Hayden's Test Results Are In
Hayden was startled to see Tracy when she woke up. As she called Tracy out on caring about her, Finn entered. Hayden informed him that she was feeling "almost one hundred percent." He assured her that the sepsis was gone and that they might have caught the disease so early that the antibiotic had cured it. He was waiting on her test results, so he warned her not to get her hopes up quite yet.
Curtis entered the room, and Hayden was happy to see him. Finn led Tracy out of the room to give the two time together. She appreciated him checking up on her, and she assured him that she was feeling "much better." Although he thought she looked like her "beautiful, feisty" self, he didn't think she looked her best, so she should talk to Finn about it. She updated him on how she'd gotten sick and added that she didn't want to add to Finn's guilt. "I'm really scared," she confided.
Curtis believed in Hayden and promised that he would never give up on her. He had to go, but he assured her that she would beat the illness. He kissed her on the head and turned to leave.
Outside the room, Tracy called Finn's bluff on his suggestion that an antibiotic could kill the apparently cureless disease. She knew that he was scared. She also knew that he was running low on medication and wondered what would happen if Hayden needed it too. He replied that they would cross that bridge if they got to it. Curtis exited Hayden's room and thanked Finn for calling him. He instructed Finn to call again if he needed anything, and Curtis left.
Finn and Tracy went back into Hayden's room and were surprised to see her out of bed. She wanted to take a shower. A few minutes later, Finn and Tracy played backgammon while Hayden showered. Finn won the game and reminded Tracy that she owed him a favor after losing. He wanted her to ask Hayden to stay. Tracy reluctantly promised to run it by Monica. When Finn was alone in the room, he began putting the game away, and Hayden appeared in a towel. She asked him to leave so she could get dressed. He stammered agreement and left the room.
Tracy returned and informed Finn of Monica's approval of Hayden staying. She began to go into Hayden's room, and Finn's cries of "wait!" were no use. Tracy entered the room, and Hayden screamed, but she had managed to put a robe on. She told Tracy off for not knocking and promised that she'd be gone soon. As Finn listened outside the door, Tracy told Hayden to stay at the mansion for as long as she wanted. Hayden thought it was a joke and refused. Tracy told Hayden that Finn would be mad at both of them if Hayden didn't stay.
"I don't hear any knives coming out," Finn said to himself, relieved. Just then, his phone rang, and he answered it to someone from the lab. He asked for the results of every test he had run. When he was done, he hung up the phone, crestfallen.
Sam got off the phone with Spinelli and informed Jason that Oscar Jessup had been dead since 1990. They wondered who had called Pete, and who was paying the phone bill in Jessup's name. Sam hacked into the phone company's database but only found the bill was being paid by "an online account in China." Jason talked about getting some surveillance footage from the businesses around the Floating Rib. Just then, Curtis entered and informed them that he had some footage on his phone.
Jason demanded to know what Curtis wanted in return, and Sam thought that Julian could have had the footage doctored. Curtis told them that Julian had fired him, but he was "in it for the truth." He offered to team up in order to figure it out. He continued that there had been a delivery van blocking the camera just as Pete had walked away from Julian's car.
Jason wondered why Curtis wanted to continue working on the case. "I don't like loose ends," he replied. He added that something hadn't felt right about the way Julian had fired him. They shook hands, agreeing to work together. They watched the footage together and also agreed that it looked like the delivery van had been parked in front of the camera on purpose.
Dante handed Sonny's file to Jordan for Sonny's arraignment. Jordan hoped to have more evidence for the actual trial than what was contained in the thin file folder. Dante thought it was possible that someone else had caused Morgan's death, and he urged Jordan to look at it from "all angles." "You're off the case," she stated. Dante knew that he hadn't impeded the case in any way, but Jordan told him that they couldn't afford the "appearance" of possible impartiality. "So you're going to railroad my dad instead?" Michael asked.
Jordan jabbed that it wasn't impartial to tell Michael about Sonny's arraignment, but Dante reminded her that it was a "public proceeding." Michael added that Diane had also called him, and he'd wanted to support his father. "That means more than you know," Sonny offered as he was led in in handcuffs. Sonny was glad that Dante would be at his arraignment. Jordan added that it would no longer be in an official capacity.
A short while later, Sonny, Diane, Michael, and Jordan returned to the police station. Diane was happy to have argued for Sonny to be under house arrest instead of in jail to await his trial. Jordan stormed off. Michael was happy with the result of Sonny's arraignment. Diane hadn't been surprised at the outcome with the "flimsy evidence." Dante made sure Sonny didn't need anything before he was stuck inside his house. "Nothing you can give me," Sonny replied.
