General Hospital Recaps: The week of September 21, 2015 on GH

Michael saved Julian's life and temporarily took Sonny's place as the head of the Corinthos organization. Paul blackmailed Ava. Carly asked Sonny to marry her immediately. Sam confided that a part of her believed that Jason was still alive. Jake and Elizabeth set a wedding date.

It's Just a Shot Away

Monday, September 21, 2015

by Marissa PD

Patrick gushed to Sam that she made him feel like the luckiest man in the world, and he didn't want the feeling to end. "I wanna marry you. I want you to be my wife," he said, much to Sam's shock. He didn't have a ring, but the surprise party in which Sam had included Emma, Danny, and Anna had made him realize that he wanted her "forever."

Sam and Patrick talked about all the people who had talked to them about marriage, including Lucas and Elizabeth. Sam assured him that she was "in this. Why else would I uproot Danny?" He told her that she'd filled a missing void in his life, and she agreed that their life together was "perfect." He thought the fact that they were always "on the same page" was the best feeling in the world. He wondered what her answer to his proposal was, and she hesitated. When he wondered why, she cited Jason as her reason.

Sam apologized for ruining the moment and assured Patrick that he wasn't just a "placeholder" for Jason. She divulged that her and Jason's wedding anniversary was the next day. He apologized and insisted that he completely understood. He wondered what her answer would be if the next day was "just another day." She thought the proposal was too important to answer the question.

Sam appreciated the feeling of permanence that Patrick gave her, but she didn't want to "jinx" anything. She apologized for disappointing him. "Can you see yourself married to me one day?" he wondered. "I can," she responded. "That's all I need to know," he said as he smiled, and he kissed her.

Dillon amazedly told Tracy and Maxie that it seemed like Paul had changed into a "stand-up guy." The three clinked their glasses together, celebrating Paul helping Dillon out. Maxie thought it was lucky that Paul had been able to charm Mayor Lomax into helping Dillon. Tracy commented that she'd never needed to charm anyone and that she'd always gotten the things she'd wanted by herself. "Like Paul?" Maxie suggested.

Maxie insisted that she'd seen sparks between Tracy and Paul, but Tracy maintained that they were friends. She commented that being a "deadbeat dad" hadn't been the only downside to being involved with Paul. Maxie grabbed a chair and asked for the story. Tracy admitted that Paul had been "strong-armed" into getting involved in organized crime.

Tracy refused to trust the wrong man again. Dillon thought that Tracy's caution was wise, but Maxie thought that life was better when shared with another. She'd observed that Tracy always smiled around Paul and advised Tracy to "jump in with both feet." Speaking of Paul, Dillon wondered what was taking his father so long with the mayor. He hoped there were no problems.

"Can I help you?" Ava asked Paul, who she'd found at her doorstep. "No, but I think I can help you," he said, waving the flash drive in front of her face. She tried to grab at it, but he pulled it away. He invited himself into the apartment and made a drink. Ava asked Paul how much he wanted for the recording. He admitted that he didn't want money or sex as Ava had assumed. He wanted power.

Paul continued that he wanted to control Sonny's territory and run the Jerome organization with Ava. She realized that Paul had been the one framing Julian and was the person who had shot Sonny. "Guilty as charged," he admitted. He urged her to work with him. If she declined, he would send her to jail. He continued that he would be a silent partner so that his family could remain "in the dark."

Sonny asked Carly if Michael had found Morgan. She informed him that Michael was still looking but advised Sonny to focus on resting and getting better. Elizabeth entered to check on Sonny. Carly left the room so Elizabeth could examine Sonny. Carly called Michael and was distraught that there was no answer. Jake entered and handed Carly a cup of coffee. He wondered why Carly seemed so upset, and after some prodding, she finally told him about Morgan going after Julian with a gun.

Elizabeth upped Sonny's pain medication in order to help him rest. As Elizabeth was about to finish up, Sonny told her that he was glad she'd gotten her son back. He just wished that Jason was alive to see.

