Michelle Bauer, born in 1985, was originally raised by her biological mother, Claire Ramsey. Unfortunately, Claire was a bad mother who neglected Michelle and, in 1986, tried to smother her with a pillow. So Michelle's father, Ed Bauer, and his wife, Maureen, fought for custody and finally won. From that moment on, Maureen became Michelle's mom while Claire left town. Michelle went on to grow up in a stable and very happy household and was inseparable with her best friends Bill Lewis and Ben Reade. Unfortunately, in January 1993, tragedy would strike when Maureen died in a car accident after finding out about Ed's affair with Lillian Raines. Knowing the cause of the accident, Michelle blamed Ed and Lillian and began to withdraw from both of them. She ran away from home with Bill's help and fled to Holly Lindsey for comfort. By 1994, Michelle mended her relationship with Ed and even accepted his fiancée Eve Guthrie. Unfortunately, Eve would die in 1995 and Michelle went to Europe during the summer.

Later that year, a now 16-year-old Michelle returned to Springfield and, in 1996, she fell in love with J. Chamberlain. However, his mother Nola and Ed nixed the idea of any romantic relationship between the adopted first cousins, even though they were not related by blood, so J and Michelle parted ways. Meanwhile, Ed left town to work in Africa, leaving Michelle in the care of her brother, Rick. That summer, Michelle fell in love with the mysterious Zachary Smith who saved her life when she went on a reckless night swim. Unbeknownst to Michelle, she reminded Zach of Mary Bauer, a woman he'd known in his past. Zachary was working to restore the Lighthouse, which had been damaged in a fire the previous year and Michelle quickly bonded with this young man who failed to reveal a lot about his past. Although Michelle instinctively trusted Zachary, other's remained suspicious. The others being J as well as the other Reardon cousin, Matt, who suspected that Zachary knew something about Matt's supposed deceased wife, Vanessa. Although it was becoming obvious to Michelle that Zach was having feelings for her, he continually held back, insisting that he was leaving right after the Lighthouse was restored. Although Michelle tried to convince him that they could be together, Zachary cryptically told her that it was impossible, simply stating that he couldn't act on his feelings because he had chosen a spiritual path. Not long after, the Bauer household received a new visitor--Michelle's great-aunt Meta, who Michelle took an immediate disliking to. From Michelle's point of view, Meta just walked in, took over, and cleaned up the Bauer house. Talking to Zachary about Meta, Michelle got the sense that he recognized the name, but Zachary quickly covered his reaction and simply stated that he had no idea she had an Aunt Meta and wanted to know more about her.

In the meantime, Meta had finally gotten over her shock of how much Michelle looked like Meta's late cousin, Mary Bauer and, in an attempt to help Michelle; she showed Michelle that she knew what it was like to be young by opening about her own tortured past as a young woman. Realizing that she'd totally misjudged Meta, from that moment on Michelle and Meta bonded. Not long after, in early 1997, Michelle and Zachary's relationship went further when they shared a passionate kiss that was accidentally interrupted by J. Later, Zachary warned Michelle that he still had to leave when he completed the Lighthouse. Not understanding why Zachary had to leave despite his love for her, she insisted that she'd leave with him. Although Zachary tried to tell her that it was impossible for her to come with him, Michelle wouldn't accept that. She vowed to follow him wherever he went and suggested that they run away.

Finally, Michelle convinced Zachary that running away was the right thing. Unfortunately, the plan was foiled when Zachary's car broke down in the midst of a snowstorm. Stranded, in the middle of winter, Michelle feared they'd freeze to death and asked Zachary to make love to her. However, at that moment, J stumbled upon the pair and rescued them, his bad timing again irritating Michelle. After their rescue, Zachary avoided Michelle, causing her to see him at the Lighthouse asking him the reason. By now, the Lighthouse was almost finished. Confronted, Zachary told her that he was wrong to run away with her. When she argued that they would be gone if it weren't for the snow storm, he stated that everything happens for a reason. That was their sign. Again he insisted that he had to leave with he was done with the Lighthouse. Telling a confused Michelle that he was wrong to tell her he loved her, he informed her that it was over. Although Michelle tried to argue, he was adamant. After telling her he was sorry, he kissed her, as if to say goodbye. At that moment, came a distress call over the radio--a boat stuck in a storm and in distress. Although the boaters were rescued, Zachary disappeared--his boat having washed ashore broken in half. Distraught, Michelle initially refused to believe that he was gone, until Meta spoke with her and validated the feelings Michelle had for Zachary. Meta told Michelle about how strong first love can be, and that she will never forget it, and that she should always cherish it. Meanwhile, Meta herself had a dream that Zachary came back to see that Michelle was alright. Although it was assumed that Zachary was an angel, presumably involved in a long ago relationship with Mary Bauer, this was never uncovered.

Following Zachary's death, Michelle started missing her mom, even looking to Maureen for advice through imaginary conversations and after talking with Rick's best friend, Phillip, she decided to find out who was the recipient of Maureen's heart--what Michelle called the best part of Maureen. Surprisingly, Rick declined to help her and told her to forget about it. However, Michelle was determined and asked Bill to help her. Although the pair was able to hack into the hospital's computers, they were caught by Rick who reamed Michelle the riot act for going behind his back. Although Bill was able to provide Michelle with the name of two people who may have received Maureen's heart, they turned out to be dead ends. After graduating from High-School, a lonely Michelle met rebellious Jesse Blue after she sprained her ankle in the dangerous side of town. Jesse helped her but stole her purse in the process. Nonetheless, Michelle was very attracted to Jesse and fantasized about him. Believing him to be a good person, Michelle invited Jesse to the Annual Bauer Barbecue, to the consternation of Rick who thought Jesse was a common criminal and kicked Jesse out. Although Jesse verified that he did in fact steal Michelle's wallet (since she refused to believe it), she was certain that he was a good person and helped him when he was arrested for violating his parole by teaching him to read, so that the charges would be dropped. Soon the pair started becoming more and more attracted to each other.