At the Metro Court restaurant, Kiki commented on the mess of papers in front of Nelle, who was doing research for Carly. Nelle knew that Kiki was going through a difficult time, but she asked how Kiki was doing. Kiki assured Nelle that she was "fine," but she was only hurting a fraction of how much Sonny and Carly were hurting. Nelle remarked on how "happy and solid" Carly and Sonny had seemed, so she imagined that only something serious could have split them up.
Kiki informed Nelle that she knew some of Sonny and Carly's history, and their last wedding had been their fifth. Nelle wondered if Kiki thought that Carly and Jax could get back together. Kiki responded that Morgan had loved Jax but had thought that Jax and Carly were better as friends, as opposed to Sonny and Carly, who were like a "united force" who belonged together. Nelle abruptly decided that she needed to go, so she gathered up her papers and left.
A short while later, Michael arrived at the restaurant, looking for Nelle. Finding Kiki, he informed her of the outcome of Sonny's arraignment. She was happy for the good outcome but wondered why he'd wanted to tell Nelle. He reasoned that he wanted to ask Nelle to keep an eye on Sonny if she spent some more time with Avery.
Carly and Jax were locked in a kiss when Jax tried to stop. "Let's not," Carly said, kissing him again. Jax broke away from her and explained that she was hurting and trying to make herself feel better. She wanted comfort from anywhere that she could get it. Realizing that he was right, she apologized, "mortified" by how "inappropriate" her actions had been. He assured her that they'd been through too much together for her to be embarrassed in front of him. He promised to always be there for her, just "not like that."
Carly began to talk about her regret of getting back together with Sonny. "You can't choose who you love," Jax justified. He promised that, in time, her pain would lessen, but in the meantime, he was there to help. She leaned on him, a "good friend who knows you inside and out," as he put it. Just then, the doorbell rang, and Carly answered it to Dante.
Dante updated a numb Carly on what had happened at Sonny's arraignment. He concluded by telling her about Sonny's house arrest, which was to start that day, and that he would be wearing an ankle monitor. Nelle entered the house and immediately apologized for interrupting. Dante was done anyway and left.
Nelle gave Carly the research she'd done. She'd also gotten the guest book from the funeral at the church and handed it to Carly. She wondered if Carly needed anything else. Jax requested a reservation at the Metro Court, but Carly refused. Nelle took Carly's things to Carly's office. When she was gone, Carly promised Jax that she wouldn't make another move on him. As Nelle listened in, smiling, Jax agreed to act like the kiss had never happened.
Sonny arrived home, and Diane demanded that the cop take Sonny's handcuffs off. Once they were off, the cop fitted him with an ankle monitor and explained how it worked. The cop wished Sonny luck and left. Sonny wondered if Diane would be able to get him out of the charges against him. "Have you met me? I'm Diane Miller, Esquire. I can do this with my eyes closed," she assured him.
Diane reminded Sonny that there was no evidence against him, and she could get his church confession thrown out as the words of a "grief-stricken father." She was happy to be able to go through a trial, knowing Sonny was innocent, which was "a bonus we don't always get." Sonny hoped that Jason would find out who had really planted the bomb.
Sensing sadness, Diane offered to get her files sent to Sonny's house so she could work from there and keep him company. He assured her that he would be fine. She kissed him on the cheek and left. Sonny got himself a drink and kicked up his feet. "Can't get that in Pentonville," he muttered happily after he took a sip of his drink.
The doorbell rang, and Sonny answered the door to Dante. Sonny wondered if Dante was there as a cop. Dante took his badge off, put it in his pocket, and assured Sonny that he was there as a son. Dante informed Sonny that he'd told Carly about Sonny's situation, and she hadn't seemed interested.
"Happy Thanksgiving," T.J. said as Jordan and Andre entered Kelly's. Jordan smiled lovingly and told T.J. how proud she was that he'd agreed to work on a holiday. T.J. admitted that he hadn't minded and explained that he needed the money to help pay his way through medical school. Jordan was curious if he'd told his father about the plans, but T.J. shook his head and revealed that he intended to surprise Shawn during their next visit. Andre offered to write a letter of recommendation if T.J. needed one. Grateful, T.J. shifted the conversation to dinner because he was happy that Jordan and Andre had agreed to join him at Molly's mother's house.
Jordan wanted to take dessert and asked if T.J. had saved a couple of pies. She sighed with relief when he reached behind the counter where he'd hidden a pecan pie. T.J. invited Jordan and Andre to grab a seat while he finished up, but Jordan explained that she and Andre had some errands to run and promised to meet T.J. at Alexis' house. After T.J. disappeared into the kitchen, Andre smiled and told Jordan that he was thankful to have her in his life.