Jake wanted to help look for Morgan, but Carly countered that it wasn't her job. She had faith in Michael to find Morgan. She dreaded what would happen if Morgan killed Julian. She remarked that Morgan wasn't as strong as Michael was to tolerate going to prison. Jake insisted that he was going to find Morgan. As he turned to leave, Elizabeth exited Sonny's room. She announced that Sonny had asked to see Jake.

In the hospital room, Sonny thanked Jake for showing up "right on time. I can always count on you, Jason," Sonny added groggily.

Michael banged on the door of Sam's old apartment, and T.J. answered the door. Michael demanded to know if Morgan or Julian had been there and briefly explained the situation. T.J. thought that Julian deserved whatever beating Morgan gave him. However, Michael disclosed that Morgan had a gun. Michael needed to stop Morgan before there was an even bigger mess to clean up.

T.J. insisted that he hadn't known Morgan had had a gun. T.J. admitted to hearing where Julian and Alexis had gone. However, he rationalized that, while Julian deserved whatever he got, Morgan wouldn't hurt Alexis. Michael cried that Morgan was capable of anything in the "heat of the moment." Michael demanded that T.J. tell him where Julian was before it was too late.

Alexis insisted to Julian that she couldn't stay, and he passionately kissed her. After accusing him of fighting unfairly, she ran to the door. She opened it and said goodbye. Just as she turned to leave, Morgan appeared, pointing a gun toward Julian and Alexis. Morgan demanded that the two go back into the house. Julian pulled his gun on Morgan, who screamed at Julian to put it down. Alexis pleaded with Julian to comply with Morgan, so Julian kicked his gun over.

Julian and Alexis went into the house, followed by Morgan. Julian insisted that he'd had nothing to do with Sonny's shooting, but Morgan accused him of lying. Alexis reasoned that Sonny didn't want any of his children involved in the mob, and he wouldn't want Morgan to hurt anyone. She warned him that, if he pulled the trigger, his life would be ruined, and Sonny would blame himself forever.

Julian again proclaimed his innocence, but Morgan reminded Julian of Charlie's accusations of Julian being his boss. Julian stated that Charlie had lied and suggested that Charlie's real boss had instructed him to accuse Julian. Alexis told Morgan that he couldn't shoot Julian without killing Alexis, too, since she was an eyewitness. Julian told Alexis to stop talking and leave. Morgan told Alexis to hand over her phone and leave.

Julian said that Alexis' daughters would need her. "One of those daughters is yours," she reminded him. She refused to leave, and the two exchanged "I love yous". "Go!" Morgan yelled, cocking the gun. She ran toward the door as Morgan pointed the gun directly at Julian.

As Alexis slammed the door shut and turned around, she ran right into Michael. She blurted out that Mogan had a gun and was ready to kill Julian just as a gunshot rang out from inside the house.

Julian vows to expose Sonny's enemy

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

by Elisabeth

At the Jerome apartment, Paul explained that he wanted Ava to be the figurehead for the Jerome organization while he remained her silent partner. Paul didn't want anyone close to him to find out that he had been responsible for the recent attacks against Sonny and for Sonny's shooting. Ava was surprised when Paul mentioned that he was linked to the Quartermaines through his son Dillon, but Paul shifted the focus of the conversation back to the proposition.

Ava realized that Paul wanted to have his cake and eat it, too, but Paul explained that he had spent a long time building his power base, and he was finally in a position to take Sonny down. Ava was impressed with Paul's aspirations, but she turned him down because she refused to assume all the risks. She pointed out that Sonny wouldn't hesitate to gun for her if he believed that she had made a move against him. Ava also didn't want her brother to think that she had tried to frame Julian for shooting Sonny, but Paul merely smiled because he had done his homework on Ava.