Unfortunately, Jesse's father, alcoholic Jack Blue, started causing problems because he blamed the Bauers for his wife's death when she gave birth to Jesse. She was Ed's patient but he couldn't treat her since he was drunk and suspended from Cedars and she died. However, Jack refused to believe that and decided to sue the Bauer family for causing his wife's death. Meanwhile, over the course of several weeks, Michelle and Rick sparred over his disapproval of Jesse. Unfortunately, Jesse started to believe Rick's arguments himself and bowed out of Michelle's life for her own good. However, Michelle refused to give up on him and convinced him that they should be together despite their families' disapproval. Finally, wanting to use the tension between Rick and Michelle, Rick's fiancée, Abby Blume, went to visit Jesse but was attacked and almost raped by his friend, Roy Meetchum! The attack furthered strained Michelle's relationship with Rick since he was at first convinced that Jesse attacked Abby. Faced with Rick's anger toward both of them, and Jack Blue's assertion that he'd drop the suit against the Bauers if Jesse stopped seeing Michelle, the couple broke up. Not long after, Ed returned and asked Michelle to go back to Africa with him. Pining over Jesse, who was keeping his distance and encouraging her to go, Michelle decided to leave with Ed. However, her plans changed in an instant when she discovered that Jesse was the recipient of Maureen's heart! Over a period of months, the Bauers started to be a more accepting of Jesse. Meanwhile, in the fall, Abby shot and killed Jesse's friend Roy Metchum when he was acquitted for the attack, so his friends wanted revenge on Abby.

At the same time that Abby was receiving threats, Jesse and Michelle made plans to elope. Keeping her intentions a secret from her family, Michelle went to Reva Shayne's house to say goodbye to Abby. Unfortunately a fire started and almost cost the women their lives! Although the women were all rescued, Michelle's injuries had caused her to go blind. Not wanting to be a burden to anyone, she kept her blindness a secret from Ed and Jesse. Determined to become self-sufficient despite her handicap, Michelle enlisted the help of Rick and made plans to go away to a school for the blind. Believing it would be the last time she spent with Jesse, Michelle gave into Jesse's advances and lost her virginity to him at the lighthouse on New Year's Day 1998 before leaving for the blind school. Determined to find out what was going on, Jesse searched for her everywhere, finally getting a phone number (without knowing that number was at a blind school) Unfortunately, Michelle's doctor answered her phone, leaving Jesse to suspect that she was seeing another guy. While Jesse was pining for Michelle, she was pining for him and with the help of her doctor, Dr. Dan, she snuck into town secretly. However, she too got the wrong impression when she overheard Jesse comment to his new friend, Drew Jacobs that he didn't miss Michelle (he was being sarcastic. Soon after, without her knowledge, Jesse spotted Michelle with another man and figuring that she'd moved on with her life, he tried to seduce Drew.

It was at that time that Michelle came to tell Jesse the truth, but after overhearing Jesse try to seduce Drew, Michelle was convinced that he'd moved on with his life and she ran out--leaving her ID bracelet behind. Shocked, Jesse went to the institute and finally figured out that Michelle was blind. After being confronted by Dan, who insisted that Michelle needed time away from him, Jesse went to see Michelle but disguised his voice. Wanting to be near her, he assumed the identity of a Spanish man named Carlos and got a job as a janitor. After weeks of befriending "Carlos", Michelle underwent experimental surgery in California. Luckily the surgery worked; Michelle's vision returned and she was shocked to see that Carlos was Jesse! Though angry with him for keeping his identity a secret, the pair renewed their love for each other and returned home where Michelle found that Jesse's friendship with Drew had grown. Meanwhile, having had her eye on Jesse, Drew did her best to break him and Michelle up. Deeply jealous of Michelle, Drew discovered nude pictures that Jesse had drawn of Michelle and publicly displayed them at the Bauer Barbecue. Drew also used her family connections to help Jesse by arranging for his artwork to be shown and by buying a nightclub, Millennium, and making Jesse the manager. However, despite all of her attempts to ruin things between them, Michelle and Jesse remained together and got engaged.

Then Mick Santos, a member of the infamous Santos crime family, arrived. After bullying his way into working at Millennium, he managed to make enemies of everyone around him, including Michelle. One night, Mick attacked Michelle and Drew at the beach and, trying to get him away from Michelle, Drew hit him over the head with a rock. Noticing that he was still conscious and now going after Drew, Michelle hit him again. The two ran away, leaving an unconscious Mick on the ground. Later that evening, they learned that he had been found dead and the search was on for his killer. Terrified of the consequences of owning up to their part in Mick's death, Michelle and Drew confided in Jesse and Bill and to look out for each other, the four friends moved into Drew's apartment together. Then Mick's brother, Danny, came to town determined to avenge his brother's death and began bartending at Millennium. Soon he came to the conclusion that Jesse killed Mick in a fit of jealous rage over seeing him with Michelle. To see if Jesse's temper was in fact bad enough, Danny began to test him by making advances toward Michelle. Not knowing what else to do, Jesse decided to leave town, convincing Danny that he was guilty and thus taking any suspicion off Michelle. He only told Drew of his intentions and when Danny fell for the bait, he vowed revenge on Jesse. Fearing for Jesse's safety, Drew told Danny that it was Michelle who killed Mick, conveniently leaving her part in the incident out of the story. A distraught Danny went after Michelle, found her at the beach and confronted her about what had happened with Mick. First denying any part in it, Michelle finally broke down and told Danny the whole truth and began begging him to spare her life.

Believing her story and obviously torn over his growing feelings for her, Danny agreed to help her. He told her that the only way he could keep from being forced to kill her would be to marry her, as his wife, Michelle would be safe from his family. She agreed and the two were married on New Year's Day 1999 in a civil ceremony. However, Danny's mother, Carmen, who was the head of the mob, hated Michelle for killing her first-born son and set out to prove that she and Danny's marriage was one of convenience. So Michelle agreed to another wedding ceremony with Danny, a religious one. As Michelle was agonizing over her marriage and her separation from Jesse, she was beginning to realize that Danny was actually falling in love with her. Unfortunately, Jesse's life was now in danger, since he kept confronting Michelle about her new marriage. Wanting to protect Jesse, Michelle set out to break his heart by having him catch Danny and her making love in the Lighthouse. Although she couldn't go through with it, the plan still worked when Jesse walked in at the wrong time. Wanting to get her life back, Michelle decided to work with the FBI against the Santos family to free herself and return to Jesse. Feeling guilty over not implicating herself, Drew agreed to work as Michelle's go-between with the FBI. However, soon after her church wedding to Danny, Michelle started to feel guilty for working to betray the man she'd come to care about; meanwhile at the urging of Carmen, Danny set a trap for Michelle to see if she was working with the FBI by telling her that he was overseeing an illegal shipment of cigars coming into Springfield. At first, Michelle fell for it and had Drew call the Feds. Later, back at the Santos house, she heard Danny admit to his grandmother, Maria Santos, that he was in love with her. Touched by his admission and falling in love with him at the same time, Michelle tried to get Drew to call off the Feds but it was too late.

