Luke joins Skye and Lorenzo at their table at Kelly's as Skye and Lorenzo finalize their deal for Skye to help find AJ's true killer among the Quartermaines in exchange for Lorenzo's help to save ELQ. Skye isn't happy to see Luke. Lorenzo is careful not to reveal the nature of their arrangement but makes certain Skye understands exactly what he expects from her before he leaves. Luke meanwhile questions Skye about what is going on between her and Lorenzo. At first he believes her meeting with Lorenzo is nothing but a ruse but Skye quickly straightens him out on that score. When Skye leaves Kelly's, Luke follows her out. Moments before, Emily, upon seeing them about to exit, decides to hide around a corner rather than risk running into Skye. As Luke tries to convince Skye that she doesn't really want to end things with him, Emily watches and listens, growing increasingly upset by Luke's behavior and his words. Skye tells Luke that she isn't interested in a relationship with him. Taking a more direct approach, Luke holds a somewhat resistant Skye in his embrace. At that point, Emily makes her presence known. She angrily demands that Luke let go of Skye immediately. Realizing what is motivating Emily, Skye does her best to calm Emily down. She reassures Emily that she is quite all right and asks her to go home where Skye will catch up with her later on. Emily reluctantly leaves. Once she's gone, Skye focuses her attention back on Luke who finds Emily's behavior very odd. Skye passes it off as stress from having to deal with Michael's kidnapping and AJ's death. Luke accepts her explanation and then remounts his campaign to convince Skye to change her mind. Skye is flattered that Luke is so determined. She tells him so and then admits that it takes everything within her to maintain her sobriety every day so that she doesn't have the strength left in her to fight off his attempts at a reconciliation. Luke is pleased until Skye continues. She adds that there are fundamental differences between them that she does not believe love can conquer. She asks Luke to respect her wishes and help her by staying away from her. Later, Skye returns to the Quartermaine mansion where she finds Emily. Emily immediately begins apologizing for her behavior. Skye assures her that she understands perfectly how Emily could have misread the situation because Luke tends to be a handful. Skye then lets Emily know that she has ended things with Luke for good. Emily is sympathetic. Skye then changes the subject, telling Emily that she is determined to find AJ's killer and would like her assistance. Emily is at a loss for words when Skye asks her what she remembers of the night AJ was murdered.
Tracy is shocked to find Helena holding a gun on her in the foyer of the Quartermaine mansion. Fearing Helena is about to kill her, Tracy scrambles to explain that Luke is behind Helena's missing money which has been tracked to Tracy's account. Helena isn't interested in explanations. She simply wants her money back. She tells Tracy she expects for it to be returned immediately with interest as they make their way into the living room and then slips away when Edward calls out for Tracy. Justus and Edward walk in seconds later. Edward is furious, having just learned that Tracy has a small fortune in her personal account which he feels she could use to save a floundering ELQ. Tracy is unable to explain the money but she is adamant about it not being used to bail out ELQ. Edward is livid with her. He calls her all kinds of selfish before Tracy, having reached her limit with him, lets him know in no uncertain terms that she will personally save ELQ but not with the money in her account. She then storms out of the room. Jason and Sam walk in a short while later looking for Justus. They inform him about Carly's arrest and ask him to take her case. Justus isn't hopeful that he can help Carly after they fill him in on what transpired during the arrest and the evidence that the police have. He fears that without a technicality with the arrest, Carly will not be released any time soon. After Justus leaves to go to the police station, Sam tries to talk to Jason about Carly. Jason insists that Carly is innocent but Sam isn't so certain. She shares her theory that Carly would do anything to protect her children including murder and lying about it. Jason is unable to dispute her claim and so he remains silent. A few moments later, Emily walks in. Jason senses her agitation and after Sam excuses herself so that she can go make a call to check on Michael, Jason questions Emily. Emily admits that she fears she is losing her mind. She tells him about the encounter with Luke outside of Kelly's. She goes on to tell Jason that she's afraid of Nik finding out about the rape because he'll stay with her out of either loyalty or love, neither of which she wants. She goes on to share with him that she has taken steps to divorce Nik. Jason is shocked asking her if Nik gets a vote in the decision to end their marriage. Emily is emphatic that she can't be with Nik. Emily then confesses that lately she's been filled with rage and admits that the night of AJ's murder, half the night is a blank for her.
