His miserable existence came to an end. In spite of repeated attempts to resuscitate him, Tanner died. His death brought an uncontrollable sense of fear to Adam, who now worried that Hayley would never be found. Adam lunged at the man's lifeless body and began shaking him, begging, no, ordering him to wake up and help him find Hayley. Jack pried Adam off of Tanner and stated what should have been the obvious, "He's dead, Adam. He's dead." The thought of never seeing his daughter again sent Adam's parental instincts into overdrive. He demanded that Jack call the FBI and enlist their help in finding his missing daughter. Jack explained that all the appropriate authorities are in place. Adam's mind wandering to Skye. He claimed that she was acting edgy and that something about her composure doesn't add up.
Jack checks in on investigation. Adam offered to post a reward, but Jack said that a reward would have "every nut job" in the area weigh down the investigation with false leads in an attempt to earn a quick buck. Adam sunk into a chair and begged God not to take his daughter's life "She deserves to live," He sobbed. "Me? I don't know. You can take me right now... Just bring my little girl back."
Pierce pained from not being able to recognize Christina. He blamed himself for destroying her life. His priorities have now been reorganized. He told Brooke that he needs to find Amelia. Since Christina miraculously survived her eighteen year imprisonment, there is a chance that his daughter is still alive. Brooke's mouth formed a smile, but her eyes expressed her deep concern for her relationship with Pierce. Even though Pierce said that his love for Brooke would not change, somehow Brooke wasn't so sure. Pierce explained that the only bond he has with Christina is their child. Still, Brooke's eyes revealed her true feelings.
At WRCW, Erica insisted that it was "no one's business" how she adopted Sonya. But pressure mounted as Liza, Gloria, and Maria all asked questions of their own. Dimitri announced that Erica had not adopted the baby in Russia. He said that she would have had to flown to Russia and back in less than twenty-four hours. Gloria assisted the story by saying that she spoke to the babysitter Erica had hired and learned that the baby was in New York when she arrived. Erica caught sight of Esther to the far edge of the studio. Unbeknownst to Esther, she would soon become an integral part in another of Erica's lies. Erica was set to leave the studio, but Liza told her that a hasty retreat would not end the questions. Finally, Erica was ready to tell the truth. She claimed that she was set to leave for Russia when a phone call came through from the adoption agency. She was told that the baby was no longer available because someone else has stepped in to adopt the baby. There she was, she said, in a hotel room surrounded by children's toys. When she was set to leave, a frantic fan appeared at her door holding a baby. Erica pointed to the woman in question, Esther. Esther tried to field questions from Erica's skeptics, but the stress of having to lie on the spot proved too much. Esther ran away with tears in her eyes. Erica chased after the woman and tried to convince her that the lie was necessary. Back on the studio floor, Maria blasted Dimitri for using the baby as a weapon against Erica. She said that she has seen Esther with Sonya and is convinced that the woman loves the baby. The tale wasn't enough to force Dimitri to back off. Liza suggested that they film the event because it would be a ratings blockbuster. Dimitri agreed and, going against everyone's advice agreed that capturing Erica's lies on videotape was a great thing.
Stuart arrived at the station and was confronted by Tad. He demanded to know why Stuart sold the station to Dimitri.
Esther locked herself in Liza's office and refused to come out. Erica pleaded with the woman to let her in and, after many minutes, Esther allowed Erica inside the office. Esther told Erica that she cannot "lie like you, Miss Kane." Erica insisted that the "little white lie" was necessary to protect Sonya. She added that mothers love, nurture, and give life to children. These were all things that Esther had done for Sonya. Dimitri, Liza, and camera crew unlocked the office door and began rolling tape. Once and for all, Dimitri insisted that the truth be told.
