Luke was revealed to be in cahoots with Julian. Lulu learned the truth about Ben and confronted Britt. Obrecht kidnapped Ben. Elizabeth rebuffed Ric's advances. Nathan learned that Nina had died. A.J. woke up and accused Sonny of shooting him.

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by Boone

Britt and Nikolas' engagement party was in full swing at Wyndemere. In the main ballroom, Sam and Silas spoke briefly with Sonny before moving on with their search for Alexis, who was in another part of the house with Cam and Ric.

Olivia checked on Sonny. He told her that earlier he had been giving advice to a heartbroken Spencer. Olivia was sympathetic to Spencer's plight. Olivia recognized that Sonny was working a business angle because he was evasive. She left him alone to handle whatever it was, after she expressed her concern about Lulu's growing obsession with Ben.

Nikolas spoke with Sam and Silas, who complimented him on the party, his bride-to-be, and his lovely grounds. Sam and Nikolas discussed their fears about Elizabeth's continued involvement with Ric.

Alexis revealed that she had expected to find Ric with Julian, not Cam, whom Ric had been talking with about Cam's success with Emma. Ric figured out that Alexis was getting information for Sonny and assured her that his business with Julian was strictly legal. Sonny found Ric and Alexis together. Ric confronted Sonny and told Sonny bluntly that he had nothing to do with trying to take Sonny down.

Ric was adamant when he told Sonny that he wanted to leave the past in the past. Sonny was skeptical. Ric took Cameron and left in a disgusted huff. Alexis said that she had seen a text message on Julian's phone requesting a meeting, and she had been looking for him. When she heard Ric, she had thought she had found them together.

Alexis believed that Ric was not the one trying to take Sonny down, but Sonny thought otherwise and accused Alexis of giving up his advantage to Ric and Julian. Alexis became angry with Sonny and told him to find a better spy than she was. She also walked out in a disgusted huff.

Upstairs in Ben's room, Lulu was in tears when Elizabeth found her. Elizabeth tried to comfort Lulu, but Lulu was inconsolable. Elizabeth told Lulu that Ben was hers, not Britt's, but Lulu rejected the truth. Elizabeth persisted, but Lulu was afraid to believe until Elizabeth put Britt's letter in Lulu's hands and forced Lulu to read it.

Lulu was overjoyed to know that the feelings that she had been having about Ben were real. She thanked Elizabeth and rushed out of the room. Ric found Elizabeth, who told him that she had told Lulu the truth about Ben.

Lucas left Brad with Dr. Obrecht on the parapet and returned to the ballroom. As soon as Lucas exited, Dr. Obrecht pulled a knife, which, Dr. Obrecht said had once belonged to Helena Cassadine. She threatened to cut out Brad's tongue to keep him from telling Lucas about Britt's secret. Brad was scared and promised not to tell anyone. Dr. Obrecht held Brad's head over the parapet and told him how Katherine Bell had fallen from it during another party at Wyndemere.

Dr. Obrecht threatened Brad once more and then walked away. Brad sat on the parapet and breathed a sigh of relief just as Dr. Obrecht appeared and pushed him over the side.

Lucas found Tracy in the main ballroom. She asked him about Luke, and he asked her about Lulu. When Lucas mentioned that Dr. Obrecht had said that Lulu had been asking for him, Tracy replied that it was impossible because Tracy had been with Lulu, and they had not seen Dr. Obrecht. They agreed that it was odd. Tracy continued her search for Luke, and Lucas went looking for Brad.

Brad climbed out of a haystack at the bottom of the parapet as Dr. Obrecht lent him a hand. Brad said that he could have been killed. Dr. Obrecht said that she had known the haystack was there, and she had just wanted to warn him. Lucas appeared and asked what had happened. D. Obrecht said that Brad had become dizzy from too much alcohol, and they had taken a walk, but Brad had tripped and fallen in the haystack.

Brad confirmed her story. Dr. Obrecht quickly led both men back to the ballroom and stayed with them. Dante took Britt aside and said that he was worried about Lulu because she was getting very attached to Ben. Britt said that she understood how much Lulu loved Ben, and she had told Lulu to spend as much time with Ben as she wanted to spend. Britt said that Lulu would have been a great mother, and Ben was lucky to have Lulu in his life. Dante was grateful to Britt for being so understanding.

Julian went to the stables to have a meeting with his secret financial backer, Luke, who revealed that his goal was to take Sonny down. Luke said that he had only gotten engaged to Tracy as a way to get control of ELQ, because his plan required a legitimate business. Luke continued to exhibit an unusually lascivious interest in the ladies of Port Charles.

Luke was upset because Julian had not achieved the goal of destroying Sonny. Luke told Julian that it was time for Plan B. Luke said that his bold new plan would cross lines that Sonny would not cross. Tracy found them in the stables together, just as Luke said that he would do whatever it took.

Tracy wanted answers. Luke gave a very credible cover story that he had been warning Julian about mistreating Lucas. Julian and Luke pretended to argue. Tracy believed Luke's explanation. Luke and Tracy left the stables, but Luke sent Tracy ahead so that he could retrieve his lost lighter.

Luke and Julian agreed to move forward with their new plan. Luke said that all he cared about was results. When both men left, Spencer emerged from the stall where he had been hiding.

Sonny was on his phone when Tracy walked by and overheard him question Julian's whereabouts. After trading barbed comments with each other, Tracy revealed that she had just seen Julian in the stables with Luke. Luke materialized behind Tracy.

The guests assembled in the main ballroom so that Nikolas could toast the bride. Dante expressed his concern about Lulu to Olivia. Olivia advised him to give Lulu some space. Nikolas made a fitting tribute to Britt as Dr. Obrecht stood with Brad and Lucas and gave a slight nod and smile to Britt. The entire party was smiling and laughing with the happy couple when Lulu walked in and shouted that Britt should take her hands off Lulu's baby.

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by Elisabeth

In the hallway at Wyndemere, Tracy mentioned to Sonny that she had seen Julian earlier in the stables with Luke. Just then, Luke rounded the corner and admitted that he had heard his name. Sonny confessed that Sonny and Tracy had been talking about the company that Luke had kept and then asked Luke about the encounter in the stables with Julian. Luke stuck to his story about bumping into Julian during a cigar break and using the opportunity to warn Julian that Julian would answer to Luke if Julian didn't do right by Luke's nephew, Lucas.

Luke tried to excuse himself to rejoin the party with Tracy, but Sonny asked to have a private word with Luke. Tracy reluctantly left when Sonny explained that it was important. After Tracy walked away, Sonny questioned Luke about Julian and asked if Julian had said anything that might be of value to Sonny. Sonny trusted Luke's instincts, so Sonny opened up to Luke about Julian's mystery partner.

Luke was curious if Sonny knew who it was, so Sonny confided that it might be Ric. Sonny explained that Ric had shown up in Port Charles shortly after Sonny had discovered that someone had been funding Julian's organization. Luke was surprised that Ric had had the kind of money to funnel funds to Julian, but Sonny explained that Ric had connections because of Ric's father, Trevor Lansing. Sonny insisted that something had always felt off about Julian's vendetta because it had seemed more than a power play for territory; it had felt personal.

Sonny suspected his brother had been behind Julian's plans to take Sonny down because Ric had always had an obsessive hatred for Sonny. Luke pointed out that if Ric was indeed the person had financed Julian then there was only one thing that Sonny could do -- take Ric out first. Sonny thought that the suggestion was a little extreme and admitted that as much as he despised Ric, Sonny wanted proof that Ric was Julian's moneyman. Luke pushed Sonny to reconsider because it was an "either kill or be killed" situation. Luke added that Sonny should trust his own instincts because if Sonny had a hunch that Ric was Julian's partner then Sonny was likely right.

However, Luke warned Sonny that Sonny would lose the advantage the longer that Sonny waited. Sonny appreciated Luke's concern, but Sonny refused to dole out a death sentence without proof. Sonny decided to give his brother the benefit of the doubt until proof surfaced because even bad blood was thicker than water. Luke cautioned Sonny not to take too long because the bad blood that might be spilled could be Sonny's.

In Nikolas' bedroom, Ric asked Elizabeth if she had found Lulu. She admitted that she had and then revealed that she had told Lulu everything. Ric was curious how Lulu had reacted to the news, so Elizabeth explained that Lulu had done what any other mother would have done; Lulu had gone to get her son back. Elizabeth admitted that she couldn't believe that it was really happening, so Ric credited Elizabeth for putting it all into motion. Elizabeth's smile faded because she realized that things would get ugly when Lulu confronted Britt with the truth about Ben.

Elizabeth asked where Cam was, so Ric revealed that he had left Cam in the kitchen, gorging on baked goods. He then shifted gears and mentioned his encounter with Alexis and her certainty that Ric was mixed up in shady dealings with Julian. Elizabeth was curious if it was true, but Ric denied it. Elizabeth was skeptical and asked why Alexis would suspect that Ric and Julian were in cahoots. Ric confessed that it he didn't know, but he was certain that Sonny had been behind it.

