard aside, Rafe explained that he was desperate to find the missing child and that he needed to get some answers out of the woman in the room. "You don't want to be responsible for anything happening to that baby, now, do you?" Rafe whispered. Nodding, the guard agreed to let Rafe inside Nicole's room. When Rafe opened the door, he found that she was gone and the back door was unlocked.

Over drinks at the Kiriakis mansion, Victor agreed to help Vivian exact her revenge on Carly. Vivian read a letter for Victor that she said Lawrence had written to Carly shortly before he died. "What you have done to me will never be forgiven, you whore," Vivian read. "The shame you have brought upon me is unbearable, unending — and do not think you will escape the punishment you deserve. The proof of your sins will be destroyed. There will be blood." Lawrence had tried to write more, but couldn't, Vivian explained.

Vivian concluded that Carly had betrayed Lawrence by having an affair with Bo. Victor theorized that it had to be bigger and more consequential than a mere "roll in the Persian rug," for Carly to have felt she had to kill Lawrence to keep him from carrying out his revenge. Vivian only wanted to know what had driven her nephew over the edge. Victor replied that if they found out Bo was involved, they would have to get Carly out of the picture — by setting a trap for her.

Vivian impishly told Victor how Kate believed that Vivian was after him. "Wouldn't that be a perfect way to fool Carly?" Vivian suggested. "Let it out that I'm in Salem not because of what happened to Lawrence, but because you and I are madly, passionately in love." Victor's eyebrow shot up, but his twinkling eyes showed his approval.

Justin ran into Hope at the Java Café as she was getting some hot cocoa to take home for Ciara. Hope noted with chagrin that she, Bo, and Ciara were supposed to be decorating their Christmas tree that night, but "Carly happened." Justin was surprised, since Carly had moved out. Hope clarified that Carly said she was going to check into the Salem Inn, but Hope didn't believe it. Hope was still miffed that Carly had tried to move in with Hope's aunt and uncle — and Hope was glad that Melanie and Mia had vetoed the idea.

Hope asserted to Justin that her gut instinct about why Carly had returned to town had been right. "It has nothing to do with a big secret," Hope maintained. "She came back to take my husband." Justin didn't buy it, but asked if Hope had a plan to fix things. Hope declared that she intended to find out Carly's secret, but would only smile mysteriously when Justin asked what she would do next.

Hope and Justin continued their discussion as they arrived at the Kiriakis mansion. Justin was worried that Hope was endangering herself needlessly, but Hope was resolved to put her detective skills to use. She pointed out that she and Bo couldn't work things out until Carly was out of the picture. Justin was frustrated for Bo and Hope that they couldn't find some way to get back together for the holidays, but instead Hope was trying to dig up dirt about Carly.

Hope irritably asked Justin for his support, not his criticism, declaring, "Let's not forget; this is about Carly Manning having enough power over my husband to persuade him that I can't be trusted. Well, damn her!" Hope reiterated her vow to learn Carly's secret.

Hope was surprised later to find Vivian in the foyer with Victor. Victor informed his daughter-in-law that Vivian was moving in as his "special guest." Hope was taken aback, but then declared with a smile that it was a great idea.

At Bo and Hope's, Carly admitted to Bo that moving in with the Hortons to be close to her daughter had been a bad idea. "Now I think she actually hates me," Carly concluded sadly. She told Bo that her daughter had been hostile, and "the other girl" also hadn't wanted Carly to move in. It saddened Carly not to be able to reveal her identity to her daughter, but she hoped keeping the truth from Vivian would protect the girl's life.

Bo declared that the only way to keep Vivian from carrying out Lawrence's wishes to kill Carly's daughter was to eliminate Vivian. He quickly clarified that he just meant they should find something to use against Vivian, so she wouldn't hurt Carly or her daughter. Carly agreed that it was a nice idea, but she was skeptical that she would ever be able to tell anyone about her daughter.

