Maxie caught cyber geek, Winnifred, spying on Spinelli. Maxie was very suspicious when Winnifred gushed over Spinelli's prowess with the Internet. When it appeared that Spinelli was falling for Winnifred's flattery, Maxie gave him the choice of staying on the docks with Winnifred or going home with her.
Over Lulu's protests, Lucky arrested Johnny for assault and battery. Despite Johnny's plea of innocence, Lucky handcuffed him in Lulu's apartment and hauled him off to the Port Charles Police Station.
At Wyndemere, Nadine tore up the check from Equinox Corporation and, with Nikolas' support, told Mr. Corday that she did not want to allow Aunt Raylene's invention to be used to make a weapon of war. When Corday told Nadine that it was a matter of National Security and she and Nikolas might be classified as enemies of the state, Nikolas threatened to bring in the lawyers. Mr. Corday was smug when he left them. He told Nikolas and Nadine that the matter remained unsettled and that Nadine might not have a choice.
After Corday was gone, Nadine mentioned "Bruce." When Nikolas wanted to know about him, Nadine shared that they had been childhood sweethearts and planned to marry. Bruce wanted to go to college, but could not afford it, so he joined the army. Unfortunately, he perished. Nadine told Nikolas that if she could save even one life by stopping the use of Raylene's coupling to make weapons, then whatever she had to go through would be worth it.
After hearing Nadine's story, Nikolas realized why she had been so accepting of his grief over Emily's death. They both understood that they would carry a part of their deceased loves in their hearts for all time.
At Sonny's place, Claudia was just about to retrieve Jerry's second clue when Sonny walked in. To distract him from seeing the DVD that had fallen from behind the mirror, Claudia kissed Sonny. That led to a discussion of their marriage and partnership. When Sonny mixed a drink, Claudia managed to hide the DVD out of sight.
When Sonny asked Claudia what she thought, she said that they should have sex together as a way to cement physical trust. Sonny almost laughed when he told Claudia that she had no knowledge of love or family, and therefore did not know what a shallow arrangement she was proposing. She had tears in her eyes when Sonny left her alone.
Jax found Carly at the Metro Court. She told him what a wonderful time she had with him on New Year's Eve. He asked her about Michael and she told him about seeing Michael on his birthday. Carly cited "full disclosure," and told Jax that Sonny had also been to see Michael. In the same spirit, Jax told Carly that he had been with Kate when Sonny interrupted and might have gotten the wrong impression.
Carly told Jax how much she hated his having slept with Kate. Jax told Carly that he did not have sex with Kate to hurt her and he doubted that they would ever be together again. Carly let her claws show when she spoke of Kate, but Jax deflected Carly's words with some of his own when he wanted to know why she had been ignoring Diane's calls to set a meeting to divide their assets.
Carly said that she hoped that Jax would no longer want a divorce. Jax said that while he loved Carly and enjoyed New Year's Eve with her, he still wanted a divorce because Carly would never be really free of Sonny. Carly gave many valid reasons for them to stay married, but Jax held firm. She was tearful as he walked away.
When Robin, Patrick, and Emma returned home after their honeymoon, Robin was sure that Emma's fussiness on the plane was a sign that she was gravely ill. Patrick told Robin that Emma was fine, but she rushed the baby to the hospital anyway.
Claudia played Jerry's DVD. He taunted her with another clue when he told her that she would sleep sounder when she found it. Before she could listen to the complete DVD, Ric interrupted her. She quickly closed her laptop and wanted to know if he was going to trust her with Anthony's plan.
Ric told Claudia that he would tell her if she promised to keep it confidential. Claudia agreed. Ric told her that Anthony had paid someone to frame Johnny so that he would come back home. Claudia wanted to rush down to the police station, but Ric said no. He told Claudia that she had to let it play out or it would be obvious that he had spilled Anthony's plan to her. A reluctant Claudia agreed to sit by and let Johnny remain in jail.
Sonny went to see Robin but found Patrick instead. He told Patrick about his visit to Michael and asked if Patrick knew of any treatment, experimental or otherwise, that could help Michael. Patrick said that as a doctor he had no hope that Michael would recover, but as a father he would never give up. Sonny understood and was grateful when Patrick said that he would let Sonny know if he heard or read of any treatment that could possibly help Michael.
At the PCPD station. Johnny protested his innocence, but Lucky preferred to believe the worst. Lucky told Johnny to stay away from Lulu because he was bad news. Johnny said that he loved Lulu and that was not going to happen. When Lulu got there, she wanted to know why Lucky did not question the complainant. She also told Lucky that if he made her choose between him and Johnny she would choose Johnny. Lucky did not like what she said, but before leaving Johnny and Lulu alone, he told her that it was his duty as her big brother to look out for her and he was just doing his job.