To keep Danny from getting arrested, she faked going blind again so that he would go with her to the hospital. Later, Carmen's employee, Dietz, informed Danny that the FBI had shown up at the docks for the arrival of the "shipment". Believing that Michelle had deceived him, Danny prepared to punish her but then found out that Carmen had actually called the FBI. Angry, Danny vowed never to forgive his mother and left the family business. Eventually, a guilty Michelle also confessed her deception and begged Danny to forgive her, confessing her love for him. But a heartbroken Danny wouldn't listen and had a one-night-stand with Drew. Jesse, who was now in love with Drew, learned about the night and reunited with Michelle, while Danny walked out on Michelle when he sensed that she was afraid of him. However, despite wanting to be with Jesse, when asked by Danny's cousin, Ray, if she loved Danny, Michelle wasn't able to say no. Over the course of several weeks, Michelle tried to deny her feelings for Danny, while Jesse tried to deny his feelings for Drew. Eventually, the pair parted ways amicably and Michelle professed her love for Danny. Unfortunately, Danny refused to go back to her since he knew she was trying to change him and he served her with annulment papers. However, when he discovered that Carmen was plotting to kill Michelle, Danny rushed in to save her and declared his love, promising that he'd leave his family for her. Meanwhile, Rick was convinced that his sister's life was in danger, and he pleaded with Michelle to leave the Santos home, but she refused. After failing to convince Danny to send Michelle away, Rick committed her to the psychiatric ward at Cedars under false pretenses, hoping it would protect her. Although Abby tried to convince him to let Michelle make her own choices, he was obsessed with keeping her away from the Santoses.

Finally, in an effort to scare Rick, Abby staged a kidnapping from Danny so that Rick would know what it felt like to have his wife taken away. Soon after, after speaking with Phillip, Rick decided that he wasn't being fair to Michelle, and made plans to have her released. However, he was horrified to learn that Michelle had been sedated by the doctors there! Not long after, Danny took Michelle out of the hospital and challenged Rick to call the police. However he refused, saying that he'd taken full responsibility for everything - and he finally realized he couldn't keep Michelle and Danny apart. After the ordeal, Michelle and Danny married in a private ceremony at Laurel Falls. That summer, Michelle and Danny helped to rescue Reva Shayne in San Cristobel (where the Santos owned property and were acquainted with the royal family, the Winslows). The last couple of days of June 1999, Carmen came up with another idea to get rid of Michelle, that wouldn't include murder! After Danny and Michelle got to San Cristobel on their honeymoon, they were interrupted by a visit from Alden Heath, an old friend of Danny's from his younger years who claimed to be the President of the Santos Bank of San Cristobel. After some small talk, in which Danny asked about Aiden's wife, Antonia, Alden offered Michelle a "box of chocolates" (as a supposed, "wedding present"), personally made by Alden's wife, Antonia.

What neither Michelle or Danny realized at this point was that Alden was indeed a plant of Carmen's and further the "box of chocolates" actually contained bearer bonds that Carmen was trying to use Michelle to smuggle, hoping that Michelle would be arrested. Later, when Danny and Michelle tried to help Jim Lemay get Cassie Layne and the Lewises out of San Cristobel , in the Santos yacht, Michelle opened her "box of chocolates" and discovered the bearer bonds. Just as Danny realized that Michelle was set up by Carmen, the police arrived and arrested Michelle for smuggling. Luckily, Danny, Jim and Josh would later be able to break Michelle out of prison and smuggle her out of the country. Not long after, Michelle was dismayed when Danny returned to the family business, in order to protect it from the duplicitous Ben Warren. Disheartened to learn that Danny was involved in illegal smuggling again, she gave him a choice--her or his family. Ultimately, Danny chose her and the two made plans to build a home.

Then Danny's ex, Theresa Sandoval, was hired by Carmen to break up Michelle and Danny, Although Michelle was suspicious of Theresa, Danny trusted her and let her help him find a new career for himself. Unfortunately, his trust in Theresa almost cost him his life when a drug slipped in his drink by Theresa almost killed him. Luckily, Michelle and Rick showed up and where able to save him. Spotting the drugs on the floor, an incensed Michelle confronted Theresa who confessed that Ben Warren gave her the drugs. Angry, Michelle went to Ben's with a knife, trying to force a confession out of him, but he kept quiet and her threats were witnessed by Drew and Danny. Not long after, Ben was found murdered! When a pair of bloody gloves was found in her room and a witness identified her as being at Ben's apartment building, Michelle was arrested! Discovering the witness was a woman named Ruth Lockhart, Danny tried to locate her to talk to her, but was clubbed by behind while Ruth disappeared. In 2000, Michelle found herself on trial for the murder of Ben Warren. Defended by Ross Marler, Michelle received support from most of the town, except for Drew who chose to believe that she killed her new-found father. After several weeks, Pilar came forward in the courtroom with a startling revelation--Carmen had shot Ben! Unfortunately Pilar hallucinated while on the stand and her testimony was deemed unreliable and after a day of deliberation, the jury found Michelle guilty of murder.

While in county jail awaiting her sentence hearing, Michelle came to the realization that she would never be cleared, so she decided to accept her fate and asked a distraught Danny for a divorce. While she was transferred outside the police station, Danny couldn't bear the pain anymore, so he distracted the police with help of Rick and Jesse, who faked a heart attack, and threw Michelle into the police van. Then Danny contacted his cousin Ray who helped the pair escape to San Cristobel where Cassie Layne hid them. When Prince Richard Winslow found them, he wanted to get them out but thanks to Cassie, he let them stay for two weeks. However, Theresa, who learned about their whereabouts from Drew, found Michelle and Danny in their cabin and threatened them with a gun. But Danny overpowered her while at this time someone was climbing through the window. Thinking it was one of Theresa's henchmen, Danny shot him only to found out it was Jesse. He and Michelle then brought him to Cedars while Michelle ran into her biological mother, Claire, at the airport but refused Claire's attempts to befriend her. Meanwhile, suspecting that Carmen paid the witness Ruth to lie, Danny located her and convinced her to come forward with the truth. At the same time, a recovered Vanessa, who was hidden away so Carmen couldn't get to her, confessed her involvement in Ben's murder. Finally, five months after Ben's murder, a now-pregnant Michelle was finally cleared and Carmen was arrested. However, soon after Carmen was apparently murdered from a mob hit. While Michelle grew concerned over Danny's anger and lust for vengeance, she was devastated when she suffered a miscarriage and lost her baby.

