The men in the Magic Milo act stood with their backs to the cheering audience, their underwear spelling out "Nurses Ball." Olivia left the room as Epiphany started chanting for the men to "lose those drawers." Lucy ran onstage and made the men leave before they started a riot.
Sonny followed Olivia and urged her to talk to him. He didn't blame her for being hurt and angry. He begged for another chance, but Olivia didn't want to talk to him.
Brad was upset after watching Lucas and Felix "strip together." Britt urged Brad to do something about the situation. "Fine. I will," he replied defiantly.
Lulu walked over to Maxie and said that she was happy Maxie had decided to attend the ball. The two women hugged. Lulu recognized the man standing next to Maxie as Levi. Levi responded that he'd heard many great things about Lulu. She thanked Levi for "dragging" Maxie out.
Lulu told Maxie that one of the women in her number had needed to drop out, and she begged Maxie to fill the spot. Maxie didn't want to because of Levi's disapproval for fundraiser events. Lulu offered to get her a costume, but Maxie replied that she'd never let Lulu pick out a costume for Maxie. Maxie kissed Levi and excitedly followed Lulu backstage.
Cameron, Emma, Elizabeth, and Ric were surprised to run into Nikolas and Spencer. Nikolas explained that they'd changed their minds about attending the ball. "What are you wearing?" Cameron asked Spencer snottily, referring to Spencer's princely attire. "It's just something I found lying around...Europe," he emphasized, turning around like a model. Elizabeth didn't want Cameron and Emma to miss their entrance, so she and Ric hurried them backstage. Spencer yelled that he couldn't wait for the number.
Onstage, Lucy announced the next act: Blackie Parrish. Suddenly, someone in a headset walked onstage and had a quiet word with Lucy. Lucy conveyed the message that Blackie had had a scheduling conflict he'd forgotten about. She assured the disappointed audience that she would rearrange things, and she ran offstage.
Backstage, T.J., Milo, and Nathan were getting ready to change. Maxie bumped into Nathan, who wondered why she was backstage. Clearly distracted by a shirtless Nathan, she informed him that she had been recruited to perform. Taking one last glance, she hurried off to find Lulu. Nathan shouted that he was looking forward to seeing her moves.
Lucas and Felix had finished dressing and shared a moment just as Brad burst backstage. He watched as they decided to get back to the party.
Epiphany bumped into Milo backstage. She told him how she'd been hoping for a "Full Monty." Milo insisted that he needed to leave something to the imagination. She assured him that she would be imagining.
Kiki walked in on Michael getting dressed. "How dare you!" she exclaimed to a confused Michael. "You should never put clothes on this," she clarified and kissed him. Michael explained that he'd need to be clothed in order to help Ned "deal with Luke."
Lucy returned to the stage and announced that Brad had volunteered to take Blackie's spot performing. Lucas and Felix exchanged stunned looks as they sat down. Brad sang Karmin's "Brokenhearted," complete with backup dancers. Britt encouraged Brad from the audience and danced along to the song. In the middle of the song, Brad left the stage and sang directly to Lucas, who stood up and looked unhappy. The audience cheered when the song was over, and Brad doled out cash to the dancers.
A few minutes later, Brad returned to the party. He went straight over to Lucas and wondered what he had thought of Brad's performance. "It was great," Lucas stated without emotion. Brad clarified that he was brokenhearted and asked for another chance. Lucas replied that the performance hadn't changed anything and that Brad had no chance with Lucas.
Lucy returned the stage and proclaimed Brad a "tough act to follow." She went to read the name of the next act but stuttered over it. She stuck her head backstage and found Mac with Mr. Marbles. "I thought we said we weren't going to do this!" she whispered angrily. Mac thought that if Dr. Obrecht could perform, then he could too. "Fine!" she fumed.
"Put your hands together for...the dummy!" Lucy announced to minimal claps. Mac and Mr. Marbles told a few jokes to a couple laughs but mostly cringes. "Enough!" Epiphany shouted, walking up to the stage. She grabbed Mr. Marbles, threw him on the ground, and stomped on him to thunderous applause.
As Mac held Mr. Marbles' pieces, Felicia wondered if Mac was all right. Mac was distraught that his "childhood friend" had been "murdered" before his eyes. He couldn't believe that Epiphany had done that -- and that everyone had clapped.
Once again, Milo ran into Epiphany backstage. He wanted to shake her hand for "having the courage to do what everyone else wanted to do but didn't have the guts to." He added that she had "cojones."
Out in the hallway, Luke poured champagne into two glasses. Julian walked over and asked how the "happy groom" was doing. Luke said that he'd finally bitten the "bitter bullet and married the bitch." He was happy to "have ELQ in the palm of my hand." Julian decided to leave before Tracy returned.
Alexis was introducing herself to Jordan when Julian arrived at her side. Alexis realized that Jordan and Julian worked together, but Jordan clarified that she was more on the "art side" of things.
Britt congratulated Brad on a great performance, but Brad glumly disclosed that it had done no good. Suddenly, Spencer latched onto Britt and screamed, "Britt's here!" to a less-than-enthused Nikolas. Spencer hugged her and told her that he missed her, and she did the same. He wanted to "catch up" with her, but she told him that she had to go. He begged her to stay just in case something "exciting" happened and dragged Britt and Nikolas to a table.
Spencer offered to get drinks for himself, Nikolas, and Britt and ran away. Britt observed that Elizabeth and Ric were at the ball together. Nikolas curtly stated that she and Nikolas were just friends, and she could do as she pleased. He wondered how Britt thought he could move on so easily. He wished he could, but it wasn't that easy. "I know the feeling," Britt agreed.
Lucy announced the next performance as the Haunted Starlets. As the music to Icona Pop's "I Love It" began, Maxie, Kiki, Sam, Molly, and Lulu were revealed behind the curtain. After the song and dance was over, Lulu and Maxie shared a happy hug.
Shawn praised the Haunted Starlets' number. "You used to appreciate my moves," Jordan reminded him. "That was a long time ago," he responded.
Back onstage, Lucy thanked Lulu for getting the next artist to perform. She announced singer Eddie Gomez, who sang a song called "Criminal Love." The performance featured Lucas on drums and T.J. on keyboards. Maxie and Nathan shared a meaningful look, as did Sonny and Olivia.
Julian noticed that Sonny and Olivia seemed to be having problems. Alexis wondered why he thought she would comment on that. Julian told her that not everyone could be as happy as he was.
Lucas remarked that Julian looked happy. "Can't say the same for you," Felix observed. He added that Brad had sung a song for Lucas and that Brad was heartbroken over his ex. Lucas spat that Brad had been known to lie. Felix wondered how Lucas felt about Brad after all Brad had done.
Lucy was back onstage and announced Emma and Cameron dancing the tango. Nikolas wondered where Spencer was, because he'd wanted to see the number. Emma and Cameron danced until the music abruptly stopped. Suddenly, Spencer was onstage. He apologized for interrupting their "fantastic" dance. "Emma, this song is for you," he said and introduced the band Player, featuring Ronn Moss.
As the band began to play, Cameron whined about Spencer interrupting his and Emma's dance. Spencer regretted it, but he had needed to do something "bold and beautiful" in order to make up with Emma. Cameron tried to get Emma to leave, but Emma wanted to hear the song. As the band played "Baby Come Back," Lucy and Scott shared a meaningful look, as did Ric and Elizabeth, Elizabeth and Nikolas, Brad and Lucas, and Maxie and Nathan.
During the song, Olivia got up and ran out. Sonny followed her out into the hallway. He stopped her and asked her to talk to him. She looked at him but turned and left.
Backstage, Spencer shook hands with each member of the band. He thanked them for playing on such short notice, but they'd been happy to help. Ronn told Spencer that he'd do anything for Spencer's grandmother Lesley. He wished Spencer luck with getting Emma back.
Just then, Emma walked backstage. She told Cameron that she had to get changed and stopped short when she saw Spencer. He begged her to return to him and told her that he couldn't live without her.
Britt wondered how Spencer had gotten a band to play. Nikolas had known that Spencer had been up to something, but he couldn't believe that Spencer had gone to such extremes to win Emma back. "I can," Britt said sincerely. She explained that Spencer had been desperate for forgiveness, just like she was. She knew she had screwed up, but she missed and loved Nikolas. She wondered if he would ever forgive her.
