Lucky watched through a crack in the door as Nikolas and Liz exchanged passionate kisses on the couch in the turret room. Lucky made a slight sound as he slipped away without being seen, but neither Liz nor Nikolas wanted to investigate.

After making love, Nikolas and Liz shared their feelings. He wished that they could be together openly. Liz said that they should be grateful for what they did have. She said that they had always been great friends and had helped each other through some tough times.

Nikolas told Liz that all he wanted was to know that she was happy. She told him that she knew that he was moving to Paris so that she could be with Lucky. Liz told Nikolas how much that gesture meant to her.

As they dressed, Liz urged Nikolas to start a new life in Paris. She told him to find a new love and settle down with her. Nikolas told her that he would try, but that he was in love with Liz and he did not think that anything could change that. He told her that she had been his second chance at love. Liz responded optimistically, "Third time's the charm."

Nikolas told Liz that he would establish a good life in Paris where he would spend more time with his mother, Laura, and his son, Spencer. Then he asked Liz to put the past behind her and stop feeling guilty about what they had shared. He told her to go back to Lucky, to love him and try to be happy.

The scene he had witnessed in the turret room devastated Lucky. When he arrived home, he went to the closet and pulled out a baseball bat. With tears in his eyes, he started smashing all the breakables and knickknacks while carrying on a conversation with an imaginary Luke. He told Luke that he understood Luke's cynicism and what he had meant when he had warned Lucky that everything was an illusion, just one big lie.

Lucky was calm and controlled when Liz knocked on his door. When she wanted to know what had happened to cause the devastation to his house, Lucky lied and said that he had found it that way. Liz wanted to call the police, but Lucky said that Luke might have been responsible, and he wanted to find out before taking any other action.

Liz was ready to grab a broom and clean up, but Lucky had a sharp tone in his voice when he told her to leave it. He told Liz that the house was a mess and would stay a mess until he figured out what to do.

Nicholas and Spencer had a conversation. Nikolas explained to Spencer that they were moving to Paris to start a new life. Spencer was reluctant to leave and told Nikolas so. Nikolas understood, but told Spencer that they would have new adventures. He held Spencer close and hugged him.

Lucky was alone, talking on the phone to Laura as he told her Nikolas' plan to move to Paris. He did not tell her that he had seen Nikolas and Liz making love. He wanted to know how she had coped knowing that Nikolas carried the evil Cassadine blood. While he talked to her, he loaded a gun.

Liz tracked Steve down at the hospital and told him that Nikolas was moving to Paris. She thought the decision was for the best and she was looking forward to getting on with her life with Lucky. She asked Steve to see if she could get the entire weekend off. She was delighted when he told her that she had the time off and she was free to spend it with Lucky.

As Nikolas, Spencer and his nanny were about to board Nikolas' jet, Lucky stopped them and asked for a word with Nikolas. After Nikolas sent Spencer and the nanny to the plane, Nikolas was stunned when Lucky said that he wanted Nikolas to remain in Port Charles.

Patrick helped Lisa move furniture around in her new apartment. Afterwards they had beers and watched a pre-recorded car race. Lisa needled Patrick about his settled-down state and tried to get him to admit that he missed the daredevil pranks that they had engaged in while in college.

Patrick told Lisa that being married to Robin was a whole other challenge that made him feel even better and more on the edge than their college adventures had. Before he left her, Patrick told Lisa that Robin had changed his life 180 degrees and that, for the first time in his life, he felt complete. Lisa tried to get Patrick to stay, but he told her that he had a conference call scheduled with Emma and Robin, and he did not want to miss it. As Patrick exited her apartment, Lisa looked both frustrated and thoughtful.

Patrick stopped by the hospital before going home to talk to Robin and Emma. Steve was at the desk and was scheduling a surgery. When he asked Patrick to operate immediately, Patrick said that he had been drinking earlier and could not operate.

Steve was ready to call another surgeon, but Patrick told him that Lisa had also been drinking. Patrick looked over the charts and voiced his opinion. When Lisa arrived with lamps for her office, Steve told her about the surgery. He said that he had scheduled surgery for them both the following day. Steve told Lisa and Patrick to meet with him the next morning to go over surgical procedure.

After Steve left, Patrick was focused on getting to his conference call with Robin and Emma as he got on the elevator, despite Lisa's attempts to engage him in one-up gamesmanship and bantering wordplay.

Sam, Jason, and Spinelli held a powwow at Sonny's restaurant. Jason wanted help protecting Michael. He asked Spinelli to hack the Port Charles Police Department computer and alter the DNA test results for a hair that had been found at the cabin.

At the police station, Sonny was able to stop Michael from spilling his guts to the police. Michael wanted to take responsibility, but Sonny was firm. He told Michael not to worry, that Franco had done them a favor by moving the body, because it made it harder for the cops to determine what had happened to Claudia. Neither Sonny nor Michael noticed that Dominic was eavesdropping on their conversation.

Spinelli asked Maxie for help so that he could alter DNA information about Michael in the PCPD computer. She agreed. While Maxie distracted the technician in the forensics lab, Spinelli sneaked into his office and used the technician's computer. Maxie's distraction worked. Spinelli finished his work and left the lab undetected.

When Sam and Jason arrived at his penthouse, he was amazed to see that Spinelli and Maxie had redecorated the apartment. Sam said they probably did it as a way to keep themselves distracted during the Franco crisis. Jason said he did not know how they could be distracted. He told Sam that he had never felt more helpless that when Franco had held her captive. He said that he had let Franco get inside his head. Jason said that he was sure that Franco would be watching him to see what he would do.