Paul knew that Ava lived life on "the edge of a knife," but Ava suggested he talk to her brother because she had plans to rebuild her life. Paul argued that Julian lacked Ava's instincts, including her ruthless ability to go for the jugular, but Ava wasn't swayed. Paul warned Ava that she wouldn't find a sympathetic judge to grant her custody of Avery because, despite Carly's faults, Carly was considered a far superior mother than someone with Ava's history. Paul offered to help Ava secure custody of Avery, but Ava worried that Ric would use all of his resources as district attorney to help Sonny.

Paul smugly informed Ava that Ric's days as district attorney were over because Ric had dropped the ball with Ava's case. Paul confided that he had history with the mayor, so Lomax wouldn't hesitate to hire him as the new district attorney, since he had once helped Anna and Robert take down a criminal cartel. Paul insisted that he would be in the perfect position to put the pressure on Sonny while deflecting attention away from Ava, so Ava could either work with him or become his first conviction as district attorney. Ava knew she wasn't in a position to argue when he waved around the flash drive with her incriminating confession.

Paul promised to make Ava rich and powerful and to help her secure custody of Avery if she agreed to his offer. Ava relented. Satisfied, Paul assured her that together they would do great things. He promised to be in touch then left. Ava's smile faded as she watched the door close. Later, Ava saw a news report announcing that Paul had been named the new district attorney. "Well, I'll be -- he really did it," Ava quietly said.

At the Quartermaine mansion, Dillon and Maxie went over the director's notes, but Maxie noticed that Dillon's eyes kept straying to the living room door. Dillon admitted that he was anxious for news about Paul's meeting with the mayor. Maxie wondered if Dillon had doubts about Paul's claims regarding the phone call with Mayor Lomax. Dillon reluctantly acknowledged that he didn't fully trust his father, even though on the surface Paul seemed attentive and genuine about wanting to bond with Dillon.

However, Dillon questioned why, if Paul was such a great guy, he hadn't tried to get to know Dillon sooner. Dillon appreciated that Tracy hadn't made things easy by whisking Dillon to Europe to discourage any contact between Dillon and his father, but Maxie admitted that it wasn't an excuse because she had had moved heaven and earth to have a relationship with Georgie during the year that Maxie had been banned from visiting with her daughter Georgie. Dillon pointed out that his father clearly hadn't felt the same desire to be a part of Dillon's life.

Maxie understood Dillon's quandary because she had gone through a similar situation with her own father. Maxie explained that she would always consider Mac to be her father, but she had desperately wanted to matter to her biological father, Frisco. Maxie told Dillon about Frisco's visit to Port Charles during the Nurses Ball when she had finally let go of the anger and the past to give Frisco a chance. Maxie didn't have any regrets because she had seen Frisco in a different light and, as a result, had a better relationship with him because they continued to communicate regularly through text messages when Frisco wasn't deep under cover.

Dillon wondered if Maxie were suggesting that he should be grateful for Paul sticking around or prepare himself for the possibility that his father might vanish from his life again. "Both," Maxie answered. Dillon assured her that he hadn't formed an attachment to Paul, but he couldn't ignore how hard his father had been working to make a good impression. Dillon admitted that he had been pleasantly surprised when Paul hadn't hesitated to hand over the money necessary to keep Dillon's film project going. Maxie thought it had been clever of Paul to appeal to Dillon's vanity by investing in the script, but Dillon was offended by the suggestion that Paul had only done it to get into his son's good graces.

Maxie assured Dillon that she firmly believed in the project, which was why she had agreed to play the role of Marjorie. However, she pointed out that even if Paul hadn't been completely sincere about the script, he had been there for his son and wanted a relationship with Dillon. Dillon confided that he feared it might not last because he had no idea what his father's long-term plans were. Maxie urged Dillon not to let fear hold him back because he might miss out on something special with Paul, but Dillon didn't want to get hurt.

