Due to NBC Sports coverage of the Winter Olympics from Vancouver, Days of our Lives did not air today. This programming change was planned for, and there will be no lost episodes as a result of the preemption.

Regular programming will resume on Tuesday, February 16 and pick up where the action left off on Friday, February 12.

At the Brady Pub, Sami lashed out at E.J. and warned him not to blame Rafe for Sydney's disappearance. "He's the reason we never saw our daughter again, okay, Samantha? We were this close to getting our daughter," E.J. argued. Furious, Sami defended Rafe and said that he loved all her children because he loved her. "Frankly, Samantha I think you should be ashamed of yourself," E.J. whispered. "Shacking up with the man that likely killed our daughter," E.J. concluded. Holding back tears, Sami cried out that she did not believe Sydney was dead. E.J. urged Sami to face reality and accept that Sydney was likely dead.

"I don't care what you say or how grim and pessimistic you are. I am never giving up on finding my little girl," Sami said firmly. "Then you're headed for a crushing disappointment," E.J. growled. Sami accused E.J. of giving up on Sydney and begged him not to talk about their daughter in the past tense. "To hell with you and to hell with Rafe," E.J. yelled.

"I'm going to do you a favor, E.J. I'm going to forgive you for the things you are saying because you're not yourself. You're not thinking straight," Sami said gently. Sami claimed that E.J. was acting out of grief and fear, and reminded him that he was not alone. "If you're in this with Rafe, I am alone," E.J. countered. Sami told E.J. that she felt in her heart that Sydney was alive and that E.J. would feel the same way if he weren't "so busy being angry and bitter."

After E.J. left, Rafe joined Sami for coffee at the pub. Sami told Rafe that E.J. believed Sydney was dead. Rafe was angry and wanted to talk to E.J., but Sami asked him to prove E.J. wrong instead. Rafe promised to review all the facts of the case again and track Sydney down.

E.J. met up with Anna at the cottage, and he was still angry. "Any reasonable woman would hate that man for what he did to her. And instead she invites him back into her house," E.J. fumed. E.J. argued that Sami did not miss her daughter and was not suffering enough. "I will not see her happy with any other man. You hear me? I will not stand for it," E.J. growled. "I'm not going to be satisfied until she has nothing left," E.J. said. Looking tired, E.J. stepped outside to get some fresh air, and left Anna alone with Sydney.

Anna received a call on her phone from Rafe. When Rafe suggested that they needed to meet, Anna responded, "Yes actually I think that is something I should do." As Anna agreed to meet Rafe at the police station, E.J. returned to the cottage. Anna told Rafe that she would see him soon and hung up the phone. "So you're going to the Salem police station are you?" E.J. questioned. Anna told E.J. that she had no choice but to go to the station and that she would stick to the script that E.J. advised her to follow around other people. Worried, Anna asked E.J. what he was planning to do. Anna noted that just a few minutes before, E.J. was in a rage and suddenly he was calm. "E.J., are you going to kill Sami?" Anna asked.

Still nauseated from morning sickness, Chloe went to the hospital to see Daniel. Chloe told Daniel about the wedding, and she cryptically added that "I hope nothing ruins it." Daniel surprised Chloe with the news that he scheduled a sonogram for the baby. Chloe was thrilled, and Daniel walked her down the hallway to her appointment with Dr. White. When Dr. White asked whether they wanted to know the gender of the baby, a giddy Daniel and Chloe agreed that they wanted to know.

Dr. White began the sonogram, but her face looked grim. Slowly turning toward Chloe and Daniel, Dr. White sighed. "There's no easy way to say this, but I can't find any evidence of a baby. I'm so sorry," Dr. White said. Confused, Chloe assured the doctor that she had to be pregnant. Concerned, Daniel walked over to the sonogram monitor and had a closer look. Daniel informed Chloe that Dr. White's analysis was correct. Chloe argued that she was pregnant because the pregnancy tests were positive. As Dr. White left the room, Daniel gently explained to Chloe that there was no baby.

In the cannery basement, Bo found Hope underneath a pile of boxes, unconscious. Bo frantically pulled the boxes off of Hope and cradled her in his arms. With the sounds of the ambulance sirens in the air, Bo picked up Hope and carried her outside to meet the paramedics. The paramedics rushed Hope to the hospital and the doctors informed Bo that Hope was unconscious, but she would likely make a full recovery.

Bo visited Hope in her hospital room and pleaded with her to wake up. Groggy, Hope slowly came to as she heard her husband's voice talking to her. When Bo asked what happened, Hope said, "Carly." Bo noted that he was supposed to meet Carly in the basement but that he did not see her there. In pain, Hope closed her eyes again. Fighting to stay awake, Hope called out to Bo as a doctor injected pain medication into Hope's IV.

In the Kiriakis living room, Philip celebrated his nuptials by having a drink with Brady. With a grin on his face, Philip asked Brady when he was going to propose to Arianna. "I'm giving it some thought," Brady said. At the buffet, Will gave Mia a necklace as a Valentine's Day gift. Will told Mia that he was happy they were dating again, and Mia agreed before kissing him softly. Mia showed her necklace to Lucas and noted that Will had gotten his romantic side from his father.