Sam told Jason that he needed to stop feeling guilty about what had happened. She told him that it was not his fault that Franco was a psycho. Jason said that he had tried being honest with Franco. Jason said that Franco did not like hearing that using a gun was the first thing that Jason had been good at or that working for Sonny had given Jason purpose.

Jason said that Franco intended to take that away from him. He said that Franco would kill an innocent person for every person Jason killed, even if it was in self-defense. Sam suggested that Franco's threat might not be serious. Jason told her that, just like Franco had gotten into his head, Jason had gotten into Franco's. Jason told Sam that he believed that Franco was serious and would follow through with his threat.

Sonny met up with Dominic in his office at the restaurant. He told Dominic that he was worried about Michael because Michael wanted to be like Sonny, and Sonny did not know how to stop him. Dominic told Sonny about his earlier conversation with Michael and how Michael had told Dominic that he was not in a position to give him advice because Dominic was not part of the family.

Sonny told Dominic to ignore Michael's words and posturing. Sonny excused Michael's behavior because of the coma he had been in as a result of the botched assassination attempt on Sonny. Dominic comforted Sonny when he told Sonny that he had been a good father to Michael, and he was sure that Michael would eventually make the correct choices.

Dominic visited with Ronnie in his hospital room and detailed the evidence in Claudia's murder. Dominic told Ronnie about the conversation that he had overheard between Michael and Sonny. Dominic was convinced that Michael knew the truth and wanted to tell it. Ronnie said that he was sure that they could get a warrant to arrest Sonny and, once Michael was on the stand, the DA would crack him and Sonny's guilt would be revealed to all.

When Ronnie said it would be ironic for Sonny to be brought down by his own son, Dominic thought about the consequences to Michael and wanted to find another way to take Sonny down. Ronnie accused Dominic of getting soft and forgetting what his job was supposed to be. Ronnie told Dominic that eventually-after therapy, he added-Michael would thank them for arresting Sonny and convicting him of Claudia's murder.

Sonny ran into Olivia at the local parish church. He was there to buy a window in remembrance of the time they were children and had broken a church window in Bensonhurst. Their conversation led to talk of their children, and Sonny jokingly wondered how Olivia had raised her son without telling him about all her daredevil activities. Olivia was serious when she told Sonny that sometimes you told your children lies to protect them and to keep them from falling into the same patterns that had harmed their parents.

Sonny was a bit surprised when Olivia suggested that he should leave the country. He was curious what had prompted Olivia's warning. Olivia claimed that she was worried that the police would find a way to prove that Sonny had killed Claudia. Sonny wondered if Olivia knew something that Sonny didn't. Olivia insisted that she was merely concerned because Sonny had a very public confrontation with Claudia shortly before Claudia's murder. Olivia feared that the incident would return to haunt Sonny.

Olivia suggested that Sonny could start a new life in a different country. Sonny refused to leave his loved ones behind. Olivia grew frustrated by what she perceived was Sonny's lack of concern for his situation. Sonny assured Olivia that he knew what he was doing. He promised her that the police did not have sufficient evidence to pin Claudia's murder on him.

Lulu ran into Johnny on the piers. Johnny revealed that he knew the truth about Dante's identity and undercover work. Lulu wondered what Johnny planned to do with the information. Johnny clarified that he and Dante had the same agenda. Johnny had no intention of exposing Dante's secret because Johnny wanted Sonny to pay for Claudia's murder. However, Johnny was concerned about Lulu.

Dante approached Johnny and Lulu as Johnny admitted that he feared that there would be a tremendous backlash when the truth about Dante was revealed. Johnny was worried that Lulu would be blamed for not warning anyone. Lulu didn't seem bothered about any possible ramifications that she might face. Johnny reminded Lulu that Luke and Sonny were friends. Luke loved his daughter, so there was a strong likelihood that Luke and Sonny could clash because Lulu had decided to remain silent.

Dante appreciated Johnny's warning. After Johnny walked away, Dante and Lulu returned to Dante's apartment. Dante admitted that he regretted that he had put Lulu in an awkward situation. He wished that he hadn't allowed things to get personal. Dante was eager to wrap up the case, so that he could return to his life in Brooklyn. Lulu suspected that Dante was trying to push her away; however, she was unprepared when Dante confided that he didn't see their relationship continuing after Sonny's arrest.

According to Dante, he didn't want their relationship to bite Lulu in the "ass." Lulu informed Dante that she was perfectly capable of deciding what was good for her. She assured him that she could handle whatever life threw at her. Dante pulled Lulu into his arms for a passionate kiss. Moments later, Dante stepped back. He apologized for kissing her and then insisted that Lulu had to leave. Lulu's temper flared when Dante opened the door to show her out. Lulu didn't believe that Dante was being noble; she accused him of being an emotional coward.

At the penthouse, Jason, Sam, and Spinelli discussed the evidence that the police had collected in the course of investigating Claudia's murder. Jason insisted that it was impossible for the police to have found a strand of Sonny's hair in the burned-out cabin's floorboards because Sonny had never been inside the cabin. Sam suggested that perhaps the strand of hair had been transferred on Claudia's clothes.

Spinelli was determined to deal a "fatal blow" to the police investigation. With Jason's blessing, Spinelli decided to head to McCall and Jackal Private Investigation, so that Spinelli could put his considerable cyber skills to work. After Spinelli left, Jason confided to Sam that Sonny's plan, to frame Franco for Claudia's untimely death, meant that Michael would not be out of danger.

Shortly after Sam left, Sonny arrived at the penthouse to talk to Jason. Jason told Sonny about the strand of hair that the police had found. Sonny didn't understand how his hair could have been recovered from a cabin that he had never been in. Jason explained that Claudia could have transferred it from her clothes, but Sonny didn't buy it.

