Daniel arrived at the Kiriakis mansion just as Victor was concluding a phone call with the governor. "Yesterday, you asked me what Melanie was to me," Daniel began, and explained that she was more than just a patient. Victor immediately inferred that Daniel was sleeping with Melanie. Daniel firmly clarified, "I'm her father." Victor was appalled. "Tell me that you sold sperm to pay your way through medical school," he bellowed. "Tell me that it somehow found its way into Carly Manning's turkey baster!"

Daniel irritably informed his godfather that he and Carly had slept together just once, and he'd only learned a few days earlier that Melanie was his daughter. He admitted that he was furious with Carly for letting Melanie grow up with a monster like Trent for a father, when the Carly and Daniel could have raised their daughter together.

Victor asked how Melanie had taken the news. "Her life's been one jolt after another since Carly pulled that gun, and now she wants no part of Carly," Daniel replied. "And I wouldn't blame her if she felt the same way about me." Victor urged Daniel not to let his daughter walk away from him, and to cherish their time together.

"I've got a new appreciation for Melanie," Victor declared. "She's got backbone. I'll welcome her into this house when she gets out of the hospital." Daniel asked if that meant that Victor would look out for Melanie—and keep Vivian in line. Victor vowed that he would, because Melanie was not only his daughter-in-law, but also his godson's child.

As Carly gazed glumly out over the water at the pier, Vivian arrived and taunted her foe to jump. The women traded insults. Vivian declared that Carly going to prison for shooting Melanie—and having both Daniel and Melanie hate Carly—was a far better revenge for Lawrence's murder than even Vivian could have designed. Carly was simply glad that Melanie still had a bright future, with a husband who adored her and a caring man for a father.

Carly then demanded to know if getting revenge meant that Vivian would leave Melanie alone. "Let's put it this way," Vivian replied. "If you were to go to prison, and you were alone and miserable without an ally or a friend, I would be so satisfied."

When Victor arrived on the pier, Carly crossly ordered him to keep Vivian away from Melanie. Victor needled Carly about the number of men she'd slept with. Carly chuckled her agreement. "I slept with everybody—well, except you, even though we were married," she reminded him derisively, adding, "I have my standards." Victor and Vivian each got in one last disparaging crack at Carly before they left. Carly then dialed Bo to tell him that she planned to plead guilty to shooting Melanie.

At the prison, Chloe informed Nicole that the FBI still didn't know who had returned Sydney to E.J. Nicole admitted that she hadn't stopped wracking her brain to remember any details, beyond the designer boots, that would tell them who had kidnapped Sydney, but she'd had no luck. She explained that she had recognized the woman's voice, but so far hadn't been able to identify it.

Nicole hoped that she and the kidnapper ended up in the same cell so she could make the woman pay. Chloe urged Nicole to keep her voice down so the guard didn't overhear them, and Nicole admitted that she was going a little nuts in prison. Nicole then asked how Chloe and Daniel were doing. Chloe related the story of her hysterical pregnancy, and despite Daniel being just as sad and disappointed as she was, he wouldn't talk about it.

Chloe confided that even though she felt terrible for not being able to give Daniel a child, she hadn't been to any of the therapy appointments he had made for her. "Is Daniel okay not having kids?" Nicole asked. Chloe replied bitterly, "He doesn't have to be okay with it, because—surprise! He's already a father." The news that Daniel had gotten Carly Manning pregnant years earlier floored Nicole. Nicole advised her friend to keep Daniel focused on Chloe, not on Carly or Melanie, or risk losing him.

When Lois, the guard, announced that visiting hours were over, Chloe rose to leave. As they embraced, Nicole asked Chloe to give Sydney a kiss, then added, "If you see Brady, thank him for wanting me to know about Sydney. And tell him..." She paused, and reconsidered. "No, don't tell him anything."

When Chloe met Daniel at the Brady Pub later, he asked what the prison visiting room was like. "Pretty awful," Chloe admitted, and realized then that Daniel was worried about Carly ending up in a place like that. "Carly's a big girl," Daniel assured her. "She's got Bo Brady in her corner. I just want to think about us—and our wedding day, because I cannot wait to marry you." Though Chloe seemed doubtful, she accepted his embrace gratefully.

