Bo & Hope #82 November 3, 2011 - March 12, 2012: 8 hour original edit

#82A 11/3 At the Kiriakis mansion, Hope told Bo that Maggie and Melanie had gone to the spa for the day. Hope explained that some packages were scheduled to be delivered to the mansion later. Hope added that she had volunteered to sign for the packages. As Bo and Hope waited for the packages, they discussed Victor and Maggie's wedding preparations. Bo noted that Victor and Maggie's engagement supported the theory that opposites were attracted to each other. Hope reminded Bo that a lot of people had said the same thing about them. Hope added that she would marry Bo again in a heartbeat. Hope excused herself so that she could grab something from one of the other rooms. After Hope left, Bo looked around the living room with a conspiratorial expression on his face. When Hope returned, Bo surprised her with champagne and dessert. Hope wondered what was going on?

Bo noted that Hope had never received a fancy proposal. Bo presented Hope with a homemade ring that he had made out of pipe cleaners and wedding favors. Bo pointed to the oversized plastic diamond that was on top of the ring, and he wondered if Hope had ever heard of the Hope Diamond. Hope pointed out that some people believed that the Hope Diamond was cursed. "Well, this is a different Hope Diamond. This one is named after the most beautiful woman in the world, the woman that this undeserving man wants to marry," Bo explained. Hope handed the ring back to Bo, and she started to remove one of her necklaces. Bo noticed that Hope's wedding band and engagement ring were hanging off of the necklace. "I actually prefer these. Would you do me the honor? Put them back where they belong?" Hope asked. Bo eagerly agreed, and he asked Hope if she would marry him again. Hope tearfully stated that she would marry Bo over and over again, and Bo slipped her engagement ring back on her finger. Bo said that he was glad that Hope had agreed, because he had already booked the minister. Bo walked over to the fireplace, and he removed a piece of linen that had been covering a stone bust.

Hope jokingly greeted the minister, and she claimed that he looked like the minister who had married her and Bo in New Orleans. Bo handed Hope a small bouquet of flowers, and Hope wondered what he was up to. Bo said that his favorite wedding had been the Oak Alley wedding. Bo asked Hope to choose her favorite wedding. Hope contemplated the question for a moment, then she decided that she couldn't choose a favorite. Hope explained that it would be like asking her to choose her favorite child. Bo urged Hope to reconsider her decision.

"Okay, I still have to pinch myself, because I still can't believe that we had a royal wedding in London, in London! At Westminster Abbey. It was amazing. And I still melt when I think about the love in my dad's eyes, when he walked me down the aisle at our Christmas Eve wedding. So, choosing a favorite wedding, it's really tough, but you know what? If you had asked me which is my favorite marriage, that's easy, our marriage right now, because this is the marriage that will last forever," Hope said, as she kissed Bo.

"I told you at Oak Alley that I would always love you, and that we'd always be together. I feel very, very lucky to be where we are right now. Every morning, when I wake up next to you, I look forward to the day we're gonna spend together. It really doesn't matter what we're doing you know, working on a case, hanging out with Ciara, the day is better because I spend it with you, and the happiness I feel, it doesn't diminish. It just gets bigger and bigger. All I have to do is look at you, and my heart is filled with joy. You know, someday, when we're in those rockers, watching our grandchildren play, our great-grandchildren play, I will feel fulfilled, because I couldn't have picked a better partner to spend my life with," Bo said. Bo slipped Hope's wedding band back on her finger.

"You said something to me at our wedding in England...during our vows, and it still stands today. I look into your eyes, and I see all I need to see. I love you, Brady. I've never, I've never loved another man, and I never will love another man. Thank you for everything wonderful you brought to my life, especially our beautiful children. And I'm so grateful, not just for the passion that we share, but for our great friendship. I love you, Beauregard Brady," Hope whispered, as she hugged Bo. Bo gently wiped a tear away from Hope's cheek, then he asked her to dance with him. Hope thanked Bo for her surprise private vow renewal. Bo wished that he could take Hope on a romantic honeymoon. Bo suggested that he and Hope could settle for a romantic wedding night, and Hope eagerly agreed. Bo picked Hope up, and he quickly carried her out of the room.

11/7 At the Kiriakis mansion, Bo and Hope arrived, and they greeted Maggie, Daniel, Melanie, Justin, Victor, and Henderson. Hope wondered if Maggie was nervous about the wedding, which was scheduled to take place the next day. Maggie admitted that she was excited. Maggie presented Melanie with a birthday gift. Melanie opened the package, and she found a necklace inside. Melanie thanked Maggie, and she wondered if she could refer to Maggie as Grandma. Maggie happily agreed, and she hugged Melanie. Daniel received a text message. "Confirming the DNA is a match. Ms. Horton is your biological mother," the message read. Maggie observed Daniel's reaction, and she realized that her suspicions had been confirmed. Maggie started to sob, and Daniel cautiously embraced her.

11/11 At Jennifer's house, Bo dropped Hope off to talk to Jennifer. Bo headed off to the police station while Hope stayed behind to talk to Jennifer about John's case. "Even a guilty verdict won't be enough for some people," Hope said. Hope and Jennifer searched through boxes at Alice's house and attempted to determine what Alice's secret was. Hope and Jennifer combed through Alice's papers. "How many secrets did gran have?" Hope wondered aloud. When Hope asked Jennifer about Jack and Daniel, Jennifer explained that dating two men turned out to be tougher than she expected. "I was being a little naive," Jennifer admitted. Jennifer told Hope about her ski trip with Jack and how Jack would never be able to live a life without stress again due to his captivity in Afghanistan. Jennifer told Hope that Jack was haunted by the memories of his captivity.

"Here I am looking at this man that I loved and he is scared out of his mind. And he needs me. He needs me to hold it together. And I don't know, I saw him like that and it just made me realize how much I loved him," Jennifer said. "It sounds to me like you've made up your mind," Hope remarked. Jennifer admitted that she had not decided between the two men. Jennifer explained that though she had learned things about Jack that had touched her, she still had feelings for Daniel.

With a sigh, Jennifer noted that she was worried about what both Jack and Daniel were going through. "I'm gonna take one day at a time and that's it," Jennifer said as she changed the subject. While Hope and Jennifer examined the files, Jennifer asked about the photo of the baby. Jennifer noted that the baby was not Daniel, but that the baby looked familiar. As Jennifer looked through the box, she found a paperweight. Hope examined the engraving that mentioned a bond between the gift giver and Alice. When Hope flipped open the top of the paperweight, she was stunned to find the phoenix symbol of the DiMera family.

At the police station, Austin asked Bo how he could handle watching his wife Hope put herself in dangerous situations. Bo surmised that Austin was worried about Carrie, and assured him that Roman would protect Carrie. When Austin urged Bo to tell him how he dealt with his worry about Hope, Bo admitted, "I don't take my wife for granted." While Bo read an email from Chelsea, Austin informed him that Billie was hoping the family could visit her in London. Bo informed Austin that Chelsea had asked him to bring the family over to England for the Olympics. Bo reviewed Austin's timeline, and he admitted to Austin that the case was damning. "John's big problem is the chronology of the transactions. That's the case against John," Austin said. Shaking his head, Bo noted that the evidence looked tidy. Austin shrugged his shoulders and admitted that Rafe had said the same thing. Bo admitted that though John could have been set up, it was unlikely the work of Austin. Bo asked Austin if he would be interested in looking at Alice's financial records for him.

In a nearby location, a masked sniper looked out his window across the way through the pub window aiming at the party goers. As Sami and John hugged, the gunman across the street opened fire. Terrified, everyone in the pub dropped to the ground. John flipped a table over and pulled Marlena down beside him on the floor while the gunman continued to shoot. Rafe shielded Allie, Johnny, Sydney, and Sami over by the bar while Roman ordered everyone to stay down.

At the police station, Bo received a call about the gunfire at the pub. Worried about his wife, Austin ran out of the station after Bo. Inside the pub, the gunfire stopped while Roman called out to make sure everyone was okay. Just as Roman learned that no one was injured, the gunfire resumed.

Stefano spotted a news report on the television in his living room. When Stefano turned up the volume, the reporter announced that there was gunfire at the Brady Pub. The news reporter noted that small children were at the pub for a family event, and E.J. realized that his children were likely at the scene. Terrified, E.J. yelled "this is not supposed to happen," as he rushed out the front door.

Outside the pub, Roman directed the police where to search for the shooter. Roman went back inside the pub to check on everyone. Bo and Austin arrived at the pub, and Austin rushed to Carrie's side. While Bo talked to Roman about the search for the shooter, a stunned John went to Sami to apologize for putting her family in danger. Nodding, Sami looked around for Johnny. Realizing that she did not see Johnny in the pub, a panicked Sami started to call out for her son. The family began to frantically search for Johnny, as John stood at the bar horrified.

11/14 At the police station, Sami informed E.J. and Nicole that Johnny was missing. "We were all together, and he was fine, and then the shooting stopped, and it was total chaos, and Sydney and Allie were really upset, and I was just trying to help them feel better, and then I looked around, and Johnny was gone, and I couldn't find him anywhere!" Sami frantically explained. E.J. lashed out at Sami, and he insisted that Sami should have called him the second that she had realized that Johnny was missing. Rafe tried to defend Sami, but E.J. refused to listen. "She took him to a public place, with a man who's been accused of defrauding people out of their pensions! A man who was beaten up in jail for doing exactly that. If she was thinking of anything, it wasn't my son's safety!" E.J. shouted.

Roman assured E.J. that everyone at the Salem Police Department was looking for Johnny. Roman added that he had also contacted the FBI and the state police. E.J. wondered why he had been foolish enough to trust the Bradys with his kids. "One little boy. One little kid...who you're all related to, and you lose sight of him in broad daylight!" E.J. exclaimed. E.J. announced that he was going to use Stefano's men to find Johnny. E.J. warned Bo and Roman to stay out of his way. Roman assured E.J. that using Stefano's goons would be a great way to put Johnny in even more danger. Sami told everyone to shut up, and she pointed out that they were wasting time by arguing with each other. Nicole asked to speak to E.J. privately.

Roman apologized to Sami and Rafe for the outburst. Roman asked Sami to tell him about Johnny's habits. Sami said that Johnny didn't like loud noises, and she suggested that he might have tried to return home. Bo said that he had sent someone over to Sami and Rafe's apartment earlier, and he added that Johnny wasn't there. As Sami continued to tell Bo and Roman about Johnny's favorite places, E.J. and Nicole rejoined the group. E.J. apologized for his earlier behavior. Roman showed Sami and E.J. a map of Salem, and he pointed out the areas where the Salem P.D. had already searched. E.J. and Sami started to suggest other areas that would be worth checking.

Back at the police station, Roman and Bo studied the ballistics report. Bo noted that the report showed that the shots had been fired from the pier. Meanwhile, Roman received a call, and he announced that the state police were in pursuit of a suspect. Roman and Bo abruptly exited the station.

11/16 At the police station, Bo assured Rafe that he would keep him in the loop with news about Johnny. Across the room, a frustrated Sami fumed while Hope attempted to comfort her. Rafe urged Sami to go home with him, but Sami refused to leave the precinct without her son. Bo and Hope offered to take Sami home and remain in contact with the station.

Back at the loft, Sami and Will sat down on the couch while Bo and Hope made sure that the lines of communication with the police station were open. Hope informed Sami that Caroline was taking care of Sydney and Allie. "I really do understand what you're going through, honey. It's easy to shut down and shut everybody out but you know what? You can't do that. You need to be 100% when Johnny comes home," Hope said. Gabi checked the computer for news about Johnny and announced that there were a host of volunteers in town turning out to search for him. Rafe went over to Bo at the computer and reasoned that if Johnny had wandered into the stream in the woods that the dogs may have lost his scent. Nodding, Bo left to call search and rescue to tell them about the suggestion.

Later, Bo and Hope noticed that Rafe was missing and wondered aloud whether he had left the apartment. While Sami went to the kitchen to talk to Will, Bo and Hope took John and Marlena aside in the living room to talk. Bo urged Marlena to remember that Sami was under a lot of pressure. Hope urged John not to take to heart what Sami said. With a nod, John said, "We know she didn't mean it." Marlena disagreed. "She meant every word," Marlena murmured. As Hope hugged Sami, Roman entered the loft with Rafe and E.J. in tow. Noticing the dour look on her father's face, Sami crossed the living room to her father. Roman held out a baggie with a piece of evidence in it. Roman asked Sami to identify whether the scrap of shirt in the bag was Johnny's.  Sami gently took the bag and her eyes grew wide. "No," Sami whispered as she broke down in tears. Roman held his daughter to support her, while a stunned E.J. fought back tears. Rafe gently took his wife in his arms as she sobbed uncontrollably.

11/17 At the police station, Bo told Austin that Johnny had been missing for nearly twenty-four hours. Bo added that there was nothing like the pain of losing a child. Bo admitted that he was worried that Sami might do something reckless. Hope entered the room, and she quietly listened as Bo started to talk about Zack. "The thing is, I keep hearing his laugh in my head, and those big, brown eyes looking up at me, saying, 'Hey, Daddy.' Nah, I’ll never forget my boy. My heart won't let me," Bo said, as he realized that Hope was standing behind him. Hope hugged Bo, and she quietly agreed that she would never be able to forget about Zack, either.

Austin apologetically changed the subject, and he told Hope that Bo had asked him to take a look at Alice's financial records. Austin said that Alice's bank account had a very sophisticated design. "This kind of setup...this is the kind of thing that you create when you want to move money around, and you want to keep people from following your trail," Austin explained. Austin added that the routing numbers were tied to nine different financial institutions that were spread out over three continents. Austin noted that one of the continents was Africa. Austin cautiously explained that someone had gone to great lengths to cover their tracks. Austin wondered if someone might have been blackmailing Alice. Hope admitted that she had considered that possibility.

Hope told Austin about the paperweight that she and Jennifer had found at the Horton house. Hope explained that there was a phoenix symbol inscribed on the paperweight. Hope admitted that she had started to reconsider the possibility that someone had been blackmailing Alice. Before Austin could respond, he received a phone call, and he abruptly excused himself.  Austin assured Bo and Hope that he would continue to investigate Alice's financial records. Austin added that he would talk to Kate, and he suggested that she might know something about Alice and Stefano's connection. After Austin left, Bo promised Hope that he would never give up.

Bo and Hope arrived at Sami’s apartment. Bo tried to tell Sami to sit down, but Sami refused to listen. "We got a call from a local TV station. They're about to go live with a story, an unconfirmed story, but we didn't want you to hear about it before we could tell you ourselves," Hope explained. Sami demanded to know what was wrong. "A  body was found in Brookeville. A young boy, about the same age as Johnny," Bo reluctantly explained.

11/18 At the loft, Bo and Hope reluctantly broke the news to Sami that the body of a young boy about the same age as Johnny had been found in Brookville. As Sami backed away in disbelief, Rafe tried to hold his wife to comfort her. She shoved his arms away, crying, "No! It's not him! It's not him! You're wrong, it's not him!" Bo informed Sami and Rafe that the body had not yet been identified. Sami pulled on her coat, determined to go with the Bradys to identify the body, because she wanted to be with her son if it were his body, but Rafe cautioned her against it. Finally the reality of the situation sank in, and she allowed Rafe to put his arms around her as she began to sob.

Rafe had gotten Sami to sit on the couch, and was trying to get her to drink some water, when Will returned home, his face streaked with tears after hearing the news reports about the boy's body. Sami grabbed her son and firmly assured him that it was not Johnny. Sami then encouraged Rafe to go with Bo and Hope to Brookville to identify the body. He didn't want to leave her alone, but Will promised that he would stay with his mom. Rafe, Bo, and Hope each hugged Sami on their way out, and Rafe urged his wife not to give up hope.

When Rafe and the Bradys arrived at the location in Brookville, Rafe insisted on going with the uniformed officer to identify the boy's body. While Rafe climbed under the crime-scene tape, Bo and Hope held onto each other. Hope admitted that she couldn't stop thinking about Zack. "And poor Sami; she's already lost Grace. Oh, God, if this is Johnny, God help her," Hope whispered worriedly. When Rafe returned, Bo and Hope asked anxiously if the body were Johnny's. "It's not him. It's not Johnny," Rafe finally managed. He began trying to reach Sami, while Bo called Roman.

Bo and Hope arrived at the penthouse just as Marlena and Carrie were about to head over to Sami's, since they hadn't been able to reach her. Hope and Bo informed the others that the boy they'd found had not been Johnny and they'd gotten confirmation that the bloody shirt had not been his, either. Everyone expressed relief that the police had every reason to keep looking for Johnny, but they worried about what Sami would do if she heard the erroneous news reports. Hope declared that the Brookville police were ordering the television station to air an immediate retraction.

Will and Rafe rushed into the Brady Pub, turning on lights and shouting Johnny's name. Will looked under the bar, while Rafe stuck his head in the back room, but there was no sign of Johnny. Just as they were about to give up, suddenly Johnny crawled out from his hiding place underneath a table. Rafe scooped him up as Will ran over, and the two of them hugged Johnny as they cried tears of relief.