Sonny appreciated all that Jason had done for him, but he wanted Jason to step aside. Sonny believed that Jason had lost his objectivity. Sonny worried that Jason would not be able to properly protect Michael. Jason warned Sonny that framing Franco for the murder would only paint a bull's-eye on Michael's back. Sonny didn't think that Michael was in any danger of retribution from Franco because Franco wasn't interested in Michael. Sonny clarified that his decision was an order, not a request.

After Sonny left, Sam returned to the penthouse. Jason told Sam about Sonny's plans to pin Claudia's murder on Franco. Jason admitted that he feared that Franco would feel compelled to reveal that Michael had killed Claudia. Sam urged Jason to find a way to stop Sonny before it was too late. Jason explained that Sonny refused to listen to him. When Jason expressed his frustration over the situation, Sam tried to ease his concerns.

Sam insisted that Jason shouldn't blame himself for what had happened. She reminded him that everything Jason had done, wrong or right, had been out of love for Michael. Sam promised that she would never stop believing in Jason. Jason was touched by Sam's unwavering support. He kissed her to show her how much she meant to him.

Olivia met Johnny on the docks. Johnny admitted that he had tried to warn Lulu about the possible fallout from Dante's undercover assignment. Olivia confessed that she had a similar impulse to warn Sonny. She had begged Sonny to leave the country, to no avail. Johnny tried to comfort her. Olivia admitted that she was grateful to have Johnny in her life. As Olivia and Johnny kissed, Sonny spotted them.

Mike was losing badly as he gambled on the Haunted Star. Mike tried to hand Ethan an IOU, but Ethan suggested that Mike charge his losses on a credit card. Mike insisted that his luck was about to change, so he wanted Ethan to take the marker. Tracy entered the casino moments later. She was livid because Ethan had opened the Haunted Star for just one patron. She immediately demanded that Ethan shut down the casino.

Mike and Ethan tried to persuade Tracy to change her mind, but she refused to be swayed. Mike was livid. As Mike stormed out of the casino, he vowed to complain to Luke. Tracy demanded to know what Ethan had been thinking. Tracy reminded Ethan of the pitfalls of taking Sonny's father's money when Mike was losing his shirt.

Kristina met Kiefer at Kelly's. Kiefer quickly assured Kristina that he wasn't mad at her. He claimed that he was frustrated because it seemed as if he were more invested in their relationship than Kristina was. Kristina promised Kiefer that he was wrong. As they sat down at a table, Kiefer handed Kristina a box. The box contained a necklace with a heart pendant. Kiefer explained that their initials were engraved on the back of the pendant. Kristina was touched by the romantic gift.

Ethan entered Kelly's to look for Mike. The waitress explained that Mike was off for the night. Disappointed, Ethan turned to leave. When Ethan saw Kristina, he approached her table to see how she was doing. Kiefer informed Ethan that Ethan had interrupted a private conversation. Ethan ignored Kiefer as he waited for Kristina's answer. Kristina explained that she and Kiefer had worked things out. She assured Ethan that she was fine.

Ethan relaxed and then turned to leave. Kristina called out to Ethan to remind him that she had not forgotten his promise to teach her how to play poker. Kiefer scowled as Ethan vowed to show Kristina his best move.

At the airport, Nikolas was curious why Lucky would want him to stay after Lucky had felt betrayed by Nikolas' love for Liz. Lucky pretended that he had let go of his anger. Lucky feigned sympathy for Nikolas' loss of Emily; he claimed that, under similar circumstances, he would have been more self-destructive than Nikolas had been. Nikolas was curious if Lucky was supposed to be working. Lucky assured Nikolas that the station would call if there were an emergency.

Lucky studied Nikolas closely as he explained that he trusted Nikolas completely. Lucky claimed that he was confident that Nikolas would never betray him by acting on his feelings for Liz. Lucky conceded that he could understand how Nikolas had fallen in love with Liz. He realized that Liz had been there for Nikolas during a difficult time. Lucky suspected that Liz had probably made it easy for Nikolas to fall in love with her. Nikolas didn't want Lucky to blame Liz for anything that had happened.

Lucky kept a tight leash on his fury as he expressed his desire not to repeat the mistakes that their fathers had made. Lucky wanted Nikolas to remain in Port Charles. Lucky continued to pressure Nikolas until Nikolas agreed to cancel his flight.

Lucky went to Liz's house to tell her about his talk with Nikolas. Liz was surprised that Lucky had stopped Nikolas from leaving town when it was clear that it was what Lucky had wanted. Lucky insisted that Liz was the only person who could fully appreciate how much Nikolas meant to him. Liz sensed that it was important to Lucky, so she promised to support him. Liz told Lucky that she loved him and then tried to kiss him. Lucky pulled away.

Lucky quickly covered the revealing reaction by responding, "I can't tell you how much that means to me." Lucky gave Liz a brief kiss on the lips and then left.

A short time later, Nikolas arrived. Nikolas admitted that he was a bit surprised that Liz had agreed to see him. Liz explained that she had invited him over because she wanted Nikolas to understand that what they had done to Lucky had been wrong and unworthy of Lucky's love and commitment. Liz wanted Nikolas to know that she had chosen Lucky. Nikolas offered to fly to Paris, but Liz wanted Nikolas to remain in Port Charles for Lucky's sake.

Nikolas confessed that he hoped that it wasn't too late to repair the damage to his relationship with Lucky.

Looking for Luke, Lucky entered the Haunted Star. Ethan had no idea where Luke was; however, he was eager to track down Mike, in order to do some damage control. Ethan explained that Mike had lost a small fortune while gambling earlier in the evening. Ethan hoped to provide Mike with an opportunity to win back every cent before Sonny got wind of what had happened.