Elizabeth wanted to check on Cameron because she figured that he would not be happy. Ric stopped her. He told that they'd had something good and screwed it up. He thought that they could have something again and begged her not to throw it away. He asked her for another chance.
Felix was remarking to Lucas about Brad's "puppy dog eyes" when Brad suddenly appeared. He grabbed Lucas and kissed him. Seeing the exchange between Lucas and Brad, Bobbi guessed that the two were back together. Felicia wondered where Bobbi's date was.
As Lucy sorted through her rack of dresses, Scott appeared in her dressing room. She demanded to know what he wanted. He informed her that she'd made the wrong choice, and that he wanted her to choose him.
Tracy appeared next to Luke, who handed her a glass of champagne. "Isn't that sweet?" Ned observed. Tracy thanked her son for standing up for her when she had married Luke. Ned told her that Luke had married her only for love, because he wouldn't be "getting a dime out of ELQ." He informed Tracy and Luke that Luke had been fired.
Luke argued that, as the CEO, only Tracy could fire him. Ned continued that the board had had a vote and had ousted Tracy as CEO. She demanded to know who had voted against her, so Ned handed her a list. Ned hadn't wanted to vote his mother out, but he had needed a new CEO in order to fire Luke. Tracy demanded to know what "traitor" had replaced her. "I did," Michael said.
Luke wondered how Ned and Michael could do that, since they were family. "That was before you started groping my girlfriend," Michael spat, his arm around Kiki. Tracy insisted that Kiki was lying, but Michael knew the truth. Kiki wanted to leave because Luke, "the sleaze," was "creeping me out," and the two left.
Ned apologized to Tracy, but he believed that he was protecting the family's legacy. When Ned was gone, Luke vowed to fight them for Tracy. However, Tracy accepted that her family had taken the company away from her. She assured him that things would be all right because they still had each other. As she embraced him, she didn't see the murderous look on his face.
At the Nurses Ball, Lucas pulled away from Brad's passionate kiss and then demanded to know what had prompted the kiss. Lucas informed Brad that Brad couldn't simply walk up and kiss Lucas from out of nowhere, prompting Brad to flirtatiously wonder why not. Lucas took a step back to stand next to Felix and then announced that Lucas and Felix were together as a couple. Shocked and somewhat skeptical, Brad demanded to know when Lucas and Felix had started dating.
Felix seemed at a loss for words, but Lucas ignored the question and suggested that Brad should have gotten the point when Lucas and Felix had arrived on the red carpet together, performed together, and even done a striptease dance together. Brad noticed Felix's silence, so Brad questioned Felix about the relationship. Felix was spared from having to answer the uncomfortable questions when an announcer asked everyone to take their seats. Lucas and Felix quickly fled to their table.
Nearby, Ric begged Elizabeth to give him another chance. He didn't think that she would have agreed to attend the gala with him if she didn't have feelings for him. He promised to walk away if she told him that he was wrong, so she conceded that she would always have feelings for him because they had history together. An announcement was made asking everyone to be seated, but Ric refused to let Elizabeth return to their table until she gave him an answer. Elizabeth smiled softly and then quietly agreed to give him another chance.
At Nikolas' table, Britt confessed that she deeply missed Nikolas and still loved him. Nikolas quietly stood up and then walked away, but Britt quickly followed him and cornered him in the doorway. She wanted to know if he would ever forgive her, so Nikolas answered honestly by explaining that he didn't know how it was possible to get past what she had done. Britt appreciated that it had been wrong for her to knowingly take his sister's frozen embryo, but Nikolas clarified that it wasn't just about the stolen embryo. Nikolas reminded Britt that their main problem had been all of the lies that Britt had told him over the course of their relationship.
Nikolas pointed out that he had given Britt chance after chance to tell the truth, but each time, Britt had opted to lie. Nikolas explained that it was too much of a risk to try to rebuild trust after that. Britt remained hopeful that she could make amends. "I mean, come on. Tell me the truth, Nikolas. Is there really no part of you that's not in love with me?" she asked. Nikolas walked away without replying when the announcer asked everyone to be seated.
Backstage, Spencer fell to bended knee as he implored Emma to take him back by repeating a verse from Player's, "Baby Come Back." Emma insisted that Spencer stand up so he wouldn't get his slacks dirty, but Spencer refused to move until Emma assured him that she had forgiven him. He suddenly feared that she hadn't liked his surprise, but she assured him that she had loved the song and Player's performance. Spencer smiled with satisfaction because he had arranged all of it -- the band and the song -- for Emma. He vowed that he would never hurt her again, so Emma assured him that she had forgiven him.
Spencer jumped up and smiled with joy until Emma clarified that nothing had changed; she had arrived with Cam, so she intended to leave with Cam. "What about us?" Spencer asked in a dejected tone. "There is no us, sorry," Emma replied and then left.
Elsewhere in the ballroom, Felicia noticed that Scott had disappeared. Bobbie explained that Scott had left to take care of something, but he would return shortly.
Later, Felicia was seated next to Kevin as Kevin anxiously awaited the surprise that Lucy had promised him.
In the dressing room, Lucy was picking out her next outfit when Scott slipped into the room to inform her that she had made the wrong choice by picking Kevin. Lucy insisted that her mind was made up, so she and Scott were over, but Scott refused to give up on Lucy until she was back in his arms where she belonged. Lucy became increasingly agitated as Scott tried to persuade her to leave Kevin for him because he was certain that she knew, deep down inside, that she had made a mistake by staying with Kevin.
Distraught, Lucy grabbed a dress and then ran out of the room, but Scott chased after her. Lucy begged Scott to leave her alone, so Scott admitted that he had tried to stay away, but he couldn't because he loved her, and he was certain that she loved him too. Scott pleaded with Lucy to admit that he was right and say the words. Lucy tried to resist, but she eventually capitulated and kissed him.
Moments later, the curtains were raised. The audience was stunned into silence as they watched Scott passionately kiss Lucy. Lucy sensed everyone's eyes, so she pulled away from the kiss and then realized that she was on stage with Scott, wearing nothing except her bra and a pair of matching boy shorts. Lucy's eyes quickly found Kevin as he stood up. She tried to play the kiss off as a joke and then reminded Kevin that it was almost a tradition for her to end up on stage in her underwear, but Kevin easily saw through the lies and stormed out.
Lucy chased after Kevin and caught up to him in the lobby. She begged him to let her explain and again tried to insist that it had been a joke. "I guess the joke's on me," Kevin replied. Lucy pulled on a robe as Kevin angrily demanded to know how long the affair had been going on. He suspected that it had been an ongoing affair and that he had walked in on Felicia and Lucy discussing it earlier in Lucy's dressing room. Lucy tearfully insisted that she had never meant for the affair to happen, but Kevin wasn't satisfied and demanded answers.
Lucy became choked up with emotion as she reminded Kevin how she had been lonely because he had spent long hours with his patients, often putting them ahead of his wife. Kevin refused to allow Lucy to blame him for the choices that she had made, but he quickly pointed out that he had made an effort to change. Lucy agreed, but she admitted that it had been too late because she had already slept with Scott by then. Lucy explained that she had been hurting, thinking that her marriage was over, when she had run into Scott, who had been reeling after losing the case against A.J. Quartermaine, and Lucy and Scott had found comfort in each other's arms.
Kevin was shocked that Lucy had been carrying on an affair with Scott for five months, but Lucy quickly clarified that she had ended things with Scott the previous month because Scott had asked for her to choose; she had chosen Kevin and her marriage. "Apparently, it didn't take," Kevin observed. Kevin felt like an idiot for having trusted Lucy, but Lucy insisted that she loved Kevin more than anything in the world.
"Go to hell," Kevin shot back. Lucy gasped with shock that Kevin would say that to her, but she continued to apologize as fresh tears filled her eyes. Kevin warned Lucy that she could apologize until she was blue in the face, but it wouldn't mean anything to him. He conceded that he had always known that she was a self-centered person, which he had considered a quirky personality trait until that moment. Hurt, Lucy tearfully explained that she hadn't known what to do when he had been more focused on his patients. "You come to me," Kevin explained.
Kevin reminded Lucy that husbands and wives helped each other through difficult situations rather than turn to people outside of their marriage. "Obviously, I know that now," Lucy replied with frustration, but Kevin was unmoved. He demanded to know if Lucy had talked to Scott about Kevin's failings, so she reluctantly admitted that she had. Kevin pointed out that Lucy had had two jobs as his wife -- to be faithful and to be loyal. "And you failed miserably," Kevin concluded.