11/23 When Hope arrived at the DiMera mansion, Stefano admitted that he was equally surprised and delighted to see her. Stefano jokingly guessed that Hope was there to invite him and Kate to Thanksgiving dinner. "I came to ask about this," Hope declared. She showed Stefano the paperweight that she'd found in her grandmother's attic, which was inscribed, "To Alice,  A Symbol of Our Bond."

Hope asked, "Look familiar?" She twisted open the top of the paperweight to reveal the clock inside and the phoenix symbol inside the lid. Feigning ignorance, Stefano asked where Hope had found the clock. Hope replied that she'd found it in Alice's attic, "Along with other items of interest." Stefano admitted that he would be curious to know what the other items were. Hope accused Stefano of giving the paperweight to Alice. Stefano deflected by changing the subject to John's sentencing, and suggested that John had hidden the money in a Swiss bank account. Hope demanded to know whether Stefano had given Alice the paperweight.

Stefano explained that his company had sent them out as gifts in the past, but Hope pointed out that neither the inscription nor the phoenix logo would have been on a corporate gift. Stefano changed the subject again, so Hope promised to find the truth without him. Stefano noted, "You were so close to your grandmother, Hope. If she and I had such a bond for so many years, why did she go to her grave without telling you?" He added gently that Alice had been a virtuous and beloved woman who had loved Hope very much, so if Alice had hidden things in the attic, she hadn't wanted anyone, including Hope, to find them.

Hope bristled, but Stefano urged her to forget she'd ever found the paperweight, because if Alice had wanted her to know about it, she would have told Hope. Hope argued that unlike Stefano, her grandmother didn't have deep, dark secrets. Stefano pointed out that good people sometimes made bad choices which Hope should understand better than anyone. "You're trying to make it sound like she led a double life, and she didn't," Hope asserted firmly. Stefano declared, "This is my point, that when you learn about other people's secrets, sometimes you learn things that you really do not want to know, their weaknesses, their mistakes, and the price that they've paid to be human."

11/30 As Jennifer anxiously waited for Daniel to arrive for their date, Bo and Hope arrived to go through some more of Alice's things to delve further into the mystery of the secret bank account. Jennifer wryly suggested that Daniel had stood her up because he was sick of waiting for her to make her choice between him and Jack. When Daniel finally arrived, Jennifer greeted him with an enthusiastic kiss. Meanwhile, Bo and Hope headed upstairs to retrieve some more boxes. To make up for postponing their previous date, Daniel had managed to get two tickets for a sold-out symphony concert. Jennifer was thrilled. When Bo and Hope returned with the boxes, they quickly filled in Daniel about the paperweight from Stefano to Alice and the photo of the baby whom no one had recognized. Hope explained that she was convinced that the answers were something they'd previously overlooked in the boxes. Daniel suggested to Jennifer that they could go to the symphony another night, and instead help Bo and Hope in the search.

Jennifer gratefully agreed, so Bo and Daniel went to the kitchen to look at the take-out menus and order dinner. Once they'd poured some wine and delved into the boxes, Daniel found a photograph of a younger Maggie from when she'd still been using crutches, and assumed it was because of her myasthenia gravis. Hope and Jennifer explained that Maggie had survived a terrible car crash as a young girl that had killed both of her parents, and for a long time afterward, she'd shut herself off from the world on a farm, which was where Mickey had met her. Learning more about his mother's strength and determination impressed Daniel, and he thanked Bo and Hope for helping unite them. Hope credited her grandmother for doing all of the hard work. While the others looked through some old letters, Daniel stumbled across wedding photos of Bo and Hope, and then a big pause when he sees the one of Jack and Jennifer.

While the men were out of the room, Jennifer admitted that she was a little mortified that Daniel had seen her wedding picture, and she hated that she was stringing two men along while she tried to choose between them. Hope asked if Jennifer were any closer to making a decision, and Jennifer confessed that she was just as confused as she'd been when the experiment had begun. She added that she envied Hope, who had always known that Bo was the only man for her. Hope was confident that, with time, Jennifer would make the right decision.

After the men returned, the foursome resumed looking through old photographs. Daniel teased Jennifer about her 1980s hairdo in one of them, and as she playfully snatched it away, he said that it was a good thing there were no pictures of him in the boxes. Hope produced the picture of the mystery baby, and Daniel confirmed that it was not he. Hope then found a book of stories that Alice had loved, which were written by Edith Wharton, and found a letter tucked inside, with a London postmark and a return address from Susan Banks.

Jennifer explained to Daniel that Susan was E.J. DiMera's mother, and all of them looked perplexed as to why Susan would have been writing to Alice, so Hope read the letter aloud. In it, Susan asked for Alice's help, because "little Elvis" had been very ill, but Susan and Edmund had been unable to even get an appointment with the only specialist they'd been able to find who could save the baby's life. Susan had wanted to use Alice's connections in the medical community to help get Elvis in to see the doctor, but she hadn't wanted Stefano to know anything about it.

"I think he has figured out that I am not Kristen, so Edmund and I have gone into hiding. That man is mean, mean, mean!" Susan stated that she had enclosed a picture of Elvis with the letter. Neither Hope nor Jennifer was aware that Susan had been in contact with Alice after Susan had left Salem. Hope wondered if the letter from Susan tied in somehow with Alice's secret bank account. Jennifer surmised that Alice had helped Susan, since E.J. was alive and well, and Bo noted that if Stefano had found out, it would explain why he had given the paperweight to Alice.

Jennifer declared that the photo of the baby definitely looked like E.J., and Daniel deduced that the picture and the letter had simply gotten separated over the years. Bo wondered why Alice would have kept it all a secret even after Stefano had taken E.J. from Susan. Once the two of them were alone, Jennifer expressed her appreciation to Daniel for giving up their date night for a second time to help her out. Daniel stated that he just liked spending time with her and he had missed her. Jennifer assured him that she had missed him, too. Daniel stroked her hair gently as they began to kiss.

As Bo and Hope walked through the square, they stopped in front of the plaque dedicating the square to Tom and Alice. "I had no idea Gran had so many secrets. It's like one thing just keeps leading to another thing that's even stranger and more mysterious," Hope mused. She wondered why Alice had kept so many secrets from her family. Bo asserted that "Mrs. H" had to have had very good reasons for the things she'd done. A worried Hope told Bo that Stefano had warned her, "When you dig into other people's private lives, you may discover things you wish you didn't." Bo maintained Stefano's attempt to deter investigation was all the reason Bo needed to investigate. He added that they just had to figure out how all the puzzle pieces the bank account, the mysterious baby picture, the paperweight, and the letter fit together. Hope suggested that they should track down Susan, but Bo thought they should talk to Stefano again together.

12/5 At the Horton house, Bo and Hope started to unpack the Christmas decorations. Hope inspected the new ornament that had been painted for Melanie, and she noted that Jennifer and Abigail were picking out a tree for the house. Hope reminded Bo that they usually waited until Christmas Eve to decorate the tree, and she wondered if it was wise to break from that tradition. "We weren't together last Christmas, so we have a lot of celebrating to make up for," Bo pointed out. Hope found a paper snowflake ornament that she had made in elementary school. A photograph of Hope and Melissa was attached to the ornament. Hope recalled that Alice had always loved that particular ornament. "This is something we used to all look forward to every year, you know? Opening up all these boxes. Gran always made it feel like we were seeing these decorations for the first time. I miss her so much," Hope said.

Bo handed Hope an envelope, and he explained that he had anticipated that the day would be difficult for her. Hope recognized the envelope, and she eagerly removed the card that had been tucked inside. "'My darling Hope, my wish for you this Christmas is a beautiful life filled with the kind of love and affection you bring to mine every day. Your amazing grace and determination to conquer any challenge continues to be an inspiration to me always. Love, Gran.' “I've read that so many times, when I needed her strength to guide me," Hope said.  Hope thanked Bo for knowing that she would need the card to help her get through the day. Bo admitted that there had been an ulterior motive. Bo suggested that Alice might have been sending Hope a message about the secrets that Hope had uncovered. Bo said that Alice was encouraging Hope to continue to investigate.

Hope said that she loved Bo for suggesting that, but she admitted that she wasn't convinced that the card had a hidden meaning. Hope placed the card on the mantel, then she reminded Bo that they had more decorations to unpack. Bo found Shawn's ornament, and he wondered if Shawn, Belle, and Claire would be able to make it home in time for Christmas. Hope laughed, and she said that it would take a miracle to get the three of them back on dry land. Bo's expression suddenly changed, and Hope realized that Bo had found Zack's ornament. "I was wondering who'd find it first. You know, Ciara was making out her Christmas list the other day, and she asked if, um...Santa was going to bring Zack Christmas presents in heaven. Did I ever tell you that? I go into his room every day to say his name? I do, I need that. Just to hear his name out loud. I need it," Hope said, as she tearfully clutched the ornament.

Bo hugged Hope, and he assured her that they would never forget about Zack. "I'm struggling, Brady. Sometimes I feel I can't live with the pain," Hope added, and she asked Bo to hold her tightly. Bo suggested that it might be time for him and Hope to talk to a therapist about their feelings. Hope said that she was afraid that she would not be able to handle the pain. Bo noted that he and Hope had a lot of amazing memories of Zack. "That letter that Mrs. H wrote about you, all the things she loved about you, that was Zack. He was his mother's son. His life was an amazing gift," Bo said, as Hope sobbed quietly. "You know, um this may sound a little crazy, especially coming from me, your wife but maybe you were right about taking what Gran wrote in that note as a sign, and keep looking into whatever this connection is between her and Stefano. I mean, Gran had to know that her secrets would eventually come out, correct? So tell me Gran, what is it that I do next?" Hope asked, as she picked up Alice's ornament.

Hope cradled the ornament in the palm of her hand, and she grabbed the string so that she could hold it in the air. The metal cap on the top of the ornament popped off, and Hope noticed that something was sticking out of the top. Hope turned the ornament over, and a small scroll fell into her hand. Hope anxiously unfurled the scroll, which contained a message. "Please extend to the bearer of this card every courtesy that would be afforded to Stefano DiMera himself," the message read, and there was a phoenix symbol at the bottom of the scroll.

12/6 In Jennifer's living room, Hope and Bo examined the note from Stefano that they had found inside one of the Christmas ornaments. Curious, Hope announced that they needed to talk to Stefano. As Bo and Hope grabbed their coats, Jennifer entered the living room with Abigail and Chad. When Jennifer remarked that there was tons of work to do before the tree-trimming party, Bo muttered to Hope that Stefano would have to wait.

Abe and Lexie arrived at the Horton house for the tree-trimming party. Abe informed Bo and Hope about his visit with John. Lexie was furious about E.J.'s efforts to publicize Abe and John's friendship during the election. "I just love watching my brother turn into my father," Lexie complained as she threw her head back. In an attempt to soothe Lexie, Hope commented that Alice would have noted that even someone like Stefano could not be all bad. "Well, Alice was a saint," Abe countered. "Yes, yes she was. Which is why everyone loved her," Lexie added. Hope asked Lexie if Stefano ever mentioned Alice. Shaking her head, Lexie commented that though Stefano had respected Alice, he never mentioned her. After chatting with the family, Abe and Lexie left. Maggie took Melanie and Daniel aside and handed them their own ornaments for the tree. Overcome with emotion, Melanie struggled to hold back tears. "I know you're not technically Hortons, but everyone wanted you to feel like part of the family," Melanie explained. "We already did, but this makes it so special. Thank you," Melanie said. As Maggie hugged Melanie and Daniel, Julie tapped her on the shoulder. Maggie turned and found that Julie had an ornament for Victor. Julie urged Maggie to hang it on the tree in his absence. Julie laughed who would have ever thought that Victor would have a place on the Horton family tree.

By the tree, Jack examined his ornament and reminisced with Jennifer about receiving it after their engagement. Jack and Jennifer thought about the moment when Alice had welcomed Jack into the family and handed him his ornament. "She welcomed me into this family when a lot of people had just written me off. I'll always be grateful to her for that," Jack said. "Me, too," Jennifer said quietly as she placed her hand on Jack's arm. Once the tree was ready, everyone sat down and the ornament hanging tradition began. Doug called Maggie up first, and she gently placed her ornament next to Mickey's on the tree. With a smile, Maggie placed Victor's ornament on the tree as well. Melanie and Daniel placed their ornaments on the tree next, as Jennifer smiled sweetly in the corner. Bo and Hope placed Zack's ornament on the tree, then helped Ciara place her ornament next to Zach's.

Abigail, Jennifer, and Jack hung their ornaments on the tree next, while a solemn Daniel watched with Melanie from the corner. Doug and Julie placed their ornaments next to Addie's, then kissed one another as Ciara placed Alice's ornament on the tree next to Tom's. As the family stood around the tree, they thought about Tom and Alice hanging their ornaments and we get a flashback to them in the past.

Doug, Julie, Jack, Jennifer, Abigail, Chad, Maggie, Melanie, Daniel, Marlena, Carrie, Austin, Bo, Ciara, and Hope joined Abe and Lexie in Horton Town Square for the lighting of the Christmas tree. Abe explained the Horton family ornament-hanging tradition to the crowd at the ceremony. With a smile, Abe noted that the tree in the square carried on the Horton family tradition, but the ornaments represented charitable organizations in the community.

"One year, my great friend Alice Horton explained to me the idea behind this. She said that she and Tom couldn't possibly expect everyone to make it home for every Christmas, but the ornaments with the names of the family would serve as a reminder of all the loved ones scattered across the globe or who had passed on. And that's what Salem is all about. It's about family. It's about the ties that bind us all together. It's about keeping our love strong in the face of separations and hardships. Salem, quite simply, is home," Abe said. Turning toward his son, Abe gave Theo the go-ahead to light the tree. As the tree lit up, the crowd began to sing.

12/7 As Bo and Hope sat at the Brady Pub, Hope examined the rolled-up note that she'd found inside Alice's Christmas ornament, with a phoenix symbol affixed to the bottom. "Please extend to the bearer of this card every courtesy that would be afforded to Stefano DiMera himself," Hope read aloud. Bo guessed that it had been Stefano's way of thanking Alice for her help when E.J. had been sick as a baby, but Hope couldn't figure out why Alice would have tucked it inside the ornament. Bo declared that he had a way to solve the mystery.

When Bo returned to the table a few minutes later, he explained that he had just gotten Susan Banks's phone number from Marlena, who had treated Susan, and the two women had kept in touch. He dialed Susan's number, and handed the phone to Hope. Taken aback to hear from Hope, Susan immediately wanted to know, "Is my baby Elvis in trouble?" Hope assured her that Elvis was just fine, and explained that she had called to ask Susan about Stefano. Susan became upset, and insisted that she didn't want to talk or even think about Stefano and how he might be influencing her son.

Hope revealed that she had found the letter that Susan had written to Alice, asking for help finding a specialist for baby Elvis. Susan expressed her gratitude for Mrs. Horton's assistance, but asked what it had to do with Stefano. Hope replied that in the letter, Susan had begged Alice not to tell Stefano anything about Elvis. Susan was sure that Mrs. Horton hadn't said anything, but Stefano had known all about Elvis' illness and Mrs. Horton's help anyway.

"Which is probably why he went to her later on," Susan added. A surprised Hope asked why Stefano had contacted Alice even after Elvis had gotten well. Alarmed that she had let something slip, Susan tried to make noises like static on the line, pretending that the connection was bad, and abruptly hung up. Hope was frustrated that she hadn't been able to get any more information out of Susan, but Bo announced that they were going to find out. They grabbed their coats and hurried out.

When Bo and Hope arrived at the DiMera mansion, Stefano correctly guessed that they were there to ask more questions about his alleged bond with Hope's grandmother. Hope spied E.J.'s baby picture on a side table, and informed Stefano that they'd found the same photo in Alice's things. Stefano maintained that it was merely a coincidence, but Hope told him that they knew all about how Alice had helped Susan find a doctor for a sick baby Elvis. Stefano noted that the story had a happy ending, because Elvis had grown up and was running for mayor of Salem. Bo expressed his theory that there was much more to it than that. "You mean that Hope called Susan in England just a little while ago? Too bad there was so much static on the line," Stefano said. When Hope accused him of tapping Susan's phone, Stefano insisted that he'd simply guessed correctly what she would do next. He then explained that because Susan had kept him away from Elvis back then, Stefano had kept an eye on the two of them, and he had thought Susan had been very wise to ask for Alice's help. Bo and Hope were a little skeptical that Stefano would not have interfered, but Stefano pointed out that he would never refuse help that could save his son's life.