Meanwhile, Michelle, already the victim of several life-threatening attempts by Carmen, was paranoid that Carmen was alive and would come after her. Soon after, Michelle became pregnant again, and Michelle left Danny so that she their baby wouldn't grow up with the influence of the Santoses. About this time, waitress May Merisi confessed her one-night-stand with Danny to Michelle and, touched by her honesty, Michelle and Danny befriended her. Soon, after Michelle returned to town, still unsure about whether to go through with her pregnancy. Then after being kidnapped, Michelle would learn that her fears about Carmen were correct; Carmen was alive! Apparently Carmen faked her death with help from Claire. Fortunately, Danny located them. Poised to shoot his mother, Danny was shocked when Carmen announced that she'd get rid of Michelle like she should have gotten rid of her husband's mistress. That's when they learned that Danny's father wasn't killed by a rival family; Carmen killed him! Desperate to protect Michelle, Danny shot and killed his mother. Sickened by what he'd done and by his mother's confession, Danny told Michelle it was over between them and returned to a life in the mob. but, Michelle was unable to let go of her marriage, though, and she continued to pursue him and eventually won him back in 2001 after the birth of their son, Robert Frederico.

With the birth of his son, Danny decided to go legit. Soon after, Michelle told Danny what she'd learned earlier--May was actually an FBI agent named Mary Murto who was investigating the mob in Springfield. When Danny refused to testify against the other families to avoid prosecution, Michelle convinced Danny to marry her so that she couldn't testify against him. Then FBI-agent Gus Aitoro arrived and was determined to have the Santos family brought down by whatever means necessary. Although Michelle was able to protect Danny by destroying files that implicated him in the mob, after several months, Gus finally had the evidence he needed and arrested Danny for Carmen's murder. However, he planted the evidence against Danny since he couldn't find Carmen's body. Armed with this knowledge, Michelle began to suspect that perhaps Carmen wasn't dead after all.

Without Danny's knowledge, Michelle continued her investigation and found Carmen alive and well at Laurel Falls! Though Carmen tried again to kill Michelle, Danny, who was also investigating the theory that Carmen was alive, saved her and they both escaped. Since Carmen was alive, the murder charges against Danny were dropped. Then Danny and Michelle were shocked to learn that Carmen was released from prison after cooperating with the police. At the same time, Danny and Michelle were threatened by Carlos Sandoval who forced Danny to steal $ 25 million from Spaulding Enterprises. If he did, the mob would leave him alone, if he didn't his family would be killed. When Carlos stated that this ultimatum came from someone named "Mr. Big", Danny was sure that Mr. Big was actually Carmen. Unfortunately, there was no evidence and so he decided to go along with the heist, with the cooperation of the police. Finally, when Danny and Michelle broke at Spaulding to steal computer codes and embezzle the money, the police were forced to back out and the FBI showed up! Danny then realized he was right: Carmen was Mr. Big, but he wasn't the target of the sting, the Sandovals were.

After the FBI crisis was resolved, Michelle finally had the time she wanted with her husband and son. She also found time to work on the Lighthouse Committee. In March 2002, she saved a man having a heart attack in an elevator when they were both trapped inside and began to consider returning to medicine. She had given up school completely after postponing and postponing during her murder trial and Danny's murder trial and with Rick's and Mel's help, she began working at Cedars. At the same time, Michelle also became concerned as Danny was once again drawn into the Santos family, due to his cousin Tony's arrest and Maria's stroke. Among all this turmoil, Ed finally came home after being released from captivity in Africa. Though she was happy to see her father home, she was concerned when she learned that Danny was responsible. Questioning Danny as to how exactly he got her father home, Michelle was wary when Danny told her simply that he did what needed to be done. Michelle's fears that Danny was returning to the Santos way of doing things were confirmed when she saw a videotape of Danny threatening Edmund Winslow. When Danny admitted the images were real, she questioned who he was and why she had ever married him. Although Danny was remorseful for the pain he caused Michelle, he couldn't and wouldn't apologize for keeping Edmund in line by using Santos tactics. This disgusted Michelle and while he worked at Infierno late one night, she showed up with Robbie in tow, begging Danny to leave town and never contact her or their son again. Danny was devastated but agreed. Then suddenly Danny was assumed dead.

After his funeral, a distraught Michelle was shocked to learn from Ed that Danny faked his death after being shot by Carmen and rescued by Cassie. Hurt by his betrayal by keeping her in the dark, the couple's relationship shattered when Carmen escaped police custody and stormed the Bauer home, planning to kill Michelle and kidnap Robbie. Intervention by Bill put Carmen in a coma, but Danny's relationship with Michelle was taken off life support as she told him she could never reconcile with him and they were incompatible. Due to their lifelong bond and the approval of both of their families, Michelle grew closer to Bill in early 2003. She felt that dating Bill was only natural but soon she began to grow jealous of Danny's business partnership with Cassie. Michelle and Bill almost made love, but when she couldn't fully concentrate on their lovemaking or whom she wanted to be with, he walked out on her. Later Danny and Michelle finally reconciled and though Michelle claimed that she didn't need to actually get married again, she later admitted that she did like the idea of a wedding. After agonizing over what kind of wedding to have, Michelle and Danny were treated to a surprise wedding thrown by Tony and Marah at the Bauer Barbecue.

That fall, Michelle was mugged on 5th Street by a street kid named Nico Costaña. Unfortunately, in the scuffle, Michelle fell down and appeared hurt. Concerned, Nico stayed to see if she was alright and upon seeing she was fine, he ran off. Unfortunately, his concern cost him needed minutes to escape and his caught by the cops. Apprehended, he found himself being defended by Ray, who knew Nico and his situation. Ray tried to explain to Danny that Nico's parents were killed a few years earlier in the crossfire during a mob hit instigated by the Santos family and that Nico was essentially a good kid. Though Danny felt losing his parents was no excuse for criminal behavior, Michelle realized that Santos family was responsible for Nico's circumstances, and taking Ray's word that Nico was a good kid (which he proved to her by being concerned for her welfare), she refused to press charges. Not only that, she offered to let Nico to stay with her and Danny. Though neither Danny nor Nico were happy with that situation, Michelle insisted that they owed the boy something. However, even though she offered to take responsibility for the boy, Michelle left town shortly after to attend a psychology seminar, leaving Nico with Danny. Resentful of the Santos family, Nico kept up a tough veneer and a tough attitude. However, at times he would let a soft spot show, such as when he sang for a 5th Street resident on her birthday (something he loathed to do in front of Danny). He also showed a soft spot for Marina Cooper, the teenaged nanny of Robbie, Danny and Michelle's son. Late that year, about the time that Danny unexpectedly announced his candidacy for mayor, Michelle found herself visited by a mysterious woman who later named herself as Carrie. Carrie then visited Marah and then Marina Cooper.

