Sonny and Julian Have Words
At home, Franco sketched his own feet, hoping to practice his technique. There was a knock on the door, and Franco was happy to see Elizabeth when he opened it. She gave him a container of baked "treats." He quickly cleaned up his art supplies and ate some of the baked goods. Elizabeth flipped through his sketchbook and found a drawing of her sleeping. She expressed how appreciative she was of Franco for being there for her while she was recovering.
Franco reminded Elizabeth that she still owed him a painting. However, she informed him that her bank account told her that she needed to get back to work. Neither had heard anything about the hospital reopening. Franco suggested that she pick up some shifts at Mercy Hospital, but she replied that all the area hospitals were fully staffed, so she would have to widen her search. She'd heard good things about the hospital in Rochester, but Franco didn't want her to leave. He suggested that they talk about things over dinner.
At Metro Court, Lucy treated herself to a martini after landing a big sale. Just then, Tracy appeared and accused Lucy of killing General Hospital. Lucy blamed Tracy and her "serial killer ex" for the hospital's closing, but Tracy reminded Lucy that Paul had tried to kill both her and Monica. Lucy apologized and had a suggestion for Tracy: buy the hospital herself. "Put your money where your big, fat mouth is," Lucy added.
Tracy thought about Lucy's words for a moment before she replied that she needed to run ELQ. As Elizabeth and Franco entered the restaurant and overheard, Tracy told Lucy that the hospital wouldn't reopen as long as there were two unsolved attacks. Elizabeth approached Tracy and asked for clarification. Tracy informed Elizabeth that Paul had an alibi for the attacks on Bobbie and Lucas. Elizabeth thought it was creepy to imagine that there had been more than one person attacking people.
Tracy continued that everyone was safer with Paul behind bars, but it wasn't enough to reopen the hospital. Tracy grabbed her two martinis off the bar and walked away. Elizabeth thought she should call Patrick and Robin to ask if their hospital in Berkeley was hiring. Franco wanted to find something more local. He thought he might "know someone who might know something about what really happened."
Outside the restaurant, Lucy approached Tracy and instructed her to consider the idea of buying the hospital. She threw the name "Quartermaine Hospital" out to Tracy, who promptly downed her drink and left.
Curtis and T.J. met at Kelly's, and Curtis wondered how T.J. was doing after being the last one to see Morgan alive. T.J. revealed that he'd been worried for Morgan, but not scared. He wished he could have been stronger or more aggressive. T.J. had heard that Sonny had been the one to plant the bomb, and Curtis jumped on the tidbit.
T.J. wondered why Curtis was so interested, and he figured out that someone had hired Curtis to look into the accident. He guessed that Sonny had hired Curtis, and he was glad that Curtis was looking into the truth. Curtis couldn't tell T.J. who had hired him, but he did say that the tragedy showed that everyone should appreciate what they had while they had it. Curtis felt lucky to have T.J. back in his life, and he wanted to spend more time with his nephew. T.J. agreed, but he had to leave to study.
Carly sat on the floor in her house, holding a ceramic turtle with "Morgan" written on the bottom. The doorbell rang, and Carly called out that it wasn't a good time. "Carly, it's me," a voice called out. She ran to the door, opened it, and collapsed in Jason's arms. The two broke their embrace to sit down, and he told her that she needed to be home with Sonny.
A few minutes later, Carly called Nelle and made sure Avery was all right. Carly revealed that she'd wanted to take Avery with her, but she had no legal rights to the little girl. Nelle replied that it was quiet at Sonny's, and Carly appreciated the information.
Jason saw a simple solution to Carly's problem of missing Avery: go home to Sonny. Jason thought that Sonny needed her, but she replied that every time she looked at Sonny, she remembered that she would never see Morgan again. She only wanted to keep Josslyn safe, like Sonny hadn't done for Morgan. She had thought that Sonny would handle his business differently after spending time in a wheelchair, but she'd only been lying to herself. She concluded that she would never forgive herself, and she leaned against Jason.
Carly told Jason to go be with Sam and their boys, but he didn't want her to be alone. Carly responded that Josslyn was there, and she wanted to be a better mother to her daughter than she had been to Morgan. Jason explained that Morgan's death had been "unexpected and terrible," but her mothering had had nothing to do with it. Jason told Carly of his experience the previous night, and he apologized for not being able to "save" Morgan like he should have.
Carly was happy that she hadn't listened to Jason all those years before and that she'd named Morgan after Jason. Crying, Carly kissed the turtle.
Sonny opened his front door to Julian, who was holding a gift basket. He was surprised that Sonny had let him in. Sonny replied that he wasn't afraid of his enemies. He wondered if Julian was there to kill him. Julian offered his condolences and commented that they were enemies but still human beings. He added that he knew Sonny had planted the car bomb for Julian. He wasn't going to retaliate and said that Sonny shouldn't either. Julian didn't want any more "collateral damage."
As Nelle listened, horrified, Julian wondered if Sonny could live with the idea of losing Carly. He suggested they "lay down our arms" instead and make Morgan's funeral the last one. He wanted to honor Morgan's memory by ending their war. Sonny quietly remarked how offended he was that a man with Julian's rap sheet talked about honor. He advised Julian to leave, or he would "balance the scales and end your miserable life because I can." Julian left, and Sonny threw the basket.
