Ice Fishing

Sami watches Sydney as she plays in her crib in the rumpus room. Sydney plays in her crib, too. Rafe grills Sami about the ransom note. EJ tries to butt in but Rafe won't have it.

Lexie and Stephanie are at the hospital talking about Sydney's return. Oh, the relief! The conversation switches to Melanie being shot. Stephanie opens mouth, inserts foot, "I should have stopped it when I had the chanc..."

"Stopped the what," asks Lexie, "Stephanie, what's going on?"

Melanie wakes in her room to find Nathan, "What are you doing here?"

"I can't stand to see you like this."

Gabi fills in for Arianna at the pub. She takes Stef'n-Ho's order. They banter about Kate's shopping habits. Kate thanks him for his patience. Stefano is understanding about everything she's been through. He also thinks she's more tolerant about this daughter-in-law than she has been in the past, "You didn't even try to kill her."

Rafe gives Sami a cold stare, "Sami, have you been lying to me again?"

EJ butts. Rafe ignores. Sami admits, "Yes, I lied to you."

Brady and Arianna arrive at their vacation hideaway, which is eerily similar to Nathan and Stephanie's love-shack hideaway. Arianna wonders if the restaurant there is any good. "I heard it is," says Brady, "But there is no time for that. We have to get out to the lake and cut our hole."

"What?"

"Oh," says Mr. Sportsman, "I forgot to tell you what this place is famous for — ice fishing."

Arianna has a conniption, "It's freezing! I don't wanna go out and..." She stops short, "I walked right in to that one, didn't I?" The pair giggles around about Brady's big joke. Brady works her over to the bed and Mr. Sportsman tries another sport.

Nathan encourages Melanie who, in return, gives him a blank stare. He asks what's wrong. "My life," says Melanie, "It'll never be right again."

Kate pouts. Stefano insists that was just a joke. He backpedals, "If Chloe hadn't had her... uh... 'near death experience,' you wouldn't be my wife. So it's a good thing."

"I'm glad you see it that way," says Kate, "If you didn't, I'd be serving you a special order of brownies, too."

"I don't know what I would do without you what with this terrible thing I'm going through right now," says Stefano.

Kate gets pouty again, "Awww... You're taking care of me but you're the one who's grieving. I Hope this thing with Sydney is just a terrible mistake."

"I'll tell you something," growls Stefano, "Whoever kidnapped her, when I find them, they will beg for death."

Sami comes clean. She tells Rafe she knew about the ransom note and didn't tell him about it. Silent Rafe is a tower of strength. Sami's excuses dribble out, "I lied to you again and I know how angry you must be."

Brady and Arianna share post-romp bliss. Brady says he just needed to get away... with her. They decide to forget about Salem. Round two follows.

Stephanie asks Lexie if she's ever done something that didn't turn out as she planned. "About a thousand times," says Lexie, "In fact, that's exactly the number of times Abe has caught me having an affair. When it happens... you have to forgive yourself and hope it's not a total disaster."

Melanie zones out, "I have a new dad. So I'm two for two. Trent wasn't my father. The man who is my father is someone you look up to."

Nathan makes a wild guess, "Dr. Jonas? Daniel Jonas is... I don't believe it."

"Instead of eighteen years of hell," whines Melanie, "I could have been raised by him. Carly kept it from everyone." Nathan sympathizes and offers help. Melanie asks, "Why do you want to help?"

Sami whines and wheedles, "Let's get this over with. Let me have it."

Stone-cold Rafe says, "We need to get Sydney to the hospital. We have to catch the kidnapper."

Sami's confused, "I lied to you again." More excuses fly. No reaction from Rafe. Stef'n-Ho walk in and interrupt. Stefano practically has a stroke when he sees Sydney.

Nathan and Melanie dance around each other. Melanie tells him he doesn't have to feel guilty. He wonders what she's talking about.

Poor scheming Stephanie just can't get over her guilt. Lexie just can't figure out what the hell she's talking about. Stephanie gives her sketchy details, "I'm not good at lying. But I didn't necessarily lie. I just didn't do something."

"A sin of omission," says Lexie, "All I can says is things like that tend to come out anyway."

Stefano rants about the miracle. EJ tells him to keep his hands off his daughter. Cool, collected Rafe steps in and referees the ensuing argument.

Brady and Arianna dress. Brady announces he's going for food. Arianna thinks that's a good idea since all that activity caused them to work up an appetite.

Melanie continues to be vague and tells Nathan he shouldn't feel bad, "I don't blame you."

Nathan asks, "What's this about?"

Melanie says, "The letter."

Nathan asks, "What letter."

"The one a normal person would have already told you about instead of beating around the bush like I'm doing."

Brady stands outside his room with a bellhop. He says the setup is perfect, "It's important to me that this goes great."

"The bigger the tip, the greater it goes," says Mr. Bellhop.

Brady fills him in, "I'm asking the woman I love in there to marry me." Brady opens a small box and shows Mr. Bellhop the ring.

EJ asks to accompany Rafe and Sami to the hospital. Sami gives permission. Stefano whines about his love for Sydney. He vows to keep her in the family. Sami and Rafe leave. EJ hangs back. Stefano tells him it's a happy day in spite of EJ's nasty mood. EJ says Sydney's return changes nothing. He walks out.

Outside the mansion, Sami thanks Rafe for not going off on her in front of EJ. Rafe is the Rock of Gibraltar, only with a lower IQ.

