Bridget thanked Courtney for helping her get her life back together and promptly told Courtney that her help had given Bridget the courage to take her baby back. Courtney was stunned by Bridget's change of heart and strongly suggested Bridget slow down and think about her choices. Courtney warned Bridget that it took a lot to raise a child and suggested that Hope was best with Jason and Sam. Bridget refused to listen and told Courtney she'd figure things out as she went along -- but she wanted her baby back.
Meanwhile, Sam was emotional and happy when Jason proposed to her, and after making sure it wasn't for the wrong reasons, Sam returned Jason's sentiments of love and accepted his proposal. The two kissed and basked in their moment of joy, but Courtney's knock on their door interrupted. Jason was immediately concerned to see her, and Courtney quickly apologized for her bad news. She told them that Bridget had decided to take Hope back. Sam was stunned, and Jason wanted to know why, but Courtney could only tell them that Bridget missed her daughter. Courtney let them know that she'd tried to change Bridget's mind because she thought Hope was better off with Sam and Jason, but she had been unsuccessful.
After Courtney left, Sam immediately vowed to fight for the baby, and Jason went to meet Jordan to see if they could challenge the custody. Sam took the opportunity to show up on Courtney's doorstep and accuse her of convincing Bridget to take the baby back in hopes that it would break up Sam and Jason. Courtney was shocked by Sam's false accusation, and Sam further surprised her when she announced that Courtney's plan wouldn't work because Jason and Sam were getting married.
Lucky and Liz took Emily to the cottage where Connor was hiding out, and after a brief scuffle when Connor was unsure of who they were, things settled down, and everyone decided that Emily would be safest there and away from Helena. Liz remained unconvinced and was concerned with leaving Emily alone with Connor, but Emily assured her that Lucky had said it was the best solution for the time being. Lucky and Liz left, and later Lucky picked Liz and Cameron up from work. He told Liz that he'd thought a lot about her since their kiss and that he'd like to spend time with her. Liz replied that she missed him, and the two planned an evening together.
Back at the house, Emily tried to make the best of the situation, but Connor mistook her intentions and kissed her. Emily immediately jumped back and yelled at Connor for trying to get romantic with her. She reiterated to him that she was married and in love with Nikolas and had no feelings toward Connor whatsoever. She ran to the bedroom to keep her distance, and an angry Connor threw dishes around the living room in an attempt to vent his feelings.
Lorenzo pulled Carly into a kiss, but she pulled away and warned him that she hadn't helped him because she wanted to get back together with him. Lorenzo refused to hear her and told her that he continued to be in love with her and knew she felt for him too. Carly admitted to caring but told him that a relationship with him was a road that she could not venture down again. She left. Brook overheard the exchange, however, and promptly warned Lois when she arrived to talk to Lorenzo.
Brook told Lois that Lorenzo had professed his love for Carly, so Lois confronted him, and he admitted it. He apologized to Lois for any hurt he might have caused her, but he told her that Carly had gotten to him at a dark time in his life, and he would forever be in love with her, whether she returned the sentiments of not. Lois was crushed and said a final goodbye to Lorenzo before rushing out and running to Kelly's to cry alone. Ned found her there and, having been tipped off by Brook, comforted his ex and promised to help her through the rough time.
Meanwhile, Carly, angry from her exchange with Lorenzo, returned to her apartment and was unable to get her door unlocked. Steven arrived home a minute later and helped her get into her apartment. Carly vented her frustrations to him, and he managed to cheer her slightly when he asked her out on a real date. Carly accepted, and Steven wondered if they might be able to get to the next step of a romance after all.
Emily told Connor in no uncertain terms that she wasn't interested in him, even if Nikolas remained in jail. Skye delivered a letter from Nikolas to Emily, who was moved to tears. After Connor read the note and imagined himself in Nikolas' shoes, he spied on Emily as she slept.
Courtney was devastated by the news of Jason and Sam's pending nuptials then had to defend herself to Sam when she was accused of being responsible for Bridget's decision to take her baby back. Jason turned to Jordan for legal advice on the subject and learned they'd need Courtney's help in their fight to keep Hope. Carly was painfully honest with Steven, saying that she'd only kissed him to distract her from being attracted to Lorenzo.
