General Hospital Recaps: The week of October 3, 2011 on GH

Comprehensive daily recaps for General Hospital, dating back to 1996.

Monday, October 3, 2011

by BooneSam and Jason arrived in Hawaii for their honeymoon. After Jason carried Sam over the threshold of their beachfront cabana and toted in their luggage, Sam fretted that Jason might be tired and need to rest. Jason told Sam that he was fine, and she did not have to worry about him because the surgery had worked. Sam said she could not stop wondering what would have happened if Jason had woken up a different person. If he had woken up as the old Jason Quartermaine, she mused, would he have still loved Sam.As they lay on chaise lounges on the lanai, Jason reassured Sam. Sam said that she counted on Jason, and Jason replied that he relied on Sam as well. Sam then asked if Jason was nervous about being married. Jason asked the same of Sam. Sam worried that marriage would cause changes. Sam thought she and Jason should set some ground rules. The first rule was that they should ask for what they wanted. Jason asked what Sam wanted, and she responded that she wanted to have deep, meaningful conversations about things that mattered to them. Jason agreed and playfully asked what else she wanted. Sam said there was nothing else, but Jason reminded her that she had wanted a lei when they had been at the airport.Sam told Jason to surprise her with one. When Sam asked Jason if he knew what a lei meant, he told Sam that it meant love from the one who gives it to the one who receives it. Jason and Sam exchanged reaffirmations of their love for each other. Later, Jason and Sam left the cabana to watch a spectacular sunrise. Franco, wearing a purple lei around his neck, placed a white lei in a florist's box.Steve had good news for Olivia and Lulu. He told them that Dante would live, even though they had removed a part of his lung. Lulu and Olivia hugged. Olivia thanked Steve for saving her son. Lulu went to see Dante, who woke briefly when Lulu vowed her love for him. Steve rushed in to check Dante's vitals. He said that Dante would make a full recovery and would be in and out of consciousness for the next twelve hours. Lulu said that she would stay with Dante, but Olivia insisted that Lulu go home, get a shower, rest, and change so that she could be fresh when Dante woke for good. Lulu agreed. She went to the loft, picked up the engagement ring and stared at it. Lulu put down the ring, poured a full glass of flat, tepid champagne and then downed it in one swallow.Sonny was outside and pacing the hospital terrace when Kate joined him. He was surprised because he thought that Kate had left. Kate said that she had intended to leave, but had suffered a rare moment of selflessness. Sonny said that he was not the easiest person to be around when he got upset. Kate said that not only did Sonny look like he needed someone, but he looked like he might let someone in. Sonny murmured that he hated the snow because of how cold he had gotten when he sold newspapers as a child. Kate said that was not the only reason he hated the snow. He also hated it because his stepfather, Deke, had used staying inside as an excuse to get angry and hurt Sonny and his mother. Kate said that everyone had known about Deke's abusive behavior. She said that she wished that someone had done something -- that she had done something. Sonny said that Kate had done something when she had stopped Sonny from killing Deke and destroying his own life. Kate said she had been so scared for Sonny and so scared that she would not find the right words to convince him not to throw his life away. Sonny remembered that Kate had likened his situation to a math problem. Sonny said that Kate had shown him that Deke was getting older and weaker while Sonny was young and strong. Sonny acknowledged that Kate had convinced Sonny that he could be anything that he wanted to be. Sonny said that he looked at Kate's pretty face and knew that he had other things to live for.Kate took the pins from her hair and let it fall free. She told Sonny that she was feeling nostalgic. She reminded Sonny of the time they had been in a bell tower in Bensonhurst, looking at the Manhattan skyline across the way and dreaming of a bigger world. Sonny laughed when he remembered that Kate had encouraged him to stay in school and become a business major. Kate replied that they had remained true to their natures. Kate had left her world behind, and Sonny controlled his.Sonny got serious when he said that he had always thought he could do what he did and it would not affect his kids, but he had been wrong. He said that he had almost killed Dante without knowing that Dante was his son, and Dante had almost died again on the same spot where Michael had taken a bullet meant for Sonny. Kate hugged Sonny. She said that Dante was a grown man, and he had known the risks that he was taking. Sonny said he was dragging Michael down because Michael wanted to go after the person who had shot Dante. Sonny said that when someone he loved got hurt, he snapped, lost control, and blindly lashed out at the person who had hurt his family.Kate said that Sonny had to be better. She told him that he was grown and had to curb his childish impulses and control himself. When Sonny said he could not, Kate asked Sonny if he wanted more chaos and pain, or absolution. Kate told Sonny that he had to forgive himself. Kate said that if Sonny did not hold back his murderous impulses, God would do it for him and shut the door in his face forever. Olivia joined Kate and Sonny with the news that Dante had survived the surgery. Sonny asked Olivia if she would allow Sonny to see Dante. Olivia was touched by Sonny's humility and said, "Of course; he's your son."Sonny and Olivia stood vigil at Dante's bedside. Olivia said Dante looked just the same as he did when he had been a child sick with asthma. Sonny apologized to Olivia for having to raise Dante alone. Olivia said it had been by choice. As Olivia stroked Dante's brow, Sonny told her that Dante was a good man who was brave and honorable. Sonny said Olivia should be proud of Dante. Olivia said that it was not just she. She said that Dante had a lot of his father in him also. Kate looked on.In a waiting area, Abby handed a cup of coffee to Michael. Michael wondered if Dante would remember getting shot. Michael said that he did not remember anything, but since he had been shot in the head and Dante in the back, it might be different for Dante. Abby admitted that she had overheard Michael talking to Sonny about going after Johnny. She begged Michael not to focus on revenge. Abby pointed out that Dante's shooting proved that nothing was safe in Sonny's world. Michael was no-nonsense when he said that someone had entered the warehouse, shot his brother in the back, and left him to die -- and that someone needed to pay for that.Carly and Shawn were trapped in the panic room at Sonny's warehouse. Shawn was calm and quiet. Carly was a chatterbox and wondered if Shawn was having a PTSD episode or if he was claustrophobic like Sonny. Shawn assured her that he was not. He said that he was thinking about what to do. Shawn said that they had to hide the drugs. He told Carly about the drug ring that had been operating out of Luzetta's bakery. Shawn said that he had investigated for Jason. Shawn affirmed that the ring had been busted. Shawn said that he suspected that the drugs had been planted in the warehouse to shift suspicion to Sonny and away from the real culprit.Carly was incensed because of the fallout that would inevitably implicate Michael. Shawn said that they would hide the drugs in case the cops found the panic room. Shawn removed the air vent cover and put the bags of drugs in there. Carly complimented Shawn for coming up with a bomb to divert the cops. She started asking questions about Shawn's life. He told her that they were not there to talk but to conceal evidence and obstruct justice. They both laughed.Carly complained that she was hot and continued to badger Shawn for personal information. He finally relented and told her that he was from Detroit. Shawn also answered yes when Carly asked if he had family and if there was anyone from his past that he missed. Before Carly could find out more, the timer activated and the door to the panic room opened. Ronnie appeared, but the door closed before Ronnie saw the panic room. He accused Shawn of fabricating the bomb and leaving the scene. Carly said that Shawn could not have planted the bomb because he had been with her. With a great deal of innuendo, Carly told Ronnie that Shawn had not been paying attention to anything but her. Michael arrived at the warehouse just in time to hear her.^ back to the topTuesday, October 4, 2011by ElisabethAt the hospital, Liz saw Matt dancing around his office, and waving his arms in the air, as she passed by his office window. She knocked on the door, and then opened to the door to find out what was going on. Matt confessed that he was celebrating, and then handed her a letter that he had received. Liz quickly scanned it as he confirmed that his research paper would be published. Liz congratulated Matt, but he revealed that there was more good news. Matt explained that a patient with a tumor, that hadn't responded to chemotherapy or radiation, had been admitted the previous evening.Matt intended to ask the patient to be a part of the clinical trial. Liz was curious if he had been referring to Mr. Brockman. It was Matt's turn to be surprised. Liz revealed that Patrick had asked Liz to run some tests on Mr. Brockman, so Matt was curious why. Liz admitted that Patrick had been assigned Mr. Brockman's case. Matt was livid, so Liz quickly assured Matt that Patrick would turn the case over to Matt.Matt made it clear that he refused to beg Patrick, because he suspected that Patrick had his own agenda in regards to Mr. Brockman. Liz reminded Matt that Matt was about to be published, but Matt explained that Liz didn't understand. According to Matt, he could cure cancer with a grape flavored pill in the shape of everyone's favorite cartoon character, but it still wouldn't be good enough for Patrick, or their father, Noah.In the elevator, Patrick insisted that he and Robin needed to put themselves first more often. Robin agreed, because their night together had been amazing. Patrick wondered if Robin intended to collect on the bet that she had won. Robin smiled as she assured him that she hadn't forgotten, but she warned him that she would choose the time and place. The elevator doors opened, but Patrick and Robin didn't get far before Maxie approached them. Maxie revealed that she intended to put together a party for Robin's upcoming birthday.Maxie promised to keep the Fall-Harvest theme simple, yet chic. Robin insisted that she didn't need a birthday party, but Maxie was determined to salvage her name and reputation after Jason and Sam's wedding fiasco. Maxie wanted to blow everyone away with the party. Robin wondered how many people Maxie intended to invite to the party, so Maxie admitted that she had been thinking about two hundred guests. Robin and Patrick doubted that they even knew two hundred people, so Maxie explained that many of the guests would be from the fashion industry. Patrick was curious what Robin stood to gain from the party."Two hundred fabulous gifts," Maxie replied. Patrick decided to let Robin and Maxie hash it out, so he left. Robin admitted that she wasn't thrilled with the idea of a big party, but Maxie begged her cousin to give Maxie the opportunity to redeem herself. Maxie insisted that her job with Kate was all that Maxie had left, so Robin reminded Maxie of Matt. Maxie confessed that she hadn't seen Matt since he had left Jason and Sam's reception without telling Maxie. Robin suggested that Matt might have had an emergency at the hospital, but Maxie was certain that Matt had been humiliated by the wedding disaster.Robin realized that the birthday party was important to Maxie, so she decided to compromise. Robin agreed to let Maxie plan the party, but Robin wanted the guest list to be scaled down to no more than ten people. Maxie reluctantly agreed. Meanwhile, Matt bumped into Patrick near the elevators. Patrick admitted that he had been looking for his brother because Patrick needed Matt's assistance. Matt snarkily wondered if it might be in regards to Mr. Brockman, but Patrick quickly clarified that it was about Robin.Patrick explained that he had rented a boat for Robin's birthday, so he wondered if Matt would be interested in co-piloting. Matt wasn't surprised that Patrick expected Matt to accept a secondary role. Patrick was curious where Matt's hostility stemmed from, prompting Matt to remind Patrick that Matt was a doctor too. Matt insisted that he didn't have time to plan parties. Matt's anger mounted as he ordered Patrick to stop poaching on Matt's patients, and to stop going to Patrick's chief-of-staff wife, and whining his way ahead of Matt in the rotation. Patrick wondered what Matt was talking about, so Matt yelled that Mr. Brockman had been his patient."So what?" Patrick asked. Robin was forced to step in when Matt's temper flared. Matt angrily accused Robin of showing favoritism towards Patrick. Robin assured Matt that Matt would get the next patient, but Matt didn't want Patrick's "sloppy seconds." "Apparently Lisa has gotten you very comfortable with that," Matt snapped at Robin. Patrick was furious, so he shoved Matt up against a wall.Robin pulled her husband away from his brother, and then scolded them for their unprofessional behavior. Matt immediately apologized for his insensitive remark, but he explained that he was tired of being treated like a second-rate doctor. Patrick and Robin seemed baffled by the outburst, so Matt showed them the letter that he had received about his research paper. Matt insisted that it was time for Matt to step out of Patrick's shadow. Patrick assured Matt that it was great that Matt's paper would be published, but Patrick confessed that he hadn't known that Matt had been involved in any research. Matt suggested that there was a lot that Patrick didn't know about his "screw-up brother," because Patrick never bothered to ask.Patrick became defensive as he asked what Matt expected from him. "Give you a cookie or throw you a party?" Patrick wondered. Maxie perked up when she heard the word "party" as she approached, so she told Matt about her plans to throw Robin a party. Maxie remained oblivious to the tension between the doctors as she bragged about her expert party-planning skills, and then suggested that they celebrate her new job. Matt handed Maxie the paper, and walked away.Later, Maxie went to Matt's office to talk to him. She wondered if he was still angry with her. Matt pretended to be baffled about why he would be mad, so Maxie reminded him that she had been ignoring him while planning Jason and Sam's wedding. She realized that he had invited her for a rooftop picnic to tell her about the research paper. Matt assured Maxie that she had been a perfect girlfriend, because she had given him plenty of time to focus on his research paper, which had eventually led to its publication. Maxie confessed that his work was way over her head, so she didn't understand much about it; however, she assured him that she was very proud of him.Matt softened as he admitted that her opinion mattered to him. They started to kiss, but Maxie pulled away at the last moment when her phone rang. Maxie went to answer it, so Matt quietly turned, and then left the office. In the hallway, Liz spotted Matt, so she asked if he had been given Mr. Brockman's case. Matt confided to Liz about Patrick's reaction when Matt had showed his brother the paper. According to Matt, Patrick had seemed flabbergasted that a reputable journal would publish Matt.Liz pointed out that Matt's work would save lives, so Matt should be proud of himself. Matt promised to work on it, so Liz offered to be proud of him for both of them. Maxie left the office just as Matt and Liz shared a brief hug, and then went their separate ways.At Pozzulo's, Sonny paced in his office. Sonny wanted to see the security tapes from the warehouse. Sonny was impatient to find Dante's shooter, so he ordered Max to fetch Spinelli. Michael entered his father's office as Max left. Sonny was curious how Dante was doing, so Michael revealed that Dante was resting. Michael then shifted gears by explaining that he had a few ideas about how they could deal with the "Johnny situation."Sonny didn't want to hear what Michael had to say, because he didn't want Michael to be a part of it. Michael wondered if Sonny were mad at him, but Sonny assured his son that he didn't blame Michael for what had happened to Dante. Michael reminded Sonny of their plan to fake a truce with Johnny until they could make Johnny pay for shooting Dante. Michael insisted that he could handle himself, so he asked his father not to cut him out of the plans. Sonny argued that it was a different day, and that Sonny was able to think more clearly, so he had decided that Michael should stay out of it. Michael countered that