A short time later, Curtis entered the diner. He was surprised to see his nephew working, but T.J. explained that he'd pitched in to help so the rest of the staff could spend time with their families. T.J. was curious if Curtis was meeting Valerie, but Curtis admitted that he and Valerie had ended things. However, Curtis added that he had plans to enjoy the football game from home. T.J. insisted that his uncle join him for dinner at Alexis' house. Curtis perked up when T.J. mentioned that Jordan and Andre would be there as well.
Meanwhile, Alexis stood in her living room as memories of her previous Thanksgiving with Julian replayed in her head. She quickly pushed the memories aside and pulled herself together as Kristina and Molly entered the room, chatting about the dinner preparations and the feast that Alexis had provided. Alexis chuckled and reminded her daughters that she'd ordered the food from Metro Court Restaurant. Kristina stood behind the bar and offered to pour Alexis a glass of wine, but Molly revealed that Alexis had promised to stop drinking until after Sam's baby was born. Kristina thought it was a sweet gesture and took a sip of her dink as Sam arrived with a green bean casserole.
After Sam exchanged greetings with everyone, she told Alexis that the house smelled far better than the last time Sam had been there. Molly and Kristina were surprised when Sam filled them in about the oven fire, prompting Kristina to joke that Sam had left Danny at home to spare him the trauma of watching Alexis cook a second time. Sam laughed and explained that Jason had decided to stay home and watch the football game with Danny and Jake because he knew that Alexis wasn't a fan of the sport. Alexis smiled with gratitude and asked how Sam had been feeling. Molly and Kristina were intrigued when Sam referred to the baby as Scout, but Sam insisted that it was just a temporary name until she and Jason knew the baby's gender.
Kristina approved of the gender-neutral name, but Molly teasingly accused Kristina of having gender issues on the brain. Kristina acknowledged that she would be seeing a special screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show later that evening. Alexis was curious if Kristina had heard from Parker and was surprised when Kristina admitted that her ex-lover had sent a card after Morgan had died -- but Parker had included her wife's name when she'd signed it. Sam suggested that they consider Morgan's tragic death a reminder to them all to cherish each other. Alexis agreed as she pulled her daughters close for a group hug and told them that she wouldn't know what to do without them.
Alexis sat Sam, Kristina, and Molly down to tell them that the New York Bar Association had agreed to reconsider her suspension when they reconvened in January 2017. Alexis' daughters were thrilled for their mother, but she explained that one of the stipulations would be for her to stay out of trouble. Sam, Kristina, and Molly were confident that it wouldn't be a problem and suggested that they toast to Alexis' good fortune. Sam dashed to the kitchen to fetch two glasses of sparkling cider for Alexis and herself. Moments later, Jordan and Andre arrived, followed by T.J. and Curtis.
Alexis greeted her guests, but her smile faded when Jordan handed her a gift bag with a bottle of wine tucked inside. Alexis' tension mounted when Andre held up two bottles of alcohol and announced that he intended to make a special drink for everyone after dinner. Andre talked about his family in Chicago and mentioned taking Jordan to meet them over the Christmas holiday, which made Curtis wonder if the visit was a prelude to a wedding proposal. "Maybe," Andre answered, but Jordan quickly changed the subject. Nearby, Alexis glanced at her phone and saw a text message from Julian reminding her how happy they'd been the previous Thanksgiving in their new home and surrounded by family.
After dinner, Alexis' guests returned to the living room and mingled. Jordan was curious why Alexis had decided to abstain from alcohol and wondered if it had something to do with what had transpired in court during Julian's trial. Alexis insisted that she'd only had a single glass of wine before testifying and added that she had no idea why she'd fallen apart on the witness stand. Jordan suggested that perhaps Paul had been behind Alexis' alarming behavior and let the matter drop. Jordan took a sip of her cocktail and decided to warn T.J. that it was strong. Sam joined Molly in the kitchen to help with dessert, while Alexis sat on the sofa, watching her guests sip their alcoholic drinks.
Sam returned to ask for her mother's help with the pumpkin pie topping, prompting a jittery Alexis to take over whisking the heavy cream. Sam was startled when her mother suddenly dropped the bowl and spilled the whipped cream onto the floor, but Molly quickly offered to help clean up the mess and fetch another container of heavy cream. Alexis explained that she'd only picked up one container, so Curtis offered to run to the store to buy another. Alexis insisted that her guests stay and enjoy themselves, while she took care of the errand. Alexis grabbed her coat and dashed out the door.
