Silas was working on a computer at the nurses' station when Felix put a flower arrangement down on the desk. Silas grumpily told Felix to deliver the flowers to the patient they were addressed to so he could finish his work. Felix revealed that the flowers were for Silas and told him to read the card. Silas invited Felix to read the card. "I miss you. Love, Me," Felix read.
Felix wondered who the flowers could have been from. Silas assumed they were from Sam and joked that they hadn't seen each other in ten hours. Silas instructed Felix to position the flowers "front and center" so everyone would know that "at least one person likes me."
At Sam's, Lucas played with Danny. When Sam descended the stairs, Lucas told her that he needed to go run some errands. "Don't be a stranger," Sam said and hugged Lucas. They agreed that it was nice to have some more family. Lucas opened the door to leave, but he stopped short when he saw Julian standing in the doorway.
Julian entered the apartment and invited Sam and Lucas to a family dinner celebration that night. After agreeing that they were both free, they wondered what the occasion was. Instead of answering, Julian picked up Danny and started to play with him. Sam asked again what the occasion was. Julian revealed that he had news, but they'd have to be at the art gallery at eight in order to hear it. Julian hoped it would be the first of many family dinners. He informed his children that they could each take a date, and he left.
Sam wondered what Julian's news would be. Lucas suggested that Julian and Alexis had an announcement, but Sam shot that idea down. He joked that they could have another sibling. Sam observed that Julian seemed to be doing better with the fact that Lucas was gay. Lucas agreed that it was progress, but he had no one to take to the dinner. Sam thought that there had to be a prospect for Lucas other than Brad.
Later, Silas arrived at Sam's just as she'd put Danny down for a nap. She wondered why he'd left work. "Because you miss me," he teased. He continued that the flowers had said it all. A confused Sam revealed that, while she'd love to take the credit, she hadn't sent him flowers. He showed her the card, which had made him assume Sam had sent the flowers.
Sam read the card and teased that somebody missed and loved Silas. "The possibilities are endless," he joked. "Ava!" Sam exclaimed, admitting to "a little bit" of jealousy. Silas assured Sam that she was the only one he wanted and kissed her. He admitted that he had missed her. "How much?" she asked. "Let me show you how much," he replied.
"Wait a minute," Sam said, stopping Silas in his tracks. She told him that they needed to get ready for dinner. Silas clearly didn't want to go, but she told him that he'd never really had a choice. Sam invited him into the shower, and they ran up the stairs.
Lucas arrived at the hospital, and Felix demanded to know why Lucas had told Brad that Lucas and Felix were an item. Lucas had wanted to "nip it in the bud" and get Brad to leave him alone. He acknowledged that he should have run it by Felix first and sincerely apologized. Felix forgave him. Lucas wanted to make it up to Felix by taking him out on a date that night.
Felix wondered why Lucas was asking him out. Lucas explained about his "impromptu family gathering" and that it was a big deal for his father to accept a date of Lucas' choice. He joked that he would have asked Milo, but he "bats for the other team." He tried to entice Felix with the promise of good food and a juicy secret of Julian's. "I do love drama," Felix said.
Lucas handed Felix a flower from Silas' arrangement, and Felix took it. Felix tried to talk himself out of going, but Lucas told him that he needed to forget about Brad, eat, and have a good time. Felix asked point-blank whether or not he was a rebound for Lucas. Lucas replied that it was just a dinner with no expectations. "It's a date," Felix finally agreed. "You won't be sorry," Lucas said.
On the phone, Jordan told someone that everything was set for that night. She abruptly hung up when she saw Shawn standing in the gallery. "I'd hate to interfere with a drug deal," he said sarcastically. She claimed to have been talking to a client. She assumed he wasn't there to buy art, so she asked why he was there.
Shawn confided that he wanted to warn her, but he couldn't get any more words out. Jordan blasted him for threatening to tell T.J. about her past. Just then, Julian entered with a gun pointed at Shawn and demanded that he leave. Shawn insisted that he was only there to talk to Jordan. Shawn remembered his conversation with Duke about going against Sonny's wishes. "Don't say I didn't try," Shawn said, and he left.
Julian wondered why Shawn had been there. Jordan admitted that Shawn never missed an opportunity to remind her of her drug trafficking past. However, she insisted that Shawn had no evidence of her involvement with Julian's operation. She was ready to go get the shipment at the pier but was surprised when Julian said he wasn't going.
Julian informed Jordan that he'd broken the news about quitting the business to his boss a few hours before. "What boss?" Jordan questioned. He explained that he worked for someone else, but Alexis had made him rethink his priorities. He'd realized that he needed to get out before he was arrested or killed.
Duke entered Sonny's office. He informed Sonny of Shawn's reluctance to go along with working with the cops to topple Julian. He continued that Shawn was concerned for Jordan because of T.J. He revealed how nervous Shawn had gotten after they'd decided on the plan because Jordan had a history of drug trafficking. Sonny understood Shawn's concern for T.J. but wondered if Shawn would tip Jordan off. "Anything's possible," Duke responded.
There was a knock on the door, and Shawn entered. Sonny wished that Shawn had told Sonny about Jordan. Shawn confessed that he'd hoped to handle the situation himself. Sonny wondered if Shawn had warned Jordan. Shawn admitted that he'd tried to warn her, but Duke's words about taking Julian down being the most important thing had stopped him, "even if it means Jordan's going down too."
Sonny admitted that he would have had cold feet, too, if he'd been in the same position. Shawn added that he didn't want to let T.J. down. He didn't want T.J. to hear about his mother's arrest on the news. He decided that it was time to tell T.J. the truth about Jordan's past.
Outside Alexis', Luke loaded a gun and put it into his pocket. He knocked on the door, and Alexis happily let him in. She was surprised that he wasn't on his honeymoon, but he related that he had to see Alexis. She wondered why. "So I could kill you," he stated.
"Any particular reason?" Alexis inquired, presumably playing along. Luke thought back to Julian quitting the business. Luke chalked it up to the "faux pas" of Alexis not congratulating him on his marriage. She apologized, congratulated him, and gave him a hug. However, she knew that hadn't been the reason for his visit. "I'm here because of Julian," he informed her.
Alexis had had no idea that Luke and Julian knew each other. Luke wondered if her relationship with Julian was serious. "We're going steady," she jokingly gushed. Luke cared about her and wanted her to be as happy as Luke was in his relationship. He'd heard that the battle between Sonny and Julian was escalating, and he didn't want to see Alexis caught in the crossfire. She assured Luke that she and Julian had discussed him leaving the business and that he was "weighing his options." "I hope he considers it carefully for your sake -- and the kids," Luke said ominously.
Luke continued that it was hard to walk away from the business "clean, unless you're the boss. And Julian isn't," he clarified. "How do you know that?" Alexis wondered. Luke said that Sonny had told him, and that he had his money on Ric as Julian's boss. Alexis countered that Ric had sworn on Molly's life that he had nothing to do with Julian's business. Luke knew that, whoever it was, he or she wouldn't let Julian go without a fight or retaliation.
Alexis offered Luke a drink, and he readily accepted. When she left the room to get drinks, he took out his gun. Alexis returned just as there was a knock on the door. She set the drinks down and opened the door to T.J. He asked for Molly, but she wasn't home. He revealed to Alexis that he was dying to show Molly his new car.
Alexis invited him inside to wait for Molly. Luke quickly put his gun away. Alexis introduced T.J. and Luke, and T.J. congratulated Luke on his nuptials. Just then, Alexis got a text message from Julian. She told T.J. and Luke to get to know each other, and she left the room to find out what Julian wanted. Luke offered T.J. a drink, but he refused.
Jordan asked Julian who she was supposed to answer to when Julian was gone, but his phone rang. He walked away to answer Alexis' call. He told her about his dinner and invited her. A short while later, Jordan again demanded to know who her boss would be. He assured her that he'd put in a good word for her, and advised her to be "very, very careful" when she finally met the man. "He let you go, right? How much of a tyrant can he really be?" she wondered, and she left.