"He must have inherited his knack for choosing women as well," Lucas joked. Sensing the awkwardness, Philip steered Lucas away from Mia and over to the corner of the living room. Will apologized for his father's remark and suggested that they sneak out of the wedding.

Across the room, Arianna gave Melanie a plate of food and asked her how she was feeling. Melanie explained that she was late to the ceremony because she was nervous. When Arianna asked whether Melanie was having second thoughts, Melanie changed the subject to wedding pictures. Noting that Stephanie was missing, Melanie said she was going to go look for her so that they could take wedding photos.

Arianna sat next to Brady and he put his arm around her. Brady confided that although he did not understand Philip and Melanie as a couple, he admired how happy they seemed to be together. Noting the loving atmosphere, Brady joked that he felt like he could "go down on one knee right now." Arianna told Brady to control his urge, but he teased her about how romantic it would be to embarrass her in front of everyone.

As Melanie approached the front door in the foyer of the Kiriakis mansion, Vivian stepped out of the shadows and surprised her. When Melanie expressed her fear that Vivian was going to miss all of the wedding, Vivian smiled devilishly and said, "I wouldn't miss this for the world." "I have a life-changing gift that I want to bestow upon you," Vivian said with a wicked smile. Vivian explained that she learned some information about Melanie's mother. As Vivian led Melanie upstairs to find a private place to talk, Maggie watched them suspiciously from the living room doorway.

Maggie stood in the foyer, and stared into the distance as Victor entered the front hall. Victor thanked Maggie for attending the wedding on her anniversary. "I love her like a daughter," Maggie added. Victor promised to watch over Melanie and welcome her into the family with open arms. Maggie thanked Victor for his kindness before he returned to the living room. As Maggie stood in the foyer alone, Carly burst through the front door and was looking for Vivian. Maggie told Carly that Vivian was upstairs with Melanie. "Alone?" Carly cried out before racing up the stairs.

Out on the porch of the Kiriakis mansion, Stephanie met with Nathan who begged her to leave the wedding early so that they could start their vacation. Grinning, Stephanie agreed to leave with him. "I want what they have," Stephanie said about Melanie and Philip. Stephanie explained that she wanted to find true love with Nathan but that she wanted to know if Nathan felt the same way. "I want a new beginning," Nathan said. Relieved, Stephanie took Nathan by the hand and led him to the car.

After Nathan and Stephanie arrived at the resort, they headed up to their room. As Nathan began to kiss Stephanie on the bed, Stephanie pulled away. Nathan assured Stephanie that there was nothing between him and Melanie and "that's the end of the story." "I'm not so sure about that," Stephanie said as she looked at the letter sticking out of her purse on the table. When Stephanie remarked that she understood that Nathan could not turn his feelings for Melanie off, Nathan assured Stephanie that he wanted to move on with her.

After Nathan's assurances, Stephanie softened and began to kiss Nathan again. As the two kissed on the bed, there was a knock at the door. Nathan grudgingly pulled away from Stephanie and answered the door to find a resort employee informing him that he had left his car lights on. While Nathan went outside to attend to his car, Stephanie pulled the note from Melanie out of her purse and thought about Melanie's request. Crumpling up the letter in her hand, Stephanie shoved the letter back into her purse.

In the Kiriakis living room, Kate asked Stefano to cancel his plans for Vivian because she was worried Philip would hate her even more if Vivian were killed. Stefano assured Kate that he had no plans to deal with Vivian anymore. At Stefano walked out of the reception, Philip returned to the living room after searching the house for Melanie. Worried, Philip asked Lucas whether he had seen the bride.

Maggie returned to the living room, and Philip asked her whether she had seen Melanie. After thinking a moment, Maggie said that she last saw Melanie heading upstairs with Vivian. "Then Carly went to go look for them," Maggie added. Suspicious, Philip furrowed his brow.

On top of the Kiriakis mansion, Vivian guided Melanie onto the rooftop. Vivian urged Melanie to get closer to the edge so that she could enjoy the view. Melanie cautiously walked closer to the edge of the rooftop as Vivian casually slid her hands onto Melanie's shoulders from behind. "It's sort of like being in heaven," Vivian said. Nervous about the height, Melanie backed away from the ledge and suggested to Vivian that they talk about her mother closer to the doorway. Vivian agreed and informed Melanie that she had a history with Melanie's mother. Excited, Melanie asked Vivian to tell her everything Vivian knew about Melanie's mother.

"I'm afraid we don't really have time," Vivian said gruffly as she pushed Melanie toward the edge of the roof again. As a fearful Melanie cried out to Vivian to stop pushing her, Carly burst through the door onto the roof. "Get away from her! Get your hands off of her!" Carly demanded. Vivian grabbed a nearby metal pipe and raised it above Melanie's head. Terrified, Carly pulled a gun out of her purse and aimed it at Vivian. "No!" cried Melanie as she jumped in front of Vivian as the gun fired. Shot, Melanie crumpled to the floor while a devastated Carly screamed in horror.