Nelle appeared at the bottom of the stairs and informed Sonny that Avery was asleep. Sonny, who had forgotten that Nelle was there, realized that she'd heard his conversation with Julian. Sonny told her to go home, as "I'm not good company," but Nelle wanted to stay for Avery, considering how much Sonny had on his plate. She advised him to get some rest, and he agreed, adding that he was glad she was there for Avery.
A short while later, Sonny walked into his bedroom and saw a picture of himself with Carly on the nightstand. Nelle entered with some tea for Sonny, and she informed him that she was going to read Avery a bedtime story. Sonny smiled, thinking about how Morgan would act out the entire story when he read to Avery. Nelle promised to do her best and told him to let her know if he needed anything. He only asked that she close the door on her way out, and she did. He looked at pictures of himself with Carly, and of Michael and Morgan.
Julian met with Curtis outside of Kelly's and asked for his progress. "I'm working on it," Curtis replied. He informed Julian that he was starting with T.J., who was the last person to see Morgan alive. Julian commented that he'd seen Sonny, who'd been "a wreck." "Wouldn't you be?" Curtis shot back. Julian disclosed that Sonny had his guard down, so it was the "perfect time" for Curtis to investigate him. Julian couldn't risk taking Sonny out, and he wanted to focus on rebuilding his life. However, he wanted to make sure that Sonny spent the rest of his life in jail.
At Maxie and Nathan's apartment, Nathan lit candles and prepared dinner as his way of making up for being so protective of Charlotte. Maxie said Claudette had a tendency to elicit to the not-so-nice side in everyone. Nathan realized their lives had changed because he'd discovered a daughter he hadn't know he'd had. They started to undress, but there was a persistent knock on their door. Claudette was there with Charlotte and asked Nathan and Maxie to get to know the girl. Claudette said she had things to do because when the hospital had shut down, so had her job. Outside Nathan's door, Claudette exhaled deeply.
Inside the apartment, a smoke alarm went off, and Nathan dashed into the kitchen. Later, there was another knock on the door, and Maxie signed for a rush envelope from the DNA Testing Center. Maxie hid it under some papers. Nathan noticed Charlotte holding an envelope and took it from her. Nathan asked if Maxie had run a DNA test without his permission.
Maxie admitted she had and pointed out that the longer it dragged out, the longer Claudette got to manipulate everyone. Claudette was a pathological liar, and she'd been using Charlotte as a tool in her game. Nathan was angry and refused to read the results. He crumpled the envelope and threw in down. He said he'd get a DNA test the right way.
At Volonino's Gym, Anna punched the bag while Griffin held it for her. Anna was very agitated and told Griffin that she thought it was over -- Julian had walked, and she'd thought she'd figure out a way to accept it and let the cops handle it. She'd planned to stay "the hell out of it" -- but innocent people had died because of Julian. Anna said she hadn't done enough to keep Julian off the street. Griffin saw the pain but had no idea what Anna was talking about.
Anna told Griffin that Morgan was dead. Morgan had stolen Julian's car, which had been wired to explode. Morgan had become collateral damage in a hit on Julian because Sonny had been out for blood. Anna felt responsible, as well, because she had known Sonny would retaliate and had done nothing. She felt Morgan's death was on her hands, and Sonny was responsible for the death of his son.
After Anna left, Griffin took out his frustration by punching the bag with bare hands. Claudette arrived. Griffin advised her he was busy. Claudette reminisced about a similar place; she told Griffin she wanted him and would find a way for them to be together. Griffin advised her there was no "we" and to stop reminiscing about what had been.
Griffin said the only consistency in his and Claudette's lives was her steady stream of lies. Claudette assured him there were no more lies because everything was in the open, so they could start over. Griffin reminded her that he was a priest. Claudette asked him how many times they'd had that argument. She pointed out that he'd left the church years before and asked if his holy orders were just a faded memory.
Griffin admitted they had been until recently. Claudette said she'd dropped Charlotte off with Nathan and Maxie to see how they would get along. Griffin asked if Claudette intended to leave Charlotte with Nathan and Maxie permanently. Claudette said that her priority was to do what was best for Charlotte. Griffin asked if abandoning Charlotte with a father she'd just met was best. Griffin asked if Claudette would leave Charlotte with Nathan and run away with Griffin, confident that Charlotte had everything she needed, except her mother.
Claudette said that Nathan had already fallen for Charlotte and was caring, involved, and attentive toward her. Charlotte was safer without Claudette drawing attention to her. She didn't trust herself with Charlotte. She confessed she'd made mistake after mistake, and Nathan was a good person. She rolled her eyes at the thought of Maxie, but Claudette could tell Maxie was a good mother to her own daughter.
Claudette told Griffin that the only time she'd been good had been when she'd been with him. She said she wasn't a good person, but Griffin made her better and the kind of parent Charlotte deserved. Griffin said he couldn't save Claudette's soul and wasn't sure he could save anyone anymore. Claudette said, "Let me save yours," and they kissed.
At Kelly's, Anna was on the phone with Robert and told him she'd give him an answer when she was ready. Andre arrived and noted that Anna looked exasperated. Anna told him that Robert wanted her to go back to work for the WSB, but she hadn't made a decision yet. The WSB was recruiting a new crop of agents, and Robert wanted Anna to train them. Andre said that was in her wheelhouse. Anna agreed, but the training was in Geneva.
