Spencer piled up some books in order to reach the safe. He opened the safe and took out the ring. "Alan Quartermaine?" a confused Spencer read off the inscription. He closed the safe and put the books back then told his driver that they were going out.
Emma looked out the window. Patrick assured her that staring outside wouldn't get Sam to the house any faster. He told Emma that Sam had had some car trouble, so she wouldn't be there yet. Just then, the doorbell rang, and Patrick opened the door to Spencer. Patrick wondered if Nikolas knew where Spencer was. Spencer responded that Nikolas was talking to a plastic surgeon at the hospital.
Elizabeth updated Nikolas that Jake's wife had shown up. Stunned, Nikolas bombarded Elizabeth with questions, so she told him the whole story. Just then, Nikolas' phone rang. He answered it to Patrick, who wanted to let Nikolas know that Spencer was at Patrick's. Nikolas apologized on Spencer's behalf, and Patrick hung up the phone.
Nikolas updated Elizabeth on Spencer's condition, and lack of self-esteem. He wanted a distraction, so he asked Elizabeth to tell him more about Jake's alleged wife. She told him about all of Hayden's proof that she was Jake's wife. He muttered that there had to be another explanation. She wondered why it bothered him so much. He told her that he didn't want to see her hurt.
Nikolas continued that he'd paid for all of Jake's medical bills. He hoped that Hayden hadn't shown up looking for more handouts. He wondered where Hayden was staying, and Elizabeth directed him to the Metro Court. Nikolas thanked her for the information and turned to leave. Elizabeth regretted telling him where to find Hayden and added that she was worried about Nikolas and Spencer.
Nikolas replied that he hated seeing Spencer suffer, but it was worse to feel sorry for him. He wanted to get his and Spencer's lives back to normal. "And under normal circumstances, I would have a lot of questions about Jake," he added. Elizabeth reminded him that it wouldn't change the fact that Jake was married. "We'll see about that," Nikolas said when he was safely in the elevator.
Sam entered the garage and was surprised to find Jake. He informed her that the garage was where Julian had put Jake. She explained to him that her car had been making a strange sound, but noticing the disorder in the garage, she offered to return another time. He apologized for the state of the garage and cited the motorcycle in the corner as the reason for his distraction. He reluctantly told her that the motorcycle had given him déjà vu that had involved her.
Noticing Jake's wedding ring, Sam wondered how he was doing reacquainting himself with his wife. She added that his ring could have been what he'd been talking about before his surgery when he'd said, "There's only one ring." She'd had a theory that the comment had been about her wedding ring on her bedside table, and she told him about how Jason had had his wedding ring on when he'd died. She was sorry to have lost the ring, since it had been a Quartermaine family heirloom, and she would have liked to have given it to Danny one day.
Sam apologized for babbling and told him that she trusted him with her car. He offered to give her a ride home so she didn't have to wait while he fixed her car. She informed him that she was actually going to Patrick's, because she was moving in with him. He didn't have a car, but he offered to give her a ride on the motorcycle. She accepted, and he handed her a helmet. She told him that he reminded her of "someone I used to go riding with." She got on the bike and put her helmet on, and they were off.
Patrick offered Spencer and Emma a treat and left to get it. As soon as Patrick was gone, Spencer demanded to know why Emma hadn't been at Wyndemere to welcome him home. Emma excitedly informed him that Sam and Danny were moving into her house, so she had to be home. Spencer had assumed that Emma had thought him too ugly. "In that case, I have something for you," he told her. He produced the ring from his pocket and wanted Emma to swear to be his "one true love" forever.
Spencer continued that the ring was Alan Quartermaine's, so it was "real gold." Emma knew that Alan had been Jason's father, who had died. She wondered why he had the ring. He wanted her to accept it as a symbol of their commitment to one another. Emma denied the ring because it didn't belong to Spencer, and they didn't need a ring to prove their feelings for one another.
Spencer accused Emma of still having feelings for Cameron. Emma denied the accusation, but Spencer kept hurling them at her. He threw the ring across the room. Just then, Patrick returned. "Are you getting along?" he wondered. Spencer angrily responded that he was going home, and he left. The ring sat on the floor underneath the couch.
Emma told Patrick about what had happened. "You're way too young to talk like that," he told her, assuring her that she'd done nothing wrong. Just then, the doorbell rang. Patrick was happy to answer the door to Sam. Emma was ecstatic to have Sam there. Patrick instructed Emma to get her things ready to go to Mac and Felicia's, so she left, telling Sam not to go anywhere. He asked Sam if her car had been fixed. She told him it was still at the garage, and she'd gotten a ride from Jake.
Jake pulled up to the garage and got off the motorcycle. He thoughtfully picked up the helmet Sam had worn.
On the elevator at the hospital, Ric told Hayden how close he was to getting Elizabeth back. He vowed that nothing would mess it up. Back in her hotel room, she ordered lobster and Champagne as a "victory celebration." A short while later, the food arrived. She proposed a toast to "my acting abilities." She informed Ric that, if Elizabeth had thought she'd had a chance with Jake, she no longer did once Hayden had started talking about her and Jake's "amnesia sex," even though it hadn't been real.
Hayden continued that she had needs too. "Up for the challenge?" she asked Ric. She suggested they have some fun while waiting for Jake and Elizabeth. He didn't want to risk discovery and told her that "I'm not that into you." Hayden whined that she'd been lonely since her husband had left her. She began to loosen his tie. He grabbed her hands and stated, "Not gonna happen."
Ric informed Hayden that he only cared about Elizabeth and left. A short while later, there was a knock on the door. "Who are you?" Hayden asked. "I should ask you the same question," Nikolas replied.
Ric texted Elizabeth and said, "No pressure. I hope you're having a good afternoon." A few short moments later, she received another text that said, "And whenever you're ready, I'm still here." Elizabeth smiled.
Kiki got off the elevator at the Metro Court just as Morgan entered the building. Kiki wondered if Michael had been using his allergy medicine. Morgan assured her that Michael's allergies were killing him, so all they had left to do was to "drive him to drink." Morgan told Kiki that he'd seen Alice, who had accidentally let it slip that one-third of ELQ's shares had gotten into the wrong hands. She'd instructed Morgan to keep it quiet, but Kiki observed that, while Morgan had agreed to keep the secret, she hadn't.
A sneezing Michael grumbled about the slow wireless Internet at the Metro Court restaurant. Sabrina entered with Avery and sat down at Michael's table. He complained to her that his allergy pills didn't seem to be working and that someone was trying to take over ELQ. He explained how one-third of ELQ's shares were most likely in the hands of Helena Cassadine, for whom he had investigators searching. He thought Nikolas was his best chance at finding Helena, but Nikolas had been out of touch since Spencer's accident.
Just then, a reporter from Access Port Charles walked up to the table and asked Michael for a quote. Michael instructed the man to make an appointment. The reporter replied that he would have to run his story, which would be titled "CEO Loses Third of ELQ." Michael demanded to know who the reporter had heard that from. The reporter refused to name his source. Michael insisted that he had no comment, and the reporter walked away.
Morgan and Kiki exited the elevator and bumped right into the reporter, who Morgan told to "hang out at the bar." Morgan and Kiki walked over to Michael's table to greet Avery. Michael didn't want either of them near Avery, but Morgan reminded him that there was no court order restricting their visits. Kiki revealed that they were there for a "fancy lunch to celebrate getting back together."
Kiki continued that she should have listened to her first impression of Michael, which had been that he was a "judgmental jerk." "Morgan was the better brother for me all along," she added. Michael reminded her that Morgan was her mother's ex. Morgan said that Ava was a big reason why they were back together -- they understood "each other's loss." Michael accused Morgan of taking advantage of Kiki's grief. Kiki wondered why Michael cared, since he'd broken up with her.
Morgan and Kiki walked off to their table, laughing over getting under Michael's skin. A waitress arrived at the table after they were seated. Kiki told the server that she hadn't decided what she wanted, but Michael looked "thirsty."