Later, Sam, Kristina, and Molly each received a text message from Alexis explaining that Diane and Max had had an argument, and Alexis had decided to rush to her side to comfort her friend. Nearby, Andre received a text message from a patient who was in desperate need of an emergency session. Andre excused himself to call the patient as Jordan talked to Curtis about working for Julian. Curtis explained that he was no longer worked for the mobster, but Jordan wasn't satisfied because she'd read the police report about Pete's shooting. Jordan knew that Curtis had been near the scene of the crime and admitted that she was disappointed that he hadn't called to tell her.
Curtis assured Jordan that he had called, but Andre had answered the phone and had staked his claim by warning Curtis to stay away from Jordan. Jordan was skeptical, but Curtis suggested that Andre had picked up on the "rhythm" between Curtis and Jordan.
At Metro Court Restaurant, Julian sat at the bar and spoke on the phone to Jessup. He assured the man that he'd done as Jessup had requested then scoffed when Jessup suggested that they were partners. Julian admitted that he'd heard that before. Jessup ordered Julian to get an update on a project they'd been working on, but Julian reminded the man that it was a holiday. After a few more tense exchanges, Julian promised to do what he could and ended the call.
Nearby, Kiki smiled as her mother approached with Avery. Ava explained that she and Avery had been hoping to spend Thanksgiving with Kiki. Kiki readily agreed and asked her mother to wait while she finished up her shift. Ava was delighted, but her good humor faded when she saw Scott enter the restaurant. Ava asked Kiki to keep an eye on Avery and quickly walked up to Scott to find out if he had secured Morgan's prescription bottle from Lucy.
Scott admitted that Lucy was smarter than "the average bear" and had figured out that Scott had been scamming her for the pills. Ava reminded Scott that it was imperative to get the pills away from Lucy, but Scott assured Ava that he would take care of everything. Scott promised to return shortly and urged her to enjoy a few cocktails and a turkey dinner.
Later, Scott invited Lucy into his hotel room. She admitted that she'd been hurt that he'd valued his relationship with Ava over the history he'd shared with Lucy. Scott apologized and reminded her of the expensive wine he'd sent to her, but she was certain that he'd hired someone to break into her apartment to look for Morgan's prescription bottle. Lucy pulled the bottle of pills out of her purse and gloated about being a step ahead of Scott. Scott admitted that he loved that about Lucy and kissed her to show her how much she meant to him.
Scott and Lucy fell to the bed in a heated embrace until Lucy pulled away and accused Scott of not focusing enough on her. She decided to remedy the situation by locking the prescription bottle in the room's safe and warning Scott not to bother trying to figure out the combination she had used because she it had been a set of numbers she'd never shared with him. Scott feigned disappointment in her lack of trust in him and asked about their agreement to work together to blackmail Ava. Lucy conceded that she didn't trust him, so Scott turned up the charm and seduced her back into bed.
After Scott and Lucy made love, Lucy smiled with satisfaction. Scott admitted that their differences disappeared when they were in bed together, but Lucy rolled her eyes because she realized that Scott would never change. Scott smiled as he acknowledged that she was right. Lucy suddenly recalled hearing her phone ring when they'd made love and went to check it. She smiled when she saw a text message from Felicia inviting her to Thanksgiving dinner.
After Lucy disappeared into the bathroom, Scott glanced at the safe. A short time later, Lucy finished getting dressed and retrieved the prescription bottle from the safe. She invited Scott to join her, but he declined because he claimed that he had work to do. Lucy suspected that he would report to Ava, but Scott denied it.
In the restaurant, Kiki showed her sister a wishbone and explained that they each had to make a wish as they broke the bone. Avery became excited when Kiki added that person with the long end would have their wish granted. Ava walked up as Avery pulled her end and squealed with joy when she won. Ava wanted Kiki to have a chance to win and suggested that Kiki fetch another wishbone from the kitchen. After Kiki left, Julian approached his sister's table to greet Ava and Avery.
Ava was delighted to see her brother, but she imagined that he missed his family. Julian admitted that he couldn't believe how much things had changed from the previous year when they had celebrated Thanksgiving together in his new home. Ava felt bad for Julian because she'd never seen him happier than when he'd been surrounded by his family. Julian sat down as Kiki returned, but she was not pleased to see her uncle. Julian hoped to honor the spirit of the holiday and put their differences aside, but Kiki wasn't interested.
Frustrated, Julian reminded his niece that he hadn't been responsible for Morgan's death -- it had been Sonny's fault. Kiki refused to discuss it with Avery present, so she handed Ava the wishbone and suggested that Ava and Julian use it because they both needed some luck. After Kiki left, Ava invited Julian to break the wishbone with her. Julian made a wish and pulled, but he broke off the small end and lost. Julian wasn't surprised and decided to cut the visit short.