Luke asked an uncomfortable T.J. about his "beautiful" mother, who had sold Luke a painting. Luckily for T.J., Alexis returned. She announced that she had to go get ready for the celebration Julian was having that night at the art gallery. Luke wondered about the occasion. Alexis answered that Julian wouldn't say, but she hoped it was good news. Luke assured her that he wanted her and Julian as happy as Tracy and Luke were, "'til death do you part."
After Luke was gone, Alexis allowed T.J. to stick around and wait for Molly. T.J. asked if Alexis and Luke were close, because he believed Luke to be "a little out there." Alexis guaranteed that worse things had been said about Luke, and she agreed that Luke could be a little "strange."
Outside of Alexis', Luke was on the phone. "I have a job for you," he said. He continued that Julian had a party planned for that night. "He needs to be taught a lesson. One he'll never forget," he added.
Maxie arrived home with bags of groceries, so she called out for help when they began to slip out of her arms as she entered the apartment. Nathan rounded the corner and then quickly relieved her of the bags. Maxie noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt, but she tore her eyes away from his chest and thanked him for his help. Nathan grimaced as he looked at the contents in the bags, so Maxie explained that she wanted to surprise Levi with a home cooked meal when Levi returned from yoga class.
Maxie looked pointedly at Nathan's bare chest as she confessed that she never knew if he was getting ready to work out or had just finished. Nathan smiled as he explained that he had been called back into work, so he had been in the midst of changing when Maxie had arrived home. Maxie began to flip through her mail, but suddenly grew quiet. Nathan sensed that something was wrong, so Maxie admitted that she had received a summons to court because the six-month custody decision for Georgie was set to expire and would be revisited.
Nathan was startled when Maxie crumpled the court order and then threw it away. She refused to go to court because she didn't see the point, but Nathan wasn't satisfied with the excuse. He pulled on a shirt and then asked if she wanted to see her daughter. "No, I don't," Maxie stubbornly answered. She claimed that she was at peace with the situation because Levi had made her realize that it had been a growth experience and that she should move on. Nathan pointed out that Georgie was Maxie's flesh and blood, but Maxie argued that Georgie lived across the country and didn't need her.
According to Maxie, Spinelli's girlfriend, Ellie, had likely made certain that Georgie ate healthier than Levi, had mastered four languages, and had invented something important. Nathan didn't doubt that Spinelli's girlfriend cared about Georgie, but Nathan insisted that it wasn't the same because Maxie was Georgie's mother. He suspected that Maxie cared very much about her daughter, but she was afraid. Maxie's resented the remarks and told Nathan to "shut the hell up."
Nathan backed down because he appreciated that it was Maxie's decision, but he recalled from their conversation on New Year's Eve that it had almost killed her to lose custody of Georgie. Nathan suggested that perhaps Maxie hoped to avoid further pain by staying away from the court hearing. However, he warned Maxie that it would be a mistake to give up a chance to have a relationship with her daughter because of fear.
After Nathan left, Maxie set the table, but she remained troubled, so she returned to the wastebasket to retrieve the court order and then reread it. She then pulled a keepsake box from the closet that had the photograph of her newborn daughter. Maxie sat down and looked at the picture of Georgie.
In Portland, Oregon, Carly and Franco arrived at Spinelli and Ellie's apartment. Franco was skeptical that Spinelli could help recover the secrets from the damaged recording on A.J.'s phone, but Carly had complete confidence in Spinelli's ability. She knocked on the door and waited several seconds until Spinelli opened the door. Spinelli was delighted when he saw Carly and greeted her with an enthusiastic hug, but his smile quickly faded when he saw Franco standing in the hallway. Carly explained that she and Franco were together as a couple, prompting Spinelli to imagine Jason's shock and horror from beyond the grave to know that Carly was with the homicidal and manipulative Franco.
Franco confessed that he was also an "unsuccessful matricidal hero." Carly quickly interjected to assure Spinelli that she would explain everything, but she would need Spinelli to invite both her and Franco into the apartment first. Spinelli reluctantly agreed, so Carly and Franco entered the apartment. Without preamble, Carly told Spinelli about the audio recording that A.J. had made prior to the shooting that had ultimately claimed A.J.'s life.
As Carly, Spinelli, and Franco discussed the damaged recording, Ellie entered the living room with Georgie on her hip to ask everyone to keep their voices down because they had woken Georgie up. Carly was thrilled to see the baby and gushed how much Georgie had grown. Ellie smiled at Carly, but the smile disappeared when Ellie spotted Franco. Ellie accused Franco of once trying to persuade Ellie to jump from the hospital's rooftop, but Franco quickly clarified that his intention had been to make Ellie realize that Ellie didn't want to end it. Spinelli changed the subject by explaining why Carly and Franco were there.
Ellie was confused because she had read online that Sabrina's ex-boyfriend, Carlos, had confessed to shooting A.J. Franco admitted that they hoped to "get the goods" on Ava because Ava had been present at the time of A.J.'s shooting. Spinelli was eager to assist when he realized that Carly was after Ava because Spinelli continued to harbor resentment toward Ava for the way that Ava had treated Spinelli in the hospital by popping his balloons. Carly and Spinelli went to the computer, leaving Ellie alone with Franco. Franco tried to break the ice by playfully ruffling Georgie's ponytail and referring to her as "little boy Georgie."
"It's little girl Georgie," Ellie corrected. Franco asked to hold the baby, but Ellie refused and shifted Georgie to Ellie's other hip and away from Franco's reach. Franco muttered that she was an overprotective mother, so Ellie admitted that she wasn't Georgie's mother. Franco changed the subject by asking Ellie what Ellie and Spinelli did for fun in Oregon, so Ellie explained that Portland had museums and an arboretum that Ellie intended to take Georgie to when the weather was nice.
Nearby, Carly asked Spinelli about his life in Portland, so he confessed that Ellie's job had allowed him to be a stay-at-home father. Carly smiled as he talked about the joy of spending his days with his daughter, but then he switched gears to ask about Maxie because Maxie hadn't returned any of his phone calls. Carly revealed that Maxie had recently returned from a long trip, but Spinelli was concerned that he hadn't heard from Maxie because the custody order was set to expire the following week. Spinelli had expected Maxie to be excited at the prospect of seeing Georgie, so he couldn't understand why Maxie hadn't called.
Meanwhile, Franco wondered if Ellie's last name was really Trout. She confirmed that it was, so Franco conceded that it was probably a good thing that she hadn't married Spinelli because her name would be Ellie Spinelli. Ellie glared at Franco and decided to return Georgie to the bedroom. Ellie stopped by Spinelli's desk to ask how long it would take Spinelli to clean up the recording. Spinelli surprised everyone when he announced that he had already completed the task.
On the Haunted Star, Anna stood on deck as she admitted that she looked forward to finally putting Julian behind bars after all the misery that Julian had caused people over the years. She anticipated justice finally being served. Dante knew that Julian had hurt Anna and her family, but Anna clarified that Julian's destruction had reached far beyond what he had done to Anna and Duke. She changed the subject by asking Dante to thank Lulu for allowing them the use of the Haunted Star, so Anna could have a front row seat to Julian's downfall.
Dante nodded and asked if there had been any word on Carly and Franco. Anna shook her head, so Dante and Anna discussed why Carly would have taken A.J.'s phone and then disappeared. Anna had simply wanted to corroborate Carlos' story, so it didn't make sense that Carly would disappear with the phone unless it contained incriminating evidence. Anna became distracted when Dante noticed movement on the pier. Anna and Dante each used binoculars to get a closer look.
On pier 54, Jordan greeted the workers as they prepared to receive the shipment of drugs. The workers resented Jordan suddenly barking orders at them because they answered to Julian, not Jordan. Jordan informed them that Julian was no longer in charge and that they had a new boss, so Jordan had been put in charge of the shipment. One of the workers demanded to know who their new boss was, but Jordan admitted that she didn't know. The worker pointed out that Julian clearly hadn't trusted Jordan enough with the information, but Jordan countered that none of the workers knew who the top boss was either, so the workers were as much in the dark as she was.