Anna admitted that her kneejerk reaction was to say no, but the long arm answer was yes -- maybe. Anna said that every corner she turned in Port Charles was a reminder of the ways she'd compromised herself, and she felt she no longer had a purpose in Port Charles. Andre asked if Anna only had two choices: live where she didn't know anyone or live where she felt she had no purpose. Anna agreed. Andre said that the Anna he knew would find a third option.
Anna called Robert and told him she'd rejoin the bureau but didn't want the teacher's position. She had something else in mind.
At Metro Court, Tracy asked Finn if he'd seen Lucy Coe. Finn admitted he hadn't. Tracy told Finn that Lucy thought Tracy was the only person who could buy and save General Hospital. Finn started coughing. Hayden arrived, and Finn asked for a moment alone with Hayden. Tracy left them. Hayden told Finn he didn't look good and asked him about his research breakthrough. Finn admitted it had been a false alarm, and he'd tested it on himself, which upset Hayden.
Finn admitted that because the hospital was closed, the closest thing he had to a research facility was his suite. Hayden was concerned that if he kept it up, he'd wind up killing himself. Finn advised Hayden that running clinical tests on himself was the only shot he had. Finn assured her he'd been taking care of himself. Finn said the FDA or any other approved organization wouldn't touch his research due to the risk factor. Monica and Tracy cut him some slack, but he wouldn't get the same privilege anywhere else under the circumstances. He'd get less done there than he would in his hotel room.
A gentleman arrived, and Hayden introduced Finn to Evan. Finn extended his hand, but Evan ignored it. Evan complained about the valet parking. Hayden assured him they were excellent, but Evan asked if she thought he'd let a valet go for a joy ride in his Ferrari. Hayden asked Evan to grab a table. Evan assured her he already had, showed her a wad of money in a clip, and left. Hayden wished Finn a good night and joined Evan.
Hayden listened to Evan babble about someone refusing to sell their shack that was in the middle of a fairway and compromised the whole course. He said he and his family had been vilified because they had money, but they never asked him about the foundation he ran for his father's business. He told Hayden he read thousands of grant proposals for math geeks, science, and medical researchers. Hayden asked if Evan decided who got medical research grants. He admitted he did, and they were a sweet deal because it was a tax shelter for billionaires like his father.
Hayden told Evan about her friend who was in dire need of a medical research grant. She explained that he was trying to find a cure for a debilitating disease, and the clock was ticking. She asked if he could expedite it and get his father's foundation to give money for his cause. He said absolutely. Hayden said she didn't know how to repay him, but Evan said, "Sure you do."
Hayden asked Evan if he had any idea how gross he was. Evan said he could say the same about her -- she'd heard he gave away money for grants and was all over him. He wanted her to see it as a business transaction. Hayden said there was another word for that kind of transaction. Evan asked why words mattered. Hayden confirmed that if Evan gave her the grant if she'd... Evan stopped her and told her not to say it but to show him. Hayden threw her drink in his face. She said the next time a woman showed interest in his work, he shouldn't assume she'd be willing to pay for it with sex. She got up and left.
Finn sat down at a table close by, and Tracy joined him. Tracy was happy he'd hashed out his personal life. Finn denied any hashing and said it wasn't personal. Tracy said she knew sparks when she saw them, and he and Hayden had sparks. Finn advised that Hayden was on a date with a tool. He called Evan a tool, not because Finn was jealous but because it was an accurate statement. Evan was a tool, and Finn didn't want to talk about Hayden anymore.
Tracy advised Finn that the board of directors didn't want to reopen the hospital until the person who'd attacked Bobbie Spencer and Lucas Jones had been caught. Every day the hospital was closed, they were hemorrhaging money. The board was considering selling the hospital for the condo conversion. Tracy was sorry because she knew Finn needed access to a lab for his research. She assured him they'd find another way, and she wouldn't give up on him or the hospital. Finn started coughing again. Tracy gave him a glass of water, and Finn assured her he was fine.
At the elevator, Hayden saw Finn having a coughing fit and returned to Evan's table. She told him they could go somewhere private, and he could tell her what he needed from her for an immediate cash grant for medical research -- no questions asked. He asked why she thought he'd help her after what she had done. She told him to take her someplace private, and she'd explain.
At another table, Elizabeth told Franco that Tracy had confirmed the hospital wouldn't open until the person who'd attacked Bobbie Spencer and Lucas Jones had been caught. Franco said he might know someone who knew a little something about what had really happened and asked Elizabeth to trust him. Franco said he might know a way to make sure the hospital opened, and Elizabeth wouldn't have to move away. Franco's response made Elizabeth nervous. Franco assured her she didn't need to worry. He asked her to stay there until he returned. Elizabeth saw Hayden, said she'd go to Kelly's, and asked Franco not to blow up the world.
Outside Kelly's, Elizabeth bumped into Laura. Elizabeth asked how Lulu and Dante were doing. She'd heard about Morgan. Laura admitted they were having a difficult time accepting Morgan's death. Laura told Elizabeth that she'd decided to sell Wyndemere. Elizabeth said if that was something Laura felt she needed to do, then she had Elizabeth's support.
