Holly helped Luke break into a Swiss bank with no questions asked until it was time to start searching the computer for activity in Jerry Jacks's account. Holly told Luke that she had called in favors and had risked her life to get him into the bank. Holly said that before she did anything else, Luke had to tell her what was really going on with him.
Luke tried unsuccessfully to divert Holly's attention but was eventually forced to tell her about Helena and the poisoned earring. Holly was incensed on Luke's behalf. Luke and Holly hugged and exchanged sentiments of love. Luke said that his one last shot at staying alive was to follow Jerry's money. Just as Holly said, "Let's do it," alarms started ringing in the bank.
Holly located Jerry's account. The money had been transferred to yet another account on the day following Jerry's supposed death. A retinal scan disclosed that Sean Donely had withdrawn the money.
In his office at General Hospital, Kevin successfully hypnotized Alexis, and she remembered that Sam's father's name was Julian. Alexis was astounded that Molly's clue had been correct. Kevin teased her about believing in the spirit world. Alexis said that she would believe in anything that would help them find a donor for Danny. Alexis was amazed at how much she had remembered under hypnosis.
Kevin said that perhaps Alexis had shut down those memories because they had been so painful, but since they were needed to save Danny, Alexis was willing for them to surface. Kevin urged Alexis to remain calm and let the memories emerge.
Alexis said that there were a lot of guys named Julian. Kevin said that there could not have been that many who had been in a bar in New Hampshire at the same time she had been. Kevin told Alexis to take it one step at a time and to take care of herself. The session ended. Kevin and Alexis parted.
Tracy caught up to Lucy and Scott in Kelly's. Tracy offered Lucy a generous check if Lucy would let Tracy vote Lucy's one percent of ELQ. Lucy was about to agree, but Scott interfered and renegotiated a much bigger payoff for Lucy. Tracy happily went on her way.
Lucy was ecstatic and bought Scott a piece of pie with a candle on it to celebrate Scott's negotiating skills. She told him to make a wish and blow out the candle. When he did, Scotty groused that despite his wish, Laura was still off chasing after Luke. Lucy told Scott to be patient and wait. She ate Scott's pie, so he got another piece.
When Scott returned, he remarked that patience had never been Lucy's strong suit. Lucy said that she and Scott had it in common that their spouses went off places without them. Lucy said that in Scott's case, at least Laura talked to him, while Kevin never told her anything about where he went or why.
Lucy told Scott that as much as she would like to be eating pie with Kevin, she would not change the evening for anything. Luke told Scott that he was a good friend and an extraordinary negotiator. Scott was flattered and offered Lucy the "sweet spot" of the pie on a fork. Kevin walked in as Lucy ate the pie off Scott's fork.
Kevin seemed jealous when he asked about the meeting that Lucy had been supposed to have with Laura, and Lucy told him that Scott had attended instead. Kevin asked if it had just been Scott and Lucy together the whole time. Lucy told Kevin that it had.
Derek/Julian had just told Ava to go, when Sam interrupted them. She demanded to know who Derek was and what he was doing in Connie's office. When Derek said he was Connie's boss and that she should return later to see Connie, Sam apologized and said that if he were the owner, she was there to see him. Sam apologized to Ava for interrupting her meeting. Sam noted that Ava knew Silas because Silas had been surprised to hear that Ava had a daughter.
Ava said that her meeting was over, and she would be on her way. She gave Derek a card and left. Sam and Derek introduced themselves. Sam told Derek about Danny's plight. Derek was not sympathetic at first, but Sam's heartfelt story about not knowing her father and her unconditional love for Danny won Derek over. He agreed to print Sam and Danny's story the following day. Sam thanked Derek and went back to GH.
A nurse was attending to Franco when Kiki entered his room. Outside, Silas called the lab to see if the DNA results were in. Franco opened his eyes when Kiki took his hand, she asked if he knew who she was, and Franco croaked out, "Daughter." Kiki was very pleased. Outside, Silas called about the DNA tests results again. In the room, the nurse agreed that knowing Kiki was a good sign that Franco would recover.
Kiki said that it was strange that she had not know about Franco, but Franco had known about her but not been allowed to see her. Kiki said that they would have plenty of time to get to know each other and that Franco would have the chance to save Danny. Silas interrupted and asked to speak to Kiki.
In the hallway, Silas said that he wanted to correct a misconception so that Kiki would not be disappointed. Silas told Kiki that Franco could not be a donor because of the suspicious cells that had been found in and around the tumor. When Kiki asked if there was anything else, Ava appeared before he could say anything. Ava hustled Kiki back into Franco's room.
Ava told Silas to stay away from Kiki, but Silas said that all that might change once the results of the DNA test was in. Ava said that Silas had had no right to run the test, but Silas replied that he was a doctor and could do what he wanted. Ava marched away.
Silas watched silently as Kiki told Franco that she was back at his side and that she was his daughter, and nothing could change that.
Connie found a locked box in Ava's pillow, but before she could open it, Monica charged in and wanted to know why Connie had destroyed Ava and Franco's room. Connie said that she was a reporter following a tip that there had been a break-in at the Quartermaine mansion. Monica did not believe her and was dialing the police when Tracy stopped her.
Monica ranted about the destroyed pillow, which Tracy offered to replace. That did not appease Monica, who wanted to punish the intruder. Tracy admitted that she had destroyed the room because she had been angry with Ava. Monica said that she was too happy for A.J. to care what Tracy was doing. Monica told Tracy to take care of the mess and left.
Connie showed Tracy the box. They found Kiki's birth certificate, naming Silas Clay as Kiki's father. Tracy was over the moon, but Connie had her doubts about betraying Sonny's trust. Tracy convinced Connie that outing Kiki's father would be best for Crimson, ELQ, and the Port Charles newspaper.
Sam met Alexis outside Danny's room with the good news that Derek Wells would feature a story about Danny's situation the following day. Alexis said that she did not know Derek but had remembered that Sam's father was named "Julian."
When Connie returned to Crimson, Derek told her that he had a story for the paper, but Connie said that she had an even bigger one. Connie showed Kiki's birth certificate to Derek and called it a "game-changer."
Tracy had just restored order to Ava's room when Ava walked in and asked Tracy why she was there. Tracy said that she had just been fluffing the pillows because she expected the following day to be a difficult one. In her sweetest, most sincere voice, Tracy offered, "Sweet dreams," to Ava. Once outside Ava's door, Tracy gloated and did a victory dance.
At the Metro Court Restaurant, A.J. celebrated his victory at ELQ with Elizabeth, Michael, and Alice. A.J. talked about how his life had changed for the better since his return to Port Charles and then raised a glass to toast to Alice for voting for him. Michael and Elizabeth chimed in with expressions of gratitude as they held up their own glasses to toast to Alice. Alice beamed as A.J. confessed that he appreciated how Alice had welcomed him back into the family fold and had given him unconditional support.
A.J noticed that Michael seemed quiet, so he asked if Michael was okay. "Of course," Michael assured his father, prompting A.J. to continue to sing Alice's praises. Alice insisted that it hadn't been necessary for A.J. to buy her dinner, but A.J. disagreed. Alice explained that she always strived to do the right thing, so voting for A.J. had seemed right to her. Alice suddenly recalled that she had promised to do something for someone, so she had to leave. A.J. was disappointed, so Alice confessed that she believed that Edward would have been proud of A.J. earlier that day.
After Alice left, Michael decided to call it a night. A.J. wanted Michael to stay, but Michael thought that A.J. and Elizabeth deserved to have some time alone together.
After Michael departed, A.J. confessed that he felt lucky because an amazing woman like Elizabeth cared about him. A.J. insisted that she made him want to be a better man, so he credited Elizabeth with keeping him on track. Elizabeth assured A.J. that he meant a lot to her too. "But?" A.J. asked. Elizabeth smiled as she assured A.J. that there weren't any buts because she was exactly where she wanted to be.
A.J. wondered if Elizabeth was ready to move their relationship forward by spending the night with him. Elizabeth admitted that her relationship with Ewen had made her gun-shy. A.J. promised Elizabeth that he wasn't holding anything back from her, so there weren't any secrets between them. She assured him that she had been with enough wrong guys to recognize the right man for her. Touched, A.J. confessed that no one had ever said that to him before.