Downstairs in the living room, the guests and family in the reception looked toward the ceiling as they heard the gunshot ring out. Worried, Philip and Brady raced to the staircase and headed for the roof. While the rest of the reception walked to the bottom of the staircase, Victor wondered aloud who was in the house upstairs. Maggie noted that Vivian had taken Melanie upstairs. "That's impossible. Vivian is not even here," Victor noted. Shaking her head, Maggie explained that she saw Vivian return and that Carly was upstairs as well. Victor urged everyone to remain calm, then headed up to the roof.

Lucas, Arianna, and Kate stayed behind in the foyer while the rest of the group went upstairs. "Well, I do think it was a gunshot. After all, Vivian is involved. She's a crazy woman," Kate said, looking nervous.

Up on the roof, Carly rushed to her daughter's side and pleaded with her to wake up. "Thank you, Carly. You've done my work for me," Vivian noted calmly. Vivian dropped the pipe she was holding over the edge of the roof, as Carly cried next to Melanie. Carly put pressure on the wound as Vivian told Carly, "She's already gone to her reward. And you made it happen." Philip and Brady ran onto the rooftop and Philip dropped down to the ground beside Melanie. When Philip asked Carly what happened, a tearful Carly called out, "I shot her! I shot my own daughter!"

In disbelief, Philip ordered Carly to get away from Melanie. As Philip pushed her away, a fierce Carly screamed that she had to keep pressure on the wound, then violently pushed Philip away with her other hand. Lexie arrived on the roof and rushed to attend to Melanie's gunshot. Philip continued to order Carly away but, reluctant to leave her daughter's side, Carly fought him. Brady dragged Carly away from Melanie, while Lexie told Abe to call the hospital and get them prepared for surgery.

As Philip asked Carly why she shot Melanie, Vivian piped up and reminded Philip that Carly said that Melanie was her daughter. "I'm her mother and I have to help her, please! Let me help my child!" Carly screamed as she fought against Brady, and reached out toward Melanie.

Nathan returned to the room at the Alpine Valley Lodge, and tried to kiss Stephanie, but she pushed him away coyly. "It's time to make myself into a fantasy," she said, grinning, and slipped into the bathroom with her suitcase. Nathan waited for the door to close, then hoisted his suitcase onto the desk-but knocked Stephanie's purse onto the floor in the process.

As Nathan was stuffing the contents back into her bag, Stephanie emerged from the bathroom wearing a short, magenta negligee. "Nathan, what are you doing?" she demanded, alarmed because the letter to him from Melanie was on the floor. "Why are you looking through my stuff?" She grabbed the purse from him and quickly put the envelope back inside, then immediately apologized for overreacting. "I'm just nervous," she explained with a shy smile.

Noting Stephanie's outfit, Nathan asserted that he was the one who should be nervous, and assured her that they would take things slowly. As they kissed, they moved over to the bed, and he pulled her down on top of him. After they had sex, Stephanie lay with her head on Nathan's chest. "Are you glad we came?" she asked. Stroking her hair, Nathan declared, "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Over coffee at the Brady Pub, Rafe told Sami that he probably would be doing interviews for the rest of the day. A frustrated Sami didn't think asking Anna-or anyone else-more questions would do any good. Rafe pulled her lovingly into his lap, and she nestled her head in his shoulder as he promised that they would get Sydney back.

At the cabin, E.J. indignantly told Anna that he was not planning to kill Samantha. He then ordered Anna to go to the police station and answer Rafe's questions exactly as they had rehearsed. As she was pulling on her coat, E.J. asked if Anna had gotten the clothes that Sydney had been wearing when Nicole kidnapped her. Anna assured him that she'd washed them with bleach, so there would be no traces of DNA from any of them.

E.J. then went to the pier. After looking around to make sure he was alone, he removed a plastic bag from his coat pocket with a gloved hand. He removed Sydney's clothing from the bag, and angrily hurled one of the items far out into the water. Sneering contemptuously, he dropped the remaining clothes off the pier. E.J. remembered how Anna had told him that Sydney's clothes were still stained from when Sydney had gotten a nosebleed. He then called Sami and asked her to meet him at the mansion.

Anna arrived at the police station just as Rafe was showing Harold, the DiMeras' butler, out. Rafe then led Anna into a conference room. When he started a tape recording of their interview, Anna became nervous-which Rafe immediately noticed. Anna explained that the police station gave her painful memories, plus Harold had just seen her, even though she had been trying to keep Stefano from learning she was in town.

Anna added that she was more than happy to answer any questions that might help get Sydney back, although she didn't know anything about Sydney's kidnapping. "Whoever did this deserves to be put away forever," she declared somewhat shakily. Rafe asked if Anna had been to Cleveland recently. Anna claimed that she couldn't remember the last time she'd been there, unless it had been to change planes. Before Rafe could prod further, his phone rang. When he hung up, he ran out after telling Anna that she was free to go.

As soon as Sami arrived at the DiMera mansion, she spotted a new, framed photograph of Sydney on a side table. E.J. pretended to be sorry for upsetting Sami, and offered to let her take the picture home. He also apologized for what he'd said to her earlier, because he had no right to judge how she lived her life. "Thank you," Sami said, relieved, and added, "I have to follow my heart." E.J. replied, "You should. And so will I."

