Tracy expressed concern about Luke's callous behavior toward Monica. Luke justified his behavior and stalked off. Tracy wondered if Scott knew what had happened to Luke at Miscavige. Luke returned with champagne, but Tracy was gone. Kiki arrived looking for Michael. Luke offered her a mimosa after saying that he had not seen Michael.
Luke asked Kiki if she and Michael were having trouble. Kiki said that she and Michael were taking a step back. Luke laid his hand on Kiki's knee and told her she was too young to settle for just one man. Kiki was taken aback and bolted when Luke mentioned that A.J. had been shot and was at General Hospital.
At the hospital, Kevin catered a Chinese food lunch for Lucy. Kevin had amorous intentions, but Lucy was not interested. Kevin noted that Lucy seemed distracted and suggested that it was because of Scott. Lucy said that she was not thinking about Scott. Kevin said it was only natural for Lucy to be worried after what Scott had been through.
Kevin wanted to know if he was distracting Lucy. Lucy assured Kevin that she loved him. Kevin asked again what was distracting her, but before Lucy could answer, Tracy barged in and demanded to talk to Kevin about Luke. Lucy took the opportunity to leave. Tracy told Kevin about Luke's callous behavior and how Luke had kicked Monica while she was down.
Tracy said that Luke had been drugged and held captive and his behavior was atypical of Luke. Kevin told her that there was no sign of drugs in Luke's system. Kevin offered to talk to Scott to see if Scott was aware of any other trauma that Luke might have suffered during his captivity. Tracy hinted that Lucy and Scott were more than friends and warned Kevin to keep his eyes open. Kevin said he had nothing to worry about.
Tracy found Luke at the mansion, doing some online shopping. Luke said that he was looking for a gift for Monica as an apology for his earlier behavior. Luke said that he did not know what had happened to make him treat Monica so badly. Luke said that he was sorry. Luke admitted that his protective instincts had kicked in. Luke said that he did not want to do anything that would hurt Tracy.
Luke begged Tracy to forgive him. Tracy said that she would. Luke told Tracy that she was the only good thing in his life. Tracy thanked him for that. Luke asked where Tracy had been. Tracy said that she had been running an errand and that it was not important.
Outside A.J.'s room, Carly accused Sonny of shooting A.J. Sonny said he was at the hospital because he was worried about Michael. Monica arrived and went in to sit with Michael and A.J. Monica said that her cell phone had died while she had been looking for A.J. in bars, without realizing that A.J. was in the hospital. Michael comforted her.
Sonny switched the subject to Franco, but Carly said it proved Sonny's guilt. Carly kept asking Sonny if he had shot A.J. until Michael heard them and left A.J.'s bedside. When Michael asked what they were fighting about, Sonny answered that he and Carly were talking about whom had shot A.J. Sonny revealed that Julian Jerome was being held because he had been found holding a gun over A.J.
Michael questioned why Julian would shoot A.J. Sonny said he did not know, and added that his reason for being in the hospital was to support Michael, and he was sorry for what Michael was going through. Sonny patted Michael on the shoulder and walked away. Carly told Sonny that they were not done, but Sonny said that they were.
Carly and Michael wondered about Julian's motives. When Kiki arrived on the scene, Carly left the lovebirds alone. Kiki told Michael that even though they were taking a step back, she was still there for him, and he could call her anytime. Michael said that he had not called because everything had happened so fast. Kiki said that she had learned about it at the Quartermaines' after a weird encounter with Luke.
Michael asked about Luke, but Kiki said it was nothing. Kiki said that she had immediately left for the hospital as soon as she had learned about A.J. She asked how long Michael had been at the hospital. Michael said that he had been there all night and that Morgan had stayed with him. Monica sat at A.J.'s bedside and said a prayer that A.J. would get another chance to straighten out his life. As she held his hand, A.J. lifted a finger and opened his eyes.
In his hotel room, Scott remembered a tender moment, after he was rescued from Miscavige, when Lucy had said she could not let him go. When someone knocked on his door, Scott thought it was Lucy but found Franco there instead. Franco limped in on a cane and made a few Scott-like jokes. They both said they were fine, but Franco intuited that Scott was thinking about Lucy. Scott tried to deny it, but Franco was very perceptive.
Franco said that it was weird, but he wanted to help Scott because Scott had gone out on a limb for him. Franco told Scott that he could tell Franco anything. Franco made Scott laugh, and Scott said that Franco had gotten his sense of humor from Scott. They were about to share a moment when Lucy knocked on the door. Franco was glad for the interruption.
Lucy said hello to Franco, who left after thanking Scott for the conversation. Scott said that Lucy should leave also. Scott told Lucy that if she stayed, they would end up in bed. Lucy asked if that would be so bad. Scott said that it would be because she would go back to Kevin, and Scott no longer wanted to share Lucy. Scott said that Kevin would also catch on soon, because Franco, whom Scott had known only 20 minutes, had caught on. Scott told Lucy that he wanted to be her only lover.
Lucy tried to get Scott to relent, but Scott said that those were his terms. Lucy said that she would try to figure out how to be fair to both Scott and Kevin. Lucy opened the door to leave and found Kevin about to knock. He asked her what she was doing there. She said that she was there to check on Scott. Kevin accepted her explanation and replied that he was there to ask Scott about what had happened to Luke at Miscavige.
Anna tracked down Duke at Sonny's office. Duke was surprised to learn that A.J. had been shot. Anna questioned him about Sonny's whereabouts at the time of the shooting. Duke hesitated but eventually gave Sonny an alibi.
Anna was reluctant to believe him, despite the fact that she had found Julian holding his own gun over A.J.'s body. She told Duke that it was what she had feared when Duke had opted to work for a criminal. Duke told Anna that Sonny was all that kept Julian from hurting those that Duke loved. He told Anna that Julian would not hesitate to go after Anna once Sonny was out of the way.
Duke asked what evidence that Anna had against Sonny. She told him that there was not any. Duke asked if it was a witch-hunt against Sonny. Anna denied it but admitted that she had Julian in custody. Duke wondered why she was still going after Sonny. Anna said it was because Sonny had a motive, and Julian did not. Sonny entered the office and asked why Anna was there. She said that she was there to check Sonny's alibi. Sonny confirmed that he and Duke had been working at the warehouse together.
Sonny asked why she was questioning him when she already had Julian in custody. Anna said that Julian was a suspect and until Julian was convicted, Sonny was a suspect, too. Anna advised Sonny not to leave the jurisdiction and then stormed out of his office. Sonny thanked Duke for backing up his alibi. Duke said that he had proved his loyalty, but with all due respect, Sonny had not disclosed his reason for needing an alibi. Duke said that now that he was in possession of all the facts, he knew why Sonny needed an alibi; Sonny had shot A.J.
Franco returned to the hospital and met Carly who was very glad to see him. Carly filled Franco in on the shooting. Franco was delighted to hear that Julian was in custody and admitted gleefully that he did not like Julian.
At the jail, Ric and Julian shook hands. Ric confessed that it had been a productive meeting and expressed satisfaction that everything had fallen neatly into place. Moments later, Anna walked up and commented that Ric and Julian seemed as thick as thieves, which she thought was an especially fitting description for the two men. Ric realized that she assumed that he and Julian were associates, so Ric quickly introduced himself and clarified that he was Julian's attorney.
Anna admitted that she knew who Ric was and then confessed that she was impressed that he had managed to avoid going to prison despite numerous crimes and a stint as corrupt district attorney. Ric smiled indulgently as he reminded Anna that he was there to discuss Julian's situation. Anna insisted she could keep Julian in custody for up to 48 hours without charging Julian with a crime. Julian immediately argued that he had picked up the gun next to A.J. to defend himself against a possible intruder.
Ric pointed out that it was a plausible excuse, but Anna countered that she knew firsthand about Julian's criminal history, prompting Ric to threaten to sue for harassment. Ric explained that he knew that Mayor Lomax was looking for a reason to fire Anna, so Ric would be happy to provide the mayor with what she needed to get rid of the police commissioner. Anna explained that Julian could easily clear things up by providing her with the name of the associate that Julian had met at the time of the shooting. Ric denied that it was necessary for Anna to know the man's name, but Anna disagreed, since the law and the facts were on her side rather than on Julian's.