Elizabeth explained that she was ready to take a leap of faith with A.J., so she wanted to spend the night with him. A.J. and Elizabeth kissed but then hit a snag when they tried to figure out where to go. Elizabeth explained that her grandmother, Audrey, was watching the boys, so they couldn't go to Elizabeth's house without a slew of questions. Plus, Elizabeth added, she wanted to wake up with A.J. in the morning, which she couldn't do with the boys at home. A.J. warned her that the mansion had its own set of challenges, but Elizabeth didn't mind.
Later, A.J. and Elizabeth slipped quietly into the dark mansion. A.J. promised Elizabeth that she was free to change her mind, but Elizabeth kissed him to let him know that she was where she wanted to be. After the kiss ended, A.J. and Elizabeth went to A.J.'s bedroom and then made love.
At Metro Court's Restaurant, Olivia made her way to the bar as she glanced at the stack of mail that she had picked up. The latest edition of Crimson caught her eye, prompting her to recall her decision to walk away when Sonny had decided to take back Connie. Olivia thought about Sonny's assurance that he had meant everything that he had told her and Olivia's promise to Sonny that she wanted him to be happy. She recalled Sonny asking about Olivia's happiness but pushed the memory aside when a patron asked if he and his companion had to wait to be seated.
Moments later, Michael spotted Olivia as he made his way to the elevator, so he stopped to greet her. He immediately noticed that Olivia seemed upset, so he offered to listen if she needed someone to talk to. Olivia appreciated Michael's concern, but she assured him that she was fine. Michael confessed that Dante had told him about Olivia's relationship with Sonny, so he suspected that Olivia was upset about Sonny. Olivia was more concerned that Michael might have told Sonny about Michael and Dante's talk, but Michael promised her that he hadn't. Olivia was relieved because what she'd had with Sonny was over.
Michael appreciated that Olivia's decision to walk away from Sonny hadn't been easy. Olivia insisted that it had been necessary in order for Sonny and Connie to have a chance at happiness. Michael sympathized because he had been in a similar situation. He told Olivia about Kiki without mentioning Kiki's name or going into detail about why they couldn't be together.
Olivia poured a drink for Michael and then one for herself. She assured Michael that he was a good man and that the girl had made a mistake by not choosing him. Olivia raised her glass and offered a toast to them. "A couple of martyrs," Olivia said as she took a drink.
After closing, Olivia walked through the restaurant. She glanced at the table where she and Sonny had celebrated his birthday and thought about the special day. Her expression turned sad as she pushed the bittersweet memory away and left.
Meanwhile, Michael arrived home, but his thoughts quickly drifted to his kiss with Kiki, before they had been told that they were cousins.
Kiki arrived at the boathouse, but stopped on the landing when she noticed a carpet of rose petals and lit candles scattered everywhere. Morgan greeted her from the doorway and led her to a table overlooking the water and set for two. Kiki was touched by the romantic gesture, but she insisted on freshening up first. Morgan assured her that she had time because their dinner hadn't arrived yet, so Kiki ran into the boathouse. "Two, one," Morgan quietly counted down with a smile.
Moments later, Kiki appeared in the doorway, holding a dress. She gushed how she had fallen in love with the dress at Wyndham's department store, but she hadn't been able to afford it. She thanked Morgan for the gift, so he told her that he loved her. Kiki smiled awkwardly and then returned to the boathouse to change. Morgan's expression turned pensive as he watched Kiki walk away.
A short time later, Alice arrived with the dinner. She apologized to Morgan for being late, but he assured her that it was okay. Alice wondered how things were going with Morgan and Kiki, so Morgan answered, "Good." Alice was surprised because she had expected him to say that things were great. Morgan assured her that they would be, but his words lacked conviction.
Moments later, Kiki returned to the table. Alice served the young couple their dinner, prompting Kiki to confess that she was impressed that Morgan had gone "all out." Alice clucked with approval and told Kiki that Kiki was a lucky to have Morgan.
Later, Alice served dessert and then left. Kiki admitted that she was too full to eat another bite, but Morgan urged her to at least look at the dessert before making a decision. He lifted the silver dome off of the plate to reveal a black velvet ring box with a large square diamond ring nestled in its center. Kiki stared in awe at the stunning engagement ring. Morgan slid it on her finger, but Kiki refused to keep it because they couldn't afford it.
Morgan explained that he had reached out for help to pay for the engagement ring, so Kiki could keep it. Kiki assumed that he had turned to his father for help, so she relaxed.
Later, Morgan worried that he might be rushing Kiki into marriage. He assured her that he loved her and was ready to get married, but he didn't want her to feel pressured to marry him. Kiki was curious what had prompted Morgan's concern, so he reminded her that she hadn't returned his declaration of love. Morgan realized that meeting online hadn't been a conventional way to start a relationship, but Kiki assured Morgan that she loved him and insisted that their unique beginning was one of the things that she liked about their relationship. Relieved, Morgan kissed Kiki and then took her to the boathouse, where they made love.
At Greystone Manor, Connie looked at Kiki's birth certificate as her thoughts drifted to her meeting with Derek when she had announced her decision to run the story that would change everything at ELQ. Connie returned to the present as she murmured that she had no idea how to tell Sonny what she had done.
Sonny greeted Connie when she entered the house. He quickly ushered her to the patio as he explained that he had a surprise for her. Connie's eyes filled with tears when she saw the romantic candlelight dinner that Sonny had prepared. Sonny explained that he had wanted to show Connie how grateful he was that she had agreed to keep quiet about Kiki's paternity. He admitted that her loyalty meant a lot to him and to Morgan.
Connie confessed that she couldn't help but worry about Michael and what the secret had cost the young man. Connie revealed that she had bumped into Michael at Kelly's and that Michael had seemed troubled, so Connie had mentioned Morgan's engagement to Kiki. Sonny pointed out that it had been the wrong thing to do, so Connie assured him that Michael was determined to move forward. Sonny was pleased because it had been wrong of Michael to lust after Morgan's girlfriend.
Connie argued that Michael was dealing with the shame and guilt of having incestuous thoughts, so Sonny promised to tell Michael the truth after Morgan and Kiki's wedding. Sonny deftly changed the subject by conceding that he regretted that Connie hadn't been able to save her fashion magazine by running the story, but he reiterated that she had done right by him and Morgan.
Connie pointed out that the secret benefited Sonny and Morgan, not the people who would lose their jobs when Crimson and the Port Charles Press were shut down. Sonny insisted that the layoffs were on Derek Wells, not Sonny.
Connie broached the subject of what she had done by explaining that she had tried to reason with Derek, but Derek had threatened to pull the plug on the magazine and newspaper the following day if Connie had refused to print the story. Sonny hadn't realized that the deadline had been that close, prompting Connie to point out that her back had been against the wall. Sonny confessed that he admired her dedication and acumen in business and fashion, so he offered to finance a new fashion magazine for Connie.
"It's you and me together, always," Sonny added. Connie was moved to tears by the generous offer. Sonny smiled and then disappeared into the kitchen to fetch dessert. Connie immediately placed a call to pull the front-page story about the ELQ scandal, but she was informed that she wasn't authorized.
At the hospital, Silas explained to a nurse that he was waiting for the results of an important DNA test, so he wanted to be notified when the results were ready.
In Danny's hospital room, Sam softly told her son to sleep and promised that they would find a way to beat his illness. Moments later, Silas entered the room to check on Danny. Sam wondered if there had been any news about a donor, so Silas shook his head, but he promised to continue to check the donor registry.
Silas was curious if Alexis had recalled anything about Sam's father, so Sam confided that Alexis had undergone hypnosis. Silas was surprised when Sam revealed that her father's name was Julian, so he was curious if the session had yielded anything else. Sam admitted that all she knew about Julian was that he had been actively heterosexual, owned a car, and had been in New Hampshire at least once in his life, but she had no idea if he was even alive anymore.
Silas was curious if Sam was hoping for a connection with her father if they found him. Sam had no idea how to answer that, so Silas confessed that he had never felt a connection with his own father, so Silas had left home at the age of eighteen. Sam admitted that she was curious to know who her father was, but she didn't expect the man to be Father of the Year material.