Ric accused Sonny of seeing everything through a haze of paranoia, but Elizabeth didn't blame Sonny because of Ric's sordid history with Sonny. Ric sarcastically conceded that he was the "spawn of Satan," but Elizabeth was curious how Ric and Sonny had ended things. Ric assured Elizabeth that he had made it clear to Sonny that Ric wasn't Julian's partner, and then began to grumble about Sonny. Elizabeth wasn't interested in hearing Ric's pity party because it wasn't one of his more attractive qualities.

Ric smiled because he realized that there were some things about him that Elizabeth found appealing. Elizabeth conceded that Ric was good with Cam, so Ric suggested that they fetch Elizabeth's son and then head to the mainland because he suspected that Lulu had likely turned the celebration into a crime scene. Elizabeth hesitated, prompting Ric to realize that she wanted to stay. He suspected that she hoped that Nikolas would learn the truth and then run into her waiting arms. Elizabeth denied it, but Ric didn't believe her.

In Wyndemere's parlor, Nikolas raised his glass to toast to Britt and to thank everyone for taking him and Britt into their lives, hearts, and home. Everyone clapped as Nikolas beamed at Britt and Ben.

"Let him go," Lulu shouted as she entered the room and approached Britt. Lulu's fury mounted when Britt clutched Ben closer, so Lulu demanded that Britt get her hands off of Lulu's son. Concerned, Dante and Nikolas approached Lulu to try to calm her down, but Lulu continued to demand that Britt hand Ben over to Lulu. Nikolas gently explained to his sister that Ben was not her son, but Lulu informed Nikolas that he was wrong. Dante tried to lead Lulu away, but she dug in her heels and explained to her husband that Ben was their son, not Dante's son with Britt.

Nearby, Liesl glared at Lulu as Brad looked away with guilt clouding his expression. Britt remained silent as Dante and Nikolas tried to calm Lulu, but Lulu's frustration and anger mounted as Britt continued to hold Ben. Confused, Nikolas looked to Britt for help, but Britt seemed frozen in shock. Finally, Liesl stepped forward to berate Nikolas for allowing Lulu to make a scene. Liesl decided that Ben shouldn't be subjected Lulu's outburst, so she took the baby from Britt and then started to leave.

"Don't. You. Dare," Lulu growled as she blocked Liesl's path. However, everyone agreed that it was best to let Liesl take Ben out of the room. Lulu begged Nikolas to stop Liesl, but Liesl left without anyone else challenging her. Meanwhile, Julian suggested that he and Alexis leave so Nikolas and Britt could handle the situation in private. The rest of the guests followed suit and left, leaving only a handful of people in the room.

In the bedroom, Liesl was surprised when she saw Elizabeth and Ric. Liesl demanded to know what the couple was doing there, so Elizabeth turned the question around on Liesl. Liesl claimed that she had simply wanted to put her grandson down for a nap, but Elizabeth quickly clarified that Ben was Lulu's child. Liesl suggested that Lulu had hoodwinked Elizabeth, but Elizabeth held up the letter and then informed Liesl that it was Britt's written confession. "You're going down, Frau Doctor, and so is your daughter," Elizabeth vowed as she walked out with Ric.

In the hallway, Ric tried to persuade Elizabeth to fetch Cam and then leave, but Elizabeth refused.

In the bedroom, Liesl accused Britt of being a "guilt-ridden pantywaist" for confessing. Liesl decided that it was up to Liesl to correct the situation.

At the lake house, Alexis received a text message from Molly, informing her mother that Molly and T.J. were at Kelly's, trying a new item on the menu. "Sexual chocolate," Alexis added with an eye roll. Julian smiled as he admitted that Molly had a good sense of humor. Alexis sarcastically agreed that her youngest child was a riot.

Julian shifted gears by pointing out that they had the place to themselves for a while, so Alexis suggested that he be careful because she might get the impression that he wanted to spend the night. Julian pointed out that they were on a date, but Alexis admitted that she hadn't really noticed because he had vanished for a good portion of the evening. Julian apologized for taking a phone call that he claimed had been important. However, he admitted that he would have left his cell phone at home if he had to do it over because Alexis had deserved better.

Alexis confessed that Julian deserved better, as well, and then admitted that she'd had an ulterior motive for asking him to attend the party with her. Alexis claimed that she had been concerned about her daughter, Molly, so Alexis had hoped to find out how far Julian and Ric's association had gone. Julian reminded her that she had asked Ric to help with Julian's legal troubles, but Alexis wasn't satisfied with the answer and asked if Julian had known Ric before she had introduced them.

Julian resented Alexis suspecting him of blatantly lying to her, but Alexis demanded an answer. She asked him if Ric had been calling the shots against Sonny and if Ric had returned with an agenda to destroy Sonny. Julian moved close to Alexis and quietly whispered, "Go to hell." Taken aback, Alexis claimed that she had simply wanted to protect her daughter and then reminded Julian that he couldn't be trusted because he had initially arrived in town as Derek Wells.

Julian confessed that he had been relieved when the truth about his identity had been revealed and promised her that he had been honest with her since she had learned who he really was. Julian thought that he and Alexis had had something special, but he realized that he had been nothing more than a means to an end for her. Alexis explained that she couldn't put herself out there for a man who had left a trail of violence in his wake, but Julian argued that she had been involved with men like Sonny and Shawn and had engaged in various other dangerous liaisons throughout her life.

Alexis insisted that she had changed because she wanted something better for herself. Julian questioned why, if that were true, she was always around him. Julian suspected that she pushed him away because she was afraid of her feelings for him, but Alexis stubbornly remained silent until she succumbed to temptation and kissed him. Moments later, she shoved him away. Frustrated, Julian decided to leave because he was tired of playing games. He warned her that once he walked out the door, he would not return.

Julian wished Alexis luck finding someone that would give her a run for her money and then reached for the doorknob. Something in Alexis appeared to snap as she marched up to him and then kissed him again. Passion flared between them as they began to rip off each other's clothes and then made love.

Across town, Silas and Sam walked up to Silas' apartment door. Silas jokingly wondered why all of the parties that Sam took him to were so boring. Sam confessed that she couldn't stop thinking about what Lulu was going through because there was nothing worse than being kept from one's child. Silas invited Sam in for a drink, but Sam was reluctant to agree because she had to get home to Danny.

Silas reminded Sam that he had checked in with Rafe and that Rafe had assured him that Danny was sound asleep. Sam smiled as he continued to cajole her into spending time with him, but she suddenly tensed when she heard a noise inside his apartment. Silas opened the door and was stunned when he saw that his apartment had been ransacked. He immediately called 9-1-1 as Sam pulled out a gun and started to enter the apartment. Shocked, Silas demanded to know where she had gotten the gun.

Sam explained that Wyndemere's parties were notorious for getting out of hand and then slowly entered the apartment. Seconds later, Sam spotted someone in the hallway. "Freeze," Sam yelled as she aimed the gun at the intruder. Nathan held his hands up and stepped out of the shadows as he identified himself. Sam tucked the gun away and demanded to know what Nathan had been doing in the apartment.

According to Nathan, a neighbor had reported a disturbance. He assured her that the crime scene unit had left after taking pictures and fingerprints, but Sam didn't believe Nathan because she knew that Nathan had been desperate to pin Nina's overdose on Silas even though Silas was innocent. Nathan argued that Silas had been unfaithful to Nina, but Sam countered that cheating on a spouse was not proof of an attempted murder. Sam accused Nathan of fabricating the break-in to obtain evidence -- real or imagined -- to use against Silas, but Nathan insisted that he was a good cop and only wanted justice for Nina.

Nathan asked Silas if Silas agreed with Sam or if Silas had any other suspect in mind for the break-in. Silas surprised Nathan by admitting that he didn't think that Nathan had broken in.

At Wyndemere, Lulu assured Dante that she had proof that Ben was their son. Nikolas argued that it was impossible because he had seen Britt give birth to Ben. Lulu explained that Britt hadn't stolen Dante's sperm; Britt had stolen Dante and Lulu's frozen embryos. Dante reminded Lulu that Brad had showed them the paperwork to prove that the embryos had been destroyed, but Lulu scoffed at the suggestion that Britt's minion could be trusted.

Stunned, Nikolas demanded proof of Lulu's claims, but Lulu realized that she had left the proof in the bedroom. Britt immediately seized the opportunity to accuse Lulu of lying and suggested that Lulu couldn't produce the letter because it didn't exist.

As if on cue, Elizabeth entered the room and held up the letter of confession. Britt angrily demanded to know where Elizabeth had gotten the letter, but Nikolas snatched the letter from Elizabeth's hand and read it. Britt's eyes filled with tears as she realized that her secret was out. Meanwhile, Tracy entered the room and asked what was going on. Ric quietly warned Tracy that "all hell broke loose."