Franco went to see Heather. Heather asked if he was still dating Elizabeth Webber, and Franco confirmed he was, but there was a problem. Elizabeth was thinking of moving to Rochester, since General Hospital was closed and she needed to take care of her kids. Heather said she was sure Elizabeth was a fabulous mother, but she didn't need to move because they'd caught the hospital killer and put "that nut job' away. Franco agreed, but they'd never caught the nut job that had attacked Bobbie Spencer and Lucas Jones. That case was still open, and the hospital was still closed. The police had no idea who'd done it.
Franco accused Heather of knowing who had attacked Bobbie and Lucas. Franco admitted he had no idea how Heather had done it, but he knew it had been her. Heather said they both had vivid imaginations. Franco reminded Heather that the last time he'd visited her, Heather had mentioned that she'd done something to protect Franco when she'd thought Franco had been the hospital killer. Heather asked if he thought she'd had other people killed to divert suspicion away from him. Franco said that was exactly what he thought, because she kept implying that she'd done something to help him.
Heather admitted she'd tried to inject Bobbie, but Lucas had entered, and she'd injected him instead. Heather qualified her actions and said they'd both lived. She admitted she'd been looking out for Franco. She had known he'd be at the Nurses Ball and would have a very public alibi, so if she'd killed Bobbie the same way the other murders had been committed, then Franco would be free. Heather said that Lucas had returned to get his keys and had messed everything up. Franco said that whatever her twisted logic had been, he knew that she'd done it out of some kind of maternal concern. Heather agreed and said that a mother always put her children first.
Franco appreciated what Heather had done, but he needed her to confess. Heather refused and said she'd do anything but that. Franco reminded her that General Hospital was a vital part of the Port Charles community, and if she didn't confess, the hospital would remain closed. Heather said the only reason he wanted the hospital reopened was so that he could continue dating Elizabeth. Heather felt Franco chose Elizabeth over her.
Heather said if she confessed, she'd be stripped of her privileges, and it would be the end of her excursions. Heather said she'd fall on a sword for Franco, but not for Elizabeth. Franco said Heather had left him no choice, and he left.
Laura said the Cassadine estate was intact, but there was very little cash on hand. Laura advised that her first priority was Spencer, and she wanted to take care of him, but if she sold only one property, she could preserve the rest of the Cassadine estate. She felt that was what Nikolas would have wanted.
Laura went on to say that she didn't want to live in the same house with a woman she couldn't stand. Elizabeth said that Laura wouldn't get any objections from her about evicting Hayden. It was safe to say that there would never be a sibling relationship between her and Hayden. If Hayden wound up on the street, she'd have to find her own way out because Hayden was not Elizabeth's responsibility. Elizabeth had never met anyone more selfish.
Elizabeth told Laura she'd dropped off some treats for Franco, and he'd insisted they go out to dinner. Laura was surprised Elizabeth was with Franco. Laura said she knew what it was like to fall for someone who had a dark side. Laura said it was important that Elizabeth saw the good in Franco. Elizabeth confirmed that she saw the goodness in Franco, and she saw it in his eyes and the things he did. She hoped the people closest to her could see Franco the way she saw him, and she said he made her happy.
Franco arrived at Kelly's and saw Laura and Elizabeth. He stayed in the shadows. He eavesdropped on their conversation. He heard Laura ask if Elizabeth had fallen in love with Franco, but before Elizabeth could answer, Laura received a text message from Lulu and had to go. After Laura and Elizabeth said their goodbyes, Franco stepped out of the shadows and told Elizabeth he thought he had what was needed to reopen the hospital. He showed Elizabeth his phone on which he'd taped something Heather had said.
Back at Nathan and Maxie's apartment, Maxie picked up the DNA results and told Nathan that she wouldn't let it go. Maxie read the report and told Nathan he wasn't Charlotte's father.
At the Metro Court restaurant, Finn hacked into a napkin, so Tracy made him drink some water. Hayden noticed the incident and booked it back to Evan's table. She told him that she wanted to discuss what he wanted from her in exchange for an "immediate cash grant for medical research, no questions asked." He wondered why he should help her after she'd thrown her drink on him. She suggested that he take her somewhere private so she could explain. He agreed to take her to his room and asked the waitress for the check.
Tracy remarked that she hadn't seen Finn's sickness that bad in a while. He looked over and saw Hayden get into the elevator with Evan and wondered where she was going with the man. Tracy reminded him that the two were "consenting adults. Is that a problem for you?" He claimed that he just didn't want his "friend" to mess up her life. Tracy urged him to "play hero" if it would make him happy, but she thought that Hayden was a "big girl" who could take care of herself. She again advised Finn to do what would make him happy, and she left. Finn crept over to the table Hayden and Evan had sat at and looked at their check to find Evan's room number.
In Evan's room, Hayden wanted a drink, so Evan got out all the shots from the minibar. He didn't want any, but she didn't want to drink alone, so he downed shot after shot with her. "Let's do this," he said, grabbing her. She stopped him and reminded him that he still owed her a check. He wrote the check and handed it to her. She wanted to go deposit it, but he told her that their "transaction's not finished." He demanded that she "pay up."