Sam appreciated the point that Silas had tried to make, so she needed to focus on Derek Wells rather than on finding Julian because time was of the essence. Sam told Silas about Derek's agreement to run a front-page story about Danny's desperate need for a bone marrow transplant. Silas was pleased, but it was clear that Sam didn't hold out much hope that it would help.
Moments later, a nurse popped her head into Danny's hospital room to let Silas know that the DNA test results were in. Silas decided that the tests could wait because Sam needed him, so he stayed with Sam.
At the Floating Rib, Alexis approached the bar to order a drink. Mac offered to fetch a glass of wine, but Alexis wanted scotch on the rocks. She explained that it had been a difficult day, so Mac asked how Danny was holding up. Alexis admitted that her grandson was not doing well. She blamed herself because she didn't know who Sam's father was.
Julian entered the bar as Alexis told Mac about the hypnosis session that had helped her to remember Sam's father's first name. Julian noticed Alexis, but he hadn't heard what she had said. He made his way to a table and called Ava, but reached his sister's voicemail. Julian accused Ava of holding out on him, so he advised her to return his call because they had a lot to talk about.
Meanwhile, Alexis lamented that even if they found Sam's father, it likely wouldn't be in time to save Danny. She was startled when Julian suddenly approached her to ask if they had met before. Alexis didn't recognize Julian, but he insisted that there was something familiar about her. Julian was curious what Alexis' name was, so Alexis told him. Julian introduced himself as Derek Wells, but Mac suspected that "Derek" was trying to pick up Alexis.
Alexis ignored Mac as she realized that Derek was the man who had agreed to run Danny's story on the front page of the newspaper. Derek guessed that Alexis was Sam's sister, prompting Mac to roll his eyes. Alexis glared at Mac and then clarified that she was Sam's mother. Derek didn't believe Alexis because she looked too young to be Sam's mother, so Alexis revealed that she had been sixteen when she had given birth to Sam.
Derek apologized, but Alexis assured him that he could say whatever he wanted, since he had agreed to run a front-page article about her grandson's desperate need for a bone marrow transplant. Derek was forced to admit that the story had been bumped off of the front page for a late-breaking scandal at ELQ.
Alexis recovered from her shock and tried to impress the importance of running Danny's story, but Derek explained that the scandal was more newsworthy. Alexis accused Derek of giving Sam false hope, so Derek promised that the story would still run, just not on the front page. Mac tried to assure Alexis that everything would be okay, but Alexis insisted that it had been unrealistic of her to think that one man could save Danny. Derek offered to buy Alexis a drink, but she declined.
Moments later, Derek stepped aside to take a phone call from Connie. Connie was livid that Derek had overridden her authority at the newspaper. Derek reminded Connie that he owned the newspaper and then admitted that he had expected Connie to have a change of heart about the ELQ scandal, so he had taken precautions. Connie explained that he could shut down the Crimson and the Port Charles Press, as long as he pulled the ELQ story. Derek congratulated her on saving Crimson and then ended the call.
Shortly afterwards, Derek returned to apologize to Alexis, but Mac curtly informed him that the bar was closing. Derek paid for Alexis' tab and explained that taking Danny's story off of the front page had been a business decision, but he was pulling for Danny. "Of course," Alexis replied.
Julian made his way to the door as Alexis told Mac that she regretted lashing out at Derek because Derek had handled the situation with tact.
At Greystone Manor, Sonny invited Connie to bed. She smiled sadly and assured him that, no matter what happened, she loved him.
The following morning, the Port Charles Press was delivered to various doorsteps around town. The newspaper featured a picture of Kiki with a caption that read, "Kiki not a Q! ELQ vote in question."
The episode featured the song "Underneath the Night," by Rie Sinclair
At the hospital, Silas stood over Danny's crib and watched the little boy sleep. A nurse entered the room to hand Silas the results of the DNA test that he had requested. After the nurse left, Silas looked at the envelope as he thought about Ava's denials that Kiki was his daughter. He growled that he was tired of the lies and then started to open the envelope, but Monica appeared in the doorway.
Monica ordered Silas to hand over the test results because she knew that he had ordered the tests without the patient's knowledge or consent. Silas was curious who had told Monica that, so Ava stepped forward to admit that she had. Ava accused Silas of invading Kiki's privacy and ignoring Ava's request to cease and desist, prompting Monica to ask Silas if that was true. Silas freely admitted that it was, so Monica demanded that he turn over the results of the test.
After Silas handed the envelope to Monica, Ava wondered if Monica intended to keep someone like Silas on staff. Monica appreciated that Ava had an issue with Silas, but Monica refused to fire any doctor without involving the disciplinary board. Frustrated, Ava demanded that Monica hand over the test results, but Monica pointed out that they were evidence against Silas. Ava threatened to sue the hospital if Monica refused to give Ava the tests, so Monica reluctantly handed them to Ava and then left.
Afterwards, Silas asked why Ava was so determined to keep the truth about Kiki from him. Ava reminded Silas of how things had ended between them and how he had ignored all of her efforts to talk things out. She pointed out that he had gone over twenty years without bothering to check on her, so she was curious why he would suddenly care that they had a grown daughter. Silas suggested that the better question was why Ava would allow Kiki to believe that Kiki's father was a serial killer.
Ava argued that Franco was a visionary artist who had suffered from a brain tumor. Ava reminded Silas that Silas was far from squeaky clean, but Silas refused to rise to the bait. He warned Ava that her defensive behavior only confirmed his suspicions that Kiki was his daughter. Ava advised Silas to talk to the "shrink" about his obsession with Kiki because it indicated that something was clearly lacking in Silas' life. Silas didn't react, prompting Ava to threaten to have his medical license revoked if he didn't back down.
Silas was tired of trying to handle things privately with Ava, so he decided to go to Kiki with his suspicions. Silas started to walk away, but Ava wrapped her arm around his neck from behind and held a knife to his kidney. She vowed to kill Silas if he went near Kiki.
At Greystone Manor, Connie scooped up the newspaper from the doorstep and looked at the headline revealing that Kiki was not a Quartermaine. She clutched the newspaper close to her and returned inside but immediately encountered Sonny. Sonny was in high spirits as he followed a subdued Connie into the parlor. Connie braced herself and then showed Sonny the newspaper.
Initially, Sonny assumed that the newspaper was a joke, but Connie confessed that it was real. She explained that she had tried to pull the article, but Sonny didn't care. He pointed out she wouldn't have needed to pull the article if she hadn't broken her promise to him. Connie explained that she had changed her mind about not running the story after her talk with Michael.
Sonny accused Connie of hiding behind Michael instead of admitting that she had proceeded with the story for her own benefit. Connie conceded that the article had helped her, but she insisted that people's livelihoods had been on the line as well as Michael's heart. Sonny was stunned when Connie suggested that Sonny shouldered some of the blame for the scandal because Sonny's decision to back Morgan's lie had allowed Kiki to vote at ELQ, which had made Kiki's paternity newsworthy.
Connie thought that Morgan had manipulated Sonny to put Morgan's happiness ahead of Michael's. Sonny justified his decision to lie for Morgan by explaining that Michael was strong and would be fine, while Morgan had been slipping away. Connie warned Sonny that it wouldn't help Morgan to marry a woman who didn't love him, but Sonny argued that Kiki had accepted Morgan's proposal. Connie pointed out that Kiki had made an uninformed decision and that it had been wrong of Sonny to help Morgan to manipulate Kiki.
Connie reminded Sonny that she knew firsthand that hiding from the truth only caused more pain, but Sonny insisted that Morgan and Connie's situations were different. Connie explained that she had simply wanted to do what was best for Sonny's family, prompting Sonny to ask what she knew about family or raising children. Sonny immediately regretted his harsh words when he saw how hurt Connie was. He apologized and conceded that he had been out of line, but he insisted that she had made the decision to print the story for her own personal gain, not because of Michael.
Sonny suggested that Connie had tried to pull the story because she knew she had been wrong. Connie revealed that she had decided to pull it because she loved Sonny. She insisted that Sonny had been wrong to lie for Morgan, so Sonny stormed out.
At Metro Court Restaurant, Olivia was on the phone, threatening to find another supplier if the hotel's linens weren't delivered within the hour. Carly had walked up in time to hear the threat, so she waited until Olivia ended the call to remind Olivia that the head of housekeeping could have dealt with the supplier. Carly didn't want Olivia overdoing things because Olivia was still recovering from the gunshot wound. Olivia assured Carly that she was fine then suggested that Carly worry about Michael instead.
