Carly and Daniel went to the police station so that Carly could tell Bo and Abe that Vivian threatened her. Bo and Daniel planned to protect Carly from Vivian. Bo wondered why Vivian wasn't in a mental institution. Carly said she was more concerned about Melanie's safety. Bo planned to put an end to Vivian's threats.

Nicole refused to go back to her cell until her manicure was done, but the prison guard insisted that she scrub floors. Nicole said that she would be out of jail soon and the guard would have to do her own dirty work. The guard asked who Nicole was trying to look good for, and Nicole thought about Brady. Nicole realized she was an idiot for walking away from the only man who really loved her.

Anna kissed the governor to convince him to free Nicole, but the governor told her that he wouldn't be able to set Nicole free given her transgressions. She said that if he read the court transcripts, he would be able to sympathize with Nicole, but he said that the public would be unlikely to have sympathy for Nicole. He called for his car to be out front. Anna pretended to be upset, so he comforted her. Anna decided to "pull out the big guns."

Sami asked if Rafe would write a job reference for her, but he didn't think it was a good idea. Sami got upset and tried to leave. Rafe stopped her from leaving. She asked why he wouldn't give her a reference. She said she needed to find a job in case E.J. wanted to take her to court for custody of their kids. Rafe insisted that she would always have him.

While Sami appreciated the gesture, she wanted to work at the FBI as a receptionist. Arianna and Brady decided to leave, but Sami insisted that they stay and toast to their engagement. Sami asked if Arianna planned to work after she and Brady got married. Arianna said she planned to work and wanted to go back to school to get her master's degree. Sami said she wanted to go back to school too if it weren't for her kids, which was why the job at the FBI would have been perfect.

Brady thought up an excuse to leave Sami and Rafe alone to talk. Rafe explained that the job that Sami was applying for was in a different department than he worked in, which meant that he didn't have any pull. Sami said she didn't want any pull – she wanted a recommendation. He said he had never worked with Sami before. Sami was offended. Rafe asked whether Sami was qualified for the job. She explained her job skills to him. She said she was good at keeping secrets, and Rafe said he knew that. They argued.

Rafe claimed that Sami would never pass a required background check for the FBI, because she had a criminal record and withheld evidence in a federal investigation. Sami felt like Rafe didn't trust her. She told Rafe that they needed to take a break.

Theo told E.J. that Johnny told him the secret that Sydney was never gone and was with E.J. all along. E.J. claimed that Johnny liked to make up stories, but Theo insisted that it was not a story. Lexie overheard Theo's claim and questioned him. E.J. tried to explain, so Lexie sent Theo out of the room, while she set E.J. straight. Lexie said she thought that Theo's revelation meant that Sydney had been in Salem the whole time. E.J. played dumb about Sydney's whereabouts during the kidnapping.

At the Java Café, Vivian met with Bart to go over her backup plan. Bo called Vivian and ordered her to go to the police station. When Vivian arrived, Bo asked Daniel and Carly to leave the room. Daniel resented Bo for knowing about Melanie before Daniel did. Bo started to detail the ways that he could make Vivian's life a living hell. Vivian claimed that Bo's threats were empty and that he didn't follow through on them, whereas Vivian made threats and followed through.

Bo and Carly kissed, but they stopped because the hospital was paging her. Bo called someone to tell them that the craziness with Vivian was going to end.

Will stopped by the Java Café to give Mia the necklace that he had given to her. She asked where he had found it, and he said he got it from Gabi, who got it from Chad. Mia tried to lie, but Will called her on it. He accused her of playing him and Will. He said that she would end up with no one, and he left the necklace on the table and walked out.

Anna went to E.J. at the DiMera mansion to ask for his help with Nicole. She imagined E.J. ordering Marko to shoot her. Anna imagined E.J. shooting her as she waited on the plane to go to Timbuktu. She realized that there was nowhere she could hide from the DiMeras, so she thought she only had one thing to do.

Anna called Nicole and told her that she couldn't get the pardon. Anna realized that she still had one other thing she could do to get the pardon. Nicole gave her 12 hours before she told everyone about Anna's involvement. Nicole hung up and then threw the nail polish bottle at the wall.

Brady and Arianna went to the Java Café, and Arianna was excited about telling Gabi about their engagement. Arianna sensed that something was wrong, and Gabi said that she was upset about a guy. Then she looked at Mia.

Gabi asked why Chad liked Mia, because Mia wasn't a nice person. Arianna explained that Chad and Mia had a baby together, and that bonded them together. Arianna showed Gabi her engagement ring and asked her to be Arianna's maid of honor. Gabi encouraged Arianna to elope. Arianna refused to elope and wanted Gabi to be happy for her. Gabi was happy for Arianna. After they finished talking, Mia approached Gabi and rubbed it in her face that Chad dumped Gabi. Gabi told her to "drop dead" and left. "You're going to be even more upset when I'm through with you," Mia said to herself.

Brady asked Daniel for advice about telling Victor about his engagement. Daniel told him not to take Victor's reaction personally, whatever it was. Brady was just concerned about Victor making Arianna feel like she doesn't belong. When Arianna told Brady about Gabi's idea to elope, Brady was excited about it. They planned to hop a plane to elope and not tell anyone.

