Caitlin tried to convince her brother to help with her plan. She wanted to kidnap Trey before social services could take him. And even if social services didn't take him, he didn't deserve the life they had as children with a drunk for a mother. Didn't he remember what kind of childhood they shared? She reminded him of their mother keeping them up past midnight while she drank. Didn't he remember the fights their parents had in front of them? There was only one choice as Caitlin saw it. She and Trey would go in search of Cole. Sean worried that this might destroy their mother. Caitlin needed an answer. Would Sean help her or not? He couldn't say no to his sister. She had been helping him his whole life. So this meant that he would go with her to Europe? Anything she needed he would do. Caitlin then said that she would go to the bank and make sure they would have enough money to live on in Europe. If they were really going to leave Sunset Beach, Sean needed to make one last stop. He went to say goodbye to Emily. AJ invited Olivia into his arms. He wanted to help her stop drinking. Annie was shocked when she saw Olivia accept his offer. How could this be? The voodoo potion was supposed to be guaranteed. And with that thought, Olivia left AJ's arms. There was something pulling her back to the alcohol. And something in her simply didn't want to stop. AJ had seen all he needed to. He said his goodbye to Olivia. She stopped him. She didn't want him to leave her. If he would only give her another 24 hours, she would find the strength to stop. But she'd already had more time than he thought necessary. Tobias found it unbelievable that Olivia had chosen her addiction over her lover. Annie was happy to hear that this changed everything as far as he was concerned in regard to control of Gregory's estate. But what exactly did that mean? Tobias left Annie to think about that while he went to check on Olivia. He thought that if Olivia rested for a bit perhaps she'd be more like her old self. Annie said that this was her old self. The sober Olivia was the stranger to this house. And let's not forget about Olivia seducing Annie's father while she was married to Gregory. Tobias thought that Annie was being a bit harsh. Annie said that someone had to point out all this. Someone had to think about the welfare of Trey and the estate. Tobias called for Rose to help him. They took Olivia upstairs. Caitlin came home. She sent Rose out to get her mother a special vitamin drink. With Rose out of the house, Caitlin and Sean would have time to pack up Trey and quietly leave. They would be long gone before anyone noticed. While Caitlin was getting Trey ready for the trip, Olivia walked in the door. Just where did Caitlin think she was going with her son? In his room, Gregory phoned someone. He explained that he hadn't been able to go through with his lunch because his wife had started drinking again. Annie would just have to get her little surprise another day. Annie stepped into his room. What was this about a surprise? Emily told her mother that she had cleared her afternoon to be with her. She thought Bette could use an understanding ear. There was nothing Bette could think of that needed to be said. She was hurt by what Olivia was doing. There was so much pain in that house right now. They were all suffering. Even Sean? -- asked Emily. Bette had to admit that yes, even Sean was in a great deal of pain. She could see that her daughter still had feelings for him. Did Emily have second thoughts? In some ways, yes. But she felt secure in her decision to move on. She thought that somehow her choice not to sleep with Sean when they were dating was a sign that they weren't meant to be together. Did Bette think Emily could ever love anyone the way she loved Sean? She assured her daughter that she would find love again. This was a guarantee. After all, Bette had been married many times. And each time she had loved her husband wholly. But Emily shouldn't expect to love anyone the way she did the first time. That was something special that couldn't be repeated. But her next love would find new ways to complete her. Bette showed up at the office to have her feature copy checked. She was proud of turning it in early. AJ came in behind her. He told her that he had failed. Olivia had chosen alcohol over him. So did this mean that he and Olivia were over? It seemed likely. But he couldn't give up Olivia without a fight. There was one last thing he could try. But he would need Bette's help. He realized that he had no right to ask her, but he was asking anyway.

