"At the hospital waiting room, Dixie squirmed out of David's embrace when she spotted Tad closely watching them. Tad walked over and worriedly asked if she was all right because Jake had called him. Dixie explained that she had arrived with David when he had needed to go to the hospital to perform emergency surgery. David tried to interject, but Tad cut David off and declared that he wanted to talk to his wife. Tad asked her how she had ended up with David when he had left her at home during the ice storm.
David tried to explain what had happened, but Tad demanded to hear it from Dixie. She told him that she had been at the motel with David then had flown in the helicopter with him when he had been called in. Tad replied that when he had left with their children, she had been folding laundry and had told him that she wouldn't be going out. David jumped in again and told Tad that he had found her cold and alone at a bar because of what Tad had done to her. Jake pulled David back before Tad could take a swing at him, and Dixie apologized for Tad having to "find out this way." Tad looked perplexed and asked her what she was talking about.
At the nurses' station, Jake and David got into a confrontation. Jake told him that Tad had a right to know what was going on behind his back, but David argued that Dixie was a grown woman who was capable of making her own decisions. Joe walked out and reminded them that they were in the ER and should at least try to "keep up the appearance of being professional." He asked Jake why Tad was there and if he knew what was going on.
Dixie explained that she had been at home when Palmer and Vanessa had stopped over and told her that they had seen Tad at the Valley Inn with Leslie again. Tad told her that he hadn't slept with Leslie and assured her that Palmer and Vanessa had misinterpreted the situation. Dixie was dubious and asked Tad why she should believe him when he had never told her about sleeping with Leslie in the first place, but Tad replied that he was only trying to get Leslie out of their lives for good. He told her that he loved her and asked her again why she had run to David again with her fears.
Feigning tears, she explained that she had driven her car off the side of the road, and David had been at the bar when she had stumbled in there. Tad was skeptical and asked her if she expected him to believe her. "I don't expect anything from you," Dixie replied, adding, "Maybe that's the problem." Tad was silent and told Dixie that he would leave her alone only if she told him if she had slept with David again. When Dixie didn't answer, he looked to the ground and asked how they had gotten to where they were.
Joe interrupted and told Tad to take Dixie home. "I can't," he replied, "I don't live there anymore." Giving Dixie one last look, he stormed out with Jake in tow. Joe asked Dixie if she needed a ride home, but David assured him that he could drive her. Dixie told Joe to go to Tad, and he hesitated then left.
Alone, David held Dixie and asked her to go home with him. Dixie pulled away and told him that she'd rather be alone. David led her into an examination room and declared that neither of them really wanted to be alone that night. Dixie replied that he should be with his mother, but David assured her that he felt most alone when he was with his family. He told Dixie that he got his strength from her and described how he had really looked at Vanessa's heart during the surgery and realized that it had taught him to hate.
Dixie tried to say that a lot had happened that night, but David took her in his arms and replied that a lot had, but the only thing that made sense that night was the two of them. Dixie pulled away and told him that she had to go home to be there when her sons woke up. David replied that he understood and leaned in, gently held her face in his hands, and told her that he loved her and would never give her up.
In the middle of the night, Bianca crept downstairs, calling out her mother's name in the darkness. There was no reply.
With the $10,000 of bribe money in her pocket, Rain rushed into the hallway of the shelter to talk to Erica. Erica asked what she wanted and why she hadn't left yet. Rain assured Erica that she always kept her word but warned Erica that no matter how much she paid off Rain or any other girl that got "too close" to Bianca, she would still be... "My daughter," Erica interrupted. Rain assured Erica that Bianca loved her, but Erica stormed out and warned Rain to stay away from her family.
At the hospital, Adam ran to Vanessa's bedside and asked her again if Hayley was with Arlene. "Do you want me to have you anesthetized?" Palmer asked as Leo tried to get Adam out of the room. Vanessa suddenly screamed out Hayley's name, but all she could make out were the words, "Hayley is." Adam asked her what that meant and Vanessa slowly whispered, "Hayley is Arlene."
Confused, Adam persisted, but Leo got fed up and threw him out of the room. Vanessa tried to talk, but Palmer told her not to worry. He explained that Leo was with her, and David had performed the operation on her. "Okay," Vanessa sighed and fell asleep. Adam stormed back into Vanessa's room and demanded to talk to her. Leo declared that his mother was near death, and it would have to wait until morning.
Adam vowed that he would be back and reluctantly left. Leo watched Palmer at Vanessa's bedside and said that he would be waiting outside. Palmer stopped him and told him that Vanessa would much rather wake up to her son's face. As Palmer left, Leo sat down and took his mother's hand. Leo began to weep and laid his head on the bed. Vanessa awoke and patted his hair. She asked him what had happened, but Leo replied that the only important thing was that she was awake. He kissed her hand.
