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Nicole’s chances of being released from prison are dashed when Anna fails to get a pardon from the governor. Anna asks Nicole for a little more time, but Nicole thinks she’s being strung along. Nicole calls Rafe and asks him to come see her. Meanwhile, Anna has moved on to a new plan and drugs the governor’s drink in one last attempt to secure the pardon. Sami, Rafe, Brady and Arianna’s dinner goes south as Rafe is forced to explain why he won’t recommend Sami for a job with the FBI. Sami’s insecurities are laid bare, and she tells Rafe they need a break. He acquiesces and leaves. Upset, Sami returns home, and EJ’s “sympathy” turns to something unexpectedly more genuine as they bond over Sydney. Arianna tells Gabi she’s engaged. Gabi suggests they elope. Daniel and Brady have a similar conversation. Later, Brady and Arianna realize they’re on the same page and decide to elope right away. Will accuses Mia of wanting Chad and breaks up with her. Mia blames Gabi and vows revenge. Later, Will and Rafe cross at the gym and discuss their female woes. Daniel brings Carly to the police station to tell Bo about Vivian’s threats towards her. Daniel wants Bo to take immediate action. Bo calls Vivian to the police station and gives her a warning. She considers it an empty threat and continues plotting Carly’s demise with Gus. However, Bo is dead serious. He’s going to end this once and for all. After drugging the governor the night before, Anna shows him the incriminating photos she took of their “wild night” together. If he doesn’t pardon Nicole, she’ll release the photos to the media, ending his political career. Meanwhile, Nicole is about to tell Rafe that Anna kidnapped Sydney when she learns she’s been pardoned. She tells Rafe instead that Kate took Sydney. Rafe says Kate’s been cleared, and is twigged about Nicole’s sudden pardon. Later, Rafe confronts the governor about it. Nicole, meanwhile, says goodbye to Anna. She learns Brady is in Santo Domingo and plans to surprise him there. Nathan tells Stephanie he wants to take a break from their relationship due to her not giving him Melanie’s letter. Meanwhile, Melanie and Philip move into Maggie’s so Melanie can be close to Maggie while she deals with her relapse. After Philip leaves, Maggie asks if Melanie still has feelings for Nathan. Melanie admits she does and hates herself for it, but isn’t sure how Nathan feels about her. Maggie says Melanie must be honest with all parties involved. She leaves. Nathan enters, and asks Melanie what she wrote to him in the letter. Nathan admits that when Stephanie brought him the letter, he said he didn’t want to talk about Melanie with her. Melanie doesn’t have to hear more. She’ll tell him exactly what was in the letter. Meanwhile, Stephanie tells Philip he needs to keep an eye on his wife. Nathan is sniffing around her. Philip is confident Nathan will not come between him and Melanie. Hope tells Justin she’s glad Carly is free. Justin thinks Hope can move on, but she gently tells him that doesn’t mean with him. She knows he loves her, but she doesn’t love him. Justin goes to Victor’s, and is surprised to find Adrienne. She tells him Hope called, and said he was in trouble. Justin figures it out and says it isn’t true. Hope just wants them together. Both of them blast Hope when she arrives. Hope realizes her plan to get them back together has backfired.

Rafe confronts the governor about pardoning Nicole. The governor insists it’s what his constituents wanted. Later, Rafe interrupts EJ comforting Sami and tells them that Nicole was pardoned. EJ goes to get answers from the governor. Rafe and Sami share a moment, but he ends up telling her he doesn’t know how the two of them can go on. He leaves a crushed Sami, and goes to confront Victor about the governor’s actions. Back in Salem, Rafe and EJ both realize the one who got the pardon was Anna DiMera. Nicole is free thanks to Anna and flying to meet Brady, unaware he is about to marry Arianna. Meanwhile, Arianna and Brady revel in their joy over getting married. They speak with Melanie over the phone and she congratulates them. While Arianna leaves to get ready, Nicole shows up looking for Brady and is mistaken for the bride. Bo gives Victor an ultimatum: Either Vivian backs off of Carly or Bo kills Vivian. Victor sees Bo is serious. Meanwhile, Vivian tortures Carly. Victor calls Vivian home and explains the feud must end. He offers to forge a real relationship with her to do so. Vivian remains of two minds and takes a walk. Bo meets Carly and tells her what he has done for her. They kiss just as Vivian stumbles upon them. Melanie lies to Nathan about the contents of the letter, saying she wanted closure. They agree to be friends. Melanie resolves to focus on Philip. Meanwhile, Stephanie realizes Nathan doesn’t have the whole story, but when he suggests maybe they could try again, she says she has no regrets. Alone, Melanie says a private goodbye to Nathan. Rafe and EJ both ponder the implications of what Anna has done. In Santo Domingo, Nicole realizes Brady is getting married. She considers leaving, but he sees her and when he does she decides to go full out, hiding the fact that she knew he was about to wed. Arianna is shocked by Nicole’s arrival. She worries about marrying Brady now, but he insists he still wishes to do it, much to Nicole’s dismay. Meanwhile, EJ learns the damage control Anna has done and does some himself with Rafe and Sami. Sami vows vengeance on Anna.

Justin confronts Hope about tricking Adrienne into coming to Salem. Adrienne realizes that Justin is in love with Hope. Adrienne realizes Hope is trying to make things right for her and Justin because she couldn’t with Bo. Adrienne feels somewhat for Hope but warns her she must live with the consequences of her actions. Meanwhile, Vivian has it out with Bo and Carly and ends up giving up on killing her. She returns to Victor and takes him up on his marriage proposal. However, she vows to Victor that she will still emotionally bring Carly down. Arianna responds favorably to Brady’s declaration of love and decides to go ahead with the wedding despite Nicole’s intrusion. Desperate Nicole reverts to her old ways and tries to derail the nuptials when Fay shows up and stops her. Meanwhile, the wedding ceremony is delayed by a hotel catastrophe. Nicole takes heart, but as the about-to-be-newlyweds head off to their room for some premarital romance, Fay gives her daughter a good talking-to and seems to convince her to let Brady go. Brady and Arianna are ready to tie the knot when they encounter another obstacle to their wedded bliss. Rafe questions EJ about Anna and indicates his conviction that she was working with someone. EJ covers his own role effectively. Rafe and EJ go to Stefano and ask him what he knows. Stefano is shocked to learn that Anna kidnapped Sydney, and he convinces Rafe of his own innocence. Rafe makes plans to go to Santo Domingo to grill Nicole about her ties to Anna, but there’s a hitch in his plans. Meanwhile, Anna lands in her tropical paradise, apparently home free. Will returns his Christmas gift to his grandmother and says he can’t let her and Stefano near Sydney again. He explains that his mom and EJ gave him hell for it. Stefano apologizes for his son’s behavior and says he will make sure EJ does not speak to Will like that again. Will confides to Kate that Mia was two-timing him, and he broke up with her. Meanwhile, Mia tells Chad that she broke up with Will. Gabi comes upon them and exchanges words with Mia about Will. Chad overhears the truth and dumps Mia, who’s gone from having two guys to having none in record time. Meanwhile, Gabi runs into Will, who thanks her for doing him a favor.