Finally after appearing to all three girls, she asked them to ask their fathers (or grandfather) about Maryanne Caruthers. Although all three girls didn't like the idea of setting up the man because of stranger, they were intrigued and so asked. All the men denied knowing who Maryanne was but it was obvious that they were lying since they were visibly shaken. Carrie appeared again and told them that the town of Springfield was founded by Maryanne's grandfather, Horace Caruthers who built the town on a series of old tunnels. The Caruthers family also, with help from the Spaulding family, founded the museum where Marah lived and said that clues could be found there. The girls found a white powdery substance in the Egyptology exhibit and Carrie told the girls that this substance gave Maryanne her wealth. Maryanne's father licensed the powder to Spaulding Pharmaceuticals. Carrie, described Maryanne as an innocent woman whose fortune led to her downfall. Carrie revealed that Maryanne's car went off a bridge and told the girls to find the vehicle. The girls figured out that the bridge must have been Cutter's Bridge. When Marina secretly went to the police station to find police records to find out about the accident but there were no records, which led the girls to conclude that Maryanne's death was covered up. In the midst of this, the girls keep bringing up the name Maryanne to the older men in their lives who keep acting increasingly nervous. Afterwards, Carrie appeared to the girls again and told them to find Maryanne's grave. Now knowing that Maryanne died in 1977, the girls proceeded to get their fathers/grandfather to open up about what they were doing in the 1970's. However, when they brought up the name Maryanne Caruthers, again the men clammed up and told the girls never to mention that name again.

Though the girls were wary of hurting their fathers/grandfather by continuing on in the investigation, Carrie convinced them that it would be better if the truth were revealed. Realizing that something big was going on, the girls decided that it would help the men in the long run if they dealt with the specter of Maryanne Caruthers and so they continued in their investigation. Finally in January 2004, the girls confronted Carrie and demanded to know the truth about Maryanne Caruthers. It was then that Carrie related the tale about what happened on Oct. 17th, 1977. For on the fateful night new acquaintances Ed Bauer, Billy and Josh Lewis, Buzz Cooper, and Alan Spaulding were at the Springfield Fair drinking and carousing. There Alan would point out the lovely, very conceited Maryanne Caruthers and form a plan. Wanting to see the cold Maryanne make a fool of herself, Alan showed the other young men a vial of powder that contained a drug that he wanted to use on Maryanne to loosen her up. Although the other men weren't fond of the idea, they knew that Alan would do what he wanted. Though Billy warned Alan to not drug his brother's drink, Alan decided to drug the entire pitcher of beer, thus affecting all of them. Not long after, the group, plus Maryanne, went joy riding, but an ill Maryanne asked to be driven home. It was then that Alan, who was driving the car, sped across Cutter's Bridge and suddenly unexpectedly went off the road! Though all 5 men made it out of the river, Maryanne couldn't be found. Wanting to preserve their lives, Alan persuaded the others to move on with their lives and forget that they ever knew a woman named Maryanne Caruthers. After recounting the tale, Carrie told the disbelieving girls to confront their fathers/grandfather and deliver a letter to them in a pick envelope. Ed was rattled when Michelle suddenly recounted the entire story of Maryanne and handed him a pick envelope.

Unnerved and agitated, Ed refused to take the letter and tore it up! Finally he became so rattled and Michelle's insistent questions that he slapped Michelle! Finally realizing that their little investigation was doing more harm than good, Michelle went to Marah and Marina and convinced them to snoop around Carrie's secret room below the museum and started looking for clues as to why exactly Carrie wanted to dredge this up. They were caught in the act and Carrie revealed the truth--Maryanne had one surviving relative an aunt, Caroline Caruthers! Upon hearing the name they realized that Carrie was Caroline and she was the witness at the bridge who was too afraid to speak up. Not long after, each of the girls found themselves in danger. First, Michelle almost died from gas inhalation at her home. As she slipped into unconsciousness, Michelle suddenly saw Carrie who looked as if she was about to smother Michelle. Fortunately, Michelle was rescued by Danny and Bill, and Carrie claimed that she'd had been trying to save Michelle by turning off the gas valve. At almost the same time, Marah was unsettled when an old teddy bear kept cropping up despite her attempts to put it away and she found it with a razor blade, and finally Marina was caught in a cave in when she was asked by Carrie to go into the tunnels under the museum. After the incident with Marina, who was saved by Michelle and Marina, the girls finally figured out that Carrie was out for vengeance and instead of helping the men they cared about, they were only making things worse. With this realization, the girls finally stood up to Carrie and told her to leave them alone, or else. Not long after, Carrie summoned the girls to her one last time, asking them to come to the Fairgrounds for a memorial service for Maryanne. Unfortunately, Carrie's motives were far more diabolical.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the rings Carrie gave the girls rings to wear that were tainted with a drug called Antimonius. Arriving at the Fairgrounds under the influence of the drug, the girls, in a fog, entered the hall of mirrors. Then came a startling turn of events: Dazed and confused the girls, wandered the hall and became aware that the men were there also. Scared and ill, the girls cried out for the men to help them. Meanwhile, Carrie finally announced her plan to the men--one of the girls would be killed in place of Maryanne; they would have to choose. Horrified by her insanity, the men realized that the girls, who seemed in a dazed state, were in the Hall of Mirrors, but had trouble locating because the mirrors kept them from seeing what was real and what wasn't. Although Ed was able to locate Marina and Michelle and lead them outside to safety, Marah remained missing for a while longer. Then came a startling chain of events. Carrie suddenly appeared brandishing a gun, poised to shoot. However, because of the mirrors no one could tell what was the real Carrie. Although Buzz got out his gun (that he brought at Alan's insistence, so that they could take care of the threat), he was caught unaware by Carrie who shot him! Then Carrie pointed her gun at Josh and was set to fire when a shot rang out, apparently killing Carrie! Shot in the back, Carrie fell through the trap door at the bottom of the Hall and her body was rushed away by the river below. Seeing a dazed Marah holding the smoking gun, Josh decided to take the blame and there and then, he and the others created an elaborate story about how he shot Carrie in self-defense. That night, Ed took Marah home, where Michelle and Marina were waiting, told all the girls to not tell anyone they were at the Fairgrounds--if anyone asked, they were together at the Museum.

In the meantime, Josh went to the police and confessed to murdering Carrie, who he painted as a deranged woman angry about not getting a job, in self-defense. Shocked at her father's confession, a very confused Marah knew there was something she was forgetting but couldn't remember. Then mere days later she remembered that SHE shot and killed Carrie. Determined that her father wouldn't take the punishment for a crime she committed, Marah went to the police station and confessed. Not long after, Reva helped close the door on the entire Maryanne Caruthers situation when, using her psychic visions, she learned that not only had Carrie faked her death, but had been the one who caused Maryanne's death that fateful night in 1977 when she strangled Maryanne, who had washed ashore at the other side of the riverbank.