Michael is upset seeing his mother arrested. As the adults argue with each other over how the arrest is being carried out, Michael breaks away during the commotion and runs to Carly. Clinging tightly to her, he speaks his first words, calling her "Mommy." Carly kneels down to reassure him that everything will be okay and that she loves him. She goes on to let him know that Sonny will take care of everything. At that point, Michael turns to look at Sonny and utters his second word "Daddy" as he runs to the safety of his arms while the police take Carly away. Unfortunately the breakthrough is short lived. Michael almost immediately regresses back to his silence and begins rocking himself quietly. Reese and Sonny discuss what has transpired with a psychologist. The psychologist agrees with Reese's assessment that Michael is showing clear signs of repressing a traumatic memory. Worried, Sonny returns to Michael's side and tries to talk to him, hoping Michael will open up but it's to no avail. Michael remains silent. Frustrated, Sonny reaches for his hand and begs him to talk to him. Reese, seeing Sonny's loss of control, walks into the room and calmly suggests to him that he go to the police station to check on Carly. Sonny realizes that Reese is merely trying to help him and leaves without argument after Reese assures him she will stay with Michael. After Sonny leaves, Reese talks to Michael about what the psychologist told them in the hopes of getting Michael to talk but Michael continues to be silent. Reese, finally tucks Michael in as she gently sings him the lullaby "Hush Little Baby." As Reese sings, Carly is shown being fingerprinted and photographed as she's processed.
The enormity of what Alexis has done finally sinks into Ric. He is devastated that she left town with their unborn child and Kristina. Liz tries to defend Alexis, suggesting that clearly Alexis panicked and that she is certain to call Ric once she calms down a bit. Ric is doubtful. Just then Carly is brought into the station. When Carly sees Liz, she immediately presumes she is there to make certain that Carly is charged with AJ's murder. Liz says nothing as Jason tries to rein in Carly's temper in. In the interrogation room, Ric tries to talk to Carly but she isn't in the mood to listen or cooperate. She lets Ric know what a low opinion she has of him and insists on being released so that she can return to Michael.
Lorenzo arrives at General Hospital to question Liz about the night AJ died. She instead tells him of Carly's arrest which sends him rushing off to the PCPD. When he arrives, he reassures Carly that he will take care of things for her. Grateful for his help, Carly hugs him. Just then Sonny walks in and doesn't seem happy to see Carly in Lorenzo's arms, but he remains silent. Justus and Ric walk into the interrogation room to take Carly for processing a short while later. Before she is taken out, Carly turns to Lorenzo and mouths the words "Thank you." Sonny asks to speak to Ric alone. Once everyone has filed out, Sonny tells Ric to let Carly go. Ric feels his hands are tied because the evidence against Carly is overwhelming. Sonny doesn't care. He blackmails Ric, telling him to let Carly go or he will take action against Alexis who has left the country with Kristina and is now in London. Ric is shocked that Sonny knows where Alexis is.
Lorenzo returns to General Hospital in order to question Monica about the night AJ was killed. Jason is insistent that Lorenzo leave Monica alone. Lorenzo is less than pleased suggesting that Jason would do anything to protect his mother and sister.
Michael dreams of being in AJ's room hiding between the wall and the headboard of AJ's bed as Carly walks in and smothers AJ with the pillow. When he screams himself awake, Reese tries to comfort him. Shaken from the dream, Michael blurts out that he saw mommy with a pillow. Reese asks him if he saw Carly kill AJ.
Luke returns to the Haunted Star and finds a very unhappy Tracy. She tells him about Helena's visit to the Quartermaine mansion and threatening her with a gun. Luke is pleased that Helena has been drawn out of hiding. Just then Helena makes her presence known, still armed with a gun which she has pointed at Luke. They trade a few barbs and insults before Helena reveals her plans to Luke. She intends on going to the police and claiming that Luke had abducted her, held her captive, staged her death and framed Nikolas for her murder. Luke listens as he slyly slips a gun from behind the bar and casually walks around it to confront Helena. Helena doesn't wait for him to draw his weapon. She shoots him several times in the chest at point blank range. When Tracy screams, Helena turns the gun on her and threatens to shoot her next.
Helena becomes distracted by Luke's moans and attempts to reach his gun. She turns her gun on him, pointing it at his head, intending to shoot him but Tracy knocks the gun out of her hands. Helena flees before Luke can get to his gun and shoot her. Tracy is furious when she realizes that Luke isn't really injured. He had been expecting an attempt on his life by Helena and had the foresight to don a Kevlar vest complete with fake blood. When Luke suggests shadowing Tracy 24/7 so that he can nab Helena when she goes gunning for Tracy, she declines. Tracy wants nothing more to do with Luke and Helena. She storms out, washing her hands of the entire mess.