When Sami got home, E.J. asked if Rafe would be home, but Sami said that Rafe wouldn't be home. E.J. said he hated seeing Sami upset and wanted her to be happy. Sami thought it was ironic, because she had assumed that once she got Sydney back, that Sami and E.J. would fight over her. Instead, E.J. had been great about it, Sami said.

E.J. said that Sydney was just like Sami, like the way she scrunches up her nose. Sami said she hoped Sydney wasn't too much like Sami. E.J. felt like Sydney was a lucky girl. Sami rocked Sydney to sleep as E.J. watched.

Rafe took out his frustrations on a punching bag at the gym. Will saw him and assumed that Sami was the cause. Rafe said that it wasn't Sami's fault, but Will didn't believe that. He said that Sami had so many problems with men over the years. Will took out his anger at a punching bag. Rafe sensed that Will was upset about something else. Will admitted that he broke up with Mia again after she strung him and Chad along. Rafe said that it was Mia's loss, but it didn't feel like Mia's loss to Will.

The governor joined Abe, Lexie and Theo at the Brady Pub. The governor praised Abe for the green projects that Abe had implemented and praised Lexie for the volunteer program she started at the hospital. After the governor left, Abe told Lexie that the governor was destined for a higher office as long as he kept his nose clean.

Anna tried to sneak into the governor's room. Meanwhile, Nicole tried to think of who she could call who she trusted. Then she thought of exactly who it would be. Anna hid until the room service arrived, and she offered to take the tray in. She dropped some drugs into the governor's drink then knocked on the door and ran off. He opened the door and wheeled the tray into the room.

Vivian returned to the Java Café to see Gus. She vowed that she would "do Lawrence proud."

Nicole called Rafe asking to see him right away.

Melanie walked into Maggie's kitchen and was surprised to find a nurse pouring a cup of coffee. Philip introduced Sophie to Melanie, and noted that Sophie was there to take care of Melanie and Maggie. Melanie worried how Maggie would react to having a nurse hover around her. Melanie handed Sophie her purse and shoved her out the kitchen door. "Was I too pushy?" Melanie wondered aloud to Philip.

Maggie entered the kitchen and questioned what was going on. "Apparently I made a bad mistake," Philip commented. "You love me too much," Melanie said with a smile. Philip headed out the door to work, and once alone, Maggie asked Melanie whether she was having second thoughts about Nathan. "Philip's the best and I love him," Melanie said.

When Maggie asked Melanie to answer the question and be honest, Melanie relented. Melanie admitted that she occasionally thought about Nathan since he visited her in the hospital. Maggie suggested that, in order for Melanie to make her marriage work, she needed to determine who she wanted to be with. Maggie urged Melanie to talk to Nathan and get everything out in the open.

At the hospital, Stephanie asked Nathan why he was acting coldly toward her. "Did you talk to her, find out what she wrote?" Stephanie asked. When Nathan announced his intention to talk to Melanie, Stephanie warned him that he was going to get hurt. "It wasn't your call," Nathan reminded Stephanie. Stephanie apologized again for keeping the letter from Nathan, and she admitted that she did not give him the letter because she did not want to get hurt.

Stephanie explained that Nathan was obsessed with Melanie and the letter, and it hurt her feelings. "I had no idea you were so hurt," Nathan said. Stephanie asked Nathan to forgive her so that they could move on. "We need to take a break. I'm sorry," Nathan said before walking away.

Over in Maggie's kitchen, Melanie stared at her phone and contemplated calling Nathan. Just as Melanie reached for her phone, Nathan opened the kitchen door. Nathan commented on how much better Melanie looked since being released from the hospital. Smiling, Melanie handed a medical book to Nathan and told him that she assumed he was at Maggie's to pick up the book.

Nervously looking about the room, Nathan said that he was indeed there to pick up the book. When Nathan asked Melanie if she was visiting Maggie, Melanie noted that she and Philip had moved into Maggie's house. Staring into Melanie's eyes, Nathan asked Melanie to tell him what was in the letter she wrote. "If I had known there was a letter, Melanie, I definitely would have wanted to read it," Nathan said nervously. Curious, Nathan asked Melanie to tell him what she had written. As Nathan approached Melanie, she fidgeted nervously and offered to tell Nathan what was in the letter.

At the police station, Justin gave Hope a cup of coffee and updated her on Carly's sentencing hearing. "I'm glad," Hope said. When Justin looked skeptical, Hope explained that though she did not like Carly, she did not want to see her punished for a crime she did not commit. Hope thanked Justin for being her friend through everything, but added, "Nothing is ever going to happen between you and me, you know that, right?" Justin noted that he understood. Justin stood stoically stiff as Hope hugged him in thanks.

Down at the pier, Stephanie ran into Philip and asked him about Melanie. "Is Victor making an effort?" Stephanie inquired. Philip informed Stephanie that he and Melanie were living with Maggie. Noting the look on Stephanie's face, Philip asked her what was wrong. "Nathan dumped me. For your wife," Stephanie said curtly.