Derek kissed Meg with great intensity. Meg was looking for a way out of this without being obvious that she didn't want to be with him. When his cell phone rang, she thought it best that he answer it. He said that nothing could be as important as what they were doing. She suggested that the call might be about Benji. Well, he couldn't deny that. In fact, when he answered, there was an urgent message. Tess insisted that he come home pronto. After hanging up, he told Meg that he would have to leave. Meanwhile, Tess was at home with an unconscious Casey. When his cell phone rang, she turned it off. Whoever was in need of a lifeguard would have to find someone else. This one was out of commission permanently. When Derek walked in, he panicked. What had Tess done? Why was Casey bound up on the bed and conked out? She explained that she'd caught him in her room with the fake passports in his hands. She didn't have any choice. But what would they do now? They couldn't very well do the same thing they'd done with Tim. People would notice. Derek suspected that Sara and Meg were behind this. Well, if they couldn't continue with plan A, they would just have to switch to plan B. Tess started to get anxious, but Derek reminded her that they had already agreed on this. If their original plan went sour, they were going to use the alternative. They would have to take care of all three of their troublemakers. And they would start with Casey. Sara became impatient waiting for Casey. She decided to call him instead. But when she did, she got a message saying that his mobile unit wasn't working. This was most confusing because he always had his phone on. Where was Casey? And what was going on? Meg was glad to see that her sister was still at the shop. Sara explained that it wasn't by choice. It was Emily's day off and there was no one else to cover her. Plus, Casey had come by. He found out about their plan and put a stop to it. He had the key to Ben's house. She had promised him that she wouldn't do anything until he called. With all the issues they had about lying, she had no choice but to stay put. Meg felt the need to rush things along. Ben was about to leave town. There wasn't a lot of time left. She said she would call Casey. That wasn't an option either. Sara had been trying to call all afternoon. His phone was dead.

Annie falsely assumed that Tobias had chosen to make her the executrix of Gregory's estate. Tobias had a wicked sense of humor. Why would he take her to lunch here? He said that she was the one who had pulled him out of the house. He had wanted to stay to take care of Olivia. But if Olivia was out of the picture and so was Annie, whom did he plan to give control to? Tobias said that he would keep control himself. He would move to Sunset Beach. In deference to his nephew's memory, he couldn't give Annie anything. She panicked. How could he do this? He had led her on. He had let her believe that she would have a pipeline to that money. He explained that she had shown no real interest in Trey. She had made no effort to get a real job. In fact, she'd done nothing but concentrate on getting Gregory's money. She pointed out that she had taken a job at the Liberty Corp. But Tobias said she never went to work. What if she got Jude to give her a recommendaton? Would he reconsider his decision? She left to get Jude to talk with him. Gregory sat alone dressed as Tobias. He ordered a nice piece of German chocolate cake. It seemed as though he was going to be able to have his cake and eat it too. Jude tried to get some work done in his office. Looking across the office, he remembered his magic night with Annie on that sofa. After that, she had let him down time after time. They were supposed to have lunch today and she didn't even come through on that. Annie came in and asked what she could do for him. There was nothing she could do that didn't need to be done three hours ago. If that was the case, then there was something he could do for her. She wanted him to call Tobias and state that she was invaluable to the company. This was amusing. Jude couldn't risk his reputation in the business world with such garbage. She pleaded that with this simple call she would be out of his hair for good. He took the business card (with the phone number where he could reach Tobias) and burned it. Had he lost his mind? What about the time when she had helped him with those figures? He said that he could buy a calculator for that. She wasn't asking for something she didn't deserve. Even as a child, she had been pushed aside and overlooked. Jude insisted that she leave his office for good. This was the last straw. If she weren't gone in five minutes, he would have security remove her. She imagined that Jude would be working with Tobias and excluding her completely. The frustration of being shut out caused her to wipe his desk clean, throwing everything on the floor. She sat in his chair crying. Jude reached around with a tissue to comfort her.

