Abigail Deveraux has always been the good child of Salem, despite her drama-filled upbringing. While other legacy kids were out wreaking havoc, Abigail stuck to her good girl guns - until now, that is. Kate Mansi explains why her character has now focused her attention on the one thing she can't have: someone else's husband! "For Abigail, it (her sudden crush on Austin) makes sense because a dysfunctional relationship always meant that someone was going to abandon her. Her father always left her, Chad left her and now, she feels like she has to set a new standard for herself and make sure no one leaves her. The only way she can do that is by being with someone who is the quintessential man, who is stable and loyal and a good guy. That is everything that Austin is. He's a good husband to Carrie, he's smart, he's funny, he's stable. He's involved in Abigail's life because he cares and has values and that is why she just sees that in him and runs for it. She's so desperate to find someone that will stick around for her."

Even if that person is happily wed? "He is?" Mansi jokes, "I think that when you're in love with someone to that degree, you see things sometimes in an unrealistic way. I think Abigail envies the marriage that Austin has with Carrie but Abigail is a strong, moral person who is acting uncharacteristically because her desire to have that is so strong. She's wiping out the marriage thing and just thinking, 'Their marriage is not so great anyway, and Carrie is always working. Austin needs someone that appreciates him.' She really just blurs the lines of fantasy and reality over time, to the point where she ignores their marriage, which is something that she really values, but it changes how she feels."

Sooner or later, the fantasy has to come crashing back down to earth. "She sees Austin and Carrie's relationship as so broken, she thinks Carrie is supposed to be with Rafe and herself with Austin and that's how it's supposed to be because she feels she's the woman for him, she can love him and appreciate him more than Carrie can. He, in turn, can give her what she needs, which is someone who won't leave her." Then there's the slight problem that Austin may likely not return Abigail's feelings. "She is just so blinded by her all-encompassing love for him. She really mistakes some of his caring and concern but at the same time, Austin isn't totally innocent either. He's been spending so much time with her because Carrie has been so busy, it just becomes that all parties are not innocent."

"I think Abby is someone who has really strong ambition and she's the kind of person who sets her mind to do something and she does it. She's someone who likes to be busy, she doesn't like standing still, and someone who, because of her family dynamics, wants stability and consistency in her life. That's what she's driving for but deep down, she's just a little girl who really wants to be approved, accepted and comforted. She never felt like anything consistent would last, like with her dad, her relationship with her mom and all of those things. I think Abby is a really good girl who's doing some uncharacteristic things right now because she feels so betrayed by Chad and Melanie, and wants to set the record straight and never be hurt again."

Abby's problems with Jack are a huge factor in how Abby sees romantic relationships. "I think that's the deciding thing for her," Mansi explains, "Dads are so important to girls. He was constantly in and out of her life and in viewing that, he doesn't realize that is what he has shown her. That's just the relationship she grew up with. Her mom and dad loved each other so much but he was always letting her down and Abby was there to sort of pick up the pieces while her dad was gone. So in the beginning, when Jack first comes back, 'I'm not letting you in.' She's so strong on, 'He's not going to hurt me again,' but then again, she becomes a little girl again and wants her dad and he apologizes for leaving, and he realizes how much it hurt her. They continue to find this middle ground, where he recognizes that he hurt her and she recognizes that he made a mistake and he's human and they try to move on."

"I think this storyline is pretty out there for Abby and I'm so excited. I think they (the show) have such a good handle on what they're doing and whatever they bring to me, I'm ready for it. I'm super excited, I think they have a really good idea of who Abigail is and who everyone else is too.... This show is so enticing and has everything for you. It's truly become what it used to be!"