Back at Maxie's apartment, Spinelli performed all the computer chores that Maxie asked of him. When she started dissing Winnifred, Spinelli wanted to know if Maxie was jealous. Maxie said she was not jealous, just protective. She told Spinelli that she had very good instincts about people and she was sure that Spinelli needed to be careful of Winnifred.
Patrick was gone, but Sonny was waiting when Robin and Emma got home from the hospital. Emma was fine and Robin was embarrassed by her obsessive behavior. Sonny said he was the same kind of dad because he worried about everything with his children. His words made Robin feel better as she introduced Sonny to Emma. As he held the baby, Sonny told Emma how lucky she was to have a woman like Robin as her mom. Emma was delighted to be in Sonny's arms and Robin was soothed by his complimentary words.
When Ric showed up in the interrogation room at the police station, Johnny's worst fears were confirmed. Ric offered to get the charges against Johnny dropped if Johnny would go home. Lulu supported Johnny when he told Ric that he would rather rot in jail than ever go home to his father.
Claudia was watching Jerry's DVD and trying to figure out what he meant by "sleep on it" when Carly sailed in through the patio door without knocking. Claudia quickly closed her laptop, which instantly aroused Carly inquisitive nature
Maxie knocked on Sam's door, and Sam seemed exasperated when she answered the door. Maxie said she had been getting that reaction a lot that day, like she was the third wheel. Except Maxie said she wasn't anyone's third wheel. Sam realized Maxie needed someone to listen, and warned her friend that she probably wouldn't have any good relationship advice given the status of Sam's love life. Maxie explained that a new girl was stalking Spinelli. Sam asked if it was romantic, but Maxie didn't think that it was. Sam told Maxie that it sounded like Spinelli and Winnifred had a lot in common. That common ground could be powerful. Both Maxie and Sam knew what it was like to feel like an outsider, how when you finally met someone who was similar you didn't have to act phony anymore. Maxie said she had always been the girl who stole boyfriends from other girls, not the other way around. Quickly, Maxie corrected herself and said that Spinelli was just a friend. She still didn't want to lose him, though.
Once Maxie was gone, Sam called Jason and left a message for him to call her. It was important and she really needed to talk to him, but she didn't want to leave a message. Lucky walked in as she was finishing the message and asked what she needed to talk to Jason about. Sam didn't want to go into it, but Lucky got mad. He asked her how she would feel if he was having private conversation with an ex he used to live with. Sam pointed out that Lucky still communicated with Liz, but Lucky felt that was different because they were raising two boys together. Lucky started to storm off, but Sam did her best to stop him. Lucky said he wanted her to stop treating him like the enemy. He was tired of being on the outside looking in.
Winnifred found Spinelli out on the docks and told him she also found clean air and open spaces conducive to work. Spinelli was shocked that she felt the same way about being outdoors as he did. Spinelli mentioned his home, Casa de Stone Cold. Winnifred was stunned to think there was a real Stone Cold. Spinelli complimented Jason by telling Winnifred that the real Stone Cold paled in comparison to the computer one. Winnifred tried to get information from Spinelli about Jason, but Maxie stopped Spinelli from revealing too much information. She said Winnifred didn't intimidate her, and Maxie told the girl to get lost. Winnifred apologized and ran off with a hurt look in her eyes. Spinelli was upset that Maxie had been so cruel, and told her the exchange was beneath her.
Later, Maxie brought an orange soda to Spinelli and apologized to him. He told her the "Priestess" was the one who needed the apology, though. Maxie was jealous of the name Spinelli had given Winnifred and said the girl hadn't earned the right to be given a name. Spinelli said that was his decision, not hers. Spinelli thought Maxie didn't think he was worthy of Winnifred's admiration, but Maxie said she was well aware of his awesomeness. She still felt something was up with Winnifred, though. Spinelli realized Maxie could be right about Winnifred's intentions.
Ric told Johnny he didn't have any other options. He would serve time for assault if he didn't reconcile with Anthony. Lulu tried to explain that Johnny didn't beat up the interviewer, and Johnny chimed in that he wished he would have. Ric asked where the bruise on Johnny's hand came from, and Johnny said it was from punching the wall. Ric pointed out that the police had a victim covered in bruises, Johnny had a bruised hand, and he also had an arrest record that included several public brawls. Ric begged Johnny to be sensible, but Johnny walked right past the attorney when a police officer came to take Johnny for processing.