Lucy realized that she couldn't defend what she had done, but she begged Kevin to forgive her because she loved him and had chosen him. Kevin was curious who Lucy had chosen on the stage. Lucy began to cry again, so Kevin informed her that he had heard everything that he had needed to hear and then left.
Meanwhile, Bobbie found Scott backstage and quickly stopped him from chasing after Lucy. Scott was frustrated because he had made a mess of things. Bobbie admitted that it wasn't unusual for him, but at least he could say that he had done it for love.
Later, Scott returned to the dressing room. Lucy answered the door, hoping that it was Kevin, so she was disappointed when she saw Scott. She tried to close the door on him, but he pushed his way into the dressing room and insisted that they talk things out, but Lucy refused. Scott was curious how Kevin was. "How do you think he is?" Lucy angrily asked.
Lucy began to weep because she realized that she had ripped her husband's heart out. Scott conceded that it had been a terrible way for Kevin to learn about Scott and Lucy's love for one another, but at least everything was out in the open, leaving Scott and Lucy free to be together. Lucy was stunned that Scott expected her to be with him after she had completely destroyed her marriage. Scott insisted that he wanted to help her, so she suggested that he leave her alone. After Scott left, Lucy began to cry again.
In the ballroom, Felix sprang into action and took over as host when it became clear that Lucy would not be returning. On stage, Felix nervously asked where Mr. Marbles was when they needed him. Mac glared at Felix. "Too soon?" Felix wondered. Felix continued to tell a few bad jokes until someone ran up to hand Felix a card. Felix relaxed and then introduced the next act, T.J. and Molly, who sang "Just Can't Get Enough."
At the bar, Nathan watched as Maxie talked to Levi about Lucy and Kevin. Maxie felt bad for Lucy, so Levi showered Maxie with praise for her kindness and generosity, even when people didn't deserve it. Nathan was disgusted by Levi's attitude, but Nathan became distracted when Britt joined her brother at the bar. Britt recognized the expression on Nathan's face because it was the same expression that she had whenever she saw Nikolas around Elizabeth. Britt began to tease Nathan for having a thing for Maxie and then made a joke about Nathan "jonesing" for Maxie.
Nathan chuckled, but the smile vanished when Liesl suddenly appeared to express her delight at seeing her children laughing together. Britt sarcastically thanked her mother for telling Britt about Nathan, so Nathan suggested that Liesl leave. Liesl doubted that Britt was eager for Liesl to leave, but Britt resented that Liesl had spent years treating Britt like something that Liesl had scraped off of the bottom of Liesl's shoe simply because Britt had been born a girl. Britt was curious what had driven Liesl to give up the precious baby boy that Liesl had clearly always wanted. However, Britt changed her mind about waiting for an explanation because Liesl was unlikely to give them straight answer.
Moments later, Felix returned to the stage and then asked Emma to join him. Felix gave a brief speech about the work that AMFAR did and then revealed that his friend, Sabrina Santiago, had spearheaded the efforts to revive the Nurses Ball the previous year because the charity was dear to Sabrina's heart. Felix revealed that Sabrina hadn't been able to attend the ball because Sabrina had given birth to a premature baby boy, Emma's brother. However, Felix assured everyone that Sabrina had worked hard to help put the 2014 Nurses Ball together, so Emma had agreed to step in for Sabrina. Emma sang, "It's a Beautiful Day."
After Emma's song ended, the crowd applauded. Emma left the stage, so Felix returned to introduce Olivia, the Bensonhurst Medium. However, Felix was handed a note explaining that Olivia had been forced to cancel the act due to "unforeseen circumstances." Everyone chuckled when Felix cracked a joke about the irony of a medium not foreseeing something and then switched gears to introduce the "wickedly talented Adele Dazeem."
Ric leaned over to ask Elizabeth who Adele Dazeem was, but Liesl appeared on stage to answer the question. "That would be me," Liesl said as she explained that the deception had been necessary to get Liesl back on stage. Liesl dedicated her song to her two beautiful children. She acknowledged that she hadn't been a good mother to either of her children, but she hoped that the song would be a new start. Nathan and Britt were stunned when Liesl sang, "Always on My Mind."
Afterwards, Felix returned to the stage to explain that the next act had agreed to step in for Sabrina and then introduced Lucy. Felix realized that Lucy wouldn't be returning, so he decided to wrap up the ball by thanking the sponsors, the performers, and the guests who had donated. He then introduced Epiphany, who closed out the show with "You're Not Alone."
After the ball ended, everyone hugged and said their goodbyes. Britt appeared disappointed when Nikolas walked past her without acknowledging her, so Nathan offered to give Britt a lift home. She explained that she needed a ride for Liesl, too, so Nathan agreed that Liesl could join them.
In the lobby, Kevin glared at a picture of Lucy. Moments later, Mac walked up. The two friends exchanged a long look, and then Mac draped his arm over Kevin's shoulders and led his friend out of the hotel.
Meanwhile, Felicia went to the dressing room to check on her friend. Lucy dissolved into tears as Felicia hugged Lucy.
In the neonatal intensive care unit, Patrick let Sabrina know that he had picked up some coffee for her and that it was in the waiting area, but Sabrina refused to leave their son's side. Patrick wasn't surprised and confessed that he felt like he was stuck in a no-win situation because he couldn't be there to watch Emma perform. Sabrina felt terrible for Patrick, but he insisted that their son needed him more.
Sabrina wondered how Emma's performance had been, so Patrick revealed that he had seen a part of it because the obstetrics nurses had had the Nurses Ball on the television in the lounge. He admitted that the dance had been adorable right up until Spencer Cassadine had interrupted Emma and Cam with a surprise performance from Player. Sabrina was shocked that Spencer had been able to get the band to perform at the ball, so Patrick reminded her that Spencer was a prince. Sabrina worried how Emma had reacted to Spencer's unexpected surprise, but Patrick assured Sabrina that Emma would be fine because Emma was surrounded by friends and family who would take care of her.
Sabrina smiled, so Patrick changed the subject by suggesting that they pick a name for their son. Sabrina admitted that she had thought the same thing, but within seconds, the alarms on the monitors began to beep. Terrified, Sabrina watched at Patrick checked the baby and determined that their son was in respiratory distress.
Moments later, the NICU team swarmed the room and then quickly went to work. The doctor was able to stabilize the baby, but decided that Patrick and Sabrina would have to leave the room until the results of the tests were back. The doctor feared that Patrick or Sabrina might have inadvertently contributed to the baby's respiratory crisis by not properly preparing themselves before entering NICU. Patrick argued that as a doctor and nurse, both Patrick and Sabrina were medical professionals who knew how to take the necessary precautions, but the doctor refused to change his mind.
In the hallway, Sabrina was furious that she couldn't be in the room with her son, but Patrick assured her that it was only a temporary measure. Sabrina gazed through the window at her son and then softly began to sing "You're Not Alone," so Patrick joined in. Afterwards, he pulled off the sterile gown and then felt a tiny hand reach for his. It was Emma. Patrick picked his daughter up and then hugged Emma tightly as Anna, Duke, Felix, Elizabeth, Ric, Cam, and Epiphany walked up to lend their support and to check on Patrick and Sabrina's son.
At Kelly's, Jordan saw Shawn seated at a table inside the diner. She entered and asked if T.J. was around because she had something for her son. Shawn revealed that T.J. had gone to bed, so Jordan began to talk about the crazy events at the Nurses Ball. Jordan smiled as she confessed that she had enjoyed all of the acts, but T.J. and Molly's performance had been the best. Shawn agreed that it had been his favorite as well.
Jordan confessed that she had picked up on the tension between Alexis and Shawn, so Shawn explained that he and Alexis had once dated. However, he refused to share any details about the relationship. Jordan assured Shawn that she still cared about him, but he was skeptical. Jordan began to reminisce about their wild days when she, Shawn, and T.J.'s father, Tommy, had gone barhopping near the base. Shawn smiled when she reminded him how the three of them had been as thick as thieves and had had fun stirring up trouble.