At the lake house, Alexis left Molly a voicemail message warning Molly that avoiding Alexis' phone calls would only make things worse. As if on cue, Molly walked in, so Alexis confronted Molly about moving in with Ric. Molly accused Alexis of overreacting to Molly's decision to live with Ric, but Alexis informed her daughter that it hadn't been part of Alexis and Ric's custody agreement. Molly argued that things were different because Molly wasn't a little girl anymore. Alexis conceded that Molly wasn't a child, but she quickly pointed out that Molly wasn't an adult, either, and certainly not old enough to do what Molly had planned to do with T.J.
Molly hoped that her father would see things differently when Molly moved in with him. "Over my dead body," Alexis warned Molly. Molly argued that it wasn't Alexis' decision to make because Alexis and Ric had shared custody of Molly, and Ric had returned to town and was looking for a place to live. Alexis explained that she couldn't allow Molly to live with Ric because of the types of people that Ric associated with, including the likes of Faith Roscoe and the Zaccharas. Molly reminded Alexis that Alexis represented Sonny, who was also a mobster.
Alexis refused to bend, so Molly stormed off to the bedroom. Alexis started to follow her daughter, but the doorbell rang. Alexis' frustration mounted when she opened the door and saw Ric standing on her doorstep. Ric sensed that it was a bad time, but Alexis decided to seize the opportunity to discuss Molly's desire to live with Ric. Ric explained that he had agreed to let their daughter move in because it was clear that Molly and Alexis weren't getting along. Alexis accused Ric of taking advantage of the situation, but Ric insisted that Alexis was the one who had refused to allow their daughter to grow up.
Ric suggested that some distance might help Alexis and Molly, but Alexis made it clear that she wasn't a fan of long distance parenting. Alexis insisted that Ric should have discussed things with her before agreeing to let their daughter move in. Ric apologized and then shifted gears to explain that he had stopped by to let her know that he had decided to take Julian's case. Alexis was curious if Julian had been released from jail, so Ric admitted that he was still working on it. However, he warned Alexis that Anna was determined to make the charges stick.
After Ric left, Alexis called out to Molly. Molly didn't respond, so Alexis checked her daughter's bedroom. She was furious when she realized that Molly had slipped out of the house.
At Kelly's, Shawn took a drink of a freshly poured cup of coffee and scowled with displeasure because it was cold. T.J. apologized and admitted that he was distracted, but T.J. was confident that everything would be worked out by the following week because Molly intended to move out. Surprised, Shawn immediately made it clear that T.J. and Molly could not get a place together. T.J. assured Shawn that he knew that, but the conversation was cut short when Sonny called to let Shawn know that Duke had provided Sonny with an alibi.
After Shawn wrapped up the phone call with Sonny, he continued his conversation with T.J. Shawn made it clear that Molly couldn't move in with them because Molly was too young, and Shawn doubted that Alexis would approve. T.J. explained that Molly planned to move in with her father, Ric Lansing. Shawn tensed and warned T.J. that it wouldn't be a good idea. T.J. was curious why, but Shawn refused to tell T.J. that Sonny was certain that Ric had been funding Julian's criminal organization. T.J. sensed that Shawn was holding back, but Shawn remained tightlipped.
After Shawn left, Molly stopped by the diner to surprise T.J. T.J. was happy to see her, but he suggested that they not see each other until Molly had moved in with Ric. Molly admitted that it might not happen because Alexis had objected to Molly living with Ric, so Ric would likely cave in to Alexis' demands. Frustrated, T.J. couldn't understand why Alexis had been putting up such a fight. Molly was certain that Alexis simply wanted to make Molly miserable.
T.J. was curious if Alexis honestly believed that Ric would give his blessing for T.J. and Molly to have sex. Molly was certain that was exactly what Alexis feared, but Alexis had latched on to the excuse that Ric had "unsavory connections."
At Corinthos Coffee, Sonny called Shawn to assure Shawn that Duke had provided Sonny with an alibi for when A.J. had been shot. However, Sonny tensed when he turned and saw Olivia standing in the doorway. Sonny quickly wrapped up the call with Shawn and then explained that he had been making certain that everyone in his organization had an alibi for A.J.'s shooting because Sonny was certain that the Quartermaines and Anna would ask questions. Olivia thought that it was unnecessary because the case against Julian was open and shut, since Julian had been found standing over A.J.'s body, holding the gun that had been used to shoot A.J. Olivia confided that she didn't care who had shot A.J. because A.J. had gotten what A.J. had deserved.
According to Olivia, she would never "actively" wish harm on A.J., but she didn't have it in her to feel sorry for what had happened to him. Olivia insisted that her cousin had been unarmed and defenseless when A.J. had shot Connie and then had left her to bleed to death in the very office where Olivia and Sonny stood. Olivia resented that A.J. had managed to slip through the cracks of the legal system, so she was glad that Julian had shot A.J. and had been caught because two birds had been killed with one stone. However, Olivia was puzzled why Julian would shoot A.J.
Sonny revealed that A.J. had wanted to work for Julian, but Olivia doubted that it would have driven Julian to shoot A.J. Sonny pointed out that A.J. had a problem with rejection, so he suggested that perhaps A.J. had turned violent when Julian had turned A.J. down. Olivia shifted gears to talk about Michael. She imagined that the shooting had hit Michael hard because Michael had thought that A.J. was safe when Sonny had promised not to hurt A.J.
Sonny deflected by grumbling about A.J. and insisting that A.J. had never been Michael's father because Sonny had raised Michael. Sonny hated the idea of Michael sitting vigil by that "son of a bitch."
Moments later, Shawn entered the office and explained that a friend in the know had sent a text message to alert Shawn that Julian had retained an attorney. Sonny's temper flared when Shawn revealed that Ric had agreed to represent Julian. Sonny insisted that Ric had always tried to make Sonny's life miserable and had even tried to kill Sonny on several occasions. Shocked, Olivia wondered why Sonny had never mentioned that Ric had tried to kill him, so Sonny explained that he had put it behind him when Ric had moved to Los Angeles.
Shawn doubted that it was a coincidence that Ric was helping Julian. Sonny agreed and admitted that it confirmed his certainty that Ric was Julian's moneyman. Olivia decided to get back to work, so she advised Sonny to avoid the hospital, where tensions were high. After Olivia left, Shawn admitted that it was clear that Olivia had no idea that Sonny had shot A.J. Sonny insisted that he didn't want Olivia to know.
At Kelly's, Brad was surprised when he saw Lucas enter the diner. Lucas started to make his way to the counter, but Brad invited Lucas to join him. Lucas smiled as he sat down at Brad's table and then confessed that he had missed Kelly's coffee, even though Seattle was known for its coffee. Lucas then confided that one of the reasons that he had liked Seattle was because no one knew about his family. Brad wondered if getting to know Julian had put a strain on Lucas' relationship with Carly, so Lucas revealed that Julian was in jail because Julian was suspected of shooting A.J.
Lucas quickly filled Brad in about the shooting and Julian's claim about picking up the gun to defend himself against the intruder who had shot A.J. Lucas confessed that he didn't know how he could face Michael after Julian had shot A.J. Lucas was furious that he had allowed himself to look past Julian being a "homophobic bigot" who had a history of criminal activity and had returned to Port Charles to start a war with Sonny. Brad reached for Lucas' hand and gently squeezed it.
Brad pulled his hand back when he realized that his gesture of comfort might be misconstrued, so Lucas apologized for having a meltdown. Lucas claimed that he was not emotionally invested in his relationship with Julian, but Brad seemed to suspect otherwise and asked if Lucas would feel the same if Julian hadn't shot A.J. Lucas scoffed at the suggestion that Julian was innocent, but Brad pointed out that Julian's story had been preposterous enough to have a ring of truth to it. Brad was certain that someone like Julian would have underlings do his dirty work or, at the very least, be smart enough to wipe his prints off of the gun.
Lucas suggested that Julian simply hadn't had time to wipe off his fingerprints, but Brad was certain that Julian hadn't pulled the trigger. Brad wanted to know if Lucas would give Julian a second chance if Julian were cleared of the shooting. Lucas seemed confident that Julian was guilty, so he changed the subject by asking Brad about Felix. Brad revealed that he and Felix were over because of Lucas' text messages.
Lucas felt bad when Brad shared the details of the breakup. Brad insisted that it had been inappropriate for Lucas to send the text message after Brad had made it clear to Lucas that Brad wanted Felix. However, Brad conceded that Lucas wasn't solely to blame for things not working out with Felix. Lucas was curious if Brad would be interested in exploring a relationship with Lucas, since Felix was no longer in the picture. Lucas promised that he could accept no for an answer, but Lucas suspected that Brad enjoyed Lucas' company as much as Lucas enjoyed Brad's.