Later, Bo donned a Santa hat while he set up the Christmas tree. Carly prepared to leave, so that Hope and Ciara could return to help him decorate it, but Bo pointed out that it was close to Ciara's bedtime. Carly declined his offer to spend the night, and then suddenly realized it was the anniversary of their symbolic wedding ceremony in Mexico. Bo admitted that he'd remembered, but had decided not to bring it up. They both recalled standing atop the Mayan pyramid, dressed in traditional costumes as they recited their vows.

Carly then insisted that she had to leave, but first earnestly told Bo, "Here's what I wish: I wish that you and Hope and Ciara all get back together this Christmas." A discouraged Bo admitted that he missed his family. Touching his face tenderly, Carly urged him not to give up on a love like his and Hope's. Justin arrived on the front porch right then, and spied Carly's loving gesture with dismay.

In Cleveland, Brady was dismayed when the police commander, Peter Hogan, informed him and Roman that none of the leads about Nicole had panned out. As Commander Hogan left, Roman told Brady that Sami was at a motel near the hospital, where he hoped she was getting some rest. Roman couldn't decide whether Nicole really had no idea where Sydney was, or had the baby hidden somewhere. Brady believed Nicole was telling the truth, adding, "She can't be responsible for all of this. She just can't be." Arianna arrived just then, and her eyes widened when she overheard what Brady said. Roman got a cell phone call alerting him to another possible lead, and left to pursue it.

At the hospital in Cleveland, Rafe was furious to discover that Nicole had escaped from her room. He quickly deduced that although there was a police officer guarding her room, and a second door leading from the room had been locked, Nicole had picked the lock.

A weak Nicole snuck into a supply room, looking around for anything she could use that would help her escape and find Sydney. She was relieved to find a parka on a coat rack, and hospital scrubs on a shelf. She put them on and stuffed her hospital gown in the trash can. She spied a pair of scissors nearby and used them to cut off her identification bracelet, then put the scissors in the pocket of the parka, and crept back out the door.

Rafe searched the halls near Nicole's room until he reached the supply closet. He spotted Nicole's hospital gown and ID bracelet in the wastebasket.

E.J. was incensed when he heard Rafe and the guard report the ID bracelet and stolen parka to Commander Hogan. After Rafe left, E.J. ordered Hogan to set up a perimeter around the hospital — and find Sydney.

When Arianna stepped out of the shadows, a stunned Brady asked what she was doing there. Arianna replied that she wanted to help find Sydney, but she was mainly there to see him. Confused, Brady pointed out that she'd told him that she was out of his life. Arianna sheepishly explained, "You say that you love me, but at the same time, you're saying things like you may never be able to get Nicole out of your heart. What am I supposed to do with that? Because I can't live with it."

Arianna added that she might understand if Nicole were a wonderful person, but instead she had done nothing but involve Brady in her lies. Brady admitted that Nicole had been a negative influence on his life. Arianna didn't understand why, even after learning the "whole, ugly truth," Brady still wanted to help Nicole. Brady insisted that it was only because Nicole's life had been tragic, and she was completely alone.

"Oh, my God," Arianna exclaimed incredulously. "You're, like, addicted to her! She'd like a drug to you — that's why you can't stop helping her." Brady declared Arianna's assertion was ridiculous, but she pointed out all the ways he behaved like an addict where Nicole was concerned. Commander Hogan called Brady just then to inform him of Nicole's escape. After Brady hung up and filled Arianna in, she wanted to know where Nicole would hide in Cleveland. "I have an idea," Brady declared, and left, with Arianna right behind him.

Roman arrived at the hospital with Fay in tow, and introduced E.J. to his mother-in-law. E.J. and Roman demanded to know where Nicole was. Fay insisted she didn't know, although she did admit that she'd helped Nicole, who had been planning to flee with Sydney to Canada. Fay was alarmed to hear that someone had knocked Nicole unconscious, then Nicole had managed to escape from the hospital — and no one knew where Sydney was.