Jordan confessed that she hadn't just lost Tommy when he had died, but she had also lost Shawn. She was certain that she wasn't alone in missing the friendship that she and Shawn had once shared, so Shawn conceded that she wasn't. Later, Shawn returned from the kitchen and was surprised that Jordan had selected a familiar song from the jukebox. She invited Shawn to dance with her for old times' sake, so he reluctantly agreed.
However, things appeared to heat up between Shawn and Jordan, so he quickly pulled away and announced that he was headed to bed. Disappointed, Jordan asked why they couldn't have fun the way that they had in the past. Shawn reminded Jordan that she had threatened to tell T.J. the truth about what had really happened between Shawn and T.J.'s father and that she worked for the Jeromes. Shawn insisted that they had crossed a line that they couldn't return from and then walked away.
At Metro Court Hotel, Felicia tried to comfort a distraught Lucy by promising Lucy that everything would be okay. Lucy disagreed because Lucy had hurt Kevin deeply. Moments later, the elevator door opened, and both Felicia and Lucy were temporarily blinded by flashbulbs as photographers snapped pictures and reporters tried to get a statement from Lucy. Felicia barked at the reporters to leave Lucy alone, but they ignored her. Lucy explained that she didn't have anything to say as she and Felicia entered the restaurant.
"Well, that's too bad, Lucy, because I've got a lot to say to you," Bobbie said from one of the empty tables. Lucy sensed trouble, so she immediately began to compliment Bobbie's dress, but Bobbie made it clear that she saw through Lucy's ploy and would not be deterred from discussing what Lucy had done to Scott. Felicia herded the reporters and photographers away to give Lucy and Bobbie privacy as Lucy denied doing anything to Scott. Bobbie disagreed and accused Lucy of stringing Scott along for months.
Lucy clarified that she had ended things with Scott because Lucy had been determined to work things out with Kevin. Bobbie didn't believe that Lucy had ever intended to fully let Scott go and that Lucy had become jealous when Lucy had seen Scott arrive on the red carpet with Bobbie. Lucy laughed as she advised Bobbie not to flatter herself. Bobbie was stunned that Lucy had honestly believed that no one had noticed the stolen glances between Scott and Lucy during Player's performance of "Baby Come Back," so Lucy reiterated that Lucy had chosen Kevin.
Bobbie insisted that Lucy wanted to have the cake and eat it, too, so Lucy went on the offensive by revealing that Lucy had heard that Noah Drake had dumped Bobbie for Annie Logan, "the virgin." Lucy suspected that Bobbie had set her sights on Scott because of the breakup. The argument took an ugly turn when Bobbie accused Lucy of trying to ruin Bobbie's marriage years earlier by setting Damian Smith on Bobbie, but Lucy argued that it had been Bobbie's choice to cheat with Damian. Bobbie countered that Lucy's disastrous evening had been karma for the horrible things that Lucy had done in the past.
Bobbie thought that Lucy had gotten exactly what Lucy had deserved, so Lucy threw Bobbie's past as a prostitute in Bobbie's face. Furious, Bobbie slapped Lucy. A photographer and reporter quickly ran over to get pictures and to ask both ladies for a comment. Lucy informed the reporter that Bobbie was a judgmental hypocrite and then slapped Bobbie. A catfight between Bobbie and Lucy ensued until Felicia managed to get between both of her friends to beg them to stop fighting. Bobbie decided that she had said everything that she had needed to, so she grabbed the hair extension that Lucy had pulled from Bobbie's head and then marched out.
The reporter was eager to get a statement from Lucy to go along with the picture that would appear in the morning edition of the newspaper. Horrified, Lucy begged the reporter not to run the story because Lucy didn't want Kevin to be hurt more than he already had been, but the reporter insisted that the story was big enough to make the front page. Felicia offered to give the reporter another story, but he wasn't interested, so Felicia resorted to bribery and offered the man her Aztec necklace in exchange for the camera and the reporter's promise to bury the story.
Later, Felicia and Lucy sat at the bar as Felicia deleted pictures on the camera that she had traded her priceless heirloom necklace for. Lucy took a drink and admitted that she regretted the awful things that she had said to Bobbie. Felicia agreed that both Lucy and Bobbie had been out of control, but Lucy conceded that Lucy had no one to blame for what had happened except herself. Felicia reminded her friend that at least the pictures of Lucy and Bobbie's fight wouldn't appear on the front page of the newspaper. Lucy was grateful for everything that Felicia had done, so Felicia explained that she and Lucy would always have each other's backs.
Lucy offered Felicia a watery smile and then hugged her friend. Meanwhile, the elevator door opened. Scott saw Felicia comforting Lucy, so he decided to remain in the elevator until the door closed.
In the hotel's hallway, Duke and Anna returned to their suite as they discussed Carly's decision to leave town with Franco. Anna couldn't understand why Carly had refused to turn over the phone when all Anna had wanted to do was confirm Carlos' claim that A.J. had tried to call 9-1-1 before the shooting. She conceded that Carly technically hadn't broken any laws because the phone had been A.J.'s personal property and that Michael, as A.J.'s closest relative, had inherited it. Anna was certain that Michael wouldn't have an issue with Carly taking the phone, so Duke suggested that Anna call to ask Michael.
Anna refused to dwell on it because seeing Patrick and Sabrina had put things into perspective for her. She then shifted gears to admit that she'd had a wonderful evening at the Nurses Ball. Duke agreed, even though Julian Jerome had been present. Anna didn't want to talk about Julian because she was certain that he would eventually face justice. Duke reminded Anna that he could help her put Julian behind bars sooner rather than later, but Anna declined.
Anna wanted to focus on Duke, so she kissed him. The couple pulled apart as Scott rounded the corner and then greeted Duke and Anna. Anna confessed that Scott had put on "quite a show" earlier in the evening, but Scott refused to discuss it because he simply wanted to find a place to drown his sorrows. Duke and Anna reminded Scott that they were close to Kevin and Lucy, so Duke and Anna felt that what had transpired between Scott and Lucy was their business, especially since Scott's conduct had "blackened" not only the office of the district attorney but, by extension, Anna's professional reputation.
Scott laughed at the idea that his affair would give Anna a bad name when she had been sleeping with a reputed gangster. After Scott left, Duke conceded that Scott had made a good point. Anna warned Duke never to say anything like that again about Scott, even if Duke was right. She then pulled Duke into the suite and closed the door.
Later, Duke and Anna lounged on the sofa as Duke confessed that he hoped that Kevin and Lucy would work things out. Anna reluctantly conceded that Lucy had betrayed Kevin, but it took two to tango. Duke smiled as he admitted that Cam and Emma had done a fine job of dancing the tango at the ball, but the children couldn't fill Duke and Anna's shoes. Anna groaned but then smiled when Duke dragged her off of the sofa to tango. Afterwards, she led Duke to the bedroom.
On an airplane, Carly scrolled through A.J.'s phone, hoping to find a clue as to why A.J. had decided to record his conversation with Ava, but Carly was unable to find anything useful. Franco appreciated that it wasn't in Carly's nature to live her life on the run, but she quickly reminded him that he was wrong because she had been married to Sonny four times. Franco realized that she had a point, but he assured her that he was an expert at evading the law, so he would get them both through their quest for answers. Carly confessed that she would feel better once the plane took off because she couldn't risk A.J.'s phone falling into the hands of the police as long as the recording revealed that Sonny had shot A.J.
However, Carly worried that Ava would continue to remain a threat to Sonny, Morgan, and Michael until Carly could figure out a way to stop Ava. She then confided that, in an odd way, it seemed like A.J. might have redeemed himself by finding a way to safeguard Michael's heart by making the recording. Moments later, the flight attendant instructed Franco and Carly to turn off all of their phones and other electronic devices. Carly realized that she wouldn't get any answers about the phone until they reached their destination, so she turned the phone off.
After the flight attendant left, Franco suggested that he and Carly join the "mile high club." Carly was shocked and initially refused, prompting Franco to wonder if she was already a member. Carly conceded that she'd had sex on a plane before, but never on a commercial flight, but she wondered if Franco had had sex on a commercial flight. Carly relaxed when Franco acknowledged he was "technically" not a member of the club. Carly decided to give it a try, but wondered how they could pull it off without arousing suspicion.
Franco suggested that he go the bathroom first and then leave the door unlocked, so Carly could slip in a few minutes later. Everything went according to plan until the flight attendant ordered Carly to return to her seat because the bathroom was occupied. Carly insisted on waiting, but the flight attendant explained that it was against the rules. Frustrated, Carly returned to her seat.