Carly was curious what Olivia was talking about, so Olivia advised Carly to talk to Michael about it. Carly assured Olivia that she would tell Olivia if Dante were troubled about something, so Carly expected Olivia to return the courtesy. Olivia confessed that she had talked to Michael the previous evening and that he had confided that he was hurting over someone he cared about but had needed to walk away from.
Carly revealed that she and Michael had already talked about it and that Michael had good reasons to stay away from the girl. Olivia assumed that Carly hadn't approved of the girl, so she told Carly about a girl that Dante had dated in high school. Olivia admitted that the more she had tried to push Dante to stay away from the girl, the more he had wanted her. Carly assured Olivia that Michael's situation was a little more serious than a high school crush, but Olivia warned Carly that it was difficult to love a person that one couldn't have.
Carly wondered if they were talking about Michael and the girl or Olivia and Sonny. Olivia pretended that she had no idea what Carly was talking about, but Carly warned Olivia not to bother because Carly had noticed that there had been more than mere friendship between Sonny and Olivia. Olivia reminded Carly that Sonny was with Connie, but Carly scoffed at the suggestion that Connie would make Sonny happy. Carly was certain that Connie would eventually break Sonny's heart.
According to Carly, Olivia was the only Falconeri woman capable of making Sonny happy. Olivia appreciated Carly's support, but Olivia refused to get between Sonny and Connie. Carly warned Olivia that Connie would eventually self-destruct and destroy her relationship with Sonny.
Later, Olivia thought about her kiss with Sonny as she recalled Carly's remark that Olivia was the right woman for Sonny. "Olivia," Sonny quietly called out as he approached her.
In A.J.'s bedroom, Elizabeth woke up in A.J.'s arms. She smiled when A.J. confessed that he had slept better than ever before. A.J. couldn't recall ever being as happy as he was at that moment, so he had a hard time believing his good fortune. A.J. felt blessed that he had his son, ELQ, and Elizabeth in his life, so things couldn't get better for him. Elizabeth smiled and kissed A.J.
Later, A.J. offered to order breakfast for Elizabeth, but she suggested that they go to the kitchen to make their own breakfast instead of asking Cook II to prepare something. A.J. agreed, but warned her that they would be making a statement by appearing in the kitchen together. Elizabeth didn't have a problem with people knowing that she was his girlfriend and that they'd had a fun time together the previous evening. A.J. cautioned Elizabeth that she would likely encounter some of the other residents, including Tracy, but Elizabeth wasn't worried because she had plenty of experience dealing with Quartermaines. Besides, Elizabeth reminded A.J., recent events suggested that Tracy's bark was worse than her bite.
Meanwhile, Tracy fetched the morning newspaper from the front stoop. She smiled with delight when she saw that Connie had followed through with the promise to run the story about Kiki. "It's a glorious day," Tracy announced as she entered the mansion.
A short time later, Tracy ordered a fruit basket and bottle of champagne to be delivered to Connie along with a card thanking Connie. After Tracy ended the call, Diane entered the parlor. Diane was curious why Tracy had called, so Tracy took delight in revealing that it had to do with the recent shareholders' vote. Diane insisted that the vote had been beyond reproach, so Tracy handed Diane the newspaper.
At the boathouse, Kiki dreamed that Michael sat on the edge of her bed, watching her as she slept. Reality crashed in when she opened her eyes to discover that it had been Morgan watching her while she slept. Morgan gushed about how he liked watching her sleep and then asked if she had had good dreams. Kiki smiled awkwardly, but Morgan didn't wait for a reply because he knew the answer. Morgan revealed that she tossed and turned when she had bad dreams and remained still when the dreams were good.
Kiki changed the subject by offering to fetch them breakfast, but Morgan insisted that Kiki deserved more than cold cereal. He offered to dash to the main house to pick up a hot breakfast that he intended to serve to her in bed. Morgan made his way to the door but then stopped to tell her that he loved her. Kiki hesitated a moment before returning the declaration of affection. After Morgan left, Kiki called Michael.
At the mansion, A.J. and Elizabeth appeared in the doorway of the parlor, so Tracy jumped up to greet them. Tracy was surprised that Elizabeth wasn't dead on her feet after spending the night "raising the rafters" celebrating with A.J., but Elizabeth ignored the innuendo. A.J. asked why Diane was there, so Tracy took delight in goading A.J. before showing him the newspaper article.
Morgan approached the parlor as Tracy crowed that Kiki was not a Quartermaine, so he quickly ducked out of sight to eavesdrop on the exchange. A.J. refused to believe the outrageous claim about Kiki's paternity, but Tracy pointed to the copy of Kiki's birth certificate that had accompanied the article. A.J. insisted that the birth certificate was a forgery, but Tracy argued that A.J. should have been more diligent about checking Kiki's paternity before staking his entire career on it. Tracy claimed that she had questioned Kiki's paternity from the start.
Tracy gloated that A.J. no longer had the votes to secure his position as CEO, so Elizabeth reminded A.J. that without Kiki's votes, A.J. and Tracy were in a deadlock. Tracy delighted in informing A.J. that she had secured Lucy Coe's one-percent vote the previous evening, so Tracy had the votes necessary to unseat A.J. as CEO. Furious, A.J. began to hyperventilate, prompting Tracy to boast that she was in charge.
Elizabeth advised Tracy to grow up, but Tracy continued to bask in her success, so Elizabeth promised A.J. that everything would be okay. A.J. was livid that Tracy had printed the story in the newspaper, but Tracy quickly clarified that Connie had been behind the story. A.J. was momentarily confused because he didn't think that Connie had an axe to grind with him.
Diane pointed out that Connie was linked to Sonny, who had plenty of reasons to despise A.J., starting with Michael. A.J. argued that Michael was his son, not Sonny's. Diane countered that Sonny saw things differently. Tracy gleefully bragged that she had known that Michael's kidnapping and A.J.'s attempt to make it appear that Michael had perished would return to haunt A.J.
Tracy continued to try to fan the flames of hatred between A.J. and Sonny, so Elizabeth stepped forward to remind A.J. that the recent developments were only a setback. A.J. disagreed; he knew when he was done, but he vowed that he would not be the only one and stormed out.
Later, Tracy walked Diane to the door. After Diane left, Tracy returned to the parlor, where Elizabeth was waiting. Tracy had assumed that Elizabeth had left when A.J. had left "with his tail tucked between his legs." Elizabeth made it clear that she would not abandon A.J., so Tracy warned Elizabeth that A.J. would eventually disappoint Elizabeth the way that he had everyone else. Tracy accused A.J. of being a chronic failure, but Elizabeth couldn't believe how horribly Tracy treated her own family.
Tracy ranted about all of A.J.'s shortcomings and suggested that Elizabeth should thank her for showing Elizabeth the real A.J. before it was too late. According to Tracy, A.J. was empty and nothing but a shell of a person who was unworthy of anyone's love. Livid, Elizabeth slapped Tracy across the face.
At the apartment, Michael collected the morning newspaper from his doorstep, but then decided to shower and grab coffee before reading it.
A short time later, Kiki called Michael. She realized that they shouldn't talk, but she had no one else to turn to. Michael suggested that she confide to Morgan, but Kiki revealed that she needed to talk about Morgan. Kiki explained that Morgan had given her an engagement ring and had told her that he loved her, so she had done the same. Michael was curious if she had meant it, but Kiki couldn't answer him.
Michael warned Kiki that not loving Morgan would be a problem, but Kiki insisted that she'd had to accept Morgan's proposal of marriage because she hadn't had any other choice. Michael disagreed, but the phone call was cut short when Morgan returned to the boathouse.
At the boathouse, Kiki was startled when Morgan suddenly burst through the door. Kiki feared that something had happened, but Morgan wanted to know who she was talking to. Kiki claimed that she was on the phone with her mother and then quickly ended the call to find out what was going on with Morgan.
According to Morgan, the courthouse had called to let him know that they had an opening, so Morgan and Kiki could get married right away. Kiki was shocked when Morgan urged her to get dressed quickly so they could race to the courthouse to get married. Kiki feared that they were moving too fast, but Morgan argued that there was no reason to wait and then hustled her to the bathroom with instructions to hurry.