Stefano reiterated that if Alice had wanted Hope to know about any of it, she would have told Hope in the decades that had followed. Hope countered that her grandmother had obviously had a good reason for not telling Hope but she had left plenty of clues for Hope to follow. Hope then produced the scroll, and asked why they'd found it in Alice's things. "We've heard a lot of stories about these vouchers, but we always wrote them off as part of your mythology. That's the first time we've actually seen one in person," Hope noted. Bo asked again why Stefano had given the card to "Mrs. H." Stefano replied that although he understood how much it meant to the Bradys, he had no idea who could have given Alice such a thing. Bo argued, "You're lying. You would never forget who rates a gift like that." Just as Hope began to lash out at Stefano for never telling the truth, Harold, the butler, interrupted to announce that Mr. DiMera had a phone call. Stefano excused himself, and left the room without another word.

Hope nearly exploded, but Bo quietly urged her to keep her cool. He maintained that they had to treat the situation like one of Stefano's chess games, and study every possible move before acting. Hope concurred. When Stefano returned to the room, he was clearly dismayed that his "guests" were still there. He repeated his advice to Hope to let the secrets of the dead rest in peace, for everyone's sake. As Stefano tried to resume his chess game, Hope offered to finish it for him. Picking up a chess piece and placing it next to the king, she declared, "Checkmate." Stefano chuckled as the Bradys left, but then declared to himself, "No, my dear. This game is far from over."

12/8 At Sami and Rafe's apartment, Rafe and Carrie introduced Bo and Hope to someone named Jay Jordan. Bo recognized Jay as the quarterback for the Salem University football team. Rafe urged Jay to tell Bo and Hope the news, and he assured Jay that he could trust Bo and Hope. After hearing Jay's story, Bo and Hope realized just how serious the situation was. "Okay, let me get this straight...some guy approaches you, threatens you, says, 'If you don't throw the game, it'll be your neck.' And this has happened on more than one occasion?" Hope asked. Jay nodded, and he started to tell Bo and Hope about the man who had threatened him.

"He had a partner, and he was smart, really smart. He knew what he was doing -- like he'd done it before. He knew exactly what to say to get me to...cooperate. He told me if I didn't throw the games, he wouldn't just kill me, he'd kill my family," Jay explained. Jay said that he had only seen the men in person a few times. Jay added that the main form of contact had been a series of threatening messages. Jay explained that he had eventually stopped receiving the messages. Jay said that he had assumed that the men had been bluffing all along. Jay said that he had played the best game of his life a few nights earlier, and that he had even set a new school record. "After the game, I went home to tell my family how well I did, and when I got there, the house was trashed, and they were gone. Please, you gotta help me find my family!" Jay begged Bo and Hope. Bo and Hope assured Jay that they would help him. Jay explained that the men had been using a university website as a cover for their operation. Bo realized that Jay was talking about Will's website.

Bo and Hope asked Maggie and Victor if they had seen Will and Sonny recently. Maggie glanced over at the spot where Will, Sonny, Gabi, and Abigail had been standing, and she realized that they had disappeared. Maggie wondered if something was wrong. Hope explained the situation to Maggie and Victor, while Bo went to talk to Jennifer and Jack.

Later, Artie entered the town square, and he recognized Bo and Hope as cops. "I'm in a lot of trouble. I was working on a gambling site, and there were gamblers, and games were fixed, and the tall kid is gone...they're after me. You have to help me!" Artie nervously explained. Artie showed Bo and Hope the picture of Melanie and Chad being held at gunpoint.

12/9 In Horton Town Square, Bo produced the picture of Chad and Melanie being held at gunpoint, and showed it to Rafe and Carrie. Bo and Hope quickly updated Carrie and Rafe about the illegal gambling ring linked to Will, Sonny, and Chad's website, and explained that the gamblers were holding Chad and Melanie hostage until the site was operational again. Bo's first priority was to find Sonny and Will, and make sure that the boys didn't try to handle the situation on their own. Victor, Daniel, and Jack entered the square, and demanded that Bo tell them what was going on. Bo had nothing to tell them that they didn't already know, and the men became frustrated and angry. Daniel stated that he and Jack had been trying to reach Melanie and Abigail, but neither girl was returning their phone calls, which was unlike either of them.

Bo reminded them that he was a father, too, and promised to tell them as soon as he had more information. After the other men left, Hope gently questioned Bo, "Don't you think Daniel has a right to know that his daughter could be in danger?" Bo pointed out that if Victor knew that Melanie had been kidnapped, Victor would order his men to take action, and the police would lose control of the situation. After Bo called the station to have the cops track down a lead, Rafe informed Hope and Bo that he hadn't been able to reach Sami or Will. Bo got a call back from the police station just then, and learned that someone had been trying to access the server for the website from Alice's house. Rafe was ready to head out with the Bradys when he remembered that he wasn't on the force anymore. As they hurried off, Bo and Hope promised to keep Rafe posted.

After the others had left, Will continued working as quickly as possible to get the site running again. Bo and Hope arrived then, and informed Will that they'd learned what was going on from Artie. Will warned them that the kidnappers had said "no cops," but Hope tried to reassure him that it was just a scare tactic. Bo started to take Will's computer, but Will refused to let him. Just then, Will got another text message from the kidnappers, and showed it to Bo and Hope. The message read, "Time's almost up." In a shaky voice, a terrified Will warned the Bradys, "If you don't let me finish, then Chad and Melanie are both going to die." Bo and Hope discussed what to do next.

When Bo and Hope found Sonny outside the warehouse, Sonny admitted that he'd just been trying to call them. Sonny quickly informed Bo and Hope that the kidnappers had Gabi and Abigail in addition to Chad and Melanie, but his search of the first floor of the warehouse had so far turned up nothing. Hope got a phone call, after which she informed Bo that Austin was on his way there, as well. Frustrated at their lack of backup, Bo and Hope began to rush into the warehouse, but first Bo ordered Sonny to stay put and to make sure the others stayed outside, too. When Austin arrived, Sonny informed him that Bo and Hope wanted them to wait outside. Austin asserted that Bo and Hope could use some backup, since it was a big warehouse. The guys headed inside together.

Outside, Horace and Zig were discussing what to do next when they heard Bo and Hope arriving. Realizing that the pair were cops, Horace ran back into the room and grabbed Melanie. While Horace dragged Melanie away, Zig went back for Gabi. Zig had his gun aimed at Gabi when suddenly Chad rushed through the door and disarmed the thug. Gabi grabbed the gun while the men struggled, and shakily aimed it in Zig's direction. Before she had to figure out what to do, Bo charged in, and quickly disabled Zig. Bo shouted for Hope, who hurried into the room. Hope gently took the gun away from Gabi, while Gabi thanked Chad for saving her life. Chad and Gabi quickly filled in the Bradys on where they thought the others had gone. Bo rushed out, while Hope tried to comfort Gabi.

Horace grabbed Abigail in a chokehold, just as Austin showed up. Horace threw Abigail to the floor, and Austin attacked him. The men fought violently, but Horace underestimated Austin's pugilistic skills, and Austin quickly got the upper hand. He had just disabled Horace when Bo showed up. Bo demanded to know where Melanie was, and Horace admitted that she was in the alley. While Bo radioed in that the area was secure and both suspects were in custody, a sobbing Abigail ran into Austin's arms. Jack and Jennifer thanked Bo and Hope with wordless embraces. Hope then placed her hand lovingly on the plaque bearing her grandparents' picture, as she and Bo looked around appreciatively at the joyful reunions happening all around them.

12/15 At Sami and Rafe's apartment, Carrie and Rafe told Bo and Hope about the café photograph. Hope knowingly suggested that Stefano had altered the photograph. Rafe noted that it would probably be impossible to prove that Stefano had framed John. Hope grinned, and she announced that she might have something that she could use as leverage. Hope showed Rafe and Carrie the DiMera voucher. "If Stefano gave this to Mrs. H because she helped save E.J.'s life, I'm thinking he's too superstitious to now say that it means nothing," Bo said. Hope nodded, and she added that she might be able to force Stefano to exonerate John. Rafe shook his head, and he insisted that Stefano was going to laugh in Hope's face.

Hope pointed out that Stefano had made a deal on E.J.'s life, and she noted that E.J. had a lot of enemies. Bo added that E.J. had managed to bounce back from several life-threatening injuries in the previous few years. "Stefano will try to back out of his promise, but I know he'll be thinking, in the back of his mind, 'What's gonna happen the next time E.J. gets hurt, or someone tries to take him out? Will he be as lucky?'" Hope suggested. Rafe pointed out that Stefano had made the promise to Alice, and Carrie wondered if Stefano would claim that his obligation had died with Alice. Hope insisted that she was going to convince Stefano that Alice would have wanted to save John. "And that crossing Alice Horton would have dire and eternal consequences. And...heck, this may be why Mrs. H saved this thing all these years. She knew that eventually, we would need to use this against Stefano," Bo added.

Rafe was still skeptical, and he noted that Stefano would have to implicate himself in order to exonerate John. "The defense is allowed to present an alternative theory for how a crime was committed. If Stefano can give us that without naming names, we'd be a heck of a lot better off than we are now," Carrie explained. Rafe wondered if everyone was willing to let the DiMeras get away with another crime. Carrie pointed out that John was her main priority. Hope said that she wanted the DiMeras to pay for their crimes, but she added that she would settle for being able to help John regain his freedom. "Listen, Bo said it before -- Stefano is old world, and very superstitious, especially when it comes to his children. He better honor this promise to my grandmother...or else," Hope added.

12/20 At the penthouse, Hope asked Marlena for permission to move forward in her plan to negotiate with Stefano behind John's back. When Marlena resisted, Bo cautioned her to remember that John would be sent upstate to prison once the civil trial was over. Panicked at the thought of her separation from John, Marlena worried aloud what would become of her husband. Bo noted that the prison was one of the harshest in the state, and that John would have a difficult time if he were sent there. Marlena was upset that John was alone in jail during the holidays. "Every single day, all John thinks about is the people that lost everything. I worry about him, and he worries about them," Marlena said. Hope urged Marlena to realize that Stefano could help John. Shaking her head, Marlena countered that if John were there, he would tear up the note and refuse to ask Stefano for any assistance.

"Taking Stefano's help would kill him," Marlena said firmly. With a frustrated sigh, Marlena thrust the note back into Hope's hand and ordered her to use it. Marlena noted that John would be furious with them for negotiating with Stefano, but that she knew it needed to be done. Upset, Marlena stepped aside to gather her thoughts. Bo and Hope gathered in the corner and noted that they needed to convince Stefano to honor his promise to Alice. "We can't let John and Marlena down. We've gotta make this happen," Hope whispered. Fortified with Marlena's blessing, Bo and Hope left to talk to Stefano.

At the DiMera mansion, Bo and Hope handed Stefano the note dictating that the bearer of the letter had earned a favor from Stefano. When Stefano asked what Hope wanted, Bo countered that Stefano was a man of his word. Hope added that they wanted Stefano to set John free. "This is nothing but a piece of paper!" Stefano growled. Stefano shoved the paper back into Hope's hand and refused to help.

Unfazed, Hope reminded Stefano why he had given the note to Alice. "Don't act like this is some meaningless gesture," Hope said. With a sigh, Stefano noted that the note had been given to Alice. Hope argued that as the letter was in her hand, she was the bearer as noted in the letter. When Stefano argued that he did not have the power to free John, Hope countered that Stefano had the power and influence to get John out of jail. Furrowing his brow, Stefano asked Hope why she was helping John. When Hope bristled at John's question, Stefano asked Hope why she did not use the letter to help her family instead of John.

Bo defended his wife, and Stefano reminded Bo that Hope had once been romantically linked to John. With a smirk, Bo handed Hope a dollar. When Stefano raised an eyebrow questioningly, Bo explained that he and Hope had bet on how soon Stefano would mention Hope's past with John. Frustrated, Hope ordered Stefano to help them free John. Faced with an ultimatum to make a decision, Stefano refused to help Hope with John's case. When Hope asked why, Stefano explained that Hope's request was impossible.

"You don't care that Mrs. H saved your little boy," Bo noted. "A real man would do anything he could to repay a debt like this," Bo added. Annoyed, Stefano asked Bo and Hope to leave. Unfazed, Hope noted that Stefano's code of honor prevented him from turning down her request. With a sigh, Stefano said that he did not think he was capable of setting John free.

"What you ask requires more and I don't have that. You see, this is not like something that you can turn on and off like a faucet," Stefano said. When Hope noted that she did not understand, Stefano said he had nothing else to say. Bo stopped Stefano and said that they needed more information. "That's what it's gonna have to be," Stefano said.

12/21 When Bo and Hope arrived at the penthouse, Marlena guessed from their expressions, "He's refused to help, hasn't he?"

Hope replied, "Yes and no." Bo and Hope described what had happened at the DiMera mansion: first, Stefano had stonewalled them, then he'd "rubbed salt in old wounds," and finally he'd declared that there was simply nothing he could do to help. Hope continued that as they were leaving, "He said he's not sure he can access the information we want, that it requires something more, something he doesn't have. Then he said that it's not the kind of thing you can turn on and off like a faucet.”

Hope asserted her belief that Stefano was trying in his own way to honor his promise to Alice by giving them clues to help John. When Rafe arrived, they filled him in about the possible clues. They all agreed that the clues were pretty cryptic but they were determined to figure it out to help John. As they reviewed Stefano's words, Bo wondered if Stefano had meant that it had been John, not Stefano, who hadn't had access to something. Carrie deduced that John hadn't been able to commit the crime because he hadn't had access to something. Rafe asked if that could mean passwords, but Marlena didn't think so. They wondered what Stefano's reference to a faucet could mean.

After working on the clues for a long while, Hope wondered if Stefano had been playing games with them by intentionally dropping hints that were too vague to interpret. Bo was certain that they were very close to figuring it out, and wondered what else John would have needed to access the pension funds. Hope suggested that they walk through the process, and began to log on to the Basic Black website.

"That's it! That's the one thing that you would need to make those transactions, the Internet!" Rafe deduced excitedly, and wondered, "What if the Internet was down in John's area when he was supposedly making all these transactions?" The others agreed that there was no way John could have tapped into the accounts without Internet access.

"And Stefano would make it his business to know that," Hope pointed out. As they began planning to contact John's Internet provider about outages so they could compare the transaction times and dates to possible outages, Carrie noted that John could have just used his cell carrier to make the transactions. Rafe said that they would have to investigate cell tower outages, as well. Marlena thought it seemed a little far-fetched that the Internet servers and cell towers would have been out at the same time. Rafe agreed, but he thought that might have been what Stefano had been referring to.

Carrie excitedly noted that if John hadn't been able to access the Internet on the dates of the transactions, it would mean that all of John's records had been falsified, and the FBI's evidence would have to be thrown out of court. Rafe chimed in that if they combined that with the doctored photo and the witness from the clinic, they could prove that John had been deliberately set up. "This could be it! We could finally prove John's innocence!" Marlena exclaimed hopefully, as the others rejoiced.

12/22 At John and Marlena's townhouse, Carrie greeted Rafe, Bo, and Hope. Bo shares that Rafe has a new theory. Rafe told Carrie that, "John says he was in Paris when all those transactions took place. Remember the demonstrations that took place in Paris, the ones about immigration? When similar demonstrations took place in the Middle East, the government realized that social media was playing a part in organizing the crowd," Rafe explained. Carrie nodded, and she recalled that the government had disabled the Internet access during the demonstrations. Carrie wondered if the French government might have done the same thing. Hope noted that she had already checked all of the official outages, and Rafe explained that the unofficial outages would not have been reported. Rafe said that he was going to ask one of his Interpol contacts for some help. Rafe left a message for his Interpol contact, and everyone anxiously waited for the man to return Rafe's call.

Back at the townhouse, Bo noted that Hope was nervous, and he wondered what was bothering her. Hope said that Bo already knew what was bothering her. Bo sighed, and he told Hope not to go there. "Brady, how can I not? How can I not go there? Why did that bastard have to bait you about me and John?" Hope wondered. Bo wondered why Hope was still thinking about Stefano's comment. Hope said that she didn't want to think about the bad times. "Thing is, we've been through too many bad times. Positive side is we've made it through, and we are stronger than ever. We are still together, and that is never gonna change...promise. I'll carve it in a tree again, if that's what you'd like," Bo said. Hope agreed, and she apologized for mentioning Stefano.

Rafe received a call from his Interpol contact. After a short conversation, Rafe ended the call. "The French government did not shut down the Internet because of the demonstrations...they shut it down because they got intel that there was going to be a terrorist attack in the Metro!" Rafe exclaimed. Bo confirmed that John had been in Paris at the time of the outage. Hope added that the bank transfers had occurred at that time. Bo, Hope, and Rafe celebrated, and Rafe said that John was going to have a great Christmas.

12/23 Bo and Hope entered Horton Square with Ciara, with Abe, Lexie, and Theo right behind them. The kids immediately ran off together to play. Abe asked Bo about John's case, and Bo (wearing a Santa hat) informed the others that Carrie and Rafe were looking into a lead that might give them all some good news for Christmas. Abe stood in front of the Christmas tree and addressed the crowd. With the children gathered around, Abe introduced the arrival of Santa Claus. Doug appeared in costume at the top of the stairs, and all the children and even the adults cheered and applauded enthusiastically. "Santa" took his place on the ornate throne, where Julie awaited him. She handed him a large book, as the children sat, enraptured, at his feet. Doug then began to tell the story of Christmas. Jennifer blinked back tears, as if remembering Christmases past.