Mateo returned to the cave and learned that a search team has yet to find anything that would signal that Hayley is still alive. Skye showed up a few minutes later and told Mateo of Tanner's death. She tried to coax him back to town, but Mateo insisted on sticking around the cave. He said he felt a vibe that told him that Hayley was still alive. Mateo returned to the cave and looked for evidence that Hayley might have been there. Still, Skye requested that Mateo leave the cave and return to someplace warm and surrounded by loved ones.
In her rock prison, Hayley saw visions of Mateo. But as she realized that she was hallucinating, Hayley's fight began to fade away. "I love you," she said to Mateo's image. "Til death do us part. I'll watch over you always."
The rock lined wall caught Mateo's attention and he began investigating the area. Through a small space in the rocks, he saw something. As he carefully removed the rocks, he discovered Hayley.
With Hayley's prison now removed, Skye and Mateo were able to determine the seriousness of Hayley's injuries. Barely breathing, Hayley needed to be rushed to the hospital if there were any chance for her to survive.
Amanda's luau came to and end. The party itself was not shown, but from Amanda's reaction it seemed to be a big success. She thanked her daddy for planning the perfect party. Trevor smiled, but said that he could not take all the credit for the party. Janet, he explained, was the one who came up with the idea. Amanda scampered over to the telephone and called Janet. She thanked her for the party and asked if Janet could stop by the house to help eat up the left over cake and candy. Janet, of course, agreed.
When Janet showed up, Amanda was hiding to preserve the surprise of Hawaiian outfit. Janet gave Amanda her birthday present and then found herself on the receiving end of a present: hula lessons. Amanda instructed Janet how to wiggle and jiggle the famous dance as Tim strummed the ukulele. Janet excused herself for a few minutes so that she could thank Trevor for allowing her to the party, a party Amanda said was "for family only." Trevor was visibly distracted and Janet thought that it was because he didn't want her in the house. She later learned that Hayley had been reported missing. Fortunately, a phone call came through a short time later to tell Trevor that Hayley had been found. Janet told Trevor and Michael, who was in attendance, that she never liked Tanner because he was holding something over Skye.
Esther fell into the strangle hold of another anxiety attack. She panted heavily as Dimitri pressed her for more answers. Liza ordered that the cameras stop rolling, a move that ease Esther's attack. Erica said that she would tell the truth, but just needed time to comfort Esther. Not so fast. Liza refused to allow Erica and Esther any time alone to synchronize their stories.
Stuart told Tad that he was strong-armed into selling the station to Dimitri. It was part of a loan agreement. Gloria asked Tad to stop yelling at Stuart, saying that Stuart didn't have the business savvy of his brother.
Erica and Esther took center-stage. Erica stepped in to speak for Esther, but Esther surprised everyone by telling Erica that she wanted to tell her own story. "I gave Sonya life," Esther began, repeating the lie Erica had previously used to win Esther over. Esther said that she could not "do right" by Sonya because she had limited means. And she loved the baby so much that she decided that she need to have as good a life as possible. That's why she sought out Miss Kane. Maria apologized to Esther for putting her on the spot and Edmund said that the inquisition should end.
Gloria scolded Dimitri for swindling Stuart out of his ownership of WRCW just to enact revenge on Erica. Dimitri insisted that he acquired the station through perfectly legal means. Tad joined the conversation with a request that Dimitri fire him. He said that it would cost the Count an arm and a leg and meanwhile he and Gloria could take a five month vacation on the beach. Dimitri smiled wryly and told Tad that his job is secure.
Edmund wanted to press for more information on Erica's adoption, but Maria advised him against it. She rationalized that the pressure put on Erica would find its way to Sonya. And since no one wants to see an innocent baby suffer, the quest should end.
Stuart ran to an office to phone his brother about the sale of the station, but Stuart couldn't reach his brother. He found Esther, however, hiding behind the office door. Esther cried nervously, but Stuart stepped in to save the day. He offered her a candy bar to help ease her fears and then gave her a motivation speech. Stuart said that more people are out to do good in the world than bad. Esther calmed down and actually cracked a smile. The two nervously exchanged looks before Esther made her way to Erica's car.