At the apartment, Michael noticed the front-page of the Port Charles Press and quickly picked up the newspaper to read the article about Kiki. He was stunned to realize that he and Kiki weren't cousins, so he picked up the phone to call Kiki.
Morgan was not pleased when he saw Michael's incoming call because he suspected that Michael was calling to tell Kiki that she was not a Quartermaine. He vowed to marry Kiki before Michael could break the news to her, so he answered the phone and then stepped outside to talk to his brother. Michael asked to speak to Kiki, but Morgan informed his brother that Kiki was in the shower and then asked why Michael had called.
Michael claimed that he had called to check on Franco, but Morgan didn't believe his brother. Morgan made a few snide remarks then abruptly ended the call. Seconds later, Kiki appeared in the doorway to ask who Morgan had been talking to. Morgan told her that Sonny had called to find out how Kiki had liked the engagement ring and to congratulate Morgan and Kiki. According to Morgan, Sonny was happy about their impending wedding.
At the apartment, Michael grabbed the newspaper and then left to track down Kiki. A short time later, he arrived at the boathouse, but Morgan and Kiki were gone.
At Greystone Manor, Connie left Sonny a frantic voicemail message, beseeching him to return her call so they could talk things out. She jumped when she heard the front door slam, so she ended the call. Moments later, A.J. appeared in the doorway, demanding an explanation for the news article.
At the hospital, Ava threatened to have Silas' medical license revoked if he didn't stay away from Kiki. Silas confessed that Ava's desperation suggested that he was correct about Kiki's paternity. Silas decided to discuss his suspicions with Kiki, so he started to walk away. Ava swiped a sharp medical instrument off of a cart and jerked Silas back as she held the makeshift weapon to his kidney.
"You are a dead man if you tell my daughter you are her father," Ava growled into Silas' ear. Silas refused to be intimidated, so he invited Ava to carry out her threat. He turned to face her, showed her where to strike, and then held his arms out to assure her that he wouldn't stop her. Ava's eyes filled with tears of frustration as she lowered the weapon.
Ava assured Silas that she could have killed him and disposed of his body quite easily by taking it to the morgue and filling out paperwork that would have identified him as a John Doe. Ava was confident that no one would have missed Silas, but Silas suspected that his patients would have noticed his sudden disappearance. Ava argued that the patients would have simply found a new doctor. She reminded Silas that the town was riddled with organized crime, so he wouldn't have been the first person to witness something that he shouldn't have and end up dumped in the Pine Barrens.
Silas was impressed by how much thought Ava had put into his hypothetical murder. Ava assured him that it had been a flash of inspiration, not something that she had given much thought to, but Silas didn't believe her. However, he warned her that her attempts at deflection would not stop him from seeking out Kiki.
Ava continued to issue threats until Sam walked up. Ava glared at Silas and then stormed off. Sam handed Silas a cup of coffee then asked why Ava had been so angry. Sam wasn't surprised when Silas refused to talk about it, so she entered Danny's hospital room. Silas followed Sam to find out how the bone marrow drive for Danny was going. Sam confessed that no one had shown up because Derek Wells had bumped Danny's story for a bigger story.
Silas couldn't imagine what could be more important than a child's life, but he was curious if Danny's story had appeared elsewhere in the newspaper. Sam picked up her computer tablet to check online. She wasn't surprised when she saw the lead story, so she showed it to Silas.
Shocked, Silas scanned the headline then quickly read the article, which included a picture of Kiki's birth certificate naming him as Kiki's father. Sam asked if Silas was okay, so Silas revealed that Kiki was his daughter. Silas seemed confused about what to do, so Sam encouraged him to find his daughter.
At the courthouse, Morgan returned to let Kiki know that there were two other couples ahead of them, so they would be able to pick up their marriage license shortly. Kiki was curious why Morgan was in a rush to get married, so Morgan pointed out there wasn't any reason for them to wait, and he didn't want anything standing in the way of them being together forever.
A few minutes later, Kiki rooted around her purse for her cell phone. She became frustrated when she couldn't find it, so Morgan nervously suggested that perhaps she had forgotten it at the boathouse. Kiki distinctly recalled putting her cell phone in her purse before they left. Morgan recalled sending Kiki to fetch her passport as a second form of identification, so he could retrieve her cell phone and toss it beneath the bed.
Morgan pushed the memory aside and suggested that Kiki would lose her hands if they weren't in her pockets, but Kiki was not amused. She asked to use his phone so she could call to check on her father. Morgan felt his phone vibrate, so he carefully slid it out of his pocket and saw that Michael was calling. Morgan quickly turned the phone off and told Kiki that the phone was dead because he had forgotten to charge it.
Morgan assured Kiki that they could visit Franco after they picked up the marriage license. Moments later, Mac and Felicia walked up. Mac immediately recognized Morgan, so he greeted the young man. Mac explained that he and Felicia were there to pick up a marriage license, prompting Morgan to reveal that he and Kiki were there for the same reason. Felicia perked up when Morgan introduced Kiki because Felicia had recognized Kiki's name.
Morgan saw the folded newspaper in Felicia's hand, so he realized that Felicia had read the article. Morgan forestalled Felicia from mentioning the article by asking if Mac or Felicia had a cell phone that Kiki could borrow to check on her father at the hospital. Felicia handed her cell phone to Kiki, so Kiki thanked her.
After Kiki stepped away to make the call, Mac and Felicia expressed concern because they sensed that Kiki had no idea about the newspaper article. Morgan confessed that he hadn't told Kiki about it because it was a special day for them, and he didn't want to take that away from Kiki. Mac and Felicia worried that it was a mistake, but Morgan insisted that he wanted to marry Kiki before she found out that she wasn't a Quartermaine, so Kiki would be assured that Morgan loved her regardless of who her father was. According to Morgan, the wedding would make things easier for Kiki when he broke the news to her.
Moments later, Kiki returned and handed the cell phone to Felicia. Morgan and Kiki's number was called, so they bid Mac and Felicia goodbye and left. Mac admitted that Morgan's story hadn't added up. Felicia agreed that there was more to Morgan's story.
Later, Morgan tried to persuade Kiki to marry him before they left the courthouse, but Kiki admitted that was a bad idea.
At the boathouse, Michael called Kiki when he discovered that she and Morgan were not there. He was surprised when he heard a phone ring from under the bed, so he leaned down to pick it up. He recognized Kiki's phone, so he decided to call Morgan, certain that Kiki was with Morgan, but the call went to voicemail.
Moments later, Ava burst through the door, looking for Kiki. Michael explained that neither Morgan nor Kiki was there, so Ava demanded to know where Kiki was because she desperately needed to talk to her daughter. Michael assumed that it had to do with the newspaper article, but Ava had no idea what he was talking about. Michael handed Ava the newspaper.
Shocked, Ava stared at the headline and then read the article. Ava was astounded that the newspaper had printed a copy of Kiki's birth certificate, so she tried to figure out how it had been obtained. Ava suddenly recalled catching Tracy in Ava's bedroom the previous day and Tracy's suggestion that Ava get a good night's sleep because the following day would likely be a long one for Ava.
"Tracy did this," Ava realized. Michael was stunned that the birth certificate was legitimate, so he demanded to know why Ava had lied to Kiki. Ava explained that she'd had her reasons, but Michael wasn't satisfied with the answer. He advised Ava to have real answers for Kiki because Kiki would expect them. Ava reminded Michael that it didn't concern him, so Michael reminded Ava that her lie had affected his family.
Michael accused Ava of lying about Kiki's paternity for financial gain, but Ava denied it. Michael suddenly realized how the scandal would impact A.J. and A.J.'s position at ELQ, so he decided to check on his father. Michael asked Ava to let Kiki know that he had been looking for Kiki and then turned to leave.
Ava called out to Michael to beg him to tell her where Kiki might be. Michael reminded Ava that he had been at the boathouse, looking for Kiki, so he had no idea where Kiki was. However, he suspected that Kiki was with Morgan.
At the Quartermaine mansion, Tracy stood in the parlor, ranting to Elizabeth about A.J. "He's a shell, a husk. An empty person not worthy of anybody's love," Tracy declared. Elizabeth slapped Tracy across the face. Shocked, Tracy rubbed the side of her face to ease the pain. "How dare you?" Tracy demanded. "How dare you?" Elizabeth countered.