Pseudo nun Amy offered her newfound spiritual understanding to Emily. Emily wasn't buying this. Not only did she not get the whole nun thing; she wanted to know why Sean was leaving Sunset Beach. Amy was astonished by that newsflash. What did Emily mean? Where was he going? This was a complete shock to her system. Emily could see that Amy didn't know anything about his exit. Amy said she had to go stop him. Emily didn't see why it should matter to Amy so much. She had given herself to the Lord. Or was this just another stunt to get Sean? "And what if it was?" asked Amy. She had no time to waste talking to Emily. She had to go stop Sean. Emily said that it wouldn't do any good. Amy assured her that she could talk to him in a way that would make him stay. She barreled out in hopes of stopping Sean. Olivia collapsed on the sofa in utter despair thinking of the loss of her children. She couldn't let them leave. She would call the police, but the sight of the alcohol stopped her. When the police answered, she hung up. Rose came in to check on her. She told Rose that her children had left. Sean and Caitlin had taken her baby as well. She had lost everyone. Even AJ had left her. And this was all for a bottle of alcohol. Rose said she was right. They should have gotten rid of that bottle last night. But Olivia stopped her from taking it. She couldn't stop drinking. Rose begged her to put down the bottle. Unfortunately, Olivia's compulsion was worse than ever. This time the bottle was consuming her. Rose prayed for God to help her, but Olivia said prayers wouldn't help this time. There was nothing anyone could do. When Maria von Mantrap came in, Rose was amused by the get-up Amy was wearing. Amy didn't want to hear it from her. Did she know where Sean was? Rose confirmed that Sean, Caitlin and Trey were all gone. He had left a note for Amy. In the note, he said goodbye. He was glad that she had found her calling at the convent because he was sure that his mother wouldn't let her stay at the Richards house. Olivia walked back into the room. If her world wasn't already falling apart, she would find Amy's costume somewhat amusing. Amy was distraught that Olivia's drinking had caused Sean to leave. This wasn't supposed to happen. She could've stopped this.

Carmen walked toward Antonio's office, still thinking about the fact that she'd seen Ricardo standing. She thought Antonio should know what was going on with his brother. Was everything okay? -- Antonio asked. Carmen wasn't really sure. That's why she had come. She remembered promising Ricardo that she wouldn't say anything. So she only told Antonio that she was worried and that Ricardo had asked her not to betray his confidence. If Ricardo had asked her to keep a secret, Antonio thought she should do just that. Normally she would, but this was too important. They were interrupted by a phone call from Ricardo. When Antonio told his brother that Carmen was visiting, Ricardo asked to speak to her. Emily came in to speak to Antonio regarding Amy's new religious vocation. He stepped outside to counsel her. Emily asked if Antonio had indeed given Amy permission to join the convent. He confirmed that Amy had been to see him, but he had turned her away. That's when he learned that Amy hadn't given up. Emily told him that Amy was strolling around in a nun's habit. He stopped a nun walking through the hall to ask if she knew anything about this. She said that Amy had come to her and asked to borrow the clothes for a paper she was writing for a class. When the nun learned that she had been duped, she was very disappointed. Father Antonio said that all would be all right. He thought perhaps he should go find Amy. Emily thought things would work themselves out. Carmen came out of his office. She said she would talk to him more tomorrow. For now, she was going to visit with Ricardo. Ricardo stared at a picture of himself with Gabi and Antonio. He didn't even know who those people were anymore. But they would have to pay. Tonight was the night for revenge. Gabi joined him on the bed telling him how nice their night together had been. He agreed. There was a favor he wanted her to grant him. He wanted to go away with her. There was a timeshare he had up the coast. He thought it would make a perfect getaway, but he wasn't sure it was wheelchair-accessible. He wanted Gabi to go check it out first. But she shouldn't go alone. He asked her to take Antonio along. And there was no time like the present. Would she go tonight? She didn't understand why he was pushing her to be with Antonio. He assured her that his motives were pure. He simply felt that no one could look after her better than Antonio in his absence. He claimed to have already checked with Meg and Vanessa. Neither could