Michael vented to Sabrina that, even after all of Kiki's lies, he still wanted to believe her. "They deserve each other," he stated, watching the two laugh together. A waitress arrived at the table. As the reporter recorded the interaction from the bar, Michael ordered a scotch on the rocks.
At the nurses' station, Valerie asked Elizabeth where "that son of a bitch, Luke Spencer," was. Elizabeth was taken aback by Valerie's vehemence, but politely explained that she couldn't give Valerie that information, since Valerie wasn't family. Valerie angrily announced that she was Luke's niece, but Elizabeth was skeptical because Elizabeth had once been married to Luke's son and had never heard of Valerie. Valerie revealed that her mother, Patricia, had been Luke's eldest sister, Patricia, then added that she had referred to her mother in the past tense because Luke had killed Patricia.
Elizabeth admitted that, despite the family connection, it would be negligent of her to give Valerie the information while Luke was recovering. Annoyed, Valerie marched over to the stack of patient charts sitting on the desk, determined to find the information she needed. Valerie's temper flared when Elizabeth quickly snatched the charts out of Valerie's hands then threatened to call security. Dante walked up to ask what the problem was, so Valerie angrily demanded to be taken to Luke because she wanted Luke to pay for what he had done to her mother.
Dante calmly promised Elizabeth that Valerie wasn't dangerous and asked for Elizabeth's understanding because Valerie had suffered a crushing loss. Elizabeth reluctantly put the phone down, so Dante thanked her then led Valerie away. In a quiet corner, Dante assured Valerie that Luke was in police custody and would pay for his crimes, but Valerie wasn't satisfied. Dante suspected Valerie used the anger to hide from the pain of losing her mother, but Valerie argued that she was consumed by the pain of her loss.
Valerie explained that her parents had split up before her birth, so her mother had been all she'd had. Her eyes welled up with tears as she talked about her life with Patricia and how her mother had insisted on going to Oak Hill to give Valerie a life beyond being a full-time caregiver. Dante confided that he'd always had the same close relationship with his own mother, so he appreciated Valerie's desire for justice, but he urged her to find it inside herself to remember what her mother had told her and to hold on to the special moments they had shared because no one could ever take that from her. "Like she was taken from me?" Valerie asked as angry tears shimmered in her eyes.
In Luke's hospital room, Luke slowly opened his eyes as Tracy and Lulu hovered near his bed. Luke started to tell them about a nightmare he'd had until he realized it hadn't been a dream. Luke was stunned that he had killed his parents, so he asked to talk to his sister Patricia. Tracy and Lulu's expressions turned somber as Tracy gently explained that Patricia had passed away from a weak heart. Luke immediately blamed himself, since he had terrified his sister at Oak Hill and then had made her chase after him, but both Tracy and Lulu insisted that Luke wasn't responsible for Patricia's death because Patricia had been sick for a long time.
Luke was filled with remorse because Patricia had sacrificed so much for him and had saved him from going to jail, but Tracy reminded him that Patricia had wanted to help him. Luke argued that he would never truly be able to make amends to his sister, so he regretted that he hadn't recalled what Patricia had done for him sooner. Tracy insisted it was what Patricia had wanted because Luke's father, Tim, had been responsible for Luke's mother's death.
Luke disagreed because Luke had swung the bat that had struck Lena in the head. His tone filled with self-loathing because he hadn't been able to handle what he had done and had blocked the tragedy out until Bill Eckert had implored Luke to forgive himself for Lena's death. Luke admitted that he still hadn't been able to face it, so he had stashed it away -- along with the part of him that had been like Tim Spencer. Tracy pointed out that it hadn't stayed buried, so Luke revealed that a year after Bill's death, the nightmare had surfaced.
Luke revealed that he had felt the hatred, anger, and disappointment boiling up inside, which had driven him to vanish for periods of time to seek out the likes of Cesar Faison and Julian Jerome. Luke recalled telling people, like Jerry Jacks, with whom Luke had made alliances, that there was someone in Port Charles who looked like Luke. According to Luke, eventually the darkness buried deep inside him became a different identity, but he had always told himself that he would never allow it to touch his family. Lulu suddenly realized her father hadn't neglected his family but instead had tried to protect them.
Tracy quietly wondered what had triggered the change a year before, so Luke explained the electroshock therapy and drugs that Heather's henchman at Miscavige had used to subdue him had had the opposite effect because all the ugly emotions had risen to the surface and turned him into Tim Spencer. Luke was startled when he suddenly saw his father's unique tattoo on the inside of his left arm in the same place at Tim's had been. Tracy became concerned when she noticed the change in Luke, but he blinked his eyes, and the tattoo was gone.
Luke feared his dark side would never go away because the wall containing it had broken. Luke doubted the monster could be put back in the cage, so Tracy decided to find Luke's doctors to let them know that Luke was awake and remembered everything. Luke was touched when Tracy added that she also intended to contact an attorney for him. After Tracy left, Lulu promised to support him, too, because she wanted him to heal. Luke explained that it might not happen because a lot needed to be fixed.
Lulu told her father she loved him then advised him to get some rest. After Lulu left, Luke remained troubled, so he looked up when he heard someone enter the room. It was Valerie.
In the hallway, Lulu was surprised when she bumped into Dante. She assumed her husband had been in the morgue with Valerie, making arrangements for Patricia, so Dante quickly filled his wife in about her cousin's disappearance and desire for Luke to pay for Patricia's death. Alarmed, Lulu warned her husband that Valerie couldn't get anywhere near Luke, but Dante assured Lulu that Valerie was resting in the visitors' lounge.
At the nurses' station, Elizabeth decided to reply to Ric's text messages.
At Metro Court, Hayden poured herself a glass of Champagne but set it down when she heard a knock at the door. Nikolas stood silently on Hayden's doorstep, so she asked who he was. Nikolas confessed that he had been about to ask her the same thing, so Hayden flirtatiously explained that she didn't mind visits from handsome men, but she was expecting her husband. Nikolas pushed his way into the hotel suite as he accused her of lying about being Jake's wife.
Hayden threatened to call the hotel's security or the police, so Nikolas promised to expose her as a fraud. Hayden immediately put the phone down as she reluctantly backed off. Nikolas smiled with satisfaction because her decision not to involve the police confirmed she was pulling a scam, so he wondered if her name really was Hayden Barnes. Hayden was curious who Nikolas was, so he introduced himself and added that he was Elizabeth's friend. Hayden assumed Nikolas questioned her story out of loyalty to Elizabeth, but Nikolas clarified he knew she had lied about Jake.
Hayden stubbornly stuck to her story, but Nikolas explained that he knew the man staying in her room was not Jake Barnes. Hayden's eyes narrowed as she asked how Nikolas could be certain, but Nikolas reminded her that he didn't owe her any answers, since he wasn't the one who had lied. Hayden argued that she didn't have any reason to lie about Jake, since Jake had nothing, including money. Nikolas smiled knowingly as he looked around the room then revealed that he knew who had been bankrolling Hayden.
Hayden quickly relaxed when Nikolas asked if she was working for his grandmother, Helena Cassadine. "You got me," Hayden answered. Nikolas growled with frustration that Helena had managed to find a way to cause trouble despite her confinement. He muttered that his situation was difficult enough without his grandmother's meddling. He asked if Helena had explained why it was imperative that Jake not learn his true identity. "Obviously," Hayden replied.
Nikolas decided to call his grandmother to warn Helena to stop interfering, so Hayden was forced to confess that she had been bluffing about Helena. However, Hayden warned Nikolas that he had let his own secret about knowing Jake's true identity slip.
At the Drake residence, Sam and Patrick waved goodbye to Emma then closed the door. As they settled on the sofa, they talked about Jake dropping Sam off. Sam explained that her father had taken over Johnny Zacchara's auto repair shop, so Julian had given Jake a job running the place. Sam picked up on Patrick's tension, so she asked if she had done something to upset him. Patrick confessed that he was worried about Sam because they didn't know much about Jake other than that Jake had been subjected to extreme mental conditioning. She quickly reminded him that Jake was not to blame for what Helena had done, but Patrick accused Sam of being quick to forgive, which Patrick appreciated in her.