Sonny needed Michael's help, but Sonny wanted Michael to focus on what Michael had been hired to do, which was work in the coffee warehouse.Michael was stunned when Sonny announced plans to send Michael to Argentina to oversee the opening of a new warehouse. Sonny suggested that Michael take Abby along on the trip, so that Michael and Abby could enjoy some vacation time while they were there. Michael refused to be brushed aside. Sonny wondered why Michael behaved as if Sonny were punishing him instead of seeing it as an opportunity to learn the coffee business. Michael continued to sulk, so Sonny reminded Michael that Sonny was the boss. Michael argued that Sonny needed him while Jason was away.The argument was cut short when Max returned with Spinelli in tow. Spinelli explained to Sonny that the strong-arm tactics hadn't been necessary, but Sonny just wanted Spinelli to produce the surveillance tapes from the warehouse. Spinelli started to explain why he couldn't give Sonny the coveted tapes, but Sonny ordered Spinelli to get busy on the laptop. Spinelli sat down at the computer, while Sonny turned back to Michael to urge Michael to consider going to Argentina. Michael complained that he didn't have a choice, so Sonny agreed to pretend as if Michael had a choice. Sonny then dismissed Michael, but Michael was determined to stay.Sonny's attention was snagged by something that he saw on Spinelli's monitor. Spinelli explained that the Internet was a whole new world to him, so he was easily distracted. Sonny's temper rose when he realized that the images on the monitor were not related to Dante's shooting. Spinelli didn't help matters when he invited Sonny to play a game of solitaire. Sonny suggested that Spinelli didn't appreciate the urgency of the situation, and then explained that Dante might have died if Michael hadn't arrived in time. Sonny insisted that he needed to know who had entered the warehouse around the time of Dante's shooting.Michael pointed out that they already knew that Johnny was responsible for Dante's brush with death, but Sonny reminded Michael that they didn't have any idea if Johnny had had an accomplice, or what had transpired in the warehouse at the time of the shooting. Spinelli assured Sonny that he was doing his best, but Sonny wasn't satisfied; he wanted to know if Spinelli could get the security tapes. "No," Spinelli admitted, and then explained that computers were a mystery to him. "Good day," Spinelli said as he boldly walked out. Frustrated, Sonny ordered Max to go after Spinelli. After Max left, Michael assured his father that they didn't need the tapes.Michael insisted that he had been at the warehouse prior to the wedding, so he knew exactly who had been there. Sonny argued that Michael hadn't there for the crucial hour when Dante had been shot, so they wouldn't know what had happened until they reviewed the security tapes. "Thanks to Michael, it wasn't hard to piece together," Shawn said as he suddenly appeared in the doorway. Shawn revealed that Michael had noticed that something had been off at the warehouse, which had led Shawn to discover that seven bags of uncut hydrocodone had been planted in Sonny's legitimate business. Sonny was more certain that ever that the Zaccharas were behind the shooting. Shawn agreed; he suspected that Dante had walked in on the operation.Sonny wondered where the bags of uncut hydrocodone were, but Shawn was reluctant to discuss it in front of Michael. Michael resented being excluded, but Sonny agreed with Shawn. However, Sonny was curious how Shawn had kept the police from discovering the drugs. Shawn revealed that he had rigged a makeshift bomb to divert the police. However, Shawn refused to elaborate because of Michael. Michael reminded both men that they wouldn't have found the drugs without Michael's help, but Sonny and Shawn were unmoved.Shawn suggested that it would be better for Michael to have deniability if the cops questioned Michael. Sonny insisted that he didn't want Michael to be involved, but Michael argued that Sonny would be in jail if Michael hadn't gotten involved. Michael proudly pointed out that his first instinct had been to call Max, but Sonny argued that Michael had been willing to let Dante bleed so that Sonny wouldn't go to prison. "But Dante is fine," Michael responded. "What if it had gone the other way? Would you be able to live with yourself if your brother had died because you didn't get him any help?" Sonny asked. Sonny insisted that Michael had to think before he acted, and then admitted that bad things always happened when Sonny acted on impulse.Sonny didn't want Michael to go down the same road that Sonny had gone down. Michael tried to deflect by reminding Sonny that they didn't know Shawn, but Sonny insisted that Michael wasn't listening because it wasn't about trusting Shawn. Michael disagreed; he resented that Shawn seemed to deserve Sonny's trust, while Michael apparently didn't. Michael spitefully invited Shawn to tell Sonny about what Shawn had been doing with Carly at the warehouse while Carly and Shawn had been locked in the panic room.At Dante's loft, Lulu sipped on a drink while she sat on the sofa and stared at her discarded gown. Later, someone knocked on the door, but Lulu refused to leave the couch. Eventually, Olivia let herself into the apartment, and then stopped short when she saw Lulu lying on the sofa. Olivia explained that she was there to pick some things up for Dante, but Lulu barely acknowledged Olivia. Olivia thought that a shower might make Lulu feel better, so she gently urged Lulu to give it a try. Lulu slowly stood up, and then went to the bathroom.Olivia picked up Lulu's gown, and then dropped it in the clothes hamper. Afterwards, Olivia cleaned up. Lulu seemed to be in a better frame of mind when she returned to the living room a short time later. Olivia took the opportunity to assure Lulu that Dante loved Lulu deeply, because Lulu was the only woman that he had ever considered proposing to. Olivia admitted that she was delighted that Lulu would soon be her daughter-in-law. Olivia was confident that Dante would recover quickly, because he would want to get married as soon as possible. Olivia then suggested that she and Lulu head to the hospital before Dante woke up.Lulu warned Olivia that Dante would be out of it, because of the pain medication. Olivia was certain that Dante would know if they were there, regardless of how "high" he was. At the door, Olivia glanced back to see Lulu's engagement ring, in the box, on the table. According to Olivia, it wouldn't be a proper engagement without the ring, so Olivia quickly fetched it, and then left with Lulu.At the hospital, Dante's breathing was labored, as he mumbled that he'd recognize "that scent anywhere." Dante's smile disappeared as he opened his eyes and saw a policewoman standing near his bed. The policewoman realized that Dante had been expecting someone else. She explained that she had a few questions for him about the shooting. Dante realized that Mac had sent the policewoman because Mac had hoped that Dante would be less likely to put up walls with her. The policewoman wondered what Dante had been doing at his father's warehouse.Dante explained that he had been working. The policewoman pointed out that he hadn't been on duty. Dante ignored the remark as he revealed that the warehouse had been dark when he had gone inside. He recalled hearing a noise, as if someone where running away, and then a gunshot. According to Dante, the next thing that he recalled was lying on the ground. Dante realized that it sounded as if he were protecting someone.The policewoman assured Dante that her job was to gather the facts, not to make assumptions. However, she reminded Dante that he had protected Sonny in the past. Dante was impressed that she had done her homework. The questioning was cut short when Steve entered the room, and then informed the officer that Dante wasn't in any shape to answer questions. The policewoman agreed to leave, but she promised to return with more questions. She advised Dante to lose his air of challenge, so Dante agreed, if she promised to lose the perfume.After an examination, Steve revealed that Dante didn't have any sign of an infection; however, it would take time for Dante to heal. Dante assured Steve that he knew what was important. "Didn't need a bullet to remind me," Dante added. Shortly afterwards, Olivia and Lulu arrived. Olivia decided to give Lulu and Dante some time alone, even though Dante was asleep, so she followed Steve into the hallway. Steve wondered how Olivia was holding up.Olivia recalled how upset she had been when Dante had decided to become a police officer. Steve reminded her that it was better than having Dante follow in Sonny's footsteps, but Olivia disagreed. Olivia pointed out that, at the end of the day, Dante wasn't any safer. Olivia explained that signing up to be with a police officer was a difficult life because one never knew if their loved one would be killed in the line of duty. Meanwhile, Lulu held Dante's hand as she watched him sleep. Eventually, Dante opened his eyes.Dante smiled as he looked up at Lulu. He admitted that he was not a patient man, so he wanted to know if she would finally give him the answer that he had been waiting for.At the spa, Tracy complained about the new age music that had been piped into her room. Tracy ordered a staff member to turn it off, and then fetch her masseuse, Raul. The lady explained that Raul had called in sick, but they had a new therapist available. The staff member started to sing the praises of their new therapist, but Tracy wasn't interested in hearing the woman's employment history, so she shooed the staff member away with instructions to send in the therapist. Tracy was stretched out on the table when she heard the door open. Tracy's complaints about the music, which continued to play softly in the background, died on her lips when Alice greeted her boss.Tracy bolted upright to stare at her maid. Alice explained that wrestling hadn't paid well, so Alice had decided to become a licensed massage therapist. Tracy insisted that it was unseemly to have her maid massage her, so she refused to let Alice touch her. Tracy continued to screech at Alice, so Alice pointed to the sign that read, "Quiet Zone." Alice threatened to put Tracy in a "sleeper hold" if Tracy didn't lower her voice. Tracy made it clear that she wanted someone else to give her a massage, so Alice left.Tracy lay back down on the massage table to wait for another therapist to arrive. Her hopes were dashed when Anthony slipped into the room. Tracy demanded to know what Anthony was doing there, so he explained that he had been in the room next door when he had heard Tracy screaming. Tracy decided to leave, but Anthony blocked her exit. Anthony explained that their relationship had gone past the honeymoon stage, and into the "give and take" period. "And guess who's about to receive?" Anthony asked.Tracy boldly reminded Anthony that she wasn't the only person with skeletons in her closet, but Anthony argued that he had kept his skeletons in line. He was confident that she would do just about anything to keep Edward from finding out that she had made off with millions of dollars in dirty mob money, which she had then used to resuscitate ELQ. Tracy conceded that Anthony had made his point, so Anthony agreed to keep her secret in exchange for a "night of passion," and the morning after. Anthony assured her that he would let her know when and where. Tracy looked disgusted when Anthony warned her that he liked to cuddle, and then left.Tracy returned to the table to wait for her masseuse to arrive. Moments later, the door opened, and a man entered the room. Tracy was impressed when he seemed to find the most painful knot in her neck. "I know your sweet spot, Spanky Buns," Luke purred. Tracy's jaw dropped as she lifted her head.^ back to the topWednesday, October 5, 2011by ElisabethAt the spa, Tracy angrily ordered her husband to leave, but Luke refused to budge, so Tracy scooped up a hot therapeutic rock and then dumped it down the front of Luke's shirt. Luke quickly dug the rock out of his shirt, and then accused Tracy of potentially damaging his "goods" if the rock had slid any lower. Tracy demanded to know what Luke was doing there, so Luke revealed that he had stopped drinking. Tracy was skeptical, but Luke assured her that he had been sober for a month. Tracy quickly fished a flask out of Luke's pocket to confront him with the evidence.Luke admitted that the flask was full of scotch, but he explained that he carried it as a test. Luke then invited Tracy to check out his physique, which he believed was proof of his claim that he had stopped drinking. Tracy told Luke that he looked the same, but she conceded that he smelled less like booze, and more like dust. "Some welcome," Luke grumbled. Tracy advised Luke not to hold his breath if he were expecting his family to throw him a welcome home parade. Luke realized that Tracy had more to say, so he invited her to speak her mind.Tracy was furious with how Luke had treated Lucky when Lucky had gone looking for Luke. Luke explained that he had thought it would be best to push Lucky away. Tracy insisted that Luke had been in denial that alcohol had played a role in the accident that had claimed Jake's life. "In my current freakishly lucid state, I'm well aware of the damage that I've done," Luke shot back. Luke claimed that he was ready to deal with his wrongs, but he expected some "wifely support" from Tracy. Tracy revealed that she had nothing left to give him.Luke suggested that, if he were a different man, he might suspect that someone else had taken his place in Tracy's heart. Tracy burst out laughing, because she couldn't imagine finding someone as "debauched, conniving, and self-centered" as Luke to fill the void that he had left. Tracy warned Luke that if he expected them to bathe in the golden glow of his presence, then he had a problem, because he had chosen to take the nuclear option to destroy every connection to everyone in his life. According to Tracy, he couldn't return home. Luke suggested that it sounded like a challenge, but Tracy insisted that there was no place for him in her life, or his children's lives. Tracy explained that Lulu had been so desperate to have Luke's love and approval, that it had nearly cost her Dante.Luke was surprised that Tracy had jumped on the Dante bandwagon, but Tracy warned Luke to leave Lulu alone. Tracy then revealed that she didn't intend to tell any of his children that he had returned, because she didn't trust Luke to stick around. Luke realized that he had some groveling to do, but he was confident that his marriage wasn't beyond repair, because Tracy hadn't divorced him. Tracy advised Luke to check his mailbox. Luke reminded his wife that he still knew her "sweet spot," but Tracy replied, "No, you don't." Luke simply smiled, and then left.At the Zacchara penthouse, Johnny was on the phone with a man named Fisk, demanding an update on the search for Skye. Fisk didn't have anything to report, so Johnny instructed Fisk to call the moment that Skye was located. Anthony accused Johnny of trying to gain some leverage over him, but Anthony was not concerned about Skye talking. Anthony insisted that Skye was too smart to use what she thought she had on Anthony. Johnny suspected that Anthony had done something to Skye, but Anthony assured him that Skye was as beautiful as a butterfly, so Anthony had let her spread her wings to fly away. However, Anthony warned Johnny to leave it alone.Anthony then shifted gears to admit that he knew that Johnny was still concerned about the problem at Sonny's warehouse. Johnny reminded his father that Anthony had shot Sonny's son, who was also a police officer, in the back. Johnny insisted that Anthony had made the mess, so Anthony should answer for it. Anthony argued that he had saved Kristina by calling for help when she had collapsed on the waterfront. Johnny explained that helping Kristina didn't make up for nearly killing Dante. Anthony ignored the remark as he sifted through a batch of keys.Johnny wondered what his father was up to, so Anthony cryptically explained that he had a life. Anthony smiled victoriously when he found a keycard to a room at Metro Court hotel. Anthony suggested that Johnny find a good woman, if Johnny were truly seeking some balance in his life. Johnny wanted answers about the shooting, so Anthony admitted that he hadn't known that it was Dante when Anthony had fired his gun. However, Anthony assured Johnny that he wouldn't have done anything differently if he had known, because Anthony had acted in defense of his son. Anthony then reminded Johnny that it had been Johnny's idea to plant the drugs in Sonny's warehouse, so Johnny only had himself to blame. Anthony was ready to put the incident behind him, so he advised Johnny to do the same, and then left.At the spa, Tracy was deep in thought when she heard someone open the door, and then enter. Tracy assumed that Luke had returned, but it was Anthony. Tracy told Anthony that she wasn't in the mood