As Bo and Hope sat together in front of the plaque dedicated to Tom and Alice, Bo surprised his wife with a birthday gift. She was touched when she opened it, and Bo explained that it was the same book of poetry that he'd given her on her eighteenth birthday, but that copy had gotten quite tattered over the years. Hope looked inside, and noted with amazement that it was a first edition. She clutched the book to her heart, and softly declared that she loved it. When she began to kiss Bo in thanks, he stopped her to produce another gift, which he said was for their anniversary. Inside, Hope found a beautiful silver pendant. As Bo helped her put it on, he thanked her for being his wife. After declaring their love for one another, they sealed it with a kiss.

John shows up after being released from jail as everyone congratulates him! As Bo reiterated his congratulations to John, Hope hugged John and Marlena. John acknowledged that it had been a brilliant idea for the others to look into the Internet outages, but Hope shrugged it off as a "stroke of amazing luck." John vowed to find whoever was responsible for setting him up, and then repay every penny that had been stolen.

Back at the Horton house, Bo and Hope admired the family ornaments on the tree. As they gazed at the ornaments for Tom and Alice, Hope marveled that her grandmother had managed to save the day again. "If it wasn't for her help, John would be spending Christmas in a jail cell," Hope asserted. She admitted that she still missed "Gran," but Bo pointed out that Alice was always there with them. Julie and Doug entered with champagne, followed by Ciara, Jack, Jennifer, Abigail, Maggie, Victor, and Melanie. As the noisy Horton clan finally quieted down, Doug raised his glass to make a Christmas toast: "To all my wonderful family and friends, may your holiday season be filled with laughter and love and happiness and friendship and hugs and kisses! Here's to all of us," he continued, turning to face Tom and Alice's portrait on the mantel, "and to Alice and Tom, for bringing us all together, and always reminding us what family and love are truly about. Cheers!" As the Hortons clinked glasses and hugged, Julie dashed over to kiss and clink glasses with her husband.

The Christmas scenes close with the traditional montage of scenes as Maggie sat in Alice's chair, and Melanie knelt on the floor next to her so they could watch Victor open a gift, a colorful sweater like nothing else in his wardrobe. He scowled good-naturedly as he held it up, and the women giggled. Meanwhile, Doug took a picture of Julie, Hope, Bo, and Ciara in front of the Christmas tree. Jennifer, Abigail, and Jack sat on the sofa and looked through a family photo album together. Alone in Horton Square, John and Marlena gazed affectionately at the plaque of Tom and Alice before sharing another joyful kiss.

12/26 At the Horton house, Bo struggled to assemble a bicycle that he had purchased for Ciara. Hope smiled as she watched Bo, and she wondered if he was ready to give up yet. Hope recalled that Bo had taken the bike for a test drive, and that he had damaged the bike when he had tried to do a wheelie. Hope told Bo that it was time to admit defeat. Bo ignored Hope's advice, and he proceeded to drop the bike on his foot. "Oh, my God. Okay, you know what? Enough. I've had enough. That's it, okay? This is our daughter's first bike without training wheels, and she's not sleeping right now because she knows it's coming, and I will not deliver it to her in...five hundred and sixty-three pieces, Brady!" Hope said. Bo agreed, and he wondered what Hope wanted him to do.

Hope said that she wanted Bo to find an identical bike that was already assembled. "On Christmas Eve? The elves are three cups into the nog by now," Bo pointed out. Hope suggested that she and Bo could go to Sherman's, and she said that the owner owed them a favor. Hope reminded Bo that they had arrested the kids who had vandalized the owner's store. Bo reiterated that it was Christmas Eve, and he wondered what Hope was going to do if the owner refused to help. "If he says no, then I will blame you for this whole debacle, and have our daughter talk about it in therapy for the rest of her life," Hope jokingly stated, as she grabbed the phone. A short time later, Hope gloated that she had worked her magic, and that the owner had another bike that was already assembled.

Hope added that the owner had offered to take their bike pieces and assemble them into another bike that he would donate to a girl who really needed one. Bo shook his head skeptically, and Hope told him to cheer up. Hope said that Bo couldn't be good at everything, and she warned him not to do wheelies in the future. Bo tried to protest, and he said that he lived for doing wheelies.

Later, at the Horton Town Square, Bo teased Hope about the store owner. Bo claimed that the store owner had a crush on Hope. Hope insisted that Bo was wrong, and she said that she was just persuasive. Bo and Hope traded their bike pieces in for the assembled bike, and Hope protectively grabbed the bike to keep it away from Bo. Hope said that she didn't trust Bo around two-wheeled vehicles. Bo jokingly pouted, and he said that he didn't have to take that kind of abuse from Hope, even if she was cute. Hope playfully taunted Bo, and Bo started to chase Hope. Bo reached out to grab Hope's arm, but Hope dodged him, spilling a cup of coffee that she had been carrying in the process. Bo slipped on the puddle of coffee, and he landed on the ground next to Alice and Tom's memorial plaque.

Hope gasped as Bo tried to stand up, unaware that he had knocked the plaque off of its pedestal. Hope picked up the broken pieces of the plaque, and she sighed as she realized that she and Bo had ruined it. Bo assured Hope that the plaque could be fixed, but Hope insisted that it was irreplaceable. Hope noted that it was odd that the plaque had shattered that easily.

"It's just something...you know, things break. But what it symbolizes isn't broken, Hope," Bo said. Hope wasn't convinced, and she suggested that it might be a bad omen. Bo said that it wasn't like Hope to believe in superstitions, but Hope countered that it also wasn't like her to break something that was as important as Tom and Alice's plaque. Bo pointed out that Hope was always saying that Alice was sending them messages.

"What, you think this is a message? That...what? We're idiots?" Hope asked, as Bo inspected the plaque. Bo noticed that something was sticking out of the broken edge of the plaque. Bo gently removed the item, and he handed it to Hope.

"Maybe it is a message. What in the world does it open?" Hope wondered, as she inspected the small key that had been hidden in the plaque.

12/28 Bo and Hope cuddled in bed as Hope read poetry aloud from a book Bo had given her. After the two made love, Hope ordered Bo to make her breakfast. While Bo was in the kitchen, Hope stared at the key she had found. When Bo returned with breakfast, he counseled Hope not to obsess over the key. Hope countered that she could not help but feel like the key was connected to Alice, and that she needed to determine what the connection was. Bo informed Hope that he had called the man that had made the original plaque, Mr. Brown, and explained that he needed a replacement. "How come you're always reading my mind," Hope said with a grin. After getting dressed, Bo and Hope met Mr. Brown in Horton Town Square to talk about the plaque. Mr. Brown informed them that he was molding a replacement plaque, as it was covered in the original agreement for purchase.

With a raised eyebrow, Bo asked whether it was normal for an agreement to cover the cost of a replacement plaque. Mr. Brown shook his head and said that he had been paid handsomely for the work and did not ask why the original agreement had covered the costs for a replacement plaque. Hope held up the key and noted that she had found the key in the plaque when it broke. With a sigh, Mr. Brown explained that he had been instructed to put the key inside the mold for the original plaque.

"I figured it was special to her," Mr. Brown said. Hope asked Mr. Brown if Alice had asked him to put the key inside the mold. Shaking his head, Mr. Brown noted that Ms. Hewitt had instructions from Alice about the plaque. Mr. Brown added that he had not been told any information other than to place the key inside the plaque. Visibly shaken, Hope wondered aloud why her grandmother who was so open and honest in her life, had kept so many secrets.

Bo counseled Hope to rethink her vision of Alice in light of all the secrets Alice had left behind. Hope wondered aloud whether Alice was leading her to something, but Bo countered that they should leave the trail alone. "Some secrets are not meant to be uncovered," Bo said. "That's what Stefano said," Hope responded. Bo and Hope studied the key and agreed that it looked like it belonged to either a safe deposit box or a locked desk drawer. Bo suggested they talk to the lawyer Ms. Hewitt and see if she had any answers, but when he called her office, he learned Ms. Hewitt was out of town. Hope was impatient to find out about the key. "At least wherever it leads, we're together," Hope said.

12/30 Bo, Hope, Doug, and Julie shared a table at the Brady Pub, which was festively decked out with gold and silver balloons. Doug proposed a toast to a wonderful evening, and Hope chimed in with a toast to Caroline, who was babysitting the grandchildren. Everyone was looking forward to hearing Doug sing, and he asked Julie to join him at the microphone later in the evening.

Later, Bo and Hope stepped outside, and Bo guessed that his wife was thinking about Zack. "Always," she admitted. Hope wondered aloud if the pain of his death would ever ease, and added that she wanted some sort of peace and understanding, for both of them. The Bradys agreed that they should finally talk to someone. Hope acknowledged that she had been putting it off because she knew how much it would hurt to dredge up all of those memories, and it frightened her.

"But if we don't, I'm afraid we'll end up back in the same place again," Hope admitted. Bo reassured her that wouldn't happen. "We'll do whatever we have to do to stay strong, for Ciara, for Zack, and for us," Bo declared. Bo and Hope had returned inside and were seated at the bar when Brady led Madison to a table a bit later. Brady explained that he didn't want Madison to miss the performance that was about to happen. Doug then took the microphone and introduced himself and Julie to the crowd, and the two of them invited all the lovers in the room to dance. As Doug and Julie sang, "You Belong to my Heart," Bo and Hope, Madison and Brady, and other couples took the dance floor. Later, Doug counted down to midnight, and then everyone shouted, "Happy New Year!" The crowd launched into "Auld Lang Syne”, as Bo and Hope snuck outside to smooch.

1/4/12 Bo and Hope met with Marlena at the townhouse for a therapy session. Marlena first informed them that John had learned that his freedom was due in part to Stefano's help, and although John had initially been unhappy about it, he'd admitted that he would have done the same thing if he'd been in Marlena's shoes. Marlena then asked what Bo and Hope wanted to work on in therapy. Together, the Bradys explained that they were happier than they'd been in years, but they needed to explore what had gone wrong between them after Zack's death, because they had never really dealt with how it had affected them as a family. "When our marriage was tested, we came very close to losing everything, and we don't ever want to have that happen again," Bo stated.

As Marlena asked open-ended questions, Hope offered her theory that because they hadn't dealt with what had happened to Zack, it had led to their not dealing with a lot of other things as a couple. Bo added that they hadn't trusted each other with their feelings. Hope said that the two of them had pretended that they had worked through their pain and that things had returned to normal when they hadn't.

Marlena asked when Bo and Hope had realized they'd needed help. Bo replied that it had been when they'd found Zack's Christmas ornament, and Hope confessed that for her, it had also been during Johnny's disappearance. Upon further questioning from Marlena, Hope described her devastation when she'd learned that Chelsea had been behind the wheel when Zack had died. "Letting Chelsea drive, and then not telling me, then lying to me, that's what shattered my faith, my trust in you," Hope told Bo.

Fighting to maintain his composure, Bo admitted, "Hope is right. I am responsible for what happened to our little boy, and I hate myself for it." Hope noted gently that the two of them never discussed their pain or their loss with each other. As Bo broke down in sobs, Hope put her arms around him and pulled him to her, and then began to weep as well. Bo then acknowledged to Marlena that he wasn't as open about his feelings as Hope was. Hope pointed out that although they talked about their precious memories of Zack, they never discussed their grief or the hopes and dreams they'd had for their son and it made her feel alone and sad. "I'm sorry," Bo said.

Hope told Marlena that Bo's decisions about Ciara's kidnapping had also contributed to their problems. Hope continued that afterwards, she'd taken a still terrified Ciara to Doug and Julie's house in the mountains in the hopes that it would help the child, and while there, Hope had decided that she and Bo needed some time apart. Shortly after Hope had temporarily moved out, she had found Carly in Bo and Hope's bed. Bo argued that it had been Hope's decision to move out. "I thought you'd be waiting for me. Instead, you replaced me," Hope said sadly.

Bo gently reminded her that at first he had only been trying to protect Carly from people who'd been trying to kill her, and he'd never intended to get involved with Carly again. Hope understood, but pointed out that it had still hurt her deeply. Hope divulged to Marlena, "While he turned to Carly, I turned to pills that I thought would help me sleep and dull the pain." She began to cry as she continued that she had nearly killed Bo, but she hadn't been able to go through with it because she'd loved him. The Bradys declared their love for one another, and again held each other as they both cried.

Hope expressed her amazement that Bo had forgiven her, but he said that he shared the responsibility for the things she'd done that had landed her in prison. "I nearly lost you, and I don't want to go anywhere near that place again," Bo declared.

"I don't either," Hope agreed. Marlena pointed out that although they couldn't change the past, Bo and Hope could make their future whatever they chose. "I promise to always trust you, and work out our problems together," Bo vowed, and Hope echoed his words. Marlena assured them, "You have the love. Once you have the trust, forgiveness follows." She declared that Bo and Hope had made a great deal of progress in one session, and if they could keep the lines of communication open, they could have the kind of marriage that they wanted. Bo and Hope promised each other that they would do that.

1/9/12 At Bo and Hope's house, Bo and Hope discussed their earlier therapy session. Bo admitted that he was worried that he and Hope would not be able to recover from their past mistakes, even with Marlena's help. Hope said that she shared Bo's concerns, but she added that she had to believe that they would eventually get past those issues. Bo said that he didn't want to lose Hope because of choices that he had made in the past. Hope countered that she didn't want to lose Bo because they were too scared to talk about those choices. Bo assured Hope that he was committed to making their marriage even stronger, but he added that he didn't want to hurt her.

"But it's what I need, it's what we need, no matter how much it hurts, and I, we can't just talk about our issues in therapy. We need to be able to take them home. Actually, there's something that I have been thinking about since we left Marlena's office, something that I really need to talk to you about, and I'm afraid of what will happen when I do," Hope hesitantly stated. Hope told Bo that their problems had been caused by the choices that they had made after Zack's death, and Bo agreed.

"You didn't trust me with the truth that night, just like you didn't trust me when Ciara was kidnapped, or when Carly came back into town. You know, so many times, we have ended up in the same place, a really dishonest place," Hope added. Bo promised that he would never lie to Hope again.

"I want to believe that. I want to believe it, but there's always this...small seed of doubt in the back of my mind, reminding me of the past. How are we supposed to have a healthy relationship if I'm afraid to trust you with my whole heart?" Hope asked. Bo sighed, and he admitted that Hope was breaking his heart. Hope apologized, and she insisted that she didn't want to hurt Bo. Hope said that she was just trying to be honest.

"You're right, I have betrayed your trust, and there's really nothing I can do to change that, but I can prove to you that what happened was in the past, and I can be honest with you until the day I die," Bo said. Hope said that she knew that Bo meant that, but she added that he had made those promises before.

"Hold on, I'm not finished. You know how stubborn and set in my ways I can be; it's part of me, and I knew the day I met you that I wanted to change. And you helped me with that, Fancy Face, but the thing is, deep inside, that kid that's scared, um and has trouble relying on people, is still there," Bo said, as he fought back his tears. Hope assured Bo that he would always be able to rely on her. Bo nodded, and he promised that he was going to try to get rid of his insecurity. Hope admitted that she wasn't perfect, either. Bo jokingly agreed, and Hope playfully smacked him.

Bo grinned, then he assured Hope that she was perfect. Bo kissed Hope, and he promised that as long as they were together, they would be able to survive anything. Later that night, Bo took Hope to the Brady Pub. Hope told Bo that she had not expected that their impromptu date would involve breaking and entering. Bo jokingly assured Hope that he was friends with the owner. Bo and Hope entered the pub, and Bo smiled as he realized that Caroline had prepared a candlelit dinner for them.

Bo found some romantic music that Caroline had provided for the occasion, and he and Hope started to dance. Hope said that she knew that therapy wasn't going to be a walk in the park. Hope told Bo that she felt that they were stronger than they had ever been, and she said that she wanted to keep it that way. Hope said that she felt like she was right where she was supposed to be, and she added that she felt like Bo was her destiny. Hope admitted that it was probably silly to believe in that kind of thing. Bo said that he felt the same way. Hope smiled, and she commended Bo for always knowing the right thing to say. "No, I mean it, we've made it through so much. Shipwrecks, Stefano DiMera, Shawn D's teenage years, Fancy Face, you are my destiny. You're my everything," Bo said, as he kissed Hope.

1/12 At the Horton house, Bo and Hope discussed the key that they had found in Alice and Tom's memorial plaque. "It's like Grandma had this whole separate life, even before Grandpa passed away. I always thought of them as having the most perfect marriage, closer than close," Hope said. Bo assured Hope that Tom and Alice's marriage had been as close to perfect as it could have possibly been. Hope changed the subject, and she reiterated that she was glad that Bo had agreed to go to therapy. "Hope, look, I would do anything for you, for us. It's fifty minutes a week; in exchange, we get a better, stronger marriage. I think it's worth it," Bo said. Bo reluctantly added that he needed to talk to Hope about something. Bo carefully suggested that Alice might not have wanted Hope to know about the key.