Stephanie explained that Melanie had written a letter for Nathan on her wedding day and that Stephanie purposely failed to deliver it to Nathan. Philip asked what was in the letter, but Stephanie claimed that she did not read the contents. Stephanie cautioned Philip to keep an eye on Nathan since he seemed to still be infatuated with Melanie. Philip countered that he was not worried about Nathan because Nathan was in Melanie's past.

Justin returned to the Kiriakis mansion to pick up some items and was surprised to learn from Henderson that he had a visitor waiting for him in the living room. Curious, Justin walked into the living room and was startled to find Adrianne. Adrianne explained that Hope had called her and informed her that Justin was in trouble. Shaking his head and smiling to himself, Justin explained that he was not in any trouble and that Hope had called Adrianne with the expectation that they would get back together. "Let me get this straight; I just put everything on hold and flew halfway around the world because Hope thinks we're not happy?" Adrianne asked in disbelief. Hope arrived home and greeted Adrianne. She noted that she had not expected Adrianne that to arrive so quickly.

"Really? Why wouldn't I? You told me Justin was in trouble and I got on the next flight," Adrianne said tersely. Adrianne lashed out at Hope and accused her of interfering with her life. After Adrianne stormed out, a furious Justin leveled his gaze at Hope and said, "I wish to God you hadn't done this."

A groggy Governor Jim woke up handcuffed to his hospital bed to find Anna taking pictures of him. When Jim questioned what happened, Anna coyly suggested that they had a wonderful evening together. Anna showed Jim the incriminating sex photos from their evening together and then offered to show the pictures to Jim's wife. Outraged, Jim demanded that Anna set him free. "You know I can't do that. Yet. Not until you do that favor I asked you to do," Anna purred. Jim refused to give in to Anna's blackmail scheme and ordered her to let him go.

Anna explained that in addition to the photos from the previous night, she also had a bunch of photos from their affair years before. Anna cautioned Jim that he needed to agree to her demand or else she would send out all the photos to the media within the hour.

Following up on Nicole's phone call, Rafe arrived at the prison to talk to her about Sydney. Nicole started to yammer on about how Sydney was getting along, but Rafe asked Nicole to get to the point. "I called you because there's something you need to know about what happened to Sydney," Nicole barked. Nicole announced that she had new information about the woman who had kidnapped Sydney. "I'm sick of being jerked around by you," Rafe said. Noting that he was not interested in her latest ploy, Rafe got up to leave. Nicole swore that she did not want to hurt Sami and that she was happy that Sydney was with her real mother.

"It's about time that woman who stole Sydney got what she deserved," Nicole announced. "You'll find her. Today. Cause I'm gonna tell you who she is," Nicole said gruffly. "How could you possibly know?" Rafe said. Nicole explained that she remembered whose voice she heard the day of the kidnapping. "Rafe, this is gonna blow your mind. But the woman who took Sydney..." Nicole said. Before Nicole could spill the beans to Rafe, Lois the guard entered the room and informed Nicole that the warden was demanding to speak to her.

Nicole hesitantly took the phone from Lois and talked to the warden. Nicole was surprised when the warden transferred the call to the governor who informed her that she was going to receive a pardon. When Nicole excitedly thanked the governor, he noted that Nicole had Anna to thank for her release. With a final warning, the governor cautioned Nicole not to make him regret his decision. Grinning like a mad woman, Nicole told Rafe that the governor had pardoned her. Rafe watched in stunned silence as Nicole did a victory dance with Lois

Cutting through Nicole's joyous laughter, Rafe demanded to know why the governor had pardoned Nicole. Nicole explained that the governor determined that she had served her time. Raising an eyebrow, Rafe reminded Nicole that she was going to announce who the kidnapper was prior to the phone call from the warden. Nicole accused Kate of the kidnapping, but Rafe explained that Kate was already excluded as a suspect. "This pardon kind of came out of the blue, didn't it?" Rafe announced suspiciously.

Anna gave Jim the memory stick from her camera and advised him to delete the sexy text messages on his phone. Staring fondly at Anna in spite of himself, Jim wondered aloud what happened to Anna that would lead her to such drastic measures. Smirking, Jim suggested that Anna relive some of the photographs with him so "I can remember them this time." Giggling, Anna said, "Oh what the heck! It's been a long time!"

Nicole thanked Lois for all her help while she was in prison, and Nicole promised that she would send her the money she owed Lois. Lois received a call on her phone from Anna and passed it to Nicole. Anna informed Nicole that she was leaving the country and warned Nicole that she had taped all of their phone conversations. Chuckling, Nicole promised that she would not waste her second chance. Once off the phone, Nicole asked Lois for one more phone call.

Nicole called Brady's office and learned that he was in Santo Domingo on business. Nicole got the hotel information from the secretary and excitedly informed Lois that it was the perfect opportunity to get Brady alone and start a new future.

Back at the hotel, Governor Jim had a knock at his hotel room door and greeted Rafe. "Why did you pardon Nicole DiMera?" Rafe asked bluntly.

In Santo Domingo, Brady and Arianna were in their swimsuits, and were hanging out in the bar at their hotel, and giddily relishing their time together before they got married that afternoon. Brady assured Arianna that he'd taken care of everything: the justice of the peace would marry them under an archway in the garden, which the staff was sprucing up, and the manager and the concierge would be their witnesses. They agreed that eloping was the right thing to do, that way neither of their families could interfere in their plans.