While Johnny was gone, Ric tried to convince Lulu to go home. Lulu just told him to stop telling other people what to do, though. Ric said Lulu expected miracles if she thought Johnny could leave the life of the Zaccharas. It wasn't long before Johnny was brought back into the interrogation room. He was shocked to see Ric was still there, but Ric said he needed to discuss the case with Johnny. Ric wasn't needed, though, and Johnny said he'd asked for a public defender. Ric sarcastically wished them luck, and Lulu told him to burn in hell and Anthony, too.
Once they were alone, Johnny and Lulu talked about the frame-up. Johnny was worried, because he was sure his father and Ric had thought of everything. Lulu reminded him that nothing was ever perfect. They could fix it.
Patrick came home and noticed Robin was not herself. She said she felt like she would never get her body back. He assured her that she was the most beautiful woman he knew. They sat down and Robin explained that she was realizing how fragile children were after remembering what it was like when she held Michael as a baby. Patrick reminded Robin that they were not mobsters and hopefully they would not have to deal with tragic medical illnesses affecting their daughter. Patrick realized Robin wasn't acting like she normally did, and asked if she could be suffering from post-partum depression. Robin immediately was defensive and said there had just been a lot going on with the birth of their daughter, Robin's brush with death, and their wedding. Robin wanted him to drop it and stormed out of the room.
Later, Patrick came in with a gift for Robin. She opened it to reveal sexy lingerie. Patrick suggested she go try it on since Emma was still sleeping. Robin said she wasn't ready for intimacy yet, but thanked him for the pretty gift.
Olivia approached Jax as he met with his chief maintenance man about the power outage from New Year's Eve. Olivia asked if they had checked the plumbing for leaks, and the maintenance man laughed her off and said they were talking about electric and not plumbing. Olivia said there had been three power failures at the car dealership where she had worked before they discovered a leaky water pipe was causing the wiring to short out. The maintenance man seemed to think it was unlikely that a leak would be the cause of the problems in the Metro Court, but Jax asked him to check it out, anyway.
Alexis came in and interrupted Olivia and Jax with information about the division of assets between Jax and Carly. Jax wasn't interested in dealing with it and said he just wanted to be able to move on. Alexis reminded Jax that Carly wasn't going to let him move on.
Later, the maintenance man approached Jax as he was talking to Olivia about job prospects. As it turned out, Olivia had been right and a plumbing leak had been the cause of the power failure. Jax decided Olivia was the perfect person to be plant manager at the hotel. Olivia didn't think she was qualified for the job, until Jax explained it would be very similar to her previous job at the auto dealership - dealing with outside vendors, ordering parts, and coordinating support services. He offered her 15% more than she was making previously, plus benefits. Olivia was stunned and accepted the offer.
Claudia listened to the DVD from Jerry that revealed the second clue. Although he admitted it wasn't very original, it was the best he could come up with. Jerry said, "You'll sleep sounder when you've found it." Jerry continued to explain that he had been pressed for time. since he'd had to break into Sonny's house to hide all the incriminating DVDs. He wished Claudia well in her hunt for the next clue.
Claudia rushed to close her laptop when Carly walked in, demanding to see Sonny. Claudia was immediately defensive and asked Carly why she thought she could barge into her house. Carly pointed out that she had picked out the drapes and the couch, so it was more Carly's house than Claudia's. The two women bickered about decorating plans, but the underlying issue they were fighting over was Sonny. Claudia threatened to have Carly thrown out of the house, but Carly pointed out that Milo and Max wouldn't dare lay a hand on her.
Claudia said Carly couldn't stand the thought of Sonny with another woman. She felt it was Carly's hand that had forced Sonny into the Zacchara family, though. Claudia said Carly had convinced Sonny to give up his territory in order to punish him for Michael's injuries. Sonny found a way to gain more power through the Zacchara family, though. Sonny would have to eliminate Jason, and Claudia thought Carly had pitted the two former friends against each other. Carly said Sonny would never hurt Jason, and she thought he knew how far Jason could be pushed. Besides, Carly had made a point of not getting involved in Jason and Sonny's business relationship. That conversation with Claudia proved Carly made the wrong decision. She suddenly realized Claudia was dangerous to Sonny.
Mike met up with Luke at the Haunted Star, after being summoned. Luke wanted Mike to oversee the rebuilding of Kelly's. Luke said the salary would be generous, and Mike realized Sonny would be picking up the tab. Luke decided Sonny could pay to rebuild the diner, since he had been the one to anger the Russian mobsters who started the fire. Bobbie wanted to make sure Kelly's was a mob-free zone when it was rebuilt. Mike wasn't sure how to accomplish that, but said he would do his best. He realized the plans that had been drawn up were to rebuild the diner exactly as it had been previously. Luke explained that Bobbie wanted it that way. Mike changed the subject and asked how Luke's wife was. Luke explained that Tracy was no longer upset with him and he was back in the house. Embarrassed, Mike said he meant Laura.