Dvd #82B ”So, you agree with the attorney, and with Stefano, that some things should stay buried, and Gran never wanted anyone to know the truth. Is that what you're telling me?" Hope wondered. Bo said that he just wanted Hope to be happy. Hope said that she wasn't going to be happy until she knew the truth.

"Gran and I were very, very close, Bo. Ever since I was a little girl, we could communicate without ever saying a word to each other. She'd be baking in the kitchen, I'd be standing next to her, and all she had to do was just look at me, and I knew what she was thinking; I knew what she needed from me," Hope said, as she stared at a picture of Alice. "And you know what else I know, without her saying it? If she never wanted anyone to find that key, she would have tossed it in the river, but she put it inside the plaque, where it wasn't likely to be found, but could be. Now, there is a reason for that," Hope added.

Bo wondered if Hope was suggesting that Alice could see into the future. Hope assumed that Bo was patronizing her, but Bo assured her that he was not. "She couldn't have known how it would happen, and she never would've known that it would be us. She put that key there for a reason, and until I figure out what that reason is, I'm not dropping it. This isn't going away for me any time soon, Brady," Hope said. Bo noted that Hope was like a dog with a bone. Hope agreed, but she warned Bo that he might want to think of a more flattering analogy the next time. Bo said that he was worried that the mystery was going to drive Hope crazy. Hope said that giving up would drive her even crazier. Bo abruptly caved in, and he agreed to help Hope solve the mystery. Hope insisted that she and Bo would be unstoppable together. Before Bo could respond, he received a call about a robbery suspect, and he and Hope rushed off to investigate.

Later, at the Brady Pub, Hope and Bo celebrated the fact that they had apprehended their robbery suspect. Bo was amazed that someone had been stupid enough to rob a pharmacy in the middle of the day. Bo changed the subject, and he joked that it was time to obsess about Alice's key again. Hope recalled that Austin had told her about a website that allowed users to research financial public records. Bo pointed out that Hope was going to need a name, and he suggested that Alice had probably used a pseudonym. Hope agreed, and she and Bo glanced at each other knowingly as they realized that they knew what Alice would have used as her pseudonym. Hope excitedly opened her laptop, and she started to search for the website.

"Got it, safe deposit box at Salem National, under 'A. Grayson.' The only thing is, this isn't where Gran did her banking, and there was no mention of the safe deposit box in her will, or in any of the other paperwork related to her estate," Hope said. Hope added that she was sure that the key belonged to that safe deposit box. "What is in this safe deposit box that Gran went to such great lengths to hide and to keep a secret?" Hope wondered.

1/13 At the Horton house, Hope and Bo filled in Jennifer about the safe deposit box key they'd found. They explained that none of them had known about Alice's account at that bank because it wasn't where she'd usually done her banking, and she'd kept the account and box under her maiden name but Bo and Hope had an appointment later that day with the bank manager. Jennifer was utterly floored that her and Hope's grandmother had kept so many secrets from them, because it was so unlike Alice.

As Bo went to answer the doorbell, Hope admitted, "I have felt like Gran has been guiding me to this point for months now. I don't want to let her down." Jennifer tried to reassure her cousin that she could never do that. Bo then led Abe into the living room, and Hope asked Abe how the mayoral campaign was going. With a confident grin, Abe declared that since E.J. could no longer sling mud at John Black, the people had begun to realize that E.J. was a single-issue candidate and Abe stood a much better chance of winning.

Bo and Hope wanted to know more about Abe's new jobs program, but Abe wouldn't reveal any details until he was ready to unveil it. When the women were alone, Hope inquired about how things were going with Jennifer and the situation with Jack and Daniel. Jennifer asserted that she was fickle for not being able to make up her mind, and she hated leaving the two men in limbo while they waited. Hope supportively contended that Jennifer was in a complicated, difficult situation. Jennifer informed Hope that both men had walked away. Jennifer added that she wished things could be easy, like they seemed for Bo and Hope. After reminding Jennifer that relationships were not easy, Hope confided that she and Bo were going to therapy with Marlena. Jennifer was surprised, and Hope admitted that Bo didn't like talking about his feelings. Jennifer said that Jack didn't either. Hope asserted that even the most solid couples had issues. As Bo and Hope were leaving for the bank a little later, Abe offered do anything he could to help.

While Bo and Hope were waiting in the bank manager's office, Hope paced anxiously. Bo urged his wife to relax, but she fretted that whatever was inside the safe deposit box might only lead to more questions. At last Alex Simpson, the manager, entered, and shook Bo and Hope's hands. Hope explained that she was the executor of her grandmother's estate, and Hope had recently discovered that Alice had a safe deposit box under her maiden name at that branch that hadn't been listed under her original estate.

Hope produced the key, and asked if she could have the box, since legally, it belonged to her. "Actually, it doesn't, because the safety deposit box didn't belong just to your grandmother," Alex replied, and then explained that there were two names on the account, Alice’s and that of the other owner, and both parties had to be present in order to open the box. "So unless we know who she shared the box with, this key is useless to us," a discouraged Hope concluded.

1/16 At the bank, Hope and Bo tried to convince Mr. Simpson to let them open Alice's safe deposit box. Mr. Simpson reiterated that both of the owners of the safe deposit box needed to be present in order for him to open the box. Bo urged Mr. Simpson to call the other person, but Mr. Simpson said that it wasn't the bank's place to get involved. Hope wondered if Tom was the other owner of the safe deposit box. Mr. Simpson shook his head, and he assured Hope that the other owner was still alive. Mr. Simpson claimed that he wasn't at liberty to reveal anything else.

Mr. Simpson started to leave, but Hope stopped him. Hope warned Mr. Simpson that she and Bo were police officers. Mr. Simpson reminded Hope that she didn't have a warrant, then he abruptly exited the room. After Mr. Simpson left, Hope told Bo that her suspicions had been aroused. "Ever since we started this investigation, everyone we've spoken to has said they're not at liberty to tell us anything, every single time. That's not just a pattern, it's an M.O.," Hope observed. Bo agreed, but he added that it wasn't Alice's M.O. Hope nodded, and she vowed that she wasn't going to stop investigating the mystery.

Later, at the Brady Pub, Bo and Hope continued to discuss Alice's secret. Roman entered the pub, and he congratulated Bo and Hope for catching the person who had tried to rob the pharmacy earlier. Roman added that the next step was going to be to get to the root of the problem. Hope looked at Alice's key, and she quietly stated that she was familiar with that feeling. Roman showed Bo and Hope a tablet computer. Roman explained that every detective on the police force was going to be required to carry a tablet. Roman added that the tablets would receive real-time updates from the Salem Police Department's most-wanted database. Bo examined the most-wanted list, and he admitted that he would like to put all of the people on that list behind bars.

Roman said that every criminal on the list would have their own page, and that each page would include photos, aliases, and rap sheets. Bo noted that the criminals on the list had managed to stay out of jail because they were always one step ahead of the Salem P.D. Hope added that the Salem P.D. had never been able to gather enough evidence to build a solid case against any of them.

"Well, that is about to change...because I am putting you and Hope in charge of the task force that's going to bring down each and every one of these punks," Roman announced. Roman added that Bo and Hope were the two best detectives in Salem. Bo was excited, but Hope couldn't stop thinking about Alice's secret.

Later, Roman reiterated that Hope was a great detective, but Hope admitted that she didn't feel like one. Hope showed Roman the key, and she quickly explained the situation. Roman reminded Hope that she had inherited Alice's tenacity, and he insisted that she would eventually learn the truth. Bo joked that the safe deposit box probably contained Alice's doughnut recipes. Hope said that she felt like she was missing something that should have been obvious. Bo nodded, and he said that it was the same thing that was missing from the most-wanted list. Bo added that Hope was right, the missing piece of the puzzle was obvious.

Bo showed Roman and Hope the list, and Hope immediately realized that Stefano's name was conspicuously absent. Roman said that was because Stefano had never been convicted of anything. Roman added that DiMera Enterprises had fooled people into believing that Stefano was a legitimate businessman. Hope quickly told Roman about Stefano's connection to Alice. "I'm thinking the answer is staring us in the face, is it really that much of a reach to think that Stefano DiMera is the other name on this safe deposit box?" Bo asked.

1/18 When Bo and Hope arrived to meet the Carvers, Abe explained that he wanted to talk to them about the police department's new initiative to arrest and prosecute Salem's most wanted criminals. Abe then filled in the Bradys about the file that had been stolen from his laptop, although there was no evidence that the computer had been hacked. Still fuming, Lexie admitted she was worried that E.J.'s underhanded tactics might actually work.Abe pointed out that E.J. couldn't do anything to lower the crime rate in Salem, but Abe could. Abe continued that despite the budget shortages, he'd managed to find some money for crime reduction and he was authorizing Bo and Hope to hire whoever they needed to help with the task force. Bo declared that he already had a good idea about whom to call. Later, as Abe and Lexie put on their coats to leave, Lexie expressed her hopes that her brother would be among the criminals rounded up by the task force.

Hope acknowledged that it had to be hard for Lexie to keep wishing for her brother and father to change their ways. Lexie admitted that sometimes she wished she were more like them, so she could predict their dirty tricks. "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that E.J.'s latest dirty trick is his last," Abe promised. As soon as Abe and Lexie were gone, Bo got on the phone. When Rafe and Carrie arrived at the pub, Bo and Hope outlined Abe's plan for the anti-crime task force, and explained that they wanted to hire Carrie and Rafe, unless they were too swamped with work in their new business. After Rafe and Carrie shared a smirk, Rafe said that he thought they could find some time.

Carrie reminded the Bradys that she was a defense attorney, but Bo declared that her experience on the "wrong" side of the courtroom would provide valuable insight to help them outmaneuver the criminals who'd been evading prosecution for years. Although she was clearly a bit hesitant, Carrie finally declared, "All right; I'm in." The foursome clinked coffee cups in a celebratory toast, and then got to work. Rafe looked over the most-wanted database on Bo's tablet, and recognized many of them from his days on the police force. Rafe and Carrie then confessed that they hadn't gotten a lot of work yet, except for the case of the missing feline. Bo and Hope admitted that their early days as private investigators had been filled with similarly demoralizing cases, and offered to help publicize Rafe and Carrie's firm.

Hope asked how Sami was handling Carrie and Rafe working together, and Rafe replied that Sami had been very supportive. Carrie admitted that she'd been nervous about it, because she felt like the only reason she and Sami had been getting along so well was that there had been an ocean between them. Rafe assured Carrie that Sami had only talked about her in glowing terms. Rafe believed that Sami wanted their old animosity to remain in the past, and Carrie admitted that she really wanted that, too. Bo and Hope then filled Carrie and Rafe in about the key they'd found in the plaque, and the safe deposit box that Alice had shared with a mysterious partner, who they suspected was Stefano.

1/20 At the Brady Pub, Bo noted that Hope was still obsessing about the safe deposit box key. Bo asked if she agreed that Stefano might be the box's co-owner, and Hope did. Both wondered how they would get Stefano to talk. Meanwhile, Madison sat down at a table across the restaurant, and gazed with interest at the Bradys. Hope contemplated subpoenaing the bank records, or getting a warrant to search the DiMera mansion. Bo pointed out that they would never get either one based solely on speculation. Hope confessed that she'd even considered breaking in to the mansion, but Bo reminded her that they had to play by the rules as much as possible. Hope fretted that they would never find what they were looking for. From across the pub, Madison took a picture of Hope, and looked at it appreciatively.

Madison then strode over to the Bradys' table, and shook the couple's hands. Bo and Hope remembered meeting Madison at the town square Halloween party. Hope mentioned the great things she'd been hearing about Madison's work at Mad World. Madison said that was what she wanted to talk to Hope about, modeling for Mad World. Utterly floored, Hope maintained that she loved being a cop, as well as being a wife and mother. Madison offered to work around Hope's schedule so Hope didn't have to give any of that up, because Hope represented the real, relatable women for whom Mad World's products were made and besides, Hope had modeled before. Hope admitted that she was flattered, but politely declined Madison's offer. Madison left her business card with Hope, in case Hope changed her mind. After Madison had gone, Hope marveled at the offer from Ms. James.

Bo maintained that he was only surprised that his wife didn't receive those kinds of offers every day. Hope asserted, "She's asking me to be someone I'm just not anymore." That statement gave Bo an idea about how to get to Stefano. Soon, a woman named Carol made a phone call for Bo and Hope. After they paid Carol, the Bradys went to Horton Square to wait for Stefano to show up. Hope was worried that Simpson from the bank had tipped off Stefano after Bo and Hope had tried to access Alice's safe deposit box, but then Stefano walked through the archway.

When Bo and Hope intentionally ran into Stefano, he reflected on the phone call from Carol. She had claimed that she was from Salem First National Bank, and there was a problem with his safe deposit box, the personal box he shared with A. Grayson. "It's not something we can take care of over the phone. I know how much you value discretion where this account is concerned," Carol had explained. Bo sarcastically asked what the odds were that they would run into Stefano in the square. With a smirk, Stefano replied, "You tell me." Hope confessed, "Actually, I can't tell a lie. We were just talking about you and about the safe deposit box you share with my grandmother."

1/23 Bo and Hope told Stefano that they had tricked him into meeting them. Hope demanded to know what was in the safe deposit box. Stefano admitted that he had shared a safe deposit box with Alice, but he added that the box required two keys. Hope smiled as she showed Stefano her key. “Ah you've been pretty hard at work, haven't you? I'm sure it's terrible for you to realize that I shared so many secrets with Alice, secrets that she never shared with you. Well, I guess there's no reason to keep you in the dark any longer, so come along, children, let’s get this over with," Stefano said.

Later, in a private room at the bank, Hope and Bo impatiently waited for Stefano to retrieve the box. "What in the world could justify Gran keeping secrets with Stefano DiMera? I don't like this; I don't have a good feeling at all about this, Brady. I mean, okay, all right I understand her helping to save E.J.'s life; I mean, my God, she'd do that for anybody, but there's something more. There's something more, Brady. I don't like it any of it," Hope said, as she paced around the room. Hope noted that it was Alice's birthday. Hope suggested that the date was significant, and she told Bo that it was going to be a big day for them and for Alice. Before Bo could respond, Stefano entered the room. Stefano placed the safe deposit box on a nearby desk, and he wondered if Hope was certain that she wanted to open the box. Hope inserted her key into one of the locks, and Stefano started to do the same.

"You know, before we open this box, there’s a very important question that I think that you should ask yourself. If your grandmother wanted anybody to know about this secret, why did she go to such trouble to keep it hidden? Maybe she was trying to protect you, or someone that you love," Stefano said. Hope recalled that Stefano had made a similar statement before. Bo sighed impatiently, and he told Stefano to stop stalling. Stefano inserted his key into the other lock, then he paused again. Stefano referred to the safe deposit box as Pandora's box, and he wondered if Hope was sure that she wanted to open it.

Hope confirmed that she wanted to know what was in the box. Stefano started to open the box, but Bo slammed his hand down on the lid to stop Stefano. Bo could tell that Hope was conflicted, and he reminded her that she did not need to rush into anything. Stefano urged Bo and Hope to give the matter some serious thought, and he told them to contact him after they had made their decision. Hope retrieved her key from the box, then Stefano carried the box out of the room. After Stefano left, Hope confirmed Bo's suspicion that she wasn't ready to open the box.

1/24 At the Brady Pub, Hope and Bo were chatting when Doug and Julie joined them at their table. Hope informed Doug and Julie about her run-in with Stefano and how he had offered to open Alice's safe deposit box. When Doug asked Hope why she had decided not to open the box, Hope explained that Stefano's argument that Alice had gone to great lengths to hide the contents from her family had made Hope second-guess her decision.

Hope admitted that she was worried the contents of the box would hurt her family. Julie advised Hope to trust her instincts and be cautious. When Hope got up to refill her coffee, Julie whispered to Doug and Bo that Stefano had provoked the reaction that he wanted out of Hope. "She'll find the right way to solve this mystery," Bo said. When Hope returned to the table, Doug handed her a pile of papers showing a paper trail of wire transfers to a bank in Africa. Doug and Julie offered to go to Africa to look into the wire transfers. Hope took Julie aside and confided that she was worried what Julie and Doug would find. Shaking her head, Julie urged Hope to remember what kind of person Alice was and not to worry.

1/27 When Bo and Hope invited Stefano to meet them in Horton Square, he arrived promptly. Stefano asked if the Bradys had made a decision regarding the safe deposit box he and Alice shared. Hope said she'd realized that the contents of the box had to affect Stefano somehow, or else there wouldn't have been two keys. She continued that since Alice would never have entrusted Stefano with an important secret, it meant that there was something that both Alice and Stefano had wanted kept secret.