Nikolas confronted Britt about the letter, but Elizabeth warned Nikolas that he would have to wait a long time for an honest answer because Britt didn't like to own up to her wrongs. Nikolas turned on Elizabeth and angrily accused her of enjoying herself and taking delight in the existence of the letter. Elizabeth's eyes rounded with shock as Nikolas insisted that Elizabeth had been gunning for Britt ever since Elizabeth had found out that Nikolas and Britt were together.

Elizabeth clarified that she had disliked Britt long before Nikolas had met Britt. Nikolas' anger flared as he cruelly accused "St. Elizabeth" of being a hypocrite and standing on a pedestal to look down upon "us mortal beasts." Shocked, Lulu stepped forward to tell her brother that he was out of line, but Nikolas ignored Lulu and demanded to know how Elizabeth was better than any of the rest of them. He then asked how many times Elizabeth had lied and upended lives before accusing her of being a coward. Nikolas was furious that Elizabeth had the gall to stand there with a smile on her face as she judged all of them.

Elizabeth was hurt that Nikolas believed that she had enjoyed what had happened, but she wondered what he thought she should have done with the information. "This is your sister we're talking about," Elizabeth reminded Nikolas, but Nikolas didn't care and blamed Elizabeth for intentionally orchestrating a public scene. Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears as she explained that she had tried to do the right thing, but Nikolas was unmoved as he coldly asked her if she expected him to be grateful and admit that she had been right all along.

Elizabeth flinched when Nikolas yelled at her to get out of his home. He continued to rail at Elizabeth until Ric finally stepped forward to quietly suggest that they fetch Cam and leave. Shaken, Elizabeth agreed, but Nikolas wasn't through. "Once again, Ric to the rescue," Nikolas sneered as Ric guided Elizabeth out of the room. "See? You're with him, yet you judge me," Nikolas shouted as Elizabeth disappeared around a corner.

Brad approached Britt to get her to leave with him, but Nikolas warned Brad to get out of his sight. Lucas quickly grabbed Brad and then dragged Brad away. Meanwhile, Dante demanded to know if Lulu was Ben's mother, but Britt wailed that she loved Ben. Nikolas ordered Britt to tell the truth and answer Dante's question, so Britt reluctantly confessed that Ben was Dante and Lulu's son. Relief and anger swept through Dante and Lulu because Britt's lies had caused them tremendous pain and had nearly cost them their marriage.

Dante and Lulu smiled with joy at each other as they realized that Ben was indeed their son. They declared their loved for each other and then decided to fetch their son. Britt immediately objected, but Nikolas held Britt back as Dante and Lulu left the room with Olivia and Tracy in tow. Britt sobbed as she insisted that they couldn't take her baby, but Nikolas held her tightly and told her that Ben was not her baby.

In the hallway, Sonny and Luke returned and heard Britt's screams of despair. Olivia and Tracy told the men that it was time to leave and promised to fill them in on what had happened on the launch.

In a nearby room, Lucas wanted answers from Brad.

At the Webber house, Ric had been looking at photographs of Elizabeth, Cam, Aiden, and Jake when Elizabeth returned to the living room to report that Cam had fallen asleep as soon has her son's head had hit the pillow. Ric wasn't surprised that Cam had been exhausted, but he was concerned about how Elizabeth had been holding up. Elizabeth assured him that she was fine and then thanked him for seeing her through the ugly scene at Wyndemere. Ric admitted that Nikolas had said hurtful things to Elizabeth, but Elizabeth defended Nikolas by reminding Ric that Nikolas' world had been turned upside down because of her.

Ric disagreed that Elizabeth was to blame, but he conceded that Nikolas might not ever see things that way. "Isn't it time to let him go?" Ric gently asked Elizabeth.

At Wyndemere, Dante and Lulu entered the bedroom to collect their son, but they were shocked when they found the crib empty and no one within sight.

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by Elisabeth

At Silas' apartment, Silas admitted that he doubted that Nathan had ransacked the apartment. Stunned, Sam wondered if Silas had any suspects in mind. "My mother-in-law, the nightmare in stilettos," Silas answered. Nathan carefully hid his surprise at the suggestion that his mother had broken into Silas' apartment and asked why Silas suspected Madeline Reeves. Silas insisted that Madeline was a piece of work and assumed that Nathan had met Nina's mother during the course of the investigation. Nathan denied that the Madeline that he knew was anything like the woman that Silas had described.

Silas suggested that he and Nathan agree to disagree, but Nathan explained that Madeline had simply wanted justice for her daughter. Sam suggested that perhaps Nina's mother would have had it if Nathan had done his job properly. Nathan ignored the remark and asked why Madeline would want to break into Silas' apartment. Silas explained that Madeline had paid Silas a visit the previous day to demand that Silas sign documents relinquishing Silas' rights to Nina's estate, but Silas had refused to sign anything until Madeline had revealed where Nina was.

Silas was certain that Madeline had hoped the break-in would shake Silas up and force him to sign the documents. Nathan looked over the papers and then asked if he could hold on to them. Silas agreed, but made it clear that Nathan should pass along the message to Madeline that Silas would not sign anything until Silas knew where Nina was. Sam thought that Silas' theory about Madeline was sound, so Silas suggested that Nathan could find Madeline at Metro Court, since the hotel was up to Madeline's lofty standards. After Nathan left, Sam confessed that she was worried about what Madeline was capable of.

At Metro Court Restaurant, Madeline approached the bar to order a gin martini. Carly stood at the cash register, counting money, as she informed Madeline that the bar was closed. Madeline didn't see the problem with serving her a drink, since there appeared to be plenty of bottles of alcohol and clean glasses. Annoyed, Carly reiterated that the bar was closed, but Madeline wasn't a woman accustomed to being told no and offered to buy Carly a drink. Carly smiled as she confessed that she was the owner of the hotel, so Madeline suggested that Carly buy the drink.

Carly made them each a drink and then handed one to Madeline as Madeline confessed that she had been surprised to find such a comfortable hotel in upstate New York. Carly credited Jax, Carly's ex-husband, with building the hotel and insisting on the best. Their conversation then drifted to Madeline's frustration with people who had failed to do what she had told them to do. Carly was curious if Madeline had anyone specific in mind, so Madeline admitted that she had been referring to an "entitled ass" who thought that the world revolved around him.

Carly was curious what the person's connection was to Madeline, prompting Madeline to reveal that the man was her son-in-law, who had wormed his way into her life twenty years earlier and had made Madeline's daughter's life miserable. Carly wondered if Madeline had always disliked her son-in-law or if something specific had happened. "Yes and yes," Madeline answered.

According to Madeline, her son-in-law was an insufferable egomaniac who had hurt Madeline's daughter. Carly assured Madeline that there wasn't any need to explain further because Carly was also a mother who lived by a policy that if anyone hurt her children then Carly would hurt them back. Madeline smiled and admitted that she might adopt Carly's policy. Carly was curious what Madeline's son-in-law had done, but Madeline confessed that it was too painful to discuss. Madeline then shifted the focus to Carly by asking why Carly had seemed in a contemplative mood.

Carly explained that someone had hurt one of her children, too, and then ranted about her son's "glorified sperm donor" who had been relentlessly self-destructive throughout his life and had pushed his way into their son's life. Carly complained that her son had been sitting vigil at his biological father's bedside because someone had shot the man, and it infuriated Carly that her son was tortured because of the "son of a bitch."

Moments later, Nathan entered and asked to have a private word with Ms. Reeves on a police matter. After Carly stepped away, Madeline scolded her son for approaching her in public. Nathan explained that he had to because he needed to know if she had broken into Silas' apartment. Madeline denied it, but Nathan confronted her about the documents that she had wanted Silas to sign. Madeline's expression turned sad as she admitted that it had been necessary because Nathan's sister, Nina, had died.

At the Webber residence, Elizabeth assured Ric that it wasn't necessary for him to stay, but Ric was reluctant to leave because he was concerned about Elizabeth's reaction to the hurtful things that Nikolas had said to her. Elizabeth argued that Nikolas' world had been turned upside down because of her, but Ric warned her that Nikolas wouldn't likely forgive her for what had happened. Ric suggested that perhaps it was time for Elizabeth to let go of Nikolas and to move forward because she deserved to be happy.

Ric confessed that he had hated how Nikolas had turned on Elizabeth and had used her past mistakes to hurt her when Britt had been the one who had lied and betrayed Nikolas. Ric was furious that Nikolas had humiliated Elizabeth and then had thrown her, not Britt, out. Elizabeth conceded that Ric had warned her not to say anything, but Ric wasn't satisfied because he insisted that Nikolas was a tyrant who had showed his true colors when things had gone wrong. Elizabeth had compassion for Nikolas because Nikolas had been caught up in a difficult situation, but Ric argued that Elizabeth deserved to be with someone who treated her better than Nikolas had.