Several minutes later, Franco sat down next to Carly and asked what had happened. She quickly filled him in, so he teased her about not being able to properly handle the flight attendant. Annoyed, Carly decided to go to the bathroom first to see if Franco would have better luck with the flight attendant. After Carly left, Franco waited, but then tensed when he saw a male passenger walk to the bathroom. Franco jumped up to stop the man by explaining that Franco was in desperate need of the facilities, but the man ignored Franco and then entered the bathroom.
Franco cringed when he heard Carly shriek. She quickly fled the bathroom and returned to her seat, but Franco refused to let the incidents stop him and Carly from fulfilling their mission. He suggested that he and Carly casually go to the bathroom together, so Carly agreed. Later, the couple emerged from the bathroom, disheveled but smiling. They agreed that it had been a "hot" encounter, even though Carly was certain that everyone on the plane knew what they had done.
At the Floating Rib, Kevin knocked back a drink and then asked for another. Mac urged Kevin to slow down because getting drunk wouldn't solve anything. Kevin ignored the advice because Kevin had just found out that his wife had been cheating on him with Scott. Mac poured the drink as Kevin admitted that a part of him had wanted to believe Lucy's ridiculous story. Mac quietly assured Kevin that Lucy had felt terrible for hurting Kevin, but Kevin didn't care because the affair with Scott had been ongoing since December.
Kevin ranted about Lucy and then admitted that he suspected that Felicia had known, but Lucy had sworn Felicia to secrecy, which was why not even Mac had known about the affair. Mac's expression clouded with guilt, but Kevin didn't notice because Kevin was hurt that Felicia had put her friendship with Lucy above her friendship with Kevin, whom Felicia had known far longer. Moments later, Scott entered the bar but quickly turned to leave when he saw Kevin and Mac. Kevin dared Scott to face Kevin like a man. "Okay, if that's what you want," Scott said as he approached Kevin.
Scott assured Kevin that no one had set out to hurt Kevin, but Scott and Lucy were in love with each other and always had been. According to Scott, there was nothing that Kevin could do to change that. Kevin disagreed and punched Scott. Mac quickly stepped between the two men to prevent further violence, so Kevin explained that he felt betrayed by Scott because Kevin had thought that Kevin and Scott had learned to accept and respect each other's role in Lucy's life. Scott reminded Kevin that Scott and Lucy had been friends long before Kevin had been a part of Lucy's life.
Scott conceded that Kevin might be the one who had kept Lucy on an even keel, but Scott had stood by Lucy's side "through all of you interlopers." Kevin resented being referred to as an interloper, but Scott refused to apologize. Mac sensed that Kevin's rage was quickly escalating, so Mac suggested that Scott leave. Scott agreed and even promised not to press charges against Kevin for hitting Scott or against Mac for punching Scott months earlier.
After Scott left, Kevin wondered what Scott had been talking about. Mac floundered for an explanation, but Kevin realized that Mac had punched Scott because Mac had known about the affair. Mac quickly apologized and explained that Felicia had assured him that the affair had ended. Kevin wasn't satisfied because he felt that his friend should have respected Kevin enough to warn Kevin that Lucy had slept with Scott. Furious, Kevin punched Mac, so Mac took a swing at Kevin, which quickly escalated into a brawl.
Later, Kevin and Mac sat on the floor amid broken glass and overturned chairs. Both men were bleeding from superficial cuts, but they were too exhausted to do anything about the injuries. Mac apologized for not telling Kevin about Lucy's affair, so Kevin assured his friend that he knew that Mac was sorry. Mac took a swig from the bottle of booze that Kevin had handed to him and then both men chuckled.
At the lake house, Julian patiently waited as Alexis bid Molly goodnight and then entered the bedroom. He asked if he had again managed to successfully throw Molly off by sneaking into Alexis' bedroom through the window. Alexis locked the bedroom door as she explained that she didn't want Molly to see Julian parading in and out of the bedroom when Alexis was trying to impress upon her daughter to wait to have sex. Julian clarified that she had used the wrong verb because Alexis had been smuggling him into her bedroom, not parading him through the house.
Julian reminded Alexis that Molly was a kid, while he and Alexis were adults. Alexis argued that she didn't want to sound like a hypocrite to her daughter, so Julian decided to let the matter drop and tried to lighten the mood by assuring her that he was familiar with sneaking through bedroom windows because he had gotten a lot of practice during his teenage years. Alexis was not amused and asked him to clarify what "a lot" meant. Julian was evasive, but Alexis thought that it was only fair that he tell her about his first time having sex, since he knew about her first time.
Julian relented and told Alexis about a girl named Janice who had lived in New Jersey. Julian explained that he had known Janice since childhood because their fathers had been in business together. However, their fathers hadn't approved of their kids dating. He also revealed that Janice's mother, Olivia, had been strongly opposed to the relationship because the woman had been crazy, manipulative, and abusive, which had eventually driven Janice away.
Julian claimed that the romance had ended when Janice had left the country, but Alexis didn't believe him because she recognized the story as a plot line from the Sopranos. Julian chuckled because he had been caught, so he confessed that he barely remembered his first time because the girl had been a cheerleader who hadn't meant anything to him. However, Alexis was a different matter because he cared about her. Alexis smiled as Julian kissed her and then made love to her.
Later, Julian realized that it was time for him to leave to avoid being caught by Molly in the morning. Alexis surprised Julian by inviting him to stay. Julian happily agreed as Alexis cuddled up next to him. "Goodnight, Julian," Alexis whispered as he turned off the light. "Goodnight, Janice," Julian replied. Alexis playfully slapped him as he chuckled.
In the bedroom, Tracy was asleep in bed as Luke sat in a chair, thinking about Ned's announcement that the shareholders had voted to replace Tracy with Michael as CEO of ELQ. Tracy suddenly woke up when Luke's phone rang, so she picked it up from the nightstand and asked who J.J. was. "Jasper Jacks," Luke smoothly lied as he asked for the phone and explained that he owed Jax money. Tracy smiled, but refused to hand Luke the phone until he made love to her because he had passed out the previous evening before they could consummate the wedding.
Luke apologized, but claimed that he couldn't make love to Tracy because he couldn't stop thinking about how her traitorous son, Ned, had secretly ousted Tracy from ELQ. Luke insisted that they even the score, but Tracy didn't like the sound of that. Luke remained indignant on Tracy's behalf because he claimed that Ned hadn't had the right to remove Tracy as CEO, so Luke wanted Tracy to get on the phone to find out what Ned had promised the shareholders to get them to betray Tracy. Luke was eager to gather their forces together and then "pillage" ELQ to put Tracy back in the seat of power.
Tracy admitted that Ned had done her a favor because it would allow her to enjoy her honeymoon without worrying about work. She smiled as she confessed that Ned had made a classic Quartermaine move that Edward would have been proud of, but Luke resented Tracy being replaced by Michael, whose only accomplishment had been a trip to Pentonville. Tracy appreciated Luke's support and assured him that she had every intention of regaining control of ELQ, but she reminded Luke that he had taken a job at ELQ to spend more time with her.
Tracy pointed out that their honeymoon was the perfect opportunity to have time together without the interference of work. She smiled as she flirtatiously invited him to join her in bed to play. Luke hesitated until he envisioned Kiki in the bed, suggesting that Luke close his eyes and pretend that Tracy was Kiki. "Don't mind if I do," Luke replied with a lecherous grin and then kissed Tracy.
Later, Luke emerged from the bathroom after a shower and change of clothes. Tracy wanted to have brunch with him, but Luke declined because he owed Lulu and the baby a visit, so Tracy offered to go with him. Luke chuckled because he doubted that Tracy wanted to spend the morning with a "squalling" baby anymore than he did, but he had made a promise to Lulu. Tracy let the matter drop and invited him to lunch instead, so Luke agreed to meet her. He pulled on his jacket, suggested that Tracy rally the shareholders, and then left.
At the lake house, Julian slipped out of bed to make a phone call while Alexis slept. The call to Luke went to voicemail, so Julian congratulated Luke again on the nuptials and their "new enterprise." Julian was confident that ELQ would prove to be an extraordinarily useful cover. He then wrapped up the message by asking Luke to return the call because they had business to discuss. "Business? With whom?" Alexis asked as she sat up. Julian ended the call and then returned to bed to explain that it had been a business associate in the Asian market.