Lucky didn't think that it was a good idea to allow a gambling addict to win. Ethan was more concerned about his kneecaps than Mike's addiction. Lucky offered to close up the casino for Ethan. After Ethan left, Lucky walked over to the bar and then pulled down a bottle of whiskey. Lucky stared at the bottle for several heartbeats before he poured himself a drink. Moments later, Lucky began drinking.

At the Jacks residence, Michael found his family gathered in the living room. Carly explained that she had called Michael, so that he could help them plan Josslyn's christening. Jax suggested that they ask Alexis and Lucky to be Josslyn's godparents. Carly immediately objected. Morgan warned Jax that Carly most likely wanted Jason to be Josslyn's godfather. Michael realized that Carly and Jax needed some privacy, so he dragged Morgan away.

Carly made it clear that she would only accept Jason as Josslyn's godfather. She also resented the idea of Alexis being Josslyn's godmother. Carly pointed out that Alexis didn't like Carly. Jax decided that he was in a no-win situation, so he invited Carly to choose whomever she wanted as Josslyn's godparents. Carly smiled victoriously as Jax left the room.

Later, Dominic stopped by to see Morgan. Morgan wanted to invite Dominic to attend Josslyn's christening. As Jax entered the room, he overheard Morgan's request. Jax revealed that Dominic had already been invited. Morgan was relieved when Dominic confirmed that he would attend Josslyn's christening.

After Morgan left the room, Jax asked Dante for an update on Sonny's arrest. Dante confided that the arrest was imminent. When Dante seemed conflicted about the impact Sonny's arrest would have on Morgan, Jax assured the undercover cop that it was for the best. Jax believed that Morgan had a better shot at a normal life without Sonny.

When Jax returned to the living room a short time later, he found Morgan fiddling with Jax's phone. Jax reminded the young boy that Morgan had been asked to leave Jax's phone alone. Morgan apologized; he explained that he had intended to play a game. However, Morgan had stumbled across an email about Sonny that had been sent from a senator's office. Morgan was curious what "facilitating the operation" meant.

Jax smoothly lied as he explained that he was trying to stop an investigation into one of Sonny's businesses. Morgan seemed satisfied with the answer; he readily agreed to Jax's request not to tell Carly about the email.

At the piers, Lulu was on the phone with Maxie. Lulu denied that she had spent the entire night crying. Lulu pretended that they had a bad connection when Maxie refused to believe Lulu's claims. Dante approached Lulu as she disconnected the call. Dante confessed that he had overheard Lulu's end of the conversation. Lulu insisted that Maxie had been mistaken; Lulu had been up all night with a cold, not crying. Dante observed that Lulu appeared upset.

Lulu responded, "Nope and I've exceeded my limit for cheesy pick-up lines." Dante took Lulu's comment as a challenge. He immediately went to work charming Lulu by spouting a number of corny pick-up lines. Lulu's defenses crumbled as she gave in to the laughter. However, she quickly recovered and then accused Dante of trying to save her from the public censure that would follow the revelation that he was an undercover police officer. Dante didn't deny it; he wanted to do right by Lulu.

Lulu assured Dante that she was perfectly capable to deciding what was best for her. Dante stopped Lulu's speech by kissing her. Lulu ignored Dante's attempt to distract her. She insisted that pushing her away was not the solution.

Diane was speechless when she entered Jason's penthouse. She was impressed with how Maxie had redecorated the place. Jason quickly clarified that the reason he had requested a meeting with Diane was because he had a hypothetical situation to discuss. Diane assumed that Jason was referring to Sonny, but Jason corrected her. He wanted to discuss Michael.

Jason shared, in detail, the events that had led to Claudia's demise. Diane made it clear that it would be incredibly difficult for her to defend an "axe murder." Jason insisted that Michael had struck Claudia with the handle of the axe in defense of Carly and Josslyn. Jason realized that by destroying all of the evidence, he had eliminated any possible proof that might exonerate Michael of wrongdoing. Diane was not surprised to hear that Sonny intended to frame Franco. She couldn't advocate anyone committing a crime, but she did concede that Sonny's plan might be the best solution for Michael.

Jason wondered what the consequences would be if the pictures of Michael standing over Claudia's body ever surfaced. Diane admitted that the pictures would not help Michael's case. Michael dropped by moments later. Diane quickly excused herself and then left. Jason let Michael know that he had discussed Michael's legal situation with Diane. Jason apologized for failing Michael, but Michael didn't want to hear about Jason's regrets. Michael was confident that Sonny would fix everything. Michael wanted to focus on some happy news; he revealed that Carly intended to ask Jason to be Josslyn's godfather.

After Michael left, Johnny arrived. Jason wanted to let Johnny know about Sonny's plans to frame Franco. Johnny observed that things had worked out rather conveniently for Sonny. Johnny was curious why Jason didn't appear happy with the turn of events. Jason reminded Johnny that Michael had acted in self-defense; Jason didn't want anything to happen to Michael because they had decided to cover up the truth.

Johnny confessed that Michael didn't deserve to pay for what had happened. Johnny vowed that he could be counted on to remain quiet about Michael's role in Claudia's death.

Carly arrived at the penthouse shortly after Johnny left. Jason remained concerned about Franco, but Carly wanted to focus on Josslyn's christening. Jason couldn't understand why Carly would want to expose Josslyn to the danger that surrounded Jason. Carly argued that she wanted Josslyn to have someone whom she could depend on; that person was Jason.

Spinelli went to Crimson to visit Maxie. Maxie remained troubled about their relationship because she had slept with Franco. Spinelli refused to sleep with someone just to make Maxie feel better. Maxie remained convinced that the only way to restore the balance to their relationship would be for Spinelli to have a fling with another woman.