Stefano claimed that he had nothing to hide, but Hope didn't believe him. Changing tactics, Stefano maintained that he was only trying to protect Hope from something her grandmother had never intended for her to know. When he referred to Hope as his "little art thief," she bristled, and declared that she would not fall for his mind games again. Turning to Bo, Hope said, "Whatever's inside that box may be just what we need to put Stefano DiMera away, for good this time." Stefano insisted that Hope was wrong, so she ordered him to prove it by opening the box. Stefano growled a warning, "You have no idea what you are talking about how many lives those two secrets could destroy." Hope couldn't believe her ears.

"There are two secrets inside that box?" she hissed. Bo and Hope demanded that Stefano tell them about the secrets. Stefano reluctantly explained that after Alice had helped save E.J.'s life, Stefano had vowed to pay her back at any cost. Despite her insistence that she'd wanted nothing to do with him, she'd obviously held onto his voucher. In relating the story, it was clear that Stefano had nothing but respect for Alice.

Years later, Stefano had visited Alice again, because he'd learned something about the Horton family that he'd been sure Alice would not have wanted the public to know. He'd promised to keep it a secret as a way of repaying his debt to her but Alice had countered that she'd had something on Stefano. The two had been at a stalemate, until Alice had suggested a compromise: each of them would take their information and place it into two separate envelopes, then lock them away in a safe deposit box, which could only be opened if both of them were present.

Stefano added that neither he nor Alice had ever learned what information the other had. He then declared that they faced a very dangerous dilemma, for all of them. "I was not bluffing when I told your grandmother that what I found out should never be made public, and if I were you two, I would adhere to the same advice," Stefano warned. Hope replied that she would make that decision. Stefano stated ominously, "Fine; I have done my part. Now, you can either leave sleeping dogs lie, or you can awaken the beast. The choice is yours."

1/30 At the Horton Town Square, Stefano suggested that Alice had wanted her secrets to remain buried. Hope said that Stefano didn't know anything about Alice. Stefano replied that he seemed to know more about Alice than Hope did. Hope's temper flared, but Bo warned her not to play Stefano's games. "Oh? Don't you see? You already are," Stefano cryptically stated.

Hope angrily reminded Stefano that it wasn't a game to her. Bo told Hope to ignore Stefano's taunts, and he suggested that Stefano just wanted to get a reaction out of her. "What I want is to go home. Mary's hamster is more entertaining than you two, at least the hamster's going around, and around, and around," Stefano dryly stated. Stefano added that Bo and Hope had made the wrong choice, and that he was giving them the opportunity to reconsider. Hope said that Stefano was being dramatic.

"You know what I think? I think you're bluffing, because you know whatever's inside that box could put you away for life. Your heart's pounding, I can hear it. You're scared," Hope said. Stefano insisted that Hope was wrong. "There are two keys to this equation, mine, and yours. Now, the box will not open without both, so, as far as I can see, you need me. Oh, yes, you need my key, all right? Now, I could certainly walk away, I don't have to help you," Stefano said.

Hope said that she would just find another way to open the box, and she urged Stefano to walk away.Stefano started to call Hope's bluff, but Bo stopped him. "You want to know what's in that box just as much as we do. I mean, that's why you're here, this curiosity of yours is eating away at you. You want to know exactly what kind little Mrs. H had on the big, bad Stefano DiMera, so why don't we get this over with today and you can go back to playing chess with yourself or whatever you call it," Bo said.

Stefano agreed to help, but he added that he had one condition. "I want to know what the contents of that letter is that is inside the box. That's it. No one touches it, and I'm the only one who sees it," Stefano said. Hope refused, but Stefano said that he wasn't willing to negotiate. Bo suggested that Stefano was afraid that the contents of the envelope would end his reign of terror in Salem. Hope called Stefano a coward. Stefano claimed that he was just being smart. Stefano pointed out that he and Hope each had something that the other person wanted. Stefano said that he was just trying to make a deal that would satisfy both of them. Bo said that he and Hope were not in the habit of making deals with the devil. "Fine, you call me whatever you want, but let me remind you of something, hmm? That I am the only one who knows one of the secrets that is inside that box. And now that Alice is gone, what stops me from sharing it with the rest of the world?" Stefano asked hypothetically.

Stefan Bo pointed out that the envelope might contain a secret that would destroy Stefano's family, too. Stefano noted that it was apparently acceptable for Bo to play games, but Bo insisted that he was just stating a fact. Hope snapped that it was time to open the box and end the speculation. Stefano reminded Hope that she would have to agree to his terms first. Hope said that she didn't trust Stefano.

"Nor I you, okay? But you have to decide what is important, finding out the secret of your family, or trying to come up with some phony excuse against me. Now, okay, apparently we're not going to settle this today, that's fine. You know where to find me...once you two make up your mind," Stefano said, and he started to walk away. Hope stopped Stefano, and she said that he couldn't leave. "Oh, but I can. Open the box, close the box, either way, I win. Ciao, darling.” Stefano said, as he exited the town square. 2/2 At the bank, Bo and Hope waited for Stefano to arrive. Hope wondered if she was making the right decision. "You know, part of me just wants to call this whole thing off, give that damn safe deposit box back to the bank manager, and then walk out and throw this key into the river," Hope told Bo. Hope added that she couldn't really do that, because then she would wonder what was in the box for the rest of her life. Stefano entered the room, and he wondered if Hope had made a decision. Stefano warned Hope to give the matter some serious consideration. Bo sarcastically noted that Stefano's concern was touching and selfless. Stefano shrugged, and he conceded that he did have a personal stake in the matter.

Hope theorized that the box contained incriminating evidence that could put Stefano behind bars for the rest of his life. "That's so foolish, do you really think that your grandmother would let me get away with something like, let's say, murder? Hmm? And any lesser crime certainly has been taken care of years ago. But I'll tell you what, let's forget about talking about me, huh? Let's talk about you...and your family. Now, I know that whatever she has on me could hurt me, but I also know that I could take it. You, on the other hand, have no idea what family member is going to be hit when you open that box, or what is going to happen to them," Stefano said.

Hope noted that Stefano had resorted to threats, and she took that as a sign that she was making the right decision. Hope announced that she was ready to proceed. Stefano shrugged, and he reminded Bo and Hope that they would not be able to look at the envelope that Alice had left for Stefano. Bo observed that Stefano seemed scared about the contents of the second envelope.

"No, no, I'm not scared. I think I've been pretty honest with myself throughout my life, and, uh, to tell you the truth, I don't particularly give a damn what anybody thinks about me in the world, outside of my family of course, so I really don't think there's anything very threatening in there," Stefano said. Stefano added that he wasn't willing to negotiate, because Bo and Hope needed his help.

Hope warned Stefano that the contents of the second envelope could destroy his family, too. "What, are they going to find out that I did something bad? No, they can't find out anything worse than what they already know. I had a great deal of respect for your grandmother, but I must say, by the end of the day, I don't really think that she was a match for me," Stefano replied. Hope insisted that Stefano wasn't smarter, or better at protecting his family, than Alice had been. Hope reluctantly admitted that she and Stefano had something in common, they both wanted to know what was in the box so that they could protect their respective families. Stefano continued to act indifferent, and he claimed that he could have easily ignored the box for the rest of his life.

Bo wondered why Stefano hadn't gotten rid of the key. Stefano admitted that he probably should have, and he added that Alice should have, too. Stefano pointed out that it wasn't too late to do that. Hope insisted that Alice had kept the key because she had wanted someone to learn the truth. Hope noted that the key had literally fallen into her hands, and that it had happened for a reason. Hope inserted her key into one of the key slots. Stefano sighed, then he reluctantly inserted his key into the remaining slot. Stefano and Hope opened the safe deposit box, and Stefano quickly retrieved his envelope. A familiar wax seal was visible on one side of the other envelope. Hope looked at the envelope apprehensively.

"If you've gotten cold feet again, I suppose we could lock the box up, you know? But it would seem like it's very anticlimactic, after all the drama," Stefano said. Hope grabbed the envelope, and Bo told Stefano to leave.

"I'll give you your privacy, but as I warned you, your grandmother went to great lengths to make sure what's in that envelope never sees the light of day, 'cause she didn't want you to see it, or anyone else, and since we agreed that your grandmother was a very intelligent woman, and did whatever she could to help her family, perhaps you should try to be a little bit like her," Stefano suggested. Hope quietly stated that she had spent her entire life trying to emulate Alice. Stefano assured Hope that she would never be able to forget about the contents of her envelope. Before Hope could respond, Stefano abruptly exited the room. After Stefano left, Bo pointed out that Hope didn't have to open the envelope right away, or ever. Meanwhile, outside, Stefano sighed as he clutched his envelope.

2/6 At the Horton house, Hope started to open the envelope, then she hesitated. Hope wished that she could be certain that she was doing the right thing. Bo wondered if Hope was looking for a sign. Hope nodded, and Bo pointed out that Alice had already sent them a number of signs. Hope started to agree with Bo, then she paused, and she turned her attention to a book that was laying on the nearby mantel.

"I haven't seen this book in years, Brady. I mean, this is Grandpa's," Hope explained, as she opened the book. A small piece of paper fell out of the book, and Hope laughed as she looked at the paper. Hope glanced at a picture of Alice, and she thanked Alice for sending a sign. Bo was confused.

"Gran used to clip sayings and thoughts she liked out of the newspaper, and then she'd stick them in Grandpa's favorite poetry book, and it drove him crazy, absolutely insane,  because every time he'd open it to read it, a million little pieces of paper would fall out. She finally put them all in a box, except that one," Hope explained, as she handed Bo the piece of paper.

'If not you, who? If not now, when?' As far as signs go, that's right on the nose. I'm surprised she didn't send you, like, a letter opener or something," Bo said, as Hope excitedly started to open the envelope. Hope noted that all of Alice's previous signs had led to good things, and she theorized that the information in the envelope had to be good, too.

Bo pointed out that the envelope contained a secret that Stefano had threatened to expose, and he warned Hope that it might not be good news. Hope nodded, but she added that she had lost her leverage against Stefano, so he was free to reveal the truth at any time. Hope said that Alice was trying to tell her to make a preemptive strike. Bo agreed, and he urged Hope to follow her instincts. Hope took a deep breath, then she opened the envelope. Hope's face turned pale as she examined the contents of the envelope. Hope dropped the document, and she grabbed the arm of a nearby chair to steady herself, as Bo wondered what was wrong.

2/7 At the Horton residence, Hope opened up the envelope from the safe deposit box. Shocked by the contents, Hope dropped the paper and cried out, "No!" Worried, Bo gathered up the paper from the floor and read it. "It can't be true. It's not true," Bo assured Hope. Upset, Hope pointed out that the paper was a marriage certificate that showed that she was married to John and not to Bo. Hope did not believe the marriage certificate was a forgery, but Bo urged her to look at the date on the certificate. Bo reminded Hope that the date was during the time that Hope had been brainwashed into believing she was Princess Gina. Hope was worried because she did not have all her memories from that time period. Hope reasoned that if the marriage certificate was not real then there would be no reason to lock it up inside a safe deposit box.

Hope examined the certificate and noted that there was a witness' illegible signature. As Hope contemplated who the witness might be, Bo snatched the paper out of her hand. "You're my wife. Our marriage is real, and nothing is gonna change that. Nothing," Bo said firmly. Hope assured Bo that nothing would change between them. After kissing her husband, Hope noted that she felt compelled to investigate the marriage certificate to determine if it was authentic.

At the penthouse, John was surprised to find Bo and Hope at his front door. With a smile, John invited Bo and Hope inside to join him for dinner. Hope solemnly asked if Marlena was home, and John explained that she had stepped out. Bo stated that there was a problem that involved Stefano. Bo informed John about the safe deposit box and that they had made a deal with Stefano to relinquish the evidence Alice had in the box in exchange for the envelope from Stefano. With a sigh, Hope handed the envelope with the marriage certificate to John. After starting at the certificate, John fell silent.

When Hope urged John to talk to her, he asked Hope if she believed the certificate was legitimate. Hope shrugged her shoulders. John noted that even if the certificate were legitimate, it would be easy to annul the marriage and move on with their lives. Shaking his head, Bo noted that Stefano had warned them that they'd opened Pandora's box when they opened the safety deposit box. Bo argued that since Stefano was involved, the solution would likely be complex.

2/8 Almost as soon as she opened her eyes, Hope looked at the marriage certificate on her nightstand, and began fretting again. She reminded Bo that he wasn't her husband if she were legally married to John, as the certificate stated. Bo firmly reassured her that nothing could ever change how he felt about her. He added that he would hear soon back from a friend who was looking into whether the marriage certificate was authentic.

Bo pointed out the irony of Stefano's attempts to sabotage their relationship, because DiMera had no heart and so would never be able to comprehend how much the two of them loved each other, and therefore would never win. "I have loved you most of my life. Fancy Face, you're the best part of me," Bo declared. Hope kissed him gratefully, tenderly, then Bo growled playfully and pushed her back onto the bed. After Bo and Hope made love, Hope wondered why Bo's contact hadn't called yet. Bo urged her to be patient, but then she wondered why Stefano couldn't leave them alone. Bo maintained that Stefano was jealous of their happiness.

Bo called John and suggested that the Blacks and the Bradys should all be together when Bo heard back from his contact about the marriage certificate. John said that he and Marlena were at the pub, so Bo agreed to meet there. After Bo hung up, Hope confessed that she wasn't sure she could handle the truth.

When Bo and Hope arrived to meet them at the pub, Hope apologized to John and Marlena for roping them into the drama of Alice's secret. Marlena pointed out that Stefano was to blame, although Hope couldn't understand what Stefano stood to gain if the marriage certificate turned out to be valid. John and Marlena maintained that Stefano simply liked to torment them all.

Bo's contact called just then, and after speaking with the man briefly, Bo informed the group that the marriage license was legitimate, which meant that John and Hope were married.

Hope didn't want to believe it, but Bo continued, "The same records were found in the town clerk's office in Alamainia." John calmly reminded everyone that Stefano had fabricated entirely new lives for Hope and John before, so the marriage certificate could also have been forged.

Hope pointed out that since they'd learned the truth, they could move forward and look into getting the marriage annulled. As they all tried to come to grips with things, Marlena noted, "I don't know why I thought it would be so much easier than this. Stefano put the papers in that safe deposit box, and he thought of that as his trump card. We know Stefano: this isn't over yet."



2/9 Later, John, Marlena, Hope, and Bo barged into the mansion. Kate offered to make some popcorn. Stefano pointedly reminded Hope that he had tried to warn her about the contents of the envelope. "Darling, a little delicacy, can you imagine how devastating the news of this marriage must be to John?" Kate said. John, Marlena, Bo, and Hope realized that Stefano had already told Kate the truth.

 Stefano shrugged, and he pointed out that Kate was his wife. Stefano looked at John and Hope, and he added that honesty was the key to a successful marriage.

"Bo is my husband; Marlena is John's wife. That piece of paper is just an annoying technicality, so as soon as we take care of it, it'll be as if it never existed," Hope replied.

Marlena said that John and Hope's involvement was ancient history. "Well, then, if that's the case, there was no reason to lock it up all those years ago. If you really believed that, you wouldn't be here now, would you?" Stefano asked, as he retrieved a few cigars from his desktop humidor. Bo assumed that Stefano was playing another one of his games.

Stefano offered John a cigar. "Have you already forgotten how I tried to convince you and your wife not to open that box? Or, I mean, the woman that you thought was your wife. Well, I'm sure she'll be your wife again, I presume, once you get the marriage she's in now annulled," Stefano told Bo. Kate wondered if Bo and Hope were going to write their own vows for their next marriage.

Stefano cryptically noted that an annulment could lead to other questions. John wondered what Stefano was talking about.

"Well, you know something, I really would love to tell you, but I don't think anybody here really cares to hear about it," Stefano coyly stated. Kate gleefully assured Stefano that she couldn't wait to hear about it.

 "Well, the discovery that you and Hope were, are, married will rekindle Bo's anxiety about you having made love to his wife once, and also rekindle his anger, knowing that it didn't come out too good, you know?" Stefano explained with a laugh. Bo refused to take Stefano's bait. "You're right, he is a son of a bitch," Bo calmly told John.

"Bo, if you remember, I tried to keep this a secret, so that you would not have to worry that Hope was thinking about John when she was making love to you, and that it wasn’t too good on your part," Stefano reminded Bo. Marlena assured Stefano that his games weren't going to work. Stefano innocently pointed out that Marlena, John, Bo, and Hope had entered his home, and that he hadn't sought them out.

Kate sarcastically assured everyone that it was always a pleasure to see them at the mansion. Stefano claimed that he didn't want to hurt Marlena. Stefano delicately suggested that John and Hope had gotten married because they had wanted to get married. Marlena laughed, and she reiterated that Stefano's games weren't going to work.

"I think it already is working, and I think that you, as a professional, know better, because I can't make them get married unless it's something that they really want to do," Stefano said. John noted that Stefano would stop at nothing to destroy John, Marlena, Bo, and Hope's lives, because Stefano didn't want them to be happy. Hope agreed, and she said that she wasn't going to fall for Stefano's tricks.