Elizabeth was startled when Ric suggested that she give Ric a chance. She admitted that she didn't want to hurt him, but she pointed out that Ric wasn't in a position to criticize Nikolas. Elizabeth insisted that they all had their flaws and then pointed out that Nikolas had been deeply hurt and had lashed out. However, Nikolas' actions hadn't been anything compared to the things that Ric had done to her. Ric was hurt that she had thrown his past transgressions in his face and reminded her that he had done all of those horrible things years earlier.

Elizabeth countered that Ric had been gone for five years, but five minutes after returning, he had decided that Nikolas didn't deserve her and that she should be with Ric. Ric explained that he had just wanted to be honest with her about his feelings, but Elizabeth admitted that it was a lot for her to process. Ric appreciated that she had agreed to go with him to the party to avoid showing up without a date and to light a fire under Nikolas, but Ric explained that he had accepted the date because he had wanted to spend time with her and have the opportunity to win her over. Ric confessed that he cared deeply about Elizabeth and wondered if there was a chance that she could return those feelings.

Ric reminded Elizabeth of their first kiss after open-mike night in the speakeasy that Carly had opened in Kelly's basement years earlier. Elizabeth's thoughts drifted to the night that Ric had shown up after the bar had closed and had turned on the radio to slow dance with her. She returned to the present as she smiled with fondness because Ric had been a good dancer, so he assured her that he still was and reached for her hand. Elizabeth remembered Ric asking her to trust him and her questioning why Ric had desperately wanted to impress Sonny, but Ric confessed that Sonny wasn't the one that he had wanted to impress.

Ric conceded that a lot had changed over the years except one thing; Elizabeth was still the only person that he wanted to impress. Ric kissed Elizabeth and then breathlessly admitted that it had felt like the first time that they had kissed. Ric revealed that he had returned to Port Charles for her because he was certain that things could be as good between them as they had once been. Ric assured Elizabeth that he still deeply cared for her and wanted to be with her.

Elizabeth was surprised that Ric wanted to sleep with her after just one date and one kiss, but he pointed out that they had history together and had been married. He was certain that a part of her wanted to be with him, so he urged her to allow herself to go with those feelings. Ric's hopes were dashed when Elizabeth took a step back because he realized that she wasn't ready to let go of Nikolas despite the cruel things that Nikolas had said to her. Elizabeth insisted that everyone was allowed to have a bad night, but Ric argued that no one was allowed to treat her that way. "Not in my book," Ric added.

Elizabeth made it clear that she didn't want Ric to try to save her from Nikolas. She reminded Ric that she and Nikolas had known each other since she and Nikolas had been teenagers and that they had been through "hell and back," lived through terrible losses, gone through hideous mistakes, and that they had each been right as well as wrong, but throughout it all, she and Nikolas had always forgiven each other. "I don't think tonight is going to be any different," Elizabeth admitted.

Ric told Elizabeth that if she wanted to hang on to her fantasy that she and Nikolas would get together then he couldn't stop her, but Ric refused to give up on her. "Not by a long shot," Ric assured her and then left.

At Wyndemere, Lucas shoved Brad into a room and demanded to know the extent of Brad's involvement in the cover-up to keep Lulu from learning the truth about her son. Brad was reluctant to say anything, but Lucas refused to let up. Brad insisted that he had just been a lab tech, but Lucas argued that Lulu had told him that Brad had been the one to inform Dante and Lulu that Lulu's frozen embryos had been destroyed. Brad tried to blame the paperwork mix-up on Ellie Trout, so Lucas offered to call Ellie.

Lucas revealed that Maxie was Lucas' cousin through Lucas' father, Tony Jones, so it wouldn't be a problem to get Ellie's phone number. Brad reluctantly admitted that it wasn't necessary. Lucas demanded to know why Brad had helped Britt, so Brad confessed that he had done it for a promotion. Disgusted, Lucas wanted to know why Brad had never tried to make things right.

Brad admitted that he had felt guilty about what he had done, but Liesl had threatened Brad's job and life if Brad had talked. Lucas wasn't satisfied because Liesl had only been the chief of staff for a few months, while the lie had continued for over a year. Brad confessed that initially he hadn't cared about the people involved, but things had changed when Brad had gotten to know everyone. Brad appreciated that it had been wrong to help Britt, but Liesl had threatened Brad's life when she had realized that Brad had wanted to tell Lucas the truth. Brad shared the details about the encounter with Liesl on the parapet and revealed that Liesl was a criminal who had avoided jail by cutting a deal with the WSB.

Lucas was unmoved by Brad's excuses and admitted that he couldn't be with someone like Brad who had done the things that Brad had done. Brad was crushed when Lucas walked out.

In Nikolas' bedroom, Dante and Lulu were shocked when they noticed that the crib was empty. They realized that Liesl couldn't have gotten far with their son, so Liesl confirmed their suspicions by stepping out of the shadows with the baby in her arms. Dante and Lulu immediately demanded that Liesl hand their son over, but Liesl calmly explained that the baby was her grandson. Dante revealed that they had Britt's written confession, confirming that the baby was Dante and Lulu's son, and offered to let Liesl read it in exchange for Liesl handing the baby to them. Liesl countered that the confession had been forged and revealed that she intended to do right by her daughter by taking the baby until the three of them could be together as a family.

Dante made it clear that he would not allow Liesl to leave with his son and warned her that he wouldn't hesitate to use force if he had to. Liesl turned the tables on Dante by suddenly holding up a knife and brandishing it in a threatening way near the baby. Terrified, Lulu begged Liesl not to hurt the baby. Liesl reiterated that she intended to leave with the baby, but Dante refused to cooperate. Lulu begged Dante to let Liesl leave because Lulu didn't want to risk their son's life. Liesl approved of Lulu's sensible decision and then walked out of the room with the baby.

In the parlor, Britt tearfully begged Nikolas to let her go to her baby, but Nikolas kept his arms firmly wrapped around her to prevent her from leaving and informed her that Ben was not her baby. He let her go and then shouted that she had stolen Ben from his sister. Britt wept as Nikolas asked how she could have done what she had. Britt assured him that it hadn't been as if she had woken up one morning and had decided to steal a baby, but Nikolas argued that was exactly what she had done. Britt countered that she had taken an embryo and then quickly added that it had been her mother's idea because Britt had needed to get pregnant right away in order to pass the baby off as Patrick's child.

Disgusted, Nikolas reminded Britt that she had stolen Lulu's last chance to have a child, but Britt argued that she hadn't known that at the time. Britt once again blamed her mother, but Nikolas was tired of the excuse because Britt had been an active participant from the very beginning. Britt acknowledged that she had caused Dante and Lulu a tremendous amount of pain, but she insisted that she had convinced herself that it would all work out. Nikolas was mystified by how Britt had envisioned that happening.

Britt explained that Maxie had promised to give Dante and Lulu the baby that Maxie carried, but Nikolas argued that the baby hadn't been Dante and Lulu's child. Britt rushed to remind Nikolas that she had tried to give Dante and Lulu another child, but Nikolas pointed out that the effort had failed. Britt's eyes filled with fresh tears as she reminded Nikolas that she had carried Ben and had given birth to him. "So, all that matters is what you feel?" Nikolas shouted. Nikolas pointed out that Britt had hurt Dante, Lulu, and Patrick, but Britt insisted that she wasn't heartless and explained that she had written the letter to Lulu because Britt cared.

Nikolas wasn't impressed because he knew that Britt had never intended to give Lulu the letter or to make things right. Nikolas couldn't understand how Britt had managed to live with herself knowing that she had secretly been carrying Dante and Lulu's child. Britt explained that her job had been to use any means necessary to put a child into the arms of a parent whether the child was their biological child or not, so she had thought that Maxie's baby would make amends for taking the embryos. Britt admitted that she had only seen Dante and Lulu as her patients and hadn't had any personal connection to them until Britt had met Nikolas. Britt revealed that she had never trusted anyone until Nikolas because Nikolas had liked her from the beginning and had understood her in a way that no one else had.

Britt explained that getting pregnant had been Liesl's idea, but Britt hadn't anticipated how it would affect her until Nikolas had put Ben in her arms. Britt admitted that she had fallen in love with both Nikolas and the baby, but Nikolas didn't believe her because she had kept the secret from him every moment of their relationship. Britt explained that she had been in an impossible situation because Nikolas had helped her when Liesl had kidnapped the baby, which had made Britt realize that someone as good as Nikolas had cared about her. Britt confessed that she had felt trapped as she had fallen in love with Nikolas, but Nikolas insisted that she could have told the truth.

Overcome with anger, Nikolas grabbed Britt and then shook her, but his anger appeared to suddenly leech out of him. "God, I loved you. I trusted you," Nikolas said as he pressed his forehead against Britt's. However, he quickly shoved her away as he accused her of lying to his face. He was certain that she would have continued to lie to him for the rest of their lives if Elizabeth hadn't figured out the truth.