On a plane to Santo Domingo, Nicole fantasized about surprising Brady with the news of her release from prison. Although she dreamed that Brady was immediately willing to give her another chance, in reality, she knew that it would take time for him to forgive her. Nicole worried that Brady would learn about her pardon before she could tell him, and quickly dialed him from the phone in her armrest.

When Brady answered, Nicole hung up without speaking. "Well, he didn't sound upset," she reasoned. "If he had known I was free, he would have guessed it was me calling." She hoped Arianna didn't know that Brady was in Santo Domingo, so Nicole could have him all to herself.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Bo warned Victor that Vivian had to end her vendetta against Carly. "That's not going to happen-not until one of them's dead," Victor replied with a chuckle, asserting that Carly deserved Vivian's wrath. Bo calmly declared, "If Vivian needs to be eliminated for this circus to end, then I will eliminate her."

Victor didn't believe that Bo would break the law by committing murder, but Bo was dead serious about protecting Carly and her daughter from Vivian. Victor worried what it would do to Bo's family-especially Caroline-if Bo went to prison for killing Vivian. "Then do something about it before I have to take matters into my own hands," Bo stated, and then walked out.

At the Java Café, Vivian bumped into Carly, who tried to hide how much Vivian had startled her. Vivian menacingly vowed, "Until you die, you will live in fear. But don't worry; I'm going to make it happen very, very soon."

After Bo left the mansion, Victor called Vivian, and interrupted her intimidation of Carly. "Get your ass over to my place-now," he ordered. Vivian cheerfully bade farewell to her prey, and then left.

Stephanie arrived as Carly was gathering her things to leave. Stephanie asked how Melanie was doing since getting out of the hospital-and learning that Carly was her mother. Carly replied that she had no clue, because, "Melanie hates my guts." As Carly walked out, Stephanie remarked, "Join the club."

When Vivian arrived at the Kiriakis mansion, Victor decreed, "You're done torturing Carly. The vendetta ends today. You are not to touch a hair on her head." While Vivian spluttered in protest, Victor warned that he would not allow Bo to go to prison for her murder. "Asking you to be merciful is like asking a dog not to bark," Victor acknowledged. "And I only have one thing that I can offer you: me."

Victor knew that Vivian had always wanted their arrangement to be more permanent, so he suggested that they get married, despite what his family would surely say. Vivian was floored and elated, but hedged that she needed to think it over before she gave up getting revenge on Carly.

Carly met Bo on the pier, and he told her about his meeting with Victor, but Carly didn't think it was possible to stop Vivian. Bo promised that if Victor didn't rein Vivian in, Bo would take her out. "I've been in law enforcement a long time, and I gave this everything I've got," he explained. "And in the end, the law couldn't protect you-but I will." He vowed never to let anyone hurt Carly again. Carly showed her gratitude by kissing him deeply-which Vivian spied from afar.

At Maggie's, Melanie agreed to tell Nathan what was in the letter she wrote to him, but then lied that it had merely been to apologize, and to say goodbye. Nathan refused to believe that Melanie had written him a "Dear John" letter on her wedding day. Melanie insisted that she'd just needed closure, because she had ruined things between them, but she wanted both of them to move on-and remain friends. "I cannot be friends with somebody who acts like that!" Nathan declared, and stormed out.

After Brady hung up from the mystery call, Arianna confessed that she felt a little guilty for not telling their families-especially Melanie. Brady concurred, and as he left to talk to the concierge, he handed his phone to Arianna so she could tell Melanie that her matchmaking efforts had been a success.

Arianna could immediately tell that Melanie was upset, but Melanie wanted to hear Arianna's good news. Arianna blissfully divulged that she and Brady were "in the middle of eloping." Melanie gasped, then stammered, "That's awesome! Why am I not a bridesmaid?" Arianna explained that they weren't in Salem. An overjoyed Melanie promised to throw a shower for Arianna when she and Brady got back, and urged her friend, "You be happy."

Brady returned, so Arianna put the call on speakerphone. "You tell Brady not to screw this up," Melanie ordered. Brady assured Melanie that he wouldn't, and they would have a big party to celebrate when he got home. Melanie declared, "Congratulations! Go get married!"

As soon as Melanie hung up, she called Philip to tell him that she loved him. After they chatted, she grabbed her purse and coat to meet her husband, but kept running into visions of Nathan everywhere she turned. A freaked-out Melanie left through the kitchen door, and as she closed it behind her, she saw Nathan's apparition again. "Goodbye, Nathan," she stated firmly.

Brady returned to the cantina after changing into a casual white shirt and white slacks. He presented Arianna with a jewelry box, which she opened to reveal a lovely strand of pearls for her to wear at the wedding. She kissed him happily, and then hurried off to change into her new white dress.

The justice of the peace, Seńor Maltano, rushed breathlessly up to Brady, and apologized for being late. Brady reassured him that the wedding would be over quickly, and then Seńor Maltano could get back to his busy schedule.