Georgie pretended to be Brook Lynn for a college interview that Brook was going to flake on. When the recruiter asked to hear her sing, Dillon had to step in and rescue her from embarrassment. Later, Brook told Georgie and Dillon that she was passing on going to college and, instead, was planning on going to Mexico to be with Diego.
As Ric learned that Jordan had left Port Charles for Sonny's island, Jordan arrived on Sonny's Island and informed her client that, since Ric and Alexis were separated, Sonny should sue immediately for sole custody of Kristina. At the same time, the mysterious stranger continued to lurk at Sonny's new house. Later, security officer Stan reported to Sonny that there was a glitch in the security system for the new house, while the mysterious stranger watched Stan on a hidden camera.
Later, as Sonny and Jordan discussed fabrics for the new house, Jordan suddenly declared that she was not interested in a "fling" with Sonny and bolted out of the apartment. When Jordan returned to Port Charles, she met with Stan about the security glitch and informed Stan that Sonny wanted the security system in tip-top working order when Sonny returned from the island and moved the children into the house. Meanwhile, the mysterious stranger eavesdropped on the conversation between Stan and Jordan.
Later, on the island, as Sonny and Michael discussed the possibility of Kristina living with Sonny, Ric suddenly arrived and appealed to Sonny to not take advantage of Ric's split with Alexis to try to gain custody of Kristina. Although Sonny ripped Ric for Ric's dubious motives for marrying Alexis, Ric continued to argue that Ric had begun to truly care for Alexis and Kristina, and it was obviously best for Kristina to remain in the secure home that Alexis had provided since the little girl's birth. Sonny coldly brushed aside all of Ric's arguments. As Ric continued to appeal to Sonny to leave Kristina with Alexis back in Port Charles, and Bridget spoke to Kristina and her nanny outside Kelly's, the mysterious stranger lurked in the bushes and watched Kristina.
Jason met with Courtney at Kelly's and appealed to Courtney to help him convince Bridget to leave baby Hope with Jason and Samantha. Courtney apologized to Jason for her earlier argument with Sam. A stunned Courtney listened in silence as Jason explained the depth of his commitment to Sam then Courtney abruptly wished Jason happiness in his new life with Sam and agreed to do what she could to persuade Bridget to leave her daughter in Jason and Sam's custody.Courtney rushed away from Kelly's. At the same time, Bridget was surprised when Lorenzo Alcazar arrived at Courtney's apartment and appealed to Bridget to leave baby Hope with Jason and Sam.
Meanwhile, Carly arrived at Jason's penthouse and warned Sam not to hurt Jason. Carly then reassured Sam that Carly would do what she could to convince Bridget to leave Hope with Jason and Sam but emphasized that Carly was only taking that action because of Jason -- not because Carly believed that Sam deserved any kind of consideration from Carly. Later, Carly returned home and ran into Steven, who again suggested that Carly should be taking some time out for herself instead of running herself ragged in an effort to help Sonny decorate his new house.
Afterward, Carly met with Jason at Kelly's and reported that Carly had tried to convince Sam that Courtney had not been attempting to sabotage Sam's relationship with Jason. However, Jason became upset when Carly reported that she'd asked Lorenzo to appeal to Bridget to leave Hope with Jason and Sam. At the same time, Courtney returned home and hit the roof when she discovered Lorenzo alone in the apartment with Bridget.
In the meantime, Jason ordered Carly to call Lorenzo off and stormed away from Kelly's after warning Carly to quit trying to help him. At the same time, Courtney ordered Lorenzo out of her apartment then warned Bridget to ignore everything that Lorenzo had said to her. Courtney was shocked when she learned that Lorenzo had tried to persuade Bridget to leave Hope in Jason and Sam's custody. Meanwhile, Jason returned home and reported to Sam that Courtney had agreed to try to convince Bridget to leave Hope with Jason and Sam.
Later, Lorenzo met with Carly and reported that, although Lorenzo had been close to convincing Bridget to leave Hope with Jason and Sam, Courtney had returned and warned Bridget not to listen to anything Lorenzo had to say. Lorenzo warned Carly that Courtney might be subconsciously trying to sabotage Jason's adoption of baby Hope, whether Courtney realized it or not.