On the deck of the Haunted Star, Anna and Dante were surprised when they realized that Jordan appeared to be in charge of the operation. Anna was curious where Julian was, so Dante reported that he had received word that Julian was having dinner at the gallery with Julian's family. Dante doubted that Julian would be present for the arrival of the drug shipment, but Anna assured Dante that Julian's attempt to provide himself with an alibi wouldn't save Julian because everyone on the pier was a known Jerome associate.
Moments later, Nathan and several police officers arrived. Nathan revealed that the ship was about to dock, so Anna decided to take some officers to the gallery while Dante, Nathan, and the rest of the police officers were sent to the pier to make the bust. She asked Dante to notify her once the arrests had been made, so she could take Julian into custody.
Meanwhile, on pier 54, Jordan reminded everyone to move quickly, so they could get out of there swiftly. However, her plans went awry when Dante, Nathan, and several police officers with guns drawn suddenly appeared. Jordan glared with fury at Dante as he identified himself as a police officer and ordered everyone to freeze.
In the park, Luke met with a nefarious associate named Harry. Luke explained that he wanted Harry to make Julian understand that there were consequences for trying to leave the organization. Luke revealed that Julian was at the gallery, having dinner with Julian's family, so Harry wondered if Luke wanted Harry to kill Julian. Luke admitted that it wouldn't do any good to kill Julian because Julian was needed back at work and inline. However, Luke conceded that a strong message could be sent by hitting Julian close to home.
Luke showed Harry pictures of Alexis, Sam, and Lucas, prompting Harry to wonder if Luke wanted Harry to take out all three of Julian's loved ones. Luke explained that Julian would have nothing left to live for if all three people were dead, therefore only one death would suffice. Luke flipped through the pictures as he tried to decide who should die, but Lulu suddenly appeared pushing a stroller.
Luke quickly set the folder with the pictures down and greeted his daughter by asking what Lulu was doing in the park. Lulu confessed that Rocco had been fussy, so she had decided to take Rocco for a walk to lull him to sleep. Luke glanced down at the baby and noted that it had appeared to work and then suggested that Lulu return home. Lulu ignored Luke's advice and asked to be introduced to his friend. Luke explained that Harry was a travel agent, not a friend, but Lulu didn't believe her father.
Lulu pointed out that it was odd to meet with a travel agent at night in a park, so Luke claimed that the clandestine meeting had been necessary because Luke intended to surprise Tracy with a special honeymoon. Luke instructed Harry to pick one of the three "hotels" that they had discussed and then added that Luke would be happy with whichever one Harry selected.
After Harry left, Lulu suggested that Luke go home because Lulu was certain that Tracy missed her new husband. Luke assured Lulu that Tracy would be fine because Luke and Tracy would be "stuck like glue" to each other for the rest of their lives. Luke then changed the subject by asking where Lulu's "policeman husband" was. "What's his name?" Luke asked. Lulu frowned, but appeared to brush it off as one of Luke's quirky comments as she slowly answered "Dante." Lulu then explained that Dante had been called to work because the police intended to take down the Jeromes later that evening.
Luke tensed as he carefully probed Lulu for information. Lulu conceded that she didn't know the details and that she felt uncomfortable discussing it because it was police business, but Luke assured his daughter that she could trust him. Lulu relaxed and then admitted that the police had been tipped off about the arrival of a drug shipment. Luke's temper flared as he began to pace and repeatedly muttered, "Damn it." Concerned, Lulu questioned why Luke was angry about the police busting a drug shipment.
Luke claimed that he was worried about how the news would impact Lucas. Lulu assured Luke that Lucas was fully aware of Julian's criminal activity, but Luke argued that Lucas had likely convinced himself that Julian had a heart of gold -- similar to how Sonny's children viewed Sonny. Luke insisted that he didn't want Lucas to be shattered, but Lulu promised her father that Lucas understood the situation and then added that it was better for everyone if the bad guys were put out of commission.
At the gallery, Julian greeted Alexis with a kiss as a waiter bustled about getting everything ready for the dinner. Alexis was anxious to know what Julian's big announcement was, but Julian wanted to wait until everyone had arrived. Alexis confessed that she enjoyed delayed gratification and was certain that Julian would feel the same later that evening when they returned to the lake house. Julian understood the underlying threat, so he agreed to tell her, but Sam and Silas walked in before Julian could say anything.
After Alexis and Julian greeted their daughter and Silas, Sam mentioned that Silas had received flowers from a secret admirer and then told her parents what the card had said. Alexis and Julian jokingly tried to analyze if the gift had been something to be concerned about or not. Silas asked everyone to drop it because it wasn't as if Silas had received a "severed horse head." "No offense," Silas added as he looked at Julian. Julian chuckled.
After Lucas and Felix arrived, everyone sat down to dinner. Julian admitted that he had been impressed with the way that Felix had taken over master of ceremonies duty during the Nurses Ball when Lucy had fled. Alexis seized the opportunity to ask Julian to make the announcement, so Julian decided to share his news. He stood up and then confessed that he had been in a different place when he had returned to Port Charles the previous year. Julian admitted that he had thought that he'd had everything, but he had been wrong.
According to Julian, everything had changed when he had been reunited with Alexis and had learned about the existence of his two wonderful children and beautiful grandson. Julian admitted that family was everything to him, so he had decided that both his life and his businesses would be completely legitimate. Alexis beamed with joy, but Lucas and Sam appeared skeptical. Julian assured his family that they didn't have anything to worry about and then kissed Alexis.
Alexis confessed that she and Julian had discussed it earlier, so she had hoped that Julian would try to find a way out of the mob. Julian once again assured everyone that the criminal aspect of his life was over, prompting his loved ones to raise their glasses and then toast "to family and freedom." Afterwards, everyone resumed eating. Julian was surprised when Alexis casually mentioned Luke's visit and the suggestion that there might be some kind of retaliation if Julian left the mob.
Julian assured Alexis that she need not worry because he would do whatever was necessary to protect his family, unaware that Harry had entered the gallery dressed as a waiter. A few minutes later, Harry entered the area where everyone was gathered. Harry stood behind Sam and Silas until everyone turned to look at him. Once Harry had their attention, he removed a dishtowel that had been draped over his arm, concealing his gun with a silencer, and opened fire.
In the park, Shawn sat on a bench and thought about his attempt to warn Jordan to walk away from the Jerome organization before it was too late. Moments later, T.J. walked up. T.J. was still excited about the car that Jordan had given to him as a graduation gift, but T.J. admitted that a part of him was worried that it was all too good to be true. Shawn braced himself and then revealed that he had something to tell T.J. about Jordan. T.J. was stunned when Shawn explained that Jordan was about to be arrested.
T.J.'s shock turned to disbelief when Shawn told T.J. about the plans for the police to bust an incoming drug shipment for the Jeromes. T.J. denied that his mother would ever get involved in drug trafficking, but Shawn assured T.J. that it was true. T.J. accused Shawn of having a grudge against Jordan, but Shawn denied it and then admitted that T.J. had been sent to live with Shawn because Jordan had spent time in prison for dealing drugs. T.J. refused to believe it until he suddenly recalled visiting his mother at the gallery and overhearing her speaking on the phone, discussing the arrival of product from Colombia. T.J. realized that there might be a kernel of truth to what Shawn had told him, so T.J. demanded to know why Shawn hadn't warned Jordan.
Shawn assured T.J. that Shawn had urged Jordan to distance herself from the Jeromes, but Jordan had refused. T.J. wasn't satisfied because he felt that Shawn should have told Jordan that the police had intended to bust the drug shipment. Shawn explained that he had wanted to, but Shawn feared that it would have put T.J.'s life at risk. T.J. dismissed the idea that Shawn had wanted to protect him because T.J. believed that Shawn would have pulled out of the mob long before if that had been true.
T.J. angrily accused Shawn of picking loyalty to Sonny over T.J., but Shawn insisted that he had tried everything to get Jordan to walk away from the Jeromes including threatening to shame her by revealing to T.J. that she had gone to prison. Shawn promised that he deeply regretted that he hadn't been able to shield T.J. from what had happened, but T.J. wasn't comforted. Shawn recalled Jordan's threat to tell T.J. the truth about T.J.'s father's death, so he prepared to make a full confession to T.J. However, T.J. felt overwhelmed by what he had heard, and he stormed away before Shawn could say anything.