At the hospital, Felix bumped into Carly at the elevator. He was surprised to see her, so she explained that she was there because A.J. had been shot. Felix felt bad for Michael because Felix had seen firsthand how upset Michael had been. Carly admitted that she was in an awkward position because she loathed A.J., but she loved Michael. Carly shifted gears when she noticed that something appeared to be troubling Felix.
Felix confessed that he couldn't get over Brad and then filled her in about the disastrous Valentine's Day date with Brad when Felix had found revealing text messages on Brad's phone from another man. Felix admitted that he felt foolish because he was one of the few in his generation who viewed sex as something special. Carly insisted that Felix shouldn't feel ashamed and that it was Brad's loss, not Felix's. Carly was curious who the "himbo" was that Brad had slept with.
Felix revealed that the man's name was Lucas Jones and then admitted that the name sounded like a low-rent porn star. Startled, Carly confessed that Lucas was her brother. Felix was stunned that he and Carly had been friends for over a year, but she had never mentioned her brother before. Carly was certain that she had talked about Lucas, but Felix assured her that she had never said anything about Lucas being gay even when Felix had lamented about Felix's miserable love life. Carly pointed out that Lucas lived in Seattle and that she didn't have any reason to think that Felix and Lucas were a match made in heaven simply because both men were gay.
Felix conceded that she had a point and apologized. Felix then admitted that Lucas hadn't known that Felix and Brad had been dating when Lucas had first slept with Brad. Carly pointed out that Brad hadn't realized that Felix had wanted an exclusive relationship with Brad, so she suggested that Felix talk to Brad and try to work things out. Felix agreed that it was worth a try and decided to track down Brad.
At Kelly's, Brad confessed that he didn't want Lucas to feel as if Lucas had been Brad's second choice. Lucas assured Brad that he didn't feel that way and then kissed Brad. Brad pulled away from the kiss and saw Felix standing in the diner's doorway. Hurt clouded Felix's eyes as he turned to leave, but Brad quickly ran up and asked Felix to stay. Felix agreed and then decided to introduce himself to Lucas.
Felix remarked that he had barely recognized Lucas because Lucas was dressed and then asked if Brad and Lucas were seeing each other. Lucas confessed that he and Brad had been discussing that very thing when Felix had walked in. Felix decided to excuse himself so Brad and Lucas could continue their conversation, but Brad followed Felix outside. Felix insisted that there wasn't anything to talk about because it was clear that Brad and Lucas had more in common than Brad and Felix did. Felix wished Brad well and then walked away.
In A.J.'s hospital room, Monica sat at her son's bedside and begged God to return A.J. to her and allow A.J. to finish his journey to be a better man. Monica's face lit with joy when A.J. moved his hand and then slowly opened his eyes.
In the hallway, Kiki explained that she had stopped by to assure Michael that she was there if he needed her. Michael appreciated Kiki's support. He was about to return to A.J.'s room when Monica suddenly ran out to announce that A.J. was awake and to assure Michael that she had called for the doctor.
A short time later, the doctor pulled Monica aside to explain that A.J. wasn't out of the woods even though he was awake. The doctor warned Monica that A.J. needed to remain calm because A.J.'s body had been through a lot and would need time to heal.
Meanwhile, Michael offered A.J. something to drink and then asked if A.J. recalled what had happened. A.J. remembered Sonny shooting him, but A.J. was too weak to share the details of the shooting. Michael wondered if Julian had shot A.J. "No," A.J. weakly replied. Shocked, Michael asked if A.J. was certain that Julian hadn't shot him. A.J. nodded, so Michael asked who had shot A.J. A.J. tried to answer the question, but A.J.'s eyes suddenly rolled back as he appeared to suffer a seizure and then flat-lined.
Monica sent Michael and Kiki out of the room as the doctor began to work on A.J. Moments later, Anna and Carly walked up. Carly tried to comfort Michael as Anna asked Kiki if A.J. had said anything. Anna was stunned when Kiki revealed that A.J. had cleared Julian of the shooting. Moments later, Monica approached Michael to explain that A.J. had suffered a brain bleed.
Later, Anna met Ric at the jail. Anna explained that A.J. had woken up and had revealed that Julian had not been the shooter, so Julian was free to leave.
At Corinthos Coffee, Sonny's fears were realized when Carly called to reveal that A.J. had woken up. Sonny was curious if A.J. had talked, so Carly told him that A.J. had cleared Julian.
At Kelly's, Elizabeth groaned with frustration when her purse tumbled to the floor as she stood up. The contents of the purse spilled out, including an invitation to Nikolas and Britt's engagement party, so she leaned down to pick everything up. She was startled when Nikolas suddenly appeared and helped her collect the scattered items. After Nikolas handed her the invitation, he asked about A.J. and how she had been holding up. Elizabeth confessed that A.J. was not doing well and that she was a mess, which surprised her because she had always known that one day someone would try to exact a from of vigilante justice on A.J.
Nikolas assured Elizabeth that it didn't make it any less shocking when something like that happened and the person one cared about was in a fight for their life. Elizabeth appreciated Nikolas' understanding and admitted that she had stayed with A.J. since he had been rushed to the hospital. Nikolas wondered if that was why she hadn't replied to the invitation, so she conceded that it was one of the reasons. She then surprised Nikolas by asking why Britt wanted her at the party.
Nikolas explained that he was the one who wanted Elizabeth to attend the party because they had been friends for years and had weathered many ups and downs together. He admitted that she was important to him, so it wouldn't feel right if she wasn't a part of the celebration. Nikolas added that he needed at least one of the musketeers to be at the party, but Elizabeth explained that she couldn't go to the party because she didn't have a date, and she doubted that she had a prayer of finding one on short notice.
"Well, your prayers have been answered," Ric said as he walked up. Nikolas glared at Ric and then asked if Ric had framed anyone for murder lately. Ric insisted that his past was water under the bridge and then focused on Elizabeth to assure her that his offer was still open. Elizabeth hesitated to reply, so Nikolas assured her that it was up to her. However, Nikolas was not pleased when Elizabeth agreed to attend the engagement party with Ric. Nikolas confessed that he didn't know who was worse, A.J. or Ric, and then left.
Ric was curious if Elizabeth had agreed to go with him to the party because she wanted to spend time with him or because she wanted to "stick it" to Nikolas. "What if I do?" Elizabeth asked. Ric smiled because he was glad that he would benefit from her act of spite. Elizabeth decided to get back to the hospital, so she suggested that they meet at the party, but Ric insisted on picking her up at her house.
After Elizabeth left, Ric sat down at the counter and then ordered a cup of coffee. Shawn introduced himself and revealed that he worked for Sonny. Shawn questioned how Ric had ended up legally representing Julian, but Ric made it clear that it didn't concern Shawn. Shawn vowed to keep digging until Shawn had an answer.
At the hospital, Britt walked with a patient to the elevator as they chatted about the woman's pregnancy. After the patient left, Liesl marched up and showed Britt a timer and berated her daughter for spending thirty-four minutes with a patient. According to Liesl, Britt could have seen two additional patients in the time that it had taken Britt to treat one patient.
Liesl waited for Britt to say something, so Britt told Liesl about the engagement to Nikolas and then showed her mother the engagement ring. Liesl was not impressed because she believed that the need for "showy" diamonds was a sign of insecurity. Britt wasn't surprised by her mother's disappointing reaction, but Liesl pointed out that Britt's liaison with Nikolas could only end one way when Nikolas discovered that he was the stepfather to his sister's child.
Britt insisted that Dante knew that Ben was his son, so Britt and Dante had been working on a custody arrangement that would allow Dante and Lulu to spend plenty of time with Ben. "It's a win-win," Britt explained, but Liesl warned her daughter that it wasn't all "Schnitzel and Bier" because the only person who would win was Britt. Britt claimed that she felt terrible for Lulu, but Britt couldn't risk Nikolas learning the truth because she would lose him. "In a herzschlag," Liesl agreed.
Britt reminded her mother that Nikolas could only learn the truth from Liesl, so she begged Liesl to keep the secret because Britt was on the cusp of true happiness. Britt realized that her father, Cesar, had never loved Liesl, but she pleaded with her mother to allow Britt to have what Liesl had never had. Liesl resented Britt speaking to her about Cesar. Britt was taken aback when Liesl's eyes filled with tears as Liesl confided that she had no idea if Cesar was dead or alive because Anna and Robert had made Britt's father disappear. Britt felt bad for her mother, but she reminded Liesl that Liesl still had Britt.