Elizabeth insisted that A.J. had simply been trying to put his life back together. Elizabeth was certain that Tracy would see how hard A.J. had worked to rebuild his life and ELQ if Tracy would only open her eyes. Tracy smirked, prompting Elizabeth to suggest that Tracy's greed, misery, and resentment had made everything that A.J. had accomplished count for nothing. Tracy laughed and argued that it was a load of "crap."
According to Tracy, it was only a matter of time before A.J. crumbled. Elizabeth pointed out that at least A.J. had the sense not to dump dirty money into ELQ, prompting Tracy to argue that she have been driven to desperation because she had wanted to save her father's legacy. Elizabeth countered that Tracy hadn't hesitated to conspire with Connie to reveal the damaging information to drive ELQ's stock prices down. "Because if you couldn't have it, no one could," Elizabeth concluded.
Tracy was quiet as Elizabeth's words hit home. Elizabeth pointed out that ELQ's stock prices had never recovered from what Tracy had done. "Edward must be so proud of his daughter," Elizabeth mocked. Tracy conceded that it hadn't been her finest hour, but Tracy blamed A.J. for pushing her into a corner by stealing ELQ from under her. Elizabeth argued that Tracy had acted out of spite because A.J. had outmaneuvered Tracy.
Tracy went on a tangent about how A.J. was a thief because he had stolen the one thing that Edward had left to Tracy. Tracy insisted that A.J. hadn't had a right to take the last remaining jar of Pickle-Lila relish or to blackmail Tracy out of ELQ. Tracy resented Elizabeth painting A.J. as the misunderstood hero when he had once tried to kill Alan. Tracy was curious if Elizabeth truly wanted someone like A.J. around Cam and Aiden.
Elizabeth assured Tracy that she trusted A.J. with Cam and Aiden because A.J. was wonderful with her sons. Tracy pointed out that A.J. had once arranged for the kidnapping of three young children, but Elizabeth argued that A.J. had been driven to it by being denied the opportunity to be a father to his own son. Tracy argued that Jason had been in a similar situation with Jake but hadn't reacted the way that A.J. had. Elizabeth explained she and Jason had made a mutual decision.
Elizabeth insisted that A.J. had just wanted an opportunity to build something with his son, but Tracy had ripped that away from A.J. Tracy refused to apologize because she believed that A.J. was a loser who would never change. Tracy pointed out that Ava's lie had stripped A.J. of ELQ, so Tracy was not responsible. Tracy suggested that Elizabeth was bitter because Elizabeth had picked A.J. instead to Nikolas.
Elizabeth made it clear that Nikolas had nothing to do with what they were talking about, but Tracy ignored her. Tracy conceded that Nikolas wasn't her favorite person, but she thought that he was an infinitely better choice than A.J. Elizabeth refused to explain her decision to Tracy, but Tracy warned Elizabeth that A.J. was about to implode, so Elizabeth should run.
Elizabeth was confident that A.J. was stronger than Tracy realized, but Tracy disagreed. Tracy reminded Elizabeth that A.J. had nearly taken a drink when he suspected Elizabeth of having an affair with Nikolas. Tracy relished in adding that A.J. had slept with Carly when Carly had stopped him from taking a drink. According to Tracy, A.J. would always revert to type, which she described as self-destructive and loathsome.
Elizabeth quietly closed the parlor door and then advanced on Tracy. Elizabeth pointed her finger at Tracy as she accused Tracy of being the loathsome one. "For stating fact?" Tracy asked. Tracy was certain that losing ELQ would send A.J. into a tailspin, so she warned Elizabeth that he would take everyone down with him.
Elizabeth pointed out that the very same thing had happened when Tracy had lost control of ELQ. Tracy was shocked by the suggestion that she and A.J. were alike, but Elizabeth argued that both Tracy and A.J. were desperate to rebuild ELQ. Elizabeth challenged Tracy to imagine how great ELQ could be if Tracy and A.J. stopped fighting each other and instead worked together.
According to Elizabeth, both Tracy and A.J. were strong people, so they could be stronger if they worked together. Elizabeth urged Tracy to give it a chance and make peace with A.J. before Tracy's prediction that A.J. would self-destruct became a reality.
At Metro Court, Sonny sent Connie's call to his voicemail and then approached Olivia. Olivia was lost in thought as she recalled a heated kiss with Sonny. She jumped when he called out her name. Olivia immediately sensed that something was troubling Sonny because his dark eyes were "glittering." According to Olivia, Sonny's eyes only glittered when he was angry about something. Sonny conceded that Olivia had always been able to read him, so he admitted that he was upset about Connie.
Sonny explained that Connie had betrayed him by exposing something that she had promised to keep confidential. Olivia refused to get involved in an argument between Sonny and her cousin, but Sonny assured Olivia that Connie openly acknowledged the betrayal. Sonny was certain that Olivia would never have broken a promise that she had made to him, regardless what was on the line.
Sonny showed Olivia the newspaper. Olivia read the caption, but she couldn't understand how revealing Kiki's true paternity had been a betrayal. Sonny argued that it didn't matter, but Connie had known why Sonny had wanted the information to remain confidential. According to Sonny, Connie had respected his reasons, but then had turned around and had printed the story. Sonny insisted that Olivia would have never betrayed him as Connie had.
Olivia was curious what Sonny intended to do. She reminded him that there had been a time that Connie's career had been all that Connie had had, so it had been unfair of Sonny to expect Connie to put her career in jeopardy. Olivia gently suggested that it wasn't a black or white issue, but Sonny argued that Olivia would never have gone back on a promise to him. Olivia insisted that it didn't matter because they were talking about Sonny and Connie.
Olivia reminded Sonny that she had put her own feelings aside so that Sonny and Connie could be together. Sonny deeply regretted that he had hurt Olivia and admitted that perhaps it had been a mistake to let Olivia ago. Sonny questioned the choices that he had made, but Olivia refused to listen. She reminded him that he was angry at Connie, so he needed to talk to Connie. Sonny confessed that Connie had called him, prompting Olivia to ask what Connie had said.
Sonny admitted that he hadn't listened to the voicemail message. Olivia urged Sonny to listen to Connie's voicemail message and then go to her cousin to work things out because Sonny and Connie loved each other. Sonny realized that Olivia would not let it go until he talked to Connie, so he listened to the voicemail message. Moments later, he heard A.J.'s angry voice in the background of Connie's message, so he rushed home.
At Greystone Manor, A.J. demanded an explanation for the newspaper article that Connie had printed in the Port Charles Press. Connie nervously tried to find the right thing to stay, but A.J. grew frustrated waiting for an answer. "I said start talking. How could you print this?" A.J. bellowed.
Connie asked A.J. to calm down, but A.J. threatened to sue. She reminded him that the story had been accurate, prompting A.J. to accuse her of destroying his life. He couldn't understand why she would do that, so Connie explained that she ran a newspaper. "It's what we do," Connie added.
Connie insisted that ELQ was a major player, so the public had a right to know about the shareholder vote. A.J. was certain that Sonny had been behind the story, but Connie denied it. She admitted that Sonny was nearly as angry with her for printing the story as A.J. was. A.J. didn't believe her because Sonny resented A.J. and Michael working together, so Sonny had been undermining A.J. since A.J. had returned to Port Charles.
Connie revealed that Sonny had asked her to kill the story, but she had refused. A.J. wanted to know why, prompting Connie to claim that she had done it for Kiki because Kiki had a right to know the truth. A.J. argued that it hadn't been Connie's place, so Connie conceded that she had also tried to save her magazine. A.J. wondered why Connie couldn't have picked another story that wouldn't have hurt so many people, but Connie admitted that there hadn't been any time.
Connie informed A.J. that she hadn't been born with a silver spoon, so she'd had to save her fashion magazine in order to keep working. Connie quietly murmured that she hoped that Sonny would understand that. A.J. laughed because the only thing that Sonny understood was "the greater glory of Sonny." Connie cried that she had jeopardized her personal life to save her professional one, so it hadn't been an easy decision.
A.J. clapped. "Good for you," A.J. coldly added. He pointed out that she had saved her career by destroying his. Connie assured A.J. that it had never been her intention to hurt him, but A.J. didn't care because he had lost everything, including the opportunity to work with his son. He didn't want an apology; he wanted a retraction. Connie explained that she couldn't do that because the story had been true.