Meanwhile, Bridget assured Courtney that she had decided to disregard Lorenzo's advice and planned to insist on custody of her daughter when Bridget appeared in court the following day. Later, Jordan stopped by Jason's penthouse and reminded Jason and Sam to take Hope's things to court with them because, if the judge should decide against Jason and Sam retaining custody of Hope, the couple would have to turn Hope over to the baby's biological mother right away.
At the safe house, Emily accused Connor of searching her purse and reading the letter that Emily had just received from Nikolas. However, their argument was interrupted when Lucky and Liz arrived and announced that Luke believed they were close to capturing Helena for good. While Lucky and Connor investigated the basement, Emily confided to Liz that Emily believed she might be sending Connor mixed messages about her feelings, and Emily was beginning to feel very uncomfortable around Connor.
When Lucky and Connor returned, Connor was disappointed when Emily decided to go out for some shopping with Lucky and Liz. When Emily returned from her shopping trip, she was appalled when she saw that Connor had recreated a romantic evening that Nikolas had described in his letter to Emily. Emily blasted Connor for prying into Emily's private affairs then rushed away and locked herself in her bedroom.
Due to news coverage of the presidential inauguration, this episode was preempted. This preemption was planned, and there were no lost episodes. Regular broadcasting resumed Friday where Wednesday's show concluded.
Carly and Jordan arrived at Sonny's new house with some last-minute items before his arrival. When they saw what looked to be someone with a flashlight moving around inside, Carly picked up a thick branch to confront the intruder with. She entered the house and knocked the intruder over the head. It turned out to be John Durant. He told her had been at a nearby track and had decided to check out the new home where his grandsons would be spending quite a bit of time. Carly didn't believe him for a minute.
When Rollo and Jordan walked in moments later, Carly instructed Rollo to get the compound's security system fully operational by the time Sonny returned later that evening. Then she dealt with her father. She let him know in no uncertain terms that her loyalty was with Sonny and that she would do whatever was in her power to ensure that Sonny remained a free man. She said she would do it because her sons loved their father. After John left, Jordan called Brook Lynn to ask her to take Kristina over for a visit.
Brook Lynn was at Kelly's with Kristina, babysitting while Alexis worked late. Ric ran into her and ended up taking her and Kristina over to the house. Carly was less than pleased to see him and showed him the door within minutes of his arrival. As Brook Lynn, Jordan, Carly, and Kristina stood in the foyer, a mystery person watched via a hidden camera. After a call from Rollo, the mystery person pressed a button that turned off the lights. The women were a bit unnerved by the second system failure.
Things didn't go well for Bridget during the initial hearing with the judge to stop the adoption. The judge listened as both sides tried to convince her that Hope would be better off with them. Not quite convinced Bridget was ready to care for Hope, Judge Shindo delayed placing her in Bridget's custody until she had more time to deliberate. As all parties filed out of the judge's chambers, Judge Shindo stopped Courtney and requested that she return after a short break so they could talk privately.
When Courtney rejoined Judge Shindo, she was asked whether she believed Bridget was ready to take on the responsibility of Hope. Courtney reluctantly said that she did not believe Bridget was ready to tackle motherhood. She went on to tell Judge Shindo that she thought Jason and Sam would make wonderful parents. When asked if she believed that Jason could provide the baby with a safe home, she admitted to the judge that he couldn't. Jason was not happy to hear Courtney's recounting of the meeting and soon left the courthouse.
Courtney returned home and found Bridget trying to find the right place for a mobile she had purchased for Hope on the way home. Courtney was stunned to hear Bridget tell her that she in part wanted Hope with them so that she could replace the baby Courtney had lost. Courtney quickly told Bridget that she'd never had any intention of having Hope live with the two of them. Bridget was free to stay with Hope for a day or two but no longer than that.
Having left the courthouse before Jason, Sam arrived at the penthouse and found a woman, calling herself Rita Sullivan and claiming to be Bridget's grandmother, waiting in the hallway. She told Sam that she'd been in Europe and had recently been contacted by Grace Powell, who'd informed her that Bridget had given birth. She told Sam that she had been trying to help Bridget for years, but because her daughter and husband had problems and Bridget had been a difficult child, she had failed. Just as Jason approached the front door, Rita told Sam that she was there because she wanted Hope to live with her.