Britt appreciated that she wasn't the child that Liesl had wanted, but she pointed out that she was the only child that Liesl had. Liesl seemed surprised when Britt reached for her mother's hand and then gently implored Liesl to find it in Liesl's heart to keep Britt's secret. Liesl explained that despite what Britt might think, Liesl wanted her daughter to be happy, and so she agreed not to tell anyone the truth about Ben. Liesl realized that she had been a harsh mother and had blamed Britt for issues that hadn't been Britt's fault. However, Liesl had tried to prepare Britt for the eventual realization that both life and love were disappointing.
Britt was stunned when Liesl tearfully confessed that she was proud of Britt and wanted her daughter to be happy. Britt welcomed her mother's warm embrace as Liesl hugged her daughter. Moments later, Nikolas walked up. Britt offered him a watery smile as she turned to greet him.
Meanwhile, Liesl collected herself and then congratulated Nikolas on the engagement. Liesl warned him that he would not just be gaining a bride, but also a mother-in-law whom Nikolas would have to answer to if he hurt Britt. Nikolas assured Liesl that he didn't intend to hurt Britt. Satisfied, Liesl wished them the best and then left.
Nikolas immediately asked Britt about Liesl's odd behavior, so Britt confessed that it appeared that she and her mother had had an emotional breakthrough and then suggested that they add Liesl to their guest list. Nikolas agreed and then revealed that Elizabeth would be attending the party with a date. Britt snidely wondered if Elizabeth's date was Rob Ford. Nikolas conceded that it was someone nearly as notorious and then revealed that Elizabeth's date was Ric Lansing.
At the lake house, Alexis left Molly frantic voicemail message asking Molly to return the call. Moments later, someone knocked on the door. Alexis was surprised when she saw Julian standing on her doorstep. Julian quickly explained that A.J. had regained consciousness and had cleared Julian of the shooting. Alexis was relieved and invited Julian inside. Julian entered and then handed Alexis a bouquet of flowers.
Alexis was touched by the gesture and asked how Julian had known that gardenias were her favorite flowers. Julian realized that she might not believe him, but he confessed that he recalled that she had smelled like gardenias when they had first met years earlier in Hanover. Alexis quipped that she had feared that she had smelled like stale beer, but Julian wasn't amused and assured her that she had been as beautiful then as she was at that moment. Alexis nervously cleared her throat and then explained that Julian couldn't stay because she had to focus on sorting things out with Molly. Julian warned Alexis that she would eventually run out of excuses to get rid of him or simply ignore them when she finally realized that what he and Alexis shared was too much for Alexis to continue to resist.
Later, Alexis greeted Sam and asked about her daughter's trip to New York City. Sam explained that things hadn't worked out as planned because the pharmacist that Sam and Silas had intended to question had died under circumstances similar to Silas' wife's overdose. Sam admitted that the police suspected Silas of the murder because Silas had been at the hotel during the time of Mr. Nakamura's overdose. However, Sam was certain that Ava, not Silas, had killed the pharmacist.
Sam explained that Ava had unexpectedly shown up in the city to visit Ava's mother, Delia, whom Ava hadn't seen in many years. Alexis realized that Ava couldn't have shot A.J. if Ava had been in the city. Stunned, Sam asked what her mother was talking about, so Alexis quickly filled Sam in about the shooting and then revealed that Ric was back in town. Sam was shocked and asked how long Ric intended to stay. Alexis admitted that she didn't know because Molly had decided to move in with Ric when Alexis had put a stop to Molly's tryst with T.J. in a hotel room.
Alexis quickly steered the conversation back to Silas' predicament, prompting Sam to reveal that Nathan had also shown up in New York City and had called Silas out for not visiting Nina. Sam explained that she and Silas had gone to pay Nina a visit, but Silas' wife had disappeared from the facility. Sam confided that she suspected that Ava had been responsible for Nina's sudden disappearance.
Across town, Ava quietly slipped into her apartment, but she was startled when Carlos stepped out of the shadows and greeted her. Carlos quickly apologized and then revealed that he knew what she had done to A.J. Ava pretended to have no idea what Carlos was talking about, but Carlos wasn't fooled because he was certain that Ava had shot A.J. Ava feigned innocence as she asked if A.J. was dead. Carlos admitted that A.J. was hanging on by a thread.
Ava pretended to be concerned about A.J., but Carlos saw through the lie and reminded her that she had sent him to kill A.J. hours prior to the shooting. Ava quickly pointed out that she had also ordered Carlos to back down when his mission had failed and then added that she couldn't have possibly shot A.J. because she had just returned from New York City. Carlos advised Ava to explain that to Julian because Julian was certain that Ava had pulled the trigger. Ava was furious that her brother would suspect her, but Carlos revealed that Julian had been taken into custody when the police had found Julian standing over A.J.'s body and holding the gun that had been used to shoot A.J.
Ava hoped that Carlos hadn't mentioned their recent arrangement to Julian, so Carlos assured her that he hadn't. However, Carlos warned her that Julian remained convinced that Ava was guilty. Ava argued that the police wouldn't keep Julian in jail if they didn't have evidence to prove that Julian had shot A.J. "You were saying?" Julian asked as he entered the apartment.
Ava was shocked when Julian revealed that A.J. had woken up and had cleared Julian of the shooting. Ava carefully asked if A.J. had said anything else, but Julian was curious why she was interested in what A.J. had said. Ava assured her brother that she hadn't shot A.J. and then pointed out that she had barely known A.J. Julian didn't believe Ava and suggested that she was protesting too much. Ava explained that she had only recently arrived home from a trip to New York City, so she couldn't have been responsible for the shooting.
Ava decided to head to the hospital on the pretext of checking on Kiki, but Julian suspected that Ava's true motive was to find out if A.J. had incriminated her in the shooting. Ava ignored her brother's remark and asked Carlos to drive her to the hospital because the check engine light was on in her car. Julian objected and suggested that Ava take a cab. Annoyed, Ava left.
Julian immediately questioned Carlos about anything that Ava might have said that might incriminate her in the shooting. Carlos covered for Ava, but Julian sensed that Carlos was hiding something, so he reminded Carlos that Carlos worked for him, not Ava. Julian admitted that Ava could no longer be trusted, so Julian wouldn't hesitate to take out anyone who was loyal to Ava rather than Julian.
At Corinthos Coffee, Shawn entered Sonny's office as Sonny wrapped up a phone call. Sonny revealed that Julian had been cut loose because A.J. had woken up long enough to clear Julian of the shooting. Shawn pointed out that A.J. could regain consciousness again and name Sonny as the shooter. Sonny agreed. "So, what's the plan?" Shawn asked.
In A.J.'s hospital room, A.J. remained unconscious as Michael and Kiki hovered nearby. Michael admitted that he couldn't stand to see his father pale and weak, knowing that the doctors weren't certain that A.J. would wake up. Kiki urged Michael to keep talking to A.J. because Michael was the only person who could get through to A.J. Michael stared hopelessly at his father, but Kiki insisted that it wasn't over. Kiki offered to get Michael some coffee, so Michael thanked her for being there for him.
After Kiki left, Michael took A.J.'s hand and begged his father to return to him. Michael regretted that he had bombarded A.J. with questions when A.J. had woken up, so he promised not to do it again. "You're my father and I love you, so please come back," Michael pleaded. His voice cracked with emotion as he explained that he wasn't ready to lose A.J. again and then begged A.J. to give him a sign that A.J. could hear him.
A.J. remained still, so Michael promised to be waiting for A.J. when A.J. returned from surgery. Michael vowed that he would hunt down the "bastard" who had shot his father because he wanted make certain that the person didn't get away with the crime. Moments later, Michael looked up when he heard someone in the doorway. It was Sonny.
Sonny entered the room, his eyes on A.J., as he asked Michael for an update. Michael revealed that A.J. had suffered an aneurysm and might not wake up. Michael confessed that he regretted asking A.J. questions about the shooting rather than offering A.J. assurances of love. Sonny promised Michael that everything would be okay and that A.J. knew how much Michael loved A.J. Michael hoped that Sonny was right.
Sonny was curious if it was true that A.J. had cleared Julian. Michael nodded and then explained that A.J. had suffered an aneurysm before A.J. could say anything else. However, Michael wondered if A.J.'s shooting had somehow been connected to the break-in hours prior the shooting. Michael also couldn't understand why A.J. had been at Ava Jerome's apartment. Sonny offered his words of comfort, so Michael thanked Sonny for being supportive and told Sonny that he loved him.
