Stacy Haiduk returns to ALL MY CHILDREN on September 14 as Hannah, Zach's baby-craving ex. How much should "Zen" fans be bracing themselves? The actress tells all (all that she knows, that is) below.

Soap Opera Digest: Welcome back! Did you know, when you left in May, that a return might be in the offing?
Stacy Haiduk: I'll just say this: Probably in the middle of shooting [my first run], I looked at Thorsten [Kaye, Zach] and I said, "This is so much fun. You guys are the luckiest people on earth because you get to have a life outside of work as well." In nighttime, you work 14 or 15 hours a day, you come home exhausted, and that's it. Here, you usually work the morning shift or the afternoon shift. Thorsten said to me, "Why don't you go down to Julie [Hanan Carruthers, executive producer] and just let her know how you feel?" I was like, "Okay!" And so I did. I just told her, "This is so much fun. I'd love to come back. I have no idea how this works, but...." And she said, "You know, let's see what happens." I'm very blessed that I got "Hannah comes back!" It's pretty awesome.

Digest: How did you find out that the show wanted you back?
Haiduk: I was at Paramount Pictures auditioning for NIP/TUCK. I got a call right before I walked into my audition from a 212 area code [New York City's area code], picked up the phone and it was Julie, just calling to see if I'd be interested in coming back and I said, "Absolutely!" New York in the fall and getting to work with such lovely people? I was thrilled. I was totally on board.

Digest: In your time off, were you given what for by any Zach and Kendall fans?
Haiduk: I didn't, thank God! I noticed that they are very loved and I was very lucky not to. I hope they don't come after me and say, "Don't you dare!"

Digest: Do you know what happened between Zach and Hannah that last night when she begged him to impregnate her?
Haiduk: I don't. Thorsten and I keep looking at each other going, "What happened?" But I'm sure we'll all find out very soon.

Digest: What explanation does she give for why she's back in Pine Valley?
Haiduk: She wants to help Zach. Her agenda is to come back, help Zach out at the office and whatever else kind of comes up will come up, I guess!

Digest: How long have you been back at the studio?
Haiduk: I started taping about two weeks ago. I looked forward to seeing all the actors I'd worked with; they're all pretty cool — and the crew upstairs and hair and makeup. It was like the first day of school, walking in, where you know everybody, but you're still wondering, "How is it going to be?" But it was so relaxed. Getting back into it ... It takes a couple of weeks to get into rhythm because there's so much dialogue. But when I first walked into the hair and makeup room, they welcomed me back with open arms and I was so excited. Then I saw Thorsten! And we got to sit by the window and run our lines and it was fun. It was so much fun.

Digest: When I spoke to the show's head writers, James Harmon Brown and Barbara Esensten, about what was in store for Hannah, they said that a friendship would blossom between Hannah and Krystal, played by Bobbie Eakes. Have you worked with her yet?
Haiduk: I'm actually taping those scenes today. I'm looking forward to working with her, she seems really wonderful and I can't wait. It's nice, too, that they're taking her out of Cambias and letting Hannah see what webs she can weave elsewhere! There are some great scenes and I think Bobbie's excited, too.

Digest: In what you've taped so far, has Hannah interacted with Kendall yet?
Haiduk: She has not, not yet. That's coming up soon, where Kendall actually says hi to Hannah. But I don't think she's happy about it!

Digest: And what has Hannah been telling people about what she's been up to in her absence?
Haiduk: I don't know if she's lying, but she says she's been having to take care of things because emotionally, she was under a lot of stress. She was begging Zach for a baby and all that stuff. She was a mess and she went away to handle that. She's more together, she's worked on her stuff, and she's come back with a mission, to help him out. She's taken care of herself. At least we think she has!