Meanwhile, the police swarmed pier 54 as Jordan instructed the men to quickly get the shipment unloaded. Dante, Nathan, and numerous police officers appeared with guns drawn as Dante identified himself and ordered everyone to freeze. Jordan glared at Dante and Nathan, but complied. One of the Jerome workers decided to shoot his way out, but Dante and Nathan were ready. After a brief exchange of gunfire, the gunman was neutralized, so everyone in the Jerome organization surrendered to the police. The shooter was alive, and he was quickly transported to the hospital while the other men were taken into custody.
Jordan warned Dante that he had made a "huge mistake," but Dante and Nathan merely chuckled because the packages of cocaine on the skids were proof that it had been a valid drug bust. Dante hoped that Jordan had her affairs in order because he anticipated Jordan and Julian going to jail for a long time. Finally, Dante handcuffed Jordan as he read her the Miranda rights.
Moments later, Nathan walked up with T.J. in tow. Jordan was stunned when she saw her son, so she assured Dante and Nathan that T.J. had not been involved. Nathan was skeptical, but T.J. explained that he had heard about the bust and had needed to see with his own eyes that Jordan had been involved. Dante believed T.J. and instructed Nathan to release the teenager. Jordan begged T.J. to hear her out, but T.J. was disgusted with his mother and made it clear that he was done with her and her lies.
At the gallery, Harry entered the dining area and then opened fire on Lucas. Sam quickly pulled out her gun and immediately gave chase to a fleeing Harry, while Silas and Felix rushed to Lucas' aid. Alexis started to follow her daughter, but returned to the room as she called 9-1-1. Julian hovered over his son, begging Lucas to stay with them, but Lucas cried out in pain as blood poured out of him.
Moments later, Anna, flanked by several police officers, entered the gallery. Alexis quickly explained what had transpired and then revealed that Sam had chased after the gunman. Within minutes, Sam returned to the gallery to report that the gunman had gotten away. As the paramedics arrived and loaded Lucas onto a gurney, Sam gave Anna a description of the gunman and confessed that he had seemed like a professional because he had known what he had been doing and had used a silencer. Anna promised that the shooter would not get away with it, but Sam couldn't understand why anyone would want to shoot Lucas.
Julian started to follow the paramedics out of the gallery, but Anna stopped Julian and informed him that he was under arrest. Alexis sputtered with outrage, while Julian calmly pointed out that Anna didn't have any reason to detain him. Anna disagreed and informed him about the bust on the piers. Anna insisted that all of the men arrested had been known Jerome associates, but Julian denied any involvement with the drug shipment and reminded Anna that he had been dining at the gallery with his family during the drug bust.
Alexis and Sam vouched for Julian and then explained that they had been at the gallery, celebrating because Julian had quit the mob. Anna argued that Julian was adept at lying. Julian was desperate to get to the hospital to check on Lucas, so he refused to stand around defending himself to Anna. He turned to leave, but Anna stopped him. Julian turned to Alexis for help, so Alexis asked to see Anna's evidence against Julian. Anna handed Alexis an arrest warrant and then handcuffed Julian.
Alexis advised Julian not to say anything, but Julian was more concerned about Lucas, so Julian asked Sam to go to the hospital to check on her brother. Anna carted Julian away as Sam agreed. Alexis instructed Sam to call her with an update on Lucas. Sam asked her mother to call when Alexis got to the bottom of things.
Meanwhile, T.J. returned to the park and sat on a bench. Tears filled his eyes as he stared at the keys to the car that his mother had given him, while his thoughts drifted back to his talk with Jordan at the gallery earlier that evening when T.J. had talked about how proud he had been of his mother. In a burst of anger, he threw the keys on the ground and began to pace.
Later, Anna arrived on the pier where Dante waited with Jordan. Dante explained that Jordan had asked to talk to Anna, so Anna thanked Dante and then dismissed him. Jordan informed Anna that Anna had made a grave mistake by arresting the wrong person, but Anna suggested that Jordan save it for the judge because Jordan had been caught red-handed with the cocaine. Jordan insisted that she was not a drug dealer; she was an undercover agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the park, Luke left a message for Harry to check in because Luke was livid that the drug shipment had gone "up in flames." Luke wanted to make certain that Julian had received the message that Julian's employment was a lifetime commitment.
A short time later, Harry met up with Luke in the park and assured Luke that the job had been carried out. Satisfied, Luke was curious who Harry had shot, so Harry explained that he had decided to kill Lucas because the women had been too beautiful to fill with holes. Luke smiled as he conceded that Harry had made a good point. After a few crude remarks about Alexis and Sam's figures, Luke vowed that he would eventually get his hands on both women. "Why should Corinthos have all the fun?" Luke asked.
Harry chuckled, so Luke changed the subject by asking for details about the shooting. Harry admitted that he had shot Lucas in the chest, but hadn't stuck around to see if Lucas had died because Julian's daughter had been carrying a gun and had chased after Harry. Luke was curious if anyone could identify Harry, so Harry admitted that they could. However, Harry assured Luke that Harry had made arrangements to slip out of town and lay low until things died down. Luke was pleased, but suggested that Harry give Luke the gun that Harry had used, so Luke could properly dispose of it.
Harry didn't hesitate to hand the gun and silencer to Luke. Luke smiled and then turned the gun on Harry and fired. Stunned, Harry fell to the ground, clutching his chest. Luke calmly put the silencer on the barrel of the gun and then apologized. According to Luke, it wasn't personal, but rather business. Harry begged for his life, but Luke coldly pumped several more shots into Harry until Harry was dead.
At the hospital, Lucas was taken to an examination room. Dr. Rashi worked on Lucas while Silas left to make certain that an operating room was readied for Lucas. Lucas slowly regained consciousness. "Some date, huh?" Lucas weakly asked as Felix hovered close to Lucas' bedside. Felix tried to hide his concern by suggesting that for their next date they do something less exciting like running with bulls. Lucas smiled but then admitted that he hoped to live to have a next date. Felix reached for Lucas' hand and squeezed it as he told Lucas not to worry.
At Corinthos Coffee, Sonny spoke to Ava on the phone. She was eager to know when she could return to Port Charles, so Sonny told her about the plan to take Julian down when Julian received a shipment of drugs later that evening. Ava was shocked that her brother had become involved in drug trafficking, but Sonny assured Ava that it wouldn't be a problem for long because Sonny refused to allow drugs to move through Sonny's territory. Ava suddenly realized that she wouldn't have anything to return to because her brother would be in jail, her daughter barely spoke to her, and Morgan wanted nothing to do with her because she had slept with Sonny.
Ava was curious how Morgan had been doing, but Sonny confessed that he hadn't spoken to his son. As if on cue, Morgan entered the office. Sonny tried to end the call, but Morgan assured Sonny that it wasn't necessary because Morgan was certain that Sonny had been talking to Ava. Morgan sarcastically claimed that he wanted pointers on what kind of "sweet nothings" Sonny said to drive a woman like Ava to betray Morgan by sleeping with Sonny. Ava heard Morgan's voice, so she asked Sonny if Morgan was with Sonny.
Sonny confirmed that Morgan was in the office and then ended the call. Morgan's anger flared, so Sonny admitted that he would take anything that Morgan wanted to throw at him as long as Sonny had an opportunity to have his say. Morgan's fury mounted because he knew that Sonny had sent Ava to Sonny's private island, where all of Sonny's lovers ended up at one time or another. Sonny explained that he had sent Ava to the island to keep her safe from Julian, but Morgan was curious what was to stop Ava from betraying Sonny with another man while she was on the island. Sonny made it clear that he and Ava were not involved.
Morgan demanded to know what had made Sonny and Ava go from being enemies to lovers, but Sonny refused to explain. Morgan was curious if Sonny and Ava had betrayed Morgan for fun, but Sonny denied it and promised that the tryst had been a one-time thing. Morgan wasn't satisfied because his father had taken away the one good thing in Morgan's life. Sonny flinched when Morgan admitted that he hated Sonny, so Sonny begged to know what Sonny could do to make things right.