Frustrated, Dillon admitted that life had been far less complicated when Paul had simply been a person that he never saw. Paul suddenly appeared in the doorway. Maxie immediately greeted Dillon's father then asked about the meeting with Mayor Lomax. Paul assured Dillon that there wouldn't be any more red tape to stop the film project then announced that Lomax had hired Paul as the new district attorney.

At the penthouse, T.J. left Morgan a voicemail message explaining that Michael had stopped by looking for Morgan and had mentioned that Morgan had a gun. T.J. begged Morgan to call Michael because T.J. had told Michael where Morgan had gone. After T.J. ended the call, Ric knocked on the door then entered the penthouse. Ric was curious if Molly was home. T.J. revealed that Molly had decided to take a nap because she hadn't been feeling well. Ric picked up on the tension in T.J., so T.J. admitted that he was worried about Molly and the situation between Sonny and Julian.

Ric was disappointed that Alexis had joined herself to the hip of a man who had kidnapped T.J. and put Sonny in the hospital in critical condition. Ric believed that Julian deserved whatever payback was meted out. T.J. regretted not preventing the shooting, but Ric quickly assured T.J. that T.J. was not to blame for what had happened. T.J. carefully suggested that they needed to make certain that it wouldn't happen again, but Ric's eyes narrowed as he asked what T.J. was talking about.

T.J. cryptically explained that steps needed to be taken to stop Julian from getting another chance to kill Sonny. Ric agreed, but reminded T.J. that Alexis was Julian's staunchest defender and would do anything to protect Julian. Ric suspected that Julian had used Alexis' weakness to Julian's advantage, which Ric grumbled was a family trait among the Jeromes. Ric complained about Ava. T.J. tactfully excused himself to fix Molly a sandwich.

Later, Ric was on the phone with the mayor as he denied any responsibility for the missing flash drive with Ava's confession. He reminded Lomax that Scott had been in possession of the critical piece of evidence last, but Lomax was not satisfied. Ric's anger mounted when the mayor said something then abruptly ended the call. T.J. quickly picked up on Ric's fury as T.J. emerged from the kitchen. Ric sarcastically remarked that the past few days had been "delightful" with his brother's shooting, being banned from Sonny's bedside, getting blindsided in court, becoming Scott's scapegoat, his marriage to Nina falling apart, ending up homeless, and losing his job.

"The only thing left is a plague of frogs and locusts," Ric added as he looked up as if expecting something to fall on him. T.J. was shocked that Ric had been fired, but Ric refused to give up without a fight. Ric decided to track down the missing flash drive, but he asked T.J. not to tell Molly about Lomax firing Ric because Ric wanted to be the one to break the news to her. After T.J. agreed, Ric left.

In Sonny's hospital room, Jake approached Sonny's bed as Carly and Elizabeth watched from the doorway. Sonny weakly smiled at Jake as he thanked him for showing up in time. "I could always count on you, Jason," Sonny added with a grin. Carly's expression filled with concern, while Elizabeth tensed. Sonny warned Jake that things would get worse, and Sonny would need his help. Sonny begged "Jason" to protect the family. Jake urged Sonny to relax.

Carly stepped forward to quietly advise Sonny to rest, but he insisted on talking to Jason. Carly carefully explained that Jake was not Jason, but Sonny disagreed. Eventually, Sonny appealed to Elizabeth to tell Carly the truth. Jake and Carly placated Sonny until he settled down then Elizabeth hustled Jake and Carly out of the room. In the hallway, Elizabeth attributed Sonny's comments to the effects of morphine.

Jake regretted that he couldn't help Carly, but Carly insisted that Jake was not to blame for Jason not being there and Sonny getting shot. Elizabeth looked away as guilt crossed her expression, but neither Jake nor Carly noticed. Carly admitted that she and Sonny had usually made it Jason's job to fix everything and to protect their children. Moments later, Sonny called out for Jason again. Everyone rushed back into Sonny's hospital room.