Erica told Dimitri that she'd spare him the pain of having to fire her, she quits! Dimitri told Erica that he had no plans of firing her. And she cannot quit because her contract has a clause that doesn't allow her to quit. So, unless she wants a lawsuit on her hands, she'll stick around. "You're mine," Dimitri cackled.
Liza used the Enchantment jet to fly to her husband's side. Adam was shocked to see Liza at the hospital, but thanked her for being there for him. He tried to distract himself with work---specifically WRCW---but Liza told him that they'd talk about the station later.
Hayley's condition was labeled as "critical." The doctors treated her for dehydration and carefully monitored her brain for possible bleeding. They weren't sure the seriousness of the condition, but indicated that if Hayley's condition did not improve, she'd have to face some type of surgery.
Mateo was allowed to visit with Hayley, who remained unconscious. He begged her to come back to him and apologized for allowing Tanner to get near her. "I can't live without you," Mateo whispered, fighting back tears. As the words left his lips, Hayley's eyes fluttered. Slowly, her eyes began to open.
The champagne flowed at the Valley Inn as Dimitri hosted a party to celebrate his acquisition of WRCW. The only problem is that no one wanted to celebrate. Gloria and Tad did make a brief appearance at the bash, but it was only to voice their disapproval of Dimitri's treatment of Stuart. Tad told Dimitri that all of WRCW's employees are afraid that they'll lose their jobs under Dimitri's ownership. Gloria suggested a toast "to the world's loneliest man." She didn't know it, but Dimitri did drink to the toast and seemed mighty pleased at his new lifestyle.
Janet was able to weasel an extra hour of party time for Amanda. Trevor agreed to allow Amanda to stay up past her bedtime, but only if she tidied up a bit. Trevor got a phone call from Virginia telling him that Hayley had pulled through. He was so overjoyed, that he gave Janet a bug hug. Neither Trevor nor Janet knew it, but Amanda saw the hug and her little mind whirled with possibilities. Trevor apologized to Janet for his reaction and Janet decided that it was time for her to go. After Janet left, Amanda asked her daddy about "the hug." Trevor explained that he received some good news and hugged Janet the way he'd hug anyone that had been around. But Janet wasn't just anyone as Amanda pointed out. "You're my daddy and she's my mommy," Amanda chirped. "So is Janet moving in with us?" Trevor was forced to explain that not all mothers and fathers live under the same roof. He also had to tell Amanda that he and Janet were never married (Legally, anyway). Amanda posed a very intriguing question, though. She asked Trevor is Janet were not Janet, would he consider taking her to a movie or dinner? Before Trevor could respond, the phone rang. Amanda tapped her foot and told Trevor that the topic of Janet would be brought up again. The phone call was from Erica and she requested that Trevor meet her to discuss adoption papers. Trevor told her to meet him at the Valley Inn.
Gloria and Tad returned home. Almost immediately, Gloria apologized to Tad for being wrong about Dimitri. There was no "I told you so" from Tad, but he did demand that she make it up to him. Perhaps setting a wedding date would do the trick. Gloria didn't want to set a date and when pressured to pick a date she chose dates that were nearly five years away! But she would talk about the honeymoon. Tad apparently had some bad encounters with his previous honeymoons. Dixie broke out in a rash because she didn't know she was allergic to pineapple and Hillary fell asleep on the beach and ended up as red as a lobster! Finally Tad commented that he wanted to get married in June---and made a bet with Gloria that he could make all the plans in just a few weeks.
The doctor examined Hayley and was quite pleased by her recovery. She'd have to stay in the hospital for another day just to be on the safe side, but all was looking up for her. Adam said that he was glad that his little girl was okay and told her he'd give her some time to rest.