Emily unlocked her bedroom door and cautiously stepped out. As a wary Emily slowly walked through the cabin, she took note of the strawberries and cream, Champagne, and candelabra Connor had arranged for her the previous night. She shuddered with repulsion at the sight. She made her way to the front door and cautiously unlocked it then stepped out onto the porch, looking for signs of Connor. She was startled when he stepped out from behind the door and asked her if she was looking for him.
Emily asked if Connor had been out, and he admitted that he had been after thinking he'd heard something. He then asked her why she had locked her bedroom door. Emily was shaken. She asked him how he'd known it was locked, but Connor evaded answering, instead rehashing the night before and acting the wounded party. He told Emily that he had only been trying to make her feel better because he knew how much she missed Nikolas. He insisted that she had completely misunderstood things. Emily didn't believe him, but rather than argue with him, she suggested they just stop being nice to each other.
A knock at the door heralded the arrival of Lucky and Liz, which provided a momentary end to the argument. Sensing the tension between the two, Liz and Lucky were a bit concerned when they took in the romantic table setting. Connor defensively told them that he had just been trying to be nice then grabbed a bottle of Champagne and plunked down in a nearby chair to watch the exchange between the three, all the while taking generous drinks from the bottle. Emily, meanwhile, brushed off Liz's concerned questions and concentrated instead on Lucky's announcement of good news. They told her that Luke was closing in on Helena and that the plan was to have her follow Lucky and Liz back to the safe house, where Luke would apprehend her before she could do any harm.
Emily was uncomfortable with the thought of having to spend another night with Connor and asked them if they had to remain at the safe house. Given the plans, she realized that she did. She once again brushed off Liz's look of concern over her unusually tense behavior. After Lucky and Liz left, Connor was visibly upset. Emily looked worried when he suggested that it wouldn't be long until she was reunited with Nikolas and he lost her forever.
Things quickly deteriorated as Connor began twisting past events to make it appear that Emily had been doing everything in her power to keep him in her life. She tried to set him straight on his misconceptions, but her words fell on deaf ears. Connor told her that he knew what it was like to be prince and that he knew everything there was to know about being Nikolas except being with her. Emily became alarmed as Connor crudely suggested that since Nikolas had been intimate with his wife Mary, he should return the favor and be intimate with Emily.
Emily was unable to escape Connor before he grabbed her and savagely kissed her. Emily fought him but was unable to keep Connor from following her to the floor and aggressively groping her. Emily was finally able to reach his discarded bottle of Champagne and hit him over the head, which momentarily stunned him. She ran for the basement and locked the door before Connor could stop her.
Lucky and Liz returned to his room above Kelly's. Liz was concerned about Emily, as was Lucky, but hesitated about returning to the cabin for fear of tipping off Helena. When Liz noticed an old painting of hers in his room, she was pleasantly surprised. Lucky told her that his grandmother had recently found it in the house -- the rest had been lost in the fire. As they reminisced about their time together when she had made the painting, Liz and Lucky were drawn closer together and ended up in a passionate embrace.
Liz and Lucky were interrupted by a knock at the door. Skye was there to tell them that Helena had been spotted in the tunnels of Wyndemere. Skye told them to go to Wyndemere and act as if they were gathering supplies for Emily and Nikolas then head to the safe house. Liz and Lucky played their roles perfectly at Wyndemere.
Connor stumbled to the basement door and pounded on it while apologizing to Emily and begging her to open up or go outside. He blamed his actions on the Champagne. Emily, meanwhile, was in the basement, desperately trying to find a way out. The only door she found had a locked padlock on it, so she ran to a tool chest nearby. She pulled out a screwdriver then slowly went up the stairs, armed with her weapon.
Connor was no longer knocking and begging Emily to open the door. She called his name then slowly started to turn the lock when she didn't hear any sound on the other end. Just then, Connor crashed through the basement door, tearing it off its hinges. Emily took a wrong step and stumbled down the wooden staircase, momentarily stunning herself and losing her weapon.
Connor walked up to Emily and salaciously looked her up and down. Emily watched him but was powerless to defend herself as he violently ripped her skirt from her body and forced himself on her. She screamed in horror as Connor raped her.