At the Brady Pub, Arianna observed that E.J. seemed much happier since Sydney's return. E.J. asked if Arianna would like to work for him. She was puzzled as to why he would offer a job to someone with a criminal record. "Unless that makes me more qualified?" Arianna added uneasily. E.J. assured her that DiMera Enterprises was entirely legitimate, plus he knew that she had a college degree—and she did a good job of running the pub. "Do you have any interest in business?" he asked. He then gave Arianna his business card and told her to call him if she did.

When Brady arrived at the pub, he paused outside to look at the engagement ring he'd bought for Arianna. Through the window, he spotted Arianna talking with E.J., and frowned as he went inside. As soon as Brady walked up to E.J. and Arianna, E.J. left. Brady was surprised to hear that E.J. had offered Arianna a job. "I was kind of hoping that I was just going to be too busy to change jobs," she hinted mischievously.

That reminded Brady that he'd wanted to ask Arianna something. He began, "Will you," and then paused dramatically before finishing, "have some coffee with me?" Arianna looked crestfallen, but he grabbed her by the hand and led her out the door.

As Arianna and Brady sat at a table at the Java Café, he explained that he'd taken her there because he hoped no one would interrupt them. He then teased that he'd only want to ask her to share a piece of cake. "This isn't funny anymore!" Arianna snapped, and then admitted that she'd only turned down his original proposal because she'd been scared. "Please ask me again," she implored.

Brady used the opportunity to pull Arianna's leg again, then finally got down on one knee beside their table. "I should just punch you in the nose!" she declared with a laugh. "Why don't you just marry me instead?" Brady asked, and Arianna replied, "I would love to." They sealed their engagement with a kiss.

At the cottage, Anna hurriedly dragged her luggage to the door, but realized that she should take one last look around to make sure she hadn't left anything that would lead the authorities to her. She searched frantically for the designer boots she'd pulled out of her suitcase when she hadn't been able to close it, and noted with alarm that her plane left soon. Finally, she was relieved to find the boots under the sofa.

E.J. called and demanded to know whether Anna was on the plane like she was supposed to be. Anna lied that she was, and then abruptly hung up. She tried to stuff the boots into her suitcase, and flipped out when they wouldn't fit.

Sami went to the police station to apologize to Rafe, but what Agent Clark was saying on the phone distracted him. Sami wanted to know why he hadn't been home the night before. Rafe replied that he hadn't wanted to sleep under the same roof as E.J., and while he knew that Sami needed to talk, he had to put the case he was working on first. Sami understood, since her dad was a cop, and left.

Agent Clark hung up and informed Rafe that the president of the realtors' board had just given her a list of every rental over the previous six months that were within range of the cell phone tower outside of town. Sami burst back in and breathlessly asked if the case they were discussing was about Sydney's kidnapping. Rafe dropped a hint, so Agent Clark gathered up her paperwork and left Sami and Rafe alone.

Rafe told Sami that he couldn't tell her anything about the case he was working on. Sami assumed that Rafe hadn't gone home because he was still hurt and angry because she had kept the ransom notes a secret from him. Rafe assured her that although he wished she'd kept him in the loop, he understood why she hadn't—and the only thing that mattered was that Sydney was home safely. Sami tearfully admitted, "I want back every minute that I missed out on with Sydney. And I want you back. I mean, us...you and me, the way we used to be, like a team."

Rafe gently insisted that they still were a team, because they still loved each other. Sami was still frustrated and mad at herself, and worried that Rafe didn't trust her anymore. Rafe declared that one of the first things he'd loved about her was the way she always put her kids first, and he refused to let her beat herself up for what she thought she should have done. He urged her to go home and hug Sydney and appreciate having her back.

Sami noted that Rafe was an important part of her family, but she feared she had messed things up so badly that he no longer would be. Before they could discuss it further, Agent Clark called to tell Rafe that she'd found a property owner who rented his place out on a month-to-month, cash-only basis. Rafe took down the address and rushed out, murmuring apologies to Sami.

E.J. arrived at the townhouse after picking up Sydney at her grandma's, and noticed that Sami seemed a little upset. She admitted that she could tell that Rafe was still feeling hurt because of what she'd done. E.J. urged her to concentrate on her daughter, adding, "Just focus on your family. Everything will be fine; I promise you."

Rafe and Agent Clark arrived at the cottage, and quietly crept up to the door, guns drawn. "I'm going in," Rafe whispered. "Cover me." He kicked in the door, shouting, "FBI!"