do it. This could help him in trusting her alone with Antonio. She said that his brother was a very busy man. What if he couldn't go either? Ricardo thought they should call to ask. Ricardo got an unwelcome surprise when he learned that his mother was at the rectory. He asked Antonio to put her on the phone. Then he asked Gabi to go check the mail. With Antonio out of the office (talking with Emily), Ricardo had a moment of privacy with Carmen. She admitted that she had come to tell Antonio that Ricardo could walk. He insisted that his mother leave the rectory immediately. She had sensed that something was wrong when she was with Ricardo, and her fear was even stronger now. Antonio should know and she was going to tell him. Ricardo backtracked apologizing. If she came to his house now, he would explain everything to her. But she had to leave the rectory without saying anything to Antonio. She agreed. When she got there, Ricardo was still alone. What was so urgent, she wondered, that he needed to send his wife away so he could talk to his mother in private? Ricardo said that he was just trying to save up his surprise -- and not let anyone know he could stand up -- so he could eventually show off. He only needed a little more time to get ready. Carmen knew that her son was keeping something from her. Why was he lying to her? Lying? Gabi and Antonio walked in, wondering what Carmen was talking about.

Carmen asked her son to stop lying to her. Ricardo insisted that he wasn't keeping anything from his mother, but she knew otherwise. Gabi and Antonio walked in. Was Carmen right? Was Ricardo lying to his mother about something? -- Antonio wondered. Ricardo admitted that he had been lying to all of them about something. He said jokingly that he was a drug kingpin. Antonio thought his brother's remark was funny, but still asked if Ricardo was seriously keeping something from them. Ricardo pointed out that he was stuck in this bed 24 hours a day. His life was an open book. Carmen reluctantly said that maybe she had read her cards wrong. Ricardo asked Antonio to get some new records out of the basement for his jukebox. Gabi went to show him where they were. Alone with his mother, Ricardo asked what she thought she was doing. He had told her how important it was that she keep his secret. But Carmen just didn't understand why he would want to keep such incredible news from his brother and his wife. Ricardo threatened his mother. If Carmen breathed one word to Antonio or Gabi about his walking, it was over between the two of them. He would never speak to his mother again. Antonio came back with the records. What was going on here? Ricardo said that his mother was just leaving. He asked Gabi to give him a few minutes alone with Antonio. She offered to wait on the patio. Outside, she found Carmen still hovering. Inside, Ricardo asked Antonio to take Gabi up to the cabin. It would be helpful if they could go tonight. Antonio said that was out of the question. There was a special class at the mission that he had to run tonight. He would be happy to go up tomorrow afternoon. Ricardo really needed him to go tonight. Outside, Gabi asked Carmen to tell her what was going on. Carmen thought perhaps she should let Gabi know.

Vanessa came home to find cardboard cut-outs of Michael, Antonio, and someone that seemed to be her, except the face was cut out. It was a wedding party. Michael said that if she chose, she could be part of the picture in front of her. She didn't understand. She had already said yes to his proposal. But Michael had a new plan. He wanted to move the wedding date up to December 31. It would be an exciting event. She thought it would be rushed. Considering their hectic work schedules, there was no time to prepare the kind of wedding they had talked about throwing. If she wasn't going to give in easily, then he had no choice. He was going to have to pull out the big guns. And with unbelievable timing, the doorbell rang. Vanessa opened the door to her mother. What a beautiful shock! Until now, Vanessa had believed that her mother would never recover. It was so good to see that she had her life back. Lena was thrilled with the New Year's Eve wedding plans. Vanessa said that those plans hadn't really been settled yet. Lena seemed disappointed by this. She said that she needed to use a phone in privacy. It turned that she still had one more treatment to go. She would only be able to stay the night. Meanwhile, Michael had promised big guns, as in plural. He handed Vanessa an envelope. In it she found four ticket for a cruise to Africa. But why four? He planned to take her parents along too. She found his offer odd, but romantic. He offered to explain his choice, but she stopped him. She would move the date up.