Roman divulged to E.J. that the cops had found Fay with a black wig and a toddler-sized doll in her car. He suspected that Nicole had known she was going to get caught, and Fay was planning to raise Sydney until Nicole got out of prison. Fay didn't understand why Nicole would go to prison, since she had only been running for her life from her abuser, E.J. When Fay referred to Sydney as her granddaughter, Roman realized that Fay didn't know the truth.

Roman stated, "Fay, Sydney is not your granddaughter." E.J. coldly explained, "Samantha Brady is Sydney's mother. Your daughter stole her, and then passed her off as her own." He told Fay about Nicole's miscarriage and the baby switch, and how Nicole had said nothing while he and Samantha had grieved when "their" baby had died of meningitis. Fay was horrified. Roman summarized the rest of the story, about Nicole's arrest, and how she had kidnapped Sydney and fled to Cleveland. E.J. continued, "And so now Samantha and I find ourselves again grieving for the loss of another child that your daughter stole." E.J. and Roman urged Fay to tell them what she knew about Sydney's whereabouts.

Nicole arrived at the bus station and used the pay phone to call her mother. When she had tried several times and couldn't reach Fay, Nicole looked around and realized where she was. "Oh my God, this is where it happened!" she exclaimed.

As Nicole wandered uselessly through the bus station, weeping over losing Sydney, suddenly Rafe's hand clamped down on her shoulder. "Where's Sydney?" he demanded. As though in a fog, Nicole stammered that she'd left the hospital to look for Sydney. She became frantic at the thought of Sydney, hungry and crying, with strangers. Rafe exasperatedly pointed out that Sydney could even be dead. Nicole grew even more distraught, flailing at Rafe with her fists. "Don't say that!" she cried, sobbing. "She is not dead!"

An impatient Rafe ordered Nicole to tell him where Sydney was. Nicole adamantly insisted that she did not know, and that she had been trying to call Sami because she'd changed her mind about taking Sydney. Rafe declared that Nicole's story was just too hard to swallow, and grabbed her by the arm to turn her over to the police. Nicole whipped out the scissors and ordered Rafe to stay away, but in her weakened condition, he was quickly able to wrest the scissors out of her hand.

"You just used up your last chance, lady," Rafe growled, holding Nicole in a headlock. "Now, you're going to tell me where Sydney is, or you are going to end up in a world of hurt." As Nicole struggled to get free and Rafe angrily continued to order her to tell him where Sydney was, Brady and Arianna arrived. To Arianna's horror, Brady stepped in and pulled Nicole away, declaring, "Hey! She doesn't know anything. Don't hurt her!"

Bo confided in Carly how disappointed he was that he and Hope couldn't be together during the Christmas holiday. Carly encouraged him to be optimistic and told him not to give up.

Justin went to Bo's house to talk to him, but when Justin looked in the window, he saw Carly and Bo in what looked like an intimate moment. Hope showed up with Ciara and wondered what Justin was doing there. Justin said that he stopped by to pick up a case file. Hope said Bo had texted them to tell them that the Christmas tree had arrived so that Ciara could help decorate it.

When Bo answered the door, he was surprised to see them. He thought that Ciara would be in bed. Hope reminded him that he invited them over. Hope asked if it was a bad time. Bo said it was a great time. When Ciara and Hope walked inside, Ciara saw Carly and said, "Mommy, what's she still doing here?"

Hope told Ciara that she was being impolite. Carly didn't mind. She said that Ciara "was just asking a question," but Hope insisted that it wasn't Ciara's place. Hope told Ciara that Bo was allowed to have company. "But, Mommy..." Ciara said. Bo told Ciara to help find the icicles for the tree. He asked if Justin was there to trim the tree also, but Justin said he was there to pick up a case file. Bo directed Justin to where the file was in the kitchen. Justin asked Carly to give Bo, Hope, and Ciara time alone. Justin and Carly went into the kitchen.