Finn arrived in front of Evan's door and heard noise from inside. He slammed his shoulder into the door, and it crashed open. He was shocked to find an unconscious Evan half-naked on the floor, and Hayden trying to lift him. He demanded to know what was going on. She explained that she needed Evan to think that they'd had sex so that he wouldn't cancel the check he'd written. She handed Finn the "donation" from Evan.
Hayden scoffed at all the "overgrown prep school boys" who thought they could outdrink her. She attempted to lift Evan onto the bed, but he was too heavy. "There's not enough hand sanitizer in the world!" Finn exclaimed when Hayden asked for his help. He finally agreed but made disgusted noises while he was lifting Evan. They tossed him onto the bed as she planted a condom near him. She instructed Finn to cash the check immediately.
Finn chided Hayden for her "terrible judgment," and he wondered what would have happened if Evan had drugged her or forced himself on her. She reminded him that her plan had worked. She asked how he'd ended up at Evan's room. He admitted to looking at their bar bill. She questioned his motives for going after her.
Not letting Finn talk, Hayden went on about how Finn had thought that she was going to "have sex with a jerk," so he'd tried to stop it. Clearly starting to feel the alcohol, she continued that, if Hayden was to have sex with anyone, Finn wanted it to be him. That was because, although he said he had no time left, "you're not dead yet." Hayden suddenly wondered why the room was spinning, and the two sat on the floor.
At the Metro Court bar, Liesl hung up her phone after a clearly disappointing conversation about a job. Two seats away, Ava wondered about Liesl's trouble. Liesl explained that she had three PhDs, she'd headed the best clinic in Switzerland, and she'd saved General Hospital from bankruptcy, so she was "too good for Mercy" anyway. She thought that she should move on with her life. Ava warned that it was easier said than done.
Liesl expressed sympathy for Ava's loss of Morgan. The women discussed how Morgan's family would never move on from the loss. Ava wished he'd gotten into any other car, but Liesl believed that, had his medication been working correctly, Morgan never would have stolen a car to begin with. She figured that Carly would be getting Morgan's medication tested to make sure there was no malpractice involved. Remembering how she'd switched out Morgan's medication, Ava suddenly became alarmed and excused herself.
As Ava walked to the elevator, she left Scott a message. She told him where she kept her will. She explained that she had an urgent matter to attend to, and her death was quite possible.
Sonny sat on the floor and heard the giggles of a child. He saw a little boy run by saying, "Come find me, Daddy!" Sonny called out to Morgan and looked around for him. He found a child's shoe on the floor. Just then, the little boy wondered, "Why can't you find me?" Sonny woke up on the couch.
Nelle got Sonny some aspirin and told him about having dreams of her best friend after she'd died. Nelle offered to keep Sonny company, but he replied that if he couldn't be with Carly, he just wanted to be alone. She understood, so she left.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Sonny unhappily answered it to Ava. She wanted to see Avery, as she was concerned about Sonny's ability to care for the little girl. She expressed sympathy about Morgan, and Sonny only responded that she had been the worst thing to happen to Morgan. Ava offered to take Avery temporarily, but Sonny refused.
Ava noticed that Carly wasn't there and wondered if she'd left Sonny. As much as Ava hated to admit it, Avery needed both of her parents, and Sonny needed Carly. She advised him to do whatever he could to hold onto Carly. Sonny allowed Ava to go upstairs for five minutes, so Ava went upstairs. She eased into Morgan's room and got his pill bottles out of his nightstand. She dropped one of the bottles, and it rolled under the bed. She crawled under the bed to get the bottle but was shocked to see Nelle when she backed out.
Maxie revealed that the test she'd had run had concluded that Nathan was not Charlotte's father. In order to distract Charlotte, Maxie set the little girl up on her computer with headphones. Maxie admitted that she'd taken Charlotte's juice box and had it tested against Nathan's DNA. She'd figured that Claudette hadn't really used Charlotte's DNA in her test. Nathan asked Maxie to watch Charlotte so that he could talk to Griffin. He left. Minutes later, Maxie called Liesl and asked her to visit.
Liesl arrived, and Maxie asked her to watch Charlotte while Maxie ran an errand. She advised Liesl not to get attached to Charlotte, since Claudette had lied about the girl being Nathan's daughter. Angry, Liesl replied that Claudette had "tangled with the wrong woman," and she vowed to make Claudette regret the decision. "Sounds great," Maxie replied, and she left the apartment.
Griffin and Claudette shared a passionate kiss and began to undress until Griffin stopped it. Claudette urged him to run away with her. As much as she hated to leave Charlotte, Claudette believed that the little girl was safe with Nathan. "But I'm not her father. Griffin is, isn't he, Claudette?" Nathan called out.
Nathan explained that Maxie had gotten another DNA test done, and he'd figured out that Claudette had used a sample of Liesl's hair for the original DNA test. Claudette thought back to when Liesl had visited her, and Claudette had gotten hair off a brush in Liesl's bag while Liesl had been in the bathroom. Claudette finally admitted that Griffin was Charlotte's father and apologized for the pain she'd caused. She insisted that she'd been trying to protect both Charlotte and Griffin. Claudette wondered if Griffin wanted to meet his daughter.
