Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Hope and Bo continue their search for Ciara and Theo. Julie tries to rally Hope, who blames herself for Ciara leaving. Meanwhile, Bo coordinates with Abe and Roman. Bo then goes to the hospital where he finds Victor with Stefano and Lexie. Stefano and Victor want to take matters into their own hands, but Lexie and Bo warn their fathers to let the Salem PD do its job. Kate tries to calm Stefano and provides comfort. Ciara has injured herself and is unconscious. Theo nearly answers her cell phone when Hope calls, but Ciara awakens and tells him she’s fine. Theo is hungry and Ciara realizes they are running out of food. She insists, however, that she can’t go home – ever. Rafe2 prepares to leave Salem for good, but is waylaid by Gabi and Will. Doing his best “Rafe,” the imposter tries to explain that he needs some time away – just like Sami. Gabi and Will are thrown that he wasn’t even going to say good-bye. Dario arrives and doesn’t think his brother should be going anywhere – not when he and Melanie are getting close to finding Arianna’s killer. Gabi and Will react to this news and “Rafe” says he’s sorry, but he’s focused on the land of the living – i.e. himself. After “Rafe” leaves, Dario storms out, and Will comforts Gabi. At the pub, “Rafe” tells Roman he’s taking a leave of absence, but Roman won’t grant his request. Meanwhile, the real Rafe comes up with a clever way to escape the asylum.

At the Cheatin’ Heart, Melanie and Daniel come across a tipsy, stewing Chloe as she drinks away the afternoon. Daniel and Chloe have words, and he questions whether she should be drinking like this given the state of affairs with Parker. Melanie tries to get through to Chloe, but Chloe snaps that Melanie is just like Kate. After Daniel and Melanie leave, a drunk Chloe calls Kate and prepares to rip into her. Meanwhile, Daniel learns about Melanie being attacked by the masked man. He wants her to call off the reward for information on Arianna’s hit-and-run, but she refuses. Later, someone grabs Melanie from behind. In Chicago, Fay’s funeral service concludes. Nicole privately confides to the funeral director that she’s afraid to find out what EJ is hiding. She tries to call Rafe and learns from Dario that he’s left town. Meanwhile, EJ and Taylor share a limo to the burial site and struggle to fight their feelings for each other. Taylor insists she’s going to move out of the mansion once they return to Salem. They begin to argue, but are interrupted when their limo crashes! Vivian comforts Stefano over Theo’s disappearance. She makes headway before Stefano calls her on having ulterior motives. Gus gives Vivian the DNA results from the DiMera basement. There is one person’s DNA that can’t be accounted for – all they need to do now is figure out to whom it belongs.

Roman refuses to accept “Rafe’s” request for a leave of absence due to Ciara and Theo’s disappearance. “Rafe” sticks to his guns and quits the force, much to Roman’s dismay. Before the imposter leaves Salem, Stefano orders him to take care of Troy, the former drug dealer who is out of prison and demanding compensation from the DiMeras. “Rafe” ignores the request and decides to skip town. Dario asks Melanie to drop the reward, fearing it’s gotten too dangerous. Melanie refuses. She returns home by herself, unaware that the masked man is waiting for her. Melanie is freaked when the lights suddenly go out, and the masked man moves in for the kill. Chloe drunk dials Kate and begins to hurl insults. A scheming Kate records Chloe and baits her into saying something she can use against her. Eventually, Chloe threatens to run off with Parker. Meanwhile, Philip tries to convince the social worker that Chloe is completely suited for motherhood. Kate then plays the recording for her son. A stunned Philip confronts Chloe. Nicole reads Taylor’s private farewell letter to Fay. She’s intrigued by Taylor’s assertion that their mother must have been so disappointed in her. Meanwhile, EJ regains consciousness in the crashed limo. He fears Taylor may be dead, but she awakens. They realize they’re not seriously injured – but they are pinned together in the vehicle. As the driver goes for help, their passions ignite. EJ and Taylor share a steamy kiss as a worried Nicole arrives at the scene. Alone in her apartment, Melanie is attacked by the masked man. She struggles as the man admits he killed Arianna – and now he’s going to kill her, too. Melanie nearly gets away but he grabs her again. He’s about to strangle her to death when Dario bursts in and knocks out her attacker. Melanie pulls off the man’s mask and notes that he looks familiar (It’s Troy). Her emotions catch up to her, and Melanie breaks down in Dario’s arms.