to deal with him, so Anthony invited her to tell him what was troubling her. Tracy revealed that Luke had returned. Anthony thought that Luke had "some cajones."Tracy admitted that, despite everything, she loved her husband, so she wanted to work on saving her marriage. She refused to risk it by sleeping with Anthony. Anthony warned Tracy that he still wanted a night of passion with her, in exchange for his silence. He revealed that he had the honeymoon suite at Metro Court reserved for them. Tracy and Anthony were unaware that Luke lurked nearby, eavesdropping on their conversation.Outside of Kelly's, Ronnie and Officer Padilla approached Abby's table. Ronnie asked the new policewoman to fetch him a cup of coffee as he sat down to talk to Abby. Officer Padilla didn't appear happy about the errand, but she left without comment. Abby was curious if she would need an attorney, so Ronnie asked if she had something to hide. Abby reminded Ronnie that he had been known to be wrong before, but Ronnie ignored the remark as he confessed that something didn't add up about Abby's story of finding Dante.Ronnie questioned why Michael, an ex-con, would be managing Sonny's coffee warehouse, and working with a security guy who could make a bomb in a short time. Abby was curious what Ronnie was getting at, so Ronnie suggested that Abby was in a perfect position to hear lots of interesting things. Abby insisted that she didn't know anything. Ronnie reminded Abby of her days as a stripper named Candy. He warned her that her free ride would soon end, so she might need someone like him in her corner. Ronnie advised Abby to cooperate, but Abby continued to stick to her story that she and Carly had found Dante bleeding in the warehouse, and that Michael had arrived moments later. Ronnie wondered where Michael had gone when he had left the warehouse, so Abby suggested that Ronnie talk to Michael.Ronnie accused Abby of being well trained. He advised her to waive some of her rights, if she truly cared about Michael, because they both knew what happened to Sonny's children when they relied on their father. Moments later, Officer Padilla returned with the coffee. Ronnie suggested that Abby think things over, and then left. Abby called Michael, but reached his voicemail. She asked Michael to return her call just as Johnny walked up. Johnny sat down at her table, but she explained that she had to get to a meeting.Johnny sensed that something was wrong, because Abby refused to look him in the eye. He wondered if she suspected him of shooting Dante. Abby didn't answer, so Johnny reminded her that he had always been straight with her. Abby agreed, so she admitted that she was worried about Michael. Abby warned Johnny to be careful because Michael was upset about Dante's shooting. According to Abby, Michael tended to react without thinking.Johnny tried to find out what Abby knew, but she asked him to forget that she had mentioned anything. Johnny quickly determined that Sonny's desire to keep the peace hadn't been sincere. Abby became nervous, but Johnny assured her that he didn't want her involved any more than she already was. Abby regretted that she had said anything, but Johnny insisted that she had nothing to worry about. Johnny explained that she had given him the opportunity to be prepared, and to take steps to protect her and Michael. Abby wanted to believe that Johnny was being sincere.Later, Johnny met with his associate, Fisk. Johnny revealed that Sonny's talk of peace had been a lie, so Johnny instructed Fisk to make certain that Michael stayed out of the picture. Fisk wondered about Sonny, so Johnny promised to handle Sonny.At Pozzulo's, Michael revealed that he had walked in on Carly and Shawn at the warehouse. According to Michael, Carly and Shawn had been "all hot and sweaty." Sonny turned to Shawn for confirmation, so Shawn admitted that he hadn't seen Michael. Sonny noticed that Shawn hadn't denied anything, so Michael accused Shawn of "hooking up" with Carly not far from where Dante had been shot. Carly entered the office in time to hear her son's remark.Carly assured her ex-husband that she would be more than happy to clear things up. Shawn insisted that he had been about to explain what had transpired at the warehouse, but he had been reluctant to do so in front of Michael. Frustrated, Michael insisted that he wasn't a ten-year old boy, so it wasn't as if he didn't know that his mother had sex. "Watch it," Carly warned her son. Sonny advised Carly and Shawn to be more discreet the next time. Carly refused to discuss it in front of Michael, so she asked her son to leave.After Michael left, Carly made it clear that her sex life wasn't any of Sonny's business. Sonny suggested that Shawn shouldn't have mixed business with pleasure, so Shawn clarified that he hadn't slept with Carly. Carly and Sonny ignored Shawn as they continued to bicker. Sonny accused Carly of sleeping with Shawn to make a point, while Carly argued that Sonny was delusional. Eventually, Shawn raised his voice to get their attention, and then calmly explained to Sonny that bags of uncut hydrocodone had been planted in the warehouse. Shawn and Carly had hidden the bags in the air vent before the police could discover the drugs.Shawn explained that they had used the cover of having sex to keep the police from realizing what they had really been doing in the panic room. Sonny was curious how Shawn and Carly had gotten out of the panic room, so Carly smiled suggestively as she revealed that she had found herself pressed up against the button. Shawn rolled his eyes, but focused on the immediate problem by pointing out that the drugs had to be moved before the police returned. Sonny insisted that Shawn wouldn't be doing anything. "You're fired," Sonny added for clarification. Shawn patiently reminded Sonny that only Jason could fire him, but Sonny argued that Sonny was the head of the organization, so it was Sonny's decision to make.Carly was livid. She defended Shawn, and then reminded Sonny that Shawn had saved Sonny and Michael by stashing the drugs. Sonny insisted that he couldn't trust Shawn, because Shawn had originally worked for Theo Hoffman. Carly continued to argue with Sonny about Shawn's loyalty, prompting Sonny to speculate that Shawn was good in bed for Carly to fight so hard for Shawn. "Go to hell," Carly told Sonny. Sonny smiled indulgently as he accused Shawn of working Carly.Carly insisted that Shawn had proven himself, and then reminded Sonny that Jason had handpicked Shawn. Shawn grew tired of their argument, so he offered his services, if Sonny changed his mind, and then left. Carly called out to Shawn as she followed him into the restaurant. She noticed that Shawn had worked hard to deny that he had slept with her, so Shawn explained that he wasn't interested in getting sucked into whatever game Carly and Sonny were playing. Carly respected that, but she resented that Shawn had to make it sound as if sleeping with her would have been a fate worse than death. Shawn rolled his eyes, and then asked her what she was looking for.Carly suggested that Shawn could have acted like she was an attractive woman. Shawn didn't see the point, since most attractive women knew that they were beautiful. Carly wondered if Shawn would sleep with her if their situation were different. Shawn was curious if that were a proposition, so Carly clarified that it was just a question. Shawn drew closer for a moment, and then abruptly left. "And that's what I thought," Carly said with a satisfied smile.Michael called Bernie to find out if Jason had a backup plan, in the event that things didn't work out with Shawn. Afterwards, Michael returned to his father's office. Michael claimed that he would understand if something were going on at the warehouse that Sonny didn't want Michael to know about; however, Michael wanted Sonny to at least give him credit for figuring out that something had been off with the inventory. Sonny praised Michael, but insisted that Michael needed to take some time off, so that Sonny could handle the situation. Michael reluctantly agreed, but he revealed that he had information that might confirm who had been responsible for what had happened at the warehouse. According to Michael, people always talked about the drugs that went through "our territory."Michael was confident that most of "our men" thought that the Zaccharas were behind the drugs that had been planted at the warehouse. Sonny insisted that was the reason that he needed Michael to leave. Sonny knew that Johnny had been responsible for the drugs at the warehouse. Sonny conceded that Johnny might not have pulled the trigger; however, Johnny was the reason that Dante was in the hospital. According to Sonny, things like that had to be answered for.At the hospital, Dante appreciated that Lulu wanted everything to be perfect, as did he, but he was desperate to know what her answer to his marriage proposal was. Before Lulu could reply, Dante once again proposed marriage to Lulu. However, the alarms on the monitors went off as Dante's breathing became more labored as he spoke. Dante lost consciousness as Steve raced into the room with Olivia and a nurse trailing behind him. Lulu was distraught as Steve asked Olivia and Lulu to step out of the room.In the hallway, Olivia comforted Lulu by promising her that Dante would be fine. Olivia assured Lulu that Lulu and Dante would live a long and happy life together. Lulu was curious if Olivia had ever regretted that Dante had become a police officer. Olivia insisted that she was proud of her son, but she was concerned that Dante would be more determined than ever to take Sonny down. Olivia reminded Lulu of Dante's mentor, Lieutenant Poletti, who had kept Dante from following in Sonny's footsteps.Olivia confessed that the irony was that Lieutenant Poletti had been killed on Sonny's orders. Lulu warned Olivia that she couldn't change Dante, so Olivia assured Lulu that she didn't want Dante to change. Moments later, Steve reported that Dante was stable, so Lulu quickly returned to Dante's bedside. Lulu admitted that she had been terrified, so Dante confided that he had been scared, too, because it felt as if his proposal had been hanging in the air for days. Dante couldn't promise Lulu that bad things wouldn't happen, but he vowed that he would always love her. Lulu finally agreed to marry Dante, but only if he promised to take the time to recover properly.Dante was elated, so he asked Lulu to give him the engagement ring, so that he could put it on her finger. Afterwards, Lulu fetched Olivia. Olivia was overjoyed when Dante and Lulu confirmed that they were officially engaged. However, Olivia was startled when they revealed that they had decided to keep quiet about the engagement until Dante had recovered. Olivia assured them that she was proud of the commitment that they had made to each other, so Lulu decided to fetch some insurance papers that the hospital had been asking for. After Lulu left, Dante confided that he and Lulu had told each other countless times that they had loved each other, but it hadn't felt real until Lulu had agreed to marry him.In the hallway, Lulu seemed troubled. A short time later, Lulu arrived at the loft. She went to the refrigerator to grab a bottle of wine. Lulu poured herself a drink, and then made her way to the bedroom, where she spotted the gown that Olivia had put in the hamper. Lulu pulled the gown out of the hamper, downed her glass of wine, and then took off her engagement ring. Afterwards, Lulu picked up Dante's shirt, held it to her face as she breathed deeply, and then lay down on the bed.^ back to the topThursday, October 6, 2011by ElisabethAt Lucky's apartment, Lucky stared at the envelope that Siobhan had addressed to him, but he was reluctant to open it. Moments later, Ethan knocked on the door. Lucky was surprised when his brother showed him the damaged portrait of Laura. Lucky wanted to know where Ethan had gotten the painting, but Ethan explained that it was a long story. Ethan recalled that the last time that he had seen Lucky, Lucky had been locked in an epic battle with Lucky's demons, so Ethan was curious who had won. Lucky revealed that the pills were still on the floor, if that answered Ethan's question.Ethan suggested that they toss the pills, but Lucky wanted them to stay where they were until Lucky no longer had an impulse to check to see if they were still there. Ethan decided to drop it, so Lucky returned to the topic of the painting. Ethan revealed that he had gone to Wyndemere, because his interest had been piqued after his talk with Lucky. Lucky was curious if anyone had been in residence, so Ethan admitted that Helena had been skulking around the castle. Ethan explained that Helena had been looking for something that she had misplaced. "Her soul?" Lucky wondered.Ethan chuckled, and then revealed that Helena had seemed genuinely disappointed that she hadn't found what she had been searching for. Lucky feared that Ethan and Helena had bonded during their chat, but Ethan quickly eased his brother's mind by revealing that Helena had whacked Ethan over the head, and then held a knife to his throat. Ethan explained that Helena had decided that it was time for the Spencers to learn a lesson about trespassing. Lucky was horrified when Ethan confessed that Helena had also tried to seduce him. Ethan quickly explained that she had been hoping to make Ethan uncomfortable. According to Ethan, it had worked.Ethan admitted that he had asked Helena about Laura. Lucky was certain that Helena had blamed Laura for Stavros' and Stefan's deaths. Ethan nodded, and then revealed that Helena had given him a dagger to fight off the ghosts lurking in the castle. Lucky was surprised when Ethan confided that Helena had warned Ethan that there were things in the castle that even she feared. Ethan explained that he had heard strange noises after Helena had left, so Lucky suggested that Helena had been responsible for them. The conversation then drifted to Luke when Ethan told Lucky about Helena's last encounter with their father.Lucky was curious if Helena knew where Luke was. Ethan wondered if Lucky cared. Lucky explained that he had stopped caring about Luke when Luke had confessed that running over Jake had been liberating. Ethan was certain that Luke hadn't meant it, but Lucky quickly steered the conversation back to Wyndemere. Ethan revealed that he had been lured into the secret tunnels by an unknown entity, but nothing had been amiss until Ethan had returned to the room where he had entered the passageway. Ethan had noticed that someone had taken a glove that Ethan had left on the table.Lucky dismissed it as one of Helena's pranks, and then suggested that she had also damaged Laura's portrait. Ethan wanted to call Lulu, so that she could see the painting, but Lucky didn't think that it was a good idea. Lucky explained that Lulu was mad at him, and then quickly filled Ethan in on what had transpired at the hospital. Ethan suspected that Lulu had been terrified for Dante, so she had lashed out at someone safe. Lucky regretted that he had unloaded on his sister, instead of supporting her. Ethan reminded Lucky that Lulu was strong, so he was confident that Lulu would be fine.Lucky argued that Lulu was too much like Laura; she held everything in until her entire world crumbled. Ethan assured Lucky that, at the end of the day, Lulu loved Lucky. Lucky admitted that Lulu had been right to blame him, because Lucky had let Dante, and everyone else, down. Ethan warned Lucky not to lump Jake into that category, because Jake's death had been a tragedy that no one could have prevented. "And Siobhan?" Lucky wondered. Lucky showed Ethan the envelope that Siobhan had left, and then explained that he couldn't open it, because it would mean that Siobhan was really gone.Ethan urged Lucky to open it, because Ethan believed that it might help Lucky to move on. Ethan then collected the painting, promised to show it to Lulu, and then get it repaired. After Ethan left, Lucky opened the envelope.At the loft, Lulu was asleep in bed when someone knocked on the front door. Lulu stumbled to the door, and then opened it. Officer Padilla introduced herself, and then explained that she had some questions for Lulu about Dante's shooting. Officer Padilla suggested that Lulu might have seen or overheard something in the days leading up to the shooting that might be helpful. Officer Padilla realized that Lulu was more than Dante's girlfriend when she spotted the engagement ring on the table. Lulu confessed that Dante had proposed to her on the day of the shooting.Officer Padilla explained that they were trying to figure out if Dante had walked in on something that he shouldn't have, or if he had been targeted. Lulu was surprised by the suggestion that Dante had been deliberately shot. Officer Padilla explained that it might have been an undercover situation that had gone wrong. Lulu admitted that Dante didn't confide to her about his work, because he wanted to protect her. Officer Padilla thought that it was wise, so Lulu asked if the policewoman were married. "Yes," Officer