After Julian left, Kiki returned to the table. Ava and Kiki talked about Morgan and about Kiki's certainty that she was to blame for his death. Ava argued that Kiki had not been responsible for the tragedy, but Kiki disagreed because she was certain that Morgan had spiraled out of control because he'd discovered that she'd had feelings for Dillon. Ava insisted that Kiki was wrong, but Kiki changed the subject by explaining that she needed to get back to work. Kiki thanked Ava for stopping by with Avery because it had been a nice treat. Ava assured Kiki that she'd get to see more of Avery, since Sonny was in jail.
Kiki realized that her mother hadn't heard about Sonny's bail and filled Ava in about the house arrest. Kiki warned Ava that Sonny would want Avery to be returned home soon. After Kiki left, Ava saw Scott enter the restaurant. Scott approached the table to assure Ava that everything would be okay, but Ava wanted to know if he had obtained the prescription bottle. Scott explained that Lucy would have been suspicious if he'd taken the bottle, so he'd done the next best thing -- he'd replaced the placebo pills with Lithium tablets.
Scott pointed out that if Lucy gave the bottle to Sonny and Carly, no one would have any inkling that Ava had switched out Morgan's medications with placebos. Ava agreed that it was a good plan. Satisfied, Scott made it clear that he expected her to repay him for all the favors he'd done for her.
At Crimson, Dillon sat in Nina's office as he spoke to his mother on the phone. He insisted that he couldn't make it to the family dinner because he had to work. After Dillon ended the call, he passed the time by shooting paper balls into a makeshift basketball hoop until Tracy called him back to check on him. He reiterated that he was swamped with work and quickly ended the call.
A short time later, Kiki arrived with a tray of food and called out to let Nina know that the food had been delivered. Kiki was surprised when she poked her head in Nina's office and saw Dillon. Dillon admitted that he'd ordered the food because he'd been avoiding going home to spend Thanksgiving with his family. Kiki was surprised, but Dillon explained that he didn't want to be at home because the previous Thanksgiving, he and his father had spent the day preparing a feast for the family. Dillon added that the turkey had been a disaster, and they had ended up ordering pizza. Kiki realized that Dillon had been avoiding any reminders of his time with his father and shifted gears to let him know that the kitchen had been out of turkey dinners, so the chef had improvised.
Kiki removed the lid from the dinner plate to show him a turkey burger. Dillon chuckled because he would be the first Quartermaine since 1994 to eat turkey on Thanksgiving. Kiki was curious what had transpired in 1994, but Dillon confessed that no one really knew except that it had been the first Thanksgiving that the Quartermaines had been forced to order pizza for dinner. Dillon explained that since that fateful day, the Quartermaines had ended up eating pizza on Thanksgiving, no matter how hard they'd tried to have a traditional turkey dinner. Kiki giggled, so Dillon invited her to join him for dinner.
Kiki admitted that her shift was over, but she pointed out that there was only one turkey burger. Dillon remedied the problem by cutting it in half and handing a piece to her. Kiki accepted the burger and took a bite as Dillon bit into his half of the burger.
At Gene's Roadhouse, Julian met with a man named Grey. Julian was eager for an update on the sale of the hospital because he was anxious to get the condominium deal off the ground. Grey assured Julian that the hospital had been bleeding money, but no one was ready to consider other options. Julian insisted that it needed to happen sooner rather than later, but Grey wondered if Julian was prepared for the backlash if his plans for the hospital should succeed. Julian explained that he didn't have a choice and walked Grey to the door.
After Grey left, Julian saw Alexis seated at the bar, sipping on a drink. He walked up and greeted her. Alexis' eyes rounded with surprise as she asked why he was there.
Carly entered her living room and looked around in confusion when she saw Michael, Nelle, and Josslyn setting out snacks while Jax opened a bottle of wine. She wondered what was going on until Josslyn wished her a happy Thanksgiving. Carly was stunned when she realized that she'd completely forgotten about the holiday, but everyone assured her that it was understandable. Michael added that Nelle had gone to the store and had picked up everything for the Thanksgiving dinner, but Carly began to cry because she should have taken care of dinner for her family. Josslyn felt terrible for Carly and hugged her mother.
Nelle watched carefully as Jax consoled Carly by gently patting her on the back and offering words of support and encouragement. She recalled overhearing Carly and Jax agree that they would forget the kiss they had shared, but she pushed the memory away, pasted on a smile, and encouraged Carly to relax because Jax had cooked everything. Jax added that he'd prepared Carly's favorite -- apple stuffing. Carly smiled with gratitude, but her eyes quickly clouded with sadness because it had been Morgan's favorite dish too. Nelle perked up when Carly went on to mention that the stuffing had been Sonny's recipe. Moments later, Olivia arrived to drop off some business papers.