Britt bristled with anger when Nikolas admitted that Elizabeth had been the only person to tell him the truth. She snidely reminded Nikolas that "Saint Elizabeth" had also lied in the past, but Nikolas refused to let Britt drag Elizabeth down to Britt's level because if it hadn't been for Elizabeth then Dante and Lulu wouldn't have learned the truth. Nikolas was disgusted because he realized that Britt had to have been elated that she had gotten away with another lie when Nikolas had proposed.

Britt tearfully assured Nikolas that she had been relieved that Nikolas had still loved her and had wanted to marry her despite knowing that Ben was Dante's son. Nikolas assured Britt that it wouldn't happen again. "The engagement is off," Nikolas informed her. Britt refused to believe that Nikolas meant it, but he demanded that she return the ring because it had been a symbol of a pledge that he no longer intended to honor. Nikolas ordered her to hand over the ring, so she reluctantly took it off and then gave it to him.

Nikolas informed Britt that their relationship was over, but Britt begged him to hear her out. Nikolas argued that there was nothing left to say because she had lied to him and had hurt Dante, Lulu, Patrick, and even Ben. Britt denied that she had hurt Ben because she loved the baby. Nikolas countered that she might as well have kidnapped his sister's son and accused Britt of being no better than Liesl. Britt disagreed because she had tried to help Lulu, but Nikolas scoffed at the suggestion, since it had never occurred to Britt to give Lulu the baby.

Britt insisted that she loved Ben, but Nikolas doubted that Britt understood the meaning of the word. Britt explained that she had tried to make up for what she had done by giving Lulu time with Ben. "Time with Ben?" Nikolas asked in disbelief. He reminded Britt that Lulu wasn't a neighborhood kid who had been hired to babysit. "She's Ben's mother," Nikolas clarified.

Nikolas demanded that Britt leave, but she balked because she wanted to see Ben. Nikolas refused to allow her near the baby, but Britt explained that Ben would be confused if she simply vanished from his life. Nikolas was confident that Dante and Lulu would take care of their son and forcibly escorted Britt to the door. Britt cried and fought him the entire way until Dante and Lulu ran up to tell Nikolas that Liesl had abducted the baby.

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by Elisabeth

At Metro Court Restaurant, Sonny was reading a newspaper that reported that A.J. was in a coma while the shooter remained on the loose. Carly joined Sonny at the table to inform him that they needed to discuss the situation with A.J. Carly was afraid that A.J. would wake up from the coma and accuse Sonny of the shooting, which would destroy Michael. Sonny denied any involvement in the shooting by insisting that he had an alibi for the shooting and that he had made a promise to Michael not to harm A.J.

Before Carly could reply, Olivia ran up in tears and told Sonny that their grandson had been kidnapped. Carly was shocked when Olivia added that it had been revealed that Ben was Dante and Lulu's son. Sonny excused himself to make a phone call, while Olivia tearfully filled Carly in on what had transpired at Wyndemere the previous evening. Carly felt terrible for her cousin Lulu because Carly knew what it was like to deal with the terror of having a child kidnapped.

Sonny returned to assure Olivia that he had people working on finding Liesl and Ben. Relieved, Olivia explained that she was too upset to work, so Carly assured Olivia to take all the time that Olivia needed. Sonny decided that he and Olivia should head to Spoon Island to be with Dante and Lulu until their grandson was found. Sonny started to follow Olivia to the elevator, but Carly quietly called out to Sonny to remind him that they still needed to discuss the situation with A.J. Sonny nodded and then left.

At Wyndemere, Nikolas handed his sister a cup of tea as Dante talked to several police officers about Ben's abduction. Britt huddled quietly in a corner and watched as Dante approached his wife to assure Lulu that the entire police department was working to find Ben. Lulu feared that Liesl could be anywhere, but Dante reminded Lulu that Liesl hadn't had enough time to get too far. Dante then focused on Britt to question Britt about Liesl's whereabouts, but Britt insisted that she had no idea where her mother had taken Ben.

Dante didn't believe Britt, so he implored her to do the right thing. Britt looked at Nikolas as she denied any involvement in what Liesl had done, but Nikolas didn't believe her because Britt had stolen his sister's baby and had intended for Nikolas to raise his own nephew as his son. Lulu tearfully conceded that Britt had been a good mother to Ben, but Lulu insisted that Ben needed Britt to help find the baby. Britt realized that there wasn't any reason to believe her, but Britt promised that she had no idea where Liesl had taken Ben.

Dante decided that perhaps Britt would be more inclined to talk if she were in jail, so he handcuffed her and placed her under arrest. Shocked, Britt pointed out that Dante and Lulu had been the ones who had last talked to Liesl because Britt had been in the parlor with Nikolas as Nikolas had ended their relationship. Dante was unmoved, so Britt argued that Dante didn't have any proof that Britt had conspired with Liesl to kidnap Ben. Dante agreed and revealed that Britt was under arrest for stealing Dante and Lulu's frozen embryos. Britt looked at Nikolas with pleading eyes, but Nikolas made it clear that he would not help her, so she shouldn't count on him to bail her out of jail.

After Dante and Britt left, Nikolas assured Lulu that Liesl loved Ben and wouldn't harm the baby. He promised his sister that they would find her son and that she and Dante would be reunited with the baby, but Lulu had doubts. Nikolas urged Lulu not to give up, so she confessed that she feared that she was fated not to be a mother and that her son would slip through her fingers as her daughter had. Nikolas conceded that Dante and Lulu had been through a terrible ordeal, but he promised that she and Dante were meant to be parents. Lulu disagreed because she suspected that her decision to terminate her pregnancy years earlier had destined her to never be a mother.

Nikolas blamed himself for everything that had happened because he had believed in Britt even though he had known that she had lied about Patrick being Ben's father and he had ignored repeated warnings that Britt was not to be trusted. Lulu was curious why Nikolas had believed Britt's lies, so he admitted that he had been in love with Britt. Nikolas felt bad because he had not only defended Britt to Lulu, but he had also pushed Lulu to accept Britt. Nikolas apologized, but Lulu refused to blame her brother because she appreciated that he had been in love with Britt. "Yeah, well not anymore," Nikolas assured Lulu.

A short time later, Sonny and Olivia arrived. Sonny was curious where Dante was, so Nikolas explained that Dante had arrested Britt and then had taken Britt to the police station. Olivia hoped that Britt rotted in jail, but Sonny was curious if Dante thought that Britt had had anything to do with Ben's kidnapping. Nikolas nodded his head and explained that Dante hoped that time behind bars would compel Britt to talk. Sonny assured Lulu that he had people working on finding the baby. Olivia could tell by Lulu's expression that Lulu didn't hold out much hope that Ben would be found, so Olivia promised Lulu that Lulu wouldn't lose Ben.

Meanwhile, Nikolas held the engagement ring as he recalled proposing marriage to Britt.

At the police station, Anna was on the phone as she explained that all hands were expected to be on deck until Dante and Lulu's baby had been found. Moments later, Nathan entered the squad room. Anna ended the call and demanded to know where Nathan had been because they had been trying to reach him all night. Anna told him about Ben's kidnapping and then revealed that Ben was Dante and Lulu's son. Shocked, Nathan apologized and explained that he had turned off his phone because he had received some bad news. Anna reminded Nathan that he was expected to be on call around the clock, so she wondered what could have been so bad that he would neglect his duties.

Nathan revealed that Nina Clay had passed away after contracting pneumonia. Anna felt bad for Nathan because she knew that he had worked hard on the case. Nathan began to rant about Silas being a murderer and vowed to make certain that Silas paid for Nina's death, but Anna sensed that there was more to Nathan's desire to seek justice for Nina beyond a police officer solving a case. Anna explained that Nathan's interest in the case seemed almost intimate. Nathan denied it, but Anna assured him that she had taken a personal interest in certain cases, so she didn't judge Nathan.

Nathan appeared on the verge of admitting that Nina was his sister when Dante arrived with Britt. Dante revealed that he had arrested Britt for stealing Dante and Lulu's frozen embryos and that Dante hoped that some time behind bars would get Britt to open up about where Liesl had taken Ben. Britt insisted that she had no idea were her son was. Dante quickly clarified that Ben was his and Lulu's son, not Britt's. "Right," Britt quietly replied. Dante decided that Britt could help by calling Liesl, so he led Britt to the interrogation room.

After Dante connected Britt's cell phone to a laptop that would record and track phone calls, Dante tried to get Britt to tell him what she knew about Liesl's plans, but Britt stuck to her story. Dante explained that Liesl had told Dante and Lulu that Liesl had decided to take Ben for Britt. Britt was curious how stealing Ben would benefit Britt. "Look where I am," Britt pointed out. Dante revealed that Liesl had blamed herself for Britt's suffering, so Liesl had decided to make things right for Britt.