Suddenly the justice realized that he had left the marriage license in his car, and ran into Nicole he was heading back out. She asked if he knew where Brady Black was. Seńor Maltano pointed out Brady across the bar, then noted with a grin, "And you must be the beautiful bride!"

When Nathan arrived at the hospital, Stephanie tried to avoid talking to him. Nathan kept her from running away so he could explain that he'd talked to Melanie about the letter, which had merely turned out to be her way of saying goodbye. He apologized for blowing up at Stephanie, and hoped the two of them could start over. "Which makes me second choice?" Stephanie replied irritably. Nathan assured her that wasn't the case, and asked her to give their relationship another shot.

Anna was relieved to be aboard a plane out of Salem. "No more Nicole, and no one can touch me now," she told herself, grinning. She was aggravated-and mildly panicked-when the pilot announced that the plane was having mechanical difficulties, but soon he told the passengers that the problem had been fixed. "Free at last," Anna declared, chuckling.

At the Salem Inn, Rafe asked Governor Ford why he had pardoned Nicole DiMera. The governor claimed that he believed that Ms. DiMera had suffered enough, as did the thousands of his constituents who had written to him. Not buying it for a second, Rafe demanded to know why Governor Ford was lying. The governor declared that he'd answered Rafe's questions, and ordered Rafe to leave.

Rafe threatened to open a federal investigation if the governor weren't more forthcoming about why he had freed Nicole. Governor Ford argued that it was a state matter, not a federal one, and firmly concluded, "Nicole DiMera has been pardoned. It's over." Rafe left after stating simply that it was far from over.

At the townhouse, E.J. reassured Sami that she wasn't alone, after he found her gazing wistfully at a picture of her and Rafe. E.J. pointed out that Sami had all four of her children living with her, and asserted that she and Rafe would work things out. Sami reminded E.J. that she had betrayed Rafe's trust. E.J. believed that Rafe likely resented her more for wounding his pride by getting her daughter back without his help than for lying to him. He urged her to focus on the positive things in her life.

Rafe knocked on the door and let himself in before Sami could get up to answer it. "You're not going to believe this," he announced. "Nicole DiMera got pardoned from the governor. She's out of prison; she's free as a bird." E.J. and Sami were stunned-and furious. Rafe told them that he'd been to the Salem Inn to discuss it with the governor, but got no further explanation. Rafe then assured Sami that Roman would have cops guarding her place in case Nicole tried to go after Sydney again, but so far no one knew where Nicole was.

After E.J. stalked out to confront Governor Ford, Rafe stated that he had a hunch that the fundraiser that had gotten the governor to town was just a cover. Sami stopped Rafe as he was leaving. "I know what I said," she declared softly. "But I don't want us to be apart. Not tonight, and not ever." Rafe agreed, but he didn't see how things could be different. He left.

Governor Ford was packed and ready to leave his hotel room, but was startled when he opened the door and found an angry E.J. there. "How dare you free my ex-wife!" E.J. pronounced. The governor insisted that he'd assumed E.J. was behind it, because the request had come from his family. E.J. assumed the governor meant Stefano, but Governor Ford clarified that E.J.'s sister-in-law, Anna DiMera, had made the request.

Rafe went to the Kiriakis mansion to talk to Victor. Victor confirmed for Agent Hernandez that Governor Ford had been at the mansion the previous night for a fundraiser. "Did you have anything to do with why he pardoned Nicole DiMera today?" Rafe asked. Victor was taken aback-and irked that anyone would think he would want anything but to watch his ex-wife rot in prison. Rafe asked if Victor had seen the governor speaking with anyone else. "Oh, my God," Victor exclaimed as the realization dawned on him: "Anna DiMera."

Vivian watched Bo and Carly profess their love for each other on the pier. She interrupted them and asked whether Carly drugged or hypnotized the men, who were "seemingly intelligent" but fall for a "murderess." Vivian harassed Carly, so Bo threatened to kill Vivian if she didn't leave Carly alone. Vivian took his threat seriously and realized that he really loved Carly. Vivian felt that it was unfair, because Carly killed Lawrence while Carly was still free.

Bo told Vivian to leave Carly alone, or Vivian would join Lawrence in hell sooner than Vivian thought. Vivian started to see that there was a better way to handle Lawrence's death, and she walked away. Carly felt that Vivian was lying. Bo didn't want to talk about Vivian. He kissed Carly and led her away.

At the police station, Hope thought about her conversation with Bo when she accused him of sacrificing everyone for Carly's sake. Justin walked past Hope and chewed her out for playing God with his life. Justin said that she shouldn't have made Adrienne think that there was hope for Adrienne and Justin when there wasn't. Hope didn't believe it. He said that wasn't her call, and he assumed that Hope had tried to get Justin and Adrienne back together to believe that Bo and Hope still had a chance.

Justin encouraged Hope to accept that Bo had moved on, and suggested that Hope move on too. Hope showed Justin that she wasn't wearing her wedding ring and said she already moved on. Justin asked if she was sure about that. Justin was worried about Hope. She said that if she said she was fine, Justin would say she was in denial, and if she said she wasn't, he would say she needed to move on. Hope admitted that she never should have interfered with him and Adrienne, but she felt that Justin was doing the same thing.