Sam wondered if Patrick trusted her, so he promised her that he did. Relieved, Sam assured Patrick that he didn't have anything to worry about because Jake had simply given her a ride, since her car was in the shop. Patrick was not happy that Sam had ridden on the back of a motorcycle with Jake, but Sam assured Patrick that Jake had known what he was doing. "Yeah, like taking hostages and shooting cops," Patrick groused.
Sam playfully scolded Patrick, but he remained concerned about Jake. Sam reminded Patrick that Patrick liked to drive stock cars for fun then confessed that being on the motorcycle had been exhilarating. "Okay, adventure girl," Patrick replied with a smile. "Adventure buddy," Sam amended. She insisted that she and Patrick were a team, but Patrick didn't want anything to happen to her.
Sam stood up to twirl around to show Patrick that she didn't have a scratch on her. Afterwards, she smiled seductively as she pointed out that they had the house to themselves, so Patrick picked her up and carried her to the bedroom -- unaware that Jason's wedding band was under the sofa.
At the auto garage, Jake was surprised when he saw Julian waiting. Julian feared Jake had bailed, so Jake explained that he had taken Sam home when her car had broken down. Julian's brow lifted when Jake revealed he had used the motorcycle found in the garage, which Jake had assumed belonged to the shop. Julian was curious how Jake's wife might feel about Jake's little trip. Jake was taken aback by the question, but Julian asked if Jake had had any recollection of Hayden. After Jake revealed he hadn't, Julian suggested Jake try to see things from Hayden's perspective.
Julian pointed out that Hayden might not be happy to know her husband, who had been missing for months, had been driving an attractive woman around on a motorcycle. Jake assured Julian that neither Julian nor Hayden had anything to worry about because Sam was not the woman Jake had eyes for. Jake recalled his last passionate kiss with Elizabeth but opted not to elaborate. Julian shifted gears to ask if Jake still had the gun Jake had confiscated from Shawn's men, so Jake confirmed that he did. Satisfied, Julian instructed Jake to not hesitate to defend the shop with maximum force if necessary.
Moments later, Carlos walked in but stopped short when he saw Jake. Carlos demanded to know what Jake was doing there, so Julian revealed that Jake had saved Julian's life. "We have a problem here?" Julian added in a menacing tone. Carlos confessed that he had assumed that Jake would be mopping floors at the gallery, but Julian didn't want to waste Jake's impressive skills. Julian quickly filled Carlos in about Jake's timely intervention when Shawn and a couple of Corinthos men had shown up at the shop, looking for Julian, furious about a "boosted" shipment, which Julian hadn't known anything about.
Carlos refused to discuss it in front of Jake, so Jake slipped into the back room. However, Jake remained close enough to eavesdrop on Julian and Carlos' conversation. Meanwhile, Carlos conceded that he had gone behind Julian's back to steal the shipment, so Julian blasted Carlos because Julian feared the Corinthos organization would get wind of the plans for Julian to take out a high-level member of the rival organization. Carlos apologized but assured Julian that the hit would be carried out within a few short days, at the first opportunity. Julian decided to meet with his "lieutenants," so Julian and Carlos left. Jake made certain the coast was clear then reported to Sloane.
In Metro Court's lobby, Ric bumped into his brother. Ric confessed that he had intended to call Sonny because the Judicial Review Board had agreed to hear Ric's argument about the complaint filed against Judge Walters. Ric was confident Sonny would soon be granted a new custody hearing with an unbiased judge. Sonny was relieved but hoped the judge ruled in Sonny's favor. However, Sonny was grateful for all Ric had done for him. Sonny noticed his brother glance at the phone, so he joked that he doubted Ric was waiting to hear from the board.
Ric confessed that he had been checking for a text message from Elizabeth. Sonny smiled because he hoped Elizabeth kicked Jake to the curb, especially since Jake had gone to work for Julian. Sonny told Ric about Jake's appearance during a confrontation between Shawn and Julian, and Shawn's impression that Jake had handled himself like a professional -- fast and efficient. "So much for going legit," Sonny remarked.
Ric told his brother that, with any luck, Jake would soon be leaving town with Jake's wife. Sonny was surprised to learn about the woman's existence, but Ric hoped the woman would be the answer to all of Ric's problems. Moments later, Ric received a text message from Elizabeth, so he quickly excused himself.
A short time later, Ric approached Elizabeth at the nurses' station. He was hopeful that she had decided to give him a second chance.
In Metro Court Restaurant, Sabrina reminded Michael that it wasn't worth it to let Morgan and Kiki get under his skin. Michael watched with mounting fury as Morgan and Kiki sat at a table in his direct line of sight, cuddling and giggling.
Nearby, Kiki watched Michael out of the corner of her eye as she assured Morgan their plan to push Michael's buttons appeared to be working. She smiled with satisfaction when Michael ordered a scotch on the rocks because she knew it would interact adversely with the pills Morgan had substituted for Michael's allergy medications. "And jackpot," Kiki said when she saw Michael take a drink of alcohol.
At Michael's table, Sabrina became alarmed when Michael polished off the first drink then ordered a second. Michael insisted he needed to take the edge off, so Sabrina reminded him they had a car waiting. Sabrina warned Michael that Morgan and Kiki's high school antics were a desperate attempt to get Michael's attention and make him jealous, so Michael decided Kiki was welcome to his "pathologically insecure" brother. Sabrina invited Michael to take the day off and spend it with her and A.J., but Michael declined because he had work to do.
After Sabrina left, Kiki noticed that Michael hadn't taken a sip of the second drink. She feared that one drink might not give them the desired effect, so she suggested that Morgan kiss her. The kiss had the desired effect as Michael took another drink. Morgan suddenly pulled away from the passionate kiss as he admitted that he and Kiki still had "off the charts" chemistry. "Well, well, well. Isn't this whole thing cozy?" Michael suddenly slurred as he stumbled to Morgan and Kiki's table.
Morgan subtly sent the Access Port Charles reporter at the bar a text message instructing the man to find a better seat and begin recording. The reporter selected a nearby table and recorded Michael's confrontation with Morgan and Kiki on a cell phone. Kiki reminded Michael that he had ruined their relationship. "What relationship?" Michael drunkenly scoffed then accused Kiki of only being interested in Michael because Michael had been forbidden. Michael suspected Kiki only wanted the brother she couldn't have, but Morgan objected.
"Watch it Mikey," Morgan warned. "Michael," Michael corrected his brother. Michael pointed out that Morgan had only started to refer to Michael as "Mikey" when Morgan had returned to town. Michael suspected it was a feeble attempt to make Morgan appear superior, so Kiki wouldn't realize that Morgan didn't have a job or an education -- and his greatest accomplishment had been to lose $50,000 playing poker online. Kiki, aware of the camera recording the incident, insisted that she and Morgan were simply trying to have a nice lunch.
Michael accused Morgan and Kiki of trying to rub their relationship in his face, so Kiki feigned shock as she asked if Michael had been drinking. She made a point of reminding Michael that their sister had just been at the restaurant, but Michael argued that A.J. had left with Sabrina. Morgan goaded Michael to provoke a fight, but Michael was hurt and angry that Kiki had moved on with Morgan. Kiki seemed surprised when Michael admitted that he had loved her, but Morgan jumped up to order Michael to leave.
Michael started to turn away but suddenly turned back to punch Morgan. Morgan easily dodged the swing, so Michael lost his footing and fell. Michael angrily brushed off any attempts to help him up then staggered to the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Morgan instructed the reporter to follow Michael and to continue recording.
After the reporter left, Kiki questioned if she and Morgan had gone too far. She feared that Michael might hurt himself or someone else, but Morgan assured her that Michael had drivers to take him around. Morgan insisted that only Michael's pride and reputation would be ruined once the footage appeared on Access Port Charles, but he was disappointed it hadn't transpired in front of Avery.