Padilla replied.Lulu was curious how Officer Padilla's husband felt about his wife's job, but the policewoman tactfully evaded the question by announcing that she had to leave. Lulu explained that she had to get to the hospital, so Officer Padilla offered Lulu a ride, which Lulu quickly accepted. As the policewoman turned to leave, Lulu slid the engagement ring off, and then followed Officer Padilla to the car.At the hospital, Mac paid Dante a visit. Dante revealed that he was eager to get out of the hospital, so that he could find the shooter. Mac insisted that Dante focus on his recovery, because Mac couldn't afford to be down two police officers. Dante wondered what Mac was talking about, so Mac revealed that Lucky had turned in his badge. Mac was tempted to ask for Dante's badge, because Dante had gone to the warehouse without authorization. Dante refused to apologize; he was certain that Mac had been at the wedding for the same reason that Dante had been checking out the warehouse.Mac didn't deny it, but he ordered Dante to focus on his recovery, because Mac had men working on the shooting. Dante revealed that nothing had been out of place at the warehouse, so it was clear that theft hadn't been the motive. Mac explained that the person who had shot Dante had left a bomb behind. Shortly after Mac left, Lulu arrived. Dante confessed that he'd had a cheesy dream about their wedding, so he wondered if Lulu had picked out a date. Lulu wanted Dante to recover before they started making wedding plans.Dante assured Lulu that he would be back home, and on the job, in no time. He then noticed Officer Padilla in the hallway, so he asked Lulu to fetch the policewoman. Dante explained that Mac had been stonewalling him about the investigation, so Dante wanted see what Officer Padilla knew. Lulu insisted that the police department was his job, not his life. She ordered Dante to focus on his recuperation, not the investigation. Dante admitted that Mac had said the same thing.Dante then revealed that Mac had mentioned Lucky's resignation from the police department. Lulu insisted that Lucky was fine, which raised concerns with Dante. Lulu reluctantly admitted that she'd had a disagreement with her brother, but she refused to elaborate. Dante insisted that Lulu and Lucky needed each other, but Lulu argued that Dante wouldn't have been shot if Lucky had been with him. Dante insisted that Lucky wasn't to blame for what had happened; the shooter was. Lulu wondered what had happened at the warehouse, so Dante explained that it had been too dark to see who had shot him.According to Dante, he recalled being shot, falling to the ground, and then waking up in the hospital to see Lulu standing over him. Lulu crawled into bed with Dante, and then rested her head on his chest. She confessed that she had been terrified when she had learned that he had nearly bled to death. Dante assured her that he was okay, and then reiterated that it hadn't been Lucky's fault. Dante revealed that Lucky blamed himself for what had happened to Siobhan, so Dante didn't want Lucky taking on the responsibility for the shooting. Lulu insisted that Lucky had been wrong about a lot of things, but Dante urged her to work things out with Lucky.Lulu admitted that she had told Lucky that Lucky should have been the one in the hospital bed, not Dante. Dante was certain that Lucky would forgive her. Lulu insisted that she was too upset to talk about it, so Dante decided to let the matter drop. Lulu stood up, poured Dante a cup of water, and then handed it to Dante. Dante noticed that she wasn't wearing her engagement ring, so he asked her where it was.Spinelli went to Sonny's warehouse at Michael's request. Michael wanted to review the surveillance footage from the night of Dante's shooting. Spinelli started to explain why he couldn't accommodate Michael, but Michael cut Spinelli off. According to Michael, Jason had told him all about Spinelli's network of cameras around all of Sonny's properties, so Michael demanded that Spinelli produce the security footage immediately. Michael refused to take no for an answer, so Spinelli sat down at the laptop. Michael stepped away when Abby entered the warehouse.Meanwhile, Spinelli was startled when he noticed the date on the laptop, so he quickly closed it, stood up, and then explained that he had to leave. Michael was frustrated, but he ordered Spinelli to turn over the security tapes as soon as possible. After Spinelli left, Abby wondered why Michael was working, instead of taking a few days off as Sonny had ordered. Michael claimed that it would have looked suspicious, but Abby argued that there had been a reason that Sonny had insisted that Michael take time off. Michael told Abby about the bags of hydrocodone that had been planted in the warehouse. Seconds later, Ronnie strolled in.Ronnie invited Michael to keep talking, because their conversation had sounded interesting, but Michael relaxed when it became clear that Ronnie hadn't overheard him talking about the bags of uncut drugs. Ronnie explained that he wanted to know the truth about the night of Dante's shooting, but Michael insisted that he had told Ronnie everything. Michael suggested that Ronnie talk to Michael's lawyer if Ronnie had any more questions. "Spoken like a true Corinthos," Ronnie groused. Ronnie wondered if Abby had anything to add to her statement, so Michael explained that Abby had already given her statement. Michael threatened to have Ronnie slapped with a lawsuit if Ronnie continued to harass Abby.Ronnie reminded Michael that he was investigating Michael's brother's shooting, but Michael accused Ronnie of using strong-arm tactics on Abby to force her to change her story. Ronnie suggested that the best way for Michael to protect Abby was to let her off the hook, so that she could tell the police what had really happened. Michael refused to back down, so Ronnie began searching the warehouse. Michael warned Ronnie not to damage the merchandise, so Ronnie admitted that their stories didn't add up. Ronnie urged Michael to cooperate because, despite what Michael had been taught, the police were not the enemy. Michael snidely suggested that Ronnie do his job by finding the shooter.Ronnie warned Michael that Michael would lose if Michael continued to play games with him. Michael insisted that he was responsible for his own actions, but Ronnie disagreed. Ronnie insisted that Sonny was responsible, so he urged Michael not to take the fall for his father.Maxie was on the phone with Kate, discussing a photo shoot. Maxie assured Kate that everything was in order, and then promised to be at the shoot. After Maxie ended the call, she glanced at a picture of her cousin, BJ. Maxie's eyes filled with tears as she acknowledged that she had time to do the things that she wanted to do because BJ had given Maxie the gift of life.At the nurses' station, Liz referred to Matt as a superstar as she wondered how he was doing. Matt didn't think that his accomplishment had been a big deal, but Liz reminded him that few doctors were published. Matt confessed that he didn't know why he felt disappointed; he realized that it should be about the research and helping patients, not accolades. Liz assured Matt that his friends and family were proud of him, even if they couldn't find the words to properly express it. Liz was surprised when Matt admitted that he wished that his mother were around, because he was certain that she would have been proud of him. Liz didn't want to pry, but she was curious why Matt never talked about her.Matt assured Liz that he didn't mind her asking, and then revealed that his mother had passed away after childbirth. Matt explained that his mother had needed to have a hysterectomy following the birth of a stillborn child. According to Matt, his mother had been given diluted doses of the wrong medication, which had led to fatal blood clots. Liz realized that Matt had helped Lucky with his investigation, because it had been reminiscent of how Matt's mother had died. She offered Matt her condolences, but he assured her that he'd had time to adjust, because it had happened long before. Matt admitted that his mother's death had been the reason that he had gotten into medicine.Liz knew that Matt and Patrick had different mothers, but she wondered if Matt had ever discussed what had happened with Patrick. Matt revealed that Liz had been the first person to ever ask him about his mother. He doubted that his brother was interested, but Liz suggested that perhaps Patrick simply didn't know how to broach the subject. Liz explained that half of the staff avoided her, because they were afraid to mention Jake's name. Matt smiled when Liz promised him that his mother was proud of him and his accomplishments. Matt thanked her, revealed that he had an important errand, and then left.Moments later, Maxie walked up to the nurses' station, looking for Matt. Liz explained that Matt had stepped away to do something important. Maxie revealed that she intended to throw Matt a party to celebrate the publication of his research paper. Liz wondered if the party was to celebrate Matt's accomplishment, or to make up for Maxie not noticing that he had been doing groundbreaking research. Maxie resented Liz's implication that Maxie was a bad girlfriend. "If the shoe fits," Liz replied without apology.Maxie insisted that Matt appreciated the space that Maxie gave him, and that they didn't need to tell each other every little thing. "Little thing?" Liz asked. Maxie conceded that the research paper had become a "big thing," but Maxie explained that it was partly due to Maxie giving Matt the space to get the work done. Maxie bragged that she was a woman who stood behind a man, not some "clingy needy albatross." Liz wasn't surprised that Maxie would say anything to make herself look good, but Maxie argued that it didn't matter what Liz thought, as long as Matt got it. Liz advised Maxie to make the celebration about Matt, "for once."Maxie didn't have an opportunity to respond, because Mac walked up. Liz turned away as Mac asked if Maxie had received his message. Maxie explained that she had been busy with work, and planning a party for Robin. Mac assured her that it was okay; he knew the significance of the date. Maxie and Mac went to the hospital's rooftop to talk about BJ's birthday. Maxie confided that she remembered BJ perfectly.Mac smiled as he recalled that BJ had been a happy child. Maxie confessed that she liked to think of BJ getting older every year, and that she was certain that they would have been good friends if BJ had lived. Maxie revealed that there were times that she talked to BJ about her problems, and that BJ always gave her good advice. Mac assured Maxie that it didn't sound crazy. Maxie explained that she had no idea how to make sense of BJ dying so that Maxie could receive BJ's heart. Mac suggested that life was random, but Maxie believed that she was supposed to do something amazing to prove that she was deserving of BJ's heart.Mac insisted that Maxie deserved it simply for being herself, and for living the best life that she could. Maxie regretted that she couldn't give BJ a present, so Mac told her that remembering BJ in such a beautiful way was a gift. Mac invited Maxie to leave with him, but she wanted to spend a few minutes alone on the rooftop. After Mac left, Maxie looked up at the night sky. Moments later, Spinelli stepped out onto the roof, and then handed Maxie a heart-shaped red balloon. "For Barbara Jean, the girl who saved Maximista," Spinelli said.Maxie was touched that Spinelli had remembered BJ's birthday. She assured Spinelli that BJ would have liked him, so Spinelli confessed that he felt as if he knew BJ because he had gotten to know her kind and generous heart. Moments later, Matt arrived. Maxie assured Matt that she was thrilled that his research paper would be published, and that she was planning on doing something special for him. Maxie became distracted when she noticed that Matt was holding something. Matt explained that the board had approved a renovation project for the convalescence courtyard, so they had decided to sell commemorative bricks to raise money.Matt confessed that he had bought the first one, and then had it inscribed. Maxie's eyes filled with tears as she read, "In honor of Barbara Jean Jones." Maxie felt blessed to have such thoughtful men in her life. Matt explained that BJ was the reason that Maxie was there, so he was grateful. Maxie was certain that BJ was smiling down on them. Later, Maxie was once again alone on the rooftop. She let the heart-shaped balloon go, and then stroked the brick as she quietly said, "Happy Birthday, BJ."Matt returned to the nurses' station, where Liz was working. Matt wondered if she had been outside. He revealed that it was an unbelievably clear night. Liz was happy to see that Matt was in a much better mood, so Matt confessed that he had thought about what she had said earlier. Matt believed that the people who had passed away were still with them, so they just had to be open to their presence. "Like your mom," Liz added. Matt was certain that his mother was proud of him, just as Jake was proud of Liz. Spinelli lurked nearby, watching Matt and Liz.At the Haunted Star, Luke stashed a gun and his box of cigars in his duffle bag, and then picked up an unopened bottle of scotch. "What the hell was I thinking?" Luke asked himself. Luke decided that there was only one way out for everyone. He contemplated the bottle of booze for a moment, but put it back down. Afterwards, he dug a small leather pouch out of his bag. A short time later, Ethan walked in. "So would this be you coming or going?" Ethan asked his father.^ back to the topFriday, October 7, 2011by Marcello Aurelio LanfranchiOn their honeymoon, Sam and Jason made the best of stormy weather. She challenged him to a surf match on their Wii. A stranger watched them from outside. The rain stopped, so Sam and Jason went to the beach. After they left, the stranger, wearing flip-flops, walked into the house.Later, Sam and Jason returned, and Jason sloughed off the uneasy feeling that greeted him as merely professional paranoia. Neither he nor Sam noticed the small camera watching their every move.Michael stormed into Carly's house and berated her for siding with Shawn against Sonny. Shawn arrived and suggested Michael stay away from the warehouse for the time being. Michael left angrily but eavesdropped from the other side of the door. He heard Carly and Shawn discuss the drugs that were in the warehouse and the need to get rid of them. Michael left.Shawn told Carly he'd decided to leave town once Jason returned. Carly urged him to stay in Port Charles, even if he were to quit working for Sonny. Shawn told her she wouldn't always get her way, and exited.A package for Josslyn arrived from Jason. Carly was thrilled to find a lei inside the box. Her excitement changed to dread as she read the card included. "For Josslyn, to let you know that I was thinking about you. Aloha, Franco."Ethan confronted Luke at the Haunted Star and demanded to know if Luke really wanted his children in his life. Ethan surmised that Luke had been keeping tabs on their activities. Luke showed Ethan some precious jewels that Ethan immediately knew were fake. Luke asked Ethan to join him in his latest caper, but Ethan bowed out.Ethan accused Luke of attempting damage control rather than taking responsibility for his role in Jake's death. Luke explained that he'd gotten clean and sober during his time away. He also admitted that he had been monitoring his kids' lives, which enraged Ethan. "You saw us all going to hell, and you didn't raise a finger," Ethan angrily declared. "It wasn't the right time," replied Luke.Luke admitted he'd handled things badly. Ethan told him that Lucky and Lulu could not take another letdown. Unless Luke could promise he'd be there to support his family for the long haul, Ethan averred, he should just stay away.Lulu visited Dante in his hospital room. Lulu begged him to keep the status of their relationship on the downlow to avoid the spectacle it would generate. Dante vowed to find who'd shot him. Lulu expressed her feeling that Dante's shooting was Lucky's fault. Dante made it clear that he'd insisted Lucky stay home that day. Dante pleaded with Lulu to forgive her brother.Ronnie stopped by, and Lulu left. He vowed to Dante that the Port Charles Police Department would get the persons responsible for Dante's shooting.At Lucky's loft, Lucky read the letter from Siobhan he'd found. In it, Siobhan admonished Lucky to move forward with his life without regrets. She also suggested that he have faith that magic existed.Included with the letter were a linen handkerchief, embroidered by Siobhan's grandmother; a rosary that had belonged to Siobhan's great-uncle, who'd died as a child; and a handmade cross. Siobhan's instructions to Lucky were that he visit her home and dip the rosary into a pond during a full moon. She promised that a message would be revealed.Just as Lucky put the package away, there was a knock on the door. Lucky was surprised to find Luke.^ back to the top