Alexis didn't believe Julian, so he wondered if she really wanted to know the truth. Alexis backed down, prompting Julian to distract her from the topic by making love to her. Later, Julian thanked Alexis for inviting him to spend the night and then confessed that the last time that he had felt as content as he was at that moment had been with Cheryl. "Lucas' mom?" Alexis asked. Julian nodded, but confessed that it had felt as if it had been a million years ago.
Julian pointed out that he now had Alexis, Sam, Lucas, and Danny, so he had gone from having nothing to having everything. He admitted that he didn't know what he would do without Alexis, so she asked him to leave the mob. Julian was surprised, but Alexis argued that he shouldn't be because from the beginning she had let him know that she had objected to the criminal aspect of his life. Alexis admitted that she hated feeling like a hypocrite by dating him, but she didn't want to lose him either.
Alexis believed that if Julian truly wanted to have a relationship with her and the rest of the family then he would leave the mob and focus on his publishing empire. Julian confessed that it wasn't that easy because the publishing company had been a front and he answered to someone who would have to agree to let Julian walk away. Alexis realized that Sonny had been right about Julian having a secret partner, so she agreed to help Julian get out of the mob, but she needed the name of his partner first. Julian refused to give her the man's name because it would not only endanger Alexis, but everyone that she cared about.
Alexis insisted that Julian was one of the people that she cared about. She knew that he wanted to be his own person, but she was curious how Julian expected to do that when he had managed to slip out from underneath his father's shadow only to land under someone else's thumb.
On pier 54, Sonny was brooding by the water when Duke strolled up to give Sonny an update about ELQ. Sonny was startled when Duke revealed that Michael was ELQ's new CEO, but Sonny thought that it was a good move for Michael. Duke conceded that Michael and A.J. had been a good team who'd had big dreams for ELQ. Sonny realized that Michael would have a more difficult time achieving the goals that Michael and A.J. had had because Sonny had killed A.J.
Duke assured Sonny that Michael was a strong man and would succeed, but Sonny continued to regret the position that he had put Michael in. Duke pointed out that A.J. was gone, so no amount of soul searching would change that. Duke then switched gears to remind Sonny that they had to deal with the influx of drugs into Sonny's territory thanks to the Jeromes. Duke revealed that he had received reliable information that the Jeromes were expecting another shipment later that evening, so Sonny and Duke debated how to deal with the problem.
Sonny realized that he could blow up the shipment, but that would only be a temporary solution. Duke suggested that they allow the police to handle the problem because the police would have more resources and might be able to flush out Julian's partner. Sonny explained that Shawn was working on it, but Ric was still the frontrunner even though there wasn't any hard evidence to confirm that Ric was in league with Julian.
After Duke left to talk to Anna, Luke appeared on the pier. Sonny was surprised that Luke wasn't with Tracy enjoying their honeymoon, so Luke explained that his wedded bliss had taken a turn when Sonny's son had unseated Tracy from ELQ. Luke warned Sonny that Ned had been using Michael and would get rid of Michael once Michael had outlived his usefulness, so Luke suggested that Michael do the smart thing by returning control of ELQ to Tracy. Luke continued to make his pitch by reminding Sonny that it was a dangerous time to be a Corinthos, so Sonny might want to keep the Corinthos children close. Sonny assured Luke that Sonny was perfectly capable of protecting Michael whether Michael worked for Sonny or for ELQ
Luke claimed that he would hate to see Michael hurt, but Sonny assured Luke that no one would hurt Michael. Annoyed, Luke shifted gears by claiming that the word on the street was that the Jeromes had Sonny on the ropes. "We'll see about that," Sonny cryptically replied. Luke wondered if Sonny had something planned for the Jeromes, but Luke's phone rang. Sonny smiled, suggested that Luke answer the phone, and then left.
At ELQ, Michael stood in the reception area and faced the portrait of his great-grandfather, Edward. He apologized to Edward for hurting Tracy, but explained that it had been the only way to protect the company that Edward had built. Michael vowed to make certain that ELQ remained in Quartermaine hands rather than allowing Luke Spencer to seize control of the company.
Later, Michael dropped Luke's desk nameplate into the garbage as Kiki entered the office. She was disappointed that he wore a suit rather than what he had worn during his performance with Magic Milo and the Magic Wands. As they talked about the Nurses Ball, Kiki confessed that it was strange that Michael had arrived at the ball as a restaurant manager, but had left as CEO of ELQ. She was curious if he intended to quit his job at Pozzulo's.
Michael admitted that he rarely spent time at the restaurant and that Sonny had created the job to give Michael something to do when Tracy had fired Michael and A.J. from ELQ. However, Michael was uncertain whether working for ELQ was the right move for him because without A.J. Michael didn't know if he could take the company in the new direction that A.J. had envisioned. He admitted that it had never been his idea to take control of ELQ when Kiki had told him about what Luke had done, but Ned had been certain that it was the only way to unseat Tracy. However, Michael conceded that Ned was better qualified for the job, so Michael was tempted to hand the reigns over to Ned.
Kiki was disappointed that Michael would allow the opportunity to honor A.J.'s memory slip through his fingers. She reminded Michael that A.J. had loved working with Michael, so it had been important to A.J. that Michael be a part of ELQ. Michael admitted that the victory felt hollow without A.J., but Kiki was confident that Michael could make A.J.'s dream count and allow A.J. to be remembered for something good rather than the way that A.J. had died. Michael smiled and hugged Kiki, so she promised to remain at his side.
"Oh, joy," Tracy snidely said from the doorway. Tracy made a few snide remarks about Kiki, but neither Michael nor Kiki rose to the bait, so Tracy shifted gears to warn Michael that Ned had merely used Michael to gain sympathy votes from the shareholders who had felt bad that Michael had recently lost A.J. Michael quietly countered that the only person who had been taken advantage of was Tracy because Kiki had been right about Luke playing Tracy.
Tracy refused to listen to Kiki's groundless accusations about Luke, but Kiki insisted that everything Kiki had said was true. Kiki told Tracy about Luke's visit on the morning of A.J.'s funeral when Kiki had been forced to knee Luke in the groin because of Luke's violent and unwanted advances. Tracy accused Kiki of lying and reminded Michael that Kiki couldn't be trusted because Kiki had once played Michael against Morgan. Michael conceded that he didn't know a lot about his great-uncle's past, but he was curious if Luke had ever done something underhanded to Tracy, betrayed her, or even hurt her in the past. Tracy tensed when Michael asked if Luke had ever forced himself on another woman.
Outside of Kelly's, Anna greeted Duke and then asked him if he was ready for breakfast. Duke explained that he first needed to discuss a private matter with her. Anna's smile faded when Duke told her about the shipment of drugs that the Jeromes expected later that evening. Anna realized that Duke wanted Anna to know because Sonny hoped that the police would do Sonny's dirty work. Anna agreed to deal with the shipment of drugs provided that Duke promised to leave the mob and never look back. Duke assured Anna that the information on the flash drive would be enough to deal a death blow to the Jerome organization and put Julian behind bars for a long time.
At the loft, Lulu played with Rocco and suggested that they take a picture of him with the present that his grandmother, Laura, had sent. Meanwhile, Dante was on the phone with his mother who was sobbing about Sonny. Dante asked his mother to stop crying and then promised that he would visit her shortly. Olivia objected, but Dante refused to leave his mother alone while she was in tears. After Dante ended the call, he admitted that he couldn't understand how Sonny could have cheated on Olivia.
Lulu put Rocco down for a nap and then returned to the living room to continue the conversation with Dante. She admitted that she felt bad for Olivia because it had seemed like Sonny and Olivia had had something special. Dante agreed, so Lulu was curious who Sonny had slept with. Dante admitted that he didn't know and that it didn't matter because Sonny had always been a selfish "son of a bitch" who had spent a lifetime chasing down the wrong thing. Dante vowed that he would never be like his father and that what had happened to Sonny and Olivia would never happen to Dante and Lulu because Lulu was too precious to him. Lulu smiled and then suggested that Dante show her.