Morgan insisted that he wanted to know the truth about why Sonny and Ava had slept together. Sonny agreed to tell Morgan, but Shawn entered the office. Morgan decided that it wasn't worth hearing what Sonny had to say and stormed out. Shawn apologized for the bad timing, but explained that he had learned that the drug bust had been a success and that both Julian and Jordan had been arrested. Sonny felt bad for Shawn because he knew that Shawn had wanted to keep Jordan out of it. Shawn admitted that he didn't blame Sonny and appreciated that Julian had needed to be taken down to make the town safe for everyone.
After Shawn left, Sonny called Ava to let her know that she could pack because Julian had been arrested, so it was safe for her to return to Port Charles the following day.
In Portland, Oregon, Carly was eager to hear the cleaned-up version of the recording that A.J. had made prior to being shot. Spinelli started to play the recording, but Carly stopped him because she didn't think that it would be a good idea for Spinelli and Ellie to hear it. Ellie pointed out that it was Spinelli's computer, but Franco countered that it was Carly's phone. Ellie's eyes narrowed as she reminded Franco that Carly had revealed that the phone had belonged to A.J. Quartermaine. Annoyed, Franco informed Ellie that there had been a time in ancient Egypt when redheads had been buried alive as an offering to the god Osiris.
Ellie gasped with horror as she asked why Franco would say something like that to her, but Carly warned Franco to leave Ellie alone. Franco backed off, and Carly explained that it would be best for both Spinelli and Ellie if they didn't hear what was on the recording because it would put both Spinelli and Ellie in a difficult position. Spinelli was curious why it was safe for Carly and Franco to hear the recording, so Franco revealed that he and Carly had already heard a part of the recording. Franco suggested that Spinelli and Ellie leave the apartment so Carly and Franco could listen to the recording in private, but Spinelli and Ellie objected.
Carly assured Spinelli and Ellie that Carly and Franco only needed the couple to leave the room for a while. Spinelli and Ellie agreed, but Ellie confessed to Spinelli that Carly had clearly lost complete touch with reality because of Carly's involvement with Franco.
After Spinelli and Ellie left the room, Carly and Franco listened to the recording and were stunned when they heard A.J. confront Ava about killing Connie, framing A.J., and then sending a gunman to kill A.J. As the recording continued, Ava confirmed that she had murdered Connie because Connie had stumbled onto the truth about Derek Wells's true identity. Finally, Carly and Franco heard Ava's gun jam when Ava tried to shoot A.J., Sonny's arrival, and the blast of the gunshot as A.J. pleaded with Sonny to hear A.J. out.
After the recording ended, Carly smiled with satisfaction because her suspicions that Ava had been hiding something had been proven true. Franco returned her smile and then kissed her. Spinelli and Ellie groaned in disgust when they entered the room and saw Carly and Franco kissing. Carly and Franco pulled apart as Spinelli asked if the recording had been enlightening. "We're a couple of Buddhists," Franco answered with a big grin.
Spinelli walked over to the computer and removed a flash drive, which he handed to Carly. Spinelli assured her that he had also sent her an email of the recording in the event that she lost the flash drive. Carly thanked Spinelli for everything but wondered if he had removed all traces of the recording from his computer. Spinelli assured her that he had because his days of hacking into computers were over because he wanted to set a good example for his daughter, Georgie. Carly was grateful for everything that Spinelli had done, so she invited him to let her know if he needed anything.
Spinelli assured her that he would be satisfied if she gave him a discount at Metro Court when he visited Port Charles, but Carly insisted that he could stay at the hotel for free as her guest. Carly and Spinelli hugged, so Franco stepped forward to hug Ellie, but Ellie made it clear that she did not want Franco to touch her.
In the hallway, Carly and Franco smiled as he reminded Carly that they had the goods on Ava. "Now what?" Franco asked. Carly admitted that she was delighted with the turn of events. "What's weird is that in the end, A.J. came through for you," Franco pointed out. Carly agreed and admitted that despite hating A.J. for many years, she owed A.J. Carly was determined to make certain that Ava got exactly what she deserved when they returned home the following day.
At Corinthos Coffee, Sonny spoke to Ava on the phone. He assured her that she could return to Port Charles the following day because Julian had been arrested. Sonny quickly wrapped up the phone call when Duke entered the office, and Sonny explained that he had been on the phone with Ava to let her know that Julian was finally out of the picture. Sonny smiled as he assured Duke that everything had gone according to plan with the drug bust, except that Julian hadn't been on the pier. However, Sonny assured Duke that Anna had arrested Julian at the gallery.
Duke thought that it was odd that Julian hadn't been on the docks to receive the shipment of drugs because Julian had always been a hands-on boss, but Sonny shrugged and suggested that Sonny and Duke celebrate. Duke asked Sonny to wait because Duke had something important to tell Sonny. "I can't work for you anymore," Duke revealed.
Duke explained that he had promised Anna to walk away from Sonny's organization once Julian had been taken down. Sonny was disappointed to lose Duke, so he offered to give Duke a job at the coffee warehouse. Duke thanked Sonny but declined because it was well known that Corinthos Coffee was a front for Sonny's organization. Sonny conceded that Duke was right but admitted that the problem with Julian was far from resolved because Julian's arrest hadn't put the Jerome organization out of commission. Duke politely argued that it was Sonny's problem.
Sonny didn't disagree, but Sonny continued to have reservations about Duke leaving the organization because Duke had been part of Sonny's inner circle and therefore had been privy to sensitive information that could hurt Sonny. Duke gave his word of honor that all of Sonny's secrets would be safe with Duke. Satisfied, Sonny decided that there was only one thing left to do. Duke tensed as Sonny reached into Sonny's desk drawer.
Moments later, Sonny pulled out two glasses and an aged bottle of scotch that Sonny had been saving for a special occasion. Duke relaxed and agreed to have a drink with Sonny. As the two men sipped their drinks, Sonny asked what Duke intended to do next. Duke admitted that he might try to get a job at ELQ to help Michael. However, Duke conceded that he would miss the excitement of working for the mob. Sonny confessed that he didn't consider a lot of people friends, but Duke was one of the few, so Sonny wished Duke well.
The two men toasted and then Duke finished his drink. Afterwards, Duke decided to check on Anna. Sonny assured Duke that Duke would always have a place in Sonny's organization if Duke had a change of heart. Duke thanked Sonny and then left. Sonny turned on the television and watched the news coverage of Julian's arrest and the drug bust on the pier.
On pier 54, Jordan confessed that she was an agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency and had been working undercover. Jordan angrily accused Anna of ruining Jordan's entire operation, but Anna didn't believe Jordan's story because Anna would have said the same thing if Anna had been caught red-handed with a shipment of cocaine. Anna wanted proof of Jordan's claims, but Jordan pointed out that an undercover agent would never risk carrying their shield on them, so Jordan suggested that Anna call Jordan's division chief, Bob Massicotte.
Anna recognized the name because she had known Bob for a long time. She was certain that Bob would have notified Anna if Bob had sent an undercover agent into Anna's jurisdiction. Jordan explained that the DEA hadn't been able to risk it because of Anna's association with Duke, who was a known Corinthos organization member and a rival of the Jerome crime family. Stunned, Anna decided to call Bob to get some answers.
Later, Anna was livid when Bob confirmed Jordan's claims. Anna informed Bob that if there had been a problem with Anna's integrity then Bob should have taken it up with Anna's superiors. Anna blamed Bob for blowing the DEA investigation then abruptly ended the call. Nearby, Jordan asked Anna to remove the handcuffs because it had been bad enough that T.J. had seen Jordan in them.
Anna removed the handcuffs but had little sympathy for Jordan. Anna pointed out that if Anna had been informed of the undercover operation then Anna could have helped spare T.J. from seeing his mother arrested. Jordan explained that she had been afraid of endangering T.J. and compromising the operation, but Anna didn't have any regrets because Anna felt that her police department had saved the DEA a lot of trouble by making the bust and stopping a huge shipment of narcotics from hitting the streets. Anna also reminded Jordan that Julian was finally behind bars.