Sami had no idea to what he was referring, so E.J. clarified. "The idea of entrusting Johnny's care to the man who is responsible for losing my daughter-" Sami cut him off, and argued that she refused to get into another custody fight with him. E.J. angrily countered that he would not lose his son the way he'd lost his daughter. Sami insisted firmly that Rafe was going to find Sydney. E.J. conceded that he would drop it if Rafe got Sydney back.

Anna returned to the cabin, and amused Sydney by playing "peek-a-boo" with her.

Sami and E.J. continued to argue until the doorbell rang, and E.J. let Rafe in. Rafe reluctantly informed E.J. and Sami that the FBI had found clothes floating in the river that they believed had been Sydney's. E.J. quietly pointed out that Sydney's dress was hardly unique, plus she had been kidnapped in Cleveland. Rafe added gently, "There was blood."

Sami's face crumpled, and as Rafe held her, she began to sob uncontrollably. Rafe showed some photos of the dress to E.J., who identified it as Sydney's. E.J. tried to reassure an inconsolable Sami that until forensics proved otherwise, the evidence was not conclusive. Rafe concurred. "I just know that my baby girl is out there somewhere," E.J. insisted. "I have hope and I have faith-and you have to have that too."

In an exam room at the hospital, Daniel tried to tell Chloe why her sonogram had shown that she wasn't really pregnant. A peeved Chloe irritably reminded him that four pregnancy tests had said otherwise, plus she had experienced morning sickness and weight gain. Daniel gently explained that her mind had wanted to be pregnant so badly that it had convinced her body that it was, even causing it to produce the hormone that had made the pregnancy tests read positive. Chloe's eyes filled with tears and she shook her head in disbelief. Daniel took her in his arms as she began to sob.

On the rooftop of the Kiriakis mansion, the wedding guests watched in horror as Lexie worked to keep pressure on Melanie's gunshot wound. A frantic, sobbing Carly struggled to free herself from Brady's grasp. "I'm her mother!" she shouted. "Please-let me hold my child!"

Downstairs, Lucas opened the door for the paramedics and police, who quickly followed Abe up the stairs with a stretcher. Justin explained to a stunned Kate, Lucas, and Arianna that Carly had shot Melanie.

Lexie continued holding pressure against Melanie's chest as the paramedics loaded Melanie onto the gurney, and then Lexie accompanied them downstairs. A cop tried to put handcuffs on Carly, but Brady insisted that she needed to go to the hospital, as well, since she had injured her arm. Vivian began to follow everyone downstairs and to the hospital, but a scowling Victor grabbed her by the arm.

Over Vivian's protests, Victor summarized what had happened: he had stopped her from poisoning the bride, only to have Vivian try to kill Melanie by pushing her off of the roof. When Carly had shot Melanie, Victor surmised, she had really been aiming for Vivian. "If Melanie dies, it's going to go very badly for you," he declared, furious at Vivian for disobeying him, not once, but twice. "But if she lives, it could turn out very well for you."

Victor clarified that he would seek revenge against Vivian if Melanie died, but if she lived, Philip would still have his happiness-and Carly would spend years in prison. Victor advised Vivian to start praying, then grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her toward the door. "Now let's go to the hospital and see how things are going," he growled.

Downstairs, Lucas warned Kate to stay away from the hospital for Philip's sake. Lucas then asked if Carly were really Melanie's mother, and Victor conceded that it was possible. After Victor led Vivian out, Kate voiced her suspicions to Lucas that Vivian had something to do with Melanie's shooting-and if so, Vivian would pay for hurting Philip.

Daniel reminded a weeping Chloe that they had other options, but she felt stupid for believing she'd been pregnant. He firmly reassured her that they would have children some day. As he held her close, Dr. White rapped on the door and stuck her head in. "Doctor Jonas, there's an emergency and Doctor Carver is looking for you. It's urgent!" Daniel tenderly kissed Chloe on the forehead and promised to return soon, then rushed out after Dr. White.

Outside, the elevator doors opened, and the paramedics wheeled Melanie out, with Lexie and Philip right behind them. Daniel arrived from Chloe's room just as an officer led Carly and Brady in. As she worked on Melanie, Lexie quickly filled in Daniel and Maxine that Carly had shot Melanie. Lexie then directed the paramedics to take Melanie to the operating room, and ordered Daniel to scrub in.

In Hope's room, a doctor told Bo that Hope should make a full recovery. As the doctor left, Maxine entered with a bag of medication for Hope's IV. Clearly shaken, Maxine sadly informed Bo that an injured Melanie Layton had just arrived in the emergency room, and had been taken into surgery. "Lord in heaven, who would want to kill that wonderfully spirited child?" Maxine wondered with a sigh. Bo's face grew grim. "Vivian," he said to himself.

As Lexie and Daniel took Melanie into surgery, Arianna, Justin, and Maggie arrived, and Chloe emerged from her room. Philip demanded to know if Melanie was really Carly's daughter, and when Carly confirmed it, he asked, "Then why did you shoot her?" Carly tearfully maintained, "I didn't mean to. Vivian was trying to kill her. I was trying to stop Vivian, and things went wrong. I swear I was trying to save her!"