Sonny begged Jake to help Michael find Morgan before Morgan ruined his life. Jake and Carly played along with Sonny until Sonny drifted back to sleep. In the hallway, Elizabeth promised to talk to Patrick about lowering the dose of Sonny's morphine so Sonny wouldn't continue to hallucinate. Jake surprised both Elizabeth and Carly by agreeing to honor Sonny's request. Elizabeth objected, but Carly suggested that Jake start at Alexis' penthouse.

Elizabeth worried that Jake would get hurt, but Carly argued that Jake was a big boy who could take care of himself. Elizabeth reminded Carly that Jake and Elizabeth were engaged to be married and that he would soon be a father to Elizabeth's sons, so what Jake did would affect both Elizabeth and the children. Jake assured Elizabeth that everything would be fine, but Elizabeth begged him to think carefully before rushing off to help Carly and Sonny because the same thing had led to Jason's death.

At the lake house, Alexis was frantic as she stood on the porch while Morgan confronted Julian with a gun inside the living room. Seconds later, Michael approached her. Alexis ran into his arms as she tearfully begged him to stop Morgan from killing Julian. Alexis screamed with terror when a shot rang out. Michael told Alexis to wait then ran to the door and threw it open. "Oh, damn it, no," Michael said when he saw Julian on the floor as Morgan hovered over Julian with a gun aimed at Julian.

Alexis rushed to the doorway, but Morgan warned her to stay back. Michael asked if Julian was dead. "Not yet," Morgan answered as Julian slowly began to move. Morgan explained that Julian had lunged for the gun, the gun had gone off, and Julian had fallen back and hit his head. Morgan leaned down then grabbed Julian around the neck with the intention of shooting Julian in the neck. Michael implored Morgan to reconsider and reminded his brother that their roles had been reversed not too long before when Michael had confronted Sonny with a gun.

Michael credited both Morgan and Dante with talking him out of killing Sonny, but Morgan was unmoved. Michael warned Morgan that shooting Julian would be murder, which meant that Morgan would end up in Pentonville, but Morgan argued that it would be justice. Alexis pleaded with Morgan to listen to Michael because Julian was innocent, but Morgan countered that they weren't in a court of law, so Julian wasn't entitled to a defense. Morgan claimed that he didn't need proof of Julian's guilt to kill Julian.

Michael warned Morgan that Pentonville would be "hell," but Morgan didn't care. Michael changed tactics by telling Morgan that Sonny would not want Morgan to go to jail, but Morgan argued that Michael wouldn't know, since Michael hadn't been around their father for months. Michael explained that Sonny was awake and had told Michael about Morgan's vow to kill Julian, so Sonny had sent Michael to stop Morgan. Morgan insisted that Julian's death would be for the best, but Michael argued that it wasn't Morgan's call to make.

Michael promised that Sonny would deal with Julian when the time was right and continued to appeal to Morgan to let Julian go for Sonny's sake. Eventually, Morgan released Julian. Alexis rushed to Julian's side to check on him as she profusely thanked Michael. Michael shocked Alexis by violently kicking Julian in the stomach as Julian was prone on the ground. Michael promised that he would not overlook what Julian had done to Sonny.

Michael conceded that Julian might have started the war, but the Corinthos family would finish it. After Michael and Morgan left, Alexis fetched ice for Julian's ribs and tried to clean up the blood on his forehead. Julian assured her that he would be fine, but Alexis was worried about Michael. She warned Julian that Michael was smart and calculating and knew how to find an opponent's weakness. Julian decided that his only option was to find out who was after Sonny and expose the person as soon as possible.

At the hospital, Carly resented Elizabeth trying to "guilt" Jake into not helping Michael and Morgan. Elizabeth refused to argue with Carly. According to Elizabeth, Jake was not Jason and, therefore, didn't owe Carly anything. The issue became moot when Michael and Morgan arrived. Relieved, Carly threw her arms around Morgan and asked if he was okay. She immediately took him to see Sonny.