Lulu walked into the Haunted Star to see her father messing with the cheat button on the roulette table. Luke was proud she remembered where the cheat button was and asked what she was doing. Lulu explained that she needed Luke's help and caught him up on Johnny's framing. Luke warned that it would be difficult to get to the bottom of Anthony's involvement with Johnny's arrest, but Lulu said it wouldn't be too difficult for Luke. He smiled and noted that she really wanted his help since she was flattering him. Lulu was thrilled to discover Luke planned to help her and teach her the tricks she didn't already know.
Nikolas came to see Nadine at the hospital before his board meeting began. She opened a letter and discovered the IRS was freezing her assets and wanted to audit her for the past five years. Both Nikolas and Nadine realized that it was all the doing of the Equinox Corporation. Nadine wanted to fight the company, and Nikolas offered her the resources to do so. As if on cue, Alexis walked over and Nikolas and Nadine filled her in on what was happening. Alexis quickly made a phone call to a friend of hers in Washington, D.C. That friend had connections with the upcoming administration, and she was sure they would jump at the chance to expose Equinox. Alexis and Nikolas warned Nadine that the fight wouldn't be easy and they might not win, but Nadine felt it was necessary for Bruce and all the other soldiers fighting the war.
Maxie was walking on the docks talking to Kate about Crimson when she overheard Winnifred and Spinelli. Maxie immediately started warning Spinelli against Winnifred, but Spinelli was in Winnifred's thrall and defended her to Maxie. Spinelli stayed behind with Winnifred when Maxie left for her apartment.
In the Port Charles Police Department interrogation room, Luke and Lulu met with Johnny, who told Luke that he had never met Carl Pervis, the man he allegedly attacked. Johnny convinced Luke that he had been framed by his father. Luke thought he was up to the challenge of proving Johnny's innocence, so he and Lulu set off to collect information.
Max heard Sonny making plans to land another shipment on Jason's piers and pointed out his concerns to Sonny. Before Sonny could respond, Diane came in to give Sonny post-nup papers regarding his marriage to Claudia and to tender her resignation, due to a conflict of interest.
Sonny accused her of taking Jason's side, but Max was vehement is his defense of Diane's honesty, integrity, and legal prowess. After declaring to Sonny that Diane had taken better care of him than any other lawyer, Max left the room. Diane told Sonny that she had enjoyed working for him and that the conflict of interest was not between him and Jason, but between the Corinthos and Zacchara interests.
Diane reminded Sonny that she had warned him about signing away the business. She also told Sonny that deep down he never considered that giving up his power and position in the mob would be permanent. Diane said that even though Sonny virtually forced Jason to take over the business, he looked at the situation as if Jason had stolen something from him. Sonny excused his alliance with Zaccharas by responding that he had been shut out and had nowhere else to go. "It's business," he said.
Diane said that in many ways, Jason was much easier to work for because he was methodical and even-tempered, while Sonny was much more volatile. She said that Sonny was smarter and could read people better. She added that Sonny was also more ruthless and that she had no doubt that if war came, Sonny would win. As a parting shot, she added that she suspected that such a victory would not give Sonny any satisfaction at all.
Lulu and Luke went to General Hospital and talked to Liz about Carl Pervis. She would not breach medical confidentiality, but since it was visiting hours, she did give them his room number.
Jax and Carly were talking about the new spa and making plans to try out the Olympic-sized swimming pool before it opened to the public, when Olivia joined them. Carly was shocked to hear that Jax had hired Olivia without consulting her. Jax responded that he had hired Olivia as Operations Manager and his personal assistant and girl Friday. Both Carly and Olivia were stunned by that pronouncement.
Olivia took Jax aside and let him know that she was not a "girl Friday," and she was not keen on being his personal assistant. She had taken the job of operations manager and that was the one she was willing to do. Jax was called away so Olivia went back to Carly, who let her displeasure show.
Carly told Olivia that she did not usually like other women, but she believed that they were friends. However, she felt like Olivia was letting Jax use her to get back at Carly. Olivia let Carly know that she was insulted to think that Carly believed that she would take a job that she was not qualified to handle. She also told Carly that she had no intention of getting between Jax and Carly, or of letting Jax use her to hurt Carly.
Max interrupted Carly and Olivia. He told Carly that she had to help Sonny. Olivia was listening intently, but Max asked for privacy, so Olivia left them alone. Max then told Carly that Sonny was invading Jason's territory and eventually Jason would have to take action. Carly said she would help because it was all her fault for asking Jason to help her in her custody battle with Sonny.