Hope thought that Justin assumed that if she moved on, they would be together. Justin understood how Hope felt about him, but it didn't stop him from having feelings for her. He professed his love for her, and Adrienne overheard him. Adrienne asked him to give her and Hope a moment alone. Adrienne assumed that Hope was moving on with Justin after Bo dumped Hope.

Hope explained that she didn't feel anything for Justin but friendship. Hope said that Justin was crushed when he got the divorce papers and focused on Hope just to get over Adrienne. Hope asked if Adrienne would have traveled halfway around the world if she didn't still have feelings for Justin. It was clear that Adrienne agreed. Then she realized that Hope wasn't talking about Adrienne and Justin. Adrienne felt that Hope was talking about Hope and Bo. Hope told Adrienne that she wanted to talk about it later. Adrienne told Hope that she needed to accept that Bo was with Carly.

Abe assured Sami that her house was being guarded, so there was no way that Nicole would get anywhere near Sydney. Sami wondered what or who made the governor pardon Nicole. Abe said that Brady and Chloe didn't have enough clout to help. Sami said that everyone they knew with clout hated Nicole more than Sami did. Abe encouraged Sami to talk to Rafe about possible leads. She said that she and Rafe were on a break.

Abe asked what had happened. She explained that they disagreed about a job, and Abe could relate. Sami said that they seemed to have lost the ability to work though their problems. Abe suggested it could just be a rough patch.

Rafe asked Victor why Anna would want Nicole to go free, and Victor surmised that it had something to do with E.J. Victor theorized that Anna convinced Gov. Ford to release Nicole to get back at E.J., since Anna blamed E.J. for Tony's death. Rafe agreed with Victor's theory about Anna being behind Nicole's pardon, but he wasn't sure exactly why. Rafe was more worried about what Nicole had on Anna.

The governor told E.J. that Anna made him pardon Nicole. E.J. threatened to use the material that Anna threatened the governor with and release it to the media. The governor thought that Anna was speaking for the DiMera family. E.J. threatened the governor and demanded to know exactly what Anna had told him. E.J. let Ford off the hook after the governor told him exactly what Anna had said. E.J. called Anna on the phone and asked where she was. She said she was somewhere where E.J. couldn't find her.

Anna told E.J. that he would never find her. He said she was trying to get rid of her -- he didn't want to find her. He assumed that she had met with Nicole. He wanted to know whether Nicole said anything about E.J. Anna told him that she covered for him, but if anything happened to Anna, then the phone went dead.

E.J. went to Sami's house to tell her that he thought Anna had gotten Nicole released. Rafe walked in and explained that Anna had blackmailed the governor, because Nicole remembered that Anna was the one who kidnapped Sydney. Rafe explained that Nicole must have remembered that Anna was the one who took the boots. E.J. pretended to be angry and surprised. Rafe planned to question Nicole as soon as they found her, but Nicole was out of town too.

E.J. said that Anna was motivated by hatred, because she blamed E.J. for Tony's death. Sami wanted to know how Anna knew to be at the right place at the right time in Cleveland to kidnap Sydney. E.J. pretended to be angry and insisted that Anna begged him not to tell anyone she was in town. Sami said he had no way of knowing that Anna had anything to do with the kidnapping. Sami thought that Rafe was right to think that there was a lot more that they didn't know about the kidnapping.

E.J. said he took full responsibility for Sydney's kidnapping, and Sami said it wasn't E.J.'s fault. He said he would understand if she was never able to forgive him. Sami told E.J. that Anna fooled Sami too. Rafe announced he had news -- Nicole had gone to Santo Domingo. Sami wondered why Nicole went there.

The man who planned to perform Brady and Arianna's wedding ceremony told Brady that he had to retrieve the marriage license from his car. Nicole asked the officiant whether he had seen Brady. The man pointed Brady out to Nicole and assumed that she was Brady's bride. Nicole informed him that she wasn't the bride, but she asked when the wedding was taking place.

The officiant said that the wedding would be that afternoon, and Nicole considered herself lucky that she had gotten there just in time. Nicole felt conflicted and thought about doing the right thing and accepting that she and Brady were over. Brady got up to walk to the bar and spotted her out of the corner of his eye. He turned around and saw her and stopped in his tracks.

Brady assumed that Nicole had escaped from prison and needed his help, but she said she was released from prison and gave him her phone to call the prison and confirm it. He wondered how she knew he was there, and she said she didn't know until she got there on business. He didn't believe her, and she admitted that she was there to talk to him. Nicole said that she had tried to push him away while she was in prison, but everything had changed since she was released from prison.

In Arianna's hotel room, the maid helped her put on the pearl necklace that Brady had given her, but when the maid put it around Arianna's neck, the necklace broke. Arianna tried to clean up the mess, and the maid told her that the necklace breaking was a sign that the marriage would be doomed. Arianna told the hotel manager that she didn't appreciate the maid telling her about the omen -- she just wanted someone to help her get dressed.