Lulu arrived at Crimson a short time later. Maxie noticed that Lulu remained glum, so she suggested that Lulu check the envelope on Lulu's desk. Maxie revealed that she had pulled some strings to get her hands on two opera tickets for Lulu. Carly approached Lulu's desk as Maxie dashed off for a meeting. Lulu immediately offered the tickets to Carly because it was unlikely that Lulu would attend the opera with Dominic.

Carly realized that Lulu and Dominic were having some problems. She assured Lulu that things would work out. Carly then announced that she had stopped by to ask Lulu if she would agree to be Josslyn's godmother. Lulu was happy to accept the honor. Carly hugged her cousin and then assured her that Dominic had also been invited.

Maxie returned after the meeting. Lulu confided that Dominic was trying to push Lulu away for her own good. Lulu confessed that, despite her best intentions, she had fallen in love with Dominic.

Dante met Johnny on the piers. Johnny wanted Dante to know that Sonny intended to follow through with his plans to frame Franco for Claudia's death. Dante confessed that he should have listened to Johnny when Johnny had first warned Dante to keep his distance from Lulu. Dante regretted that he had endangered Lulu, whom he had fallen in love with.

Kristina joined Sam at a table in Kelly's. Kristina admitted that she had been worried about Sam. Sam assured her sister that she was fine. According to Sam, the ordeal with Franco had been harder on Jason than it had been on Sam. Sam was curious why Kristina had called her. Kristina quietly wondered if Jason had ever lost his temper with Sam. The question caught Sam off-guard, but she quickly recovered.

Kristina rushed to cover her tracks by insisting that Kiefer was great. However, Kristina did confess that Kiefer became angry at times. Sam clarified that if Kiefer made Kristina feel bad about herself, then Kristina needed to end the relationship and get help.

Elsewhere in Kelly's, Diane and Spinelli sat at a table discussing Spinelli's relationship with Maxie. Spinelli told Diane about Maxie's infidelity with Franco. He revealed that he wanted to forgive and move forward, but Maxie demanded that he sleep with a celebrity, in order to "even the score." Diane loved the idea of a celebrity "free pass" list. She revealed that Russell Crowe and Justin Timberlake would be her choices. However, Diane was quick to clarify that, deep down inside, Maxie did not want Spinelli to sleep with another woman.

Patrick and Lisa were on hand when two car accident victims arrived in the emergency room. The driver had suffered a concussion, but his passenger's injuries were more serious. X-rays revealed that the young woman in the car had suffered spinal cord damage. Patrick patched up the driver. Dean was stunned by the news about his girlfriend, Chelsea. In a moment of honesty, Dean confessed that he had never signed up for a girlfriend in a wheelchair.

A short time later, Dean was by Chelsea's side when Lisa and Patrick explained that Chelsea required surgery. Lisa bragged that she was the best surgeon available to operate on Chelsea. Patrick was surprised by Lisa's bold claim.

At the Quartermaine mansion, Tracy noted that it had been "blissfully quiet" since Rebecca had moved out. Monica informed her sister-in-law that Rebecca loved her new home in Paris. Tracy didn't care. Moments later, Edward entered the parlor. Edward was furious because he had received a letter from his great-granddaughter, May a. Maya indicated that she had written to Edward previously. Edward was certain that Tracy had intercepted the first letter.

Tracy denied the accusation. Edward didn't believe Tracy. He happily informed his daughter that he intended to invite Maya and her sister, Zoe, to move in. Edward explained that Maya was completing her final year of medical school. Maya's stepmother had died in an accident recently, so Maya had been appointed guardianship of her half-sister, Zoe. Edward wanted his great-granddaughter and her sister to live with them.

Monica and Tracy cautioned Edward about extending an invitation for two strangers without knowing their intentions. Edward dismissed their concerns; he reminded Tracy and Monica that he was exceedingly wealthy. Edward insisted that Maya was welcome to his fortune. Monica worried that Edward might be pressuring Maya to move in, in order to make up for how Edward had failed Justus over the years. Edward assured Monica that everything would work out.

While Edward left the room to call Maya, Tracy pulled out Maya's first letter. Monica wasn't surprised that Tracy had the letter. Tracy was certain that Maya wasn't interested in moving to Port Charles.

Lucky went to Jason's penthouse to let Jason know that he had decided to remove himself from the investigation into Claudia's death. Lucky explained that it was a conflict of interest; however, he wanted Jason to be aware of a witness who might have damaging information about Claudia's murder. Jason was shocked when Lucky confided that Maxie had been parked in front of Kate's mansion on the night that Claudia had disappeared.

Lucky claimed that he trusted Jason. Jason sensed that something was troubling Lucky, but Lucky tried to brush it off. Lucky admitted that he had been hard on Jason for choosing to save Sam. Lucky rambled on about seeing things from a different perspective and then admitted that he regretted that Jake and Jason had been collateral damage because of Liz's lies and secrets. Jason clarified that Liz had always loved Lucky. Lucky's eyes filled with unshed tears as he stared at Jason.

Sam arrived at the penthouse a short time after Lucky left. Jason told her about Lucky's decision to bow out of the investigation into Claudia's death. Sam thought it was good news until Jason revealed that Maxie had been parked outside of Kate's mansion on the night that Claudia had died. Jason was concerned about what Maxie might say to the police, so he decided to call Spinelli and Maxie. When Spinelli and Maxie showed up at the penthouse, Jason demanded to know exactly what Maxie had seen on that fateful night.

Tracy entered the Haunted Star while Ethan cleaned up behind the bar. When she spotted the empty bottles of scotch on the bar, Tracy wanted to know where Luke was. Ethan clarified that he had not seen nor heard from Luke, but Tracy didn't believe him. Ethan reminded Tracy that Luke tended to make a grand entrance when he returned to town. Tracy pointed out that Luke made an exception when he had something to hide.