Elsewhere in the hospital, Kiki bumped into Silas as an unknown mystery person spied on them from a safe distance. Silas had heard about A.J., so he immediately asked how Michael's father was doing. Kiki admitted that things looked grim and that she was worried about Michael. Silas was confident that Kiki would help Michael through the days ahead, so Kiki thanked her father and then shifted gears to ask about his trip to New York City.
Silas revealed that the pharmacist that he and Sam had intended to question had died and that Ava might have been responsible. Kiki refused to believe that her mother was capable of killing someone, but even if Ava was a killer, Kiki doubted that Ava would have tried to frame Silas because Ava loved him too much to send him to prison. Kiki was curious if Silas could think of anyone else who might want to frame him, but Silas didn't have an answer.
Moments later, Ava walked up and called Silas out for bad-mouthing her to their daughter. Silas explained that he had merely been telling Kiki the truth and then added that he hadn't gotten to the bad-mouthing part yet. Ava was not amused and assured Kiki that Silas' accusation was absurd. Kiki was curious why Ava had been in New York City, so Ava claimed that she'd had gallery business to attend to and had decided to squeeze in a visit with Delia.
Kiki wondered how the grandmother that Kiki had never met was doing. Ava claimed that Delia was as "kooky" as ever and then changed the subject to ask about A.J. Kiki admitted that A.J. remained unresponsive. Ava pretended to be surprised because she had heard that A.J. had woken up. Kiki confirmed that A.J. had been briefly awake but then had suffered a major setback. Kiki decided to get back to Michael, so Ava promised to check on Kiki and Michael shortly.
After Kiki left, Silas confessed that he had been impressed with Ava's performance and then asked for the real reason that Ava had been in the city. Ava claimed that losing her relationship with Kiki had opened Ava's eyes to what Ava had put Delia through, so Ava had wanted to repair her relationship with Delia. Silas didn't believe Ava, but Ava assured him that she would never frame him. Ava conceded that he had broken her heart, but she still held out hope that he would love her again one day.
Meanwhile, Kiki returned to A.J.'s hospital room. Sonny decided to leave, so he asked Michael to let him know if Michael needed anything. After Sonny left, Kiki confessed that it was incredible how supportive Sonny was. Michael agreed and confessed that he was hopeful that Sonny and A.J. could make peace when A.J. woke up.
Elsewhere in the hospital, Ava spotted Sonny, so she called out to him. Ava and Sonny tried to appear casual as they discussed the situation with A.J. Ava feared that A.J. would wake up and tell the rest of the story, so she wanted to know what Sonny intended to do.
At the loft, Lulu sat on the edge of the bed with Ben perched on her lap as Dante slept. Lulu confided that she had a secret to share and then told Ben that he was her son. She warned Ben that it had to stay between them because someone might try to keep them apart. "Someone like me?" Britt asked. Lulu woke up with a gasp.
Dante groggily asked if Lulu was okay, so Lulu explained that she'd had a bad dream. Dante was curious what the dream had been about, but Lulu claimed that she couldn't remember. She then changed the subject by reminding Dante that he had to get to work. Dante smiled and confessed that he had a better idea. Lulu returned his smile as Dante leaned down and kissed her.
Later, Lulu flipped through some pictures of Ben on her cell phone as she confessed that it was hard to choose her favorite because Ben was photogenic. Lulu wondered when they would next get to spend time with Ben, so Dante revealed that he intended to pick Ben up after work. Lulu admitted that she was impressed with how civilized Dante and Britt were about visitation with Ben. Dante was curious what Lulu intended to do with her day, so she confessed that she had considered going to Wyndemere to help Nikolas and Britt plan the engagement party. Dante smiled knowingly as he suggested that she could also spend time with Ben.
At Wyndemere, Britt read an online article and remarked that it was hard to believe what had happened to A.J. Nikolas agreed and then changed the subject to discuss their engagement party because people had started to RSVP, which meant that they needed to get on it. Britt smiled teasingly as she admitted that she would rather "get on" something else and then kissed Nikolas. Moments later, Spencer burst into the room and breathlessly announced that Ben was missing.
Nikolas demanded to know why his son was never in school when Spencer was supposed to be, but Spencer tore through the parlor, opening the drapes and checking everywhere for the baby. Britt explained that Ben was with the nanny in the kitchen, having breakfast. Spencer was upset that no one ever told him anything, including Emma. Spencer dropped his head into his hands and lamented about Emma tearing his heart out. Nikolas thought that Spencer was being melodramatic, but Britt felt bad for Spencer and asked what had happened.
Spencer explained that Emma hadn't called or text messaged him even though he had given Uncle Victor's "fancy egg" to Emma. Nikolas revealed that Emma had been going through a difficult time because Emma's mother had left on a long trip. Spencer jumped up and ran for the door, but Nikolas stopped Spencer. Spencer insisted that he needed to do something to help Emma, but Nikolas made it clear that it had better not interfere with school. Spencer insisted that school could wait and then seized the opportunity to escape when Lulu entered the parlor.
Nikolas welcomed his sister, so she revealed that she was there to help Nikolas and Britt plan the engagement party or to watch Ben if they needed her to. Britt smiled awkwardly as Lulu asked where Ben was. Britt explained that Ben was with the nanny, so Lulu offered to fetch the baby, but Britt insisted on doing it herself. After Britt left, Nikolas asked how Lulu had been doing because he knew that she had been through a lot in recent months, including learning that Ben was Dante's son. Lulu assured Nikolas that she loved Ben and then confided that she had even once dreamed that Ben was her son.
Meanwhile, Britt stopped in the hallway to eavesdrop on Nikolas and Lulu's conversation as Nikolas assured his sister that it was natural for Lulu to imagine that Ben was her son. Lulu explained that Ben was the closest she would ever get to having a child. Nikolas insisted that Lulu shouldn't feel guilty or embarrassed about the dream, but Lulu pointed out that it was a dream that would never be realized. Britt decided to enter the room and announced that Ben had been put down for his morning nap. Britt added that she had to go the hospital because she had to see a patient, but she invited Lulu to feel free to check on Ben.
At Kelly's, Anna, Patrick, and Emma had breakfast together. Anna looked through the small telescope that Robin had given to Emma as Emma explained that Robin had wanted Emma to have it so Emma could gaze at the same stars in the sky as Robin. Anna was impressed and returned the telescope necklace to Emma. Emma confessed that she missed her mother, but Anna reminded Emma that Robin was only a phone call away. Emma's expression turned sad as she asked why her mother hadn't called.
Patrick cleared his throat and changed the subject by suggesting that Emma show Anna the picture that Cam had drawn for Emma. Emma ran over to her backpack to look for the picture, while Anna seized the opportunity to ask Patrick if it was true that Robin hadn't called. Patrick curtly explained that Robin was in a remote area and would call when she had settled in, but Anna wasn't satisfied. Emma returned to explain that she had left the picture at home, so Patrick suggested that Emma go to the kitchen to get some crayons from Shawn.
However, Patrick first made it clear that Emma was not to leave the diner. Emma agreed and then dashed off. Anna confessed that it had seemed a lifetime before when Patrick, Britt, and Emma had been there and Emma had slipped out of Kelly's after Britt had upset Emma. Patrick muttered that a lot had changed, prompting Anna to broach the subject of Patrick and Emma. Anna pointed out that it was a lot for Patrick to raise Emma alone, so she promised to help Patrick in any way that she could until Robin returned.
Patrick appreciated the offer, but he confessed that it was meaningless to him. "Excuse me?" Anna asked with a shocked expression. Patrick explained that Robin was the only one who could fix things, but instead, Robin was off fixing others. Anna was stunned when Patrick added that Anna could keep her offers to herself, but he quickly regretted his outburst and apologized.
Anna confessed that she had tried to understand her daughter's decision to leave, but Anna hated how it had affected both Patrick and Emma. Patrick assured her that he and Emma would manage, but he promised to turn to Anna for help if it became too much. Moments later, Emma returned to the table. Anna announced that she had to get to work, so she kissed her granddaughter goodbye and then left. Emma fetched the jeweled egg that Spencer had given her, but Patrick was concerned because it appeared to be too valuable for Spencer to give to Emma.
Emma assured her father that it was okay because Spencer's uncle, Victor, had said that Emma could have it. Patrick tensed and demanded that Emma hand it over. Emma became upset as she asked why, but Patrick's temper flared as he ordered her to give him the jeweled egg. Patrick insisted that they didn't accept gifts from bad men like Victor, but Emma tearfully clutched the egg close to her. Patrick snatched the jeweled egg from his daughter's grasp and then angrily smashed it on the floor. Emma burst into tears as the patrons looked at Patrick with shock.