In the lobby, Sonny was pleasantly surprised when he saw Sabrina exit the elevator with his daughter Avery. Sabrina tensed as Sonny approached to ask to spend a few minutes with his daughter. Sabrina gently but firmly reminded Sonny that Michael had given her strict instructions not to allow Sonny near the baby, but Sonny promised he wouldn't even pick Avery up. Sonny held out his hand to Avery as she grabbed his finger.
Sonny kneeled down to quietly assure his daughter that he would continue to fight for custody of her until he had her back. Sabrina was uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, so she insisted she had to leave. Seconds later, Michael exited the elevator. Michael was furious when he saw Sonny with A.J., so he shouted at Sonny to get away from the baby.
At the hospital, Lulu asked if Dante wanted to go home, but Dante didn't think it would be a good idea to leave Valerie alone, since Lulu's cousin didn't have anywhere to go. Lulu assured Dante that Valerie could return to the loft with them, so Dante decided to fetch Valerie.
A short time later, Dante returned from the visitors' lounge to report that Valerie had vanished. Lulu wondered if perhaps Valerie had gone to the morgue to be with Patricia, but Dante suspected Valerie had sought someone else out.
In Luke's hospital room, Luke groggily greeted his niece as she closed the door. Valerie's expression clouded with fury when Luke began to apologize for the "atrocities" he had committed against her then wondered if there was anything he could do to help her. Valerie informed Luke that she didn't have any interest in forgiving him -- she wanted vengeance. Valerie suddenly brandished a scalpel as she advanced on Luke with deadly intent. Rather than show concern for his life, Luke welcomed her well-deserved wrath for what he had done to her.
Valerie didn't care what happened to her, but she was furious Luke had been responsible for her mother's death. Luke admitted he was ashamed of his actions and would do whatever he needed to make things right, but Valerie argued that it wasn't possible, since her mother was dead. Valerie was determined to find justice for her mother then tearfully told Luke about her life with Patricia and how it had always been just Valerie and Patricia. Valerie was distraught as she confessed that she had no idea how to go on without her mother because Patricia had been Valerie's life.
Luke agreed that he was to blame, so he welcomed death because Valerie had the right to wipe the slate clean. Valerie was startled when Luke advised her how to kill him and make it appear a suicide by loosening the restraint of his right wrist once the deed was done and then wiping scalpel clean of her fingerprints before placing the scalpel in his hand. Luke promised no one would question the "suicide," but Valerie angrily accused Luke of trying to use reverse psychology on her. Valerie pressed the scalpel to Luke's throat as Dante and Lulu entered the room. Lulu immediately asked Valerie to spare Luke's life, but Valerie warned her cousin not to move closer.
Luke assured Lulu that it was okay, so Valerie explained that Luke wanted to die as much as Valerie wanted to kill him. Lulu insisted she loved Luke as much as Valerie had loved Patricia, so she was deeply sorry for Valerie's loss. However, Lulu pointed out that killing Luke wouldn't change anything because Patricia was gone. Luke disagreed because the last thing his father had said was that Luke was just like Tim. Luke refused to be like "that bastard," so anything, including death, was better than that.
Luke was eager for the "curse" to end, but Lulu begged Valerie not to listen to Luke because Patricia wouldn't want Luke to die. Offended, Valerie insisted Patricia had been the best and most amazing person Valerie had known. Lulu explained that Lulu felt the same way about Luke, but Valerie scoffed because Patricia had spent her life protecting Luke, and he had repaid his eldest sister by driving Patricia to Patricia's death. Valerie insisted that Luke didn't have the right to live, so Luke agreed.
Dante tried to reason with Valerie then accused Luke of being a coward for expecting Valerie to end Luke's life. Luke argued that he couldn't live with what he had done, but Dante explained that Luke could atone for things by standing up and taking responsibility for what Luke had done rather than allowing Valerie to throw her life away. Dante warned Valerie that she would be playing into Luke's hand if she killed him because Luke wanted the easy way out.
Dante reminded Valerie that her mother would not want Valerie to kill Luke because Patricia had loved Luke and had risked her own life to protect her brother by disappearing. Valerie resented Dante talking about her mother as if Dante had known her, but Dante urged Valerie to honor Patricia by sparing Luke's life and living the life Patricia had wanted for her daughter. Valerie's tears spilled down her cheeks as she confessed that she had no idea how to go on without her mother, so Dante promised Valerie was not alone because she had family to help her figure things out.
Valerie offered no resistance as Dante reached for the scalpel in her hand. Lulu watched as Dante led her weeping cousin out of the room then Lulu turned her focus to Luke. Luke insisted that he didn't deserve to live, so Lulu reminded him of all the people who loved him, including her. Luke promised that he loved his family too. "Just not enough," Lulu sadly added. Luke believed the world would be a better place without him, but Lulu argued that Luke was the strongest person she had ever met.
Lulu promised that Luke would get through it, but Luke wondered what the point was, since he would spend the rest of his life in jail for his crimes. Luke didn't see the point in living if he was confined behind bars, but Lulu gently rested her head on her father's chest.
In the hallway, Valerie was horrified by what she had nearly done. Dante assured her that everything would be okay, but she disagreed because she had almost killed a man. She conceded she would have carried out the murder if Dante hadn't stopped her. However, Valerie acknowledged that Dante had been right about Patricia because Patricia wouldn't have found peace if Valerie had killed Luke. Dante hugged Valerie as she dissolved into tears.
At the nurses' station, Ric looked at Elizabeth with hope shining in his eyes as he asked if she had decided to give him another chance. Elizabeth explained that it was up to Ric, so she led him to a quiet area where they could talk privately. Elizabeth confessed that, with Jake out of the picture and married, she had to get past everything she had felt for Jake. Ric smiled when Elizabeth conceded that she had decided to consider giving Ric another chance, but she needed him to be completely honest with her and promise that he wouldn't pull any more stunts like the one he had pulled to keep her and Jake apart.
Elizabeth explained that she could only reconcile with Ric if she could trust him. She believed she deserved better than to be lied to, so Ric agreed. He appeared momentarily tempted to tell her the truth about his latest scheme but ultimately decided to keep quiet. Instead, Ric confessed that he had been tempted to resort to drastic measures until Jake's wife had made an appearance. Elizabeth wasn't pleased, but Ric promised that it was in the past. He insisted he would never do anything to hurt her if she gave him a second chance.
Elizabeth smiled as she agreed, so Ric swept her up into his arms and vowed to make her forget about Jake. Elizabeth warned Ric not to make her regret her decision then she kissed him.
In Hayden's hotel suite, Hayden pointed out that she had tricked Nikolas into revealing that he knew Jake's true identity. Nikolas countered that Hayden's remark was the confirmation he had needed to prove she knew Jake wasn't Jake Barnes. Nikolas made a veiled threat about the police, but Hayden smiled innocently as she reminded Nikolas that she could easily chalk it up to a mistake because Jake had undergone extensive facial reconstruction. "An innocent mistake," Nikolas snidely replied.
Hayden wondered if there was any other kind, so Nikolas admitted that with Hayden, there were. Hayden wanted to know Jake's true identity, but Nikolas refused to tell her. However, he warned her that the last time he had dealt with a "scammer," the woman had fled the country to avoid prosecution. Hayden refused to be intimidated, especially since Nikolas didn't have anything on her. Hayden reminded Nikolas that he couldn't afford to report her to the authorities because she would expose his secret, which she suspected would hurt Nikolas far more than he led on.
Hayden turned on the charm as she seductively suggested that she and Nikolas confide in each other. She offered to go first by conceding that she had lied about Jake being her husband. As the two played cat-and-mouse, Nikolas suddenly became tired of talking and kissed Hayden. Passion quickly flared between the two as Hayden pulled his jacket off. Nikolas jerked away because he refused to allow Hayden to use sex to manipulate him. Hayden was disappointed because she was sexually frustrated and felt trapped with a man who didn't want her any more than she wanted him.