Philip lunged at Carly, and vowed to kill her if Melanie died. The cop pulled him away, while the others could only watch in stunned silence. Brady urged Philip to calm down and focus on thinking good thoughts about Melanie, and Maggie asserted that Carly would never have hurt Melanie intentionally. The police officer began questioning Carly, but Abe intervened, since Carly didn't have a lawyer yet.

Unsure of what else to do, Arianna suggested that she and Chloe pick up some takeout from the Brady Pub. As the two women were leaving, Chloe hugged Philip, and reassured him that they were praying for Melanie.

Bo left Hope's room, found Carly, and asked her what had happened. Carly wanted to know if Hope was all right, and Bo quickly explained to Abe that Hope had been admitted. When Carly spotted Vivian arriving with Victor, she went ballistic. "How dare you show your face here?" Carly hissed at Vivian. "I will kill you. I will kill you!"

Justin crept quietly into Hope's room and sat next to the bed. Taking her hand, he whispered, "Hope?" Hope stirred slightly. "I love you, Bo," she murmured.

At the Brady Pub, Chloe waited while Arianna poured coffee in to-go cups. Arianna noticed that Chloe seemed especially glum, and urged Chloe not to let Melanie's shooting spoil the good news of Chloe's pregnancy. Chloe dejectedly informed Arianna, "I'm not pregnant. We found out today." Arianna pulled Chloe into a hug and tried to reassure her, "There is always a next time." Voice quavering, Chloe stated, "There won't be a next time. I'm never going to be able to give Daniel a baby-never."

In the operating room, Lexie assisted as Daniel worked on Melanie. Lexie worried that the bullet was too close to Melanie's heart, and if Daniel removed it, she would die on the table. Daniel pointed out that if they didn't, Melanie would die within a couple of hours.

After keeping Carly from attacking Vivian, Bo promised her that Vivian would pay for what she'd done to Melanie. "Vivian didn't shoot Melanie-Carly did," Victor corrected sternly. Bo was stunned-and even more taken aback to learn that Carly had told everyone that she was Melanie's mother. "Oh, that was an interesting little tidbit," Vivian interjected smugly. "Carly had a child, gave her up, and then tried to murder her." Although Bo tried to urge Carly not to say another word without a lawyer, she insisted that she had only been trying to save her daughter from Vivian. "It was Vivian I was aiming at!" Carly shouted, to Bo's dismay. "She was the one I meant to kill!"

Once Daniel had removed the bullet from Melanie's chest, suddenly the monitor beeped an alarm that her heart had stopped. Daniel quickly started chest compressions, and ordered Lexie to get the defibrillator paddles. "Stay with us!" he implored. "Come on, Melanie-stay with us!"

At the DiMera mansion, E.J. told Sami to remain hopeful that they would still find Sydney even though the police found what looked like Sydney's dress with blood on it. Rafe went to get the forensic results from the blood. E.J. said that he wished Rafe hadn't said anything about the evidence that the authorities had found until the test results were in, because the dress might belong to someone else. E.J. said he believed that Sydney was alive somewhere and that she would be reunited with her parents. Sami said she believed it too.

At the hospital, Vivian ordered the police to arrest Carly for shooting Melanie even though Carly meant to shoot Vivian. Carly said that Vivian was going to hit Melanie with a steel rod, and Vivian denied it. Vivian said that she and Melanie were talking about the cities that Melanie was going to visit on her honeymoon. Vivian asked Abe to have Carly arrested, and Abe told Bo that if Bo didn't arrest Carly, Abe would find someone who would.

Melanie went into cardiac arrest on the operating table. Daniel urged Melanie not to give up and tried to perform chest compressions.

Carly told Bo that she wanted to assist Daniel in the operating room. Philip overheard her and said that Carly would never go anywhere near Melanie again. He said that Carly needed to be arrested. Bo told Carly that she couldn't operate on her own daughter. Carly said she knew that, but she still wanted to help.

Lexie met with everyone in the hallway to give an update. Philip asked how Melanie was and whether Melanie was out of surgery. When Lexie didn't answer right away, Carly assumed the worst. Lexie explained that Melanie "coded" on the table, and Daniel and everyone else were doing everything they could to revive her. Melanie was hooked up to a cardiopulmonary machine. Lexie said that Melanie was strong and a fighter. Carly volunteered to donate blood to Melanie. Bo asked Philip to let Carly help, so Philip agreed. Bo asked Abe to make sure that Vivian didn't leave.

Vivian apologized to Philip for Melanie getting shot and said she would never hurt Melanie. Philip started to tell Vivian to shut up, and Vivian asked if he was taking "that lunatic's word over" Vivian's. Kate walked in and said, "Oh yes he is."

"Just when it seemed to be painful enough..." Vivian said. "Really? You're in pain? Because I see a look of satisfaction on your face," Kate said. They started bickering, and Vivian asked for someone to make Kate leave.

Rafe walked in on Sami crying in E.J.'s arms, and Rafe announced that there wasn't any news yet from forensics. Rafe asked if Sami wanted to go home, but she wanted to stay at the DiMera mansion, because Sydney had lived there. E.J. made Rafe admit that the FBI didn't have any definitive proof that the dress was Sydney's and that Sydney was dead. Rafe said that they didn't know for sure, but he pointed out that given the circumstances, they might not find any more evidence. He promised to find whoever was responsible.