Claudette, Griffin, and Nathan arrived at Nathan and Maxie's apartment. Liesl was all over Claudette as soon as she entered, but Claudette went right over to Charlotte. Nathan wondered where Maxie was, and Liesl replied that Maxie had explained everything about Charlotte then had gone to run an errand. Claudette introduced her "old friend Griffin" to Charlotte.
At Metro Court, Maxie knocked on Claudette's door. She tried to call out over the loud music, but instead, she used a key card that Spinelli had made for her. She entered the messy room and heard clattering of glasses in the bathroom. Just then, a man walked out of the bathroom. Maxie claimed that she had the wrong room and tried to run away, but the man grabbed her.
Claudette introduced Griffin to his daughter, Charlotte. Griffin moved toward her, but she shrank back and ran away to hug Nathan. Nathan set Charlotte up with a distraction, citing Claudette and Griffin's clear need to talk. Griffin demanded to know why Claudette had manipulated the original paternity test. Claudette tearfully explained that Nathan was a cop born into a wealthy family, so she'd believed that Charlotte would be safest with him. Griffin admitted that it made sense. Claudette wanted them all to move forward and work together to keep the little girl safe.
Griffin reminded Claudette that she had been ready to walk away from Charlotte an hour earlier. Griffin explained the situation to Nathan, who hadn't believed that Claudette could sink any lower. He was in disbelief that Claudette expected Griffin to leave medicine and the church to live "off the grid." Griffin suggested that they call Anna for help, as she was ex-WSB and ex-police commissioner, and she had experience with the Cassadine. Claudette initially refused, but the two men talked her into it.
Nathan wanted to call Anna, but Claudette requested time to process what was going on. Nathan and Griffin called her on the fact that she'd done the same exact thing to both of them. She acknowledged that she was horrible, but they could worry about it later, because she needed to focus on keeping Charlotte safe. Claudette retrieved Charlotte and went to say goodbye to Griffin. Griffin told Charlotte that he was glad she was there and that he looked forward to getting to know her. The two embraced. Claudette tearfully insisted that she'd done everything she'd thought was best. She apologized and left with Charlotte.
Griffin wondered if he should go with Claudette and Charlotte, but Nathan didn't think she would leave if there was really danger. Griffin regretted causing pain to Nathan with Claudette yet again. He wanted to make amends for all he'd done to Nathan. Nathan reminded Griffin that he'd shot Griffin, so he thought that made them "square." Griffin countered that his interference in Nathan's marriage had yielded a child, but Nathan responded that the child's mother "lies like she breathes." Nathan warned Griffin against staying with Claudette because "she will destroy you."
Seeing a strange man in Claudette's room, Maxie ran the opposite way, but the man caught up to her. He restrained her and told her, "I know what I need to do." A short while later, the man had taken a bound and gagged Maxie to a warehouse. He demanded that Maxie give him all the information he wanted, or it would "end badly" for her. He warned her that if she screamed, no one would hear her. He removed the gag and demanded to know where she'd "stashed the girl." He refused to let her leave "until you tell me where she is, Claudette."
Maxie was borderline offended that she'd been mistaken for "that bitch" Claudette. "Look into my eyes. I am not her," she said slowly. She invited the man to check her identification in her purse. The man looked at the card and was impressed at how real the obviously fake identification looked. She informed the man that she looked nothing like Claudette and realized that he hadn't even been given a picture of Claudette. He wondered why she'd broken into the hotel. "I hate her," she started. "I'm petty and I'm not ashamed of it," she told him simply.
The man demanded to know where Claudette and Charlotte were, but Maxie wanted a guarantee that the man wouldn't kill her after she told him. He told her that there were no guarantees in life. She remarked that she didn't care what he did to Claudette, but Maxie liked breathing more than she hated Claudette. She wanted to be taken to a public place, but he refused. She warned him that she was connected to people "on both sides of the law," including Sonny and Julian on one side, and police commissioners and the WSB on the other. "I don't give a damn," he growled. He threatened to kill her if she didn't tell him where Claudette was.
Outside her hotel room, Claudette promised Charlotte that she would figure things out, and everything would turn out all right. Claudette let herself into the room and was horrified to see the mess that had been left. A frightened Charlotte wondered what had happened to their room. A wide-eyed Claudette grabbed Charlotte's hand, and the two ran away.
Michael reported to Carly that the bartender from the Floating Rib had stopped by to drop off Morgan's keys. He told her that the bartender had felt terrible about taking them, but Michael had assured the man that he had done the right thing. Carly added that Morgan was dead because of Sonny. Carly wanted answers, and she needed the timeline of Morgan's night so that she could make sense of things. She remembered the blood work Morgan was supposed to have had and made a phone call.
A short while later, Andre arrived and expressed his sympathy for Carly's loss. He also informed her that Morgan had never shown up for his blood work appointment. Carly demanded to know why Andre had let Morgan leave the clinic. He replied that, at the time, Morgan's medication had been working just fine. She revealed that Morgan had started acting differently when he'd started school, but she'd been assured that the combination of medication and therapy would help him. She continued that she'd seen something wrong with Morgan, but she had trusted "the process" and stopped hovering.
Carly lamented not following her motherly instincts and thought that Morgan would be alive if she had. Andre didn't think there was any way to know that for sure. Carly demanded that Andre leave. He confided that he would carry the tragedy with him for the rest of his life and left. Michael hugged his crying mother. He reminded her that the bipolar disorder had contributed to Morgan's actions, but it hadn't been his cause of death. He'd been in the "wrong place at the wrong time."