Hayden reminded Nikolas that they were in the same boat because they each had secrets, so it was better to confide to each other than be alone. Nikolas kissed Hayden then fell to the bed with her as they began to make love. Later, Hayden breathlessly confessed that the sex had been wonderful, but Nikolas wanted to know who had been bankrolling her. Hayden suggested they each hold on to their secrets until their next "hookup."
At the auto garage, Jake reported to Sloane by phone that Carlos Rivera intended to carry out a hit on someone high up in the Corinthos organization. Jake admitted that he didn't know who the target was then quickly ended the call when Carly entered the garage. Carly assumed Jake had been on the phone with Sloane, so she was curious what Jake had been reporting. Jake refused to involve Carly any more than she already was. Carly agreed to back off because she trusted Jake to let her know if she had any reason to be concerned about Sonny -- the father of her children.
Jake promised he would let Carly know if she should worry about Sonny, but he urged Carly to leave the shop before Julian returned and asked questions. Carly doubted Julian would be too suspicious, but she agreed to leave. However, she wanted Jake to know that she had asked Spinelli to investigate Hayden's story. Jake was not pleased, but Carly refused to apologize because she didn't believe any of Hayden's claims. Jake insisted Hayden had told the truth, so Carly agreed to drop it if Spinelli confirmed everything Hayden had said. Satisfied, Jake warned Carly that he would treat Hayden as his wife unless Spinelli uncovered proof to the contrary.
Carly knew Jake was uncomfortable around Hayden because it rolled off him in waves. Jake conceded that Hayden remained a stranger to him, so Carly asked if Jake and Hayden had had sex, but Jake refused to tell her. Carly smiled knowingly because it was all the confirmation she had needed. However, she was curious whose idea it had been to keep things platonic. Jake reluctantly confided that he was uncomfortable with the idea of having sex with a stranger, but he knew it had hurt Hayden when he had turned her down.
Later, Carly and Jake entered the hotel lobby. Carly was concerned about Jake because he looked like he was going to his execution, so she promised Spinelli would get to the bottom of things. After Jake entered the elevator, Carly spotted Nikolas exiting another one. She noticed his rumpled suit and missing tie, so she asked if he had been at the hotel for pleasure or business. "Business," Nikolas answered. Carly merely smiled and walked away.
Meanwhile, Jake entered the hotel suite he shared with Hayden. He was startled when he saw her lounging in bed. She explained that she had decided to take a nap because she had been exhausted.
In the hotel lobby, Michael was livid when he saw Sonny standing by Avery's stroller, so he angrily demanded that Sonny step away from the baby. Nearby, a reporter settled on a sofa to record the incident on his cell phone. Sonny immediately noticed something was amiss with Michael, but Michael belligerently reminded Sonny that the judge had made it clear that Sonny was not to have any contact with "A.J." Sabrina tried to calm Michael down by explaining that it had been an innocent encounter, but Michael was too angry with Sonny for ignoring the judge's order.
Concerned, Sonny asked if Michael was drunk. Michael resented the question and insisted that he was fine. Sonny wasn't satisfied because Michael slurred his words, swayed on his feet, and couldn't complete sentences, so Sonny refused to allow Michael near Avery until Michael sobered up. Michael's fury mounted as he continued to deny being drunk. Sonny asked Sabrina to back him up, but Michael refused to allow Sonny near the baby.
Things took a frightening turn when Michael tried to shove Sonny away from the stroller -- accidently tipping it over in the process. Olivia noticed the commotion and rushed over as Sabrina picked up and examined the baby. Michael stood staring in shock until Sabrina assured everyone that the baby was unharmed. Michael decided to leave, but Sonny refused to allow Michael to drive in that condition. Michael informed Sonny that Michael had a driver, so Olivia decided to accompany Michael, Sabrina, and the baby to the car while Sonny waited in the lobby.
A short time later, Olivia returned to assure Sonny that Sabrina had everything well in hand. Sonny and Olivia discussed Michael's strange behavior and agreed that it had been out of character for Michael to act the way he had. Sonny feared what might have happened if Avery had been hurt, but Olivia reminded Sonny that his daughter was unharmed. However, Olivia was determined to find out why her bartender had overserved Michael.
At the Quartermaine mansion, Michael set his prescription bottle on the living room table then stumbled back onto the sofa. He tried to remove his shoes, but the task was beyond his ability. Moments later, Sabrina entered with a glass of water and two aspirin, which she promptly handed to Michael. Michael thanked her and asked how the baby was doing. Sabrina revealed that A.J. had fallen asleep before Sabrina could sing her a lullaby.
Sabrina suspected it was all the excitement, but Michael confessed that he had no idea what to say about what had transpired at Metro Court. According to Michael, everything had happened in slow motion. He reclined on the sofa as he confessed that he continued to feel weird, but he didn't understand how he could get so drunk from just two drinks. Sabrina agreed it was strange -- unless he had guzzled an entire bottle of scotch. Michael assured her that he hadn't had more than two drinks, so Sabrina asked if he had eaten anything.
Michael admitted that he'd had lunch, but it hadn't been much. Sabrina imagined Michael hadn't slept well lately because of all the stress he'd been under, but she confessed she had been afraid by the way he had behaved in the hotel lobby. Michael staggered to the patio door for fresh air as he admitted that he had been scared too. He worried about what might have happened to his sister, so Sabrina wondered why he had reacted the way he had to seeing Sonny with A.J. Michael explained that he had simply snapped and had been desperate to get Sonny away from A.J.
Sabrina assured Michael that he need not worry because it was over, but Michael feared that Sonny would use the incident against him. Sabrina suggested Michael might be jumping the gun, so she ordered him to get some rest. Michael thanked Sabrina for being good to both him and A.J., picked up the prescription bottle, and made his way to his bedroom.
At Metro Court Restaurant, Morgan joined Kiki at the bar as he confessed that he hoped the Access Port Charles reporter caught up with Michael in the lobby. Kiki was confident that it wouldn't be a problem, since Michael had been moving slowly. Morgan was pleased that the pills they had switched out with Michael's prescription had packed a powerful punch combined with the alcohol, but he hoped it would be enough for them to get Avery back. Kiki feared the pills had worked too well, but Morgan defended their decision.
Kiki confided that she hadn't realized how it would affect Michael to see her and Morgan together because she had assumed that Michael's feelings for her had vanished when he had found out about her role in the cover-up of Michael's father's murder. Kiki reminded Morgan that Michael had shut down and turned cold, so Morgan conceded that Kiki had obviously been wrong about Michael's feelings. However, Morgan was curious if Kiki still had feelings for Michael.
Morgan explained that he wanted to pursue a romantic relationship with Kiki, even though they had agreed to put everything on hold to work together to get Avery back. Morgan thought things had settled down on that front, so he wanted to revisit his relationship with Kiki and determine where they stood with each other. Before Kiki could reply, the reporter approached them to announce that he had struck gold then showed them the footage taken of Michael's confrontation with Sonny in the lobby. Morgan and Kiki smiled with delight until they saw Avery's stroller tip over. The reporter assured them the baby was fine, but Kiki wasn't satisfied because Morgan had made a promise to Kiki.
Morgan quickly cut Kiki off to get rid of the reporter. The reporter thanked Morgan for the tip about Michael, and he left. Kiki remained upset because Morgan had assured her that Avery wouldn't get hurt. Morgan pointed out that Avery was fine, so everything had worked out exactly as they had planned because he doubted any judge would grant Michael custody once the footage was released.
A short time later, Sonny and Olivia approached Morgan and Kiki to tell them about what had transpired with Michael. Both Morgan and Kiki feigned shock, so Sonny wondered if Morgan had noticed Michael's inebriated state. Morgan started to deny it, but Kiki admitted that Michael had confronted her and Morgan because Michael had been upset about seeing Morgan and Kiki together.