Ciara wanted Hope to join her and Bo in decorating the tree, but Hope wasn't planning to stay. Bo asked Hope to stay, and Ciara said, "Mommy, please." So, Hope agreed to stay. Hope asked Ciara to put a playlist of songs together on Hope's MP3 player, and Ciara went upstairs. Hope asked Bo not to put Ciara on the spot like that again. Bo wanted Ciara to see her parents get along. Hope thought that Ciara could still tell that something was wrong. Justin and Carly emerged from the kitchen and said goodbye to Hope and Bo. After Ciara hung the last of the Christmas tree ornaments, Bo asked her to go to the kitchen and get some cookies to give him and Hope time to talk about Ciara's surprise gift.

Bo and Hope remembered that the song that was playing had played when they renewed their wedding vows on Christmas Eve. Bo told Hope that he didn't want to be alone on Christmas, their anniversary and the anniversary of Zack's death. She said he wouldn't be alone. Ciara joined them with the cookies. Hope looked through the ornaments and found mistletoe. Ciara wanted to hang it up, but Hope didn't want to. She said it was because the mistletoe was "old and dried up" and had "lost its magic." Bo helped Ciara put the star on top of the tree, and Hope realized that Ciara was getting sleepy, so she decided to take her home. Ciara asked Bo where Santa would leave her presents. Hope told her that there would be presents at Victor's house and at Bo's house.

At the hospital in Cleveland, E.J. told Sami that the police suspected Fay helped Nicole kidnap Sydney. Fay denied it, but E.J. detailed what the police found in Fay's car -- a bus ticket, wig, and children's toys -- which all pointed to Fay's guilt. E.J. warned Fay about what happened when people crossed the DiMeras. E.J. demanded that Fay tell him everything that she knew. Fay explained that she was only trying to help Nicole get Sydney out of the country, and Fay had nothing to do with Sydney's disappearance. E.J. didn't believe her, and Fay asked why he thought that she would lie. Fay said that once the police found Nicole, she would explain everything. Sami realized that Nicole had escaped. Sami feared that they would never find Sydney.

E.J. reminded Sami how Fay allowed her husband to abuse Nicole and turn her into a porn star. Sami said that it illustrated Sami's point -- Fay "didn't even have the guts to call the cops on her own husband. She may have wanted to help Nicole, but she certainly doesn't have it in her." Fay overheard Sami's comment and called Sami a "little bitch." She was angry that Sami had judged her.

E.J. defended Sami and detailed how Nicole had "engineered this little catastrophe all by herself." Sami tried to stop E.J. from continuing to defend her, but he stood firm. "If there's one thing your daughter is very good at doing, it is bringing pain into other people's lives. So don't you dare blame anybody but Nicole for this -- least of all Samantha, who unlike you is a wonderful, loving and caring mother and had nothing, nothing to do with this whatsoever," E.J. told Fay.

At the bus station, Rafe demanded to know what Nicole had done with Sydney, but she wouldn't talk, so he threatened her. Brady showed up and intervened, saying that Nicole didn't know anything. Brady urged Rafe not to hurt her. Nicole was so upset at the thought that Sydney might be gone forever that Nicole passed out. Brady tried to revive Nicole.

Brady woke Nicole up while Rafe told her, "You can't just close your eyes and make this go away. The clock's ticking. You say you love Sydney, then help us find her." Rafe said that if Nicole didn't help them find Sydney, Nicole would go to jail for a very long time and would never see Sydney again.

Brady tried to get Nicole to confess where she had been hiding Sydney. Nicole insisted that she didn't know where Sydney was. Nicole started crying again, so Brady comforted her, but he urged her to tell him the truth. Nicole said that Brady was the only one who cared about her, and she was sorry that she had gotten him involved in her "horrible mess of a life."

She admitted that she had been unfair to Brady. "I will regret for the rest of my life if I ever hurt you, if I ever caused you any pain, Brady, because I love you, and you're the best friend that I have ever had," she said. Brady asked Rafe and Arianna to give him a minute alone with Nicole. Brady said that if what she said was true and she ever loved him, she needed to tell him where his sister's baby was.