Emily answers Skye's questions about the night that AJ was murdered. She tells Skye that both she and Monica were in Alan's room the entire night. Upon further questioning, Emily admits that she did step away, intending to see AJ but had run into Liz. After talking to Liz, Emily claims to have returned to Alan's bedside. When Skye suggests that Monica might have slipped away while Emily was gone, Emily insists that Monica would not harm AJ. Skye accepts Emily's declaration. After Skye departs, Monica arrives home from the hospital. Emily is worried about Monica and asks to speak to her regarding how she is dealing with AJ's death. Emily feels that Monica's sudden desire for a divorce and her absolute refusal to allow the hospital to autopsy AJ's body are not normal reactions. Monica explains herself. She tells Emily that there isn't a good time to end an unhappy marriage by filing for divorce and that her protest over AJ's autopsy stemmed from the desire to give AJ one shred of dignity, something that was denied him in life. She agrees with Emily that she has not been herself since AJ's death but that it stems from grief.
Tracy returns home and is skittish. She jumps at the slightest sound and lays into Emily when she startles Tracy. After Tracy leaves, Liz stops by to visit Emily. She gives Emily the news that Nikolas has tried to contact her, calling the hospital. When he was unable to reach Emily he asked Liz to pass along the message that he is allowed visitors again and would like to see Emily the following day. After talking to Liz, Emily realizes that she can no longer put off telling Nik about the rape because it's only a matter of time before they prove Helena is alive and he's released from prison.
Jason tells Lorenzo to back off from questioning Monica. When Monica walks up to the men, after being told that Lorenzo wishes to speak to her, Jason becomes more insistent. Lorenzo is less than pleased with Jason's protectiveness toward his mother and sister, whom Lorenzo believes are suspects in the AJ's murder. Disgusted, he lets Jason know where he feels Carly is on Jason's list of priorities. After Lorenzo walks away, Jason tells Monica about Carly's arrest. Monica is dismayed at the news.
Justus lays out the case the police have against Carly. She admits that she did touch the pillow but insists that AJ was dead when she had entered the room. Justus advises Carly to take a plea if she killed AJ. Carly refuses to consider the idea, proclaiming her innocence. Sonny walks into the interrogation room to talk to Carly but is almost immediately interrupted by a phone call from Reese. She tells him that she and Jason are taking Michael back to Sonny's home but refuses to give him any more details than that. Concerned, Sonny starts to leave without telling Carly what the phone call was about. Frustrated and sensing something is happening to Michael, Carly demands to know what is going on. Sonny warns her not to do anything stupid and then walks out of the room. Moments later, Lorenzo enters. He cautions Carly about entrusting her welfare to Sonny and Jason in regards to the case. He insists that Jason is protecting the two most likely suspects: Emily and Monica. He also feels that Sonny, who is no longer emotionally invested in Carly, will believe anything Jason says even if it means Carly being found guilty of a murder that she did not commit. Lorenzo assures Carly that the only person who doesn't have a conflicting agenda is himself and that he will do whatever it takes to see her free. Jason arrives awhile later to tell Carly what is going on with Michael. She is shocked to hear that Michael thinks she killed AJ.
Georgie and Dillon discuss Luke's latest escapade to capture Helena. Dillon is convinced he's somehow cursed.
Skye arrives at the Haunted Star to find Luke passed out in a chair. When she sees the bullet holes in his shirt and the fake blood, she mistakenly believes that he's been murdered by Helena. Devastated, she falls to her knees and begins to weep, telling him that she loves him. Luke slowly awakens and hearing Skye declares her love for him smiles. Skye realizes almost instantly that Luke is not dead and overheard what she said. She slugs him in the jaw and demands an explanation. He tells her what transpired and Skye is grateful for Luke's devious mind that had him prepared for Helena. A frazzled Tracy returns, interrupting them, to inform Luke that she has changed her mind about him shadowing her 24/7. Luke is pleased with the change of events. As a questioning Skye and Tracy hear sirens in the background drawing closer, Luke tells him that it's the ambulance. He asks them to play along as he lies down on the ground pretending he was really shot.
Ric believes that the only reason Sonny is threatening him with notifying the authorities that Alexis has fled the country with Kristina if Ric doesn't get Carly freed is because Sonny believes Carly is guilty. Sonny says he wants to do what's best for all of his children and therefore will give Alexis some leeway but in return he wants Ric to release Carly that very night. Later, Ric calls the judge to ask her to meet him at the courthouse. While he's waiting for the judge, Ric calls Alexis's cell phone and leaves her an urgent message telling her about Sonny's threat and asking her to return home immediately. When the disgruntled judge arrives, Ric tells her that he wants the charges against Carly dismissed. In London, Alexis is at a park with Kristina. She checks her cell phone and notes that Ric has called her four times. She has no doubts that Ric is freaking out, therefore she doesn't listen to her voicemail messages. When Kristina walks over, Alexis suggests that they return to Port Charles.