Later, Anna stopped by the loft to deliver the results of DNA test on the frozen embryo that Liesl had given to Dante and Lulu. Lulu and Dante were anxious to know if it was their embryo, so Anna confirmed that it was and that she'd had a private independent lab confirm the results. Relieved, Dante asked where the frozen embryo was, so Anna assured the Falconeris that it was in a safe location until Dante and Lulu decided what they wanted done with it.
Dante and Lulu realized that they had put Anna in a difficult position by asking her to release Liesl, but Dante and Lulu were grateful for everything that Anna and Scott had done. Anna was confident that Liesl would end up back in jail eventually, so she assured Dante and Lulu that it had been the right decision to make.
After Anna left, Dante and Lulu smiled with joy because they might be able to give their son a sibling. Dante reminded Lulu that the embryo could remain in storage for up to ten years, so they didn't have to make a decision right away. Lulu agreed, but she didn't think that they should wait because Anna and Scott had allowed Liesl to walk free in exchange for the frozen embryo. However, Lulu confided that she couldn't trust another surrogate because of what had happened with Maxie. Dante pointed out that Maxie had grown attached to the baby because it had been Maxie's baby, so he was confident that they could find a suitable surrogate.
Dante pointed out that it was their only option, but Lulu revealed that it might not be. Dante was shocked when Lulu explained that she could carry the baby.
At Kelly's, Jordan greeted T.J. and then told him that she had enjoyed his performance at the Nurses Ball. She confessed that she was proud of her son and all of his accomplishments, including being accepted by Port Charles University, so she had an early graduation present to give T.J. T.J. opened the small black box and then looked up at his mother with confusion because it had contained a set of keys with a red bow. Jordan grinned as she explained that the keys were for his new car.
T.J. was thrilled with the gift and hugged his mother, but he quickly sobered when he asked if she could afford the car. Jordan explained that she had received a substantial commission check and had gotten a great deal on the car. Relieved, T.J. dashed out to take a look at his new car, but he stopped at the door to ask which car belonged to him. Jordan explained that it was the car with the big red bow on it. T.J. smiled and then ran outside.
Jordan invited Shawn to join her to watch T.J. check out the car, but Shawn demanded to know what Jordan was doing. Jordan played innocent as she explained that she had simply bought her son a car, but Shawn accused her of buying the car with drug money. Jordan went on the offensive by pointing out that the roof over T.J.'s head and the clothes on her son's back had not been bought with the money that Shawn had earned by making BLTs. Shawn argued that at least his money hadn't been tainted by the drug trade.
Jordan bristled and warned Shawn to be careful about what he said to T.J. because she wouldn't hesitate to tell T.J. the truth about how T.J.'s father had died. T.J. returned in time to hear his mother's comment, so T.J. asked what Jordan and Shawn had been talking about. Jordan tried to lie her way out of it, but T.J. let her know that he had heard what she had said. T.J. immediately defended Shawn, insisting that Shawn was a good man and that Shawn had never intended to hurt T.J.'s father.
Jordan quickly agreed. "It was just an accident," Jordan confirmed. "Nothing more," she added with a pointed look at Shawn. Jordan announced that she had to get to work, so Shawn suggested that T.J. drop her off since the gallery was on the way to school. Jordan declined, but both T.J. and Shawn insisted. Jordan carefully hid her annoyance as she explained that she had to run an errand before work, so she didn't want T.J. to be late.
At the lake house, Julian hated to leave Alexis after what they had just shared, but he was late for a meeting. He kissed her and then promised to see her later as he walked to the door. Alexis called out as she ran to him and then quickly apologized if she had pushed him too hard about leaving the mob. Alexis appreciated that it was easier said than done, but Julian smiled with tenderness as he thanked her for giving him a lot to think about. He kissed her passionately and then left. Alexis' smile faded as she returned to the house to make an urgent call.
A short time later, a frantic Ric arrived and asked if Molly was okay. Alexis quickly apologized for resorting to the ruse to get him over there, but she insisted that she had been desperate to talk to him because she needed him to allow Julian to walk away from the mob. Ric was livid that Alexis would use their daughter to manipulate him, but he assured Alexis that he was not in any way affiliated with Julian's organization. He reminded Alexis that she had been the one to ask him to represent Julian, but he had cut all ties with his client because Ric hadn't wanted to be associated in any way with Julian's illegal activities.
Alexis accused Ric of lying because Ric had a very long history of having a tenuous relationship with the truth. Ric refused to argue about his past, but he conceded that he had returned to Port Charles for a reason. He admitted that he had hoped to get to know their daughter better and to rekindle a relationship with Elizabeth. Ric refused to risk losing Molly or Elizabeth to get payback on Sonny. Alexis was curious what had spurred him onto the path of becoming a better man. "Elizabeth," Ric answered.
Ric explained that Elizabeth had agreed to give him another chance and then added that the best part was that she seemed to be over Alexis' nephew, Nikolas. Alexis appeared to weaken, so she asked Ric to swear on Molly that he wasn't Julian's partner or in any way working against Sonny. Ric didn't hesitate to do as requested, prompting Alexis to wonder in frustration who Julian could be answering to. Ric suggested that she ask Julian, but Alexis explained that Julian refused to tell her, so Ric pointed out that if Alexis didn't want to be with someone in the mob then perhaps she shouldn't get involved with mobsters.
Alexis confided that she had tried to walk away from Julian, but she hadn't been able to because she hadn't felt as strongly for someone as she did for Julian in a long time. She assured Ric that Julian wanted out of the mob, but Julian was trapped. Ric hoped for Alexis' sake that Julian found a way out because Ric genuinely cared about Alexis. Alexis smiled as he hugged her.
On Pier 54, Luke grimaced when his phone rang because he saw that it was Tracy calling. He feigned a cheery greeting and then regret for missing his lunch date with her. Luke claimed that time had gotten away from him because he had been having an enjoyable visit with his daughter, so he suggested that he and Tracy reschedule. Luke added a quick reminder for her to secure the shareholders' votes to unseat Michael and then ended the call. "Damn it," Luke angrily shouted.
Julian chuckled as he approached Luke and then pointed out that many men would be happy to be married to Tracy. Luke coldly remarked that they could have her and then demanded to know what Julian had wanted to talk about. Luke hoped that Julian had managed find out where Sonny had stashed Ava because Luke wanted Ava dead, but Julian admitted that he had no idea where his sister was. However, Julian made it clear that he didn't want any part of killing Ava or the incoming drug shipment.
"I quit," Julian informed Luke. Luke wondered if it was about trafficking drugs in Port Charles, but Julian shook his head and clarified that it was everything involving the lifestyle. Luke was surprised because he couldn't recall Julian complaining about the business during the years that they had been working together, so Julian explained that things had changed.
Julian conceded that he had been a broken man without a name when his association with Luke had started, so Julian hadn't minded laundering money for Luke because it had allowed Julian to amass money to build a successful publishing company. Luke scoffed at the idea of Julian going legitimate and reminded Julian that Julian had been able to step out of anonymity because of Luke. Julian assured Luke that he was grateful for what Luke had done for him, but Julian pointed out that he had repaid Luke for everything by meeting all of Luke's demands.
Julian insisted that he had a family to consider, so Julian intended to stand on his own and focus on his legitimate businesses. Luke reminded Julian that Luke's money had funded those businesses, but Julian promised to compensate Luke for everything, with interest. Julian pointed out that Luke no longer needed Julian's company because Luke had ELQ, but Luke angrily shouted that Tracy's son had managed to wrest control of ELQ away from Tracy.
Luke refused to let Julian walk away. "Request denied," Luke said in a menacing tone, but Julian wasn't intimidated and clarified that it had never been a request. Julian reminded Luke that Julian was familiar with how things worked in the mob, but Julian was not Morgan or some punk that Luke had plucked off the streets. Julian pointed out that he had been Luke's second in command, which meant that Julian knew where all of Luke's bodies were buried. Julian warned Luke that Luke couldn't threaten Julian without risking exposing Luke's own identity, but Julian genuinely wished Luke the best.
Julian promised not to stop or get in the way of Luke taking Sonny down and then extended his hand. Luke hesitated and then shook Julian's hand, so Julian wished Luke luck. Luke returned the well wishes, but his smile faded as Julian walked away. "You're going to need it," Luke said with malice.
Later, Julian called Alexis, but the call went to voicemail. Julian asked her to return his call because he had news to share with her that he was certain would please her.
