Kayla Brady is one of Caroline and Shawn Brady's children. She worked as a nurse at University Hospital. Kayla was next seen living in Ohio. After her apartment was ransacked (by Steve Johnson), she returned to Salem out of fear for her safety. She began working at the Riverfront Emergency Clinic. She met Steve Johnson. She didn't know he was spying on the Brady family for Victor Kiriakis.
Kayla received a mysterious file with documents revealing that Steve had spied on her. She felt betrayed and ended their relationship. Steve tried to make Kayla understand that things had changed since he had spied on her. Meanwhile, Kayla befriended Adrienne Johnson.
After Adrienne's place was broken into, she moved in with Kayla, who figured out that Steve was Adrienne's long-lost older brother! Their mother, Jo Johnson, had given Steve and his younger brother Billy up for adoption to keep them from their abusive father, Duke.
Kayla began caring for Jack, Senator Harper Deveraux's son, who was suffering from Hodgkin's Disease. Steve suddenly broke up with Kayla, claiming he didn't love her. Soon after this, Jack proposed. She didn't want to marry him, but she felt sorry for him. He was once again in the hospital and was not expected to recover. Kayla finally accepted the proposal. Despite everyone's concern, she went through with the wedding.
Right after getting married, Jack went back to the hospital, and Kayla began to feel sick. She was slowly being poisoned by Harper, who mistakenly believed that she had Jack's adoption papers which affirmed that he was Duke and Jo Johnson's son! Meanwhile, Jack was discharged from the hospital and was intent on helping Kayla recover by taking her on their belated honeymoon. Kayla began feeling better.
As soon as they returned home, Kayla fell ill once again. Steve figured out that someone was trying to kill her and took her to an ISA safe house. When she finally woke up, Steve told her about his suspicions. Lab tests confirmed the poisoning. Meanwhile, Kayla saw Steve every chance she could. He had only pushed her away to help his brother, Jack.
Kayla and Steve were photographed kissing by a tabloid reporter. Kayla tried to explain but Jack wouldn't hear of it. He grabbed her and raped her.
Kayla sought Steve but couldn't bring herself to tell him what happened. They went to a cabin, where he proposed to her. They had a symbolic wedding, but Kayla was unable to make love to Steve. She finally told him that Jack had raped her. Steve vowed to make Jack pay.
Kayla pressed charges against Jack and filed for divorce. A rape hearing was held, but he pled guilty to assault in exchange for a suspended sentence. Kayla wanted to go to trial, but reluctantly agreed to this to forget about the whole thing.
When the Riverfront Knifer attacked Kayla, there was an explosion that knocked her unconscious and started a fire. When she woke, she was deaf and mute. Kayla and Steve learned sign language to communicate. Steve once again proposed, but Kayla wanted to wait until she regained her hearing.
Kayla worked with Kimberly to try to remember who the Knifer was, as she'd blocked it. Kayla finally remembered and wrote the name down just in time for the Knifer - Harper Deveraux - to show up. Steve and Shane arrived in time to save them and subdue Harper.
The surgery to restore Kayla's hearing was a success, but she still couldn't speak. Steve proposed marriage once again; this time, Kayla accepted. Steve planned the wedding, which took place on a yacht in Salem harbor. While signing her wedding vows with Kimberly as her interpreter, Kayla suddenly stopped. To everyone's amazement and joy, her speech miraculously returned, and she spoke her vows to Steve. After a reception on the yacht, Steve and Kayla took off for a honeymoon in Asia.
Steve and Kayla found a deaf little boy, Benjy, who seemed to be lost, in Bangkok. When his mother couldn't be located, they took him back to Salem. Soon, Ellen Hawk, Benjy's mother, contacted them. She needed to hide Benjy from his evil and powerful father - Stefano DiMera. Orion, Benjy's grandfather, returned and wanted his grandson. Kayla and Steve were heartbroken to lose the boy.