Nicole said that if she knew where Sydney was and didn't tell the police, that would mean she was a monster. She asked if he thought that she was a monster. He said he didn't. She said that what Brady said when he spoke with her on the phone before she got knocked out made her realize that what she had done was crazy and she needed to return Sydney to Sami. Brady knew, because he had heard it in her voice that she was affected by their conversation.

Nicole said that she had returned to the bus station to see if she could remember something from when she was knocked unconscious. Then, she had a blurry image in her head, but she couldn't remember what she saw. Nicole broke down into tears, realizing that her intention to protect Sydney had caused Sydney to be placed in danger, after all. She said she couldn't forgive herself if anything had happened to Sydney because of what Nicole had done. Arianna told Rafe that Nicole seemed to be telling the truth. Rafe arrested Nicole.

Roman told Sami that the police traced Fay's movements, and she was nowhere near the bus station when Sydney was kidnapped. He also said that Rafe had found Nicole at the bus station. Sami asked E.J. to promise not to protect her from the truth about anything. As Sydney's mother, Sami needed to know everything, she said.

E.J. told Sami that if Stefano had anything to do with Sydney's disappearance, E.J. would make sure that Stefano paid for it. Sami knew that E.J. would, but she urged him not to put himself in any danger. E.J. was surprised to know that she cared, but she said she was just thinking about their kids possibly losing their father. Brady, Rafe, and Arianna accompanied the police as they led Nicole back to the hospital in handcuffs.

Nicole saw Fay with Roman, and she asked why Fay was there. Fay demanded to know why Nicole had lied to her by saying that Sydney was Nicole's. Fay felt that Sydney was missing, because Fay had helped Nicole. Nicole tried to explain, but the officer took her to get checked out. Sami worried to Rafe about whether Sydney knew that they were looking for her and were doing all they could to get Sydney back. E.J. looked at Sami and Rafe in an embrace. E.J. spoke to someone on the phone, telling them not to do anything until E.J. called. He said that the person would get their instructions, and until that time, the person needed to remain available at all times.

Roman walked by with Nicole and announced that she was going to jail with no bail. Nicole had an announcement to make. She said that at one point, she would have done anything to keep Sydney away from Sami and E.J., but she had realized that she would have rather had Sydney be with Sami than wherever Sydney was. Nicole wanted Sydney to be with her mother and father. Nicole apologized to Sami. E.J. ordered Roman to take Nicole away. Arianna told Brady that he had done everything that he could, but Brady didn't feel like he had done enough. Sami needed to call Will, but Rafe told her to go home and tell him in person that Sydney would be home. He said that there wasn't anything that they could do in Cleveland.

Mia stopped by Sami's place to see Will to see if she could help in the search for Sydney. Lucas asked Will to check on the twins, and while Will was in the other room, Lucas apologized to Mia for judging her or "misjudging" her. He said it was part of his 12-step program to make amends to people. Mia accepted Lucas' apology. Lucas also asked what was going on between her and Will. Lucas encouraged Mia to get back together with Will. When Will returned from the bedroom, he overheard Lucas talking to Mia and assumed that Lucas was judging her, but Mia said that wasn't the case and that Lucas had apologized. Will was surprised to hear that.

Mia said that Lucas didn't need to feel sorry for her, because she had caused her own misery, and because of what she did, people were suffering. Mia said she was sorry -- more than they would ever know. Will told Mia that he was forced into being on the planning committee of the winter dance. Mia said that his extracurricular activity would look good on his college transcript. Will didn't think that he would go to the dance, because he wouldn't want to go with anyone else but her. Mia realized that he was asking her out, so she accepted.

At the DiMera mansion, Kate asked if Stefano had heard anything about Sydney. He was worried that every minute that passed meant that it would be harder to find Sydney. Kate tried to help Stefano be optimistic. Kate suggested that she and Stefano play chess hoping it would calm him down, but it just reminded him that he didn't stay two steps ahead of Nicole like he should have. Stefano was upset at the thought that when Sydney was found, E.J. would try to keep Sydney out of Stefano's life.