Annie sat in despair as her life fell apart. She hadn't gotten the money or the guy. Jude handed her a tissue. He admitted caring for her. His ordering her out of Liberty Corp. was just business. Things weren't working out at the office. But as much as he knew he shouldn't, he did care for her. She needed to know if he had true feelings for her. He thought that he did, but he didn't feel as though he truly knew her. She feared that if he really got close, he wouldn't like what she truly was. She had done some horrible self-serving things lately. And as it turned out, it was all for nothing. Tobias would not be making Annie the executrix of the estate. She thought maybe he was right to do so. It seemed that everything she touched fell apart. Jude thought that perhaps this was ultimately going to be good for her. She might finally figure out that she didn't need Gregory's estate. She only really needed someone to take care of her. He moved in for a kiss. Just then, Amy burst into the room. Jude thought the language he now heard coming from the lips of a nun (as Amy was still dressed) was a bit much. Annie was interested in what Maria von Mantrap had to say. She asked for a moment alone with Amy. What did Amy think she was doing busting in like that? Amy told her that Sean was gone for good. He had left town because of Olivia's drinking. And Olivia was only drinking again because of Annie's potion, so Annie had some answering to do. If she thought she could brush Amy aside, she would find out exactly how bad Amy could be. If Annie didn't help her bring Sean back, Amy would tell everyone what Annie had done to Olivia. AJ made a surprise appearance at Bette's. He had come at least partly because of Olivia. Bette agreed that they had to help her stop drinking. He said that he needed Bette in his life. He took her in his arms for a kiss. And then Bette awoke. The doorbell rang a second time, this time in reality, and it was AJ. He had come to talk about Olivia. There was something he needed help with. They needed to plan an intervention. It was the only hope they had of getting Olivia back. Emily came in with the news of Sean's leaving town. Bette and AJ were shocked by this development. AJ called his voicemail to see if he had any news. He said there was a message from Caitlin. This was more serious than they thought. He told them that Caitlin and Trey were gone too. He and Bette felt that they needed to check on Olivia immediately. Emily would be fine alone. Olivia and Amy got into a snarkfest over Olivia's drinking and Sean's departure. Amy hinted darkly that Annie might somehow be involved. Amy thought back to Annie threatening to tell Sean about the love potion. But Amy could see now that she had lost Sean anyway. This was partly Olivia's fault. If she hadn't made Annie hate her so much, Sean would still be here. Olivia demanded that Amy tell her what Annie had to do with Sean leaving. Amy wouldn't answer the question. She only said that Annie would help her bring him back. She added... that is, if Olivia didn't love the alcohol more than she did her own children. Olivia slapped her. Amy was more than willing to have an all-out fight if that was what Olivia was looking for. Tobias came in. Amy excused herself to go find Sean. When Tobias learned that all the children were gone, Gregory almost blew his cover. He yelled at Olivia asking how she had let this happen. She picked up on Gregory's tone. He ignored that, slipping back into his Tobias character. He had come to take care of the children and now they were gone. What he meant was that he was here to protect the welfare of Trey. It was not Caitlin's place to do so. He thought that Olivia should go upstairs and search Caitlin's room for clues as to where they might have gone. Alone, Gregory lost it. He had not gone through all of this to see Cole brought back into their lives. Jude walked in as Tobias threw a glass against the wall.