Michael dreams of Carly smothering AJ. He wakes up frightened and blurts out to Reese that he saw his mom in AJ's room. Sam overhears Reese ask Michael if he's trying to tell her that he saw Carly hurt AJ. Michael confirms that, yes, he did see Carly hurt AJ. Worried, Sam rushes off to find Jason who is talking to Monica. She interrupts them, insisting that she urgently needs to talk to Jason. Jason returns to Michael's room with Sam and discusses Michael's claims with Reese. Reese suggests that they work together to get Michael out of the hospital before he tells anyone else about his dream. Jason agrees. They take Michael back to the mansion. As Reese is upstairs with Michael, getting him settled into bed, Sonny returns home. Jason advises Sonny to talk to Reese about what is going on with Michael. Sonny agrees and sends Jason to the police station to keep an eye on Carly. In the hallway, Sam asks Jason what if Michael really saw what he claims. Jason doesn't have an answer. A short while later Reese talks to Sonny, explaining to him what is going on with Michael. She tells him that she believes that Michael saw something that has traumatized him and it manifested itself in Michael's dream. She's not entirely convinced though that Michael did in fact see Carly smother AJ. She goes on to suggest to him that Michael get some professional help to sort things out but she warns him that if he tells a psychologist what he confided to Reese then the doctor might be obligated to report it to the police. Sonny questions whether a professional might be bound by doctor/patient confidentiality but Reese is quick to inform him that it does not apply when the doctor has knowledge of a capital crime. Ultimately, Michael might be forced to testify against his own mother. Sonny asks Reese if she believes Carly killed AJ, she admits that it's certainly a possibility. He decides that he'll get help for Michael when Carly is safe but Reese warns him that the longer he waits the more damage it may do to Michael. Just then, Ric enters and requests to have a word in private with Sonny. The moment Reese walks out, Ric lets Sonny know that he was not able to convince the judge to drop the charges against Carly. Sonny takes the news calmly then tells Ric that he's going to take action against Alexis. Ric is furious that Sonny is willing to hurt Kristina in order to see Carly cleared of charges. Ric is interrupted when his cell phone rings. It's Alexis calling to tell him that she had decided to come home. As she's speaking, two London police officers approach Alexis and Kristina in the park. Ric listens as they inform her that Kristina is being taken into custody and returned home immediately to her father while she is being charged with kidnapping. Alexis is outraged as she is Kristina's mother. Ric is livid when he disconnects the call. He realizes immediately that Sonny must have called the authorities before he even talked to the judge. Sonny is unfazed. He admits that he had little faith in Ric's ability to convince the judge to dismiss the charges. Sonny then tells Ric that Alexis will see Kristina again after Carly is found not guilty of AJ's murder.
At the Hospital, Liz coaxes a reluctant Emily to keep her appointment to visit Nikolas in prison. Meanwhile, Nikolas anxiously gets ready for a visit with Emily. Later, when Emily visits with Nikolas, Emily reports that Tracy has seen Helena and Luke is positive that the current plan that Luke has for capturing Helena will work out this time. However, when Nikolas begins to make plans for their life together as soon as Nikolas is released from prison, Emily suddenly declares that they can NO longer be married and that Emily plans to divorce Nikolas. When Nikolas makes an emotional admission that he does NOT understand what Emily is saying and tries to reach out to Emily, Emily has a sudden flashback to Connor's attack on her and begins screaming for Nikolas to leave her alone. A bewildered Nikolas shrinks away from Emily's hysterical attack.
Brook Lynn meets with Diego at Kelly's and fills Diego in on AJ's tortured history with the Quartermaine family. When Diego begins to explain that Lorenzo is doing everything to get Carly released, a delighted Brook Lynn points out that Diego now refers to Lorenzo as 'his father.' Diego reluctantly admits that he is beginning to adjust to the fact that Lorenzo IS his father, but that he believes that, although Lorenzo and Diego may never enjoy a close father and son relationship, they are at least appearing to become friends.