Carly spat that Morgan had died because he'd stolen a car wired with a bomb that had been set by Sonny. Michael thought Carly should get some rest. She needed a little alone time, so she asked Michael to go check on Josslyn, and she promised to be up soon. She assured him that she was glad he was there, and he went upstairs. She picked up a picture of Morgan and apologized for not taking better care of him.
At Sonny's, he was surprised to see Carly enter the house. She told him that she was back for good and that they would only get through Morgan's death if they were together. She promised to always love him, and they shared a kiss. Just then, Sonny awoke with a jolt, calling out for Carly. Realizing it had been a dream, he poured himself a drink and went upstairs.
In Morgan's room, Ava dropped the pill bottle, and it rolled under the bed. She tried to reach it, but Nelle entered the room and asked what Ava was doing there. Ava explained that she and Morgan had been "good friends," so she couldn't help but look into his room. She didn't think Sonny needed to know, because he didn't need any more stress. Nelle looked into the hallway as Sonny approached, giving Ava the time she needed to get the bottle of pills from under the bed.
Sonny wondered why Ava was in Morgan's room. She claimed that she'd just been "looking around." He gave her two minutes to visit with Avery then ordered her to go home. Ava and Nelle left the room. Sonny closed a half open drawer and looked around the room. He picked up a trophy and hugged it.
A short while later, Sonny returned downstairs, and Nelle wondered about the rules for Ava's visits with Avery. He forbade Ava to visit with Avery without supervision. Nelle observed that Sonny seemed to hate Ava and wondered how they'd had a child together. Sonny replied that it was "a long, ugly story," but Avery was a miracle. He commented that Ava had manipulated a generous and vulnerable Morgan and had taken advantage of him. Sonny believed that she would eventually pay for all the pain she'd caused. "I will hate Ava for the rest of my life," he snarled as Ava descended the stairs.
Nelle excused herself. Ava reminded Sonny that, even though she probably had been bad for Morgan, she had loved him. He yelled that she had no soul and demanded that she leave and never presume to know how he felt. She tearfully left and said to herself, "But I do know, Sonny."
Sonny was having a drink when Carly and Ava descended the stairs together. Carly announced that she was helping Ava pack Avery's things because Avery would be better off with Ava. Ava was happy about taking her daughter home. The two women were exchanging compliments on their parenting when Sonny awoke with a start. Nelle made sure he was all right, but he went right upstairs to check on Avery. When he was gone, Nelle called Carly with her worries about Sonny, but Carly didn't want to hear about Sonny and hung up on Nelle.
Upstairs, Sonny grabbed Morgan's glove and baseball and hugged them. He sat down and wished that it had been him in the car instead of Morgan. He apologized to Morgan.
Ava left Kiki a message to call her mother back. She wanted Kiki to know that she was there for her daughter, and she wanted to assure Kiki that Morgan's death was not Kiki's fault. When she hung up, she removed the pills from her purse and threw the bottle into a nearby trashcan. When she was gone, a gloved hand picked the bottle out of the trash and walked away.
Sam was surprised to see that Jason was awake so early. He revealed that he'd gone for a ride in order to think. He wondered about what was going to happen next. He had reflected on all that had happened because of Sonny's job, and he didn't want the same to happen to his own family. He wondered what Sam thought about leaving Port Charles.
Jason continued that he'd promised Sam that he wouldn't take any risks without thinking of his family first, and he believed that staying in the town was a risk. Sam reminded Jason that he no longer worked for Sonny, but Jason thought that his connection to Sonny still made him vulnerable. She wondered if he was willing to leave behind all the most important people in his life. He replied that he didn't want to go far away, but he wanted to "put some miles" between them and Port Charles.
Sam confessed that she'd thought about "starting fresh," but Alexis, Kristina, and Molly needed her. He suggested that they only go "a few towns over." "Aurora," she blurted out. It was a "country town" about an hour away. Jason wasn't sure if they would fit in, but both agreed to try. As they kissed, Sam winced in pain with her hands on her stomach. She revealed that the baby had been kicking. Jason got close to her stomach and promised the baby that they would never leave.
At Metro Court, Claudette frantically informed Griffin that she and Charlotte were leaving town, so he needed to decide whether or not he was tagging along. She explained that her room had been trashed the night before, so Valentin had to have sent some men out looking for her. She advised him to go with them or say his last goodbye to their daughter. He refused to let her leave with Charlotte and told her that he had an idea.
Anna was sitting at a table at the Metro Court restaurant when Felicia approached. Anna invited Felicia to join her, and Felicia accepted, since Maxie had missed their meeting to talk about wedding plans. Felicia saw Anna's brand new WSB identification and wondered if they'd lured her back. Anna explained that, luckily, she would be based in Port Charles in her new job, though she would occasionally have to travel. She'd realized that her home would always be Port Charles. Felicia was glad Anna was staying, but she needed to find Maxie. The two promised to meet soon, and Felicia left.