Philip confronts Chloe with Kate’s recording of her threatening to run away with Parker. Chloe swears she didn’t mean it – she was drunk and Kate was baiting her. Philip realizes she is not prepared to be a mother to Parker. Not trusting himself around Chloe, he decides it’s best if he and his son leave Salem. Chloe is devastated and is forced to say a painful good-bye to Parker. After Philip leaves, Victor makes it clear that Chloe is no longer welcome to stay in his house. He denounces her as an unstable slut and predicts she will eventually self-destruct. Meanwhile, Kate and Philip share an emotional goodbye. Daniel can’t help but find himself drawn to Jennifer. When she proposes an evening out for him and Carly, he ends up feeling strangely hurt. Carly, fearing Daniel will realize she’s coming down from drugs, rebuffs Jennifer’s idea. Later, Jennifer is flustered when she realizes Daniel might still be attracted to her. Before they can address the issue, they are interrupted by the news that Ciara and Theo ran away. Carly also hears the news and wants to help in the search – but feels she needs drugs in order to keep it together. Unable to get close to the wrecked limo, Nicole calls out for EJ to take care of her sister, unintentionally making him and Taylor feel guilty. EJ and Taylor are finally rescued. While EJ gets checked out at a hospital, Nicole asks Taylor about the letter she wrote to Fay. What did Taylor mean when she wrote that she never meant for “it” to happen? Taylor covers, saying she feels responsible for their mom’s death. Alone with EJ, Taylor insists their situation is untenable and she will have to do something about it. Alone, EJ murmurs that she won’t have to… he has a plan. Adrienne and Justin return from having eloped. They witness a warm moment between Daniel and Jennifer. Justin goes with Daniel to search for Ciara and Theo while Adrienne asks Jennifer what’s going on between her and Daniel. Jennifer finally admits she has feelings for him but has tried to push him and Carly together. Adrienne convinces Jennifer to follow her heart and be with Daniel. Justin also questions Daniel about Jennifer. Daniel admits to having feelings for her but believes she does not feel the same way about him.

Bo tells Hope there was a possible sighting of Ciara, and he goes off to investigate. Carly, determined to help Bo and Hope, steals more drugs. However, in her haste, she takes the wrong pill and ends up feeling overly emotional. When Bo returns home to pick up a photo of Ciara, Carly goes into his arms, comforting him. Hope sees but is surprised when Carly hugs her as well. Daniel and Justin arrive, and Daniel takes Carly away, thinking her emotional reaction is due to her own feelings of loss regarding Melanie and Nicholas. Carly is touched and kisses Daniel, which a stunned Jennifer witnesses. Jennifer quietly slips away. Alone, Carly realizes she took the wrong pill. Meanwhile, Adrienne and Justin comfort Bo and Hope when they learn the sighting of Ciara proved to be false. Melanie tells Dario that her attacker admitted to killing Arianna. Dario attacks him, intending to kill the man. Melanie begs him to stop so that he doesn’t end up in prison. She talks Dario off the ledge and they call 911. At the hospital, the attacker has a seizure and falls into a coma. Melanie and Dario bond, having saved each other’s lives. Dario leaves to get Melanie tea. She starts to fall apart and Brady shows up to comfort her – which a returning Dario witnesses. Due to car trouble, Rafe2 is temporarily stuck in Salem. At the Cheatin’ Heart, he runs into Brady, who chews him out for trying to abandon Sami. Dario is affected by seeing Melanie hug Brady. Brady goes after him for putting Melanie in a dangerous situation. Daniel and Melanie break up the fight, and she explains to Brady that Dario saved her life. Melanie apologizes to Dario, but becomes irritated when he warns her to stay away from Brady – he broke his sister’s heart and he’ll do the same to her. Brady recognizes Troy as the dealer Arianna busted. Fearing retaliation from Troy’s boss, Brady insists Melanie stay with him at the Kiriakis mansion. He lets her know Philip left town with Parker. Daniel thanks Dario for saving his daughter’s life. Dario reacts to Melanie going home with Brady.

Rafe2 is still stuck in Salem, waiting impatiently for his car to be fixed. Dario calls to tell him their sister’s killer has been found and is in the hospital. He wants Rafe to come right away. “Rafe” lies that he’s already left town. After he disconnects, he runs into a hot babe named Alicia. Thinking Dario will be at the hospital all night, “Rafe” takes Alicia back to the loft, where they have sex. At the asylum, Rafe has dyed his white patient scrubs the same color as the orderlies’, and after he is almost caught, he finally makes his escape. He hopes the key he held onto all this time will help him discover who he really is.

Maggie and Victor bond over Ciara’s disappearance. Maggie finally admits to Victor she cares about him and feels they’re a couple. They kiss to seal the deal. Meanwhile, Kate decimates Chloe for causing Philip to leave town with Parker. She tells Chloe she’s a whore who belongs on the street, and no one will ever love her. Chloe falls apart on the pier, remembering her suicide attempt. Kate goes to Victor to commiserate over Chloe driving away their son and grandson. Maggie finds a destroyed Chloe on the pier and offers her a place to stay. At the same time, Victor tells Kate any friend of Chloe’s is an enemy of his.