At the courthouse, Alexis informs Ric that the new judge assigned to Kristina's custody case is now a judge in Sonny's back pocket and sole custody of Kristina has been awarded to Sonny. Alexis further reports that Alexis has been strictly forbidden to see Kristina at all. Ric quickly explains to Alexis that Sonny will return Kristina to Alexis as soon as Ric throws the case against Carly and allows Carly to walk away from the charges resulting from AJ's murder. However, an emotional Alexis assures Ric that Alexis does NOT want Ric to throw the case against Carly just to insure that Alexis will get Kristina back. Alexis apologizes to her husband for putting him in such an indefensible position and urges Ric to go after Carly if Carly really IS guilty of AJ's murder, regardless of the personal consequences! Meanwhile, at Sonny's Mansion, Jason and Samantha entertain Kristina, while Reese spends time with Michael. Reese is interrupted by a call from John, who warns that if Reese does NOT meet with John immediately, the Federal Prosecutor will call Washington and charge Reese with incompetence. After making excuses for her absence, Reese rushes away to meet with John. Later, Jason explains to Sam that Kristina will go back to Alexis as soon as Carly is free. But Sam warns Jason that Ric COULD suddenly change his mind. Jason reluctantly admits to Sam that he does not believes that he can trust either Ric OR Carly to remain steady throughout an entire trial. Jason confides to Sam that Jason believes that he SHOULD begin to investigate AJ's murder on his own and then confesses that he reluctantly believes that a member of the Quartermaine family actually murdered AJ - possibly even Monica or Emily!
At the Port Charles Police Department, Carly meets with Lorenzo and begs Lorenzo to help Carly get out of jail today. Lorenzo assures Carly that he has ALL of his bases covered for Carly's immediate release and is confident that Carly COULD be free by noon! Meanwhile, John Durant meets with Reese. However, when John threatens to blab to her superiors that Reese is LIVING with mob boss Sonny, Reese reminds John that Reese has a tape of John confessing that the Federal Prosecutor took a payoff in order to frame Sonny -- and that Reese will NOT hesitate to turn THAT tape over to JOHN's superiors. John reluctantly agrees to back away from his accusations about Reese's competence. Later, John receives a call from his mystery contact and rushes away for a meeting. At the same time, Alexis meets with Dr. Winters and makes plans to begin her therapy sessions again. Later, Ric visits Sonny's mansion to see Kristina and notices a sullen Michael watching the joyous reunion. As Ric tries to make small talk with Michael, Reese returns and, remembering Michael's admission that the little boy SAW his mother smother AJ, Reese discourages Michael from joining Ric and Kristina when Kristina eagerly invites Ric to come and see her tree-house. When Ric questions Reese's reluctance to allow Michael to go with Ric and Kristina, Reese makes a quick excuse and Michael quietly goes upstairs with Reese.
Later, when Jason arrives at the PCPD to visit Carly, Jason is appalled when he discovers that Carly has ALREADY allowed Lorenzo to pull some strings in order to get Carly released! Jason explains Sonny's plan for forcing Ric into throwing the case against Carly, and warns Carly that, IF Lorenzo made some kind of illegal deal to get Carly released so soon after her arrest, that illegal activity COULD backfire on them and make it impossible for Ric to throw the case, as planned. Although Jason tries to convince Carly that she IS safer if she remains behind bars, Carly declares that she MUST be with her children. Jason tries to convince Carly to at least stay away from Michael, but Carly adamantly refuses to listen to Jason. Afterward, Carly leaves the jail with Lorenzo. Meanwhile, at Sonny's mansion, Ric quizzes Samantha about Reese's reluctance to allow Michael to join Ric and Kristina during the visit to the tree-house. Sam evades Ric's questions by beginning to fill Ric in about the child whom Reese lost to a lethal kidnapper. At the same time, Alexis makes an impassioned plea to Dr. Winters to begin therapy for real this time and Dr. Winters reluctantly agrees to begin seeing Alexis on a regular basis. Later, Jason arrives at the Hospital and meets with Monica. Assuring Monica that Carly did NOT kill AJ, Jason outlines his plan to discover who DID kill AJ Jason is startled when Monica immediately leaps to EMILY'S defense! When Jason suggests that it was possibly MONICA who killed AJ, Monica warns Jason that she can NOT tell Jason who DID kill AJ!
In the meantime, Durant meets at the church with his secret contract and reports that the ONLY way to get rid of Sonny is to frame the mob boss. John's contact agrees to John's plan, then rushes away from the church. John waits until the shadowy figure disappears around a corner, the follows him! At the same time, Alexis meets again with Ric and reports that she has successfully convinced Dr. Winters to allow Alexis to enter therapy sessions with the psychiatrist. Ric again assures his wife that he IS on Alexis's side in all of this. They are interrupted when Ric receives a phone call, informing the District Attorney that Carly has been released, Alexis warns that, as soon as Carly is free, there IS a good chance that Sonny would decide to sneak Carly, Michael, Morgan and possibly even Kristina out of the country in order to evade prosecution. At the same time, Carly and Lorenzo arrive at Sonny's mansion and Carly asks Lorenzo to make himself scarce while Carly meets with Michael and Lorenzo agrees to Carly's plan. However, when Carly walks into the living room and announces to Reese and Michael that she has returned, Michael suddenly becomes hysterical, runs away and hides from Carly. When Carly attempts to run after Michael, Reese steps in front of Carly and argues that Carly needs to avoid pressuring her son at this time. After Michael is out of earshot, Carly angrily accuses Reese of being eager to railroad Carly into jail so Reese can have a clear pathway into Sonny's bed! At the same time, hiding alone in his room, Michael remembers going into his father's Hospital room and seeing Carly take a pillow and push the pillow down over AJ's face.