Nicole said that she lied to him for the last time and everything had changed. She was free from prison and from E.J. She only wanted Brady. He told her that he wasn't there on business. He was there because he and Arianna were getting married. He told her that no one had ever hurt him the way that Nicole did. He said she had to leave, because there was nothing there for her. Nicole tried to say goodbye and started to kiss him. Arianna interrupted them and demanded to know what Nicole was doing.

Arianna told Nicole to go back to prison where Nicole belonged. Brady explained that Nicole had been pardoned and didn't escape. Nicole said she had recently found out that Brady was there to get married and was not on business. Nicole said she was kissing Brady goodbye, and she apologized to Arianna, but Arianna said that Nicole wasn't getting away that easily.

Brady told Arianna not to let Nicole ruin their day. Arianna accused Nicole of letting Brady know that she was available only to pretend to do the noble thing. Nicole asked if Arianna really wanted Nicole to stay. Arianna said she was onto Nicole. She said that Nicole didn't want to overplay her hand but manipulated the situation so that Brady wouldn't be able to get Nicole out of his head, and when Brady and Arianna said their vows, he would be thinking about Nicole.

He asked Arianna to go for a walk on the beach. Arianna didn't want to go anywhere, and she told him that she didn't want to get married after all. Brady asked Arianna not to call off the wedding, because he loved her. Arianna said that they could finally be honest with each other. Nicole said the only one who had doubts about the marriage was Arianna.

Brady told Nicole to "zip it." He told Arianna that they didn't go there to talk about Nicole -- they wanted to get married. "She's free, Brady. That changed everything," Arianna said. Brady said that it only changed things if Arianna let it. He said he knew what he wanted, and he asked if Arianna wanted to marry him or not.

When they got home, Bo made love to Carly, and she wanted to know if he would really kill Vivian. He said that no matter what Vivian said, Vivian wanted to live, and if she made a move on Carly, Vivian wouldn't live. Carly asked again if Bo would kill Vivian, and Bo said it was important that it was what Vivian thought. Bo assumed that Vivian would run it by Victor, and Victor would tell Vivian that Bo was serious and not to push Bo. Bo made love to Carly, told her he loved her and called her "princess."

Vivian asked Victor if he thought that Bo would really kill her. "Of course he will," Victor said. Vivian changed her mind. She decided to marry Victor instead of killing Carly. Vivian wanted their relationship to be based on trust. Victor scoffed at the idea of them trusting each other. Vivian said she wouldn't harm Carly physically. Victor assumed that she would use psychological warfare. Vivian said that Carly seemed very happy with Bo, but they wouldn't be together for long.

As Mia and Chad worked behind the counter at the Java Café, she told him that she had broken things off with Will. Chad wanted to know how Will had taken it. "Well, he was a wreck, but he'll get over me," Mia replied, then assured Chad, "You're the one I want-the only one." Chad kissed her, just as Gabi arrived and ordered a latte. "Can you two stop pawing each other long enough to make it?" Gabi asked sarcastically.

While Chad prepared Gabi's order, Mia confronted Gabi angrily. Gabi retorted, "What are you so mad about? Will dumped you, but at least you've still got Chad. So be happy with what you have and get off my case." Chad overheard, and glared in Mia's direction. Mia finished Gabi's order by dumping salt instead of sugar into the cup, and then handed it to Gabi with a phony, "Have a nice day!"

The instant Gabi left, Chad irritably asserted that Mia had been stringing two guys along-but then ended up with none. She tried to insist that Gabi was making it up, but Chad didn't buy it. He tried to storm out, so Mia stopped him by pointing out, "You can't just walk away...because we had a baby together." Chad was furious that Mia would use their baby to manipulate him, and blamed Mia for Grace's death. "You didn't care about her any more than you care about me or Will," Chad declared. "You're all about you. So guess what-that's all you've got now."

In Santo Domingo, Brady ordered Nicole to butt out of his conversation with Arianna, and then pleaded with Arianna to marry him. Arianna admitted that she wanted to-but not if Nicole was constantly going to interrupt their marriage with her crises. Brady promised that he would tune out Nicole's cries for help, if Arianna would try to forgive Nicole for needing him. They agreed to go ahead with the wedding, while, at the bar, Nicole's eyes filled with tears. Brady and Arianna rushed off hand-in-hand to find the justice of the peace.

Nicole had just ordered another drink at the bar when Gordon Maltano, the justice of the peace, returned to the cantina looking for Arianna and Brady. Gordon was disappointed when the bartender informed him that they had just left. Nicole struck up a flirtatious conversation with the justice of the peace, but the arrival of an irked Fay Walker interrupted them.

Nicole was startled to see her mother, who demanded, "Nicole, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Nicole countered that she had asked Fay to wire money to her, not waste part of it by flying to the Caribbean with it. Seńor Maltano listened in horror as Fay recounted Nicole's crimes, but Nicole explained to both of them that she'd been pardoned. Fay quickly realized that Nicole must have remembered who had kidnapped Sydney, and that was how she had gotten out of prison.

Gordon left to track down Arianna and Brady, and a chagrined Fay assumed that Nicole had gone to Santo Domingo to break up the wedding. Nicole insisted that she hadn't known that was why Brady was there-but regardless, she knew he was "the one."