After Tracy left, Ethan called Lulu. Lulu was stunned when Ethan revealed that Lucky had been drinking on the Haunted Star the previous two evenings. Lulu suggested that perhaps the empty scotch bottles had belonged to Luke, but Ethan slowly shook his head. Lulu finally accepted the truth; she thanked Ethan for telling her about Lucky's drinking. Ethan didn't know much about Lucky's addiction, but he had recognized that Lucky had been committed to his sobriety. Ethan realized that it was important for Lucky's loved ones to be aware of what was going on.

Lulu was waiting when Lucky entered he the Haunted Star. Lulu didn't waste time confronting Lucky about his drinking. To her surprise, Lucky readily admitted that he had consumed alcohol. Lucky didn't understand why she was upset since he wasn't using pills, stealing, or trying to cover up what he was doing. Lulu offered to call Lucky's sponsor, but Lucky balked at the idea. Lucky insisted that he was fine. Lulu didn't understand why Lucky was willing to risk everything when he was about to marry Liz. Lucky argued that he wasn't the one who was throwing everything away.

Lulu tried to stop Lucky when he reached for a bottle. Lucky made it clear that he would find a way to drink, regardless what Lulu did. As soon as Lulu released the bottle, Lucky poured himself a drink and then took a deep swallow. Lucky's determination to drown his sorrows hurt Lulu. She accused him of being just like their father. After Lulu left the casino, Lucky sat down at one of the tables and continued drinking.

Luke returned to the Haunted Star to find Lucky knocking back a bottle of scotch. Lucky welcomed his father home and then invited Luke to join him for a drink. Luke wondered if Lucky was celebrating. Lucky revealed that he had been looking at a paper for "Lot #17," which was the piece of property where Lucky and Liz had hoped to build their dream home. Before Luke could respond, Lucky announced, "I finally get it. I'm just like you." Luke didn't appear pleased by the prospect.

At the hospital, Liz and Nikolas found themselves in an elevator together. Nikolas explained that he was on his way to a board meeting. Liz assured Nikolas that he didn't have to explain anything to her; she fully expected to bump into Nikolas occasionally. Nikolas confessed that he didn't want to add to Liz and Lucky's troubles. He offered to resign from the board if Liz thought that it would help.

Liz didn't want Nikolas to step down from his position on the board. She was confident that, in time, they would all heal and then resume being friends. Nikolas admitted that it was nice to spend time with her without constant tension and having to worry about "what ifs." Later, Nikolas arrived at Liz's house moments before Lulu walked in. Lulu explained that she had asked to see Nikolas and Liz because she wanted them to know that Lucky had started drinking.

At the hospital, Lisa and Patrick checked on Chelsea, the car accident victim who had suffered a spinal cord injury. Chelsea's boyfriend, Dean, was by her side. Dean and Chelsea were eager to know if Chelsea would be able to walk again. Patrick cautioned the young couple to take it one day at a time. After Patrick and Lisa left the room, Lisa admitted that she had been surprised by Patrick's cautious advice. Patrick attributed it to Robin's influence; he insisted that it was wrong to get Chelsea's hopes up.

Later, Dean pulled Patrick aside to talk to Patrick about Chelsea's prognosis. Dean admitted that the thought of Chelsea being confined to a wheelchair was more than Dean could handle. Dean didn't think that he could remain in a relationship with Chelsea if she remained paralyzed. Patrick reminded Dean that it was too soon to determine if Chelsea would regain mobility in her legs. However, he was hopeful that Chelsea would make a full recovery. Dean was relieved. After Dean walked away, Lisa noticed that Patrick seemed subdued.

Patrick realized that he had been a lot like Dean once. He apologized to Lisa for always having "one foot out of the door" while he had been involved with her. Lisa insisted that it had been mutual; they had both done their part to keep the relationship from becoming serious, including sleeping with other people. Lisa reminded Patrick that they had been different people when they were younger; neither of them had tested their relationship. Lisa suggested that Patrick might have stayed with her if she had been in a situation similar to Chelsea's.

Patrick wasn't as certain as Lisa about how he would have handled such a life-changing crisis. Lisa pointed out that Patrick had stayed with Robin after he discovered that she was HIV positive. Patrick didn't hesitate to remind Lisa that he had fallen in love with Robin, so it really hadn't been an issue for him. Lisa seemed uncomfortable with the direction of their conversation, so she quickly changed the subject.

A short time later, Lisa and Patrick returned to Chelsea's room to check on Chelsea's progress. Chelsea was devastated when she realized that she didn't have any sensation in her feet. Patrick assured Chelsea that it might be due to some swelling from the surgery. Chelsea calmed down, but Patrick noticed that Dean remained concerned by the possibility that Chelsea would remain paralyzed.

On the piers, Michael informed Morgan that Dominic was only being nice to Morgan because Sonny signed Dominic's paycheck. Morgan was hurt by his brother's harsh words, but he refused to believe Michael. Michael insisted that Morgan would be "road kill" if Sonny hadn't been Morgan's father. According to Michael, Morgan was just a "dumb little kid." Carly was stunned when she heard Michael's viciousness. She scolded Michael for talking to Morgan in such a cruel manner and then turned to Morgan to ask him to head to Kelly's. Carly promised to catch up with Morgan after she had a talk with Michael.

After Morgan walked away, Carly accused Michael of being jealous of Dominic because Dominic worked for Sonny, something Michael would never do.