Jordan revealed that the DEA had never been after Julian; they had been after Julian's boss. Anna suggested that the DEA had been misinformed because Julian had been the head of the Jerome organization, but Jordan explained that it had merely been manufactured to appear that way. Jordan revealed that a little over a year before, the Securities and Exchange Commission had stumbled onto an odd transaction involving Barrett Enterprises.
According to Jordan, the SEC had realized that someone had gone through great lengths to hide their identity when they had purchased controlling shares of Barrett Enterprise. Shortly afterwards, Barrett Enterprises had made some questionable cash transactions with Colombian drug lords and then had started funneling money into Derek Wells Media. Jordan explained that the SEC had decided to turn the investigation over to the DEA, which had been one of the few federal agencies aware of Derek Wells's true identity.
Anna realized that whoever had bought Barrett Enterprises was Julian's boss, so she was curious if any other government agency had known that Julian had been answering to someone else. Jordan admitted that only the DEA had known about Julian's boss, so Jordan had been sent to Port Charles to find out who the top man was. Jordan had hoped with Julian stepping down that Jordan could prove herself with the drug shipment and gain the real boss's trust enough that he would reveal himself to Jordan because no one other than Julian knew the man's identity. However, those plans had been "shot to hell" when Anna and her team had busted the drug shipment.
Anna surprised Jordan by suggesting that the operation was still salvageable -- provided that Jordan worked with Anna. Anna explained that she could make a big show of arresting Jordan, so the other Jerome associates would see that Jordan had been caught up in the bust. Anna was confident that with Julian out of play, the top boss would reach out to Jordan, but Jordan pointed out that the snag in the plan was getting Jordan out of jail. Anna promised to take care of it.
A short time later, Anna and Jordan entered the squad room. Jordan was handcuffed and sputtering with outrage over the arrest. Anna placed Jordan on a chair and then walked away. Nearby, one of the Jerome associates that had been swept up in the bust acknowledged Jordan.
As Jordan waited to be booked, Duke entered the squad room. He approached Anna to ask if Julian had been arrested. After Anna confirmed that Julian was in custody, Duke assured Anna that he had kept his promise by quitting Sonny's organization. Anna's eyes filled with tears as she hugged Duke.
Outside Kelly's, Molly chatted with Ric and Elizabeth as the three enjoyed coffee and dessert. Ric gave Elizabeth an affectionate kiss on the cheek, prompting Molly to apologize for crashing their date. Ric assured his daughter that it was fine, but Molly felt bad and admitted that she was worried because T.J. was late meeting her. As if on cue, T.J. walked up, so Molly jumped up to greet him. Molly immediately sensed that something was wrong, but T.J. wanted to talk to her in private about what was troubling him.
After Molly followed T.J. into Kelly's, Ric went to the window to watch his daughter. He hoped that everything was okay, so Elizabeth reminded Ric that T.J. and Molly were teenagers, which meant that everything was a crisis. Ric worried that it might be something serious, but Elizabeth urged Ric to step back and allow Molly to go to him if there was a problem. She assured him that his daughter had a good head on her shoulders, so he should trust Molly, but Ric remained concerned because Molly tended to wear her heart on her sleeve.
Elizabeth smiled because Ric had only been back in town for two months and had already gone into "dad mode." Ric admitted that he wanted to be a better father than he had been because he didn't want to mess up his second chance with Molly -- or Elizabeth, for that matter. Elizabeth was surprised when Ric opened up to her about Alexis' concern that Ric was Julian's boss, but he quickly added that he had managed to convince Alexis that those days were behind him by swearing on Molly's life.
Ric conceded that he had been tempted to fill the void that Johnny Zacchara had left behind, but Ric had changed his mind because he had appreciated that it would only have been a matter of time before he had been caught. Ric promised that he would not take any chances losing either Molly or Elizabeth. Elizabeth was touched by Ric's sincerity but suddenly noticed the time and announced that she had to get home to her boys. Ric offered to drive her because he selfishly hoped to spend a few minutes "making out" with Elizabeth before walking her to the door.
Inside Kelly's, Molly was shocked when T.J. told her about Jordan's arrest for drug trafficking and how he had gone to the piers and seen his mother in handcuffs. T.J. revealed that Jordan had been involved in the drug trade for years and that the real reason that he had been sent to Port Charles to live with Shawn was because Jordan had been sent to jail for dealing drugs. T.J. admitted that Shawn had done everything possible to protect T.J. from the truth about Jordan.
T.J. admitted that his mother had been the most moral person that he had known, so he couldn't understand how the woman who had spent years teaching him right from wrong and lecturing him about drugs had been as corrupt as everyone else. Molly felt terrible for T.J. and hugged him in an effort to offer him comfort. T.J. wanted to know why people either lied to him or left him, so Molly assured him that she would never lie to him and then promised that she wasn't going anywhere.
At the police station, Julian was livid that he had been prevented from going to the hospital to check on his son. Moments later, Alexis arrived and asked for a word alone with her client. Julian begged Alexis to get him out of there, so she urged him to stop talking because he could inadvertently give the police more ammunition to use against him. She then reminded Julian that Sam was at the hospital with Lucas.
Later, Julian was pacing in the interrogation room when Alexis entered. She revealed that Sam had called to let her know that Lucas was in surgery. Julian's concern for his son mounted as he begged for assurance that Lucas would survive. Alexis assured Julian that everything was being done to save Lucas' life, but Julian was filled with guilt and remorse. Julian realized that it had been arrogant for him to think that he could walk way from the organization without consequences, but Alexis insisted that it had been courageous.
However, Alexis wondered if it was possible that an enemy had targeted Lucas rather than Julian's boss. Julian wondered if she honestly believed that Sonny would go after Lucas, so Alexis conceded that it wasn't Sonny's style. Julian was certain that it had been a message from his boss to let Julian know that walking away was not an option. Alexis explained that it was time for Julian to reveal the boss's identity, but Julian insisted that it wasn't that easy. Alexis warned Julian that things would not work out well for Julian if Julian refused to identity the boss.
Julian was determined to protect his family, but Alexis begged Julian to expose the man's identity. Julian admitted that he was afraid because Lucas' shooting had been intended as a message to Julian that there was no way out for Julian.
At the hospital, Sam arrived and immediately spotted Silas at the nurses' station. Silas told her that her brother was in surgery, so Sam asked for assurance that Lucas would survive. Silas promised her that the best doctors were working to save Lucas' life. Satisfied, Sam turned to leave, but Silas stopped her and then demanded to know where she was going. Sam reminded him that the shooter was still out there, but Silas object to Sam tracking down the shooter while Lucas was alone at the hospital.
Silas reminded Sam that Bobbie was out of town, Julian had been arrested, and Carly was missing, so Sam was the only family that Lucas had. Sam realized that Silas was right. Silas shifted gears to admit that he had been terrified when Sam had chased after the shooter earlier at the gallery, but Sam pointed out that she had once been married to a hit man, so it hadn't been a big deal to her.
Moments later, Sam saw Nathan pass by the nurses' station, pushing a gurney with a body bag. She feared that it was her brother, so she ran over to check. Nathan quickly explained that they had found a dead body in the park. Sam thought that it was odd and reminded Nathan that both she and Silas could identify the shooter, so Nathan unzipped the body bag enough for Silas and Sam to look at the man's face. Silas and Sam confirmed that the dead body was the shooter.
Nathan admitted that the police hadn't killed the man, so Nathan pulled Silas and Sam aside to ask them to walk Nathan through everything that had transpired at the gallery. Sam admitted that the shooter had targeted Lucas, prompting Nathan to wonder if Lucas had any enemies. Silas reminded Nathan that Lucas was the son of a mob boss, while Sam quickly dispelled the idea that someone in Lucas' life would target her brother, especially since Lucas had only recently moved back to Port Charles.
Sam insisted that it had been a professional hit, so Nathan wondered if Sonny might have been behind it. Sam dismissed the possibility because Sonny would never target the children of his enemies. Sam revealed that her family had been gathered at the gallery because her father had announced that he had quit the mob. Sam suspected that someone in the Jerome organization hadn't been happy about Julian's decision. Nathan thanked Silas and Sam for their cooperation and then left to update Anna.