Patrick ran over to his daughter and apologized, but Emma was distraught. A woman approached Patrick to offer to help him pick up the pieces of the valuable egg, but Patrick snapped at her to leave him alone and then focused on Emma. Patrick admitted that he shouldn't have grabbed the egg from Emma and then throw it, but Emma added that he also shouldn't have yelled at her because he had always told her that yelling was wrong. Patrick agreed and admitted that he had made a mistake. Emma clarified that he had made three mistakes.
Patrick conceded that Emma was right and asked her if she could forgive him. Emma cried that she didn't have her mother or the special egg and then wailed that she missed her mother. Patrick picked Emma up and hugged her tightly as she cried on his shoulder.
After Emma calmed down, Patrick gently suggested that she get ready for school. Emma collected her things as Patrick answered his phone. It was Monica asking him to meet her on an urgent matter. Meanwhile, Spencer entered the diner and greeted Emma. Emma revealed that she had bad news for him, but Spencer assured her that he already knew about her misfortune and then admitted that he knew what it was like to not have a mother. Spencer admitted that he had something that might cheer Emma up. He invited her to be his guest at a party on his private island.
In A.J.'s hospital room, Monica explained that A.J.'s condition hadn't changed. Kiki thought that it was a good sign that A.J. had been holding his own, but Monica revealed that A.J. couldn't remain like that indefinitely. Monica insisted that the aneurysm had to be repaired, so Monica hoped to get Patrick on board once she had tracked him down. Michael looked over at Sabrina and asked if Sabrina could help. Sabrina admitted that she had no idea where Patrick was, but she suspected that he was off of rotation because Robin had left for Africa on a research project.
Michael and Kiki were surprised that Robin would leave her family after recently being reunited with them. Sabrina suggested that Michael keep trying to reach Patrick and promised that she would pass the message along to Patrick if she saw him.
In the hallway, Luke nuzzled Tracy's neck, but Tracy scolded him because they were at the hospital to pay their respects to A.J. Luke grumbled because he didn't understand her devotion to A.J. Tracy reminded him that A.J. was her nephew and her brother's only surviving son. She also made it clear that she expected Luke to be cordial and contrite when he saw Monica because he had promised to apologize for his bad behavior. Luke wondered if Monica would want to see him when her son was on his deathbed, but Tracy insisted that if Luke didn't seize the moment then the moment would pass.
Tracy's eyes narrowed as she realized that perhaps that was Luke's intention, so Luke pointed out that Monica had made some inappropriate remarks about him by suggesting that he wanted to marry Tracy for her money. Tracy argued that he had married her for her money in the past, but Luke promised that her money had nothing to do with his desire to marry her. Luke quickly became distracted when he spotted Sabrina and remarked that the nurses became more fetching every year.
Stunned, Tracy objected to what Luke had said. Luke assured Tracy that she need not get her "panties in a twist" because the nurse didn't hold a candle to Tracy. Tracy informed Luke that the nurse was Nurse Santiago, so Luke confessed that he hadn't recognized Sabrina with a "loaf in the oven." Tracy ignored Luke's inappropriate remark and called out to Sabrina to ask how A.J. was doing. Sabrina explained that A.J. had been holding his own, which Luke suggested was a hopeful sign.
Luke then credited Tracy with saving A.J.'s life when an intruder had broken into the mansion and had tried to kill A.J. Sabrina was shocked as Luke and Tracy shared the details of the incident because she realized that it had occurred on the same day that Carlos had shown up at the hospital with a gash on his head that had required stitches. Sabrina quickly excused herself and left. Moments later, Monica walked out of A.J.'s hospital room. Monica was surprised when she saw Luke and Tracy, so Tracy revealed that Luke had something to say to Monica.
Monica admitted that she didn't have time because she had to find Patrick, but Tracy promised that it would only take a moment. Luke apologized and admitted that his behavior had been crude and reprehensible because Monica had been in the middle of a crisis. He conceded that he had made remarks that had been below their standard barbs, so he regretted that he hadn't backed off. Tracy watched Luke with an expression of disbelief, as Luke admitted that he wasn't a spiritual man, but he promised to ask the "big kahuna" to have mercy on A.J. Monica thanked Luke and admitted that his apology had meant a lot to her.
After Monica left, Luke asked if it had been enough of an apology, so Tracy admitted that it had been too much. However, she was satisfied and gave him a quick kiss and then entered A.J.'s hospital room. Seconds later, Kiki walked out. Luke perked up and called out to Kiki, referring to her as "squeaky, freaky, Kiki." Kiki tensed and tried to keep a comfortable distance between herself and Luke, but Luke seemed oblivious to her discomfort as he turned on the charm and tried to express genuine concern about her welfare. Kiki reluctantly accepted a hug from Luke, but was horrified when he slid his hand to her derriere and squeezed it.
In A.J.'s hospital room, Michael thanked Tracy for visiting A.J. Tracy reminded Michael that Quartermaines always banded together in a time of need. She revealed that even Luke was there to lend his support.
In the hallway, Kiki pulled away from Luke and was clearly shaken by what had happened. Tracy stepped into the hallway and noticed that Kiki seemed upset, so Tracy asked if something was wrong. Luke claimed that Kiki was anxious because her boyfriend's father lingered between life and death, so he had been trying to comfort her. Kiki was startled when Tracy praised Luke and referred to him as Tracy's fiancé. Kiki decided to keep quiet about what had happened and then quickly returned to A.J.'s hospital room. Tracy was proud of Luke for trying to help Kiki, so Luke admitted that Kiki was a sweet kid.
In the hospital room, Michael became concerned when he noticed that Kiki seemed on edge, so he asked her what was wrong. Kiki didn't have an opportunity to tell him because Tracy and Luke entered and announced that Monica had tracked down Patrick.
Meanwhile, Sabrina entered an examination room where Carlos was waiting to have his stitches removed. Sabrina immediately demanded to know if he had shot A.J. Startled, Carlos wondered why she would ask him that, so Sabrina revealed that she had heard about the incident at the Quartermaine mansion, which had happened on the same day that Carlos had turned to her for help with the gash on his head. Carlos denied any involvement, but Sabrina didn't believe him because there were too many coincidences for her to dismiss. She made it clear that Carlos could not stay in her apartment because she refused to endanger her baby.
Carlos vowed on the baby's soul and his love for both Sabrina and the baby that he hadn't shot A.J. Sabrina relaxed and admitted that she believed him, so Carlos smiled because her faith in him meant the world to him.
At the apartment, Ava was relieved when Carlos called. She demanded to know why he hadn't checked in sooner, so he explained that Julian had been all over him about Ava and A.J. because Julian suspected that Carlos had been covering for Ava. Ava was curious if Carlos had told her brother anything, but Carlos pointed out that there had been nothing to tell. Ava agreed and reiterated that she had been in New York City at the time of the shooting.
Ava made it clear that Julian couldn't find out that she had asked Carlos to kill A.J. because Julian was already suspicious. Ava feared that one more misstep with her brother would be disastrous, so she wanted to know if she could trust Carlos. However, Carlos didn't have an opportunity to reply because Ava was forced to abruptly end the call when Morgan slipped into the apartment.
Ava warned Morgan that he couldn't be there because Julian might see him, but Morgan assured her that he had made certain that Julian had left before entering the apartment. Morgan explained that he had been worried about Ava because he had been afraid that she had been involved with what had happened to A.J. Ava assured Morgan that she hadn't shot A.J., but Morgan sensed that she was hiding something. He insisted that they needed to trust each other if their relationship had any hope of working.
Ava smiled and confessed that she had missed Morgan. Morgan wrapped his arms around Ava as she kissed him, but his thoughts soon returned to the shooting in the apartment. He revealed that Anna had questioned him about what had happened to A.J. and Ava's possible involvement. Ava was annoyed that Anna had suspected her, but Morgan pointed out that it was a logical conclusion to reach, since the shooting had happened in Ava's apartment. However, he quickly assured her that Anna had also questioned him about Sonny, but Morgan had immediately dismissed the possibility of his father shooting A.J. because Sonny knew that it would destroy Michael.
Morgan wondered who could have shot A.J. in Ava's apartment, since Ava, Julian, and Sonny were all in the clear. Before Ava could reply, Anna knocked and ordered Ava to open the door because the doorman had informed Anna that Ava was at home. Morgan quickly ducked out of sight as Ava went to the door.