Stuart called Liza on her cellular phone and told her that she should tell Adam about the sale of the television station. Other things had come up, Liza explained, and told Stuart that Hayley had been injured. She didn't tell him, however, that Hayley had recovered or even how she'd attained her injuries.
Hayley told Mateo why she returned to the cave, not knowing that Mateo had already figured out the mystery. Mateo told Hayley that Tanner had died and that he'd never hurt her again. And now that he was back in her life, he'd make sure that she'd always be safe.
Outside, Adam voiced his regrets and faults about parenthood. He felt horribly that Hayley had been in trouble and felt unable to go to him. Now, his son was being raised in West Virginia by his ex-wife and his two daughters were fully grown. "Daughters never outgrow their fathers," Liza explained and urged Adam to "hold out his hand" to them.
When Adam and Liza returned to Hayley's room, they were met by Mateo. Mateo wouldn't allow Adam into Hayley's room until they discussed something: He wanted Adam to stand up for him at their wedding. Adam smiled broadly and Liza was moved to tears at the request. Adam proudly announced that he'd stand up for Mateo. Matt smiled and told Adam that Hayley doesn't know it yet, but the wedding will take place in the morning.
Dimitri saw Janet enter the Valley Inn and had the waiter give her a glass of champagne with his regards. He slipped over to Janet's table and started chatting up a storm. Dimitri boasted over his takeover of WRCW, but wouldn't go into the details of the purchase. "Since when do we share the same airspace?" Janet asked. Dimitri explained that they were both "outcasts" and proposed a toast to "outcasts everywhere." Janet was offended by the label and the two went back and forth naming their recent bad deeds. Dimitri dealt up his hit and run, kidnapping of Gloria, assault on a casino manager, and several other deeds and Janet trumped him with tossing Natalie in a well, hiring a Will Cortlandt impostor, and, of course, her infamous night with the crow bar. Dimitri told Janet that being stuffy is no longer the image he wants and that he's decided to live life on the edge. Janet, slightly spooked by the new Dimitri, rose from her seat and walked away. Dimitri followed. He sat down next to her and asked when the last time someone had told her that she's a beautiful woman. AS he asked, Trevor walked by and overheard the Count's question.
Stuart told Scott about losing ownership of WRCW to Dimitri. Stuart was quite hard on himself, calling himself "slow" and "stupid." If you remember a few months back, Scott was embarrassed by his father, but finally he acted like a man and set his father straight. Scott told Stuart that he is not stupid. In fact, he's one of the smartest people he knows because Stuart is able to see a person for their heart. Besides, Scott explained that Adam put the station in Stuart's name so that he could avoid legal hassles surrounding the station. So if Adam lost control of the station, it's his fault, not Stuart's. Laura arrived to study for her final exams. As Scott quizzed her, he found a senior prom invitation stuffed neatly between two pages of the textbook. The hint was subtle and it garnered the desired effect. Scott said that he'd be pleased to attend the prom with Laura.
Both Brooke and Christina had new information on Amelia. A letter addressed to Christina was delivered to Brooke's home. Christina, on the other hand, learned from a friend in Los Rios that Amelia was probably still alive. The infant had been taken to an orphanage, but that was all that her source could find out. Christina, Pierce, and Brooke gathered together to lay out a plan to track down the missing daughter. Christina was set to go to El Salvador and follow the leads until she opened the letter. The letter branded the woman as a traitor to her country and warned that if she returned she'd be killed. Brooke didn't understand why someone would threaten Christina's life. Christina explained that the leaders in her country don't want the news of their policies to leak to the outside world. Now, Pierce felt that he was the only man for the mission. He said that he would go to Los Rios to find Amelia. Brooke told him that she supported him, but deep down she wished that he wouldn't go to Central America. Brooke ordered Christina to retrieve her belongings and move into the house with her. Christina nodded and headed back to her hotel room. Before she left, she turned around and saw Brooke and Pierce embracing. A look of anger and betrayal emerged on her face before she continued on her way.