Amy threatened to blow the whistle on Annie if she didn't help her get Sean back. "You are way out of your league," responded Annie. Amy would tell everyone of Mrs. Moreau. She didn't need proof because everyone already knew that Annie had it in for Olivia. However, to strengthen her case, she would take them to meet with Mrs. Moreau. If Annie wanted to stop this, she must find a way to get Sean back in town pronto. Had Amy lost her mind? -- Annie wondered. What had happened to make that "empty little mind" of hers think that she could come in and order Annie around? Anyone who connected Annie with Mrs. Moreau would also make that same connection with Amy. No one would look at her love potion (the one she'd used to seduce Sean) very favorably. And of course the rest of Sunset Beach would merely pity a poor little girl who had to drug a man to get him in her bed. And even then, she couldn't keep him there. With her last sting, Annie started to leave but Amy wasn't finished. Amy's only reason to keep her mouth shut about Mrs. Moreau was Sean. Now it looked as though he might never come back. If Annie didn't help her get him back to Sunset Beach, she would start singing like a canary. Annie warned her not to become a singing nun quite yet. This was much more serious than a silly game of trying to land a boyfriend. Amy had drugged a man to get him into bed. That was a crime. If Amy said anything, she would end up serving 10 to 20 years. Furthermore Annie would tie Amy to everything she had done to Olivia. If Amy thought that simply swearing her innocence would help, she was really foolish. Everyone in town knew Amy to be a conniving witch. But what Annie seemed to be missing was that Amy had nothing left to fight for. If she went to jail, she would have a roof over her head and three meals a day. Without Sean, she had no reason to live. The last ounce of pleasure she could find would be to take Annie down with her. She would love knowing that Annie was in the next cell over. Bette stepped into the fray, wondering what these two fine ladies were up to. Tobias suggested that Olivia look in Caitlin's room for clues as to where the children had gone. Gregory had not gone through all of this to see Cole brought back into Caitlin and Trey's life. He threw a glass against the wall. The crash of the glass nearly struck Jude in the head as he entered. Tobias refused to answer any of Jude's questions, only stating that he barely knew him. Jude should mind his own business. But the whole business unraveled in a matter of minutes when AJ and Bette came in asking Olivia if Caitlin had really taken Trey and gone to find Cole. Jude was shocked by this information. Had Cole contacted Caitlin? No, he hadn't, but she'd gone to find him anyway. Tobias and Jude made plans to track them down. Olivia wanted to help, but AJ and Bette insisted on having a private moment with her. Bette suggested that if Olivia wanted to do something to help her children, she would get sober. Couldn't she see what her drinking was doing? She had fought to get Trey back in her life, and now she had let him go so easily. Neither AJ nor Bette could stand by and watch Olivia's downfall. They would both walk away if she didn't stop drinking. This was her last chance. Olivia knew that they were right about everything and she couldn't stand it. They had said nothing to her that she hadn't said to herself a thousand times. She knew fully well what she had done. Bette promised Olivia that her children would come back if she stopped drinking. AJ offered to get her any help she needed. Olivia asked for some time alone with AJ. Bette left to go check on some work. Tobias went to see what Jude had found out. Jude was upstairs making inquiries everywhere. He was ordering reports from every major newspaper in the world. Jude looked at a framed photo of Caitlin on her desk and remembered promising her that Cole would come back to her. Downstairs, Olivia thanked AJ for everything he had done for her. He sensed that she was saying goodbye. She was. She was setting him free. Upstairs, Tobias wondered if Jude had found any leads. He had not as of yet. But before Tobias could go, Jude said, "This isn't working out as planned. Is it Gregory?"