At the same time this chapter in Michelle's life was closing, another was opening as, against the odds, Danny was elected mayor of Springfield. Unfortunately, immediately following the election came an accusation that the votes were tampered with and a recount was ordered. Not long after, came allegations from the press that Danny used mob money to finance his campaign. Incensed, Michelle and Bill made plans to fight the allegations but were shocked when Danny conceded the election to Ross! Not understanding why Danny was just giving up, Michelle was disheartened when he told her that although the allegations were false, he did use mob money to help rebuild 5th Street and as a result, he was being blackmailed by District Attorney Jeffrey O'Neill into infiltrating the mob. Dazed by the fact that Danny had been using mob money, Michelle stayed away for the night but ultimately decided to stay with Danny and help him in his sting against the mafia. Realizing that Danny being back in the mob could endanger their family, Michelle and Danny made no secret that Danny had returned to the life and Michelle was behind him, in an effort to push everyone away.

The first to go was Nico, who was angry when he was informed that Danny had gone back to the mob. Wanting to give him a good life, Michelle set an angry Nico up with Drew in New York and then, despite Rick's wishes that he stay, she convinced Ed to accept a research position in Africa. Unfortunately, Danny's involvement would have dire consequences for Michelle when one night she became suspicious of what he'd be doing. Although Danny, and even Tony, tried to persuade her to go home and stay away from Salerno's, she was convinced that Danny would be doing something dangerous and followed him. While looking for him in an abandoned warehouse, Michelle was suddenly caught in an explosion! Unbeknownst to Michelle, Danny had set the explosion in an attempt to stage the death of Eden August. Luckily for Michelle, Tony followed Danny to make sure he performed the hit and ended up rescuing her. Unfortunately, the explosion left Michelle comatose. As she lingered in a coma for weeks, the sting went down, this time with Tony's cooperation, and Salerno was finally apprehended.

That same night, Michelle finally came out of her coma. Although she now had no memory of her life, there was one thing she did remember--her rescuer, Tony. Feeling pressure from her well-meaning family and friends for her to begin to regain her memories, Michelle lashed out at everyone, except Tony. Overwhelmed by stories of her former, seemingly perfect, self, Michelle rebelled and remained distant toward everyone, especially Danny whom she found controlling and uptight. Although Danny tried to be supportive and understanding, she grated at his tendency to sugarcoat over her previous life and to hide his frustrations from her. Growing increasingly uncomfortable with being scrutinized, in the hopes that her memory was returning, Michelle finally tried to fake a memory flash. Although her family bought into her act, Tony was on to her immediately.

That same day, Michelle was shocked to discover that Danny had been hiding an important piece of information from her--she had a son! Although he tried to explain that he was trying to make things easier on her and Robbie, Michelle bristled under Danny's tendency to hide the truth from her, and asked Tony to take her away. Tony then took her to Laurel Falls on his motorcycle and when she asked him for the whole truth about her life. Tony revealed that Danny was in the mob and had a mother who tried to kill Michelle. Intrigued with the notion that she married a mobster, Michelle realized that there's more to Danny than she gave him credit for and decided to go back to him and try again. Knowing he'd had to relate to a new Michelle, who was freer emotionally, Danny decided to woo her all over again. Just as the pair started to bond, Michelle was put off by Danny's refusal to make love, since he suggested they weren't ready for that step. Later, Danny set up a romantic picnic on the beach in the hopes of winning the heart of the new Michelle. Rick sensed, though, that Michelle was trying a little too hard to put on a happy face. Although she denied it, but it was obvious that Rick was right.

Later, a man collapsed at the Beacon. Without hesitation, Michelle used her CPR skills and employed Tony as her assistant. Together they saved the man, leaving Michelle baffled as to why she remembers some things and not others. She then found herself drawn to the lighthouse out on the lake where she gazed over the town and wondered who she is. While trying to sort out who the new Michelle Bauer Santos was, Michelle continued to grow closer to Tony who she felt was the only one who appreciated her as she was. To other's dismay, Michelle's first act of friendship with Tony was to warn him that the police were about to raid his club. Meanwhile, Michelle's carefree attitude continued to gnaw at Danny who was becoming angry that she would often disappear without a word to anybody. As the couple continued to fluctuate, Michelle got a shock when she agreed to accompany Reva Lewis to an interview with Vinnie Salerno. During the interview, Michelle suddenly learned that Danny set the explosion that caused her memory loss! At that moment, Danny arrived and since he didn't react, Michelle knew Salerno wasn't lying. Shocked at first, Michelle was remarkably understanding. Days later, after learning that Danny was having money problems, Michelle, still trying to find her niche in the world, had the idea to turn the Lighthouse into a restaurant. After an angry Michelle lashed out at him for controlling her life, Danny surprised her by giving her the permit. In the meantime, Michelle was being periodically stalked and attacked but was rescued each time by either Danny or Tony. Finally, the cause of the attacks became known when Michelle met a man named Sebastian Hulce (who was the son of Ed's long time rival, Roger Thorpe) who feigned interest in the lighthouse.

At about the same time, Michelle found a gold coin in the lighthouse that instigated a memory flash of her mother, Maureen. According to Sebastian, the men who were after her were after the coin and he offered to take it off her hands. However, since the coin was the only thing that sparked a memory, Michelle refused to give it up despite the danger Sebastian warned she was in. Later, Michelle searched through a box Tony brought her for clues about her mom. She had another memory of her mother and later, received a package from Ed. When Michelle casually mentioned the package and Ed to Sebastian, he was riveted to any mention Roger's enemy. Meanwhile, Michelle had told Danny about her memory flash and he surprised her by consulting a memory specialist. Unfortunately for Danny, his interference was unwanted and Michelle angrily recoiled at Danny's implication that she was damaged and needed fixed. After arguing, the couple decided to go their separate ways.

Not long after, Michelle received an intriguing offer from Sebastian to accompany him and Holly on a trip to Santo Domingo. Although Tony warned her not to go, she refused to let him hold her back and went anyway. Still unsure of Sebastian's motives, Tony stowed away on the Sebastian's boat but was quickly discovered. A few days into their journey, Michelle discovered that Tony was right all along about Sebastian when the pair became drugged and Holly and Sebastian had disappeared. It didn't take long for them to find a note from Sebastian---he had Holly and would release her if they brought Ed Bauer to him! Deeply concerned, the pair traveled to Santo Domingo themselves in an attempt to rescue Holly. After waiting around at the hotel for several days trying to figure out what to do, the pair got a break when they discovered the captain of the boat hiding in their room. After Michelle clocked him over the head when Tony was trying to find out where Sebastian had taken Holly, when the captain came to, and tried to convince them that Sebastian is not an enemy they wanted to have and they should go find Ed. Thinking the people at the hotel knew something, Michelle and Tony got the location of Sebastian's villa from the maid, Aurelia when Tony was flirting with her. Posing as brother and sister, Michelle went with Aurelia and Tony as Aurelia led Tony to where Sebastian supposedly was. Then Michelle interrupted them kissing, When Tony called Michelle on her jealousy, he gave her a passionate kiss to let her know she had nothing to worry about. But when they broke from their kiss, Tony realized that Aurelia stole his wallet, phone and map, leaving them stranded in the middle of nowhere. After a while, the two realized it was Thanksgiving and ended up making love for the first time. Afterwards, Tony was bitten by a poisonous spider.