Sam was curious if Silas had any theories, so he admitted that it shouldn't have been a problem for Julian to walk away from the mob if Julian had been the top boss. Sam agreed.
At the Quartermaine mansion, Luke removed the silencer from the gun as he recalled shooting Harry to death in the park. After Luke dropped the silencer and gun into his jacket pocket, he entered the parlor but stopped short when he saw Ned seated in a chair. Ned noted that Luke had been out late, so Ned was curious if Luke had been pounding the pavement, looking for a new job. Luke was not amused and warned Ned to back off. Ned asked what Luke would do if Ned ignored the warning. "Kill me?" Ned asked.
Ned admitted that even though Luke's threat to kill Ned had been disturbing, Ned had realized that Luke was all bark and no bite. Seconds later, Ned heard the click as Luke cocked the gun. Ned was shocked when he realized that Luke had a gun aimed at Ned. "You were saying?" Luke smugly asked. Ned demanded to know what Luke was doing, so Luke reminded Ned that Luke had warned Ned not to cause trouble for Luke and Tracy.
Ned pointed out that Luke couldn't kill Ned and get away with it, but Luke disagreed because Luke could make it appear like a suicide by shooting Ned in the head or the heart. Ned doubted that anyone would believe that Ned would commit suicide, but Luke disagreed because Ned's love life was nonexistent, Ned's daughter barely spoke to Ned, and Ned's music career had been a complete failure. Luke assured Ned that everyone in the family would readily believe that Ned had committed suicide.
Ned was saved when Tracy entered the parlor and saw Luke pointing a gun at her son. She immediately demanded to know what was going on, so Ned explained that Luke had threatened to kill Ned, but Luke denied it as he lowered the gun. Tracy wanted to know where Luke had gotten the gun and why, so Luke claimed that he had picked it up for protection after the intruder had tried to kill A.J. Ned was shocked at Luke's blatant lie and tried to explain to Tracy that Luke had threatened to murder Ned and make it appear like a suicide.
Luke accused Ned of lying and insisted that he had briefly mistaken Ned for an intruder when Ned had stepped out of the shadows. Ned had no idea what game Luke was playing, but Ned vowed to get to the bottom of things. Ned warned Tracy that Luke was trying to isolate her from her own family, so Ned urged her not to let Luke succeed. Ned reminded Tracy that they were Quartermaines and that they might lie to the world, but never about family. Ned begged his mother to believe him, but Tracy shocked Ned by ordering him to leave the house.
Luke smiled with satisfaction as Tracy made it clear that she resented Ned for removing her as CEO of ELQ, so she refused to allow her own son to hurt her anymore. Ned warned Luke that it wasn't over and then stormed out. Luke feigned compassion as he hugged Tracy.
At the hospital, a police officer guarded Lucas' room as Luke walked up. Luke tried to enter the hospital room, but the police officer stopped Luke until Luke provided identification and explained his connection to Lucas.
Lucas was unconscious and hooked to a ventilator when Luke entered the room. Luke conceded that his nephew had turned out to be more difficult to kill than anticipated; however, Lucas needed to die for Julian to understand that Julian couldn't walk away from the organization without repercussions. Luke promised Lucas that it would be a painless death and then reached for the breathing tube to cinch off the oxygen flow to Lucas, but Luke was forced to abandon his plan when Bobbie entered the room and greeted her brother.
Unaware of what Luke had been doing, Bobbie thanked Luke for visiting Lucas, so Luke feigned concern for his nephew by asking about Lucas' prognosis. Bobbie revealed that Lucas was expected to make a full recovery, provided that Lucas remained stable, because the bullet had missed Lucas' heart. Luke carefully hid his disappointment and blamed Julian for the shooting. Bobbie admitted that she had always objected to Lucas having a relationship with Julian because her greatest fear had been that Lucas would be caught in the crossfire.
Luke pretended to be concerned about his sister and suggested that she go home to get some rest. He promised Bobbie that he would stay with Lucas, but Bobbie refused to leave her son's side. Luke continued to push, but Bobbie dug in her heels. Frustrated, Luke left with the promise to return with coffee and some breakfast for Bobbie.
In the hallway, Alexis bumped into Luke and asked for an update on Lucas. She was delighted by the good news and eager to share it with Julian, but Luke growled that Lucas had been shot because of Julian. Alexis clarified that the "son of a bitch" that Julian answered to was responsible for the shooting and then recalled Luke's warning that Julian's boss would retaliate for Julian's leaving the mob. Luke tensed when Alexis insisted that the only way out for Julian was to name names.
Luke warned Alexis that it would be the worst mistake possible because Julian's boss might target Alexis, Sam, or even Danny next if Julian talked, but Alexis argued that the only way for Julian to protect Julian's loved ones was to put Julian's boss behind bars. Luke changed the subject by asking Alexis to persuade Bobbie to go to the cafeteria for something to eat because he was concerned about his sister. Alexis understood Bobbie's reluctance to leave Lucas' side, but she agreed to do what she could.
At the jail, Julian repeatedly shouted for a guard until Jordan asked Julian to calm down because no one had responded to Julian's countless previous summonses. Julian's temper flared because he blamed Jordan for their predicament. He accused her of being incompetent and regretted trusting her to take care of the shipment after he had left the organization. Jordan was stunned when she learned that Lucas had been shot and asked what had happened. Julian would only reveal that Lucas hadn't been shot by a police officer.
Jordan thought that she had a right to know who she was dealing with, especially when the boss of the organization targeted family members, so she implored Julian to tell her who their boss was. Julian refused to tell her because he could only think about his son, who had been completely innocent. Julian blamed himself for Lucas getting hurt, so Jordan admitted that she felt the same way about her son.
Moments later, T.J. arrived to speak with Jordan. Julian was desperate for news about his son and threatened to sue the police department if they continued to deny him the phone call that he was entitled to. The police officer decided to take Julian to the squad room, so Jordan waited until Julian had left to try to explain things to T.J. T.J. made it clear that he wasn't interested in his mother's lies because she was a drug dealer and a criminal. T.J. handed Jordan a piece of paper, which she realized was the title to the car that she had given to him.
T.J. made it clear that he didn't want the car that Jordan had given him because it had been bought with drug money. Jordan assured him that she loved him and then explained that she had fallen apart after T.J.'s father had died and had made a poor choice. Jordan admitted that she had lost her job and that she and T.J. had been about to lose their home, so she had agreed to do something illegal.
According to Jordan it had been intended to be a one-time thing, but she had been caught and then sent to jail. T.J. didn't buy Jordan's excuses because he pointed out that she had immediately returned to her life of crime. Jordan assured T.J. that she loved him and promised him that he would one day understand why she had done the things that she had, but T.J. stormed out. Jordan sat down and began to weep.
In the squad room, Scott left Lucy a voicemail message, begging her to return his phone call because he had been going crazy wondering what had been going on between her and Kevin. After Scott ended the call, Anna entered the squad room and approached Scott to discuss Julian's arrest. She hoped that Scott would be able to successfully prosecute Julian after Scott's affair with a married woman. Scott made it clear that what had happened at the Nurses Ball had stayed at the Nurses Ball.
Anna continued to insult Scott's integrity, so he suggested that they keep it professional and then promised that he would send Julian to jail. Satisfied, Anna answered Scott's questions about the dead hit man who had been found in the park. Anna admitted that the hit man's gun hadn't been recovered, prompting Scott to theorize that the person who had hired the hit man had taken the gun after killing the hit man. Anna wanted to keep an open mind about everything, but Scott was certain that Julian had been the intended target at the gallery, which meant that Sonny should be investigated.
Anna suggested that Scott focus on the people that they had arrested, so Scott glanced at Jordan's file and asked what they had on Ms. Ashford. Anna conceded that they had caught Jordan with enough cocaine to "keep Port Charles lit up until Christmas." Anna and Scott's talk was cut short when Julian was led into the squad room, demanding an update on Lucas. Anna told Julian that Alexis had called to report that Lucas had made it through surgery and was stable. Julian sagged with relief but demanded to make the phone call that he was entitled to.