Anna and Dante greeted Ava when she opened the door, but Ava refused to invite them inside. Anna and Dante cut to the chase and questioned Ava about the shooting. Ava explained that she had been in New York City and that there were plenty of witnesses who could corroborate her whereabouts. Anna and Dante then asked Ava about the pharmacist's murder, but Ava quickly denied any involvement in the man's death and made a few disparaging remarks about Nathan West.
Finally, Anna and Dante questioned Ava about the incident at the Quartermaine mansion when an intruder had made an attempt on A.J.'s life. Ava explained that she had been in New York City on February 26th, but she suggested that perhaps it had been a simple burglary gone wrong. Dante argued that the shooting in Ava's apartment undercut that theory, so Ava decided to wrap up the unofficial interrogation by claiming that she hoped that the police caught the shooter and then closed the door. Anna and Dante exchanged a knowing look and then left.
Meanwhile, Morgan asked Ava what Anna and Dante had been talking about when they had questioned her about a pharmacist. Ava brushed it off as "Silas drama" that they were trying to pin on her and then changed the subject by reminding Morgan that he couldn't stay. Morgan agreed, so he decided to go to the hospital to check on his brother. Ava was curious if there had been any change with A.J., but Morgan admitted that A.J. was barely hanging on. Morgan feared that they would never learn the truth about the shooting unless A.J. woke up.
At Kelly's, Anna and Duke approached the counter as they discussed their meeting with Ava. They both agreed that Ava had been hiding something. Anna added that Ava lied as easily as she breathed, so they needed to check Ava's alibi closely. Dante agreed that Ava had seemed far too confident about her alibi. Anna suggested that, for the moment, they assume that Ava had been in New York City at the time of the shooting, which meant that all three prime suspects were in the clear because A.J. had cleared Julian, and Sonny had been with Duke.
Dante realized that they were out of suspects, but Anna pointed out that there was one person left: the intruder who had broken into the Quartermaine mansion. Anna was certain that the incident at the Quartermaine mansion and A.J.'s shooting in Ava's apartment were related, so she was confident that they could break the case wide open if they identified the intruder.
At a nearby table, Carlos tensed when he overheard Anna and Duke's conversation.
At the hospital, Morgan walked up as Michael, Kiki, Tracy, and Luke gathered at the nurses' station with Monica and Patrick. Tracy demanded to know if Patrick would operate on A.J., but Monica asked Tracy to give Patrick time to familiarize himself with A.J.'s case.
Meanwhile, Ava quietly slipped into A.J.'s hospital room and closed the door.
At the hospital, Silas spoke to Sam on the phone about Nina's disappearance, unaware that someone was watching him as he let himself into his office. Sam promised Silas that she would find out what had happened to Nina, so Silas assured her that he had complete confidence in her.
After Silas ended the call, a woman entered his office and closed the door. "Hello, Silas," the woman greeted Silas and then waited for him to be a gentleman by standing because a woman had entered the room. Silas remained firmly seated. The woman admitted that Silas' lack of manners had been one of the countless reasons that she had never liked him, but Silas knew that she had disliked him because she had never thought him good enough for her daughter, Nina. Silas demanded to know why Madeline was there, so she admitted that she had heard about his visit to the clinic in Westchester.
Silas pointed out that Nina hadn't been at the clinic, so he asked Madeline where her daughter was. Madeline claimed that it was none of his concern, but Silas disagreed because Nina was his wife. Madeline was curious why Silas would suddenly pretend to take an interest in Nina when he had a new life and a new girlfriend, but Silas ignored the question and demanded to know what had happened to Nina. Madeline was offended by his outburst, but Silas refused to apologize, so she accused him of getting away with trying to kill Nina.
Madeline was curious if Silas intended to pin the attempted murder on his ex-mistress, Ava, and then suggested that perhaps Silas and Ava had plotted to kill Nina together in an attempt to get their hands on Nina's fortune. Silas reminded Madeline that he hadn't known about the money until after Nina had slipped into a coma, but Madeline was skeptical because he had already been caught in a lie when he had told the police that he and Nina had had a happy marriage when in fact he had been unfaithful to his wife. Silas insisted that he had loved Nina and had never cared about her money, so Madeline offered him an opportunity to prove it by handing him documents to sign.
Madeline explained that by signing the documents Silas would relinquish all claims on Nina's fortune. Silas agreed to sign them in exchange for information on Nina. Madeline refused to provide him with answers, so Silas tossed the documents on the floor. Madeline picked them up and then set them on his desk as she suggested that signing the documents would allow him to get on with his life. After Madeline left, Silas looked at the documents.
Meanwhile, Sam knocked on Nathan's apartment door. Nathan answered the door and asked if he could help her. Sam explained that she needed to talk to him about something, so Nathan invited her inside and then apologized for not having a shirt on. He admitted that she had caught him in the middle of his morning workout. Sam assured him that there wasn't any need for him to stop on her account, so Nathan sat down to continue his abdominal workout and asked her what she wanted to talk about. Sam informed him that she needed him to back off of Silas once and for all.
Sam was adamant that Silas hadn't killed Mr. Nakamura or put Nina in a coma. Nathan argued that the evidence suggested otherwise, but Sam countered that Ava had manufactured the evidence. She was curious why Nathan refused to look at Ava as a possible suspect instead because Ava had been in New York City when Mr. Nakamura had died and Ava had had motive to try to kill Nina. Nathan explained that witnesses had confirmed Ava's whereabouts, but Sam argued that Ava's friends and gallery associates would back Ava up with an alibi because they were afraid that Ava would kill them. Nathan suggested that perhaps they had simply told the truth, but Sam couldn't understand why it was hard for him to believe that a woman in the mafia was a killer.
Later, Nathan was surprised when he returned to the living room, half-dressed after a shower, and saw Sam waiting in the living room. Nathan reminded Sam that Ava had an alibi for the time of Mr. Nakamura's death, but Silas didn't. Sam insisted that Silas had been on the phone with a patient, but Nathan explained that he had checked Silas' cell phone records, and there hadn't been any indication that Silas had been talking to a patient at the time of the pharmacist's overdose. Sam countered that perhaps Silas had used the hotel's landline. Nathan agreed to look into it, but he was puzzled why Sam was determined to stand by Silas when Silas would never do the same for her.
Sam was curious why Nathan would say that, so he pointed out that Silas had never visited Nina at the clinic. Sam informed Nathan that she and Silas had gone to the Crichton-Clark facility, but Nina hadn't been there. Sam realized that Nathan hadn't been surprised, so she questioned him about it. Nathan explained that police officers were taught to hide their reactions, but Sam was certain that Nathan knew something about Nina's disappearance. She begged Nathan to tell her where Nina was, but he claimed that he had no idea what she was talking about.
Sam was certain that it was a lie, so she suggested that perhaps she should be investigating Nathan. Nathan admitted that Sam was free to do as she pleased, but he warned her that she was sleeping with a murderer. Nathan advised Sam to be careful because Silas might kill her if she got too close to the truth. Sam told him that she would take her chances and then left.
A short time later, Nathan opened the door to leave but stopped short when he saw Madeline standing on his doorstep. Nathan appeared happy to see her as she greeted him with a warm smile.
At the hospital, Silas greeted Sam with a passionate kiss because he was glad to see her. Sam smiled and then revealed that they might have a new suspect because she was certain that Nathan had something to hide.
At Kelly's, the new waitress, Stacy, greeted Shawn when he walked in. She grumbled that she had been on her feet for two hours, dealing with the breakfast rush, so Shawn thanked her and then asked if there were any messages for him. Stacy informed Shawn that he didn't pay her enough to take messages, but she admitted that a woman had stopped by looking for him. Shawn was curious what the woman's name was, but Stacy revealed that the woman hadn't said. Moments later, Sonny walked in and marched into the kitchen.
Shawn followed Sonny to update his boss that there wasn't any new information about Ric's connection to Julian, but Shawn promised that he was still working on it. Sonny explained that he wasn't there about Ric and Julian and then quickly filled Shawn in about A.J.'s aneurysm. Sonny revealed that Michael was torn up about it, but Shawn wasn't surprised because A.J. was Michael's biological father. Sonny explained that it had been more than that. Michael felt guilty because Michael hadn't told A.J. that Michael loved A.J., so instead, Michael had told Sonny.