As he stood in front of the "The Use of Pagers and Cell Phones is Prohibited" sign in the hallway, Adam used his cell phone to call Mateo. He left a message and demanded that Mateo call Adam when he found Hayley.
Believing herself to be Arlene, Hayley was with Bud at the Pit when she spotted Mateo. She told Bud that she wanted to go with him to Sea City, and the two hurriedly made their way out through the back door, but Mateo stopped them. He asked "Arlene" if she knew where his wife was because he had to talk to her. "Arlene" walked back to the counter and replied that she hadn't seen "the little garden gnome" for a while. When Mateo pressed her, Bud stepped in. Mateo twisted Bud's arm behind his back and threw him onto the counter. Bud shook him off, told "Arlene" that she wasn't worth all the trouble, and left.
Alone, Mateo asked "Arlene" again if she had seen his wife. He offered to buy her a drink, but she declined and opted instead for pineapple juice. They sat down at the counter, and "Arlene" told Mateo that she knew what he was up to, and she wouldn't help him find his wife. Playing along, Mateo told her that everyone thought she had kidnapped Hayley, but she only snickered and said that Hayley had tried to kill her, and she hadn't even confessed yet.
"Arlene" told a curious Mateo that she wouldn't help him find his wife because Hayley was gone and was never returning. Mateo replied that he didn't really take anything she said seriously and informed her that he had confessed everything to Derek on Hayley's behalf. As he moved closer to her, he told her that he couldn't forget their night together on the yacht and declared that there had to have been a reason why they were "always ending up together." He asked her if they could pick up where they had left off, and "Arlene" agreed to go with him back to his place.
Back at the condo, "Arlene" told Mateo that she wasn't going to "give Hayley up" since she had him all to herself. She went into the bedroom and assured Mateo that she wouldn't "shimmy out the window" because she had too much waiting for her there. Alone, Mateo called Adam and told him that he had found Hayley but that she wasn't feeling like herself. When Adam demanded to see his daughter, Mateo raised his voice and declared, "No, Adam. Not tonight." "Arlene" overheard and told Mateo she was leaving.
Mateo rushed ahead to the door, closed it, and explained that he didn't want Adam to stop over and interrupt them. "Arlene" replied that she didn't trust him but that she'd spend the night. She stated that she didn't feel like "fooling around" anymore and settled onto the couch. Mateo playfully replied that was a good thing because he was a morning person. He sat down in a chair opposite her. "Arlene" asked if he was going to watch her all night, and Mateo assured her that he had a lot to think about.
Erica arrived home and turned on the lights. Bianca was cowering in the corner with a poker. Bianca explained that she had checked Erica's bed and hadn't been able to find her, and the two embraced. Erica said that she'd had an appointment and hadn't wanted to disturb Bianca. Bianca apologized again for sneaking Rain in, but Erica assured her that she was no longer angry and that it wouldn't happen again. Curiously, Bianca asked what that meant and demanded to know if Erica had done something to Rain.
Bianca asked Erica again if she had gone to see Rain, but Erica replied that she didn't want to talk about her anymore and offered to make some hot cocoa like she had when Bianca had been a child. Bianca wondered how Erica could go from being so mad to remembering things from Bianca's childhood, but Erica assured her that her anger had dissipated when she had returned home and had seen Bianca had been so worried about her. She confessed to Bianca that she had not actually run errands but had gone for a drive to clear her mind. She said that they could have a difference of opinion but that they didn't have to argue about it. Erica again asked if Bianca wanted cocoa and Bianca said yes, as long as it was the "famous" kind, and the two hugged.
Bianca and Erica sipped hot cocoa together, and Bianca remarked that she had forgotten that she had put so many marshmallows in. Erica offered to take some out, but Bianca assured her that she liked it that way -- "a lot."
Tad went to the Pit with Jake and Joe following close behind. "The family that collapses together, drinks together," Tad remarked, but Joe assured him that their family was doing no such thing. At the counter, Tad angrily turned to Jake and asked if Jake had set him up that night, but Jake replied that he had thought Tad should know what was going on. Joe asked if Tad had been at Leslie's hotel room, and Tad replied that he had. He explained that he had been trying to save his marriage by getting Leslie to spill the beans about David.
Tad confided his suspicions that both Leslie and David had orchestrated the Libidozone scandal to get Tad and Dixie apart. Tad vowed to tell Dixie what was going on, but he needed proof first because David was brainwashing her. Jake asked Tad to consider the possibility that maybe Dixie knew what she was doing because she wanted to be with David, and Tad shoved him off his stool. Jake apologized for calling Tad, and Tad apologized too. Jake assured Tad that he and Joe were there to help, but Tad promised to save his marriage on his own by proving to Dixie that Hayward had tricked them."
- Soap Central