Back at her room, Christina gently caressed a photo of Pierce. She apologized to the photo for loving Pierce and bringing him so much danger.
Liza comforted Adam and made him feel as though he had done as good a job as anyone could have done in raising his children. Liza stepped away for a few minutes, but during her away time Stuart called Adam and told him about the sale of WRCW. Adam was furious with his brother. When Liza returned, Adam hung up on Stuart and turned his wrath on Liza. He accused Liza of being in cahoots with Dimitri and setting out to destroy him. Liza denied working with Dimitri, but Adam didn't believe it. He told her to get out of his sight. Stuart called again and tried to tell Adam that Liza had no part in the take-over. Adam babble on and on and didn't hear what his brother said. When Adam stopped to take a deep breath, Stuart repeated that Liza had no knowledge of the deal. In fact, Stuart said that Liza wanted to keep the news from Adam so he wouldn't have to worry about Hayley and the station at the same time. Adam was stunned. Since Stuart didn't like Liza, he knew that his brother wouldn't come to Liza's aid if the story were not the truth.
Erica arrived at the Valley Inn for hew meeting with Trevor. She noticed that the attorney was distracted and turned to see what had taken his attention. As Erica turned her head, she saw Janet and Dimitri chuckling it up at the bar. Erica called the pair an "odd couple" and poked fun of Janet. The comments didn't sit well with Trevor, who asked Erica why her opinion of Janet had changed. Wasn't Erica the same woman who allowed Janet to live at Linden House? Erica chalked it up to temporary insanity and said that Janet ruined their friendship by not telling of Dimitri and Maria's affair. Erica also found fault with Trevor for defending Janet. She explained that Janet only saved Amanda from the well because of maternal instinct. Plus, she said that Janet knew that the good deed would allow her to wheedle her way into Amanda's life.
Janet and Dimitri left together, a scene that caused both Trevor and Erica to turn green. Janet later told Dimitri that she felt odd leaving together and commented that she knew the scene was only to make Erica jealous. Dimitri was told why Janet was no longer in Erica's good graces. Janet also told Dimitri that she feels he and Erica should still be together.
Trevor and Erica got down to business. Erica told him that she did not adopt Sonya from Russia. She gave the same story she had given at WRCW: The baby was Esther's and Esther wanted Erica to raise the child. Trevor found the scenario a bit odd. Why would Erica allow the mother of the baby to act as nanny? Erica produced a letter from Esther that expressed her desire for Erica to adopt the child, but she said that there was no birth certificate because Esther gave birth in her home. That wouldn't present a problem, Trevor explained. As long as the birth-mother signs away her parental rights, the adoption can be finalized. Erica became uncomfortable when Trevor began mentioning how an adopted child has the right to know his or her mother. The words rattled around in Erica's head and she seemed shaken back into reality. But would Trevor's words be enough to convince Erica to do the right thing?
Erica's sleep was haunted by nightmares. She dreamt that her kidnapping scheme was unraveling around her.
Maria told Edmund that she'd decided to take a temporary leave of absence from medicine so that she can spend more time with Sam. Edmund supported the decision whole-heartedly.
At WRCW, things were also falling apart. The chef scheduled for The Cutting Edge backed out at the last moment and Tad and Erica were going to be forced to fill in. But Erica called in and said that she could not be at work because of a personal emergency. That left Tad to make a stuffed artichoke pizza all by himself. And Tad wasn't too sure of his cooking skills. Dimitri took time out to tell Tad that Erica would be his permanent side-kick on The Cutting Edge. Erica Live! was scrapped. WRCW didn't have a big enough budget, Dimitri explained, to host two talk shows. Tad went in front of the camera and taped the cooking segment. In true Tad fashion, the segment was anything but boring. After the completion of the segment, Tad yelled at Dimitri for making him look like a fool on national television. He also said that he'd no longer play Dimitri's stooge. Dimitri waved the word "contract" in Tad's face and told him that his job requires him to follow orders. Gloria stepped in and told Dimitri that he's being very mean to everyone lately. His friends are dropping left and right and if he's not careful, he won't be able to call Gloria his friend either.