Meanwhile, Durant follows his mysterious contact directly to Alexis. After Durant observes money changing hands between Alexis and the mysterious contact, John waits until after the contact leaves. Then Durant confronts Alexis with the news that John HAS discovered Alexis' secret! Elsewhere in the Hospital, Ric barges in on Jason's intense conversation with Monica. After Monica makes a hasty excuse and rushes away, Ric warns Jason that the deal Ric had with Sonny is now off the table and Ric plans to go after Carly for AJ's murder and prosecute Carly to the fullest extent of the law.
Courtney tries to sneak out of her apartment without saying goodbye to Jax. Jax comes out into the living room with just a towel on and asks her where she is off to and why she didn't kiss him goodbye. Courtney admits she is planning on doing some good deed he will probably not like. He asks her to tell him what she is doing. She tells him she is going to go to the hospital and offer Rachel her place to stay in. Jax asks her if she is planning on getting close to Rachel so she can set her up to look guilty for AJ's murder to help Carly get cleared or maybe to protect Jason, who may have done it also. Courtney insists that Carly couldn't kill AJ Meanwhile, Rachel discharges herself from the hospital and runs into Steven on her way out. He tells her he thinks it is too soon for her to be released but she tells him she is not spending another night in the hospital and insists she is fine. Rachel complains that she will have a hard time finding a place to live or making friends now because everyone associates her with helping AJ in some way. Steven points out that she it is no one's fault but her own for hooking up with AJ to begin with. He tells her he still has a hard time with the fact that if her plan with AJ had worked he would be dead right now. She apologizes for going along with AJ's plan to fake his own death and pin the murder on Courtney in exchange for her killing him in return. Courtney shows up to talk to her. She offers her place to Rachel to stay. Rachel asks her why she is being so nice to her considering what she did to her. Courtney tells her that she understands what it is like to be taken in by AJ just to have him screw her over later. She tells her she would like to be a friend to her and be there while she recovers somewhere comfortable. Rachel sees right through Courtney's plan to get close to her to try to get evidence to make it look like she killed AJ Rachel tells her she won't let her do that to her.
Nikolas cries while Emily tells him their marriage has to be over now and that she can't stay married to him. Nikolas asks her why she is willing to throw away their marriage when they love each other and he is close to getting out of prison. Emily tells him she needs a divorce from him. Nikolas grabs her shoulder to stop her from leaving the visiting room. Emily thinks of Connor raping her at that moment and starts hitting and pushing him away from her and telling to stop touching her in a shrill voice. The guards come in and think that Nikolas hurt her and they pull him away and handcuff him. Emily leaves the room but doesn't leave the prison. Liz shows up at the prison and asks Emily what happened with her visit to Nikolas. She asks Emily if she told Nikolas about the rape. Emily told her she can't tell him right now but she is afraid that Nikolas will be restrained when he didn't do anything wrong and confesses that she let Nikolas have it because when he touched her she thought he was Connor for a minute and just went ballistic on him. Emily tells her that not telling Nikolas about the rape is a big mistake. Emily goes back into the visiting room and tries to explain to one of the guards that Nikolas did nothing wrong and tries to get him to take the handcuffs off of Nikolas. The guard tells her he can't and that it is on the orders of the warden not him. She sits across from him and apologizes for acting the way she did. She tells him he did nothing wrong. She makes the excuse that she has been under a lot of stress lately with AJ's murder and her father being shot. Nikolas doesn't believe that is the real reason. He asks Emily to tell him what is wrong. She is about to tell him but tells him she has to leave. Nikolas tells her he loves her and he knows she loves him and they can get through anything if she will tell him what happened so he can help her. She finally sits down and tells him that Connor raped her. Nikolas is stunned by her admission.