Olivia was surprised when Carly answered the door because she'd expected Carly to be at Sonny's. In the living room, Nelle offered Michael a snack, but he declined because he didn't want to ruin his appetite for the meal that Nelle had graciously picked up. Nelle assured him that it was the least she could have done under the circumstances. She seized the opportunity to gauge Michael's feelings about Sonny not being there for the family meal.
In the foyer, Carly revealed that Jason had uncovered that Sonny hadn't been responsible for the bomb that had been planted in Julian's car. Olivia was relieved to hear the news, but Carly quickly clarified that it hadn't changed anything. Olivia disagreed, since Sonny had done exactly as Carly had asked. Olivia reminded Carly that many women, including Olivia, had asked Sonny to change his ways, but he'd only done it for Carly. Jax entered the foyer to wish Olivia a happy Thanksgiving. Olivia exchanged brief pleasantries with him and left.
In the living room, Nelle heard Carly's phone buzz and picked it up. When she saw that it was Sonny, she called out to Carly as she approached the foyer, but she stopped short when she noticed Jax and Carly hugging. Nelle watched them for a few seconds then returned to the living room and put the phone back down where she'd found it. She quietly crept back to the doorway to eavesdrop as Carly told Jax that Olivia had made her realize that Sonny had tried to change, so perhaps Carly had been unfair. Seconds later, Nelle grabbed her things and started to leave, but Michael returned to the living room and saw her. He was curious where she was headed, prompting her to tell him that she'd promised to visit a friend who was alone for the holiday.
In the foyer, Jax acknowledged that Carly and Sonny had a special bond, but he advised Carly to think carefully before getting back together with Sonny because everything Sonny touched eventually turned to dust. Carly nodded then returned to the living room with Jax to join Michael and Josslyn. Jax picked up a glass of wine and told everyone that he was thankful to spend the day with them and to be a part of their lives. Josslyn smiled and expressed her gratitude to her parents for being her heroes, Michael for teaching her to ride a bike when she was little, and Morgan for showing her that she could stand back up when she fell. Carly was moved by her daughter's tribute.
Michael admitted that he was thankful for his family and asked if Carly wanted to say anything. Carly glanced at Jax, but she saw Sonny smiling at her instead. She was startled by the vision, but she quickly pulled herself together and told Jax, Josslyn, and Michael that she was grateful for each of them. Carly suddenly realized that Nelle was gone, so Michael explained that Nelle had left to check on a friend.
Later, Jax and Carly returned to the living room while Michael and Josslyn fetched dessert. Carly thanked Jax for cooking, but he credited Nelle for buying all the food. Carly smiled and admitted that Nelle was good to them. Jax sensed that Carly was troubled and offered to resume their earlier conversation. Carly declined because she knew how Jax felt about her and Sonny. Jax appreciated Carly's consideration, but he was curious if she knew how she felt about Sonny. Carly confessed that she wasn't sure.
At Dante and Lulu's house, Dante and Nathan sat on the sofa, watching a football game, while Rocco ran around and both Lulu and Maxie set out snacks. Moments later, the doorbell rang. Dante opened the door and welcomed Kevin. Nearby, Maxie wondered why Laura hadn't arrived with Kevin. Lulu had no idea until she called her mother and Laura explained that she had an important errand to run. Lulu was disappointed, but Laura promised that she wouldn't be long.
Meanwhile, Dante called to check on Sonny. Sonny promised Dante that he was fine and changed the subject by asking about Rocco. Dante offered to drop off some Thanksgiving food, but Sonny declined and insisted that Dante focus on his family. Dante pointed out that Sonny was part of his family, too, and admitted that he didn't like the idea of Sonny being alone on Thanksgiving, but Sonny assured Dante that he'd keep himself busy watching football on television. Dante knew things had been hard on Sonny because they all missed Morgan, but he promised that he'd be there if Sonny needed him.
Lulu approached Dante to ask if Ned would be joining Olivia. Dante had no idea, but he expected his mother to arrive soon. Rocco walked up with his face covered in chocolate to ask for something to eat. Frazzled, Lulu turned to Dante for help. Kevin quickly stepped in to assure both Dante and Lulu that everything would be fine. Nearby, Maxie noticed that Kevin, Dante, and Lulu were huddled together and asked if Nathan knew why Lulu seemed on edge.