A.J. decided to share his own story with Connie. He was curious if Connie knew what it was like to never measure up, no matter how hard she worked. He explained that he had always been second best to his brother because Jason had been the golden boy, while A.J. had been the disappointment. A.J. admitted that the only time he hadn't felt the pain was when he had been drunk, so he had drunk often. Connie hadn't realized that A.J.'s alcoholism had been Jason's fault.
A.J. made it clear that it had been his choice to drink, but alcoholism was a disease. A.J. had thought that Connie would understand what it was like to have to struggle with a disease given her own situation, but Connie argued that she had always taken full responsibility for her actions, whereas A.J. ran from them.
A.J. conceded that Connie was right. However, he explained that during the years that he had been away from Port Charles, he had thought about every single mistake that he had made, the people that he had hurt, and the loves that he had lost. A.J. had vowed that he would make it up to everyone and show Carly that she had been wrong to take Michael away from him so Sonny could raise Michael.
A.J. explained that ELQ had been a new beginning and a chance to right the wrongs. He admitted that it hadn't been easy to try to restore ELQ to greatness and change people's opinions of him. Connie reminded A.J. that she had only printed the truth, but A.J. argued that actions had consequences. A.J. accused Connie of taking from him, but Connie denied it.
A.J. became increasingly angry as he thought about how the scandal would impact his relationships with Michael and Elizabeth. He explained that everything had been perfect for the first time in his life, but Connie's article had ripped it all away from him. Connie admitted that there had been times in her life when she had been forced to claw her way back from nothing. She knew what it was like to feel hopeless and have to start over.
Connie was confident that A.J. would find a way to build a new company. "Go straight to hell," A.J. snarled at her. A.J. explained that ELQ was his grandfather's company and represented everything that A.J. had ever wanted to be. Connie urged A.J. to let it go, but A.J. grabbed her by the throat and shoved her against the wall. He accused her of destroying his life.
Moments later, Sonny appeared in the doorway. Sonny aimed his gun at A.J. as he ordered A.J. to release Connie.
Luke and Holly tracked Sean Donely down to County Kerry, Ireland. They approached his door and knocked but were greeted by two guards rather than Sean. Luke explained that they were there to talk to Sean, prompting a young woman to step forward to ask what Luke and Holly wanted with her father. Luke and Holly realized that the young woman was Anna Donely, so they introduced themselves and revealed that they were Sean's friends.
Anna admitted that she had heard about Luke, the man who had shot and temporarily paralyzed her father. Anna informed Luke and Holly that Sean was not there, but Luke and Holly were skeptical, so they managed to talk their way into Sean's home. Luke asked to use the facilities, so Anna reluctantly pointed him to the nearest bathroom.
After Luke left, Holly tried to engage Anna in small talk, but Anna revealed that her parents had taught Anna how to spot a scam, so Anna was certain that Luke and Holly were running one. Anna wanted to know why Luke and Holly were there, but Holly played innocent. Anna explained that Sean and Tiffany had warned her about Luke and had made it clear that Holly wasn't much better.
Moments later, one of the guards ushered Luke back into the parlor and revealed that he had found Luke snooping around Sean's office. Luke claimed that he had been looking for the bathroom, but the guard argued that Luke had been rifling through Sean's desk. Anna demanded to know what was going on, but Luke insisted on talking to Sean. Anna insisted that her parents were out of the country on an extended trip, but Luke knew it was a lie.
Luke pointed to the doorway as Sean, seated in a wheelchair, slowly entered the room. Anna rushed to her father's side and gently chastised him for exerting himself. Sean assured Anna that he was fine and then turned his attention to Luke. Luke demanded to know where Jerry Jacks was, so Anna reminded Luke that Jerry had been killed in a boat explosion.
Luke revealed that Sean had picked up Jerry Jacks' money from a Swiss bank, but Anna didn't believe Luke. Luke showed Anna a copy of the retina scan that included a picture of Sean to prove that Sean had retrieved Jerry's money. Anna continued to defend her father, but Luke wanted an answer. Anna conceded that her father had taken the money because Sean had needed it, prompting Luke to ask why. Sean held up a small vial. "Because of this," Sean growled.
In the Quartermaine parlor, Elizabeth implored Tracy to make peace with A.J. Elizabeth insisted that both Tracy and A.J. were strong people, so together they could be stronger. Tracy appeared to give Elizabeth's request some consideration, so Elizabeth tried to drive her point home by reminding Tracy that A.J. and Tracy were family.
Tracy could tell that A.J. meant a lot to Elizabeth because Elizabeth's defense of him had been both touching and persuasive. Elizabeth's hopes were dashed when Tracy insisted that A.J. had gotten exactly what he had deserved. Tracy conceded that it would be a shame if A.J. self-destructed because he had lost a battle of wits with Tracy, but Tracy refused to change her mind.
Meanwhile, Michael entered the mansion, hoping to catch up with Kiki, but she was not there. Moments later, someone knocked on the door, so Michael answered it. Silas explained that he was there to talk to Kiki. Michael explained that Kiki was not there, but he invited Silas in.
Michael realized that Silas wanted to talk to Kiki about the newspaper article that had identified Silas as Kiki's biological father. Silas confided that he had suspected from the beginning that Kiki was his daughter even though people had tried to mislead him. Michael was curious who besides Ava had known that Kiki wasn't Franco's daughter, but Elizabeth emerged from the parlor before Silas could reply.
Elizabeth wondered if Michael had seen his father because she was anxious to check on A.J. Silas quietly excused himself to look around for Kiki, so Elizabeth quickly filled Michael in on what had transpired in the parlor when A.J. had learned that Tracy had seized control of ELQ. Michael perked up when Elizabeth mentioned that A.J.'s anger had been focused on Connie.
At Greystone Manor, A.J. became enraged when Connie suggested that he could start over with a new company. He grabbed her by the throat with one hand and shoved her against the wall as he shouted that she was to blame for the destruction of his life. Sonny appeared in the doorway with a gun aimed at A.J. "Get your hands off her, A.J., " Sonny ordered. Sonny warned A.J. that he would not hesitate to kill A.J.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Sonny and his trusty sidekick?" A.J. snidely said as Sonny closed in on A.J. and aimed the gun at A.J.'s temple. Sonny repeated his order, so A.J. briefly tightened his grip on Connie's throat and then released her. Connie immediately doubled over and coughed. Sonny was furious that A.J. had hurt Connie, but Connie insisted that she was fine.
A.J. was certain that Sonny had been behind Connie's decision to run the story about Kiki because Sonny had wanted to ruin A.J. and Michael's working relationship by unseating A.J. as CEO. Connie denied that Sonny had had any part in her decision to run the story, but A.J. didn't believe her. A.J. became increasingly aggressive as he continued to rant at Sonny and Connie. Sonny's temper flared when A.J. made a cruel remark about Connie as a parent, so he struck A.J. in the face with the butt of the gun, sending A.J. to the floor in a heap.
Stunned, Connie watched in disbelief as Sonny put the gun down, yanked off his jacket, and then reached down to pummel a dazed A.J. Connie sprang into action to pull Sonny off of A.J. as Michael and Elizabeth appeared in the doorway. Sonny immediately backed off when he heard Elizabeth cry out.
Michael and Elizabeth rushed over to check on A.J. as Sonny explained that A.J. had broken into the house and had attacked Connie by choking her. Connie assured everyone that she was fine, while Elizabeth determined that A.J. needed to go to the hospital for stitches. A.J. continued to accuse Sonny of trying to ruin him, but Connie maintained that the decision to run the article had been her decision alone. Michael and Elizabeth led A.J. away as A.J. vowed that Connie would pay for what she had done.
After everyone left, Sonny asked Connie if was okay. Connie assured him that she was and then rebuked him for striking A.J. Connie believed that A.J. had had a right to be upset, but Sonny argued that it had been wrong of A.J. to blame Connie for her son's death. Connie changed the subject by confessing that she had thought that Sonny had been ignoring her phone calls.