Morgan followed Kiki's lead by revealing that Michael had caused a scene, so Sonny wondered if that was when Michael had started to drink. Morgan downplayed things by claiming that Michael had seemed a bit intoxicated, but nothing alarming, during the confrontation. Olivia decided to excuse herself to track down the bartender who had served Michael too much alcohol because she intended to fire the person.
Morgan pretended to be concerned about Michael's drinking around Avery, but Sonny assured Morgan that Sabrina had been on hand to keep Avery safe. However, Sonny was troubled because he had never seen Michael drunk and out of control.
In their room at the Metro Court, Nina popped a bottle of Champagne, and she and Franco toasted "to blackmail." Franco flipped on the television with the hopes of finding "something disturbing on pay-per-view." Instead, he landed on a channel broadcasting the tabloid program Access Port Charles.
Across Port Charles, residents watched a scandalous exposé on some of the town's most prominent residents. The reporter revealed that ELQ's CEO, Michael Quartermaine, had allowed 32% of the company's stock to be siphoned off by an unnamed rival. The next bit in the segment talked about Alexis' law practice being a "sideline job to sexing up" purported mobster Julian Jerome. The reporter also took aim at Ned, noting that Alexis' one-time flame had moved on to Olivia, who, like Alexis, could also claim to have a mob boss as a "baby daddy."
The most sensational moment of the broadcast was saved for last. In an exclusive, undercover video, Access Port Charles had obtained footage of a "drunken" Michael knocking over Avery's baby carriage with Avery still inside.
While most of those who watched the report gasped in horror, Franco laughed hysterically at the image of the carriage toppling over. Franco rewound the video over and over to see the mishap replay. Eventually, Nina turned the television off and scolded Franco. "That was Jamie," Nina said sternly, adding, "She could've been killed." Franco pointed out that Nina had referred to the baby as "Jamie," but Nina quickly explained that she'd misspoken. Franco's face turned serious as he asked Nina if she was aware that Avery was not the daughter she'd once claimed as her own.
Nina started to walk out on Franco and accused him of being the unstable one because he was laughing at a baby falling. Franco admitted to having a soft spot for things falling -- people, cats, and everything else. Franco got down on his knees and, in a high-pitched voice, begged Nina for her forgiveness. Nina forgave Franco but said she was also upset that Franco thought she might not be in her right mind. The two kissed, but Nina pulled away as the kissing became more passionate. She explained that she wanted to take things slowly. Franco agreed to back off and suggested they get dressed and find something fun to do. He asked her for the name of her favorite movie, and she responded with When Harry Met Sally.
Downstairs in the bar of the Metro Court, Olivia watched the Access Port Charles broadcast on her tablet device. Carly walked in and heard Olivia cursing the reporter and asked what had made Olivia so upset. Once Carly learned what had transpired with Michael, she feared that Avery had been seriously harmed. Olivia -- who had been present when the incident had occurred -- assured Carly that Avery was okay.
At the Quartermaine mansion, Ned watched Michael's spectacle unfold on a big screen television. Michael entered the room as the broadcast was concluding, and Ned immediately demanded answers from him. Michael denied telling Access Port Charles that 32% of ELQ had been whittled away, explaining that a reporter named Zach had already known the information. Ned decided to go to the Metro Court to try to get some answers from Olivia about what had happened prior to the accident. Michael wanted to accompany Ned, but Sabrina entered the room and suggested that it would be better if Michael spent time with Avery. Ned agreed and headed off to speak to Olivia.
After she and Julian watched Access Port Charles, Alexis tried phoning Michael to speak to him, but Michael didn't answer his phone. Alexis decided to shower, do some "sexing up," and head over to Quartermaine Mansion to see Michael in person.
While Alexis was in the shower, Kiki dropped by to talk to Julian. Once she'd made sure that Julian had seen the Access Port Charles piece, Kiki said it was clearer than ever that Avery needed to be taken away from Michael. Julian questioned if Michael's actions had been of his own doing. Kiki claimed to have no idea what Julian was talking about. Julian, however, recalled a conversation he'd had with Kiki at Kelly's in which Kiki had claimed that she and Morgan had "something in the works" to take down Michael.
Kiki admitted that Michael had gotten some "help" in getting to the level of impairment seen in the video. Julian asked for more details, but Kiki stated that it was best if Julian didn't know all the sordid details. Julian shook his head and remarked that he hadn't known that Kiki had her "mother's ruthlessness and invention." He smiled and told Kiki that he was proud of her. Alexis exited the shower and asked why Julian was so proud, but Kiki and Julian both remained silent. Alexis shrugged and left.
Morgan appeared before Sonny and told him that Michael was a danger to Avery. He insisted that someone call Child Protective Services (CPS) and have Avery removed from Michael's care. As he did, Carly appeared in the doorway and announced, "Over my dead body!" Morgan claimed that his mother didn't know everything that had been happening. Sonny explained that he hadn't called Carly because he'd known that Bobbie had needed her. Carly countered that they all needed to be reaching out to Michael to find out why he was acting so irrationally. Morgan snarled that Michael was following in his father, A.J.'s, footsteps.
"My stupid, drunk brother almost injured my baby sister," Morgan exclaimed. Sonny agreed that they could no longer continue to "enable" Michael. Removing Avery would be for Michael's own good, and Sonny asked Carly to stand by him on the decision. Carly pulled Sonny aside and said it was unfair for them to turn their backs on Michael in his time of need. Both agreed that Michael's behavior seemed completely out of character. Carly argued that Michael had always faced his challenges head-on and that Michael would feel betrayed if they took actions to have Avery removed from his custody.
"All we put him through," Carly said looking deep into Sonny's eyes, adding that Michael had witnessed "every glass that was thrown, every piece of furniture that was knocked over, every ugly, ugly word that we said to each other." Sonny agreed to reach out to Michael but insisted that Avery's welfare had to be their top priority.
Ava was devastated after seeing her daughter's carriage tip over in the Access Port Charles report. She tried unsuccessfully to get out of bed. Silas entered the room and tried to calm Ava. He assured her that Avery was okay, but Ava was unconvinced. She accused Michael of using Avery as a pawn to exact revenge. Ava knew she was physically unable to go to Port Charles to check on her daughter -- and Silas also noted that Ava would be arrested on the spot if she could somehow make it back to town. Ava asked Silas to go in her place and to make sure that Avery was okay. Once she knew that Avery was in a safe place, Ava said she would be free to "let go."
As Ava's doctor, Silas did not want to leave her unattended. Ava pointed out that she was in a hospital and that there were plenty of people who could help her if she needed help. "All I am doing here is dying," she said softly, explaining, "I can see myself reflected in your eyes, Silas. There's so little of me left. The cancer is consuming me, and my strength to fight it is nearly gone." Ceding that she'd already made a lot of requests of Silas, Ava said she had one more thing to ask of him. She asked that, after Silas returned from checking on Avery, he would help her end her life.
Silas refused, saying that the idea of helping a patient die went against everything he believed to be right. Ava asked Silas to be the man she had fallen in love with -- not her doctor. "I want to end my life on my own terms," she said firmly. Silas lowered his head, tears welling in his eyes. After a few moments of silence, Silas told Ava that he'd help her. He said he would pick up the necessary drugs while in Port Charles. That way, Silas explained, there would be no drugs missing from her current hospital that could be traced back to him. Ava called his decision "the second best thing" he'd ever done for her.
At the Metro Court, Ned tracked down Olivia and demanded to know what had happened to make Michael so drunk. Olivia said she'd questioned the bartender, who'd said that Michael had not been overserved. Ned wondered if the bartender had lied to cover for herself, so Olivia offered to do a little digging. Unfortunately, the bartender who had been on duty that night had the day off. Another employee told Olivia that someone in one of the guest rooms was trying to charge $500 in room service charges to Olivia's personal account.