After Max was gone, Carly told Olivia that she had to talk to Sonny. She said that she would leave a note for Jax at the desk, but asked Olivia not to tell Jax the specifics. Olivia agreed.
Liz stopped by to see Lucky, who had called to ask for help with his taxes. Liz thanked him for putting together the children's Christmas toys and said she would gladly help him get his taxes done with the new computer software that Lulu had given him for Christmas. As Liz brought order to Lucky's chaotic receipts, they laughed and reminisced. When Lucky tried to deduct the cost of computer games he had bought for the boys as childcare expenses, Liz's sense of humor got the best of her, and she challenged him to a duel.
Liz and Lucky were laughing and having a wonderful time when Sam looked through the window and saw them. She stood watching for several minutes before Lucky noticed her. She waved sheepishly and walked away. Lucky left the game behind and followed her outside in the snow.
Winnifred went to Maxie's apartment. She told Maxie to leave her alone and to stop trying to come between her and Spinelli. Then she told Maxie not to tell anyone that she had been there, or Maxie would regret it.
Ric went to the Port Charles Police Station to see Johnny. He tried to convince Johnny to return to the fold, but Johnny refused to give in. While he was there, Ric got a call from Carl Pervis telling him that he needed more money to keep Johnny in the frame. Ric agreed to meet him on the docks.
As Ric hung up the phone, Luke, imitating Carl Pervis, was on the other end of the line. He was with Lulu on the docks. Even though they did not get information out of Carl Pervis, they were confident that Ric would walk into their trap.
Maxie called Spinelli to her place and told him about Winnifred's visit, but he did not believe her. The more Maxie dissed Winnifred's geeky ways, especially those that mirrored Spinelli's own, the more he believed that Maxie was being spiteful and jealous. When he voiced these opinions to Maxie, she told him to make a choice between her and Winnifred.
Lulu hid out while Luke confronted Ric. Luke told Ric that he knew about the frame-up and all he wanted was to have Carl Pervis go away and for Johnny go free. At first, Ric denied everything, but when Luke did his Carl Pervis voice, Ric said that Anthony wanted his son back and he would use whatever means was at his disposal to make it happen. Ric said that anyone who got in Anthony's way would be road kill.
When Jax stopped by to confer with Olivia, he asked about Carly. When Olivia said that she had been called away and had left a note for him at the desk, he knew immediately that she had gone to Sonny's. He told Olivia that only concern for Morgan or a call from Sonny would keep Carly from opening her new spa with the imported marble she had waited six months to import and install. Olivia did not disagree.
Olivia was decidedly uncomfortable when Jax told her to get a bikini and meet him in the spa so they could inspect the pool. Olivia told him that she thought there were better ways to inspect the pool and, further, that she did not want to get in the middle of his divorce from Carly. Jax complimented her beauty and said he could see that she was already enjoying sparring with him. He told her again to get a bikini from the boutique and join him in the pool.
Carly went to see Sonny. She told him that she had stopped by the day before and had seen Claudia. She told him that the purpose of her visit that day was to talk to him about a memorial for Michael. Sonny told her that he would contribute whatever she needed from him.
Carly told Sonny that she was worried about him and Jason, and she felt responsible for the rift between them. When she asked Sonny to back off, and not force Jason to act against him, Sonny got angry and told her that he thought that they had developed a stronger bond after the two of them had talked on Michael's birthday. He accused Carly of taking Jason's side. When Carly asked Sonny if he was upset because she was looking at it from Jason's point of view, Sonny responded that he was upset because she was not looking at it from his point of view. He told her she was either with him or against him.
At the piers, Luke confronted Ric about Anthony's attempt to force Johnny back into the family fold. Ric didn't deny that Anthony had arranged for the false assault charges to be filed against Johnny, but he warned Luke not to get involved. Luke tried to play hardball but Ric refused to take the bait. He suggested that Luke keep Lulu out of Anthony's way and then walked off. When Ric was gone, Luke called out to Lulu. She had been quietly standing nearby listening to the exchange. Lulu was disappointed by their failure, but Luke told her that he had only been getting started.
Lucky and Sam stood outside his house after he had seen her looking in at him and Liz playing a video game. Sam told Lucky that she had wanted to talk to him about their relationship but had decided that it could wait since he was busy with Liz. Lucky got the impression that Sam was upset and told her that what she saw between him and Liz was not how it appeared. Sam brushed it off and said that she understood. She told him to call her when he was free, and then walked away.
Lucky returned to the house where Liz was waiting for him. She suggested that Lucky go after Sam, but Lucky declined. Instead, he returned to working on his taxes. Liz could tell that Lucky was distracted. At her urging, Lucky revealed what was troubling him. He told her that Sam was working on something secret and that he suspected that Jason was somehow involved. Liz said that perhaps Sam was someone who thrived on going from one crisis to another. She advised Lucky to trust his instincts and decide if he wanted to continue his relationship with Sam.