Ric tells Jason that he is going to do his best to convict Carly for murdering A.J, even if he personally thinks AJ was the scum of the earth. He tells Jason all bets are off with helping Carly so that Alexis can be with her daughter at Sonny's whim. Meanwhile, Durant watches Alexis hand the priest an envelope at the courthouse. He tells her that he knows she is the person behind the bribe money he has received to fabricate evidence to bring Sonny down. He tells her he is willing to be partners with her to bring Sonny down. Alexis isn't against the idea. Alexis goes to the hospital and runs into Jason and Sam. Jason tells her he talked to Ric earlier and suggests that Ric may be going after Carly just to protect the real killer, her. Alexis calmly denies that she killed AJ and tells him she has been out of the country recently and couldn't have done it. She tells Jason that if Carly is convicted, he and Sonny would probably attack anyone connected to it and then she would be able to get her daughter back eventually. Jason tells Sam that when Alexis is that calm, it means she is up to something else against Sonny. Meanwhile, Alexis overhears Ric warning Durant that he better be careful about who may be bribing him. Durant denies knowing who is behind the bribes. Alexis waits until Durant leaves to talk to Ric. Ric tells her he is going to go after a conviction against Carly for A.J's murder. Alexis agrees with that idea but tells him she doesn't want him to make any deals with Sonny to help her get custody of Kristina and that she wants Sonny to go down by the book.
Meanwhile, Sonny breaks up an argument between Carly and Reese. Carly slaps Reese after accusing her of trying to get her convicted by using Michael so she can have Sonny all to herself. Sonny defends Reese and tells Carly she is out of line accusing Reese of manipulating Michael when she is the only person Michael completely trusts right now. He tells Carly that she should be grateful to Reese for helping with Michael. Carly insists on talking to Michael and tells Sonny no one will stop her. She goes upstairs to see Michael. Reese tells Sonny that Carly is wrong about her wanting to get close to him romantically. Reese tells Sonny that they are from two very different worlds and couldn't make a relationship work. Sonny surprises her by leaning in close and kissing her quickly and tells her to think about that kiss. Meanwhile, when Carly goes upstairs Michael is holding onto a pillowcase and doesn't give Carly any eye contact. She tries to explain that she didn't kill AJ Michael tells her to leave him alone and starts to put his hands over his ears. Reese comes upstairs with Sonny to see what is going on. Reese takes over and hugs Michael to her and calms him down with a poem about the ocean. Sonny grabs Carly and pulls her out of the room. Carly sees how Michael trusts Reese. Jason and Sam show up and tell Sonny that all bets are off concerning Ric helping them and that he has a feeling that Alexis is going to help him. Later, Carly apologizes to Reese for hitting her and making accusations against her about using Michael to get close to Sonny. Reese accepts her apology and tells her she used the poem with her son to calm him down years ago. Carly tells her that Michael also loves the ocean. Sam arrives and asks Reese if it would be alright if she went upstairs and saw Michael. Reese suggests she find that ball that seems to calm Michael and maybe play with it with him. Sam goes upstairs and finds no sign of Michael in his room. She does see a pillow case shredded into pieces on Michael's bed. Jason finds him as he is running out of the house toward the gate. He grabs Michael before he can leave and asks him what is wrong. Michael at first fights with Jason to leave him alone but then runs into Jason's arms. Michael tells Jason that he saw Carly kill AJ Alexis happens to be there and overhears the conversation. She calls Ric on his cell phone after they leave the area. Ric shows up while Alexis is trying to leave a message to him. She tells him there is an eyewitness to the murder. Jason brings Michael back into the house. Carly tries to talk to him but he grabs Jason as if he is scared of Carly and Jason tells her to back off and let him bring Michael upstairs. Jason tells Sonny that they should get Carly out of the country. Sonny doesn't think that will work well because Carly insists on being close to Michael.
Emily finally reveals the truth to Nikolas about her rape. She realizes almost immediately that Nikolas already suspected that she was raped by the way he seems to calmly take the news. Nikolas is shaken but remains quiet as Emily tearfully tells him the circumstances of the rape. When she is done, Nikolas assures her that together they will get through the trauma of her rape but Emily insists that their marriage is over. She explains that despite her deep love for him, every time she looks at Nik she sees her rapist. That she can't help but feel her rapist's touch when Nik touches her. Nikolas is devastated. He tries to convince her to give them a chance but Emily becomes quite upset the more he insists that their love will see them though this. Eventually Emily runs out of the room leaving a desperate Nikolas behind, chained to the table and unable to follow her. Later, with his head on the table in seeming utter defeat, a guard returns to the room to take Nikolas back to his cell. Nikolas though has managed to find a paperclip which he had used to pick the lock on his cuffs. The moment the guard is close enough, Nik springs up, temporarily knocks the guard off balance and runs out the open door. The guard though is able to give pursuit and in the hallway pulls his weapon. He warns Nik to stop and when he doesn't, the guard shoots him. Nik stops in his tracks, a look of shock on his face. Apparently, he's been shot.