Sam and Jason arrived in Hawaii for their honeymoon. After Jason carried Sam over the threshold of their beachfront cabana and toted in their luggage, Sam fretted that Jason might be tired and need to rest. Jason told Sam that he was fine, and she did not have to worry about him because the surgery had worked. Sam said she could not stop wondering what would have happened if Jason had woken up a different person. If he had woken up as the old Jason Quartermaine, she mused, would he have still loved Sam.

As they lay on chaise lounges on the lanai, Jason reassured Sam. Sam said that she counted on Jason, and Jason replied that he relied on Sam as well. Sam then asked if Jason was nervous about being married. Jason asked the same of Sam. Sam worried that marriage would cause changes.

Sam thought she and Jason should set some ground rules. The first rule was that they should ask for what they wanted. Jason asked what Sam wanted, and she responded that she wanted to have deep, meaningful conversations about things that mattered to them. Jason agreed and playfully asked what else she wanted. Sam said there was nothing else, but Jason reminded her that she had wanted a lei when they had been at the airport.

Sam told Jason to surprise her with one. When Sam asked Jason if he knew what a lei meant, he told Sam that it meant love from the one who gives it to the one who receives it. Jason and Sam exchanged reaffirmations of their love for each other. Later, Jason and Sam left the cabana to watch a spectacular sunrise. Franco, wearing a purple lei around his neck, placed a white lei in a florist's box.

Steve had good news for Olivia and Lulu. He told them that Dante would live, even though they had removed a part of his lung. Lulu and Olivia hugged. Olivia thanked Steve for saving her son. Lulu went to see Dante, who woke briefly when Lulu vowed her love for him. Steve rushed in to check Dante's vitals. He said that Dante would make a full recovery and would be in and out of consciousness for the next twelve hours.

Lulu said that she would stay with Dante, but Olivia insisted that Lulu go home, get a shower, rest, and change so that she could be fresh when Dante woke for good. Lulu agreed. She went to the loft, picked up the engagement ring and stared at it. Lulu put down the ring, poured a full glass of flat, tepid champagne and then downed it in one swallow.

Sonny was outside and pacing the hospital terrace when Kate joined him. He was surprised because he thought that Kate had left. Kate said that she had intended to leave, but had suffered a rare moment of selflessness. Sonny said that he was not the easiest person to be around when he got upset. Kate said that not only did Sonny look like he needed someone, but he looked like he might let someone in.

Sonny murmured that he hated the snow because of how cold he had gotten when he sold newspapers as a child. Kate said that was not the only reason he hated the snow. He also hated it because his stepfather, Deke, had used staying inside as an excuse to get angry and hurt Sonny and his mother. Kate said that everyone had known about Deke's abusive behavior. She said that she wished that someone had done something -- that she had done something.

Sonny said that Kate had done something when she had stopped Sonny from killing Deke and destroying his own life. Kate said she had been so scared for Sonny and so scared that she would not find the right words to convince him not to throw his life away. Sonny remembered that Kate had likened his situation to a math problem. Sonny said that Kate had shown him that Deke was getting older and weaker while Sonny was young and strong. Sonny acknowledged that Kate had convinced Sonny that he could be anything that he wanted to be. Sonny said that he looked at Kate's pretty face and knew that he had other things to live for.

Kate took the pins from her hair and let it fall free. She told Sonny that she was feeling nostalgic. She reminded Sonny of the time they had been in a bell tower in Bensonhurst, looking at the Manhattan skyline across the way and dreaming of a bigger world. Sonny laughed when he remembered that Kate had encouraged him to stay in school and become a business major. Kate replied that they had remained true to their natures. Kate had left her world behind, and Sonny controlled his.

Sonny got serious when he said that he had always thought he could do what he did and it would not affect his kids, but he had been wrong. He said that he had almost killed Dante without knowing that Dante was his son, and Dante had almost died again on the same spot where Michael had taken a bullet meant for Sonny. Kate hugged Sonny. She said that Dante was a grown man, and he had known the risks that he was taking. Sonny said he was dragging Michael down because Michael wanted to go after the person who had shot Dante. Sonny said that when someone he loved got hurt, he snapped, lost control, and blindly lashed out at the person who had hurt his family.

Kate said that Sonny had to be better. She told him that he was grown and had to curb his childish impulses and control himself. When Sonny said he could not, Kate asked Sonny if he wanted more chaos and pain, or absolution. Kate told Sonny that he had to forgive himself. Kate said that if Sonny did not hold back his murderous impulses, God would do it for him and shut the door in his face forever. Olivia joined Kate and Sonny with the news that Dante had survived the surgery. Sonny asked Olivia if she would allow Sonny to see Dante. Olivia was touched by Sonny's humility and said, "Of course; he's your son."

Sonny and Olivia stood vigil at Dante's bedside. Olivia said Dante looked just the same as he did when he had been a child sick with asthma. Sonny apologized to Olivia for having to raise Dante alone. Olivia said it had been by choice. As Olivia stroked Dante's brow, Sonny told her that Dante was a good man who was brave and honorable. Sonny said Olivia should be proud of Dante. Olivia said that it was not just she. She said that Dante had a lot of his father in him also. Kate looked on.

In a waiting area, Abby handed a cup of coffee to Michael. Michael wondered if Dante would remember getting shot. Michael said that he did not remember anything, but since he had been shot in the head and Dante in the back, it might be different for Dante. Abby admitted that she had overheard Michael talking to Sonny about going after Johnny. She begged Michael not to focus on revenge. Abby pointed out that Dante's shooting proved that nothing was safe in Sonny's world. Michael was no-nonsense when he said that someone had entered the warehouse, shot his brother in the back, and left him to die -- and that someone needed to pay for that.

Carly and Shawn were trapped in the panic room at Sonny's warehouse. Shawn was calm and quiet. Carly was a chatterbox and wondered if Shawn was having a PTSD episode or if he was claustrophobic like Sonny. Shawn assured her that he was not. He said that he was thinking about what to do.

Shawn said that they had to hide the drugs. He told Carly about the drug ring that had been operating out of Luzetta's bakery. Shawn said that he had investigated for Jason. Shawn affirmed that the ring had been busted. Shawn said that he suspected that the drugs had been planted in the warehouse to shift suspicion to Sonny and away from the real culprit.

Carly was incensed because of the fallout that would inevitably implicate Michael. Shawn said that they would hide the drugs in case the cops found the panic room. Shawn removed the air vent cover and put the bags of drugs in there. Carly complimented Shawn for coming up with a bomb to divert the cops. She started asking questions about Shawn's life. He told her that they were not there to talk but to conceal evidence and obstruct justice. They both laughed.

Carly complained that she was hot and continued to badger Shawn for personal information. He finally relented and told her that he was from Detroit. Shawn also answered yes when Carly asked if he had family and if there was anyone from his past that he missed. Before Carly could find out more, the timer activated and the door to the panic room opened.

Ronnie appeared, but the door closed before Ronnie saw the panic room. He accused Shawn of fabricating the bomb and leaving the scene. Carly said that Shawn could not have planted the bomb because he had been with her. With a great deal of innuendo, Carly told Ronnie that Shawn had not been paying attention to anything but her. Michael arrived at the warehouse just in time to hear her.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

by Elisabeth

At the hospital, Liz saw Matt dancing around his office, and waving his arms in the air, as she passed by his office window. She knocked on the door, and then opened to the door to find out what was going on. Matt confessed that he was celebrating, and then handed her a letter that he had received. Liz quickly scanned it as he confirmed that his research paper would be published. Liz congratulated Matt, but he revealed that there was more good news. Matt explained that a patient with a tumor, that hadn't responded to chemotherapy or radiation, had been admitted the previous evening.

Matt intended to ask the patient to be a part of the clinical trial. Liz was curious if he had been referring to Mr. Brockman. It was Matt's turn to be surprised. Liz revealed that Patrick had asked Liz to run some tests on Mr. Brockman, so Matt was curious why. Liz admitted that Patrick had been assigned Mr. Brockman's case. Matt was livid, so Liz quickly assured Matt that Patrick would turn the case over to Matt.

Matt made it clear that he refused to beg Patrick, because he suspected that Patrick had his own agenda in regards to Mr. Brockman. Liz reminded Matt that Matt was about to be published, but Matt explained that Liz didn't understand. According to Matt, he could cure cancer with a grape flavored pill in the shape of everyone's favorite cartoon character, but it still wouldn't be good enough for Patrick, or their father, Noah.

In the elevator, Patrick insisted that he and Robin needed to put themselves first more often. Robin agreed, because their night together had been amazing. Patrick wondered if Robin intended to collect on the bet that she had won. Robin smiled as she assured him that she hadn't forgotten, but she warned him that she would choose the time and place. The elevator doors opened, but Patrick and Robin didn't get far before Maxie approached them. Maxie revealed that she intended to put together a party for Robin's upcoming birthday.

Maxie promised to keep the Fall-Harvest theme simple, yet chic. Robin insisted that she didn't need a birthday party, but Maxie was determined to salvage her name and reputation after Jason and Sam's wedding fiasco. Maxie wanted to blow everyone away with the party. Robin wondered how many people Maxie intended to invite to the party, so Maxie admitted that she had been thinking about two hundred guests. Robin and Patrick doubted that they even knew two hundred people, so Maxie explained that many of the guests would be from the fashion industry. Patrick was curious what Robin stood to gain from the party.

"Two hundred fabulous gifts," Maxie replied. Patrick decided to let Robin and Maxie hash it out, so he left. Robin admitted that she wasn't thrilled with the idea of a big party, but Maxie begged her cousin to give Maxie the opportunity to redeem herself. Maxie insisted that her job with Kate was all that Maxie had left, so Robin reminded Maxie of Matt. Maxie confessed that she hadn't seen Matt since he had left Jason and Sam's reception without telling Maxie. Robin suggested that Matt might have had an emergency at the hospital, but Maxie was certain that Matt had been humiliated by the wedding disaster.

Robin realized that the birthday party was important to Maxie, so she decided to compromise. Robin agreed to let Maxie plan the party, but Robin wanted the guest list to be scaled down to no more than ten people. Maxie reluctantly agreed. Meanwhile, Matt bumped into Patrick near the elevators. Patrick admitted that he had been looking for his brother because Patrick needed Matt's assistance. Matt snarkily wondered if it might be in regards to Mr. Brockman, but Patrick quickly clarified that it was about Robin.

Patrick explained that he had rented a boat for Robin's birthday, so he wondered if Matt would be interested in co-piloting. Matt wasn't surprised that Patrick expected Matt to accept a secondary role. Patrick was curious where Matt's hostility stemmed from, prompting Matt to remind Patrick that Matt was a doctor too. Matt insisted that he didn't have time to plan parties. Matt's anger mounted as he ordered Patrick to stop poaching on Matt's patients, and to stop going to Patrick's chief-of-staff wife, and whining his way ahead of Matt in the rotation. Patrick wondered what Matt was talking about, so Matt yelled that Mr. Brockman had been his patient.

"So what?" Patrick asked. Robin was forced to step in when Matt's temper flared. Matt angrily accused Robin of showing favoritism towards Patrick. Robin assured Matt that Matt would get the next patient, but Matt didn't want Patrick's "sloppy seconds." "Apparently Lisa has gotten you very comfortable with that," Matt snapped at Robin. Patrick was furious, so he shoved Matt up against a wall.

Robin pulled her husband away from his brother, and then scolded them for their unprofessional behavior. Matt immediately apologized for his insensitive remark, but he explained that he was tired of being treated like a second-rate doctor. Patrick and Robin seemed baffled by the outburst, so Matt showed them the letter that he had received about his research paper. Matt insisted that it was time for Matt to step out of Patrick's shadow. Patrick assured Matt that it was great that Matt's paper would be published, but Patrick confessed that he hadn't known that Matt had been involved in any research. Matt suggested that there was a lot that Patrick didn't know about his "screw-up brother," because Patrick never bothered to ask.

Patrick became defensive as he asked what Matt expected from him. "Give you a cookie or throw you a party?" Patrick wondered. Maxie perked up when she heard the word "party" as she approached, so she told Matt about her plans to throw Robin a party. Maxie remained oblivious to the tension between the doctors as she bragged about her expert party-planning skills, and then suggested that they celebrate her new job. Matt handed Maxie the paper, and walked away.

Later, Maxie went to Matt's office to talk to him. She wondered if he was still angry with her. Matt pretended to be baffled about why he would be mad, so Maxie reminded him that she had been ignoring him while planning Jason and Sam's wedding. She realized that he had invited her for a rooftop picnic to tell her about the research paper. Matt assured Maxie that she had been a perfect girlfriend, because she had given him plenty of time to focus on his research paper, which had eventually led to its publication. Maxie confessed that his work was way over her head, so she didn't understand much about it; however, she assured him that she was very proud of him.

Matt softened as he admitted that her opinion mattered to him. They started to kiss, but Maxie pulled away at the last moment when her phone rang. Maxie went to answer it, so Matt quietly turned, and then left the office. In the hallway, Liz spotted Matt, so she asked if he had been given Mr. Brockman's case. Matt confided to Liz about Patrick's reaction when Matt had showed his brother the paper. According to Matt, Patrick had seemed flabbergasted that a reputable journal would publish Matt.

Liz pointed out that Matt's work would save lives, so Matt should be proud of himself. Matt promised to work on it, so Liz offered to be proud of him for both of them. Maxie left the office just as Matt and Liz shared a brief hug, and then went their separate ways.

At Pozzulo's, Sonny paced in his office. Sonny wanted to see the security tapes from the warehouse. Sonny was impatient to find Dante's shooter, so he ordered Max to fetch Spinelli. Michael entered his father's office as Max left. Sonny was curious how Dante was doing, so Michael revealed that Dante was resting. Michael then shifted gears by explaining that he had a few ideas about how they could deal with the "Johnny situation."

Sonny didn't want to hear what Michael had to say, because he didn't want Michael to be a part of it. Michael wondered if Sonny were mad at him, but Sonny assured his son that he didn't blame Michael for what had happened to Dante. Michael reminded Sonny of their plan to fake a truce with Johnny until they could make Johnny pay for shooting Dante. Michael insisted that he could handle himself, so he asked his father not to cut him out of the plans. Sonny argued that it was a different day, and that Sonny was able to think more clearly, so he had decided that Michael should stay out of it. Michael countered that Sonny needed Michael's help, but Sonny wanted Michael to focus on what Michael had been hired to do, which was work in the coffee warehouse.