After Carly, Michael, and Morgan disappeared into Sonny's hospital room, Elizabeth apologized to Jake for how she had reacted, but she had been afraid that he would get hurt. Jake assured her that he understood.

Meanwhile, Sonny smiled when he saw Morgan. Morgan promised that he hadn't hurt Julian, but he added that something needed to be done about Julian because it wasn't over.

Ava shows up at the hospital for Avery

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

by Elisabeth

At the Drake residence, Patrick sat in bed, strumming his new guitar as he sang a soulful song about moving on. Meanwhile, Sam was in the living room, sifting through a box filled with keepsakes from her life with Jason. Tears filled her eyes as she held her and Jason's wedding bands in her hand and thought about the wedding vows she and Jason had exchanged four years earlier.

A short time later, Sam entered the bedroom with two cups of coffee and handed one to Patrick as he finished the song. He invited her to join him in bed, so she slid into bed as she admitted that she had been impressed with his talent. Patrick grinned as he confided that he loved Emma's trouble dolls, but they were a close second to the guitar that Sam had given him. Sam wondered if perhaps Patrick needed one of the dolls because she noticed that Patrick had been singing a melancholy song.

Sam feared that Patrick might be upset because she hadn't accepted his proposal of marriage, but Patrick explained that he was disappointed that he had blindsided her with the proposal on the eve of what would have been her wedding anniversary with Jason. Sam explained that time truly did heal wounds because even though she was sad thinking about Jason, she was happy with her life. Sam assured Patrick that she loved him and the family they had created, and she hadn't turned down his wedding proposal; she had simply delayed accepting it.

Patrick smiled as he reached for Sam to kiss her. Sam promised that she was madly in love with Patrick, and they made love. Later, Patrick announced that he had to get to work. Sam was disappointed until he reminded her that he needed to check on Sonny, but he feared the cycle of mob violence would never end.

A short time later, Patrick prepared to leave. He revealed that he had checked with the hospital and had been told that Sonny had rested comfortably through the night. Sam was happy for Sonny and Carly because it meant they would be able to set a new wedding date. She turned the conversation back to Patrick's proposal by promising that she would do what she needed to so she would be ready to say yes the next time he proposed. After Patrick left, Sam retrieved the canister with her wedding rings and the phoenix and dragon figurines, which had represented her and Jason, as she thought about her promise to Patrick.

Meanwhile, Jake dreamed about the past when he had been Jason and had married Sam. "I do," Jake whispered in his sleep as Elizabeth sat up in bed and looked at him. Jake was suddenly jolted awake. Elizabeth asked if he had slept well. Jake admitted that he'd had one of the dreams where he'd felt as if he would remember it when he woke up, but all he recalled was that he had dreamed about a wedding.

"Ours?" Elizabeth asked. Jake smiled as he reminded her that they weren't married yet, but she explained that it was their anniversary. Jake appeared confused, so she pointed out that it had been a year since he had arrived at the hospital after the car accident. Elizabeth confessed that she had felt an immediate connection with him. Jake recalled how difficult it had been to wake up and realize that he'd had no idea where or who he was until she had appeared to help him get back on his feet.

Jake wished Elizabeth a happy anniversary and kissed her. As they snuggled in bed, Jake and Elizabeth talked about how much their lives had changed since the fateful day they had met. Elizabeth acknowledged that he had struggled to accept that he couldn't remember his past and who he was, but she was pleased that he had decided to focus on a future with her. She realized that it was selfish, but she thought he had made the right choice by moving forward.

Jake laughed and nuzzled Elizabeth's neck as she told him that she loved him. She suggested that perhaps he had dreamed of a wedding because it was time for them to get married. Jake was startled when she proposed running to the courthouse that very day, getting married, picking up a cake on the way home, and surprising Cameron, Jake, and Aiden with the news. Jake confessed that as much as he loved her, it wouldn't feel right to get married when his friend Carly was still worried about Sonny's recovery. Elizabeth reluctantly agreed, but she sensed that Jake was still troubled about what Sonny had said.