Britt argued that Liesl had never cared about Britt, but Dante didn't believe Britt because he recalled that Liesl had made it clear that Liesl had taken Ben, so Liesl, Ben, and Britt could be together as a family. According to Dante, Liesl had insisted that she had acted on Britt's behalf. Britt denied that she had asked her mother to take Ben and wondered how she could prove it. Dante suggested that Britt call Liesl and tell Liesl that Britt had eluded the authorities and wanted to meet up with Liesl.

Britt doubted that it would work, but she picked up the phone that Dante had handed to her and then called her mother. The call went to voicemail, so Britt tearfully pleaded with her mother to return her call and reveal where Liesl and Ben were because Britt wanted to meet up with her mother and Ben. Britt thanked her mother for taking Ben and then explained that the police were busy looking for Liesl, so Britt didn't know how much longer Britt could elude the police. After the call, Dante conceded that Britt had sounded convincing.

Britt realized that Dante likely wouldn't believe her, but she wanted Ben to be safe because she loved Ben. Britt reminded Dante that she had carried Ben and given birth to him, but Dante argued that she had stolen the embryos from Dante and Lulu. Britt countered that it didn't change that it had happened and that she had loved Ben as her own from the moment that she had laid eyes on him. Britt glanced at the phone and admitted that Liesl likely wouldn't call, but moments later, the phone rang.

Meanwhile, Nathan sat at his desk and looked at the picture that his mother had given to him of him and his sister years earlier. Moments later, the phone rang. It was Madeline calling to check on him. Nathan wondered how his mother thought he was doing when he had just learned that his sister had died several weeks earlier. Madeline apologized for not telling him sooner, but she claimed that she knew that he'd be devastated and hadn't known how to break the news to him. Nathan explained that he had to go when he saw a police officer approach his desk.

After Nathan ended the call, the police officer handed Nathan a file that Nathan had requested regarding Silas Clay. Nathan waited until the police officer walked away and then opened the file. He was stunned by what he read.

At Silas' apartment, Silas and Sam cleaned up the mess. Sam chuckled when she found a pair of silky red boxers. Embarrassed, Silas dragged a bag of things into the back room as someone knocked on the door. Sam opened the door to Madeline, who gave Sam the once over and then wondered if Sam was the "slut du jour." Sam realized that the woman had to be the "mother-in-law from hell." "And I thought Livia Soprano was bad," Sam muttered as Madeline strolled in.

Madeline wondered if Sam knew that Silas was a married man, so Sam accused Madeline of being a cliché. The two women debated Madeline's behavior toward Silas and continued to trade insults until Sam informed Madeline that Sam had been both a con and a thief, which meant that Madeline couldn't get anything past Sam. Madeline was impressed and admitted that on the Madeline scale -- Madeline being a ten -- Sam was a six.

Silas returned to the living room and commented that he couldn't seem to get rid of Madeline after not seeing her for decades. He then questioned Madeline about the break-in. Madeline denied any involvement, but Silas didn't believe her because he was certain that she had hoped to use the incident to intimidate him into signing the documents. Madeline suggested that if that were true then he could spare himself additional grief by signing the documents. Madeline pulled the documents out of her purse and then handed them to Silas, but Silas refused to sign them until he knew where Nina was.

Madeline couldn't understand Silas' sudden interest in seeing her daughter, so Sam explained that Silas had spent years trying to visit his comatose wife, but Madeline's family had blocked all of his efforts. Madeline was curious what had prompted Silas' renewed desire to visit Nina. Sam credited Detective West. Silas explained that he just wanted to know where Nina was, so Madeline's eyes grew misty as she confessed that her daughter had passed away from pneumonia. Silas was visibly shaken by the news, but Madeline didn't believe that it was sincere.

However, Madeline handed Silas a death certificate to prove that it was the truth because she had suspected that Silas wouldn't believe her. Silas was furious that Madeline hadn't told him about Nina's passing when Madeline had first paid him a visit, but Madeline claimed that she had been reluctant to tell him because Nina's death meant that Silas would inherit Nina's estate. Madeline insisted that Silas had been a parasite who would gain a fortune that he hadn't earned.

Madeline accused Silas of pursuing Nina for her fortune and never caring about Nina. She was certain that the only reason that Silas had married Nina was to ensure that Nina would put him through medical school, so Nina hadn't been a wife but rather a scholarship. Silas angrily informed Madeline that he had loved Nina, but Madeline reminded him of his affair with Ava. Silas denied that he had ever been interested in Nina's fortune and then drove his point home by signing the documents before handing them to Madeline.

Sam pointed out that Madeline's argument had lost its weight, but Madeline argued that Silas could afford to sign over Nina's fortune because Silas was a successful doctor. Sam realized that there was no pleasing Madeline, so Madeline informed Sam that Silas' brother had been a serial killer. Sam assured Madeline that Sam had known Stephen Clay and what Stephen had been capable of and then added that Silas was a good man and nothing like his brother. Madeline insisted that Silas had tried to kill Nina because he hadn't wanted the complication of a divorce, but Sam grew weary of Madeline's tunnel vision.

Sam pointed out that Ava had had plenty of reason to want to kill Nina. Madeline conceded that she had looked at Silas' mistress as a possible suspect, but Madeline remained convinced that Silas had tried to kill Nina. Silas decided that he'd had enough of Madeline's accusations, so he ordered her to leave. Madeline went to the door but stopped to let Sam know that she had changed her mind. "You're not a six, you're barely a three," Madeline sneered and then left.

After Madeline left, Silas confessed that he had expected Nina to pass at some point, but he hadn't been prepared for it. His eyes filled with tears as he talked about the first time that he had seen Nina on the college campus and how she had dropped her books as the clouds had opened up and rain had poured down on her. Silas revealed that instead of being upset, Nina had burst out laughing. Silas admitted that his wife had been a good person and that he hadn't treated her right. Sam wrapped her arms around Silas as he cried for the wife that he had lost.

Outside of A.J.'s hospital room, Ava recalled warning Sonny that they needed to finish A.J. off because they couldn't risk A.J. waking up. She quickly ducked around the corner when a nurse left A.J.'s room. Ava waited until the nurse walked away and then returned to A.J.'s room and started to enter, but Kiki called out to her mother.

Startled, Ava turned to face her daughter as Kiki asked what Ava was doing at the hospital. Ava claimed that she had stopped by to check on Kiki and Michael because, despite everything, Kiki was still her daughter. Ava was curious if A.J.'s condition had changed, so Kiki revealed that A.J. had been taken off of the ventilator but he remained in a coma. Kiki admitted that the doctors had warned them that the longer A.J. remained in a coma, the less likely A.J. would wake up. Kiki then confided that she had overheard the nurses discussing that it was doubtful that A.J. would ever regain consciousness.

Ava was curious how Michael had been handling everything, so Kiki admitted that Michael had been filled with regret because he felt that he had made the wrong choice for A.J. However, Kiki insisted that the person who had pulled the trigger was to blame for A.J.'s condition. Ava confessed that she had felt responsible because the shooting had happened in her apartment, even though Ava had been out of town on business.

Ava bristled when Kiki seemed to question the nature of Ava's trip, so Ava admitted that she had overheard Silas accuse Ava of killing the pharmacist. Ava insisted that she'd had nothing to do with the pharmacist's death or Silas' wife's overdose. Ava also denied framing Silas for anything. She conceded that Silas had broken her heart, but Ava promised that she had moved on and didn't wish Silas any ill will. Kiki confessed that she believed that her mother was capable of many disturbing things, but not murder.

Ava was relieved when Kiki hugged her because it had been a long time since Kiki had allowed Ava to hug her daughter. The moment was ruined when Carly walked up and feared the worst at seeing Ava and Kiki. Kiki quickly assured Carly that A.J.'s condition remained unchanged, so Carly asked why Ava was at the hospital. Ava claimed that she had been concerned about A.J. "Since when?" Carly asked.

Rather than answer the question, Ava pointed out that Carly and A.J. had a long history of animosity and admitted that it was curious that the police hadn't questioned Carly about A.J.'s shooting. Carly reminded Ava that Carly had been in the hospital, recovering from being kidnapped by a madwoman, at the time of the shooting. Ava argued that Carly could have easily hobbled over to the apartment to shoot A.J.

Kiki was horrified that her mother would suggested that Carly had shot A.J., so Ava apologized and admitted that she shouldn't have allowed Carly to drag Ava down to Carly's level. Carly pointed out that Ava was the one who was having an affair with Ava's ex-son-in-law. After Ava left, Carly apologized and then asked where Michael was. Kiki explained that Michael had finally decided to get some rest. Carly was relieved, so Kiki decided to check on Michael and let him know that Carly was there.