Sonny realized that he was in a no-win situation because if A.J. died then Michael would grieve and be filled with guilt, but if A.J. lived then Michael would be devastated when Michael learned that Sonny had broken his promise. Sonny insisted that he had only tried to protect his children, but Michael would suffer regardless because Michael had opened up to Sonny about how Michael considered both Sonny and A.J. his father. "And what did I do? I shoot him with every intent to kill him," Sonny said.
Shawn suggested that Sonny get some sleep, but Sonny admitted that he was haunted by the look on A.J.'s face before Sonny had pulled the trigger. Sonny confessed that he couldn't forget how A.J. had denied killing Connie right up until Sonny had shot A.J. Sonny wondered if there had been something else that A.J. had wanted to say before Sonny had pulled the trigger, but Shawn refused to let Sonny torture himself because Shawn insisted that A.J. had been a coward and would have said anything to save A.J.'s own "ass."
Shawn reminded Sonny that A.J. had tried to throw in with the Jeromes to help take down Sonny, but to Ava's credit, Ava had kicked A.J. to the curb. However, A.J. had turned violent -- as A.J. had done with Connie -- instead of leaving like a man. "Trust me, I'm telling you he did it," Shawn said. Sonny thanked Shawn for listening and being a true friend. Shawn credited Sonny for helping Shawn to rebuild his life, so Shawn was equally grateful for Sonny's friendship.
After Sonny left, Stacy informed Shawn that the woman who had stopped by earlier had returned. Shawn approached a table and saw a familiar woman from his past, but he didn't appear happy to see her.
At the hospital, Tracy asked Patrick if Patrick could help A.J. Patrick appreciated Tracy's concern, but he explained that he could only discuss A.J.'s case with A.J.'s immediate family, so Patrick asked Michael and Monica to follow him to his office. Michael asked Morgan to text message Carly with an update. Morgan agreed and promised to wait for Michael to return.
Meanwhile, Tracy assured Monica that they would be waiting for Monica. Monica realized that she and Tracy might not get along, but Monica was grateful that she could always count on Tracy when the chips were down. Nearby, Luke sidled over to Kiki to promise Michael that he and Kiki would hold down the fort until Michael returned. Michael thanked Luke and then turned talk to Kiki as Luke carefully watched Kiki.
After Michael and Monica left, Tracy spotted Kevin, so she asked Luke to excuse her. Luke waited until Tracy was out of hearing range and then invited Kiki to go to the cafeteria to fetch some coffee. Kiki refused, but Luke wouldn't take no for an answer. He pointed out that he couldn't carry all of the cups of coffee alone, but Kiki reminded him that was what cardboard carrier trays were for.
Luke insisted that Kiki could use the exercise and grabbed her arm to force her to leave with him. Kiki objected and jerked her arm out of his grasp as she ordered him to let go. Morgan saw the commotion and immediately approached Luke and Kiki to find out if everything was okay. Kiki was clearly shaken, but Luke remained calm as he explained that he had merely asked for Kiki's help to get coffee for everyone. Morgan suggested that Luke ask Tracy and then led Kiki away on the pretext of needing to talk to her.
Once Morgan and Kiki were a safe distance from Luke, Morgan asked if she was okay. Kiki tried to assure him that everything was fine, but Morgan saw through the lie and pushed for an honest answer. Kiki reluctantly told Morgan about the incident at the Quartermaine mansion when Luke had put his hand on her thigh and then the encounter that she'd had with Luke earlier that day when Luke had made an inappropriate pass at her. Morgan was furious that Luke would push himself on Kiki, so he advised Kiki to tell Michael.
Kiki refused to tell Michael about the unwanted advances because Michael had enough to deal with. Morgan appreciated Kiki's desire to protect his brother, so he offered to deal with Luke himself.
At the nurses' station, Tracy explained to Kevin that she had overreacted to Luke's harsh words to Monica. She promised that Luke had regretted the cruel things that he had said to Monica, so Luke had apologized. Kevin was curious if Luke usually apologized for his wrongs. Tracy conceded that it was a rarity, but she assured Kevin that Luke was almost back to his old self, so there wasn't any need for Kevin to find out what had happened to Luke at Miscavige. Kevin admitted that he had talked to Scott about Luke's stay at Miscavige and that Scott had revealed that something had happened.
Kevin explained that Scott had been given a sedative, but before Scott had passed out, Scott had heard one of Heather's minions announce, "It's time." Scott recalled that Heather's goons had taken Luke out of the room. Tracy insisted that it wasn't proof that something untoward had happened, but Kevin disagreed. Tracy argued that Luke hadn't said anything, but Kevin explained that men seldom voluntarily talked about a trauma that they had endured and that there was also a possibility that Luke didn't remember. Tracy was adamant that Luke was fine and asked Kevin to drop it.
Meanwhile, Morgan and Kiki approached Luke. Morgan didn't mince words as he ordered Luke to stay away from Kiki. Luke pretended that he had no idea what Morgan was talking about, but Morgan quickly clarified that Kiki had told Morgan about Luke's inappropriate advances, so Morgan warned Luke to back off. "Or what, you little punk?" Luke asked with a cold expression. Morgan threatened to tell Luke's fiancée. "Tell his fiancée what?" Tracy asked as she walked up.
Luke and Morgan stared at each other, waiting for the other to back down. Eventually, Morgan claimed that he had wanted to congratulate Tracy on her engagement to Luke. Luke smiled with satisfaction and then affectionately kissed Tracy as Morgan and Kiki walked away.
In Patrick's office, Patrick explained that they could treat A.J.'s aneurysm with medication, but it would take time to work. Monica added that the aneurysm could burst and kill A.J. before the medication worked. Patrick agreed and then explained that the other option was to operate, but there was a risk of an even greater bleed. Monica added that A.J. could "stroke out" and be left paralyzed or in a vegetative state. Michael realized that A.J. could die regardless of which option they chose.
Patrick wished that he could tell Michael which option had the best chance of success, so Michael turned to his grandmother for advice. Monica confessed that surgery was high risk, but Patrick was the best surgeon for the job. She admitted that if it were up to her, she would opt for the less invasive option, but it was Michael's decision to make. Surprised, Michael asked what she meant by that.
Monica revealed that A.J. had been forced to update his personal documents when A.J. had taken control of ELQ, so A.J. had decided to make certain that A.J. and Michael's relationship had been represented in the documents by giving Michael power of attorney and health care proxy. Monica explained that A.J. had been thrilled to work with Michael and had trusted Michael to make the right decision for A.J. because A.J. had loved his son. Michael wondered how much time he had to think things over, so Patrick advised Michael not to take too long.
After Michael and Monica left Patrick's office, Patrick called to reserve an operating room in case Michael decided to opt for surgery. Patrick's eyes landed on a framed photograph of Robin as he ended the call.
In A.J.'s hospital room, Ava quietly shut the door and then closed the blinds. Ava told A.J. that Sonny had underestimated A.J. because Sonny had expected A.J. to bleed out on and die. She admitted that she had tried to get Sonny to finish the job, but Sonny had refused because he had shot A.J. in the heat of the moment and hadn't intended to break his promise to Michael. However, Ava hadn't made any promises.
Ava admitted that she didn't want to kill A.J., but she felt that she didn't have a choice because she couldn't risk A.J. waking up and revealing all of her deadly secrets. She explained that the doctors had given A.J. a slim chance of surviving, but she couldn't take the chance that he would continue to beat the odds. Ava leaned close to A.J.'s ear to whisper that all of the loose ends had been tied up and that she and Sonny had each established an alibi, so A.J.'s death was the only option that made sense. She kissed his cheek and then pulled on a pair of gloves.
Ava remarked that it had been fortunate that Connie had written Ava's initials in blood rather than Ava's name. Ava grabbed the tube to the ventilator and then cinched it to restrict the airflow. She was startled when A.J. suddenly gasped for breath as his eyes snapped open and he grabbed her wrist to shove her away. The alarms on the ventilator went off as Ava stumbled backwards. Ava fled the room seconds before medical personal rushed in to help A.J.
A short time later, Michael and Monica arrived at the room to ask a nurse what had happened. The nurse explained that there had been a problem with A.J.'s ventilator, but they had fixed it, and A.J.'s condition remained unchanged. Monica decided to find the attending physician, so Michael entered the hospital room to check on his father. Michael reached for A.J.'s hand as he confessed that he didn't know what to do for his father. Michael begged A.J. to give him a sign that would help Michael make the right decision for A.J.
Meanwhile, Ava spotted Sonny outside of Kelly's. She told him that they weren't out of the woods yet because she had been at the hospital and had discovered that there was still a chance that A.J. would survive.