When Felicia was gone, Griffin approached Anna and asked her for help. He introduced Claudette, who still thought it was a bad idea to go to Anna. As the two quietly argued, Charlotte stepped forward and said hello to Anna. Griffin introduced her to Anna as his daughter, which made Anna very happy. When Griffin had finally convinced Claudette that Anna could help, the two explained Claudette's situation to Anna. Anna believed that she could better protect Claudette and Charlotte if they stayed in Port Charles.
Claudette agreed with Anna. She asked Griffin to watch Charlotte while Claudette went up to the room to "regroup." She told Charlotte to stay with Griffin, and she promised her daughter that everything would be all right. She got on the elevator. Griffin thanked Anna for her help. She replied that people always asked her why she stayed in Port Charles when Robin was in California. She revealed that she kept getting "new answers" to the question. A few minutes later, Anna's phone went off, and she opened up a picture of Valentin's mug shot.
At the station, Nathan left a message for Maxie that he was sorry she'd had to go home to an empty apartment. He explained that he'd had to cover the night shift, but he would be home soon. Lulu appeared and wondered how things were going with Claudette. He updated her on Charlotte's actual paternity, and she was shocked. She wondered if Claudette had also lied about being on the run from Valentin. Before Nathan could reply, the two heard Dante yelling at someone on the phone.
Dante yelled at the person on the phone that they should be able to trace the elements in the bomb. In response to the person, he said that he would calm down when they could do their job, and he slammed the phone down. Lulu asked for a minute with Dante, so Nathan left. Lulu believed that Dante should recuse himself from the case because he was "too close" to it, but Dante refused. He explained that he hadn't done enough for Morgan while he'd been alive, and he vowed to do everything he could to find out who'd killed his brother.
When Lulu was gone, Jordan admitted that she agreed with Lulu. She informed him that Sonny was likely the one who'd planted the bomb, and she wondered if Dante would be willing to arrest his own father. Dante confessed that he wouldn't like it, but he would do it. Dante's phone rang, and he was told that the dive team that had been investigating the river after the explosion had found something.
Felicia found Nathan at the station and wondered if he'd heard from Maxie. She explained that Maxie hadn't shown up for their breakfast date, and she hadn't been answering her phone. Nathan thought he had a guess as to where Maxie had gone.
Outside her hotel room, Claudette tried to book one one-way plane ticket to Calgary on the phone. Nathan appeared behind her, and she wondered what he wanted. He explained that he couldn't find Maxie, and he guessed that she'd gone to see Claudette. She informed him that she didn't have the time, as Valentin knew where she was, since her room had been wrecked the night before.
Nathan drew his gun and opened Claudette's door. The room was perfectly organized. She insisted that it had been a mess the night before, so housekeeping had to have been by. On his way out, he saw a bracelet on the nightstand that Claudette said wasn't hers. "It's Maxie's," he told her.
Laura and Lulu sat at the nail salon, and Lulu wanted to discuss Laura's upcoming date with Kevin. Laura thought the date was "no big deal," and added that she would have to run right back to Wyndemere to continue packing. Lulu related that, if Laura was selling the castle for Spencer's benefit or to get away from the "sad and gloomy" place, Lulu agreed. However, Lulu warned that if Laura was trying to put the Cassadines behind her, the attempt would be in vain. Lulu wondered if Laura thought that Valentin and Claudette could be connected to Helena's mind games. Laura answered that she'd learned the hard way that, when it concerned the Cassadines, there were no coincidences.
Carly looked at a picture of Morgan and remembered arguing with Sonny right before she'd left him. The doorbell snapped her out of the memory, and she was unhappy to answer the door to Sonny. He had something important to say to her, so she allowed him to enter the house. He thought that they should plan a service for Morgan. Carly informed him that she and Nelle had planned Morgan's funeral for November eleventh.
Sonny was furious that Carly was trying to shut him out of saying goodbye to his son. She went off on him about loving his business more than his family, because if he didn't, Morgan would be alive. She partially blamed herself because "I knew who you were." She'd convinced herself that being with Sonny was worth the risk, but Morgan had paid the price. "Being with you hurts my soul," she told him, because when she looked at him, she saw the life that Morgan would never live.
Sonny had one more thing to say to Carly. He begged her to return home. He didn't think they could get through the grief without each other. They shared a kiss, but the doorbell interrupted them. Carly answered the door to Dante. He revealed that the divers at the crash site had found something.
In the basement, Maxie was taped to the chair but was tearing away at it with a screw. She hid the screw when the man descended the stairs. He had a plate of eggs and bacon for her, but she refused to eat it, claiming to be a vegetarian. He demanded that she eat and then tell him all that she knew about Claudette and Charlotte. She wondered if he was going to kill her after she told him what he wanted to know. He promised to "reward" her if she cooperated.
Maxie agreed to cooperate if the man made her an egg white omelet with goat cheese and "greens." "Don't push it," he warned. When he was gone, she frantically tore at the tape with the screw, eventually successfully ripping it completely off. The man returned with toast for her. She kicked it and tried to run, but he easily caught her.
The man taped Maxie back into the chair and pulled out a gun. She noticed a wedding ring and asked if he also had kids. She continued that she had a daughter who wouldn't understand if Maxie suddenly disappeared. He put the gun down and walked over to the water heater. He opened up one of the pipes, believing that it was a more humane way for her to die. He apologized and ran upstairs. She screamed for help.