Michael was stunned when Sonny announced plans to send Michael to Argentina to oversee the opening of a new warehouse. Sonny suggested that Michael take Abby along on the trip, so that Michael and Abby could enjoy some vacation time while they were there. Michael refused to be brushed aside. Sonny wondered why Michael behaved as if Sonny were punishing him instead of seeing it as an opportunity to learn the coffee business. Michael continued to sulk, so Sonny reminded Michael that Sonny was the boss. Michael argued that Sonny needed him while Jason was away.

The argument was cut short when Max returned with Spinelli in tow. Spinelli explained to Sonny that the strong-arm tactics hadn't been necessary, but Sonny just wanted Spinelli to produce the surveillance tapes from the warehouse. Spinelli started to explain why he couldn't give Sonny the coveted tapes, but Sonny ordered Spinelli to get busy on the laptop. Spinelli sat down at the computer, while Sonny turned back to Michael to urge Michael to consider going to Argentina. Michael complained that he didn't have a choice, so Sonny agreed to pretend as if Michael had a choice. Sonny then dismissed Michael, but Michael was determined to stay.

Sonny's attention was snagged by something that he saw on Spinelli's monitor. Spinelli explained that the Internet was a whole new world to him, so he was easily distracted. Sonny's temper rose when he realized that the images on the monitor were not related to Dante's shooting. Spinelli didn't help matters when he invited Sonny to play a game of solitaire. Sonny suggested that Spinelli didn't appreciate the urgency of the situation, and then explained that Dante might have died if Michael hadn't arrived in time. Sonny insisted that he needed to know who had entered the warehouse around the time of Dante's shooting.

Michael pointed out that they already knew that Johnny was responsible for Dante's brush with death, but Sonny reminded Michael that they didn't have any idea if Johnny had had an accomplice, or what had transpired in the warehouse at the time of the shooting. Spinelli assured Sonny that he was doing his best, but Sonny wasn't satisfied; he wanted to know if Spinelli could get the security tapes. "No," Spinelli admitted, and then explained that computers were a mystery to him. "Good day," Spinelli said as he boldly walked out. Frustrated, Sonny ordered Max to go after Spinelli. After Max left, Michael assured his father that they didn't need the tapes.

Michael insisted that he had been at the warehouse prior to the wedding, so he knew exactly who had been there. Sonny argued that Michael hadn't there for the crucial hour when Dante had been shot, so they wouldn't know what had happened until they reviewed the security tapes. "Thanks to Michael, it wasn't hard to piece together," Shawn said as he suddenly appeared in the doorway. Shawn revealed that Michael had noticed that something had been off at the warehouse, which had led Shawn to discover that seven bags of uncut hydrocodone had been planted in Sonny's legitimate business. Sonny was more certain that ever that the Zaccharas were behind the shooting. Shawn agreed; he suspected that Dante had walked in on the operation.

Sonny wondered where the bags of uncut hydrocodone were, but Shawn was reluctant to discuss it in front of Michael. Michael resented being excluded, but Sonny agreed with Shawn. However, Sonny was curious how Shawn had kept the police from discovering the drugs. Shawn revealed that he had rigged a makeshift bomb to divert the police. However, Shawn refused to elaborate because of Michael. Michael reminded both men that they wouldn't have found the drugs without Michael's help, but Sonny and Shawn were unmoved.

Shawn suggested that it would be better for Michael to have deniability if the cops questioned Michael. Sonny insisted that he didn't want Michael to be involved, but Michael argued that Sonny would be in jail if Michael hadn't gotten involved. Michael proudly pointed out that his first instinct had been to call Max, but Sonny argued that Michael had been willing to let Dante bleed so that Sonny wouldn't go to prison. "But Dante is fine," Michael responded. "What if it had gone the other way? Would you be able to live with yourself if your brother had died because you didn't get him any help?" Sonny asked. Sonny insisted that Michael had to think before he acted, and then admitted that bad things always happened when Sonny acted on impulse.

Sonny didn't want Michael to go down the same road that Sonny had gone down. Michael tried to deflect by reminding Sonny that they didn't know Shawn, but Sonny insisted that Michael wasn't listening because it wasn't about trusting Shawn. Michael disagreed; he resented that Shawn seemed to deserve Sonny's trust, while Michael apparently didn't. Michael spitefully invited Shawn to tell Sonny about what Shawn had been doing with Carly at the warehouse while Carly and Shawn had been locked in the panic room.

At Dante's loft, Lulu sipped on a drink while she sat on the sofa and stared at her discarded gown. Later, someone knocked on the door, but Lulu refused to leave the couch. Eventually, Olivia let herself into the apartment, and then stopped short when she saw Lulu lying on the sofa. Olivia explained that she was there to pick some things up for Dante, but Lulu barely acknowledged Olivia. Olivia thought that a shower might make Lulu feel better, so she gently urged Lulu to give it a try. Lulu slowly stood up, and then went to the bathroom.

Olivia picked up Lulu's gown, and then dropped it in the clothes hamper. Afterwards, Olivia cleaned up. Lulu seemed to be in a better frame of mind when she returned to the living room a short time later. Olivia took the opportunity to assure Lulu that Dante loved Lulu deeply, because Lulu was the only woman that he had ever considered proposing to. Olivia admitted that she was delighted that Lulu would soon be her daughter-in-law. Olivia was confident that Dante would recover quickly, because he would want to get married as soon as possible. Olivia then suggested that she and Lulu head to the hospital before Dante woke up.

Lulu warned Olivia that Dante would be out of it, because of the pain medication. Olivia was certain that Dante would know if they were there, regardless of how "high" he was. At the door, Olivia glanced back to see Lulu's engagement ring, in the box, on the table. According to Olivia, it wouldn't be a proper engagement without the ring, so Olivia quickly fetched it, and then left with Lulu.

At the hospital, Dante's breathing was labored, as he mumbled that he'd recognize "that scent anywhere." Dante's smile disappeared as he opened his eyes and saw a policewoman standing near his bed. The policewoman realized that Dante had been expecting someone else. She explained that she had a few questions for him about the shooting. Dante realized that Mac had sent the policewoman because Mac had hoped that Dante would be less likely to put up walls with her. The policewoman wondered what Dante had been doing at his father's warehouse.

Dante explained that he had been working. The policewoman pointed out that he hadn't been on duty. Dante ignored the remark as he revealed that the warehouse had been dark when he had gone inside. He recalled hearing a noise, as if someone where running away, and then a gunshot. According to Dante, the next thing that he recalled was lying on the ground. Dante realized that it sounded as if he were protecting someone.

The policewoman assured Dante that her job was to gather the facts, not to make assumptions. However, she reminded Dante that he had protected Sonny in the past. Dante was impressed that she had done her homework. The questioning was cut short when Steve entered the room, and then informed the officer that Dante wasn't in any shape to answer questions. The policewoman agreed to leave, but she promised to return with more questions. She advised Dante to lose his air of challenge, so Dante agreed, if she promised to lose the perfume.

After an examination, Steve revealed that Dante didn't have any sign of an infection; however, it would take time for Dante to heal. Dante assured Steve that he knew what was important. "Didn't need a bullet to remind me," Dante added. Shortly afterwards, Olivia and Lulu arrived. Olivia decided to give Lulu and Dante some time alone, even though Dante was asleep, so she followed Steve into the hallway. Steve wondered how Olivia was holding up.

Olivia recalled how upset she had been when Dante had decided to become a police officer. Steve reminded her that it was better than having Dante follow in Sonny's footsteps, but Olivia disagreed. Olivia pointed out that, at the end of the day, Dante wasn't any safer. Olivia explained that signing up to be with a police officer was a difficult life because one never knew if their loved one would be killed in the line of duty. Meanwhile, Lulu held Dante's hand as she watched him sleep. Eventually, Dante opened his eyes.

Dante smiled as he looked up at Lulu. He admitted that he was not a patient man, so he wanted to know if she would finally give him the answer that he had been waiting for.

At the spa, Tracy complained about the new age music that had been piped into her room. Tracy ordered a staff member to turn it off, and then fetch her masseuse, Raul. The lady explained that Raul had called in sick, but they had a new therapist available. The staff member started to sing the praises of their new therapist, but Tracy wasn't interested in hearing the woman's employment history, so she shooed the staff member away with instructions to send in the therapist. Tracy was stretched out on the table when she heard the door open. Tracy's complaints about the music, which continued to play softly in the background, died on her lips when Alice greeted her boss.

Tracy bolted upright to stare at her maid. Alice explained that wrestling hadn't paid well, so Alice had decided to become a licensed massage therapist. Tracy insisted that it was unseemly to have her maid massage her, so she refused to let Alice touch her. Tracy continued to screech at Alice, so Alice pointed to the sign that read, "Quiet Zone." Alice threatened to put Tracy in a "sleeper hold" if Tracy didn't lower her voice. Tracy made it clear that she wanted someone else to give her a massage, so Alice left.

Tracy lay back down on the massage table to wait for another therapist to arrive. Her hopes were dashed when Anthony slipped into the room. Tracy demanded to know what Anthony was doing there, so he explained that he had been in the room next door when he had heard Tracy screaming. Tracy decided to leave, but Anthony blocked her exit. Anthony explained that their relationship had gone past the honeymoon stage, and into the "give and take" period. "And guess who's about to receive?" Anthony asked.

Tracy boldly reminded Anthony that she wasn't the only person with skeletons in her closet, but Anthony argued that he had kept his skeletons in line. He was confident that she would do just about anything to keep Edward from finding out that she had made off with millions of dollars in dirty mob money, which she had then used to resuscitate ELQ. Tracy conceded that Anthony had made his point, so Anthony agreed to keep her secret in exchange for a "night of passion," and the morning after. Anthony assured her that he would let her know when and where. Tracy looked disgusted when Anthony warned her that he liked to cuddle, and then left.

Tracy returned to the table to wait for her masseuse to arrive. Moments later, the door opened, and a man entered the room. Tracy was impressed when he seemed to find the most painful knot in her neck. "I know your sweet spot, Spanky Buns," Luke purred. Tracy's jaw dropped as she lifted her head.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

by Elisabeth

At the spa, Tracy angrily ordered her husband to leave, but Luke refused to budge, so Tracy scooped up a hot therapeutic rock and then dumped it down the front of Luke's shirt. Luke quickly dug the rock out of his shirt, and then accused Tracy of potentially damaging his "goods" if the rock had slid any lower. Tracy demanded to know what Luke was doing there, so Luke revealed that he had stopped drinking. Tracy was skeptical, but Luke assured her that he had been sober for a month. Tracy quickly fished a flask out of Luke's pocket to confront him with the evidence.

Luke admitted that the flask was full of scotch, but he explained that he carried it as a test. Luke then invited Tracy to check out his physique, which he believed was proof of his claim that he had stopped drinking. Tracy told Luke that he looked the same, but she conceded that he smelled less like booze, and more like dust. "Some welcome," Luke grumbled. Tracy advised Luke not to hold his breath if he were expecting his family to throw him a welcome home parade. Luke realized that Tracy had more to say, so he invited her to speak her mind.

Tracy was furious with how Luke had treated Lucky when Lucky had gone looking for Luke. Luke explained that he had thought it would be best to push Lucky away. Tracy insisted that Luke had been in denial that alcohol had played a role in the accident that had claimed Jake's life. "In my current freakishly lucid state, I'm well aware of the damage that I've done," Luke shot back. Luke claimed that he was ready to deal with his wrongs, but he expected some "wifely support" from Tracy. Tracy revealed that she had nothing left to give him.

Luke suggested that, if he were a different man, he might suspect that someone else had taken his place in Tracy's heart. Tracy burst out laughing, because she couldn't imagine finding someone as "debauched, conniving, and self-centered" as Luke to fill the void that he had left. Tracy warned Luke that if he expected them to bathe in the golden glow of his presence, then he had a problem, because he had chosen to take the nuclear option to destroy every connection to everyone in his life. According to Tracy, he couldn't return home. Luke suggested that it sounded like a challenge, but Tracy insisted that there was no place for him in her life, or his children's lives. Tracy explained that Lulu had been so desperate to have Luke's love and approval, that it had nearly cost her Dante.

Luke was surprised that Tracy had jumped on the Dante bandwagon, but Tracy warned Luke to leave Lulu alone. Tracy then revealed that she didn't intend to tell any of his children that he had returned, because she didn't trust Luke to stick around. Luke realized that he had some groveling to do, but he was confident that his marriage wasn't beyond repair, because Tracy hadn't divorced him. Tracy advised Luke to check his mailbox. Luke reminded his wife that he still knew her "sweet spot," but Tracy replied, "No, you don't." Luke simply smiled, and then left.

At the Zacchara penthouse, Johnny was on the phone with a man named Fisk, demanding an update on the search for Skye. Fisk didn't have anything to report, so Johnny instructed Fisk to call the moment that Skye was located. Anthony accused Johnny of trying to gain some leverage over him, but Anthony was not concerned about Skye talking. Anthony insisted that Skye was too smart to use what she thought she had on Anthony. Johnny suspected that Anthony had done something to Skye, but Anthony assured him that Skye was as beautiful as a butterfly, so Anthony had let her spread her wings to fly away. However, Anthony warned Johnny to leave it alone.

Anthony then shifted gears to admit that he knew that Johnny was still concerned about the problem at Sonny's warehouse. Johnny reminded his father that Anthony had shot Sonny's son, who was also a police officer, in the back. Johnny insisted that Anthony had made the mess, so Anthony should answer for it. Anthony argued that he had saved Kristina by calling for help when she had collapsed on the waterfront. Johnny explained that helping Kristina didn't make up for nearly killing Dante. Anthony ignored the remark as he sifted through a batch of keys.

Johnny wondered what his father was up to, so Anthony cryptically explained that he had a life. Anthony smiled victoriously when he found a keycard to a room at Metro Court hotel. Anthony suggested that Johnny find a good woman, if Johnny were truly seeking some balance in his life. Johnny wanted answers about the shooting, so Anthony admitted that he hadn't known that it was Dante when Anthony had fired his gun. However, Anthony assured Johnny that he wouldn't have done anything differently if he had known, because Anthony had acted in defense of his son. Anthony then reminded Johnny that it had been Johnny's idea to plant the drugs in Sonny's warehouse, so Johnny only had himself to blame. Anthony was ready to put the incident behind him, so he advised Johnny to do the same, and then left.

At the spa, Tracy was deep in thought when she heard someone open the door, and then enter. Tracy assumed that Luke had returned, but it was Anthony. Tracy told Anthony that she wasn't in the mood to deal with him, so Anthony invited her to tell him what was troubling her. Tracy revealed that Luke had returned. Anthony thought that Luke had "some cajones."