Kate noted that everyone seemed quite eager to convince Stefano that they were not concerned about the situation. Stefano pointed out that Marlena was the exception. "You have decided that you do not want to be bothered that your beloved John took, uh well, sacred vows with Hope, and then went through an entire marriage ceremony with you shortly after," Stefano observed.

Bo insisted that John and Hope had never known about the marriage. Stefano wondered if Hope and John would have told Bo and Marlena the truth if they had known. John shook his head, and he suggested that it was time to leave. Hope muttered that it had been a waste of time to go to the mansion.

"Oh, au contraire, I'm enjoying this so much, you know? And it really is very moving that you are taking this information so well. I mean, that you're all thinking, like, 'Oh, what the hell? I mean, there's nothing to worry about,'" Stefano said. John, Marlena, Bo, and Hope turned to leave, and Marlena noted that Stefano had confirmed their suspicions.

 Stefano wondered what Marlena meant.

"The situation is exactly what we thought it was, it's a sad old man who wants to feel powerful again, so he is revisiting what he thinks are some of his past triumphs. Oh, Kate, this is just so sad," Marlena said with a sigh. Stefano congratulated Marlena on her performance, and he admitted that he had almost believed her.

"Hey, Stefano, did you open the envelope? Did you find out what Alice has on you?" Marlena asked. John wondered if Marlena really expected Stefano to answer that question. Hope suggested that Stefano would never tell anyone the answer to that question. Hope knowingly added that the contents of the envelope would haunt Stefano for the rest of his life.

Stefano chuckled, and he watched as John, Marlena, Bo, and Hope exited the mansion. Kate said that Stefano had been magnificent. "I'm always so impressed with the way you stay one step ahead of your enemies especially someone like John, who was, at one time, a formidable opponent," Kate added.

"At the end, they tried to put up a good front, you know? But I really think by the time they left, they were really shaken, okay? Yes, indeed and you know, this is just the beginning, because there's more, much more, to come that they don't know anything about. See, the road to that annulment is fraught with peril, and well, who knows? By the time they get it, maybe they won't even want it," Stefano said.

Later, Stefano stared at the envelope, and he recalled Hope's earlier prediction that Alice's secret would haunt him forever.

At John and Marlena's townhouse, John received a phone call. John ended the call with a heavy sigh, and he told Marlena, Bo, and Hope that things weren't going to be as easy as they had hoped.

2/10 Carrie arrived at the townhouse, where John, Marlena, Bo, and Hope were waiting for her. Apologizing that she didn't have better news, Carrie informed the group that after speaking to a lawyer in Alamainia, she'd learned that John and Hope could not legally have their marriage annulled. Everyone wanted to know why, and Carrie explained that the marriage had been consummated.

Hope pointed out that she and John had been brainwashed and hadn't known what they'd been doing, but Carrie didn't think that reason would work on a judge in Alamainia. Bo suggested that John and Hope simply lie about consummating the marriage. Marlena maintained that Stefano would surely find out, and would make sure to set the record straight in Alamainia.

Carrie then stated that John and Hope could file for divorce but of course, there was a catch.

Carrie explained that the country's very strict laws prevented anyone from filing the paperwork long distance; they would have to go to Alamainia and file for divorce in person. Like all divorcing couples, John and Hope would have to stay in the country during the judge's review of the case, which would take a minimum of two weeks.

Bo grumpily asked why they didn't just try to forget it had ever happened. Carrie pointed out that they might run into all sorts of legal complications in the future. "So, let's get this thing handled, the sooner, the better, before it's too late," Marlena declared.

After Carrie had gone, John emerged from the bedroom and announced that he'd managed to rearrange his schedule. The foursome agreed that they didn't have much of a choice about what to do. "All right; it's settled, then: we're going to Alamainia," John declared grimly.

2/13 At the police station, Bo asked Roman for some time off, so that he could go to Alamainia. Bo quickly explained the situation to Roman. Later, an officer entered the room, and he announced that he had just arrested one of Alfredo Maroney's employees. Roman noted that Maroney was on the Salem Police Department's most-wanted list.

The officer explained that the man had tried to scare a store owner into paying for protection, and that the owner was willing to testify. Bo noted that the man was on his third strike. Roman suggested that the man might be willing to betray Maroney. Roman pointed out that the election was the next day, and that arresting Maroney would be a huge victory for Abe's campaign. Bo agreed to interrogate the man.

Later, Bo entered Roman's office. Bo was optimistic about the progress that he had made during the interrogation, but Roman did not seem pleased. Roman apologetically informed Bo that someone had threatened the store owner. Roman added that the store owner had changed his mind about testifying.

Roman said that the case was closed, but Bo wasn't willing to accept that. Bo insisted that he would be able to convince the man to confess. Roman said that Bo sounded like he wanted to crack the man's skull. "If that's what it takes, I'll do it!" Bo snapped, as he started to leave the room.

Roman stopped Bo, and he told Bo to calm down. "Now, I know you're frustrated about the whole John and Hope thing, and you want to take it out on a suspect, but he's not Stefano!" Roman firmly stated. Bo reluctantly admitted that Roman was right.

Rafe greeted Bo. Bo said that Carrie had already informed him that she and Rafe had decided to end their partnership. Rafe nodded, and he vaguely stated that it was complicated. Bo noted that Carrie had given him the same answer. Rafe cryptically stated that working with Carrie had been a bad idea. Bo wasn't satisfied with that answer, and he wondered what Rafe was talking about.

"All right, we kissed, okay, Bo? We made out, and it was a huge mistake. We feel terrible about it, and Sami and Austin walked in on us, and now it's a huge mess, all right?" Rafe blurted out, unaware that Roman and Will had entered the room.

"Why in the hell am I not rearranging your face right now? And what did Sami do to deserve this? Come on, she and Carrie have had troubles for a long time, a lot of bad blood between 'em. They were working it out, and now this?" Roman snapped. Rafe apologized, and he promised that he was going to fix everything. Rafe and Will abruptly exited the room.

2/17 Bo and Hope arrived at the penthouse with Roman, who was there to see the foursome off. Everyone was confident that once John and Hope's divorce was granted, all of them would be free of Stefano for good. Hope suddenly remembered that she'd forgotten to tell Kayla about Ciara's science fair the next day. Frustrated, Hope complained that because she had to go to Alamainia, she couldn't help her daughter with the earthworm project they'd been working on together. As Hope went into another room to phone Kayla, Bo declared that Stefano should rot in hell for what he had done to Hope.

At the airport, John privately asked Hope if she regretted opening the envelope from the safe deposit box. Hope replied that she was grateful that Alice had tried so hard to protect her, but she believed that Alice had guided her to find the key. "I have to believe that Gran felt I was ready to know the truth and deal with it," Hope asserted. Bo and Marlena showed up, and announced that there was a problem with their visas.

"Leave it to Stefano to have pull in Alamainia," Hope muttered to Marlena a bit later. John returned and informed the women that he'd left a message for Vivian to see if she could help, since she was royalty in Alamainia. Hope said that Bo was trying to reach Carly, whose son Nicholas was also an Alamain.

Marlena left to put in a call to a friend at the State Department.

Hope fretted to John that if they couldn't get into Alamainia, it meant they couldn't get a divorce. She flashed back to when she and John had been under Stefano's control; believing she was Gina, Hope had declared that no one could ever keep her and John apart, and John had kissed her passionately in response. Hope admitted to John that she was worried about the havoc Stefano could wreak in the lives of their loved ones.

On hold for her friend, Marlena recalled how John had confessed to having sex with "Gina" on his and Marlena's honeymoon. Bo's arrival snapped Marlena out of the unpleasant memory. He informed her that he hadn't been able to reach Carly or Nicholas, but Marlena vowed, "Whatever happens, Stefano will not win this time."

Bo and Marlena returned to where Hope and John were waiting. Marlena said that her contact had immediately called the Alamainian consulate, and had promised to get back to her as soon as he had an answer. Just then, a man informed the group that the problem with their visas had been cleared up.

As the man left, John declared, "Good guys, one. DiMera, nothing." The four were gathering their things to board their plane when the man returned, and explained, "I apologize for the confusion, but I just received word. I'm sorry to have to tell you that only Ms. Hope Brady's and Mr. John Black's visas have been cleared to enter Alamainia."

; Stefano contemplated the envelope for a long moment, then finally took out a letter opener and sliced it open. He removed the piece of paper from inside, and stared at it with disbelief. Shaking his head in shock, he murmured, "No. No. This can't be." He noticed some activity on television, and turned up the volume in time to hear the announcer state that because of alleged ballot tampering, there would be a recount in Salem's mayoral election. Stefano managed a small smile when the woman added, "It looks likely that E.J. DiMera could be our next mayor." Stefano muted the TV, then returned to the desk. With trembling hands, he picked up the piece of paper again, and then quickly placed it, face down, on the desk, as his eyes filled with anguished tears.

2/23 At John and Marlena's townhouse, Bo struggled to accept the fact that he wasn't going to be able to accompany Hope to Alamainia. Bo admitted that he felt like one of Stefano's chess pieces. Hope wished that she had been able to figure out what Alice had learned about Stefano, so that she could use that information to neutralize him.  Bo entertained the idea of breaking into the DiMera mansion to look for Alice's envelope, but John pointed out that the envelope was probably locked away somewhere. Hope wondered if Stefano had opened the envelope yet. "If he has, I hope it's causing him as much hell as he's causing us," Bo said.

Marlena entered the townhouse, and she wondered why Stefano was determined to keep her and Bo away from Alamainia. Bo theorized that Stefano wanted Marlena and Bo to be suspicious of John and Hope. Marlena wasn't convinced, and she insisted that Stefano was smarter than that. Hope agreed, and she suggested that Stefano had to have some other plan in mind.  "I have a bad feeling that once Hope and I get to Alamainia, we're gonna be walking straight into a trap," John said. Bo and Marlena were worried about John and Hope, but John pointed out that Hope was a cop, and that he had been a cop in the past. "Okay, you can take care of yourself, but you're walking into a country that has underground bunkers. They have earthquakes, coups of state," Bo said.

Hope assured Bo that she and John would be fine. "We've all been up against Stefano before, and in the end, we've always won," Hope added. Hope admitted that it wasn't going to be easy to leave Ciara again, but she added that she was only going to be gone for two weeks. Bo wasn't comfortable with the plan, and he pointed out that he knew Alamainia better than John and Hope did. Bo said that he didn't have any good memories of Alamainia, and he recalled that Alice had almost died there.

Hope promised that she would be careful. Hope said that nothing could ever truly separate her and Bo, because he would always be in her heart. Hope added that she had faith that she and Bo would always find their way back to each other. Hope hugged Bo, and she tried to hide the look of concern on her face. Later, John and Hope exited the townhouse. Hope admitted that the trip wasn't going to be easy, and John agreed.

2/24 At the airport, Hope assured John that they would be fine. John was suspicious when the flight to Alamania was delayed, but Hope noted that they would get to Alamania soon enough. When John paced uneasily in the aisle, he noticed a suspicious man staring at him in the corner. An airline employee approached John and Hope and asked them if they were Mr. and Mrs. Black. Laughing, Hope started to correct the woman but stopped when she realized the woman was not wrong.

When the woman asked Hope and John why they were headed to Alamania, a beaming Hope cheerfully noted that they were going there for a divorce. Flummoxed, the woman wished them well and left. As Hope and John sat down to talk, John counseled that they needed to get in and out of Alamania as quickly as possible, since the political climate of the country was unstable. With their plane to Alamania still delayed, Hope grew antsy. John reminded Hope that Bo and Marlena were safe in Salem and that they would return to them soon. After several hours delay, the airline announced that the plane bound for Alamania was ready for boarding. As Hope gathered up her luggage, she tripped and fell into John's arms. Hope apologized for her clumsiness, and she awkwardly backed away from John. As John and Hope boarded the plane, the suspicious man that had been watching them followed them to the gate.

Carrie visited Bo and Marlena at the penthouse to discuss what Stefano's ulterior motive was in ushering John and Hope out of the United States. Bo argued that Stefano did not have a plan because the evidence of the marriage had been locked away in a bank vault for years. Marlena was unsure, but Bo counseled her to remember that they had one another to rely on. After chatting with Marlena, Bo and Carrie went over to the Brady Pub to talk about work over coffee. Bo thanked Carrie for her help in putting a criminal behind bars. "You're very good at working on my side of the table," Bo joked. Carrie apologized for the collapse of her deal with Bo when Reed and Ramirez folded. When Bo asked Carrie what she was thinking, Carrie became defensive. "I'm not gonna sit here and be judged. Not by you," Carrie said. Carrie assured Bo that she and Austin were working things out, much like Bo and Hope were working things out in their marriage.

Bo noted that he had screwed things up with Hope when he took up with Carly, but that because he had lived through that, he understood how Carrie could have conflicting feelings for two people. "I don't want you to make the same mistakes that I've made," Bo counseled. Bo assured Carrie that he would always be available to talk. Carrie noted that she loved Austin, but that she had feelings for Rafe.  Bo recounted that when he took up with Carly, Hope had moved out of the house with Ciara. Bo explained that he and Hope were not communicating but that Carrie and Austin seemed to be in a better place than he had been in with Hope when Carly returned.

Nodding, Bo urged Carrie to admit that she had kissed Rafe because she wanted to kiss him. Bo counseled Carrie to think about what she wanted in the long run. Fighting tears, Carrie admitted that she wanted to save her marriage but that she could not shake her feelings for Rafe. "What if I'm in love with him, Bo?" Carrie asked worriedly. "Do you love him more than Austin? And if so, would pursuing a relationship with him be worth destroying your marriage, your relationship with your sister, and her kids, et cetera?" Bo said. After talking, Carrie left the pub, and Bo called Hope's voicemail to tell her that he loved her.

2/28 Bo arrived, and Kayla asked him to talk to Abe. Bo sat down to talk to Abe while Jennifer went to get Abe some coffee. Abe suggested that they share a drink instead. When E.J. walked up to the table to talk to Bo, Abe tried to start a fight with E.J. Kayla kicked E.J. out of the pub. Bo stopped Abe from attacking E.J. Then, Bo told Abe to start some damage control. Abe asked Bo if Bo thought that Abe had tampered with the election results. Bo said no. However, Bo pointed out that the D.A. could win some points with the new mayor by going after "corruption" surrounding Abe.

Abe confessed to Bo that Abe had gotten the debate questions ahead of time and had gotten wrong ones sent to E.J. Bo smiled, but then realized that was why Lexie was so upset with Abe. Bo asked why Abe had cheated. Abe said that it had gotten personal and he had been fed up, so he had decided to fight fire with fire. Abe said the worst part had been lying to Lexie.  Abe apologized to Kayla for his behavior. Kayla said Abe was hardly the first person to be driven to drink by the DiMeras, and that Stefano was still trying to mess with Bo and Hope. Abe asked Bo if Hope regretted opening the envelope. Bo said that they'd felt like Alice had been leading them to open the envelope. Kayla said that both DiMeras, E.J. and Stefano, should be dealt with the same way. Bo lamented that doing his job wasn't going to be easy with E.J. as the mayor. Kayla pointed out that when E.J. became mayor, he would have to follow more rule than he was used to. Bo and Abe agreed. Bo said that he had a plan to work together and help the citizens of Salem.

2/29 In Alamainia, John accidentally barged in on Hope as she was getting dressed. They agreed on some ground rules in the future, since evidently there had been only one hotel room left in the entire country when they'd arrived. Both were worried about what Stefano might have in store for them as they filed for divorce. They left together for the courthouse. After dropping off their passports and the necessary paperwork with the court, John and Hope went to a café for breakfast.  John was worried that Stefano had paid off every judge in the land, but Hope was confident that they would soon be finished with their business and back home.

John wondered what they would do to fill the two weeks until their divorce was finalized. He suddenly remembered something that Hope ha always ordered for lunch at that very café, and she was taken aback that he remembered something she didn't. After talking with the owner, John reported back to Hope that apparently, the two of them had gone there for lunch nearly every day. Hope admitted that she'd started to have some memories of their time there, as well, like a favorite statue of an angel in the cathedral they'd passed on the way to the café. Hope then stepped outside to call Bo. As soon as she'd gone, a man at the next table greeted John by name.

Keeping their backs to each other and never making eye contact, John chastised the man, Spencer, for his tardiness. Spencer introduced the other man at his table, Walsh, who noted that John had never stopped working for the I.S.A. John acknowledged that Bo and Hope had found a way, via Stefano, to clear John of all the charges against him. Spencer declared that Stefano had not been the one who had set John up, but wouldn't divulge more. Walsh explained that they had agents actively investigating the situation.