With Tony feverish and delusional from falling into a ravine, Michelle had no choice but to look for help. After awhile, she located Sebastian's villa and found Holly! Seeing Holly alone, trapped in a cell, Michelle tried to let her out but was captured herself by Sebastian. It turned out that the reason Sebastian wanted to find Ed was because he was dying and thought Ed could save his life. When Sebastian demanded that Michelle get in touch with Ed, she refused to help Sebastian until he rescued Tony, and Sebastian reluctantly agreed. Later, when they found Tony and administered his medicine, a dangerous Sebastian handed Michelle a satellite phone and demands she call her father. However, Michelle double-crossed Sebastian and called Danny instead and quickly hung up before Sebastian became suspicious. Afterwards, with all three of them prisoners of Sebastian, Michelle tried to convince Sebastian that she could create her father's medicine, (though her plan was to drug him). Unfortunately for Michelle, he grew increasingly paranoid, as he became sicker. He didn't trust Michelle's injection and violently fought her off. As Michelle saw Sebastian getting weaker, she concocted a potion to knock Sebastian out. Her plan was foiled when Holly warned him. Soon after, Tony convinced Sebastian to let him leave to find Ed. Luckily for everyone, Tony ran into Danny (who had become suspicious because of Michelle's phone call) and Danny went to Sebastian's villa to rescue Michelle and Holly. When Danny headed off in his plane to rescue Michelle, Sebastian's men tampered with the plane and Danny found himself in grave danger. Meanwhile, Sebastian informed Michelle and Holly of the crash and told both that Danny was dead.

Not long after, in early 2005, alone and overcome with grief, Michelle experienced her first genuine memory of her life with Danny. Just then, a very much alive Danny surprised both women by showing up at the villa to rescue them. Unfortunately, he was imprisoned himself when he collapsed from his injuries. By then, Tony had called from Africa with the cure. When Michelle was able to recreate the cure based on Ed's notes, Sebastian ordered Danny to try it first since he suspected it could be poison. Danny agreed but only if Sebastian released Michelle and Holly first. Michelle, not willing to let Danny take that risk, downed the medicine herself. At first it seemed as if it would kill her but she revived and Danny tossed the last dose at Sebastian. When Danny tended to Michelle, she told him about an odd dream she had, but when she described it, Danny realized it was an actual memory of a moment the two of them had shared! Before they could discuss it further, Tony arrived. Though Tony was prepared to make sure a cured Sebastian never hurt Michelle or anyone else again. Michelle convinced Tony to leave Sebastian alone in the villa, and they all left the island at last.

Back in Springfield, Danny and Michelle finally decided to end their marriage, since she was involved with Tony and he'd been dating Marina. However, they held off telling Robbie since he was distancing himself from Michelle. Although Michelle tried to bond with Robbie, who was wary around her, her way of doing it disturbed Danny since it included playing hooky from school. Finally, Danny decided that he wanted sole custody of Robbie, mainly because he felt Michelle was too impulsive and irresponsible. Though Michelle tried to get support from Rick, he shocked her by siding with Danny. At the same time, Tony's jealousy of Danny was increasing and he told Danny that he wanted him out of the Lighthouse project. Danny had no problem with it but when Michelle stated that she wanted Danny to finish the job, Danny eventually agreed. Finally after several weeks, Michelle moved back into her old house, determined to provide a stable home for Robbie. Later, when Rick apologized for their earlier fight, she admitted how troubled she was by her gradually returning memories. When Rick offered to show her some techniques for gaining memory, Michelle turned him down. By this point, Danny and Michelle finally decided to tell Robbie the truth, unfortunately, he responded by running away. As she, Danny, Tony, and Marina, prepared to search for a missing Robbie, Sebastian safely returned him! Danny and Tony were ready to hurt Sebastian but it was soon evident that he was the hero. In the meantime, Tony was becoming curious about Michelle's adamant approval of Danny and Marina's new relationship. When confronted, Michelle hedged at first but then confessed she fears that her memories could get in the way of her relationship with Tony. Tony assured her that nothing could come between them, unaware that Michelle's memories of Danny were becoming more romantic.

Despite her memories, Michelle was adamant about things staying as they were and ended up accepting Tony's marriage proposal. Soon after, Michelle visited Danny at one of his renovation sites to tell him the news. After absorbing the information, Danny gave her his blessing. Then suddenly, the braces holding up the ceiling of the townhouse gave way and Danny and Michelle found the roof caving in on them. Danny pulled Michelle from the wreckage of the collapsed roof. After coming to, Michelle shocked him by pulling him into a breathtaking kiss and telling him that her memory was completely back! Caught up in the moment, Danny and Michelle made love amid the wreckage. But, in the after glow of their blissful moment, reality set in and they remembered Marina and Tony. They then kept the entire incident secret. Later, Michelle informed Tony that her memory had returned. Though she did her best to assure him, and herself, that her devotion to him was unchanged and she still wanted to marry him, alone with Rick she admitted that her emotions were conflicted. Her reluctance would manifest itself as she had trouble deciding what kind of wedding she wanted to have with Tony. Later, after discussing old times, Danny shared another kiss with Michelle, this one secretly seen by Tony. Tony's response would be to tell Michelle that he wanted to elope as soon as possible. Unfortunately, at this point, Danny arrived and informed them that while the divorce was going through, since the judge was sick, there'd be a delay. Wanting to get the situation resolved as quickly as possible, the pair went to Las Vegas for a quickie divorce. Although still very conflicted about what to do, Danny and Michelle finally decided to finalize the divorce. Although she was now free to marry Tony and even made plans to marry him in Vegas, Michelle couldn't go through with it since she realized she still loved Danny. The day of their return, Tony took Michelle to Laurel Falls and begged her to remember that she loved him also.

Unfortunately, things got heated between them when she continued to insist that she loved Danny. Finally, Michelle broke the news that she slept with Danny the night she got her memory back. At that moment, Danny, who'd been hiking alone, returned. In his rage, Tony hurled himself at Danny and, during the struggle they both went over the edge! Michelle managed to grab each of them but their combined weight was too much to bear. Realizing that Michelle couldn't save both men and was at risk of falling over herself, Tony made the sacrifice and let go of Michelle's hand, only to plummet into the water.