Tracy admitted that, despite everything, she loved her husband, so she wanted to work on saving her marriage. She refused to risk it by sleeping with Anthony. Anthony warned Tracy that he still wanted a night of passion with her, in exchange for his silence. He revealed that he had the honeymoon suite at Metro Court reserved for them. Tracy and Anthony were unaware that Luke lurked nearby, eavesdropping on their conversation.

Outside of Kelly's, Ronnie and Officer Padilla approached Abby's table. Ronnie asked the new policewoman to fetch him a cup of coffee as he sat down to talk to Abby. Officer Padilla didn't appear happy about the errand, but she left without comment. Abby was curious if she would need an attorney, so Ronnie asked if she had something to hide. Abby reminded Ronnie that he had been known to be wrong before, but Ronnie ignored the remark as he confessed that something didn't add up about Abby's story of finding Dante.

Ronnie questioned why Michael, an ex-con, would be managing Sonny's coffee warehouse, and working with a security guy who could make a bomb in a short time. Abby was curious what Ronnie was getting at, so Ronnie suggested that Abby was in a perfect position to hear lots of interesting things. Abby insisted that she didn't know anything. Ronnie reminded Abby of her days as a stripper named Candy. He warned her that her free ride would soon end, so she might need someone like him in her corner. Ronnie advised Abby to cooperate, but Abby continued to stick to her story that she and Carly had found Dante bleeding in the warehouse, and that Michael had arrived moments later. Ronnie wondered where Michael had gone when he had left the warehouse, so Abby suggested that Ronnie talk to Michael.

Ronnie accused Abby of being well trained. He advised her to waive some of her rights, if she truly cared about Michael, because they both knew what happened to Sonny's children when they relied on their father. Moments later, Officer Padilla returned with the coffee. Ronnie suggested that Abby think things over, and then left. Abby called Michael, but reached his voicemail. She asked Michael to return her call just as Johnny walked up. Johnny sat down at her table, but she explained that she had to get to a meeting.

Johnny sensed that something was wrong, because Abby refused to look him in the eye. He wondered if she suspected him of shooting Dante. Abby didn't answer, so Johnny reminded her that he had always been straight with her. Abby agreed, so she admitted that she was worried about Michael. Abby warned Johnny to be careful because Michael was upset about Dante's shooting. According to Abby, Michael tended to react without thinking.

Johnny tried to find out what Abby knew, but she asked him to forget that she had mentioned anything. Johnny quickly determined that Sonny's desire to keep the peace hadn't been sincere. Abby became nervous, but Johnny assured her that he didn't want her involved any more than she already was. Abby regretted that she had said anything, but Johnny insisted that she had nothing to worry about. Johnny explained that she had given him the opportunity to be prepared, and to take steps to protect her and Michael. Abby wanted to believe that Johnny was being sincere.

Later, Johnny met with his associate, Fisk. Johnny revealed that Sonny's talk of peace had been a lie, so Johnny instructed Fisk to make certain that Michael stayed out of the picture. Fisk wondered about Sonny, so Johnny promised to handle Sonny.

At Pozzulo's, Michael revealed that he had walked in on Carly and Shawn at the warehouse. According to Michael, Carly and Shawn had been "all hot and sweaty." Sonny turned to Shawn for confirmation, so Shawn admitted that he hadn't seen Michael. Sonny noticed that Shawn hadn't denied anything, so Michael accused Shawn of "hooking up" with Carly not far from where Dante had been shot. Carly entered the office in time to hear her son's remark.

Carly assured her ex-husband that she would be more than happy to clear things up. Shawn insisted that he had been about to explain what had transpired at the warehouse, but he had been reluctant to do so in front of Michael. Frustrated, Michael insisted that he wasn't a ten-year old boy, so it wasn't as if he didn't know that his mother had sex. "Watch it," Carly warned her son. Sonny advised Carly and Shawn to be more discreet the next time. Carly refused to discuss it in front of Michael, so she asked her son to leave.

After Michael left, Carly made it clear that her sex life wasn't any of Sonny's business. Sonny suggested that Shawn shouldn't have mixed business with pleasure, so Shawn clarified that he hadn't slept with Carly. Carly and Sonny ignored Shawn as they continued to bicker. Sonny accused Carly of sleeping with Shawn to make a point, while Carly argued that Sonny was delusional. Eventually, Shawn raised his voice to get their attention, and then calmly explained to Sonny that bags of uncut hydrocodone had been planted in the warehouse. Shawn and Carly had hidden the bags in the air vent before the police could discover the drugs.

Shawn explained that they had used the cover of having sex to keep the police from realizing what they had really been doing in the panic room. Sonny was curious how Shawn and Carly had gotten out of the panic room, so Carly smiled suggestively as she revealed that she had found herself pressed up against the button. Shawn rolled his eyes, but focused on the immediate problem by pointing out that the drugs had to be moved before the police returned. Sonny insisted that Shawn wouldn't be doing anything. "You're fired," Sonny added for clarification. Shawn patiently reminded Sonny that only Jason could fire him, but Sonny argued that Sonny was the head of the organization, so it was Sonny's decision to make.

Carly was livid. She defended Shawn, and then reminded Sonny that Shawn had saved Sonny and Michael by stashing the drugs. Sonny insisted that he couldn't trust Shawn, because Shawn had originally worked for Theo Hoffman. Carly continued to argue with Sonny about Shawn's loyalty, prompting Sonny to speculate that Shawn was good in bed for Carly to fight so hard for Shawn. "Go to hell," Carly told Sonny. Sonny smiled indulgently as he accused Shawn of working Carly.

Carly insisted that Shawn had proven himself, and then reminded Sonny that Jason had handpicked Shawn. Shawn grew tired of their argument, so he offered his services, if Sonny changed his mind, and then left. Carly called out to Shawn as she followed him into the restaurant. She noticed that Shawn had worked hard to deny that he had slept with her, so Shawn explained that he wasn't interested in getting sucked into whatever game Carly and Sonny were playing. Carly respected that, but she resented that Shawn had to make it sound as if sleeping with her would have been a fate worse than death. Shawn rolled his eyes, and then asked her what she was looking for.

Carly suggested that Shawn could have acted like she was an attractive woman. Shawn didn't see the point, since most attractive women knew that they were beautiful. Carly wondered if Shawn would sleep with her if their situation were different. Shawn was curious if that were a proposition, so Carly clarified that it was just a question. Shawn drew closer for a moment, and then abruptly left. "And that's what I thought," Carly said with a satisfied smile.

Michael called Bernie to find out if Jason had a backup plan, in the event that things didn't work out with Shawn. Afterwards, Michael returned to his father's office. Michael claimed that he would understand if something were going on at the warehouse that Sonny didn't want Michael to know about; however, Michael wanted Sonny to at least give him credit for figuring out that something had been off with the inventory. Sonny praised Michael, but insisted that Michael needed to take some time off, so that Sonny could handle the situation. Michael reluctantly agreed, but he revealed that he had information that might confirm who had been responsible for what had happened at the warehouse. According to Michael, people always talked about the drugs that went through "our territory."

Michael was confident that most of "our men" thought that the Zaccharas were behind the drugs that had been planted at the warehouse. Sonny insisted that was the reason that he needed Michael to leave. Sonny knew that Johnny had been responsible for the drugs at the warehouse. Sonny conceded that Johnny might not have pulled the trigger; however, Johnny was the reason that Dante was in the hospital. According to Sonny, things like that had to be answered for.

At the hospital, Dante appreciated that Lulu wanted everything to be perfect, as did he, but he was desperate to know what her answer to his marriage proposal was. Before Lulu could reply, Dante once again proposed marriage to Lulu. However, the alarms on the monitors went off as Dante's breathing became more labored as he spoke. Dante lost consciousness as Steve raced into the room with Olivia and a nurse trailing behind him. Lulu was distraught as Steve asked Olivia and Lulu to step out of the room.

In the hallway, Olivia comforted Lulu by promising her that Dante would be fine. Olivia assured Lulu that Lulu and Dante would live a long and happy life together. Lulu was curious if Olivia had ever regretted that Dante had become a police officer. Olivia insisted that she was proud of her son, but she was concerned that Dante would be more determined than ever to take Sonny down. Olivia reminded Lulu of Dante's mentor, Lieutenant Poletti, who had kept Dante from following in Sonny's footsteps.

Olivia confessed that the irony was that Lieutenant Poletti had been killed on Sonny's orders. Lulu warned Olivia that she couldn't change Dante, so Olivia assured Lulu that she didn't want Dante to change. Moments later, Steve reported that Dante was stable, so Lulu quickly returned to Dante's bedside. Lulu admitted that she had been terrified, so Dante confided that he had been scared, too, because it felt as if his proposal had been hanging in the air for days. Dante couldn't promise Lulu that bad things wouldn't happen, but he vowed that he would always love her. Lulu finally agreed to marry Dante, but only if he promised to take the time to recover properly.

Dante was elated, so he asked Lulu to give him the engagement ring, so that he could put it on her finger. Afterwards, Lulu fetched Olivia. Olivia was overjoyed when Dante and Lulu confirmed that they were officially engaged. However, Olivia was startled when they revealed that they had decided to keep quiet about the engagement until Dante had recovered. Olivia assured them that she was proud of the commitment that they had made to each other, so Lulu decided to fetch some insurance papers that the hospital had been asking for. After Lulu left, Dante confided that he and Lulu had told each other countless times that they had loved each other, but it hadn't felt real until Lulu had agreed to marry him.

In the hallway, Lulu seemed troubled. A short time later, Lulu arrived at the loft. She went to the refrigerator to grab a bottle of wine. Lulu poured herself a drink, and then made her way to the bedroom, where she spotted the gown that Olivia had put in the hamper. Lulu pulled the gown out of the hamper, downed her glass of wine, and then took off her engagement ring. Afterwards, Lulu picked up Dante's shirt, held it to her face as she breathed deeply, and then lay down on the bed.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

by Elisabeth

At Lucky's apartment, Lucky stared at the envelope that Siobhan had addressed to him, but he was reluctant to open it. Moments later, Ethan knocked on the door. Lucky was surprised when his brother showed him the damaged portrait of Laura. Lucky wanted to know where Ethan had gotten the painting, but Ethan explained that it was a long story. Ethan recalled that the last time that he had seen Lucky, Lucky had been locked in an epic battle with Lucky's demons, so Ethan was curious who had won. Lucky revealed that the pills were still on the floor, if that answered Ethan's question.

Ethan suggested that they toss the pills, but Lucky wanted them to stay where they were until Lucky no longer had an impulse to check to see if they were still there. Ethan decided to drop it, so Lucky returned to the topic of the painting. Ethan revealed that he had gone to Wyndemere, because his interest had been piqued after his talk with Lucky. Lucky was curious if anyone had been in residence, so Ethan admitted that Helena had been skulking around the castle. Ethan explained that Helena had been looking for something that she had misplaced. "Her soul?" Lucky wondered.

Ethan chuckled, and then revealed that Helena had seemed genuinely disappointed that she hadn't found what she had been searching for. Lucky feared that Ethan and Helena had bonded during their chat, but Ethan quickly eased his brother's mind by revealing that Helena had whacked Ethan over the head, and then held a knife to his throat. Ethan explained that Helena had decided that it was time for the Spencers to learn a lesson about trespassing. Lucky was horrified when Ethan confessed that Helena had also tried to seduce him. Ethan quickly explained that she had been hoping to make Ethan uncomfortable. According to Ethan, it had worked.

Ethan admitted that he had asked Helena about Laura. Lucky was certain that Helena had blamed Laura for Stavros' and Stefan's deaths. Ethan nodded, and then revealed that Helena had given him a dagger to fight off the ghosts lurking in the castle. Lucky was surprised when Ethan confided that Helena had warned Ethan that there were things in the castle that even she feared. Ethan explained that he had heard strange noises after Helena had left, so Lucky suggested that Helena had been responsible for them. The conversation then drifted to Luke when Ethan told Lucky about Helena's last encounter with their father.

Lucky was curious if Helena knew where Luke was. Ethan wondered if Lucky cared. Lucky explained that he had stopped caring about Luke when Luke had confessed that running over Jake had been liberating. Ethan was certain that Luke hadn't meant it, but Lucky quickly steered the conversation back to Wyndemere. Ethan revealed that he had been lured into the secret tunnels by an unknown entity, but nothing had been amiss until Ethan had returned to the room where he had entered the passageway. Ethan had noticed that someone had taken a glove that Ethan had left on the table.

Lucky dismissed it as one of Helena's pranks, and then suggested that she had also damaged Laura's portrait. Ethan wanted to call Lulu, so that she could see the painting, but Lucky didn't think that it was a good idea. Lucky explained that Lulu was mad at him, and then quickly filled Ethan in on what had transpired at the hospital. Ethan suspected that Lulu had been terrified for Dante, so she had lashed out at someone safe. Lucky regretted that he had unloaded on his sister, instead of supporting her. Ethan reminded Lucky that Lulu was strong, so he was confident that Lulu would be fine.

Lucky argued that Lulu was too much like Laura; she held everything in until her entire world crumbled. Ethan assured Lucky that, at the end of the day, Lulu loved Lucky. Lucky admitted that Lulu had been right to blame him, because Lucky had let Dante, and everyone else, down. Ethan warned Lucky not to lump Jake into that category, because Jake's death had been a tragedy that no one could have prevented. "And Siobhan?" Lucky wondered. Lucky showed Ethan the envelope that Siobhan had left, and then explained that he couldn't open it, because it would mean that Siobhan was really gone.

Ethan urged Lucky to open it, because Ethan believed that it might help Lucky to move on. Ethan then collected the painting, promised to show it to Lulu, and then get it repaired. After Ethan left, Lucky opened the envelope.

At the loft, Lulu was asleep in bed when someone knocked on the front door. Lulu stumbled to the door, and then opened it. Officer Padilla introduced herself, and then explained that she had some questions for Lulu about Dante's shooting. Officer Padilla suggested that Lulu might have seen or overheard something in the days leading up to the shooting that might be helpful. Officer Padilla realized that Lulu was more than Dante's girlfriend when she spotted the engagement ring on the table. Lulu confessed that Dante had proposed to her on the day of the shooting.

Officer Padilla explained that they were trying to figure out if Dante had walked in on something that he shouldn't have, or if he had been targeted. Lulu was surprised by the suggestion that Dante had been deliberately shot. Officer Padilla explained that it might have been an undercover situation that had gone wrong. Lulu admitted that Dante didn't confide to her about his work, because he wanted to protect her. Officer Padilla thought that it was wise, so Lulu asked if the policewoman were married. "Yes," Officer Padilla replied.