Sami got angry and said that she didn't care who was responsible -- she just wanted her baby back and alive. E.J. remembered talking to Sydney about how he wanted Sydney to have stability and not have to be pulled between two competing parents. Sami interrupted E.J.'s thoughts, and urged him to tell her that he believed that Sydney was still alive, but he didn't say anything at first. Sami thought about how many times they had been down at the pier and Sydney was there the whole time, and she needed them.

E.J. reminded her that they thought Sydney was in Cleveland, and they didn't know the kidnapper was in town until the kidnapper contacted them about the ransom. Sami theorized that because they didn't give the kidnapper the ransom, the kidnapper didn't need Sydney anymore and so the kidnapper threw Sydney away like Sami told Rafe the kidnapper would.

Sami wondered how she would tell her family about Sydney's fate, and E.J. said they would do it together. Rafe left the room to make some calls, and Sami told E.J. that they would talk soon. E.J. remembered telling Johnny not to believe any "not-so-good things" about Sydney that he might hear about his sister.

Bo tried to reason with Carly and convince her that it wasn't her fault for returning to Salem. Carly blamed herself for Melanie being shot because of her selfish need to have Melanie back in Carly's life, but Bo said that Carly couldn't have left it alone, because Vivian was going to kill Melanie. Bo said that when Melanie woke up and found out what Carly did to save her, Melanie would be grateful and happy to have her mother in Salem.

In the OR, Lexie told Daniel that Carly donated her blood to Melanie. Daniel wondered why they had the same blood type, and Lexie explained that Carly was Melanie's mother.

Victor asked Bo to escort Carly out of the hospital, because Carly had shot Victor's daughter-in-law and Philip didn't want Carly around. Carly begged Abe to let her stay until Melanie was out of surgery. Abe asked Bo if he wanted Abe to have another officer arrest Carly. Bo decided to do the honors himself, and he handcuffed Carly and read her rights to her.

Abe told Vivian that she would be arrested, too, as a suspect. Vivian tried to explain that she had just been talking to Melanie about her honeymoon, but Abe said that according to Carly, Vivian was accused of attempted murder. Kate gloated in the background. Vivian ordered Victor to do something. Kate asked Victor what Vivian's plan was. Kate accused Victor of sharing a "bloodlust for revenge" with Vivian. Victor thought that Kate's concern for Melanie was "disingenuous." Kate said she had respect for Melanie and explained that it was different than how she felt about Chloe, because Chloe had cheated on Lucas.

At the police station, Bo tried to question Vivian, but she refused to cooperate. He told her to pray that Hope would back up Carly's story, and he suggested that Vivian pray that Melanie would survive. Vivian said she would pray. Bo received word that there was no evidence of poison left behind on the comb that Vivian had given Melanie and not in the basement either. Bo told Vivian that she was free to go. Bo told her not to get too comfortable. "Don't you, either, now that you've let the black widow into your house. Now if two bodies won't convince you, you know, the third's a charm," Vivian said

Carly imagined Lawrence applauding her for possibly killing Melanie with one bullet. Lawrence told Carly that she killed him to protect Melanie and "look where it's gotten you." He advised her that next time she wanted to protect the ones she loved, she should turn the gun on herself. Bo took the handcuffs off of Carly and prepared to take her to her cell. Carly said that if Melanie died, she hoped the judge would give Carly the death sentence, because she couldn't live with herself.

Bo said that no matter what happened, he would remind Carly that everything that Carly did was to protect her daughter. He predicted that when Melanie recovered, things would be "very different for her, because she's finally gonna know a mother's love." Carly prayed for Melanie to know that Carly loved her and always had since Melanie was born.

Sami and Rafe went to the Brady Pub to be with her family, but the twins and her grandmother were asleep, and Will was out with Mia. Sami called Lucas to meet her at the pub and told him about what the police found. She asked Lucas how they would tell Allie again that she had lost her sister. Lucas told Sami that he was there for her. Rafe ordered someone to have the river searched for Sydney's body. Sami couldn't stay at the pub with Rafe, so she left, and Lucas followed behind her.

E.J. went to see Sydney, and he told Anna that "the stage is finally set." He said that he would be able to set up a stable life for Sydney and Johnny where Sydney would be able to thrive. Anna was outraged that E.J. would let everyone think that Sydney was dead. E.J. pointed out that Sami did the same thing to him with Grace. Anna pointed out that Grace actually died. E.J. said he mourned a child that wasn't his. "So you're paying Sami back like this? My God, isn't it enough that her daughter is missing?" Anna asked. "E.J., I'm a mother, and I know Sami has done some hateful things, but to lose another child..."

E.J. told Anna that Sydney and Johnny were better off with him that they would ever be with Sami, and he planned a new life for them -- they planned to disappear.

Philip asked Victor if he knew about Carly and Melanie being mother and daughter. Victor said that Vivian acted alone, and that while he didn't approve of Melanie initially, he had proven recently that he had grown fond of the young woman. Philip said he knew how Victor felt about Carly, but Victor thought that his feelings for Carly were irrelevant. Victor said he prayed for Melanie's recovery and for Philip and Melanie to have a long and happy life.