Ned remarked that $500 was "a lot of bacon." After a little bit of probing, Olivia confessed that she'd given Nina and Franco a free room at the hotel. Ned couldn't understand why Olivia would do that and wondered if her pregnancy had clouded her judgment. Olivia was outraged that Ned would think a pregnant woman couldn't think straight. As the two bickered back and forth, Olivia ultimately admitted that Franco was blackmailing her because he'd found out that Julian was really the father of her unborn child. She explained to Ned how she'd vented to Franco about her pregnancy situation when she'd thought Franco had been mentally unstable from an LSD injection. As it turned out, Franco had been faking, and the moment he'd been released from the psychiatric facility, he'd shown up on Olivia's doorstep and threatened to blow the whistle on her.
Ned told Olivia that when he'd promised to say that he was the father of her baby, it had meant that he'd taken a vow to protect Olivia and the baby. He asked Olivia to tell him Franco and Nina's room number. Olivia initially refused, but when faced with the possibility that Julian could learn the truth, she revealed that Franco was staying in room 628. As Ned was racing off to the elevator, Julian's voice called out from behind. "What's Saint Ned doing for you now?" Julian asked.
Inside room 628, a freshly showered Franco scrolled the programming guide on the television and was stunned to see that When Harry Met Sally was available for on-demand viewing. He called out to Nina to let her know, but she didn't respond to his calls. A knock sounded on the door, and Franco assumed that Nina had wandered into the hallway without her key card. When Franco opened the door, he found a seething Ned on the other side.
At the Quartermaine mansion, Sabrina and Michael tried to make sense of Michael's extreme outburst. Michael insisted that he'd had only two drinks -- scotch on the rocks -- and that he hadn't even fully consumed both drinks. Sabrina thought that perhaps Michael had had something to drink earlier. He denied it. Sabrina spotted Michael's prescription medication on the sofa and suggested that the alcohol might have interacted with his medication. Michael stated that he'd been on the medicine for a long time and that it had never before caused him any adverse reactions. Sabrina had another thought about the medicine, but she was interrupted when Alexis burst into the room to ask some questions of her own. Michael told Alexis the same story he'd previous told Sabrina.
Sonny slammed down the phone after receiving a call. He told Carly that Ric had called to tell him that CPS would be removing Avery from Michael's home. Carly assumed that Sonny would become the baby's father, but he explained that Judge Walters' verdict that he was unfit to be Avery's guardian was still in place. "Then who gets Avery?" Carly asked.
Back at the mansion, Alexis sadly informed Michael that CPS had become involved and that Michael needed to prepare for Avery to be removed from his home. Seconds later, a woman, who identified herself as Doreen Zupan from CPS, announced that she was there to take custody of Avery.
In Franco and Nina's hotel suite, Franco perked up when he found When Harry Met Sally on television. He called out to Nina to let her know but she didn't reply. Concerned, Franco looked around the suite, but Nina was nowhere to be found. However, he immediately relaxed when he heard a knock at the door because he assumed it was Nina. Franco opened the door as he playfully scolded Nina about leaving the keycard behind, but his smile faded when he saw Ned standing on the doorstep.
Franco pretended not to know who Ned was, but Ned pushed past Franco to inform Franco that Franco had made an enemy of Ned by blackmailing Olivia. Franco insisted he didn't have time for Ned and left to look for Nina.
A short time later, Franco returned to the suite. He was annoyed when he saw Ned lounging in a chair and patiently waiting. Ned noticed Nina's absence, so he suggested Franco look under the couch, but Franco was not amused. Franco demanded to know what Ned wanted, so Ned ordered Franco to stop blackmailing Olivia. Franco readily agreed, but pulled out his cell phone to call Julian Jerome to tell Julian the truth about Olivia's unborn child. Ned called Franco's bluff because he knew that Franco would want to continue riding "the gravy train."
Ned refused to allow Franco to bleed Olivia dry, but Franco pointed out that Olivia shouldn't have disclosed the truth about her baby's paternity when she had paid Franco a visit at Shadybrook. Ned suspected Nina had left because the concept of friendship eluded Franco and the realization had hit that Franco was both a sociopath and soulless. Franco agreed he should be more of a gentleman, so he agreed to stop blackmailing Olivia in exchange for Ned's shares of ELQ. Ned offered to give Franco money instead, but Franco wanted the shares because they would provide Franco with a steady flow of income.
Franco gave Ned twenty-four hours to consider the offer, or Franco would tell Julian the truth. After Ned left, Franco stepped out on the balcony to call Nina, but the call went to voicemail.
Meanwhile, Julian approached Olivia in the restaurant to ask her what "Saint Ned" intended to do for Olivia. Olivia claimed she had no idea what Julian was talking about, but Julian informed her that he had overheard Ned mention Franco. Olivia tried to deflect by accusing Julian of eavesdropping, but he was undeterred. He confessed that he had asked himself why Olivia would allow Franco -- a man she hated -- to stay at the hotel, but Olivia defended her decision by claiming she had empathized with Franco, since she knew what it was like to be injected with an overdose of LSD.
According to Olivia, she had given Franco a room at the hotel out of charity, but Julian didn't believe her. He was curious how Carly had reacted to the news, since Franco had wreaked havoc on Carly's life. Olivia argued she had a right to invite whomever she liked to stay at the hotel, since Olivia was a co-owner. Olivia shifted gears to ask why Julian even cared.
"Well, because of that baby," Julian answered. Olivia immediately tensed as she carefully reminded him that Ned was the baby's father. Julian admitted he was worried because Franco had a history of kidnapping children, so he offered to deal with Franco if Olivia needed help. Olivia declined because she was confident she and Ned could handle things. However, she pointed out that she would turn to Sonny -- whom she trusted -- if she required protection.
At the Quartermaine mansion, Morgan and Kiki followed a woman from Child Protective Services into the living room. Kiki smirked as the CPS worker explained that CPS had launched an investigation into the recent incident at the hotel, involving Michael's baby sister. Michael assured the woman that he would cooperate, but he was curious why Morgan and Kiki were there. Morgan explained that he was there to offer Kiki moral support then tried to push Michael's buttons by referring to Michael as "Mikey." Kiki added that she had warned Michael that she would get Avery back.
"And now she's coming home to the Jeromes -- where she belongs," Kiki gloated. Alexis stepped forward to introduce herself to the CPS representative, so the woman informed everyone that her focus was on the welfare of the child. Michael rushed to assure the CPS worker that Sabrina was a registered nurse, but the woman insisted Avery would need to be temporarily placed into Kiki's custody and checked out at the hospital. Michael was stunned, so Sabrina assured the woman that Avery had been examined twice and was fine.
The CPS representative appreciated Sabrina's diligence, but documentation from the hospital was required. Morgan and Kiki grinned as the CPS worker asked where Avery was. Michael offered to fetch his sister, but the lady explained that it was not an option under the circumstances. Sabrina quickly left to get Avery, while Alexis reminded Michael that it was just a temporary setback. Morgan disagreed.
Later, Michael remained upset that Avery had been taken from him. He acknowledged his mistake, but he insisted it had been an isolated incident, and the baby hadn't been harmed. Alexis suspected CPS had taken Avery to err on the side of caution, but Michael was certain Morgan had been pulling Kiki's strings with the intention of returning Avery to Sonny. Michael was desperate to get his sister back before one of Sonny's enemies targeted her, since Duke was merely a figurehead for Sonny's organization.
Alexis tried to offer Michael words of encouragement but Michael was worried about Avery and frustrated because he couldn't understand how he had gotten drunk off of two drinks. Sabrina quickly backed up Michael's claim as she revealed that Michael had consumed one drink in her presence and had been waiting for the second drink to arrive when Sabrina had left. Sabrina added that it would have been impossible for Michael to get drunk between the time Sabrina had left the restaurant and Michael had appeared in the lobby.
Alexis perked up when Michael wondered if perhaps his allergy pills had had a bad reaction to the alcohol, but Sabrina quickly explained that the pills would have made him drowsy, not violent. Michael decided to have a talk with Olivia because Olivia had offered to talk to the bartender to find out if Michael had been "overserved." Alexis advised Michael to stay put because she didn't want him anywhere near the "scene of the crime."