Lulu was curious how Officer Padilla's husband felt about his wife's job, but the policewoman tactfully evaded the question by announcing that she had to leave. Lulu explained that she had to get to the hospital, so Officer Padilla offered Lulu a ride, which Lulu quickly accepted. As the policewoman turned to leave, Lulu slid the engagement ring off, and then followed Officer Padilla to the car.

At the hospital, Mac paid Dante a visit. Dante revealed that he was eager to get out of the hospital, so that he could find the shooter. Mac insisted that Dante focus on his recovery, because Mac couldn't afford to be down two police officers. Dante wondered what Mac was talking about, so Mac revealed that Lucky had turned in his badge. Mac was tempted to ask for Dante's badge, because Dante had gone to the warehouse without authorization. Dante refused to apologize; he was certain that Mac had been at the wedding for the same reason that Dante had been checking out the warehouse.

Mac didn't deny it, but he ordered Dante to focus on his recovery, because Mac had men working on the shooting. Dante revealed that nothing had been out of place at the warehouse, so it was clear that theft hadn't been the motive. Mac explained that the person who had shot Dante had left a bomb behind. Shortly after Mac left, Lulu arrived. Dante confessed that he'd had a cheesy dream about their wedding, so he wondered if Lulu had picked out a date. Lulu wanted Dante to recover before they started making wedding plans.

Dante assured Lulu that he would be back home, and on the job, in no time. He then noticed Officer Padilla in the hallway, so he asked Lulu to fetch the policewoman. Dante explained that Mac had been stonewalling him about the investigation, so Dante wanted see what Officer Padilla knew. Lulu insisted that the police department was his job, not his life. She ordered Dante to focus on his recuperation, not the investigation. Dante admitted that Mac had said the same thing.

Dante then revealed that Mac had mentioned Lucky's resignation from the police department. Lulu insisted that Lucky was fine, which raised concerns with Dante. Lulu reluctantly admitted that she'd had a disagreement with her brother, but she refused to elaborate. Dante insisted that Lulu and Lucky needed each other, but Lulu argued that Dante wouldn't have been shot if Lucky had been with him. Dante insisted that Lucky wasn't to blame for what had happened; the shooter was. Lulu wondered what had happened at the warehouse, so Dante explained that it had been too dark to see who had shot him.

According to Dante, he recalled being shot, falling to the ground, and then waking up in the hospital to see Lulu standing over him. Lulu crawled into bed with Dante, and then rested her head on his chest. She confessed that she had been terrified when she had learned that he had nearly bled to death. Dante assured her that he was okay, and then reiterated that it hadn't been Lucky's fault. Dante revealed that Lucky blamed himself for what had happened to Siobhan, so Dante didn't want Lucky taking on the responsibility for the shooting. Lulu insisted that Lucky had been wrong about a lot of things, but Dante urged her to work things out with Lucky.

Lulu admitted that she had told Lucky that Lucky should have been the one in the hospital bed, not Dante. Dante was certain that Lucky would forgive her. Lulu insisted that she was too upset to talk about it, so Dante decided to let the matter drop. Lulu stood up, poured Dante a cup of water, and then handed it to Dante. Dante noticed that she wasn't wearing her engagement ring, so he asked her where it was.

Spinelli went to Sonny's warehouse at Michael's request. Michael wanted to review the surveillance footage from the night of Dante's shooting. Spinelli started to explain why he couldn't accommodate Michael, but Michael cut Spinelli off. According to Michael, Jason had told him all about Spinelli's network of cameras around all of Sonny's properties, so Michael demanded that Spinelli produce the security footage immediately. Michael refused to take no for an answer, so Spinelli sat down at the laptop. Michael stepped away when Abby entered the warehouse.

Meanwhile, Spinelli was startled when he noticed the date on the laptop, so he quickly closed it, stood up, and then explained that he had to leave. Michael was frustrated, but he ordered Spinelli to turn over the security tapes as soon as possible. After Spinelli left, Abby wondered why Michael was working, instead of taking a few days off as Sonny had ordered. Michael claimed that it would have looked suspicious, but Abby argued that there had been a reason that Sonny had insisted that Michael take time off. Michael told Abby about the bags of hydrocodone that had been planted in the warehouse. Seconds later, Ronnie strolled in.

Ronnie invited Michael to keep talking, because their conversation had sounded interesting, but Michael relaxed when it became clear that Ronnie hadn't overheard him talking about the bags of uncut drugs. Ronnie explained that he wanted to know the truth about the night of Dante's shooting, but Michael insisted that he had told Ronnie everything. Michael suggested that Ronnie talk to Michael's lawyer if Ronnie had any more questions. "Spoken like a true Corinthos," Ronnie groused. Ronnie wondered if Abby had anything to add to her statement, so Michael explained that Abby had already given her statement. Michael threatened to have Ronnie slapped with a lawsuit if Ronnie continued to harass Abby.

Ronnie reminded Michael that he was investigating Michael's brother's shooting, but Michael accused Ronnie of using strong-arm tactics on Abby to force her to change her story. Ronnie suggested that the best way for Michael to protect Abby was to let her off the hook, so that she could tell the police what had really happened. Michael refused to back down, so Ronnie began searching the warehouse. Michael warned Ronnie not to damage the merchandise, so Ronnie admitted that their stories didn't add up. Ronnie urged Michael to cooperate because, despite what Michael had been taught, the police were not the enemy. Michael snidely suggested that Ronnie do his job by finding the shooter.

Ronnie warned Michael that Michael would lose if Michael continued to play games with him. Michael insisted that he was responsible for his own actions, but Ronnie disagreed. Ronnie insisted that Sonny was responsible, so he urged Michael not to take the fall for his father.

Maxie was on the phone with Kate, discussing a photo shoot. Maxie assured Kate that everything was in order, and then promised to be at the shoot. After Maxie ended the call, she glanced at a picture of her cousin, BJ. Maxie's eyes filled with tears as she acknowledged that she had time to do the things that she wanted to do because BJ had given Maxie the gift of life.

At the nurses' station, Liz referred to Matt as a superstar as she wondered how he was doing. Matt didn't think that his accomplishment had been a big deal, but Liz reminded him that few doctors were published. Matt confessed that he didn't know why he felt disappointed; he realized that it should be about the research and helping patients, not accolades. Liz assured Matt that his friends and family were proud of him, even if they couldn't find the words to properly express it. Liz was surprised when Matt admitted that he wished that his mother were around, because he was certain that she would have been proud of him. Liz didn't want to pry, but she was curious why Matt never talked about her.

Matt assured Liz that he didn't mind her asking, and then revealed that his mother had passed away after childbirth. Matt explained that his mother had needed to have a hysterectomy following the birth of a stillborn child. According to Matt, his mother had been given diluted doses of the wrong medication, which had led to fatal blood clots. Liz realized that Matt had helped Lucky with his investigation, because it had been reminiscent of how Matt's mother had died. She offered Matt her condolences, but he assured her that he'd had time to adjust, because it had happened long before. Matt admitted that his mother's death had been the reason that he had gotten into medicine.

Liz knew that Matt and Patrick had different mothers, but she wondered if Matt had ever discussed what had happened with Patrick. Matt revealed that Liz had been the first person to ever ask him about his mother. He doubted that his brother was interested, but Liz suggested that perhaps Patrick simply didn't know how to broach the subject. Liz explained that half of the staff avoided her, because they were afraid to mention Jake's name. Matt smiled when Liz promised him that his mother was proud of him and his accomplishments. Matt thanked her, revealed that he had an important errand, and then left.

Moments later, Maxie walked up to the nurses' station, looking for Matt. Liz explained that Matt had stepped away to do something important. Maxie revealed that she intended to throw Matt a party to celebrate the publication of his research paper. Liz wondered if the party was to celebrate Matt's accomplishment, or to make up for Maxie not noticing that he had been doing groundbreaking research. Maxie resented Liz's implication that Maxie was a bad girlfriend. "If the shoe fits," Liz replied without apology.

Maxie insisted that Matt appreciated the space that Maxie gave him, and that they didn't need to tell each other every little thing. "Little thing?" Liz asked. Maxie conceded that the research paper had become a "big thing," but Maxie explained that it was partly due to Maxie giving Matt the space to get the work done. Maxie bragged that she was a woman who stood behind a man, not some "clingy needy albatross." Liz wasn't surprised that Maxie would say anything to make herself look good, but Maxie argued that it didn't matter what Liz thought, as long as Matt got it. Liz advised Maxie to make the celebration about Matt, "for once."

Maxie didn't have an opportunity to respond, because Mac walked up. Liz turned away as Mac asked if Maxie had received his message. Maxie explained that she had been busy with work, and planning a party for Robin. Mac assured her that it was okay; he knew the significance of the date. Maxie and Mac went to the hospital's rooftop to talk about BJ's birthday. Maxie confided that she remembered BJ perfectly.

Mac smiled as he recalled that BJ had been a happy child. Maxie confessed that she liked to think of BJ getting older every year, and that she was certain that they would have been good friends if BJ had lived. Maxie revealed that there were times that she talked to BJ about her problems, and that BJ always gave her good advice. Mac assured Maxie that it didn't sound crazy. Maxie explained that she had no idea how to make sense of BJ dying so that Maxie could receive BJ's heart. Mac suggested that life was random, but Maxie believed that she was supposed to do something amazing to prove that she was deserving of BJ's heart.

Mac insisted that Maxie deserved it simply for being herself, and for living the best life that she could. Maxie regretted that she couldn't give BJ a present, so Mac told her that remembering BJ in such a beautiful way was a gift. Mac invited Maxie to leave with him, but she wanted to spend a few minutes alone on the rooftop. After Mac left, Maxie looked up at the night sky. Moments later, Spinelli stepped out onto the roof, and then handed Maxie a heart-shaped red balloon. "For Barbara Jean, the girl who saved Maximista," Spinelli said.

Maxie was touched that Spinelli had remembered BJ's birthday. She assured Spinelli that BJ would have liked him, so Spinelli confessed that he felt as if he knew BJ because he had gotten to know her kind and generous heart. Moments later, Matt arrived. Maxie assured Matt that she was thrilled that his research paper would be published, and that she was planning on doing something special for him. Maxie became distracted when she noticed that Matt was holding something. Matt explained that the board had approved a renovation project for the convalescence courtyard, so they had decided to sell commemorative bricks to raise money.

Matt confessed that he had bought the first one, and then had it inscribed. Maxie's eyes filled with tears as she read, "In honor of Barbara Jean Jones." Maxie felt blessed to have such thoughtful men in her life. Matt explained that BJ was the reason that Maxie was there, so he was grateful. Maxie was certain that BJ was smiling down on them. Later, Maxie was once again alone on the rooftop. She let the heart-shaped balloon go, and then stroked the brick as she quietly said, "Happy Birthday, BJ."

Matt returned to the nurses' station, where Liz was working. Matt wondered if she had been outside. He revealed that it was an unbelievably clear night. Liz was happy to see that Matt was in a much better mood, so Matt confessed that he had thought about what she had said earlier. Matt believed that the people who had passed away were still with them, so they just had to be open to their presence. "Like your mom," Liz added. Matt was certain that his mother was proud of him, just as Jake was proud of Liz. Spinelli lurked nearby, watching Matt and Liz.

At the Haunted Star, Luke stashed a gun and his box of cigars in his duffle bag, and then picked up an unopened bottle of scotch. "What the hell was I thinking?" Luke asked himself. Luke decided that there was only one way out for everyone. He contemplated the bottle of booze for a moment, but put it back down. Afterwards, he dug a small leather pouch out of his bag. A short time later, Ethan walked in. "So would this be you coming or going?" Ethan asked his father.

Friday, October 7, 2011

by Marcello Aurelio Lanfranchi

On their honeymoon, Sam and Jason made the best of stormy weather. She challenged him to a surf match on their Wii. A stranger watched them from outside. The rain stopped, so Sam and Jason went to the beach. After they left, the stranger, wearing flip-flops, walked into the house.

Later, Sam and Jason returned, and Jason sloughed off the uneasy feeling that greeted him as merely professional paranoia. Neither he nor Sam noticed the small camera watching their every move.

Michael stormed into Carly's house and berated her for siding with Shawn against Sonny. Shawn arrived and suggested Michael stay away from the warehouse for the time being. Michael left angrily but eavesdropped from the other side of the door. He heard Carly and Shawn discuss the drugs that were in the warehouse and the need to get rid of them. Michael left.

Shawn told Carly he'd decided to leave town once Jason returned. Carly urged him to stay in Port Charles, even if he were to quit working for Sonny. Shawn told her she wouldn't always get her way, and exited.

A package for Josslyn arrived from Jason. Carly was thrilled to find a lei inside the box. Her excitement changed to dread as she read the card included. "For Josslyn, to let you know that I was thinking about you. Aloha, Franco."

Ethan confronted Luke at the Haunted Star and demanded to know if Luke really wanted his children in his life. Ethan surmised that Luke had been keeping tabs on their activities. Luke showed Ethan some precious jewels that Ethan immediately knew were fake. Luke asked Ethan to join him in his latest caper, but Ethan bowed out.

Ethan accused Luke of attempting damage control rather than taking responsibility for his role in Jake's death. Luke explained that he'd gotten clean and sober during his time away. He also admitted that he had been monitoring his kids' lives, which enraged Ethan. "You saw us all going to hell, and you didn't raise a finger," Ethan angrily declared. "It wasn't the right time," replied Luke.

Luke admitted he'd handled things badly. Ethan told him that Lucky and Lulu could not take another letdown. Unless Luke could promise he'd be there to support his family for the long haul, Ethan averred, he should just stay away.

Lulu visited Dante in his hospital room. Lulu begged him to keep the status of their relationship on the downlow to avoid the spectacle it would generate. Dante vowed to find who'd shot him. Lulu expressed her feeling that Dante's shooting was Lucky's fault. Dante made it clear that he'd insisted Lucky stay home that day. Dante pleaded with Lulu to forgive her brother.

Ronnie stopped by, and Lulu left. He vowed to Dante that the Port Charles Police Department would get the persons responsible for Dante's shooting.

At Lucky's loft, Lucky read the letter from Siobhan he'd found. In it, Siobhan admonished Lucky to move forward with his life without regrets. She also suggested that he have faith that magic existed.

Included with the letter were a linen handkerchief, embroidered by Siobhan's grandmother; a rosary that had belonged to Siobhan's great-uncle, who'd died as a child; and a handmade cross. Siobhan's instructions to Lucky were that he visit her home and dip the rosary into a pond during a full moon. She promised that a message would be revealed.

Just as Lucky put the package away, there was a knock on the door. Lucky was surprised to find Luke.