Meanwhile, Luke slipped a loaded clip into a gun and then approached Alexis' door. Alexis returned to the dinning room and saw that she had missed Julian's call, but she spotted Luke at the door, so she opened it. "Natasha," Luke greeted Alexis.
At the hospital, Nikolas found Elizabeth working in an unoccupied examination room. Relieved, he explained that he had gone to pick the boys up at school but had been told that Audrey had taken Cam and Aiden home. Elizabeth smiled nervously as she revealed that she had decided to return to her place because she had recovered from her injury. Annoyed, Nikolas wondered why she hadn't told him sooner, so she assured him that she had intended to let him know after her shift ended. Nikolas wasn't appeased because he suspected that she had intended to send him a text message or call him but not do it in person.
Nikolas shifted gears to ask what had really prompted her to move out. Elizabeth reminded him that Cam and Spencer hadn't been getting along, but Nikolas was certain that there was more to it, so she revealed that she and Ric had talked at the Nurses Ball. She admitted that she had agreed to give Ric another chance. Nikolas was stunned because he believed that it was a mistake. He reminded her of some of the awful things that Ric had done to her in the past, including secretly feeding her birth control pills that had almost killed her and chaining a pregnant Carly to a wall in a secret panic room so Ric could give Carly's baby to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth assured Nikolas that she was well aware of what Ric had done, but it was her choice. Nikolas wasn't satisfied and reminded her of all the times that she had warned him about Britt. Elizabeth insisted that their situations were different because Ric had admitted to his flaws and was upfront about his shortcomings. Nikolas laughed. "So he actually admits that he's a sociopath?" Nikolas asked.
Elizabeth was not amused, but she assured Nikolas that she knew who Ric was. She insisted that Nikolas had never known who Britt was -- just the lies that Britt had told. Elizabeth was certain that what she had with Ric was real and that perhaps she might learn to love Ric again. "Not as much as you love me," Nikolas argued as he reached for Elizabeth and then passionately kissed her.
Elizabeth was shaken when the kiss ended, but she warned Nikolas that she would not let him do that again. She resented Nikolas waiting to kiss her until she had decided to start dating Ric, but Nikolas countered that she had done the same thing by professing her love for him minutes after he had gotten engaged to Britt. Elizabeth conceded that Nikolas had a point, but she reminded him that he had picked Britt, not Elizabeth, so Elizabeth refused to be his rebound girl. Shocked, Nikolas wondered if she had chosen Ric because she was afraid of what might happen if she and Nikolas explored a relationship.
"There will never be an us," Elizabeth quietly told Nikolas, but he disagreed. "There will be an us," he assured her. She insisted that the timing would never be right for them and then reminded him of what had happened when Nikolas had wanted her while she had been dating A.J. Elizabeth pointed out that by the time she had realized her mistake and gone to Nikolas, he had picked Britt over her. Elizabeth then reminded him that the only time they had managed to be together, they had destroyed Lucky, but Nikolas countered that they were both free.
Elizabeth refused to remain on a relationship roller-coaster ride with Nikolas, so she wanted to give Ric another chance. Nikolas explained that if Ric were a great guy, which Nikolas assured her was not the case, then she shouldn't be with Ric simply because she was afraid of what might happen between her and Nikolas. Elizabeth's eyes brimmed with tears as she quietly insisted that Nikolas knew, deep down inside, that she was right, but Nikolas refused to accept that. She warned him that denying it didn't make it any less true and then walked out.
In the hallway, Ric bumped into Elizabeth as he exited the elevator. He immediately sensed that something was wrong, but she grabbed Ric's arm and then dragged him into the elevator because she wanted to leave. Nikolas stepped out of the examination room and saw Elizabeth with Ric.
At Kelly's, Duke met with Sonny in the kitchen to update Sonny about Anna's agreement to intercept the drug shipment and shut down the Jerome drug organization. Sonny imagined that Anna hadn't been happy that Sonny had provided the information, but Duke explained that Duke had made Anna an offer that she couldn't refuse because the information that Duke had given to Anna would help Duke and Anna reach a common goal.
Moments later, Shawn entered the kitchen, so Sonny quickly filled Shawn in about the decision to allow the police to handle the incoming Jerome drug shipment. Shawn glared at Duke as he warned Sonny that it had been a mistake to involve the police, but Sonny made it clear that Duke had simply carried out Sonny's orders. Shawn was disappointed that Sonny had allowed Julian to drag Sonny down to Julian's level, which lacked a code, but Sonny stood firm behind his decision to involve the police because he was certain that it had been the right thing.
Shawn remained unconvinced, so Sonny explained that dealing with Julian the way that they had dealt with "honorable" mob families hadn't worked because after a year Julian was still around and Sonny was treading water. Sonny quickly shifted gears to announce that he would get everyone in place to ensure that another mob family wouldn't fill the power vacuum that would be created when Julian's organization was dismantled.
After Sonny left, Shawn accused Duke of ripping T.J.'s mother away from T.J., but Duke assured Shawn that it had never been his intention to hurt T.J. Shawn wasn't satisfied because it wouldn't help Jordan. Duke reminded Shawn that Duke had waited decades for Julian to pay for what Julian had done to Duke's family, so Duke wanted Julian to face justice. Shawn didn't care because a teenage boy was about to lose his mother.
Duke asked if Shawn was even certain that Jordan was aligned with the Jeromes, so Shawn admitted that there wasn't any proof, but Shawn had a gut feeling that she was up to her neck in the drug trafficking. Duke warned Shawn not to tip Jordan off and compromise the entire operation because Sonny would consider that a betrayal, but Shawn resented that Duke had given the Sonny the means to hurt T.J. Duke reminded Shawn that Shawn knew what happened to people who crossed Sonny. Duke left.
At the gallery, Jordan was on the phone with a mystery person discussing the incoming shipment of drugs. She assured the person that she had everything under control and that she would personally inspect the product from Colombia. She tensed when she turned and saw T.J. standing in the doorway, so she quickly ended the call and greeted T.J. T.J. immediately questioned her about what he had overheard because he knew what Colombia's main export was. Jordan convinced her son that she had been talking about ancient South American vases.
T.J. realized that it had been foolish to even think what he had suspected because he recalled that Jordan had always been against drugs. T.J. explained that he had stopped by the gallery to take his mother for a drive in the new car that she had bought him, but Jordan asked for a rain check because she had more work to do. She realized that her work schedule made it difficult for them to reconnect, but T.J. assured her that he was proud that she had a successful job.
T.J. started to leave, but Jordan called out to her son to ask for a moment of his time. She admitted that she was concerned that T.J. had associated Colombia with drugs, so she wanted to know if he had ever used drugs. T.J. assured her that he wasn't into drugs because of the lectures that she had given throughout his childhood, which would have scared anyone straight. Satisfied, Jordan was pleased that she had done something right. T.J. assured her that she had done a lot of things right.
After T.J. left, Jordan called back the person that she had spoken to earlier and apologized for cutting the call short. She assured the person that she had everything set and would be in contact when things were ready for the next step. She ended the call and then turned to leave but stopped short when she saw Shawn standing in the gallery.
At the loft, Lulu explained to Dante that she might be able to carry their baby to term, but Dante was confused because they had been told that Lulu couldn't sustain a pregnancy. Lulu revealed that things weren't as cut-and-dried as they had been led to believe because she had done some research when she had learned about their third frozen embryo. Lulu opened the laptop as she explained that there were surgeries that could increase her chances of carrying a baby to term.
Lulu assured Dante that she felt blessed that they'd had Rocco, and she would continue to feel that way if Rocco was the only child that they could have, but she would be lying if she told Dante that she didn't want to experience the miracle of their child growing inside of her. Lulu insisted that if there was a chance that she could carry their child then she wanted to take it. Dante reminded Lulu that the frozen embryo was their one and only chance of giving Rocco a sibling, so Dante asked if Lulu was prepared to risk losing that child rather than taking the safer route with a surrogate.
Lulu admitted that it was impossible for her to consider using a surrogate because of everything that had happened with Maxie. Their talk was cut short when Dante received a call from Anna explaining that she needed him to help intercept a drug shipment. Dante assured Anna that he would join her shortly and ended the call. He apologized to Lulu because he had to leave, but Lulu assured Dante that they could continue their discussion later. After Dante left, Lulu continued to do some research online then picked up the phone to schedule a consultation with Dr. Chu.