Sam showed up at Maxie's apartment after her friend called her. Maxie was upset because Winnifred had warned Maxie to stay away from Spinelli. Maxie was convinced that Winnifred was a cyber-stalker. Sam suggested that perhaps Winnifred was simply interested in Spinelli as more than just a friend. Maxie dismissed the possibility outright. She insisted that there was more to Winnifred than met the eye. Sam entertained the possibility, and asked Maxie if Winnifred knew Jason. Maxie admitted that Winnifred's interest in Jason only went as far as the computer game that Spinelli had designed. Maxie then switched gears and proposed sleeping with Spinelli as a solution to dealing with Winnifred. Sam urged Maxie to reconsider because she worried that Spinelli would end up hurt. Sam thought that instead of Maxie sleeping with Spinelli, she should go to Jason with her concerns regarding Winnifred. Maxie didn't think Jason would listen to her, but she believed he would listen to Sam. Maxie asked Sam to talk to Jason for her. Sam seemed reluctant at first, but Maxie quickly changed Sam's mind.
At the piers, Spinelli met with Winnifred. When Spinelli began talking about their newfound friendship, it became clear that he was attempting to put some distance between them. Winnifred became upset and managed to turn it around. She apologized for her behavior, saying that she had a tendency to talk and talk until people became angry or began making fun of her. Spinelli completely understood and rushed to reassure her that he would never do that to her. Winnifred made a show of walking away and promising to leave him alone, but Spinelli stopped her before she could take more than a few steps. He explained that what he had been trying to explain was that his heart belonged to Maxie and all he could ever offer Winnifred was friendship. Winnifred reassured Spinelli that she was happy to be just friends. Just then Spinelli's cell phone rang. It was Maxie. She wanted Spinelli to meet her at her apartment.
When Spinelli showed up at Maxie's apartment, she quickly apologized to him about her reaction to Winnifred. Spinelli was stunned when Maxie confessed that Winnifred's visit had made her realize that she needed Spinelli. Spinelli was unsure of what Maxie meant until Maxie stepped closer to him. When Spinelli kissed her, Maxie responded. The two went to Maxie's bedroom. Before they made love, Spinelli asked Maxie if she was certain she wanted to be with him. Maxie told him that she was.
Back on the pier, Winnifred met with Agent Rayner. He told Winnifred that thanks to her, they had Spinelli right where they wanted him. Winnifred appeared to have reservations about her role in setting Spinelli up. She told Agent Rayner that she didn't think Spinelli intentionally broke the law. To Spinelli, Winnifred explained, it was more about the challenge than the crime. Agent Rayner didn't care what Spinelli's motivations were. He told her that Spinelli was nothing more than a means to an end. He was the lure for a much bigger fish.
At the Metro Court hotel, Jax flirted with Olivia. Olivia reminded Jax that she was hired as an operations manager, nothing else. Jax was unrepentant, and continued trying to charm Olivia. His efforts were cut short when Alexis walked up and confirmed their appointment for later that day to go over the divorce papers. Later, Olivia called Jax out on his behavior. She told him that he was going through a divorce and looking for a distraction. Olivia made it clear that she would not be that distraction.
At Greystone Manor, Carly tried to talk to Sonny about Jason. Sonny told her that he was hurt because she and Jason had shut him out. Carly hoped that he and Jason could make peace, but Sonny didn't see how it was possible. He told her that the night Michael had been shot, he not only lost Michael, but Carly and Jason as well. When Jason had teamed up with Carly to take the kids away from Sonny, Sonny had been devastated. He said that he could have fought Jason or Carly, but not both of them together.
Carly appeared moved by what Sonny told her. They talked about their regrets and then Carly, teary-eyed, walked over to get something out of her purse. When she opened it, something spilled out. Sonny leaned down to fetch it for her and found a DVD. Thinking it was a CD that Claudia had left out, Sonny returned it to a cabinet. When he turned back to Carly, she showed him a piece of paper. On it, she had written down her plans to start a pediatric endowment fund for children with head injuries. While Sonny looked over the paper, Carly told him that she wanted to hold a benefit for the charity. Sonny supported her endeavor and said that he would do whatever he could to help. Before Carly left, she made one more attempt to broker peace between Sonny and Jason. She reminded Sonny that he and Jason had been friends longer than they had been at odds.