Kate suggested that E.J. was just upset. Stefano vowed not to let anyone take Sydney out of Stefano's life. He prayed that God would keep Sydney safe. Stefano vowed to fight E.J. and Sami to keep Sydney in his life.

As they continued to play chess, Stefano told Kate that Sydney had become a pawn in a game, but she wasn't a pawn -- she was a little girl -- and he vowed not to let her be used like that again. Stefano won the game, and Kate said that he had always won.

At the Java Café, Carly asked Justin if he was returning home for Christmas, but he said he planned to stay in Salem, since his wife Adrienne and the kids were traveling. He asked what Carly's plans were and whether her son Nicolas would be in town. She said that Nicolas wasn't planning to visit and she didn't want to insist, considering that Lawrence was dead. Carly realized that she had referred to Salem as "home." Justin assumed that Carly had returned to town to see Bo, and he challenged Carly to admit that she still loved Bo.

Carly was offended. She said she had contacted Bo and Justin, because she trusted them to help her. Justin asked why Carly stuck around town. Carly said it was because she didn't have money or a job and couldn't exactly travel the world. He said she could have gone anywhere else to see her friends or family. Carly asked Justin to say that he wanted her to leave town instead of being passive aggressive, so Justin told her that if she didn't really want to get between Bo and Hope, Carly needed to leave town. Carly said that Justin was out of line. Justin told her that he saw Bo and Carly through the window at Bo's house.

Carly asked what Justin saw. Justin didn't believe that she was only comforting Bo. Justin saw that Carly and Bo still had a connection, and he suspected that Carly still loved Bo and wanted him back. Carly insinuated that Justin was concerned about Bo and Hope, because he wanted Hope for himself.

A woman pushed Sydney in her stroller, but the woman's face was not shown - she was only shown from the waist down.

Stefano was on the phone at the DiMera mansion, giving orders: "Just sit tight until I give you further instructions." He quickly hung up when E.J. entered. Stefano bristled when E.J. accused him of being responsible for Sydney's kidnapping, and told his son to "get the hell out of this house." E.J. countered smugly that while Stefano was comatose, E.J. had put the house in his own name to keep it out of Kate's hands. "This is my house," E.J. declared, "and I have the power to throw you out."

Meanwhile, a mystery woman in a rocking chair held Sydney in her lap, singing a lullaby.

As Stefano and E.J.'s voices rose in anger, Kate went into the parlor to find out what was going on. E.J. repeated his allegation that Stefano was behind Sydney's disappearance. Stefano angrily declared that even if he knew where Sydney was, he would never tell E.J. After a final, withering remark to his father, E.J. stormed out. In a chillingly calm voice, Stefano told Kate that after everything E.J. had done, "Finally, my son gets what he deserves."

When Kate went to the kitchen to get some tea for Stefano, he made a quick, furtive phone call. At the same time, the mystery woman's phone rang. While Sydney cooed happily, the woman assured the caller that everything was fine, adding, "Sydney's been a perfect little angel."

Stefano hung up just as Kate returned with a tray. While she poured tea, Stefano informed her that E.J. was going to try to throw them out. Kate was stunned that E.J. would do so just because he believed Stefano had Sydney. "He's wrong, right?" Kate asked. "I mean, you don't have Sydney, do you?" Stefano reminded his wife that he didn't like to be interrogated, adding that she was the only family he had since E.J. had become bent on revenge.

Kate assured Stefano that she was on his side no matter what, but he seemed to think she was patronizing him. "I never said that I took Elvis's child," he stated firmly. "Of course," Kate replied, adding icily that she had some phone calls to make as she turned and left.

On Bo and Hope's front porch, Justin tried to confront Bo about what Justin had seen through the door the night before. In a hurry to leave, Bo maintained that he and Carly had only been talking. He asked knowingly if Justin had brought the subject up with Carly, and Justin insisted he simply cared about Bo and Hope. Brushing past Justin, an annoyed Bo ordered his cousin, "Get a life, and stay out of ours - and Carly's."