Later, Carly and Morgan arrived at the Quartermaine mansion. Monica wondered where her grandson, Michael, was. Morgan explained that Michael had been in a bad mood. Carly added that Michael had changed his mind about the visit. Monica was curious why Carly and Morgan had stopped by. Carly explained that she wanted to invite the Quartermaines to Josslyn's christening. While Alice took Morgan to get some cookies and milk, Edward happily accepted the invitation on the family's behalf.

At Greystone Manor, Sonny announced that it was time to close the investigation into Claudia's death. Sonny reviewed what he expected Ronnie to tell the police. Dominic assured Sonny that he would carry out Sonny's wishes. Sonny admitted that he had been impressed with Dominic's loyalty and commitment to the organization. Sonny acknowledged that Dominic was a hard-working young man who had been willing to learn. For that reason, Sonny revealed that he was considering grooming Dominic to take over the organization when Sonny retired.

Dominic was stunned by the decision; however, he wondered why Jason hadn't been offered the position first. Sonny explained that Jason had made it clear that he wanted out when Sonny retired. Dominic was curious why Johnny wasn't a candidate. Sonny refused to hand his empire over to a man who had once been a mob rival. Next Dominic asked about the possibility of Michael stepping into his father's shoes. Sonny insisted that he wanted more for his children.

Michael heard his name as he entered the living room. When Michael demanded to know what Dominic and Sonny had been talking about, Dominic decided to excuse himself. Alone with Michael, Sonny explained that he had decided to turn the business over to Dominic when the time was right. Michael was furious. Michael insisted that Sonny's syndicate was rightfully his, but Sonny disagreed. Sonny wanted Michael to go to college.

Ronnie found Dante looking at a 1964 Mickey Mantle baseball card on the piers. Dante intended to give the card to Morgan. Dante changed the subject to update Ronnie about Sonny's plans to frame Franco for Claudia's murder. Ronnie realized that Sonny's plans meant that they could charge Sonny with conspiracy. According to Ronnie, it was further proof that Sonny had killed Claudia. Ronnie noticed that Dante didn't seem happy at the prospect of arresting Sonny.

Dante confessed that he was tired of all of the lies. To drive his point home, Dante tossed the rare baseball card into the harbor. Ronnie was stunned. Dante explained that if he had given the card to Morgan then Dante would have had to fabricate a plausible story to explain why he had the card in the first place. Dante didn't want to have to lie to Morgan.

Later, Dominic returned to Greystone Manor. Michael immediately ordered Dominic to leave the house. Dominic jokingly asked if Michael was upset about global warming. Michael ignored Dominic's attempt at humor; he vowed that he would not be cheated out of what was his. When Michael threatened to talk to Lulu about Dominic's corrupt ways, Dominic decided to leave. Dominic stopped when Sonny entered the living room. Sonny had heard the commotion, so he demanded to know what was going on. Michael didn't hesitate to inform Sonny about his objections to Dominic as a mob boss.

At Greystone Manor, Sonny was forced to physically restrain Michael from attacking Dominic. Michael made it clear that he refused to stand by while Dominic took what rightfully belonged to Michael. Sonny asked Dominic to leave, so that Sonny could talk to Michael privately. As soon as Dominic left, Sonny released Michael. Michael demanded to know how Sonny could choose Dominic over Michael. Sonny made it clear that Michael had never been in the running to take over the organization.

Michael demanded to know why Sonny displayed more loyalty to Dominic than Sonny's own son. Sonny denied that he favored Dominic over Michael. He explained that he wanted Michael to go to college. Sonny didn't want any of his children to be a part of his business. Michael confessed that he resented the time that Sonny had spent with Dominic. Sonny argued that his time with Dominic had been about business, nothing more.

Sonny pointed out that Michael was a high school student who was far removed from Sonny's world. Michael insisted that he had paid his dues. According to Michael, he had taken a bullet for his father and then saved Carly and Josslyn from Claudia. Sonny promised that he loved Michael, but Sonny didn't believe that Michael belonged in Sonny's world. Michael accused Sonny of respecting Dominic more than he did Michael.

Carly arrived at Greystone Manor shortly after Michael left. Sonny told her about Michael's reaction to Sonny's decision to groom Dominic to take over the organization. Carly was disappointed that Sonny didn't understand why Michael was angry. Sonny was curious if Carly expected Sonny to hand the business over to Michael. Carly clarified that she didn't want Michael near Sonny's organization; however, Carly wanted Sonny to cut Michael some slack.

Carly explained that Michael was struggling to deal with what had happened to Claudia. Sonny assured Carly that everything would work out. He explained that he had taken steps to frame Franco for Claudia's murder. Carly feared that it was risky to involve Franco because Franco had incriminating pictures of Michael. Sonny believed that the pictures could be explained away as "fakes." Eventually Sonny eased all of Carly's concerns about the plan to frame Franco.

Sonny switched gears to let Carly know that a strand of Sonny's hair had been found in the cabin. Carly didn't understand how any evidence could have been found after the fire. Sonny suggested that Jason had dropped the ball. Carly was confident that Diane could easily explain away the strand of hair.

At the penthouse, Jason questioned Maxie about what she had seen on the night that Claudia had disappeared. Spinelli was surprised to learn that Maxie had been parked in front of Kate's house in the early morning hours. Maxie explained that she had been waiting for the pool guy to arrive, so that he could fix a water leak on Kate's property. According to Maxie, she had seen Sonny pull up to his gate in Michael's car. Maxie claimed that she had seen Michael inside the vehicle.

Maxie revealed that when Sonny opened the gate, he had stood in the glare of the headlights for a moment. Maxie had noticed that Sonny's shirt had been drenched with blood. Maxie was certain that she had also seen a bloody hand print on the shirt. Maxie assumed that Jason wanted her to deny that she had seen anything. Jason encouraged Maxie to tell the police everything, except that she had seen Michael. Maxie readily agreed.