Liza approached Adam and insisted that she did not know about Dimitri's take-over. AS she rattled on and on in defense of herself, Adam order her to "shut up and listen" He told her that Stuart had called and made him see the error of his ways. He now knows that Liza was not plotting with Dimitri. "I was wrong and I'm sorry," Adam said.
Mateo formally proposed to Hayley, but she didn't accept the offer. She said that they had not had time to plan a wedding. There was no license, flowers, or blood test, and there were no rings. One by one Mateo uncovered the items Hayley mentioned. Hayley was stunned. Mateo told Hayley that he has always loved her and felt like a heel for not trusting her. Now, he wants to "grow old and toothless" with Hayley. Finally, Hayley agreed to marry him.
Liza burst into the room and told Matt to scram. In a frenzy, Liza readied Hayley for her big day. She helped her with her make-up as well as loaning her a necklace given to her by her father as the "something old and something borrowed." The display perplexed Hayley. Why, she asked, would Liza want to help her? They're not even friends. "We're not enemies," Liza smiled. Liza even had time to get a wedding gown for Hayley.
Outside, Mateo did his best to convince Adam that the wedding was the right thing to do. Adam needed no convincing. He told Mateo that he exudes "courage and integrity" and gave his blessing.
Janet worked over the books at Holidays. Trevor entered the restaurant and pulled up a chair at Janet's table. He took pleasure in tormenting Janet about her date with Dimitri. He also warned Janet that Dimitri is on the rebound from another relationship and told her no to get involved emotionally with Dimitri. She did, after all, go to Dimitri's room, right? Janet blasted Trevor for sticking his nose into her business. She did not, she pointed out, sleep with Dimitri. She walked him to his room---a room that is right across the hall from her room! Trevor said that he has a say in what Janet can and cannot do because they are both Amanda's parents. Trevor rose to his feet, brushed off the embarrassment of his faux pas, and walked away. Jack, who was sitting at the bar watching the pair, sauntered over to Janet's table and asked if he could join her. Jack told Janet that Adam and Liza, of all people, were going to be given a fete honoring them as couple of the year. It just so happens that Jack had an extra ticket to the event and needed an escort. Janet's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Was Jack really asking her out? Jack called Janet "a friend" and said that he'd be quite pleased to have her as his date. Janet smiled broadly and she sort of resembled a nervous school girl. But she took Jack up on his offer, saying that she'd love to go with him.
Erica showed up at the hospital and was mobbed by reporters from tabloids. Some leaked the story about how she did not adopt Sonya from Russia and everyone wanted to get the latest dirt. Maria raced to Erica's side and shielded her from the photos. She then ordered all the reporters to leave the hospital or risk arrest. Erica thanked Maria for her help. Maria and Erica went to a private room and the two women talked. Maria asked Erica to reconsider her hiring of Esther as Sonya's nanny. Maria reminded Erica of the fiasco she and Edmund had gone through with Kelsey. Erica noted the suggestion, but said that she was taking legal steps to protect her rights to the baby. Maria told Erica that she was inspired by her decision to take a leave of absence from Enchantment and that she had decided to take time of from medicine to be with Sam. Maria explained that losing her baby made her realize how pressure her time with Sam really is to her. "I'm glad you have Sonya," Maria smiled. "I hope she gives you comfort." Erica's conscience became restless. She apologized for luring Maria to the cabin and again insisted that she did everything she could to rescue to baby from the lake. "I dove and I dove and I dove to try to rescue her," Erica sobbed. Edmund, who had been standing at the doorway behind Erica, picked up on Erica's usage of the word "her." He entered the room and asked why Erica referred to their baby as "her."