Later, Nathan and Maxie returned to the living room, but Maxie became concerned when she saw Kevin talking to Dante and Lulu. Maxie listened as Dante told Lulu that he'd break the news to everyone, but he warned Lulu that some people might not be happy about their surprise. Maxie feared the worst and marched up to ask if Dante and Lulu had decided to break up again.
At Greystone Manor, Sonny was surprised when Laura stopped by for a visit. Sonny invited her inside and ushered her to the living room. Laura assured him that Dante and Lulu would have loved to visit if Sonny had agreed. Sonny admitted that he'd talked to his son earlier as he joined Laura on the sofa. Laura let the subject drop as she and Sonny talked about Spencer. Sonny revealed that he'd recently spoken to his nephew and was pleased that he'd been flourishing at school. Laura agreed, but she hated the distance.
Laura confessed that she had stopped by to talk to Sonny because he was the only person who could understand what it was like to be her on a day like Thanksgiving because he, too, had lost a son. Laura gently told Sonny that whether he liked it or not, people cared about him. She encouraged Sonny to stop shutting his family out and to let them be a part of his life because the death of a child was not something that a person could endure alone.
After Laura left, Sonny picked up a bottle of alcohol and sat on the floor. He looked at a family portrait as he drank and thought about Carly. Eventually, he picked up his phone and called Carly, but the call went to voicemail. He left her a message explaining that he'd called to check on her. Sonny told her that he was home alone, but he wished her a happy Thanksgiving and added that their children were lucky to have her for their mother. After Sonny ended the call, he turned the photograph facedown and continued to drink.
Later, Sonny answered a knock at the door. It was Nelle. He was curious why she wasn't at Carly's, so she claimed that she'd felt out of place at the family gathering. Sonny invited Nelle inside and asked about Carly. Nelle assured him that Carly had all the help she needed. Sonny smiled with pride because he assumed she'd been referring to Michael, but Nelle revealed that Jax was with Carly too.
Nelle feigned surprise when Sonny's temper flared and rushed to assure him that she'd probably been wrong about Jax and Carly. Sonny wasn't satisfied and demanded to know if something had happened between his wife and Jax. Nelle made a show of trying to take back her words, but Sonny pushed for answers until she blurted out that Jax and Carly had kissed.
At Dante and Lulu's house, Maxie greeted Laura and implored her to help her stop Dante and Lulu from breaking up. Concerned, Laura turned to her daughter for an explanation, but Dante and Lulu assured everyone that they weren't breaking up. Dante announced that he and Lulu had decided to get married -- that very night. Everyone was stunned when Kevin added that he'd been ordained online and would be officiating the wedding. Moments later, Olivia arrived and asked Dante to fetch his baby brother from the car. She noticed how quiet everyone was and asked what she had missed.
A short time later, Lulu emerged from the bedroom, wearing a cranberry-colored strapless gown and holding a bouquet of fresh flowers. Dante waited in the living room, wearing a suit, surrounded by their family and friends. Lulu beamed as she approached Dante. Dante and Lulu exchanged heartfelt vows then kissed when Kevin pronounced them husband and wife. Everyone laughed when Rocco tugged on his mother's dress to let her know that he was hungry.
At the Quartermaine mansion, Dillon entered the living room, demanding to know what was going on because someone had taken his film-school thesis and had left a ransom note on his bed. Monica was curious if the note had instructed him to meet in the living room at 7:00 p.m. to get his property back. Dillon was surprised that Monica knew what the note had said, but she explained that her lucky tennis racket had also vanished. Ned added that the only Eddie Maine gold record had gone missing under similar circumstances. Tracy joined her family in the living room as Dillon, Ned, and Monica realized that Tracy was responsible for the stolen items.
Tracy didn't deny taking the items in question and ordering her family to meet in the living room. She revealed that she'd taken the drastic step to force everyone to spend the holiday together. "Happy Thanksgiving," Tracy added with a satisfied smile. Dillon, Ned, and Monica grumbled, but Tracy was furious that they'd each tried to skip out on the family dinner. She informed them that she had a Thanksgiving dinner ready, but Monica laughed. "And Larry Ashton really is a lord," Monica snidely joked, but Tracy was not amused.
Dillon reminded his mother that every year, they had tried to have a normal Thanksgiving family dinner, but it had always ended in disaster. Tracy refused to back down and warned everyone that they could do things the easy way or the hard way. Dillon, Ned, and Monica capitulated and agreed to stay for dinner. Delighted, Tracy asked Ned for a cocktail. Monica decided to fetch the pizza menu.