After Spinelli and Maxie left, Jason and Sam discussed the evidence against Sonny. Jason couldn't understand how a strand of Sonny's hair had survived the fire in the cabin. Moments later, Michael knocked on the door. Michael was furious because Sonny had chosen Dominic to take over the organization. Jason pointed out that it was years away from happening. Michael was stunned that Jason didn't appear to have an objection to Dominic running things.

Jason put a quick end to Michael's rant. Jason suggested that Michael gain control of his temper. He pointed out that Michael needed to remain focused, in order to avoid arousing suspicion. Michael immediately calmed down. After Michael left, Sam admitted that Jason had good reason to be concerned about Michael. Sam doubted that Michael could handle an interrogation without confessing to Claudia's murder.

Later, Spinelli tried to review what Maxie would tell the police. Maxie objected because she didn't want her statement to sound rehearsed; she assured Spinelli that she knew what she had to say. Maxie was tested almost immediately. Mac tracked Maxie down to question her about what she had seen on the night of Claudia's murder.

Jason found Sonny sitting at his desk in Greystone Manor. Jason explained that Michael had dropped by the penthouse to inform Jason about Sonny's decision to promote Dominic. Before Sonny could respond, Jason revealed that Maxie had been parked in front of Kate's mansion on the night that Claudia had died. Jason assured Sonny that Maxie had promised to keep quiet about Michael. Sonny was uncomfortable with the idea that Michael's future rested in Maxie's hands.

Michael lurked on the docks, eavesdropping on Dominic's conversation with Johnny. Michael was stunned when Dominic claimed to be an undercover cop.

On the Haunted Star, Lucky confessed that he could only imagine how difficult it must have been for Luke not to say anything about Nikolas and Liz over the Christmas holiday. Luke gathered that Lucky knew about Nikolas and Liz's affair. Lucky confirmed that he was aware that Nikolas and Liz had slept together. Lucky felt foolish because he had not seen the signs. Luke acknowledged that love could be blind. Luke regretted that he had not told Lucky about the affair. Lucky didn't think that he would have believed Luke.

Lucky was curious how long Luke had known about Nikolas and Liz. Luke admitted that it had been a while; he had caught Nikolas and Liz kissing on the docks one evening. Luke explained that he had confronted Nikolas about what he had seen. Afterwards, Luke had talked to Liz. Lucky wasn't surprised to learn that Liz had persuaded Luke to keep her secret. Luke was curious how Lucky had found out about the affair. Lucky confided that Luke was the first to know; Lucky had walked in on Nikolas and Liz having sex.

Lucky reflected on all of the warning signs that he had ignored. Luke wondered what Lucky intended to do about the affair. Lucky replied, "Drink." Lucky took the opportunity to apologize to Luke. Lucky realized that he had been hard on Luke when his father had tried to caution Lucky not to rush into marriage. Lucky admitted that Luke had been right; love was a lie.

Luke corrected Lucky. According to Luke, love was flawed and, contrary to popular belief, did not heal all wounds. Lucky admitted that he had no idea what Liz wanted or needed, but he was certain that it wasn't him. Luke understood that Lucky had put his heart and soul on the line for Liz. Luke admired Lucky for that. In Luke's eyes, Lucky was fearless.

"Well, we're about to find out, " Lucky replied as he snatched up his coat. Luke was surprised that Lucky was leaving. Lucky explained that he had somewhere to be. Tracy entered the casino shortly after Lucky left. Luke explained that Lucky had been drinking. Tracy was sad to hear that Lucky had suffered a broken heart.

At Liz's house, Liz asked if Lulu was certain that Lucky had been drinking. Lulu confirmed that she had seen Lucky drink a scotch. Liz and Nikolas were crushed to realize that Lucky had turned to alcohol. Lulu blamed Lucky's relapse on Nikolas' declaration of love for Liz. Liz made it clear that it had been Lucky's choice to take a drink. Lulu demanded to know if that absolved Liz and Nikolas of wrongdoing. Liz quickly assured Lulu that it didn't.

Liz recalled that the last time that Lucky had battled addiction, all efforts to protect Lucky had only made matters worse. Liz explained that all they could do for Lucky was to let Lucky know that they loved him and that they would support him as he worked to get clean again. Lulu hoped that it would be enough.

Dante spotted Lulu on the piers. Lulu was visibly shaken as she struggled to hold back her tears. Concerned, Dante asked Lulu what was troubling her. Lulu revealed that Lucky was an addict who preferred to take pills. Lulu explained that Lucky shouldn't be drinking; however, Lucky was on the Haunted Star knocking back scotches. Dante quietly listened as Lulu revealed the details of Lucky's addiction and his affair with Maxie.

Lulu confided that Lucky was in love with Liz, but Liz did not return those feelings. Lulu was distraught because she felt partly responsible for the situation that Lucky was in. Dante assured Lulu that she had nothing to do with Lucky's choice to drink. Lulu confessed that Dante had been right to end their relationship. Dante remained silent as he watched Lulu walk away.

Liz and Nikolas discussed what they could do to help Lucky. Liz decided she would start by calling Lucky's sponsor. Moments later, Lucky entered the house. "Well, isn't this perfect," Lucky commented as he slowly approached them. Nikolas explained that he was just about to leave, but Lucky assured his brother that it wasn't necessary. Liz revealed that Lulu had told them that Lucky had been drinking. Liz urged Lucky to go to a meeting, but Lucky ignored her pleas.

Lucky announced that, thanks to Liz, he finally saw the truth. Lucky realized that Liz didn't love him; "otherwise you wouldn't be screwing my brother behind my back," he explained.