After Alexis left, Sabrina returned to the living room with water and some other things to make Michael feel better. She was startled when she noticed the patio doors ajar and Michael missing.
At Metro Court Restaurant, Julian was pleasantly surprised when he saw Alexis enter. He greeted her with a kiss, but she confessed that she was there to talk to Olivia.
At the bar, Olivia asked Ned how things had worked out with Franco. Ned assured Olivia that he was in the process of taking care of it.
At General Hospital, Lucas examined Nathan's shoulder where Nathan had been shot during Cesar Faison's escape. Lucas determined the gunshot wound had healed nicely then mentioned his own recovery from a gunshot wound. Nathan chuckled as he noted that he and Lucas were in an exclusive club, so he suggested they grab a beer some time to discuss it. Lucas liked the idea, especially since Brad had been complaining about Lucas always staying in.
Lucas suggested that he and Nathan make it a double date with Brad and Maxie, but Nathan revealed it wasn't an option, since Nathan and Maxie had broken up. Lucas was surprised, especially since Maxie had been excited that she and Nathan had finally gotten together after Georgie's custody had been settled. Nathan explained that things had changed when Ellie had sent Spinelli to Port Charles to deal with Spinelli's unresolved feelings for Maxie. Nathan confided that Spinelli had decided to try to work things out with Maxie, so Nathan had bowed out when Spinelli had gone to great lengths to win Maxie's heart.
Lucas seemed disappointed by the news, so he wondered when Nathan had last spoken to Maxie. Nathan confessed it had been days because he hadn't wanted to pressure Maxie, since Spinelli was the father of her baby, but Lucas thought Nathan should fight for Maxie.
Elsewhere at the hospital, Silas slipped into the supply room to pilfer a drug that he had promised would end Ava's life and suffering.
Meanwhile, Nina exited the elevator and approached the nurses' station to ask a nurse where Silas was, referring to him as her husband. "Ex-husband," Nina quickly amended. The nurse explained that Silas had been out of town but advised Nina to talk to Silas' assistant to find out when he would return. Nina returned to the elevator but bumped into Silas. Nina was startled because she had been told he was out of town, so Silas disclosed that he was on his way back out of town. He asked why she had wanted to talk to him.
Nina said she had seen the Access Port Charles piece about Avery, which had reminded Nina of everything that had happened since Nina had arrived in town. Nina claimed she was sorry for what she had put him through, so Silas thanked her. He was surprised when she also offered him her condolences on Ava's passing. Silas thanked Nina but added that he had to leave.
However, Morgan, Kiki, Avery, and the CPS worker arrived. Alarmed, Silas approached his daughter to find out if everything was okay, so Kiki quickly filled him in about what had transpired at the hotel with Michael and the CPS order. Silas kneeled down to look at Avery. Silas observed that she didn't seem worse for wear, but Morgan churlishly insisted Avery could have been killed because of Michael's actions.
Kiki bristled when she noticed Nina at the nurses' station, staring at Avery. Kiki demanded to know what Nina was doing there, so Nina confessed that she wanted to talk to Kiki, but Kiki warned Nina to stay away. Kiki told the CPS representative about Nina's history, so Morgan and the CPS worker decided to take Avery to an examination room. After they left, Nina offered her condolences on Ava's passing, but Kiki suspected Nina thought it was "open season" on snatching Avery again.
Nina reiterated that she was sorry about Ava. "But the truth is, she was really a home-wrecking whore who had a baby that should have been mine," Nina added. "You crazy bitch," Kiki screeched as she lunged at Nina. Silas quickly intervened by pulling Kiki away just as Nathan rounded the corner. Nathan saw the commotion and approached his sister, so Kiki demanded that Nathan arrest Nina. Nathan assured Kiki he was sorry for her loss, but he advised Silas and Kiki to take a walk. Silas tactfully led his daughter to the examination room to check on Avery.
Nathan asked if Nina was okay, so she accused the Jeromes of existing for drama. Nina changed the subject by asking why Nathan was at the hospital. He told her about his checkup then asked why she hadn't returned any of his calls. He admitted he had been concerned because she was supposed to stay with him, but Nina revealed she had decided to stay at Metro Court with Franco. Nathan was uncomfortable with the idea of Nina being around Franco, but she promised her brother that Franco was fine.
Nathan insisted Franco was a criminal, but Nina argued that Franco had been cleared of all charges. She also confided that Franco kept her both grounded and stable. Nathan questioned how Franco could afford a suite at Metro Court, so she cryptically explained that Franco had worked everything out. Nathan preferred for Nina to stay with him, but Nina refused to cramp his style with Maxie. She was surprised when he revealed that he and Maxie were over because Maxie was with Spinelli. "What if she's not?" Nina asked.
At Maxie's apartment, Maxie fed Georgie as Spinelli programmed Maxie's television with age-appropriate shows for Georgie. Maxie appreciated Spinelli's consideration, but she warned him not to delete any of her shows. Moments later, Maxie was horrified when she saw footage on the television of Michael knocking over Avery's stroller at Metro Court. Spinelli assured Maxie that the baby was fine, but Maxie asked him to turn off the television because she hated the idea of the press exploiting what appeared to have been an accident.
Maxie was certain that Michael felt terrible about the incident, so Spinelli assured her that she didn't need to worry about something like that happening to Georgie. Maxie pointed out that it wasn't a promise he could keep, since he couldn't be around their daughter twenty-four hours a day. Spinelli seized the opportunity to suggest that he could be around Georgie far more often if he and Maxie reconciled. Maxie immediately tried to avoid the subject by putting their daughter down for a nap.
A short time later, Maxie returned to the living room, so Spinelli once again broached the subject of reconciliation. Maxie continued to evade the topic, but Spinelli refused to let her because he wanted an answer. He assured her that he could accept it if she wanted to be friends, so Maxie confessed that she was afraid of making more mistakes because it would affect their daughter. Spinelli urged Maxie not to allow fear to stop her from being a family with him and Georgie, especially since Spinelli and Maxie had once shared something special. Maxie remained uncertain, so Spinelli begged her to put him out of his misery by giving him an answer one way or another.
Maxie admitted she was afraid and didn't want to mess things up after everything they had been through. However, she wanted to try to be a family. Overjoyed, Spinelli kissed her. Moments later, there was a knock at the door. Spinelli decided to check on Georgie while Maxie answered the door. Maxie was stunned when she saw Nathan. Nathan confessed he had made a mistake by walking away from her and wanted another chance.
At the hospital, Kiki was eager to know when she could take her sister home, but Lucas revealed it would have to wait because he had been called away for an emergency. Kiki was frustrated, so Silas offered to examine Avery. Kiki was delighted when the CPS worker didn't object. After Kiki, Morgan, and the CPS representative left, Silas closed the door then kneeled down to take a picture of Avery for Ava. Silas talked to Avery about her mother then pulled out the pilfered vial of medication from his pocket. He looked at the vial thoughtfully as he told Avery about his promise to Ava.
In the waiting area, Morgan decided to step away to call Sonny. A short time later, Silas approached Kiki to assure her that Avery was fine. He said the CPS representative was with Avery, but Kiki couldn't take Avery home until some standard blood tests had been completed. Kiki was grateful for her father's help, but Silas regretted that he had to leave for New York City again. Kiki was curious how his patient was doing, so he admitted that things weren't good.
Silas promised to be a better father to Kiki once his work in New York City was done, but Kiki assured Silas that he was great -- and the only parent she had left.
Nearby, Nina watched Morgan on the phone and Kiki in the waiting area. Her eyes then drifted to the door of Avery's examination room.
A short time later, Morgan returned to let Kiki know that he had talked to Sonny. Kiki was confident they would get to leave the hospital with Avery soon.
Meanwhile, someone slipped into Avery's hospital room and approached her crib as she was left unattended.