Arianna is on the phone with Gabi. Wise old Gab advises her to follow her heart. Arianna sighs, "I think Brady could be the one."

Brady gives the bellhop instructions, and drops the ring into a tall glass of champagne.

Nathan orders, "Stop playing around."

"I'm not," insists Melanie.

"What letter," he asks, "Did it get lost in the mail?"

"No," says Melanie, "I gave it to..."

SAVED BY THE BELL

Nathan get a page. He says he has to go so we can prolong this misery until another time. He leaves. Melanie zones out, "Either you're lying to me or you didn't get my letter."

Sami comes into the hospital with Sydney and Lexie gushes. Stephanie asks how they found her and Sami tells them EJ paid the ransom. Everyone is happy-happy. Rafe bursts their balloon and spews FBI stuff, "We've got to have Sydney examined."

Sami clings to Sydney, "I'm coming with you."

A social worker stands by, "It's better if you're not in the room, ma'am."

Rafe splains there are legal issues and insinuates the exam would practically be a living autopsy and would be too painful for Sami to watch, "It will just take a few minutes." Sami reluctantly gives Sydney to Lexie, who carts her off.

Sami blubbers, "It just doesn't feel right."

"I know." The guy is a verbal fountain.

EJ tells Kate to go pack Stefano's things. Stefano blows his stack, "ENOUGH! I have taken your abuse long enough! How long will you keep blaming me for something I have not done? You're not kicking me out of my house. It will never happen!"

Kate steps in and prevents the heart attack. She appeals to EJ, "This battle could take months... even years. During that time we will all live here, inducing Sydney, from time to time." She tells EJ they don't want a screaming match every time Sydney walks into the room, "You have to make up with your father."

"Never," says EJ, "It's not gonna happen." He heads for the hospital.

Outside, EJ calls Anna. He apologizes he couldn't let her in on his plan, "But that's what I had decided to do all along... stay in town... be the hero... leave Hernandez in the dust. I'll be in touch."

Gabi tells Arianna she's sounding serious. Arianna says she's never felt this way before, "I've got a good feeling about this."

Outside, Brady imagines how things will go. He sees Arianna and himself in bed, "I want to spend all the Days Of Our Lives together. Will you marry me?"

Arianna squeals, "Yes!"

Melanie speculates about what happened to the letter. She flashes back to Stephanie telling her Nathan wouldn't read it, "Why would she say that if it weren't true? So... that means Stephanie never gave Nathan the letter."

Stephanie finds Nathan and tells him the good news about Sydney. Nathan is distant. Stephanie asks if he's OK.

"I'm really confused," says Nathan, "I just talked to Melanie."

"That happens to most people after they have a conversation with her," says Stephanie.

She starts to make all kinds of excuses, but Nathan is clueless, "What did you do?"

Stephanie kicks it into reverse, "Nothing. I'm just paranoid."

Nathan hugs and grabs and they reminisce about their little getaway and think about the next one. He cuts it short and leaves to get to work. Stephanie stands alone, "He doesn't know. I have to make sure he never does."

Rafe and Sami wait. Sami practically begs him to blow up at her. Rafe doesn't, but Sami tosses out the excuses anyway. Rafe remains cool and calm. Sami simply can't stand it that he's not acting like this. Rafe reassures her, "Everything's good."

"Are we," asks Sami, "Are we good?"

Brady continues his fantasy. He imagines Arianna and him drinking their respective glasses of champagne. Arianna dumps the glass way up to get the last drop and...

CHOKE!

Arianna turns blue and gags. Brady pounds on her to see if he can get the ring more securely lodged in her throat.

Brady pops out of his fantasy, "This is a bad idea." He takes the ring out of the glass.

Inside, Arianna tells Gabi she won't be acting like Pollyanna. Brady knocks and brings in the cart. Arianna's eyes pop out when she sees it, "That's more than 'a little somethin' to eat.'"

"We have a little somthin' to celebrate," says Brady.

"What," Enquiring minds want to know. Brady stares. Arianna stares.

All Rafe cares about is the fact that Sydney is back, "Make no mistake, though, I'll find the SOB who did this." He heads back to the field office.

EJ walks up. Sami says she thinks Rafe is disappointed in her, "I stabbed him in the back and lied to him and then I did it again. I don't blame him."

"Blame me," says EJ, "We should not have had that conversation."

Sami asks, "Are you sure about that or is that what you wanted all along?"

Brady stammers, "I love you."

"I love you."

Brady's on a roll, "I have loved you since the day you spilled the coffee on me. Whenever I think about you... I love your smile and don't want to give you up. I'm glad you gave me all those chances. I don't want it to end. And that is why I bought you this." He opens the box, shows her the ring, and takes a knee, "Arianna Hernandez, will you marry me?"

"NO!"

Stephanie comes in to see Melanie, "How are you doing?"

Melanie ain' in a good mood, "How do you think I'm doing...

BITCH!

EJ says he's not a fan of Rafe but he has no interest in seeing Sami suffer. She apologizes for putting him on the spot. Rafe walks up as EJ continues, "If you're sorry, that might make you more inclined to grant me a favor."

"What?"

"I'd like to spend the night with you, please."

Did anybody buy that?

~*~*~*~*~* crickets ~*~*~*~*~*
Anybody? Bueller?

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