John demanded to know why no one had kept him in the loop as to what was going on. Spencer pointed out that it was too dangerous to reveal everything there, and promised that Walsh would give John the details later. He cautioned John to watch his back. Hope returned after having talked to both Bo and Ciara, and expressed her regret and disbelief that she wouldn't see her little girl for another two weeks. Meanwhile, someone watched the two of them from outside the café. Hope suggested that they walk over to the cathedral, because she hoped that looking at the angel statue might jog a few memories. As they left, Spencer followed. As soon as Walsh was alone at the table, a man approached him. "What the hell are you doing here?" Walsh hissed, but the man jabbed a hypodermic needle into Walsh's chest, and he collapsed, gagging, onto the table.

3/1 In Alamainia, John and Hope struggled with their unwanted memories. Hope was worried about Bo and Marlena, but John assured her that Marlena and Bo were fine. John noted that Bo and Marlena did not have any reason to doubt Hope and John. Hope nodded, and she agreed that she needed to relax. John offered to give Hope some space, and he started to exit the hotel room. Hope stopped John, and she wondered what was really going on. "You seem to have forgotten, I'm a detective. Yes, I noticed the signs, checking your watch, eyeing the phone; you're fidgety, distracted," Hope observed.

John tried to deflect, but Hope insisted that she wasn't imagining things. John reluctantly admitted that Hope was right, but he claimed that he couldn't elaborate. Hope smiled at John, and she wondered if he really expected her to accept that answer. "I can make this a very long two weeks for the both of us. I'll follow your every move," Hope added. John reluctantly told Hope about the ISA agents who were in Alamainia, and he explained that he had talked to them at the café earlier. John added that he had arranged to meet with one of the ISA agents at the café later that night. Hope insisted on going with John, but John immediately started to protest. "All right, let me put it to you another way, you know me better than to think I'm gonna sit in this room, twiddling my thumbs and doing my nails. Let's go," Hope said, as she exited the room. John sighed, then he quickly rushed after Hope.

At the café, John and Hope started to remember more details about their shared past. Hope said that she hadn't thought about any of those memories in years, and she wondered why it suddenly felt like they had just happened the previous day. John warned Hope that their memories were just another one of Stefano's games.

"I know you're right. I've been telling myself that ever since we got here, but John, I can't stop these memories, and when they come, they're so quick, and so powerful, and...they're so real, like I'm back in that moment again, and when it's over, I feel guilty. I feel like, I don't know, it's like I've somehow been unfaithful to Bo," Hope explained. John calmly assured Hope that those feelings no longer mattered. Meanwhile, someone entered the café, and Hope's expression immediately changed.

3/2 As John and Hope were alone in the café in Alamainia, Hope was overcome by memories of the time she and John had spent there years earlier. She admitted that the memories made her feel so guilty that she felt as if she had betrayed Bo. John urged her to let go of everything, because the feelings had not been real, no matter what Stefano wanted them to think or feel. Suddenly, instead of the ISA contact John was expecting, Stefano appeared in the café. "What the hell are you doing here?" John demanded.

Stefano claimed that he was merely there on holiday. John wanted to know where Kate was, then. Stefano pointed out that John and Hope were traveling without their spouses, as well. Hope accused Stefano of making sure that Bo and Marlena couldn't accompany them, but Stefano claimed not to have that kind of power. Hope and John headed for the door, but Stefano noted that if they had been there to meet someone, perhaps the person was just running a bit late unless the two of them had been alone in a closed café together for some other reason.

Hope declared that what she and John did was none of Stefano's business. Stefano stated that he hoped John and Hope had a good lawyer, since the laws in Alamainia were especially difficult for outsiders to navigate. Hope questioned what Stefano wanted, since he'd managed to get her and John all the way to Alamainia without their spouses. Chuckling, Stefano replied, "Are you expecting me to give away to the ending, when we haven't even gotten through the beginning? I mean, where's the fun in that?" He strolled out.

John noted that Stefano obviously felt he had the upper hand, so they had to take back the advantage. John tried unsuccessfully to reach Walsh by phone, but Hope pointed out that Walsh might have been lying low because he'd seen Stefano. John suggested that they head back to the hotel while they waited to hear from Walsh. Back in their room, Hope and John immediately noticed Walsh sitting in a wing back chair, his back to the door. John started complaining that Walsh was supposed to have met them at the café, but quickly realized that Walsh was unconscious. He checked the man's pulse, and informed Hope that Walsh was dead.

3/7 In Alamainia, John tried to reassure Hope that the ISA had removed every trace of the late Agent Walsh from their hotel room, and they would soon find out who had killed the man. Remembering how awful it had been to find Walsh's body in their room, an anxious Hope wondered how Marlena would feel if it had been John who'd been killed. John blamed himself for Walsh's death, and pointed out that Agent Spencer was missing. Hope demanded to know the whole story before one of them also ended up dead. John reluctantly admitted that he had never stopped working for the ISA. Hope was furious that John hadn't informed her. John explained that he had been inactive for years, and had never expected the ISA to ask him to return to work. He continued that he'd initially refused, but the ISA had divulged that there seemed to have been something big going on within the DiMera organization, because Stefano had suddenly left town on election day in Salem, when his son was supposed to have become mayor, to go to Alamainia.

Hope voiced her suspicions that whatever was going on probably involved her and John, as well, and urged him to tell her everything he knew. John replied that he didn't know much more, because Walsh had been killed before they could meet. John noted sarcastically, "For Stefano, breaking up our marriages, that would be just a little happy byproduct of a much bigger plan." Hope remarked that Stefano relished destroying people's lives, especially John's. John suspected that Stefano wanted Marlena because John had taken Gina away from him. Hope wondered how Marlena could be strong enough to approve of John continuing to work for the I.S.A. John confessed that Marlena didn't know, and she would hate it that he was going after Stefano again. He pointed out the importance of Hope keeping what she knew from Marlena. Although she disapproved, Hope understood, and insisted that John let her help him.

John absolutely refused, but Hope asserted that she was already involved. "Anything happens to you, Bo would never forgive me!" John bellowed. Hope reminded him that she was a good cop and she knew the risks. "John, if something happens to you, then I am all alone here in Alamainia. Then what the hell happens to me?" Hope demanded. John continued to stubbornly refuse Hope's help, so she asked him pointedly, "Do you want to end up like Walsh? Do you want to go home to Marlena in a body bag, John?"

In Horton Square, Bo left a message on Hope's cell phone, declaring how much he missed her. He mentioned something he was working on involving the Moroni family, but didn't divulge any details. As Bo hung up, Roman appeared, and pointed out that Bo wasn't assigned to the Moroni stakeout. He asked if Bo planned to search the Moroni warehouses without a warrant, since it was rumored that the Moronis were storing a major drug shipment. Bo wouldn't say, but Roman strongly cautioned his brother against "going rogue."

Bo pointed out that by the time they got a warrant, the Moronis would have moved the drugs somewhere else. Roman hotly demanded, "Didn't what happened to Abe, didn't that teach you anything?" He maintained that if Bo broke the rules, as Abe had, it would only benefit the Moronis. He then informed a frustrated Bo that he'd already gotten a search warrant for the Moroni warehouse. Exasperated, Bo suspected that it would be a waste of time to search. Roman assured his brother that he'd hand-picked the stakeout team, and he'd personally gotten the search warrant from the judge. Bo agreed to accompany Roman to the warehouse, and added, "I want to be there to say, 'I told you so.'"

As Bo and Roman headed out of the square, suddenly two thugs savagely attacked them. When a bruised and bloodied Roman awakened a while later, Bo was still unconscious on the pavement next to him. Roman crawled over to his even more battered brother, and pleaded with Bo to open his eyes. At last, Bo coughed and inhaled, and Roman called out painfully for someone to get help. Finally Roman managed with great difficulty to pick Bo up, and carried him away. Suddenly, Roman burst through the door of the pub, dragging Bo awkwardly. Alarmed, Kayla and Sami rushed over to help, as Roman lowered Bo to the floor. Sami was worried about her dad, but Roman insisted he was fine, and ordered her to call 911. As Sami hurried off, Kayla tried desperately to revive Bo.

Sami soon returned with Kayla's medical bag, and knelt next to Bo and Kayla on the floor. From a chair nearby, Roman explained that he thought Moroni's men had jumped them, but he didn't remember much. Bo's eye was nearly swollen shut from his injuries as Kayla used her small flashlight to gauge his pupils' reactions. Suddenly she shouted that she'd lost his pulse, and immediately began performing CPR. Roman hoarsely begged Kayla not to let their brother die. Sami took Roman's hand, and the two began praying together, while Kayla frantically worked to resuscitate Bo. The ambulance arrived outside just as Kayla got Bo's heart beating again. Sami rushed out to direct the paramedics in, but Bo began convulsing before they got inside. "Kayla, what's happening to him?" Roman asked anxiously. "Oh, God, we can't lose him!" Kayla exclaimed.

3/8 At the hospital, Daniel tried to stabilize Bo. Meanwhile, Roman and Kayla anxiously waited for news about Bo's condition. Kayla admitted that she couldn't promise that Bo was going to be all right, but she assured Roman that Bo was in good hands. Daniel emerged from Bo's hospital room, and he told Kayla and Roman that Bo was in stable condition. Kayla urged Roman to get himself checked out, then she excused herself so that she could tell Caroline the news. After Kayla left, Daniel agreed to let Roman see Bo. Roman apologized for leading Bo into a trap, and he vowed to catch the people who had attacked them.

Roman returned to Bo's room, and he sensed that something was wrong. Daniel gave a nurse a few orders, then he explained that he was worried that the head trauma would cause Bo to have a seizure. Daniel added that he was trying to give Bo some medication to avoid that possibility. A short time later, Daniel managed to stabilize Bo. Daniel frowned as he checked Bo's eyes. "His pupils, uh, aren't reacting to the light. I'm afraid to tell you that, uh...Bo has slipped into a coma," Daniel announced. Daniel explained that Bo's body was still trying to cope with the injuries that it had sustained, and he urged Roman to remain optimistic.

Back at the hospital, Marlena and Will entered Bo's room. Roman said that Kayla had been unable to contact Hope, and Marlena noted with concern that she had not been able to contact John, either. Roman assured Marlena that the phone service in Alamainia was probably horrible. Marlena pulled Daniel aside so that she could talk to him privately about Bo's condition. Later, Roman wondered what Marlena and Daniel had talked about earlier. Roman sensed that Daniel had not been honest about the severity of Bo's condition. Marlena reluctantly admitted that she wasn't sure if Bo would recover.

In Alamainia, Stefano greeted Hope and John at the café. John blamed Stefano for Walsh's death, but Stefano feigned ignorance. Stefano asked John and Hope to follow him to a private location, but they refused to leave the café. “Actually, I insist," Stefano said, as he discreetly pointed a gun at John and Hope.

"You are completely out of your mind. Leave here to walk into one of your traps? If you're gonna kill us, Stefano, you'll have to do it right here," Hope said. Stefano chuckled, and he assured John and Hope that he wasn't going to kill them yet. Stefano claimed that he didn't know who had killed Walsh, but John wasn't convinced. Hope knowingly stated that it wasn't a coincidence that Walsh had died on the same day that Stefano had arrived in Alamainia. Stefano shrugged innocently. John stepped in front of Stefano, and Stefano warned him to take a few steps back.

"Or what? You’ll shoot? You know I'd snap your neck before you pulled the trigger. You programmed some amazing talents in my brain, and I remember every second I spent as your pawn. You trained me to be a highly efficient killing machine, so if you don't tell me what I want to know right now, I just may have to resort back to those old ways," John quietly stated, as he glared at Stefano. Hope noted that Stefano had known about John and Hope's plan to travel to Alamainia to end their bogus marriage. Hope demanded to know why Stefano had followed her and John to Alamainia. Stefano ignored Hope's question, and he claimed that John and Hope's marriage had not been bogus.

"If my memory serves right, you two were very much in love with each other. I realize I did a little manipulation on my own, but when it comes to your own feelings, they were very much yours. See, you two...fell in love on your own," Stefano added. John insisted that Stefano's games weren't going to work. Hope noted that Stefano had separated her and John from Bo and Marlena for a reason. John demanded to know what that reason was. "I knew it. I couldn't try to get something past you two. No, sir. I needed to get you thousands of miles away from Salem, just so that I could go through with my plan of blowing up the middle of Horton Square," Stefano said with a laugh. Stefano pointed out that John and Hope could have chosen to stay in Salem. Hope theorized that Stefano had known all along that John and Hope would travel to Alamainia. Hope added that Stefano was trying to make her and John feel trapped and isolated. John agreed that Hope was describing some of Stefano's classic tactics, and that the whole thing reeked of Stefano.

"You know, I've come far too far to have to go over and over the same old speech again, all right? I mean, for goodness sake, if Marlena blows her nose in Salem, I'm at fault here? I may be powerful, but I am not omnipotent," Stefano claimed, as Hope's phone started to ring. Hope was surprised that she had suddenly managed to find a signal, and she noted that she had received sixteen messages. Hope gasped as she listened to her messages. John turned to look at Hope, and she explained that Bo had been attacked. When John turned back around, Stefano was gone. Hope announced that her signal had been lost. John told Hope that they were going home.

3/12 At the hospital,  Billie recalled that Bo had always been there for her in the past, and she vowed that she was going to return the favor. Billie urged Bo to wake up. Billie told Bo that his kids needed him, and that Hope needed him. Billie added that she needed Bo, too. Maggie and Victor entered the room, and Billie gave them each a warm greeting. Maggie was glad to hear that Billie was going to be working at Countess Wilhelmina again. Billie recalled that Maggie had always been extremely supportive of her, and she admitted that she was excited about working at the company again.  

Daniel entered the room, and Victor begged him to save Bo's life. Daniel promised to do everything that he could possibly do to help Bo. Daniel excused himself so that he could check on Bo's test results. Victor made Daniel promise that he wouldn't sugarcoat the results. After Daniel left, Victor reminded himself that Bo had always been a fighter.  "I wish I could take credit for the man that you are, but I know I can't. You know, I used to wonder what it would have been like to have raised you, if you would've turned out differently, if you might have been more like me  but in the end, I realized that I wouldn't change anything. I couldn't be more proud of the man I see in front of me. God knows I couldn't love you any more," Victor said. Maggie excused herself so that she could get some air.

After Maggie left, Billie admitted that she was surprised that Hope wasn't with Bo. Victor explained that Hope and John were in Alamainia. Billie was shocked to learn that John and Hope were married, but she added that as long as Stefano was alive, anything was possible. "As long as Stefano is still pulling the strings, like he always has Victor, we've gotta do something. We've got to stop him," Billie said.  Victor changed the subject, and he admitted that he was going to miss having Billie at Titan.

Billie thanked Victor for his support, and she pointed out that Countess Wilhelmina had always meant a lot to her. Victor noted that Maggie had always had a soft spot for the company, too. Victor warned Billie to be careful around Madison and Ian. Billie wasn't intimidated, and she said that she had always been a sucker for a good challenge. Maggie and Victor decided to return to the Kiriakis mansion to get some rest. Billie assured Victor that she would stay with Bo.

In Alamainia, Hope wondered if Stefano was responsible for Bo's attack. Hope repeatedly tried to contact people in Salem, but each of her phone calls failed. Hope called the hotel manager to complain about the phone service, but the manager claimed that there was nothing that he could do.

"This is ridiculous, did Stefano pay off the whole country? I swear to God, if I lose Bo, so help me God, I will kill him!" Hope shouted. John said that he and Hope needed to worry about getting back to Salem first, and that they could deal with Stefano later. John explained that he had contacted the United States consulate earlier, and that the consul had agreed to ask a judge to help John and Hope reclaim their passports.  The hotel phone rang, and John answered it. A short time later, John ended the call, and he explained that the United States consulate had lost their jurisdiction shortly after John and Hope had surrendered their passports. John added that the judge was missing.

Later, John sighed as he ended another phone call, and he admitted that he had exhausted all of his options. John apologetically explained that something had spooked everyone in Alamainia. “Great, my husband's lying in a hospital bed, and I'm on vacation," Hope sarcastically stated. John reminded Hope that they were resourceful, and he assured her that they would figure something out. Hope and John started to think of other ways that they could get out of Alamainia.

After a few suggestions, Hope noted that the passports were locked away in a desk drawer in the courthouse. Hope grabbed her laptop, and she started to search for the courthouse blueprints. John realized what Hope was planning to do, and he told her to slow down so that they could discuss the idea. John pointed out that Hope was thinking about stealing official documents from a government building. "We're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy. This is Alamainia. We get caught, they're not gonna slap us on the wrists, they're gonna throw us away, probably for life. Are you willing to risk that?" John wondered. Hope said that she would do anything to get back to Bo. John was pleased to hear Hope's answer.

Later, Hope found the blueprints. Hope showed John the best route to the room where their passports had been stored. John was impressed, and Hope reminded him that Princess Gina had been a decent art thief.  Hope tried to place another call to Salem, and she was shocked when she managed to reach the hospital. One of the nurses routed the call to Bo's room, and Billie answered the phone. Hope was surprised to hear Billie's voice, and she wondered why Billie was in Salem. Before Billie could respond, Bo started to have a seizure.  "Oh, my God, he's dying!" Billie cried out, as Hope listened helplessly.

**The End**