Sonny conceded that he had until Olivia had convinced him to hear Connie out. Connie tensed because Sonny had gone straight to Olivia after their fight. Sonny explained that he had gone to Metro Court to talk to Carly about the situation with Morgan and had bumped into Olivia. Connie resented Sonny confiding to her cousin about their problems, but Sonny refused to apologize.
Sonny reminded Connie that she had betrayed him by printing the article, so Connie argued that it was always all or nothing in Sonny's world. Sonny denied that the article was about him, but Connie disagreed because Sonny had allowed Morgan to play on Sonny's guilt. Connie accused Sonny of overcompensating for the time that he had lost with Morgan by paving Morgan's way to Kiki. Sonny confessed that he didn't want Morgan to marry Kiki because Kiki might be connected to the Jerome crime family.
According to Sonny, he had given Morgan his blessing to marry Kiki to buy some time in the hopes that Morgan would realize that he was too young to get married. However, Connie's article had changed everything. Connie realized that Sonny was determined to blame her, but Sonny insisted that she should have respected his right to make decisions for his family. Connie refused to apologize for printing the article because Sonny's secret had not only hurt her but also his sons.
At the hospital, Elizabeth cleaned A.J.'s injury and urged him to calm down because "popping a vein" wouldn't help, but A.J. growled that Sonny and Connie were a match made "in hell." Elizabeth handed A.J. a gauze pad to staunch the bleeding and then left to fetch a doctor to suture the laceration. Michael told A.J. that it had been wrong of A.J. to storm into Sonny's home, prompting A.J. to admit that his anger hadn't just been about ELQ; A.J. had wanted to prove that he was worthy to Michael. Michael assured A.J. that A.J. didn't need ELQ to do that.
Michael promised that he would not abandon A.J. and then shifted gears to confess that he wished that he had known sooner that Kiki wasn't his cousin. A.J. suddenly realized that Michael was free to be with Kiki, but Michael reminded A.J. that Kiki was engaged to Morgan. A.J. argued that Kiki returned Michael's feelings, so he urged Michael to find Kiki right away. Michael thanked A.J. and left.
Later, Elizabeth put a dressing over A.J.'s stitches. She advised A.J. to focus on picking up the pieces and to forget about Connie, but A.J. grumbled that Sonny had made that difficult. Elizabeth acknowledged that she wasn't aware of everything that had transpired before she and Michael had arrived at Sonny's home, but she insisted that it had been wrong of Sonny to pull a gun on A.J. A.J. confessed that it was a good thing that he hadn't been armed because he would have killed Connie.
Elsewhere at the hospital, Alexis arrived to check on Sam and the bone marrow drive for Danny. Sam confessed that the drive was busy, but she believed that more people would have shown up for testing if Danny's story had appeared on the front page of the newspaper. Alexis regretted laying into Derek when he had bumped Danny's story, but Sam insisted that he had deserved it.
Alexis pointed out that Derek didn't know Danny, so it had been a business decision. Alexis and Sam talked about the news story that had dominated the front page of the Port Charles Press. Alexis confessed that she hadn't read it, so Sam revealed that Kiki's father was Silas Clay and that Silas had learned the truth by reading the article. Stunned, Alexis asked where Silas was, prompting Sam to explain that Silas had left to find Kiki.
Later, Alexis and Sam spotted Mac, who was on his way to meet Felicia so they both could be tested for Danny. Alexis and Sam appreciated Mac and Felicia's generosity and noted that he looked more in love than ever. Mac revealed that he and Felicia had gone to the courthouse to pick up their marriage license earlier that day.
A short time later, Mac bumped into Michael at the elevator. Mac assumed that Michael was on his way to the courthouse, so he urged Michael to hurry up, or Michael might miss his brother's wedding.
At Crimson, Ava marched into Julian's office. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ava demanded. Julian looked up from his laptop as he explained that he was looking for vulnerabilities in Sonny's coffee business so they could begin the second phase of their plan. Ava threw the newspaper onto his desk as she clarified that she had been referring to the front-page article. Julian smiled pleasantly as he confessed that he hadn't expected Connie to deliver, but circulation for the newspaper was up.
Ava was furious that Julian didn't seem to care that the bottom had dropped out from under her. Julian reminded his sister that their plan had been to use ELQ as a front for their criminal activity because they had outgrown the gallery. Ava resented Julian speaking to her as if she didn't know that, prompting Julian to wonder how they had ended up on different pages.
Ava pointed out that she had aligned herself with Tracy to get a foothold into ELQ, so Julian added that the article had secured Tracy's leadership of the company. Julian was curious why Ava hadn't spoken up when Kiki had voted for A.J., but Ava insisted that she didn't owe her brother any explanations about her personal life. Julian decided that it didn't matter since he had fixed things, but he wanted some gratitude.
"Go to hell," Ava spat as she stormed out. Julian glanced down at the newspaper, picked it up, and looked at the back-page story about Danny.
At the Quartermaine mansion, Tracy was startled when Silas entered the parlor. Silas introduced himself, prompting Tracy to thank him for getting Ava pregnant with Kiki. She poured a drink and handed it to Silas, but he set the glass down untouched. Tracy confessed that she couldn't understand why Ava hadn't spoken up sooner about Kiki, so Silas admitted that he didn't know. However, he intended to find out.
Silas wondered if Tracy knew where Kiki was, so Tracy advised him to check the boathouse. After Silas left, Tracy lifted the drink to her lips, but Ava entered the room and snatched the drink out of Tracy's hand. After Ava emptied the contents of the glass, she accused Tracy of stealing Kiki's birth certificate. Tracy refused to apologize because Tracy thought that Ava should have used the information to help Tracy.
Ava claimed that she had her reasons for keeping quiet about Kiki's paternity, but Tracy wasn't satisfied. Ava made it clear that she expected Tracy to hold up her end of the bargain, but Tracy argued that Ava had broken their deal. Tracy refused to hire someone she couldn't trust, so Ava threatened to cast Franco's votes for A.J. if Tracy reneged on their deal. Tracy reluctantly agreed that Ava could be ELQ's Director of Special Projects provided that Ava remained firmly in Tracy's camp.
After Tracy left, Ava thought about the plan to take down Sonny, reclaim the territory, and rise to power once again. "Can this day get any worse?" Ava muttered as Silas entered the parlor from the patio.
At the hospital, Sam remained worried about finding a bone marrow donor for Danny because she knew that Danny's best chance was with a family member. Alexis assured Sam that they would find someone. Moments later, Alexis spotted Derek as he exited the elevator. Derek greeted Alexis and Sam and confessed that the two ladies truly did look like sisters. Alexis smiled politely as she explained that she had bumped into Derek at the Floating Rib the previous evening.
Sam was curious why Derek was there, so he admitted that he had felt bad for bumping Danny's story. Alexis and Sam were surprised when Derek revealed that he had decided to get tested. "You never know where a match might come from," Derek said with a smile.
At the courthouse, Kiki confessed that she had reservations about getting married right away. "Because of Michael," Kiki admitted. Stunned, Morgan reminded Kiki that Michael was her cousin, so there could never be anything between Michael and Kiki "legally." Kiki assured Morgan that she was fully aware that she and Michael were related, but she clarified that she had simply meant that Morgan should have his best man present for the wedding.
Morgan immediately apologized for jumping down her throat, but Kiki questioned Morgan's motives for asking Michael to be the best man. She had thought that Morgan's objective had been to make peace with his brother and bury the hatchet. "It was," Michael assured her. "Where? In his back?" Kiki asked.
Morgan claimed that he had wanted Michael at his side because they had been planning a big wedding, but things had changed. Morgan wanted to marry Kiki without his entire family present. Morgan also conceded that he hadn't buried things completely, so a part of him thought it would be a little weird to have Michael at his side on their special day, given what happened between Michael and Kiki.
Kiki remembered her heated kiss with Michael and admitted that Morgan had a point. Morgan resumed pressuring Kiki to marry him right away, prompting her to recall her conversation with Michael when she had told Michael that she would learn to love Morgan. She decided to take the plunge by agreeing to marry Morgan.
Later, the justice of the peace greeted Morgan and Kiki, while his clerk studied Kiki. The clerk wondered if she and Kiki had met before because Kiki seemed familiar. Morgan tensed when he saw the newspaper on the clerk's desk.
Meanwhile, Michael arrived at the courthouse. He made his way to the courtroom and threw open the doors as he yelled, "Stop!"