Carly returned to the Metro Court hotel, where she found Olivia and Jax sitting together in the lobby. Jax let Carly know that he figured out that she was with Sonny. Carly didn't deny it. Olivia excused herself but, before she walked away, she told the feuding couple that they weren't as far apart as they thought. After Olivia was gone, Carly told Jax that she had gone to talk to Sonny about the endowment fund she was organizing in Michael's honor. It took the wind out of Jax's sails. Realizing it, Carly invited Jax to go swimming with her. To Carly's disappointment, he reminded her that they had an appointment with their attorneys to go over the divorce papers.
Nadine and Nikolas were waiting outside Alexis' office when she stepped off the elevator. Alexis ushered them into her office and invited them to sit while she updated them on Nadine's case. Alexis had arranged for the Cassadine jet to fly Nadine to Washington, DC, so that she could testify before a senate committee about the strong-arm tactics of the company trying to use the plow coupler that Aunt Raylene had patented. Nadine was stunned when she learned that she only had six hours to prepare before she was scheduled to talk to two senators. She didn't think she could go through with it because she was a nurse, not a lawyer. Alexis thought that because she was turning down millions, Nadine's plight would interest the senators. Nikolas assured Nadine that he would be at her side to support her. They managed to ease Nadine's concern enough that she agreed to go.
After Nadine left for the hospital, so that she could rearrange her schedule with Epiphany, Alexis asked Nikolas about his relationship with Nadine. Nikolas admitted that he cared for Nadine. He said that if it hadn't been for Nadine, Nikolas would have spent his last days having visions of Emily instead of undergoing life-saving surgery. Alexis understood, but pointed out that Nikolas was not in love with Nadine. Alexis thought it was unfair for Nikolas to string Nadine along if there wasn't any possibility of love. Nikolas confessed that he did not love Nadine, but he didn't rule it out as a possibility in the future. However, he did confide to his aunt that he didn't think he would ever love anyone but Emily.
Some time after Nikolas left Alexis' office, Diane walked in. She mentioned that she saw Alexis' nephew trying to pick out a suit for the "farm girl" that he dated. Alexis reminded Diane that her name was Nadine. Diane got the message and turned the subject to Jax and Carly's impending divorce. Diane suggested that rather than helping them divorce, Diane and Alexis team up to find a way to help them reconcile. Diane thought it was a better use of their time, since eventually Jax and Carly would end up back together anyway. Alexis seemed reluctant until Jax and Carly walked in seemingly eager to get their divorce underway. Diane smiled and reassured both that she and Alexis would give Jax and Carly exactly what they wanted.
Trevor went to the Haunted Star to warn Luke keep his distance from Anthony. Trevor knew about the recent meeting Luke had with Ric on the docks. He reminded Luke of the previous times he'd gone head-to-head with Anthony. Luke had suffered a heart attack once and gotten arrested another time. Luke didn't seem overly concerned by the veiled threat if he should try to help Johnny. Sonny's arrival temporarily distracted Trevor. While Sonny and Luke sat down to play poker, Trevor began taunting Sonny over losing Kate. Trevor told Sonny that he deserved Claudia, and promised Sonny that one day she would slit Sonny's throat. Sonny ignored him so Trevor turned to Luke and told him once again to stay out of Anthony's business, and then left.
After Trevor was gone, Sonny asked Luke if it wasn't time for him to skip out of town again. Luke said that normally he would have left, but he couldn't because of Tracy. Luke then turned to conversation to Sonny's business. He told Sonny that he knew that Sonny had plans for Pier 52 later that evening. Sonny didn't deny it. He told Luke that he intended to take back what was rightfully his.
Alexis and Diane talked to Carly and Jax about the divorce process. It could be quick and painful, or it could be drawn out. Diane tried to convince them to draw it out. She felt by drawing it out and making sure each "i" was dotted and each "t" crossed, both parties would be able to leave happy. Jax wasn't happy about the divorce taking a long time, so Alexis suggested Jax admit Carly's failures as a wife. Although it would be more painful, it would be much quicker. Alexis talked about how often Carly cheated on Jax, but Carly interrupted. The one thing Alexis didn't point out was how much Carly loved her husband. Despite her faults, Carly explained that she truly loved her husband, then she stormed out of the meeting.
After Jax had left, Diane and Alexis talked about their plan to get Carly and Jax back together. Although Alexis really wanted both parties to leave happy, she felt Carly would eventually go running back to Sonny and trample on Jax's heart.
Carly walked into the Metro Court and met up with Jax, who had been waiting for her. He apologized for Alexis' behavior. He never intended to hurt Carly. She pointed out that divorce, whether amicable or not, was always painful. Jax wanted to be friends with Carly once the divorce was over. Carly just knew she would never stop loving him. Carly walked away, and Jax called Alexis to see her right away. When he arrived at her office, he told her to stall the divorce. Alexis asked if Jax wanted the divorce or not. He replied that he and Carly loved each other. He wanted time to get back together with Carly.