Gabi asked Carmen to confide what was bothering her. Carmen was very worried about Ricardo. Gabi asked for specifics. Carmen thought back to the night when she had walked in on Ricardo standing. She also remembered his serious tone in asking her to keep his secret. Carmen insisted that she was only worried about Ricardo and Gabi. Gabi offered that she and Ricardo had experienced some rough spots but things were looking up. She sensed that Carmen was keeping something from her. Carmen then claimed to be worried that Ricardo might be overdoing it. Gabi promised that she would watch over him. Carmen could see that Gabi was telling her the truth. She excused herself. At home, Carmen looked for council from her cards. She could see trouble for her children. But which one? Ricardo asked his brother to take Gabi up to the cabin tonight. Antonio was more than willing to help his brother, but he needed to wait until the next day. Ricardo persisted. This was very important to him; it had to be done tonight. Antonio didn't understand why his brother was so annoyed about a one-day postponement. Antonio had a Communion rehearsal at the church tonight and he simply couldn't skip it. Ricardo apologized. He was just frustrated, being stuck in the bed. He explained that he wanted Antonio and Gabi to go check out the cabin now, because the time-share was running out and he was still hoping to plan a honeymoon with Gabi. Antonio said he would phone the church to see if he could find a replacement for tonight's rehearsal. Ricardo wondered what Gabi and Carmen had been conferring about for so long. Gabi said that his mother was worried about him. Had she said anything specific? No, but Gabi felt as though Carmen was keeping something from her. Antonio returned from his phone call with good news -- he had found a priest to replace him tonight. He and Gabi could leave right away. Not soon enough for Ricardo. With this last move, he would finally have his revenge. He reviewed each step of his set-up plan: planting a bag at the airport, placing fingerprints on a glass, and making sure Michael knew about a special life insurance policy. These two would never know what hit them. Antonio and Gabi were finally on their way. Gabi stopped to pick up the mail. She hadn't noticed an envelope from the insurance company marked urgent. This seemed like something she need to handle before leaving.

Brad realized, as he talked to Emily, that she wasn't listening to anything he said. He tested his theory by telling her he'd been out on a date with Chelsea Clinton. She apologized for being distracted. It was something about Sean. He wondered what trouble the rich boy had gotten himself into this time. She didn't know, but Sean was gone. Gone for good. Brad hid his pleasure in hearing that Sean had left Sunset Beach. Could this be a tactic to get her back? It wasn't Sean's style. Brad thought Amy would freak when she learned about Sean's departure. Too late. Emily had already told her and she was "nun too happy." Where had Emily seen Amy? She told him that she had visited the church. Brad wondered if Amy was trying to pull a Julie Andrews routine. She had missed one step, though, because Sean didn't have a flock of children for her to become governess to. Emily felt like a fool, forever believing that Amy was her friend. Brad offered that Emily was just a kind, trusting person. He thought back to Amy saying that if she got Sean, it would leave a clear path for Brad to pursue Emily. Now Emily was sitting right next to him.

Derek entered to find Casey awake. He thought that it was time for Casey to call Sara with the little speech he had prepared. Casey said he would never do anything that would put Sara or Meg in danger. If Casey needed a little incentive to do as he was told, then so be it. Tess brought Maria into the room. Either Casey would call Sara, or Maria would die. Maria didn't understand what Casey had to do with this. Tess said that Casey, Meg and Sara were all guilty of meddling. It came down to this. Either Casey would do as Derek said, or Tess would kill Maria in any way she liked. Maria urged him to do nothing. "They're going to kill us anyway, Casey. Don't do it," she said. Casey sat silently. Derek gave Tess permission to kill Maria. Casey said he would do anything they wanted to stop the killing. Tess insisted that Derek talk to her outside immediately. They had wasted so much time that she had to leave. It was time to pick up Benji and get him packed to go. Derek said he would be fine alone. This was his favorite part. Inside, Maria took the opportunity to fill in Casey on everything. She told him that Ben had been kidnapped several weeks ago. They were all sure to die, and if he got the Cummings girls involved, they would meet the same fate. She tried to untie him, but Derek came back in time to stop it. Now Casey had a choice; he could either call Sara or watch Maria die. Derek set the phone in front of Casey and warned him of what he could and could not say. To erase any doubt of what might happen, Derek sat next to a gagged Maria with a