Luke sets a trap for Helena. He has Lucky go to Wyndemere Castle pretending to be in a murderous rage intent on finding Helena. Liz, pretends to talk him down from his quest for vengeance, making it clear that Luke is in the hospital recuperating from his gunshot. Once Liz "convinces" Lucky to calm down and return to his father's bedside, they leave. Helena steps from behind a bookcase which hides one of the entrances to the catacombs with a look of contemplation on her countenance. At the hospital, Tracy stops by to talk to Luke. She is upset because despite his assurances that he would protect her, she still feels vulnerable since he is at General Hospital. Luke explains to her that the trap has been set and that he is certain Helena will show up very soon. Skye, Liz and Lucky all take various positions on the floor to keep an eye out for Helena. They give chase when they spot a nun exit the elevators, having been forewarned by Luke that such a disguise is a particular favorite of Helena's. Unfortunately the nun was a decoy because while they chase her, Helena enters Luke's room dressed as a doctor and holding a gun. Tracy once again tries to convince Helena that she had nothing to do with the stolen money but Helena could care less. Her focus is on Luke and suspecting that he is trying to reach for his own gun, orders Luke to raise his hands. Just then Emily enters the room and is immediately taken hostage by Helena. Helena orders Tracy to prepare to hand over her money plus interest in cash in exchange for Emily's release. Helena promises to contact them with a meeting place, date and time in the near future then, holding a gun pointed at Emily's back, ushers her toward the elevators. Unfortunately for Helena, the elevator door opens to reveal Liz, Lucky and Skye inside. Before Helena can force them off the elevator, Tracy and Luke, who is himself now armed, approach her from behind and block her retreat.
Alexis overhears Michael tell Jason that he saw Carly kill AJ. She tries to call Ric but before she can reach him he arrives. He tells her that the people he has stationed to guard Sonny's compound notified him when she was spotted at the gates. Alexis doesn't waste time with explanations. She tells Ric that there is a witness to Carly murdering AJ and that the witness is Michael. Ric is shocked. He is resistant to the idea of putting him on the stand to testify against his mother despite the fact that he is a witness to a crime. Ric feels that given everything that Michael has been through, a trial may be too much for him. Alexis counters that maybe telling the truth would help Michael. They return to the courthouse where Ric has arranged to see a judge to subpoena Michael. When Ric goes in to talk to the judge, Alexis sits down on a nearby bench where John Durant finds her. She tells him about the latest developments in AJ's murder case and admits to him that she is having reservations about involving Michael. John Durant is elated. He is convinced that subpoenaing Michael to testify will force Sonny to confess to killing AJ in order to spare both Carly and Michael. With Sonny behind bars, both Alexis and John will get their daughters back or so John believes.
Reese talks to Sam about her feelings for Sonny in the hallway outside of Michael's room. Reese is determined not to be vulnerable to Sonny and become any more emotionally entangled than she already is. She tells Sam that she came to Port Charles to do a job, so she is going to finish that job and then move on because this is just an assignment and nothing more. Sam is understanding and sympathetic.
Carly questions Sonny about his feelings for Reese. She points out that when she was crying on his shoulder, he had pulled immediately away when Reese had entered the room. Sonny explains to Carly that Reese has shown herself to be trustworthy, having withheld evidence that could have caused him legal problems. He goes on to remind Carly that at the moment Reese is the only person whom Michael seems to connect with and for that he is grateful. Later, when Carly is alone with Jason, she tells him about the conversation she had with Sonny. She admits that she is somewhat upset about Sonny's obvious feelings for Reese, indicating that he has moved on. Jason points out that she too has moved on so he doesn't understand why Carly is having a problem with Sonny doing the same. Carly confesses that its selfishness. She wants Reese to be a liar and someone untrustworthy so that Sonny will turn to Carly and admit that no one can take her place. Jason asks Carly if that's how she feels about Sonny. That no one can take his place. Carly hopes that such isn't the case then changes the topic, having no desire to dwell on it any longer. A short while later, Carly and Jason go upstairs to tuck Michael into bed. Michael turns his back on Carly as she tries to reassure him that she did not kill AJ. As Jason and Carly come back downstairs, Ric arrives to see Sonny. He hands Sonny a subpoena for Michael. When Reese asks him why Michael is being subpoenaed, Ric informs them all that he has reason to believe that Michael witnessed Carly murdering AJ.
Michael dreams of walking through General Hospital's corridor and entering AJ's room. He picks up a pillow from the floor and walks over to AJ and smothers him while AJ struggles.