In A.J.'s hospital room, A.J.'s fingers moved just before Carly entered the room. Carly looked at A.J. and confessed that as much as she hated to agree with Ava, Ava had been right; Michael had been the only good thing that A.J. had done. Carly insisted that she had never thought of A.J. as Michael's father because A.J. had only seen Michael as a means for A.J. to make up for a lifetime of screw-ups. She was furious that A.J. had burdened Michael with the responsibility of making medical decisions for A.J. because Michael would blame himself if A.J. died.

Carly believed that A.J. had only himself to blame for his situation. Carly confessed that she had wanted to shoot A.J. many times, but she suspected that Sonny had had the honor of actually doing it. However, Carly couldn't be certain because Sonny refused to discuss it, and A.J. couldn't. Carly was stunned when A.J.'s eyes suddenly snapped open.

Meanwhile, Ava called Sonny to report that it appeared that A.J. would not be waking up from the coma, so they might be in the clear. Sonny breathed a sigh of relief.

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by Elisabeth

At Wyndemere, Nikolas looked at the engagement ring as he thought about the confrontation with Britt when he had ended their relationship and had asked for the ring back. Nikolas pushed the memory away as Sam entered the parlor to check on him. She had been concerned about her cousin because of the fiasco the previous evening. Sam felt bad for everything that Lulu had endured and wasn't surprised that Lulu had convinced herself that Ben was Lulu's son. Nikolas revealed that it was true; Britt had stolen Dante and Lulu's frozen embryos.

Nikolas filled Sam in about the baby's abduction and Britt's arrest, but explained that Britt had had denied any knowledge of Liesl's plans. However, he pointed out that Britt was untrustworthy. Nikolas confessed that he felt like a fool because he had been certain that his poor relationship choices had been behind him, but Sam insisted that he had been deceived and that he had loved and trusted Britt. Sam conceded that it would take time, but she promised that he would get past the betrayal. Nikolas was confident that he would be fine as long as he never laid eyes on Britt again

Nikolas confessed that as much has he had hated being lied to, it had been worse to realize that he had been willfully blind to Britt's deceptions. He admitted that everyone had cautioned him not to trust Britt, but he had ignored them. However, Nikolas' greatest concern was Spencer because his son had cared about Britt. He grew quiet as he talked about Elizabeth and how she had repeatedly warned him that things would end badly for him and Britt.

Nikolas regretted that he had lost his mind, screamed at Elizabeth, and then had thrown her out of Wyndemere rather than thank her for finding the letter, so Lulu would know that Ben was Lulu's son. He realized that it had been a classic case of shooting the messenger, but Sam assured him that Elizabeth would understand and forgive him. Nikolas insisted that Elizabeth hadn't deserved the way that he had treated her, so Sam urged Nikolas to go to talk to Elizabeth.

Sam then announced that she regrettably had to leave because Silas had received some bad news the previous evening. She told Nikolas about Nathan's investigation and Nina's coma. Nikolas became concerned because Silas shouldn't have kept his wife a secret. Sam countered that Nikolas shouldn't have yelled at Elizabeth. "Ouch," Nikolas replied.

Sam smiled and explained that sometimes good people made mistakes and then assured him that Silas hadn't harmed Nina. Nikolas sensed that Sam liked Silas a lot, so she confirmed that she did. She was reluctant to intrude on Silas' grief because Silas had loved Nina, but Sam was determined to clear Silas' name. After Sam left, Nikolas picked up the engagement ring and then thought about how he had lashed out at Elizabeth.

In the squad room, Nathan received a report connected to Silas' investigation. "I don't believe it," Nathan muttered as he read the report. Moments later, Lulu arrived and asked where Dante was. Nathan assured Lulu that they were all working to find her baby and then let her know that Dante was in the interrogation room.

In the interrogation room, Britt was shocked when she realized that her mother had returned her call. Dante warned Britt not to tip Liesl off that Britt was in police custody or that Dante was listening. He also advised Britt to keep Liesl on the line until they could trace the call and then put the call on speaker. Britt tearfully greeted her mother and then asked if Ben was with her. Liesl resented Britt expressing concern only about the baby but assured Britt that Ben was fine. Relieved, Britt thanked Liesl for taking the baby.

Liesl made it clear that she had refused to allow "those people" to take Britt's son. Britt wanted to meet up with Liesl and Ben, so she asked where her mother was. However, Lulu marched into the interrogation room demanding that Britt tell her where Ben was before Liesl could reply. Liesl realized that Britt was in police custody and that Dante and Lulu had been listening, so Dante pleaded with Liesl to return Ben. Liesl refused to cooperate and ended the call.

Lulu was horrified when she realized what she had done and immediately demanded that Britt try to get Liesl back on the phone. Dante calmed his wife by reminding her that Ben was fine and promising that Liesl wouldn't hurt him. Dante assured Lulu that they would figure things out and find Liesl, so Britt seized the opportunity to quietly apologize. "Save it," Lulu angrily snapped.

Lulu accused Britt of hurting everyone, including Ben, by stealing Dante and Lulu's son and then reminded Britt that Britt had taken an oath as a doctor to help Lulu. However, Britt had violated Lulu because the two frozen embryos had been Dante and Lulu's last hope of having a child. Britt argued that she hadn't known that at the time, but Lulu argued that Britt had known later when Britt had told Dante and Lulu that they would never have a child.

Lulu was furious that Britt had kept Ben away from Dante and Lulu. "What kind of person are you?" Lulu demanded. Lulu accused Britt of not caring who Britt had hurt as long as Britt had gotten what Britt had wanted. Britt had no idea what Lulu expected Britt to say, so Lulu explained that she didn't want to hear Britt's empty apologies. Lulu pointed out that Britt had planned the entire thing and that if it hadn't been for Elizabeth then Britt would have been snuggled up with Dante and Lulu's son at that very moment.

Britt tearfully explained that she had known that she would lose Ben, Nikolas, and her freedom if she had told the truth, so she had been afraid to say anything. Lulu wasn't moved because she had read Britt's letter and knew that Britt's reasons had been "selfish, delusional, and evil." Lulu conceded that Britt was neither sick nor a sociopath, which made what Britt had done all the more terrifying, so Lulu vowed that she would do everything in her power to make certain that Britt paid for everything that Britt had done.

Britt promised that she had never intended for any of it to happen because Britt had believed that Lulu would have a child either through Maxie or another way. Lulu was sick of Britt's excuses and launched herself at Britt, ready to attack, but Dante sprang into action and pulled his wife back before Lulu could reach Britt.

At the Webber residence, Elizabeth sat huddled on the floor with Ben safely nestled in her arms. Liesl smiled with satisfaction as she ended the call with Britt, while aiming a gun directly at Elizabeth. Liesl was confident that the police wouldn't be able to trace the call and thanked Elizabeth for remaining silent, but Elizabeth pointed out that she hadn't had a choice. Liesl suggested that Elizabeth be grateful because Liesl had waited until Elizabeth's sons had left for school before breaking into Elizabeth's home.

Elizabeth doubted that Liesl could have handled the boys, but Liesl assured Elizabeth that she would have "taken care" of the children if they had misbehaved. Liesl explained that the trouble "with this country" was a lack of discipline and loyalty. Elizabeth was curious why Liesl thought that Elizabeth owed any loyalty to Liesl, so Liesl reminded Elizabeth that Liesl had kept Elizabeth on staff when Liesl had been appointed the chief of staff. Liesl resented Elizabeth repaying Liesl by sharing Britt's letter with Lulu.

Elizabeth insisted that Lulu had had a right to know the truth about Ben, but Liesl argued that Elizabeth had shared the letter because Elizabeth had hoped that Nikolas would throw Britt to the curb and sweep Elizabeth into his arms. Liesl gloated that the fairytale ending hadn't worked out for Elizabeth, so Elizabeth fired back that it hadn't worked out for Britt either. Elizabeth was curious what Liesl's plan was because Elizabeth doubted that the police would release Britt from custody. "We'll see about that," Liesl said as she picked up the phone.

A short time later, Liesl wrapped up a phone call by thanking the person on the other end. Liesl bragged that Britt would soon be free woman, so it would just be the three of them for a while longer. Both women were startled when the doorbell suddenly rang, followed by incessant knocking. It was Nikolas asking to talk to Elizabeth.

At the hospital, Silas bumped into Ava, but he quickly made it clear that he wasn't in the mood to deal with her. Ava assured him that she was at the hospital to check on A.J., prompting Silas to question why Ava was interested in the Quartermaine. Ava reminded Silas that their daughter had been dating A.J.'s son, Michael, and suggested that Silas might be better informed about their daughter's relationships if Silas had done more than give Kiki a key to his apartment. Silas ignored Ava because he refused to take parenting advice from someone like her.