At the townhouse, Sami awakened with a start from a dream in which she had found Sydney on her doorstep. She ran to the door and flung it open, but was disappointed to find only the morning's Salem Spectator, its headline announcing, "No Break in DiMera Kidnapping." She was reading the article beneath it when Bo knocked on the door. Sami flung her arms around her uncle and invited him in.

Bo informed her that there were no new leads about Sydney's kidnapping, but he wanted to review the details of the case with Sami. Sami asserted that she was sure Stefano was behind it, and Bo agreed that Stefano was the only one with the resources to pull it off. Once they had discussed what she remembered from her phone call with Nicole, Sami said that it gave her hope to know that Bo and Hope had gotten Ciara back. Bo reassured Sami that they would find Sydney, and then left to meet with Roman.

After calling Sami to tell her that they needed to talk, E.J. arrived at the townhouse and declared that he had figured out how to get Stefano to take them to Sydney. He excitedly explained about the potential legal fight over the DiMera property, which meant that he and Stefano would have to stay in the house together while they battled it out. E.J. stated that he had already bugged Stefano's bedroom and was about to tap the phones.

Sami was skeptical, pointing out that Stefano would be suspicious of E.J.'s presence and therefore guarded about what he said. E.J. animatedly reminded Sami that she had an uncanny knack for getting under Stefano's skin. Sami realized that if E.J. and Johnny were living there, she would have an excuse to visit, and maybe Stefano would slip up and say something he didn't intend to. She allowed herself a hopeful grin, as E.J. promised that the plan would give them a real chance to get Sydney back - together.

Elsewhere, the mystery woman stroked Sydney's face. "Imagine how shocked everyone would be if they found out where you were - and who you were with," she purred. "But they never will."

Philip dropped by Maggie's to see Melanie, who initially refused to let him in, despite the bouquet he proffered. Melanie reluctantly admitted Philip, but rejected the flowers, when he pointed out how cold it was outside. Philip pointedly asked whether Nathan had called Melanie, and she insisted that she and Nathan would eventually get back together. Philip pointed out that while he liked everything about her, Nathan only liked her good, responsible side. Flustered, Melanie left after asserting that she liked seeing herself through Nathan's eyes - and she missed Nathan.

At the Brady Pub, Nathan poured himself a cup of coffee, recalling his breakup with Melanie. When Daniel arrived, Nathan asked if he were in trouble, since Daniel had wanted to meet outside the hospital. Daniel was assuring him that it was something positive when Chloe arrived. Chloe and Daniel explained that they wanted to officially commend Nathan for saving Chloe's life. They also had something special planned for Nathan and Melanie, since she had been instrumental in helping convince Nathan to help Daniel.

Melanie arrived just then to meet Chloe, and was dismayed to see that Daniel and Nathan were there, as well. Chloe and Daniel told her about the commendation, but then Daniel got a page and had to leave for the hospital. Chloe continued that they had booked a romantic weekend getaway at the Green Mountain Lodge for Nathan and Melanie. Embarrassed, Melanie informed her that the two of them were no longer together. Chloe apologized sheepishly.

When Chloe had to take a phone call, Nathan snidely suggested that Melanie and Philip could use the weekend at the lodge to make another video. Melanie could only manage an incredulous, whispered, "Wow," before she started for the door. Nathan stopped her and apologized, adding that they should be proud of what they had done. "We were a good team, but not good for each other, right?" Melanie asked in a small voice. "Guess not," Nathan conceded.

After Melanie and Chloe had both gone, Nathan left a message asking Stephanie to call him so they could talk.

Vivian went downstairs at the Kiriakis mansion and was startled to see Victor wearing sunglasses while reading the newspaper. When Vivian asked why, Victor removed the sunglasses, revealing a bandage, and explained that he'd had an accident while ice-skating with Ciara. When Vivian referred to herself as "lady of the manor," Victor reminded her that she was only living with him for show. Unconcerned, Vivian vowed to rid the world of Carly Manning once and for all.