knife. Casey stated his words to Sara very carefully, trying to place some clues along the way. Derek complimented him on saving Maria's life with his hands tied behind his back. Now that the call had been made, what was next? Derek didn't think Casey would like the answer. Casey had served his purpose and would now only prove to be a nuisance. It was time for him to die. Sara thought back on everything that had happened since she had last seen Casey. It was as if he had disappeared from the face of the earth. She was worried that something horrible had happened. Meg tried to think of more upbeat conclusions. Sara thought it was possible that Casey had gone to Ben's after taking the key from her. She couldn't just sit around wondering and waiting, not after what happened to Tim. Meg pointed out that Casey hadn't been gone long enough for them to be alarmed. He hadn't missed work. There was nothing the authorities could do. Besides, if Casey had gone to Ben's, he could take care of himself. Sara agreed that Ben would be no match for Casey in physical combat. (She didn't know about Tess and the fire poker cranial-conking, obviously.) She finally heard from Casey. But the call didn't seem to make a lot of sense at first. Meg asked Sara if he was all right. What had he said about his mother? His mother was the clue. Sara knew that he was in trouble. Carmen searched her cards for answers. Instead of telling her about her sons, the cards focused on her daughter. She could only find clues, but no clear message about what was happening to Maria. She thought back to the day she had warned her daughter not to leave Sunset Beach with Ben or she would die. The signs in the cards now were too ominous. She left to warn Maria. After arriving home, Tess got Benji ready for his night out with a friend. There was only one more day before his big trip with his father and her. Benji asked if his mother would be there. Tess, knowing that she was his real mother, answered with an affirmative. When the doorbell rang, she assumed that it was Benji's friend's mother. But to her dismay, it was Carmen, needing to see Maria immediately. Carmen freaked at the news that Maria had gone out of town. Tess said that Carmen would have to calm down.

Ricardo set the final stage of his revenge plan in motion. Michael came over in response to his summons. There was something that Michael needed to see. With great determination, Ricardo stood up. Michael cheered his great success. Michael was sure that the family would be glad to see this. Ricardo said that he had tried to call Gabi and Ricardo, but neither of them was around. Michael couldn't believe that neither was here for such an event. Of course, it was all part of Ricardo's plan. He was planting a seed of doubt about Gabi. She was supposed to be helping Antonio at the convent, but neither was anywhere to be found. Michael helped Ricardo back to bed. Had he thought of checking with his mom? Ricardo didn't want to cause his mom any undue stress. Michael said he would check to see if Vanessa might know where Gabi was. He promised to call when he got home; then he left. Ricardo was pleased to see how easily he could arouse Michael's suspicions. He then called Michael's answering machine, leaving a message that Gabi and Antonio were probably at a time-share up the coast. He said that he would drive up and surprise both of them. He couldn't wait to show them that he could walk After hanging up, Ricardo muttered, "By the time he gets that, I'll be long gone, but not forgotten." Now he would see how his brother and wife liked having their lives blown apart just as they'd destroyed his. He would leave the life he once had behind. But when Ricardo opened the door, Michael asked where he thought he was going. Antonio asked Gabi what she had lied to Ricardo about. She swore that she loved both Ricardo and Antonio. Each lie was to protect the other. Antonio insisted that she tell him what she had lied about. If she trusted him, she would tell him what she'd been keeping to herself for so long. Gabi finally broke down. She told him that Ricardo knew everything. That seemed impossible. How could he know? Who told him? Gabi said that Ricardo had seen the tape. She added that Ricardo had known about their indiscretion even before his stroke. Antonio realized that they were responsible for his brother's illness. Gabi confessed that she had known for months that Ricardo was on to them. Antonio didn't understand why Ricardo had made Gabi endure this alone. Antonio vowed to go see his brother right now and ask for forgiveness. Gabi stopped him. That was the one thing he could never do. Ricardo believed that a discussion between the two brothers would destroy the family. If Antonio went to Ricardo, then her husband would know that she had betrayed him again. "And what about you? Has Ricardo forgiven you?" asked Antonio. There was no easy way to answer that question, but Gabi tried to explain. At first, she hadn't thought that Ricardo would ever be able to forgive her. But now she honestly believed that the worst was behind them.