Lexie and Daniel told Philip that Melanie was out of surgery and they got her heart beating again. They allowed Philip to see Melanie for a few minutes. Victor received a call telling him that Vivian had been released for lack of evidence. "Sound familiar?" he asked Kate. Kate realized that Victor was protecting Vivian. "She hurt our son, stole our son, almost ruined his life -- why the hell would you want to protect her?" Kate asked.

Philip told Melanie that they didn't get to have their first dance yet, but he promised that they would, because Melanie was too feisty and too strong to let someone take that away from them.

Back at the Kiriakis mansion, Vivian said to herself that she did it all for Lawrence.

At the lodge, Nathan dreamed that he was kissing Melanie awake, but awakened to find Stephanie kissing him instead. "Looks like you were having a really good dream," Stephanie said as she served him breakfast in bed. "Hope it was about me." She told him that he'd tossed and turned all night. With a smile, followed by a kiss, Nathan reassured her that he'd been dreaming about her.

Later, Stephanie and Nathan returned to their room after snowboarding. As they kissed, Stephanie noticed that Nathan had a message on his cell phone, but he cheerfully ignored it. "You and I are completely out of touch, all right?" he declared.

After they made love, Nathan announced that he was going to take a shower, and invited Stephanie to join him. She agreed, but stayed in bed while he warmed up the water. When she heard the shower running, she took Melanie's letter out of her purse and reread it, but Nathan returned before she had put it away again.

Stephanie confessed that Melanie had given her the letter before the wedding. Nathan reminded her that they'd agreed not to discuss anything unpleasant while they were on vacation, and went back into the bathroom. "Fine. Said he didn't want to talk about her," Stephanie muttered, and then halfheartedly tore up the letter.

Bo was in his office at the police station, on the phone with Lexie, when a uniformed officer led Carly in. Carly heard Bo say Lexie's name and grabbed for the phone, but the cop stopped her somewhat forcefully and made her sit down. After the officer left them alone, Carly anxiously asked about Melanie. "She made it through the night," Bo tried to reassure Carly, but she immediately knew that meant Melanie was still comatose.

Before Carly could verbally berate herself too much, Bo ordered her to stop. "Do not let Vivian and Lawrence win," he said firmly. "Vivian will pay for what she did to your daughter. I'll make sure of that." Upon seeing how distraught Carly was from spending the night in a crowded holding cell with no news about Melanie, Bo excused himself to take care of something.

When he returned, Bo informed Carly that he'd posted her bail. She was angry at first, because she knew he didn't really have the money, but he wouldn't even hear her argument. Bo then told her that according to the terms of her bail, Carly could not get within twenty feet of Melanie. He got a page summoning him to a conference call, which he hoped would prove that Vivian knew Melanie was Carly's daughter, and told Carly to wait there until he returned. Carly agreed, but the instant the door closed behind Bo, she sneaked out.

Justin sat by Hope's hospital bed, while she mumbled in her sleep, "Stop her." Justin reassured her, "It's all over," but she mistook him for Bo. Once she was fully awake, Hope moaned that her head hurt, and began peppering Justin with questions. He answered them patiently, and then reluctantly told her that Carly had shot Melanie. Despite her obvious pain, Hope immediately tried to get out of bed to look for Bo, but Justin stopped her.

With details Justin provided about the wedding, Hope deduced that Victor had switched Melanie's poisoned comb with another-which meant that Vivian really had been trying to avenge Lawrence's death by killing Carly's daughter. "And I've got to make sure she doesn't get away with it," Hope declared. Although Justin protested, Hope got dressed, and vowed that Vivian would regret returning to Salem. She grabbed her bag and rushed out, and Justin hurried after her.

Bo was irked when he returned to his office and found Carly gone, and he had just finished leaving a message for Carly when Hope walked in. He tried to order Hope to return to the hospital, but she cut him off impatiently. "Just listen to me-I know what Vivian was trying to do," she declared. "I'm the one person who can help Carly get out of this mess."

Hope quickly filled Bo in. Both of them were appalled that Victor had known what Vivian was up to, although Bo guessed that his father had intended to "neutralize" Vivian before she could hurt Melanie. When Hope mentioned Carly's bail, Bo reluctantly informed her that he'd posted it, because he knew Carly was innocent.

"I don't think that's it," Hope said skeptically, and her voice broke as she added, "I think it's because you love her." Bo didn't answer. Hope stated that after he'd rescued her from the basement, she had hoped things would change for the two of them. "But it's too late, isn't it?" she asked tearfully, her voice barely a whisper, and when Bo still said nothing, she walked out of his office. As the door slammed behind her, a miserable Bo muttered, "Damn it."

In Arianna's room over the Brady Pub, Arianna was relieved when she awakened next to Brady to discover that it wasn't just a prison dream. Suddenly she remembered Melanie's shooting, and Arianna felt terrible for not remembering the instant her eyes opened. Brady was worried about Melanie, too, but declared, "The one thing about Melanie-she sure as hell doesn't give up. She's going to be all right. She has to be all right."