When Brady and Arianna arrived, Brady introduced Fay to Arianna, his fiancée. Assuming that the two of them hadn't gotten married, Nicole was visibly relieved. The bride and groom explained that the sprinkler system had malfunctioned and flooded the garden where the wedding was supposed to have been, but then Seńor Maltano had suggested an alternate location nearby on the beach.

Brady and Arianna headed upstairs to wait for their driver to arrive to take them to the wedding. Fay firmly pointed out that Nicole appeared to be making history repeat itself by falling for another man she couldn't have. Nicole insisted, "Mom, he doesn't love her; he loves me." Nicole believed that she and Brady would have been together if she hadn't gotten pregnant with E.J.'s baby. Fay argued that Nicole should let Brady go if she really loved him, since he was about to marry another woman-and Nicole deserved a fresh start, and a happy life.

Nicole surprised her mother by agreeing, "If I love Brady-if I love myself, then I have to start a new life. And I will." Fay was relieved that she'd gotten through to Nicole, and both women had tears in their eyes as Fay took her daughter's hand and said, "Honey, you got a second chance here. You got to grab it." Nicole replied quietly, "You're right. That's exactly what I have to do."

In their room, Arianna showed Brady that she had broken the strand of pearls he'd given to her. Unfazed, Brady assured her that they would have a jeweler restring the necklace when they got home. Arianna was worried that it was a bad omen, and pointed out all the things that had gone wrong since they'd tried to get married. "We love each other. We know that," she stated. "So why are we in such a hurry? Maybe this isn't the time or the place for us to get married. Maybe we should just wait."

Brady changed the subject by suggesting that they begin the honeymoon that they would have already started if they'd gotten married. They were lying in bed together a bit later when the phone rang, alerting them that their car had arrived. Arianna jumped up to get dressed, and Brady asked if she were sure about going through with the wedding. She assured him with a confident smile, "Nicole is absolutely crazy to think she can come between us."

When Brady and Arianna returned to the cantina, the justice of the peace hurried up to them. Arianna excitedly announced that they were ready to get married. "That's what I was coming to tell you," Seńor Maltano exclaimed. "There's been a shocking turn of events." Arianna spotted Nicole sitting across the bar, and angrily demanded, "Nicole! What have you done now?"

Rafe was on the phone at the townhouse, and was ordering his men to stay with Nicole, when E.J. returned from putting Sydney down for a nap. Once Rafe hung up, he stated that he'd stayed even after Sami left because he wanted to question E.J. about Anna in private. Rafe wondered why someone like Anna-who hated the DiMeras' lawlessness-would go to such lengths to make everyone think Sydney was dead.

E.J. asserted that Tony's death had pushed Anna over the edge. Rafe theorized that Anna hadn't acted alone, because she at least needed a "flunky" to stay with Sydney when Anna went out. E.J. thought that sounded reasonable. Rafe suspected that someone else had been pulling the strings, but E.J. managed to rationalize all of Anna's behavior that Rafe pointed out. Rafe assured E.J., "Don't you worry-we'll get Anna, and this other she was working with, too."

At the DiMera mansion, Kate had to remind Stefano to take his diabetes medication. He admitted that he would feel a lot better if Nicole were still in prison. Will stopped by to see his Grandma Kate, and to return the gift with which she'd bribed him so that Stefano could see Sydney. Although Kate insisted that wasn't the case, Will declared that he wouldn't let the two of them play him like a poker chip any longer.

Will added that his mom and E.J. had been so angry about the situation that E.J. had even called Will a "bloody little bastard." Stefano promised to talk to Elvis for Will and make sure nothing like that ever happened again.

Privately, Kate asked Will what really had him so upset. Will confided that he'd dumped Mia for two-timing him. Kate applauded her grandson for standing up for himself, and assured him that he would find the right girl one day. Shrugging, Will admitted, "I don't know; I look around and I don't have a lot of faith when it comes to true love."

Just as Will was leaving the mansion, E.J. arrived, and Rafe was right behind him. Rafe explained to Stefano that E.J. had supposedly left the townhouse for a meeting, but then he'd gone to the mansion-and Rafe assumed that it was because Stefano knew more than E.J. did about Anna's involvement in Sydney's kidnapping. Stefano was utterly taken aback, but E.J. alleged that Stefano had been the mastermind of the whole operation.

When Kate arrived in the foyer and demanded to know what was going on, Stefano filled her in. Kate was indignant that Rafe could make such an accusation. Stefano adamantly declared, "I have no idea what Anna was up to. I swear on it-on Elvis' life." Rafe admitted that he believed Stefano, which meant that Rafe would have to go to Santo Domingo to question Nicole about what Anna had said.

While Rafe answered a work-related phone call, Kate pulled Stefano into the parlor. Stefano confessed to Kate that he never would have believed Anna was capable of kidnapping. Kate noted pointedly, "Makes you wonder if maybe someone didn't talk her into it."

Rafe hung up and informed E.J. that he wasn't going to Santo Domingo, after all.

As a towel-clad Anna arrived for a massage, a masseur welcomed her to paradise. "We don't get many Americans here," he admitted in a thick accent. Anna confided that she was escaping from everything-and everyone-she knew. Grinning, the masseur assured her, "Then you've come to the right place."