Anna granted Julian's request and then walked away. Scott advised Julian to make it a "good" call because Scott intended to see Julian in court. Julian surprised Scott by revealing that Julian no longer needed to make a phone call because the person that Julian wanted to speak to was Scott. Scott tensed as he led Julian into the interrogation room for a private talk. Julian didn't hesitate to remind Scott that Scott had won the election because Julian had provided Scott with damaging information about Scott's opponent.
Julian demanded to be released from jail, but Scott refused to because the evidence against Julian was too strong. Julian denied any involvement with the shipment of drugs because Julian had been at the gallery, watching as his son was shot. Julian vowed to release the damaging recording that Julian had made of his meeting with Scott during the election to ensure that Scott faced corruption charges by lunchtime if Scott failed to help Julian. Resigned, Scott agreed to send Julian to the courthouse for arraignment.
Later, Anna approached Jordan's jail cell and immediately noticed that Jordan was upset. Jordan explained that T.J. was convinced that Jordan was a drug dealer, which had made Jordan realize that she was sacrificing her only child to find out who Julian's boss was. Anna suddenly noticed that Julian wasn't in his jail cell, so she demanded to know where he was.
At the hospital, Alexis and Bobbie went to the cafeteria as Luke promised to stay with Lucas until Bobbie returned. Luke entered Lucas' hospital room, shut the door, closed the blinds, and then returned to Lucas' bedside to reach for the breathing tube. Luke once again cut off Lucas' oxygen supply, unaware that Julian stood outside of Lucas' hospital room.
At Kelly's, Lucy glanced down at her phone and saw that Scott had left her a voicemail message. She ignored the call and then looked up as Kevin arrived. Lucy greeted Kevin with a tentative smile as she told him that she had ordered his breakfast exactly the way that he liked it. She confessed that she was happy that he had called because she hadn't been able to eat or sleep since the Nurses Ball. She wondered where he had been, so he revealed that he had been staying at the hospital.
Lucy assured Kevin that it was no longer necessary to stay away from home because they could talk things out and move forward. Kevin was astounded that Lucy thought that it was that simple after she'd had a full-blown affair with Scott. Kevin reminded her that he had found out about Lucy and Scott's affair in front of a room full of people and a television audience. He admitted that he had no idea what the ratings for the Nurses Ball had been, but judging from the stares and snickers that he had received since the ball, he guessed that the Nurses Ball had won its time slot.
Lucy admitted that she couldn't imagine what Kevin had been going through, so he decided to enlighten her. He revealed that he had become a joke. "Jimmy Kimmel worked me into his opening monologue," Kevin added. He also informed her that half of his patients had left the practice because they couldn't trust a psychiatrist who hadn't even recognized a problem in his own marriage. Kevin accused Lucy of ruining his life, so Lucy tearfully apologized and reminded him that he had called her to work on their marriage.
Kevin explained that he had called Lucy to let her know that he had decided to divorce her. Shocked, Lucy refused to believe that he would throw away their marriage because of one indiscretion. Lucy insisted that it was over with Scott and that she had chosen Kevin, but Kevin disagreed because he pointed out that Lucy wouldn't have been caught in her underwear, practically having sex with Scott on stage, if her affair with Scott had been over. Lucy claimed that it had been an accident and that she loved Kevin, but Kevin demanded to know if that was true or if she was in love with Scott. Lucy struggled to answer the question and then admitted that she loved both Kevin and Scott.
However, Lucy insisted that she wanted to save her marriage. Lucy wondered if Kevin had ever had any patients who had been in the same predicament and if he had advised them to divorce. Kevin argued that Lucy wasn't his patient and then walked out. Lucy began to cry and fled the diner.
Outside, Scott walked up and caught Lucy in his arms as she blindly ran out of Kelly's. She was distraught, so he tried to talk to her, but Lucy begged Scott to leave her alone and then angrily accused him of ruining her marriage. Scott tightened his hold on Lucy as she revealed that Kevin wanted a divorce and then cried inconsolably.
Across town, Carly arrived home and discovered that no one was at her residence. She was surprised that no one had left a message, but Franco glanced at her answering machine and noted that she had fifteen messages. "Who gets fifteen messages?" Franco wondered. Carly suspected that they were all from Anna, so she played the first message. It was Anna demanding that Carly return the call because Anna knew that Carly had A.J.'s cell phone.
Carly cut the message short and told Franco that the other fourteen messages were likely a variation of the one that they had just listened to. Franco was curious what Carly intended to do with the recording that they had obtained from A.J.'s cell phone, so Carly admitted that she planned to unpack. Franco was confused because he thought that they had turned to Spinelli for help to get the goods on Ava. He couldn't understand why Carly wouldn't share the recording of Ava confession to Connie's murder and the attempts on A.J.'s life with Anna.
Carly pointed out that the recording also incriminated Sonny in A.J.'s shooting. Franco didn't think that was a problem, but Carly refused to sacrifice Sonny to get Ava. Franco suggested that perhaps they could ask Spinelli how to erase the portion of the recording that had incriminated Sonny, but Carly dismissed the idea because she was certain that the first thing that Ava would do when Anna arrested Ava was reveal that Sonny had shot A.J. Franco pointed out that it would be Ava's word against Sonny's, but Carly refused to risk it, especially since Michael would know that Ava's accusation was true.
Carly revealed that she had another option; she could take the recording to Sonny. Franco warned Carly that sharing the recording with Sonny would be a death sentence for Ava, but Carly didn't care because Ava had used Morgan and had manipulated Sonny. However, Carly was curious why Franco seemed worried about the idea of Sonny killing Ava. Franco assured Carly that he didn't care about Ava, but he did care about Kiki, so even though Ava wasn't a good mother, Kiki had a bond with Ava.
Carly insisted that Sonny deserved to know the truth because she feared that Ava would use Sonny's gratitude to continue to manipulate Sonny. Franco promised that he would support whatever Carly decided, but he intended to help Carly by getting Anna off of Carly's back. He confirmed that Spinelli had removed the damaging recording from the phone and then left.
Later, Franco entered the squad room and approached Anna. Anna demanded to know why Carly and Franco had lied and disappeared with A.J.'s cell phone. Franco claimed that he and Carly had merely taken the cell phone to download snapshots for Michael and then handed the phone to Anna. Anna didn't believe him, but Franco knew that she couldn't charge him with anything and left.
At Corinthos Coffee, Sonny watched the news footage about Julian's arrest and then turned off the television. Moments later, Sonny called Olivia, but the call went to voicemail. He begged her to return his call because he missed her and didn't want to spend another night without her. Sonny ended the call when Shawn entered the office.
Shawn and Sonny discussed Jordan's arrest. Shawn assured Sonny that he didn't blame Sonny for what had happened to Jordan because Shawn realized that T.J. had been bound to find out the truth about Jordan. Shawn was grateful that at least Julian had been taken down and was behind bars. The conversation then turned to Ava's return. Shawn admitted that he needed to tell Sonny something before Ava returned to Port Charles.
Shawn told Sonny about the incident when Shawn had arrived at the gallery as Ava had prepared to shoot Julian. Shawn had stopped Ava from pulling the trigger, but Julian had revealed that Ava had been the sniper that had shot Olivia on Metro Court Restaurant's terrace the night that Sonny had sent Shawn to take out Franco. Stunned, Sonny wondered why Shawn hadn't said anything sooner, so Shawn explained that Ava had claimed that it had been an accident and then had threatened to tell the police that Sonny had shot A.J. if Shawn revealed the truth to Sonny.
Sonny wasn't surprised that Ava had used A.J.'s shooting as leverage, but Sonny was satisfied that he had Ava right where he wanted her because Sonny was Ava's only remaining friend. Moments later, Carly barged into the office, demanding to speak to Sonny about an urgent matter. Sonny instructed Shawn to put things on hold until Sonny contacted him and then dismissed Shawn. After Shawn left, Carly explained that she had something important to tell Sonny, but she warned him to prepare himself because it was bad and concerned Connie. Carly then began to play the recording for Sonny.