At the hospital, Daniel found Philip, still in his tuxedo, sitting at Melanie's bedside, and tried to convince Philip to go home and get some rest. Philip was concerned because he had been there all night, but Melanie was still unconscious. When Philip became agitated about whether Melanie would wake up, Daniel pulled him outside.

Daniel admitted that he didn't know why Melanie was still in a coma, but because of the emotional and physical trauma she'd experienced, she needed to know that she was safe and loved-not how scared Philip was. Philip understood, and agreed that Melanie should be surrounded by people who loved her.

Soon, Maggie arrived to sit with Melanie and hold her hand. Maggie stressed how much Melanie had to live for, and how much Philip loved her. "So please wake up," Maggie whispered. "Wake up and start to live your beautiful life."

Brady showed up next, and he was encouraging Philip to get some sleep and something to eat, when Maggie exited Melanie's room. Ever optimistic, Maggie ordered the two of them not to give up hope.

Chloe found Daniel near the nurses' station and asked about Melanie. He seemed discouraged, but noticed that Chloe was also feeling low. "I know how much you wanted a baby, and how much it hurts you," Daniel said gently. The two of them went into a private waiting area, and he reassured her that he didn't think she was crazy, but he knew she was trying to deal with too much.

Dr. White had recommended a therapist on staff at the hospital, and Daniel hoped Chloe would at least meet with the therapist. It aggravated Chloe when Daniel informed her that he'd already made an appointment for her, but his pager interrupted them and he had to rush out before they could discuss it further. Chloe looked at the therapist's business card and let out an exasperated sigh.

Later, Chloe called from the Brady Pub to cancel her appointment with the therapist, Dr. Gibson. Arianna overheard and expressed her concern, and Chloe explained somewhat irritably that Daniel wanted her to see a therapist because he thought she was nuts. "He doesn't think you're nuts," Arianna firmly declared, then added gently, "Maybe he thinks you're unhappy." Nodding, Chloe quietly agreed. Arianna had to return to work, but urged Chloe to at least see if she liked the therapist. As soon as Arianna had gone, Chloe crumpled the therapist's card in her fist.

Daniel and Maggie sat together in the waiting room, and Maggie was also worried because Melanie had yet to awaken. Daniel admitted that it wasn't a good sign, but emphasized that they didn't need to tell Philip that. Daniel returned to work, and although Maggie admitted she hadn't wanted to call until she had good news, she dialed Nathan.

Brady pulled a chair next to Melanie's bed, and quietly teased her for not holding up her end of the conversation. "I don't know how it happened, but you've kind of become like a sister to me," he confessed. "And I want you around, and I love you. Wake up." He kissed her on the forehead.

Dressed in scrubs and a white doctor's coat, Carly pulled a surgical mask over her face as she entered the hallway outside Melanie's room. She ducked around a corner when she saw Philip and Daniel heading for Melanie's room. Daniel managed to convince Philip to go home and at least grab a quick shower. Carly watched them walk away together and emerged from her hiding spot, then had to pretend to busy herself with paperwork when Brady left Melanie's room.

Carly had her hand on Melanie's door handle when Daniel spotted her. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded. He dragged her into the waiting room and hotly pointed out that there was a restraining order against her. "I am her mother!" Carly argued, and insisted, "I was trying to protect her. Vivian was going to kill her!"

Unmoved, Daniel ordered her to leave before the cops threw her back in jail. Carly imploringly maintained that if she'd been given a choice, she never would have given Melanie up, and she would never do anything to hurt Melanie. Carly tearfully added that she needed to be with her daughter, so Melanie would know that her mother loved her. Against his better judgment, Daniel conceded to let Carly have five minutes with Melanie.

Philip had showered and changed and was headed back to the hospital when Justin arrived at the Kiriakis mansion. Justin explained for a dumbfounded Philip that everything Carly had said was true, and filled in the blanks: Vivian had tried to kill Melanie with a poisoned comb to avenge Lawrence's death, because Melanie was Carly's daughter; Victor had known about the plot and had stopped Vivian, so Vivian had lured Melanie up to the roof to finish the job; Carly had been trying to protect Melanie but had shot her by accident.

Philip was grateful to Justin for telling him the truth, but asked Justin to leave. After Justin had gone, Philip walked to the staircase in the foyer. "Vivian, could you come down here please?" he called up the stairs. "We need to talk."

Daniel took Carly to Melanie's room, and then left them alone. Carly sat next to the bed and stroked Melanie's hair, then took Melanie's hand. Stroking her cheek with the back of Melanie's hand, Carly softly addressed her daughter. "Oh honey, I am so sorry for everything. I have never loved anyone like I love you. Look at what you've been through because of me."

Carly kissed Melanie's hand, and continued, "I remember the first time I felt you kick inside of me. I had such dreams for you-I still do. So I want you to come back to me, Melanie, and let me make up for all the pain that I've caused you. Let me be the mother you deserve, baby, please?"

Carly began to cry, so she kissed Melanie's hand again, then her forehead, and whispered, "I love you." As Carly moved toward the door, Melanie stirred, letting out a tiny cough as she struggled to open her eyes. Carly rushed back to the bed. "Melanie! Oh, sweetheart, look at me," Carly whispered, caressing Melanie's face, as Melanie gazed groggily back. "There you are, beautiful, beautiful girl!"