A land deed to a big old mansion on the outskirts of town was sent to Steve and Kayla. In the house, Steve found a trunk full of Civil War-era mementos that had belonged to the previous owners. They read a diary that belonged to a woman named Emily Mathews; she wrote it in 1864. Steve and Kayla found the diary terribly romantic and read a little bit of it every day.
Steve and Kayla learned they were expecting just in time for Marina Toscano to show up. She claimed to be Steve's wife! Steve thought she had died. Marina wanted Steve's help in retrieving an old key. Kayla encouraged Steve to help her in hopes she would grant him a divorce. They found the key, but back in Salem, Kayla and Marina argued. Kayla pushed Marina down and left her - very much alive. She was found dead sometime later.
Kayla and Steve wanted to remarry before the baby's birth. Unfortunately she was arrested during the wedding for Marina's murder! Victor Kiriakis had sent the police a tape on which Kayla threatened to kill Marina. The tape had been doctored, but the police were still forced to arrest her.
Kayla was found guilty of Marina's murder. She was sent to prison where she gave birth to her daughter Stephanie. The woman Steve hired as the baby's nanny kidnapped her. Kayla escaped from prison, and she and Steve followed them to Australia, where they managed to recover their child. When they learned that Kayla was exonerated of Marina's death, they returned home.
Harper Devereaux escaped from prison (again) and vowed to have his revenge on Steve. At Steve and Kayla's wedding, Harper planned to execute him. Jack stopped him by pushing him to his death. The wedding went on as planned, and Steve and Kayla were legally married.
While patrolling the harbor late one night, Steve spotted a suspicious looking boat. While he was onboard, the boat exploded and Steve died. A grief stricken Kayla moved in with Shane Donovan and vowed to find her husband's killer. The two worked together and all evidence pointed to one person: Lawrence Alamain. Shane and Kayla fell in love. Eventually, however, she moved to Los Angeles to work in a clinic, and Shane returned to England.
Kayla reluctantly returned to Salem for Frankie and Jennifer's wedding. She got the shock of her life when Steve also showed up. He didn't know he was Steve; when he "died," his memory was erased. Kayla stayed in Salem to try to win Steve, and his memory, completely back. He agreed to work with Kayla, but he felt very distant and different from her. He wanted to uncover who had stolen his past, and they both agreed it was likely the DiMeras. He regained his memories in a haze of flashbacks, and he and Kayla were finally truly reunited - passionately.
Unfortunately, the DiMeras wanted their soldier back. Steve started having bizarre and violent episodes that Kayla couldn't control. Over his objections, she got him committed to the state hospital instead of going to jail after he attacked EJ. The Dimeras infiltrated and were prepared to send Steve out on a murderous assignment. With Adrienne and Bo's help, Kayla broke Steve out, and Kayla finally deprogrammed Steve herself.
Steve and Kayla were soon immersed in the ongoing Brady-DiMera feud. They were devastated when their beloved Benjy became a victim of the battle. Kayla told Steve she wanted to have another baby with him.
Steve and Kayla took the senior Shawn to Ireland after they got news of Colleen's existence. Kayla had also learned that she was pregnant, but kept it quiet from Steve at first. En route back to Salem, the plane crashed. Shawn Sr. passed away after saving Bo. Though the others sustained injuries, they managed to survive. Kayla finally revealed her pregnancy. They all returned home safely.
Stress began to take its toll on Kayla's pregnancy, and her doctor prescribed rest and relaxation. She went into premature labor and gave birth to a son, Joey.
Kayla was involved in a hostage situation at the hospital. During the struggle, Hope accidentally shot Kayla when the perpetrator moved out of the way. Kayla made a full recovery and forgave Hope, but soon decided to leave to run a free clinic in a third world country. With Steve and Joey in tow, Kayla left Salem.
Kayla returned without Steve. She revealed that she and Steve had been arguing for months. He missed his life of adventure and rejoined the ISA. Kayla and Steve filed for divorce. Kayla spent her time helping out Caroline at the Brady Pub. She was also part of the support system for Abe after Lexie died.