Once safe, Danny climbed down to retrieve Tony from the water and he and Michelle desperately began CPR. Tragically, it was too late--Tony was dead. That same night, Michelle shocked Danny by confessing what she told Tony--that she was in love with him. However, thanks to Tony's death, that knowledge didn't bring the happiness it might have once and Danny chose to resume his relationship with Marina. The day of Tony's funeral, Michelle decided it might be best to leave town for a while and decided to go to Africa to visit Ed. A few months later, Michelle arrived at Bill's doorstep with a secret--she was pregnant! Uncertain of who was the father, Danny or Tony, Michelle asked Bill to let her hide out his his place until she figured out what to do. Days after a close call at Cedars, Michelle finally came face to face with Danny outside Company. However, because she was wearing a jacket, Danny couldn't tell she was pregnant and Michelle didn't tell him. Soon after, after a chance encounter with Marina, Michelle admitted her continued feelings for Danny but told Marina that she knew Danny's moved on. Knowing it wasn't easy for Michelle to say that, Marina invited her to Harley's wedding. Though at first reluctant, she later changed her mind and decided that perhaps it was time for everyone to know the truth. As a reluctant Michelle stood outside Company, she was spotted by Edmund. Edmund soon came to Michelle's rescue, preventing Danny and Marina from discovering her pregnancy. Though grateful, Michelle was wary kindness until Edmund pointed out their common bond--that they were both alone and both waiting for a baby to arrive. He then gallantly offered his suite to her as a hideout and encouraged her to keep her baby a secret. Michelle, faced with limited options, took him up on his offer. After a few days in Edmund's apartment, a lonely Michelle called Robbie but didn't tell him where she was. That same day, alone in the suite, Michelle decided to find out once and for all who the father of her baby was. However, when she tried to leave the apartment to go to Cedars, she was shocked to discover that she was locked in! When Edmund got back, he convinced her that it was a problem with the lock and talked her into skipping her doctor's appointment to take a nap.

Soon after, Michelle was startled to hear Danny's voice outside the door but Edmund convinced her that she was just having a dream. Knowing Edmund would try to talk her out of leaving (since he'd been talking her out of contacting Danny for days), Michelle snuck out the window and went down the fire escape. Later, Michelle she got to Danny's place just in time to hear Danny tell Marina how much he wanted to be with her. Heartbroken Michelle took off in her car. Unfortunately on the road, she started having contractions! Although she tried to call for help, she only succeeded in crashing her car. Injured and in labor, Michelle was suddenly rescued by someone she, in her delirium, thought was Danny. The person delivered her baby and then left. That same night, rescue workers took Michelle to Cedars. When Danny and Marina rushed in to see her, Michelle asked about her baby, but Danny had no idea what she was talking about. Later, while unconscious, Michelle had a vision of Maureen. Michelle confessed her feelings for Danny to her mother and Maureen told her that she and Danny would always love each other. Later, with the help of a pint of blood donated by Marina, Michelle was eventually stabilized but when she woke up, she was in a panic about seeing her child. Reluctantly, Danny informed her baby died in the car crash. The consensus seemed to be that the baby's body burned up in the fire. Devastated, Michelle confessed to Danny that she loved him and she returned to Springfield to try to get him back. Days later, Michelle had another vision of Maureen who told her that her baby was not dead. Michelle relayed this dream to Danny, who was extremely skeptical. For the most part, so was Michelle.

Although a part of her had trouble believing her child was dead, she chalked it up to not being able to face the truth. Danny and Robbie concocted a faux 4th of July barbeque for Michelle, to make up for the one she missed. But, all Michelle could think of was what might have been had her baby lived. Danny then planted a a memorial rosebush for her baby, and it lead to a close moment between them. Just as they were about to kiss, Michelle felt a twinge and protective Danny rushed her to the hospital, just in case. Unable to deal with the loss of her baby, Michelle decided to leave town again. Unable to deal with the loss of her baby, Michelle decided to leave town. Although Rick tried to convince her that she should stay with her family, Michelle was adamant about getting out of town to ease the memories of the child she lost. When Danny learned the news from Marina, he made an impassioned plea for Michelle to stay and rebuild her life in Springfield so Robbie's life wouldn't be uprooted. Although Michelle told Rick she was leaving for parts unknown, she only went as far as the Bauer cabin. Soon after, she was shocked when Edmund suddenly showed up at the cabin to visit Michelle, claiming to be there to commiserate with her over their mutual losses. (her baby and his marriage) After agreeing to go for a ride with Edmund, when he left the room, Michelle was shocked to see Edmund's release papers from jail and realized she's in danger. She tried to get rid of Edmund but he began to unspool, telling her she was the only thing standing in the way of his plan to win back Cassie. Luckily, Danny came to Michelle's rescue and together they overpowered Edmund, forcing him to run away.

Alone in the cabin, Danny gave Michelle startling news--their baby was alive! Apparently, Edmund delivered Michelle's baby and presented it to Cassie as their baby. However, Cassie had bonded with the baby (Hope) for a month and was reluctant to give her up, until Michelle convinced her. Later, on more than one occasion, Michelle told Marina that she and intended to fight for Danny who she knew loved her, not Marina. Later, Michelle was stunned to learn that Marina broke up with Danny. She reached out to him and professed her love but he rejected her, unleashing his pent-up frustration over the tortuous road their relationship had always been on. But, ultimately, Danny returned to Michelle, admitting he never stopped loving her and the two finally reunited. A week before Thanksgiving, Danny surprised Michelle by bringing her to the Bauer house to renew their vows and the pair remarried. Immediately after, they took their kids to the Gulf Coast to assist Ed in the recovery efforts there. It was possible they moved to California since Ed had plans to open a clinic there.

In late 2007, Vanessa called Michelle to tell her about Bill. Apparently moving to Venezuela changed him and upon returning to Springfield, he immediately ousted Billy from Lewis Construction. Concerned about Bill's self-destructive behavior Vanessa planned an intervention. The only thing that kept Michelle from hopping on a plane to see her old friend was the fact that Hope was sick.

Danny and Michelle returned to Springfield, in 2009, for the Annual Bauer BBQ. The pair reported that they were very happy with their lives in California and seemed to be doing well personally and professionally.The pair brought along Robbie and Hope (who looked a lot like her mother). A few weeks later, Michelle returned to town for Bill's wedding to Lizzie Spaulding. Soon after, Danny returned to town for Jeffrey's funeral and informed Marna that he and the family were moving back. Less than two months later, the Santos family officially resettled in Springfield.