Later, Tracy poured herself another cocktail as she admitted that it was nice to have her family together for the holiday. However, Tracy was disappointed that Finn and Hayden hadn't been able to join them. Tracy shifted gears and tried to interest Dillon, Ned, and Monica in a board game, but no one was in the mood. Tracy quickly grew tired of their attitude and decided to return their items. She retrieved the box from behind the desk and announced that she'd rather spend the rest of the day with a cold-blooded lizard than a family counting down the seconds for the dinner to end. Tracy dropped the box on the coffee table and started to leave, but Dillon and Ned jumped up to stop her.
Monica explained that Tracy had misunderstood because the problem was that Tracy expected them to have a normal Thanksgiving dinner when there was nothing normal about their family. Ned agreed, but he conceded that they should cherish their time together. Tracy smiled as everyone gathered around her for a family group hug. A short time later, Ned spoke to Olivia on the phone as the others filled their plates with turkey and all the trimmings. He explained that he would have to meet Olivia later because he was about to sit down to have a traditional dinner with his family. Olivia was surprised it wasn't pizza, but Ned told her the curse had been lifted.
After Ned ended the call, Monica returned from the kitchen with a glass of cider. Ned noticed that the turkey smelled different than he'd expected. Monica became alarmed when Tracy suggested that it might have something to do with the cook's special brine. Monica ordered Tracy to put down the bite of turkey she'd been about to consume because Monica had seen a full container labeled "brine" in the refrigerator and an empty container that Finn had labeled "bacteria" on the counter. Dillon and Ned immediately dropped their forks as Monica stood up to fetch the pizza menu.
A short time later, Tracy, Monica, Dillon, and Ned talked about what they each were thankful for while they waited for the pizza to be delivered. Monica was thankful that they were all together, Tracy was thankful for General Hospital's resurrection, and Ned was thankful that Tracy had filled both Edward and Lila's shoes -- and then some. Dillon agreed and hugged his mother. After the pizza arrived, everyone sang the traditional Thanksgiving song then helped themselves to a slice of pizza. Ned placed a plate with pizza on the mantel in front of a picture of Edward and Lila.
At Gene's Roadhouse, Alexis was shocked when she saw Julian approach the bar, and she demanded to know what he was doing there. Julian ignored the question as he looked at her drink and told her not to let him stop her. Alexis assured him that she wouldn't and defiantly finished her drink and ordered another. She instructed the bartender to make it a double, but Julian expressed his concern about her drinking. Alexis glared at him and told him that he was violating her personal space.
Alexis reminded Julian of the restraining order and demanded that he leave. Julian agreed, but he warned her that he intended to call Sam first because he thought their daughter should know what Alexis had on the menu for the remainder of the night. Alexis bristled at the idea of him tattling on her when he'd been the one to drive her to drink. She accused him of robbing her of her good name, her career, and her dignity, but he warned her that she wouldn't find it at the bottom of a glass. Alexis resented Julian acting as if there was something wrong with her having a drink.
Alexis pointed out that she didn't have to answer to Julian. She also ordered him to stop sending her "creepy" text messages. Julian refused to back down because she needed help, so she changed tactics and agreed to get help but not from Sam. Julian suggested that Alexis talk to Jax, Diane, or even him. Alexis leaned forward, told him she'd rather die, and snatched his phone out of his hand. Alexis threw it against the wall and smiled when she heard it break.
"L'chaim," Alexis said as she raised her glass, took a drink, smacked her lips, and sighed with satisfaction. She made it clear that she would never turn to Julian for anything again. Alexis continued to berate him by pointing out that he might have his freedom, but he had nothing else. She bragged that she had the support of her children and would soon be practicing law again. Julian was happy for Alexis, but Alexis didn't care and warned him that all he had was Ava, who would eventually turn on him. Julian turned the conversation back to Alexis by informing her that she'd underestimated him if she thought breaking his phone would stop him from calling Sam to let her know where Alexis was.
Later, Alexis managed to slip out of the bar while Julian's back was turned. Julian quickly realized what she had done and gave chase. Alexis jumped into her car, locked the doors, and turned on the engine as Julian ran up and banged on the window. He implored her not to drive, but she threw the car into gear and stepped on the accelerator, intending to go in reverse. However, Alexis' car lunged forward and struck Julian. Julian's body went flying into the air as Alexis realized what had happened and slammed on the brakes.
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, General Hospital did not air. This was a planned preemption, and there were be no "lost" episodes as a result of the holiday.
Regular programming resumed on Monday, November 28, and picked up where the Wednesday, November 23 episode concluded.
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, General Hospital did not air. This was a planned preemption, and there were be no "lost" episodes as a result of the holiday.
Regular programming resumed on Monday, November 28, and picked up where the Wednesday, November 23 episode concluded.