Meanwhile, Diane met up with Carly, who thanked the lawyer for her stalling tactics. Carly wanted the divorce to be the longest divorce in the history of mankind. She felt that a little more time would allow Carly and Jax to get back together.
Over cards, Sonny and Luke talked about Sonny's plan to take over Jason's territory. Sonny intended to push Jason until Jason realized he needed Sonny. Luke thought it was a brilliant plan, but he warned Sonny that the trouble would begin once Sonny gained all the power. The Feds would be looking at Sonny with a magnifying glass. Luke said he wanted Sonny to succeed, though, and Sonny thanked him for his friendship. Luke asked Sonny for a favor. He wanted Sonny's help getting Johnny out of jail and explained the situation. Luke wanted to help out the investor in the Haunted Star-Johnny. Sonny was reluctant to help at first, since he didn't want Anthony knowing Sonny was planning to take over the Zacchara organization on a permanent basis. Sonny changed his mind after he thought about it. When Michael was missing, Sonny thought Johnny had been responsible, so he had roughed him a bit. Sonny wanted to make it up to Johnny, so he agreed to do Luke a favor and get Johnny released.
After Sonny left, Tracy came in and said she was upset to see a certain person leaving the Haunted Star as she was arriving. Luke joked that he had told the hooker to leave through the back, but Tracy said she would have almost preferred if it had been a floozy. She had seen Sonny Corinthos leaving. Luke told Tracy he was very happy she had taken him back, but they wouldn't last much longer if she thought she could police his activities.
Claudia came to Port Charles County Jail to visit her brother and try to convince him to accept their father's help. He asked why she was acting so hostile, and Claudia came clean about Jerry Jax's DVDs that were hidden all over the Corinthos manor. Lulu walked in and interrupted the brother/sister conversation. Claudia asked Lulu to be smart for once and tell Johnny to let their father help get him get released. Lulu said she would stand behind whatever Johnny decided. The two women started to argue until an officer came in and said Johnny was being released. Lulu smiled and said she had the best father in the world. Claudia said Luke should watch his ass, because Anthony wasn't going to be happy when he found out what Luke did.
Claudia met up with Sonny on the docks and warned him about Anthony's fury when he found out the plan to get Johnny home had failed. She thanked him for getting Johnny released, though, and promised to pay him back for the favor. Claudia stopped talking when she saw one of their shipments heading toward Jason's docks. Sonny didn't think Jason would retaliate, but he was proven wrong when the ship exploded right before their eyes.
Spinelli was thrilled as he dressed and prepared to leave Maxie's apartment. Maxie told him that they had cemented their bond and no one, including Winnifred, could come between them. Suddenly, Spinelli realized Maxie had used sex to keep Spinelli away from Winnifred. Spinelli and Maxie got into a huge fight, where Maxie said things she didn't mean. She told him he was naïve to think Winnifred wasn't taking advantage of him. She also said that she had felt sorry for him after Georgie died, and that was the only reason why she hung out with him. The only reason Maxie had slept with Spinelli was because she knew no one else would. He should be groveling at her feet. Maxie warned Spinelli not to come running back to her when he realized Winnifred was a fake. They both said they were done with each other, and Spinelli stormed out.
Maxie sat on the couch and looked at the journal Spinelli had given her for her birthday. She reminisced how thoughtful he had been when he had given it to her while Robin was in labor. Johnny and Lulu walked in and noticed Maxie had been crying. Lulu asked what was wrong. Maxie replied that she had once again screwed everything up, but she was going to make sure it would be different. Maxie gathered her things to leave and said she was going to fix it.
Meanwhile, Winnifred was meeting with her bosses about Spinelli. She wasn't happy with setting Spinelli up, but the Feds assured Winnifred she would feel better once the real targets were taken down.
Maxie arrived at the docks with flowers for Spinelli. She yelled out to him, determined to make things right. Spinelli didn't hear her, though, because federal agents were coming at him to arrest him.
Nadine and Nikolas prepared to go into a meeting Alexis had set up with some congressmen about Aunt Raylene's patent. Nadine was exceptionally nervous, so Nikolas offered to take her home. He said she could always use the money from Equinox for the war veterans. Nadine thanked Nikolas for changing her mind about the meeting and they walked in. The congressmen told Nadine that she was hurting the soldiers over in the Middle East by not allowing them access to the patent used for weapons. Nadine didn't want Equinox profiting from the war. One of the congressmen told Nadine she was interfering with the defense contract and was close to violating federal law. Quickly, Nadine signed the patent's ownership over to Nikolas. He had the resources to fight the federal government, and he wasn't going to allow them to use the patent.