Philip returned home with Melanie's flowers, which Vivian pretended to assume were a welcome gift from her "son." Philip was annoyed to see her, and surprised when she informed him that she'd moved in. Victor arrived and would say no more about the sunglasses and bandage than that he'd had a minor accident. Philip confronted his father about Vivian moving in, so she quickly departed for an art gallery.

Victor roguishly claimed that he and Vivian had "reconnected." Incensed that Victor had allowed Vivian back into his life, Philip demanded to know what was really going on. Victor refused to discuss it beyond repeating that he and Vivian were back together.

After Victor left, Vivian returned to retrieve her coat from the parlor. She asked Philip if the bouquet had really been for the young woman he'd once mentioned, but Philip snapped that it was none of Vivian's business. Vivian believed that Philip would one day accept her as his mother. "Well, if that's true, then I guess everybody is right," Philip replied ironically. "I really am a son of a bitch."

Melanie was about to knock on the front door of the Kiriakis mansion when Vivian opened it, startling them both. When Melanie said she was looking for Philip, Vivian smiled. "Ah, so you must be the one," Vivian mused, looking over Melanie's face and figure and then deciding she approved. She yanked Melanie inside and called out to Philip, then left the two of them alone.

With a wry smile, Philip explained to Melanie, "That was 'incubator mom.'" He then asked if Melanie were there because she had changed her mind about him. "Yes, and no," Melanie replied, clarifying that she wanted them to hang out, but not go on an actual date yet. Philip was pleased, but wondered what had happened with Nathan to change Melanie's mind. "That ship has sailed, and it's sinking fast," she replied.

Carly arrived at the hospital for a job interview, and asked for some advice from Maggie about the person she would be meeting. Maggie wanted to know why Carly seemed so desperate to stay in Salem. As they moved their conversation to the pier, Carly noted that she had good friends in Salem, but Maggie believed there was more to it.

Justin showed up and interrupted, declaring that Bo was Carly's reason for staying. Carly lit into him for voicing his accusations in front of Maggie. Maggie urged Justin to let her and Carly continue their work discussion privately, so Justin left after exchanging a couple more pointed barbs with Carly. Carly complained to Maggie about Justin's smugness, but Maggie wondered if Carly were so upset because Justin had hit too close to home.

Carly vehemently denied it, arguing that Bo was nothing more than a friend with whom she'd sought refuge from Lawrence's men. "I'm grateful to have Bo back in my life," Carly admitted. "But whatever we had is in the past - and I know he belongs with Hope."

Just as Carly was reiterating that she was not going after Bo, Bo arrived on the pier. Carly guiltily claimed that she and Maggie had just been catching up, so Bo asked if he could hang out for a few minutes to take his mind off the kidnapping case. Carly had to leave for her interview, and Maggie also had to depart, but asked Bo to give Sami her best.

Bo didn't have long to wonder what he'd walked in on, as Vivian arrived immediately after the others had gone. Vivian happily declared that she had something to tell Bo. Bo stopped her, ordering her to stay away from Carly. Vivian protested indignantly, but Bo cut her off, declaring, "No matter what you say, I know you're plotting away in that demented head of yours - but you won't succeed." He added that the only way she would get to Carly was over his dead body. "Well, Bo, if that's the way it has to be, that's the way it has to be!" Vivian chirped as he walked away.

Justin sought out Daniel at the hospital to ask for his help on behalf of "the whole family." When Justin mentioned Daniel's spot on the hiring committee, Daniel assumed that Justin had a friend he wanted the hospital to hire. "Actually, I hoping you'd do just the opposite," Justin clarified. "I want you to turn her down."

Daniel was trying to get the full story from Justin, when suddenly they heard, "Daniel Jonas? Is that you?" They turned, and recognition slowly dawned on Daniel's face. Carly and Daniel embraced warmly, while Justin glowered.