Ava insisted that she and Kiki had had breakthrough earlier and that Kiki hadn't believed Silas' allegations about Ava being responsible for Nakamura's overdose or Nina's coma. Silas quietly admitted that Nina had died, so the person who had injected Nina with the overdose was a murderer. Ava seemed genuinely surprised by the news and offered Silas her sincere condolences, but Silas scoffed because didn't believe that Ava was sorry that Nina had died. Annoyed, Ava suggested that they put all of their cards on the table.

"Sounds good to me," Nathan said as he approached the nurses' station. Silas warned Nathan that he wasn't in the mood to deal with the detective because Silas had just learned of Nina's passing. Nathan was equally sad as he confessed that he had also recently learned of Nina's death. Silas was curious if Nathan was there to arrest him, but Nathan surprised Silas by revealing that evidence had surfaced that appeared to have cleared Silas of Nakamura's overdose.

Nathan explained that the hotel phone records had shown that someone had been on the phone in Silas' hotel room at the time of the pharmacist's overdose and that Nathan had followed up with the patient that Silas had talked to. Silas resented Nathan reaching out to his patient, but Nathan pointed out that the patient had confirmed that he had been on the phone with Silas. However, Nathan conceded that it was possible that the person had lied for Silas or that Silas had hired a third party to carry out the murder. Silas realized that they were right back to square one, but Nathan insisted that he simply wanted justice for Nina.

Silas suggested that Nathan examine Ava's alibi more closely. Ava bristled at the implication that she'd had anything to do with the pharmacist's death and Silas' wife's overdose, so she excused herself to check on Kiki. Silas questioned if Nathan was so determined to lock Silas up that Nathan had lost the ability to evaluate the facts or if Nathan simply didn't want to follow the evidence because Nathan wasn't pleased with where it led.

Nathan admitted that if Silas hadn't been behind Nakamura's overdose then perhaps Silas hadn't hurt Nina, so Nathan would continue to investigate. However, Nathan refused to let Silas off of the hook entirely. Moments later, Sam walked up. Silas warned her that Nathan had been having a difficult time considering the possibility that Ava might have blood on her hands, so Sam suggested that they set a trap.

At the hospital's chapel, Kiki was surprised when she spotted Michael. Michael explained that he hadn't been able to get any rest because he felt responsible for A.J.'s coma. Kiki insisted that it wasn't Michael's fault, but Michael argued that he had been the one to decide on surgery rather than to follow Monica's advice to try medications. Kiki pointed out that both of the options had had risks and that the aneurysm could have burst even if Michael had opted to go with the medications. Michael remained adamant that A.J.'s coma was his fault because Michael had decided on surgery.

Kiki insisted that Patrick wouldn't have operated if it had been the wrong decision and then reminded Michael that the only person to blame for A.J.'s condition was the person who had pulled the trigger. Kiki was confident that Michael had done everything in his power to give his father the best chance at recovery. Michael smiled sadly as he confided that he thought of Sonny first when someone talked about his father. He opened up to Kiki about the ongoing fight between Sonny, Carly, and A.J. and how much damage it had done. Michael admitted that he had learned to deal with it by putting it all in the past and not choosing sides.

Michael appreciated that A.J. had hoped that Michael would think of A.J. first as a father, which was why A.J. had wanted Michael to be A.J.'s medical proxy. Michael knew that it had been A.J.'s way of showing Michael how much Michael had meant to A.J., but Michael would be haunted by the choice that Michael had made if A.J. died. Michael then talked about the day of the shooting and admitted that he couldn't figure out why A.J. had been at Ava's apartment. Kiki suggested that perhaps A.J. had gone to talk to Julian because Ava had mentioned that A.J. had wanted to work for Julian to take down Sonny.

Michael insisted that A.J. had been filled with deep remorse and had been struggling with Connie's murder, but Kiki reminded Michael that A.J. had been drinking. Michael refused that A.J. had wanted to work with Julian and countered that Ava had lied in the past. Kiki didn't want to argue about Ava, so she assured Michael that Michael wasn't to blame for what happened to A.J. Michael appreciated Kiki's support, but he decided to take a walk and clear his head.

At Greystone Manor, Sonny left Carly a voicemail message asking her to return his call because he wanted to make certain that they were both on the same page about A.J. for the sake of their son. Sonny ended the call and then growled, "Son of a bitch." Olivia overheard Sonny and ran into the room in tears, fearing the worst for their grandson. Sonny quickly assured her that he had been referring to A.J. because he hadn't received an update about A.J.'s condition.

Sonny complained that the "A.J. thing" was dragging on too long and that he was concerned that A.J. would continue to cause more damage if A.J. lived. However, Sonny was also concerned about Michael because he knew that Michael would be devastated if A.J. died. "What about our son?" Olivia tearfully asked with frustration. She reminded him that their grandson had been kidnapped by a lunatic.

Sonny assured Olivia that he had people working on it, but Olivia wasn't satisfied because she believed that Sonny might be able to figure out where their grandson was if he wasn't focused on A.J. Sonny's temper flared as he made it clear that he didn't favor one son over another, so Olivia rushed to assure him that she hadn't meant to imply that. However, she pointed out that Sonny had a tendency to focus on Michael.

Sonny insisted that if he could, he would find their grandson and wave a magic wand that would allow A.J. to "mercifully" die, so Michael could be free of that "son of a bitch." However, Sonny was frustrated because he was powerless to help either of his sons. Olivia's wept as she apologized and promised that she appreciated his concern. Sonny hugged Olivia and assured her that everything would be fine. Afterwards, he decided to head to the hospital to check on Michael. Olivia promised to call him if she heard anything about their grandson.

At the hospital, Monica saw Sonny and demanded to know what he was doing there. Sonny explained that he had wanted to check on his son, but Monica quickly reminded Sonny that Michael was A.J.'s son and Monica's grandson. She suggested that Sonny would do well to remember that because if Monica had had her way then Sonny would never get near A.J. or Michael. Sonny assured Monica that he wasn't there to argue with her, but Monica insisted that Sonny had no business being at the hospital.

Sonny argued that it was his place to be with Michael because Michael had been torn up about what had happened to A.J. Monica was unmoved and accused Sonny of never caring about Michael's feelings for A.J. She pointed out that Michael wouldn't have had a relationship with A.J. if Sonny and Carly had had their way, so Sonny reminded Monica that he wasn't there to cause trouble. Monica didn't believe Sonny because it was the only thing Sonny had done since arriving in Port Charles.

Monica insisted that Sonny hadn't been satisfied with taking Jason and turning him into a killer, but Sonny had also gone after Monica's other son and had made it Sonny's mission to make A.J.'s life miserable. Monica conceded that A.J. had made mistakes, but she accused Sonny of exploiting A.J.'s mistakes at every opportunity. Monica reminded Sonny that A.J. hadn't been a gangster or out to get Sonny; A.J. had simply wanted to be a part of Michael's life. However, Sonny had refused to let that happen.

Monica admitted that if she hadn't known better, she would have thought that Sonny had shot A.J. Sonny appreciated that Monica was upset, but Monica ignored him and admitted that she had heard about his alibi and the promise that he had made to Michael. Monica was grateful that Sonny loved Michael because she was certain that Sonny would have killed A.J. the minute that A.J. had returned to town. "Get the hell out," Monica told Sonny and then added that he was not welcome at the hospital.

Meanwhile, Ava looked at her reflection in the mirror as she thought about her conversation about Silas when she had told him that she'd had a breakthrough with Kiki and how Kiki knew that Ava was not a murderer. "People do things for all kinds of reasons," Ava quietly said to herself and then admitted that she hadn't planned to kill Connie.

Ava was startled when Sonny suddenly walked up and explained that Monica had barred him from the ICU, so he was curious if Ava had an update about A.J. Ava assured Sonny that A.J. remained in a coma and would likely die, so it would work out for Sonny and Ava. Sonny was curious why that was. Ava reminded Sonny that he had shot A.J. because A.J. had been choking her. Sonny admitted that he still didn't understand why A.J. had attacked Ava.

Ava claimed that she didn't know, but she suggested that if A.J. woke up then Sonny could ask A.J. while the police handcuffed Sonny. Sonny confessed that he was concerned about Michael because Sonny knew that Michael's world would implode if A.J. died. Ava argued that it would be the best outcome for both her and Sonny.

In A.J.'s hospital room, Carly was stunned when A.J. opened his eyes. He asked why he was in the hospital, so Carly explained that he'd had surgery and had been in a coma for days. A.J. recalled that he had been shot, but Carly told A.J. to save his strength while she fetched a doctor and Michael. A.J. grabbed her wrist and asked her to wait because he had something to tell her. Carly was stunned when A.J. revealed that Sonny had shot him.

Carly asked why Sonny had shot A.J., so A.J. explained that Sonny had done it because of Ava. Confused, Carly wondered what Ava had had to do with the shooting, but A.J.'s eyes rolled back into his head as his vitals began to crash. Michael and Monica rushed into the room as A.J. appeared to suffer a seizure. Michael begged for his father to stay with them as Monica called for a crash cart and then began CPR.

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