Jake admitted that it had freaked him out when Sonny had mistaken him for Jason. Elizabeth reminded him that it had been the morphine talking. Jake shifted gears to suggest that he and Elizabeth get married on November 6. Elizabeth's brow furrowed until he explained that it would be the one-year anniversary of the day she had asked him to move in with her and had given him both a new life and a home. Elizabeth happily agreed.

Across town, Julian and Alexis entered the penthouse as he thanked her for spending the night with him. He credited both Alexis and Michael with saving his life from Morgan, who had become a dangerous menace. Alexis fetched Julian an ice pack for his ribs then joined him on the sofa as she assured him that Morgan was a good kid. She suspected that Morgan had resorted to violence because it had been a reaction to Sonny being shot. Alexis explained that she abhorred the mob lifestyle because it perpetuated a cycle of violence.

Julian reminded Alexis that he was out of the mob, but Alexis wasn't appeased because she feared that Julian would remain a target. Julian pointed out that Michael had assured Morgan that Sonny didn't want Julian dead, but Alexis clarified that Sonny hadn't wanted Morgan to carry out the deed and end up in jail. Alexis worried that Sonny would send someone else to kill Julian, but Julian promised that he could take care of himself. However, he realized that he needed to expose Sonny's true enemy, who appeared intent on framing Julian.

Alexis desperately tried to persuade Julian to go into hiding until it was safe for him to return to Port Charles, but he refused. He gave her a quick kiss then left to check on Ava.

At the Quartermaine mansion, Paul read the Port Charles Press as Dillon entered the living room with a bottle of Champagne. Paul was curious what Dillon was doing with Champagne, so Dillon explained that it was for mimosas because Dillon wanted to toast to his father's new job as acting district attorney. Dillon prepared the cocktails then handed a flute to Paul.

Dillon admitted that he hadn't expected Mayor Lomax to hire Paul. Paul claimed that he had been equally surprised by the job offer. However, Paul had readily accepted the position because it had provided him an opportunity to remain in town and watch Dillon make the movie. Dillon smiled but warned his father that there would be a downside to the job, since Paul would have to tackle the mob presence in Port Charles. Dillon quickly gave Paul the rundown on both the Jerome and Corinthos organizations, and Paul was curious why Dillon knew so much about the two crime families.

Dillon explained that Lulu lived on the fringes of the mob because of her connection to Sonny. Dillon shifted gears to ask if Paul intended to officially run for district attorney. Paul admitted that he hadn't thought that far ahead. Dillon hoped that Paul knew what he was getting into. "I do," Paul answered. Dillon grinned because it sounded as if the mobsters of Port Charles had no idea what was about to hit them. "They won't," Paul replied with a confident smile.

Dillon was curious what Paul intended to do about Ava, who had managed to get away with murder because of the missing flash drive. Paul admitted that the botched case had been a travesty, but he was confident that he would eventually make Ava pay for what she had done. Paul vowed that every mobster in Port Charles would soon answer to him. Their conversation then drifted to the movie as Paul suggested that Dillon play the role of Declan. Dillon explained that he would prefer to cast the lead role with an actor so Dillon could concentrate on the production of the movie.

Dillon noticed the time, and he announced that he had to leave. However, he stopped in the doorway to tell Paul that he was proud of him. Paul appeared moved when Dillon called him "Dad." A short time later, Alexis arrived. She introduced herself to Paul and explained that she wanted to talk about Julian.

At the Jerome apartment, Ava read the newspaper, which featured a story about the new acting district attorney. She recalled Paul blackmailing her into acting as the figurehead for the Jerome organization by waving around the flash drive and threatening to use it to send her to jail if she failed to cooperate. A short time later, Scott arrived. He was curious why Ava had called him, since he had nothing new to report about the missing flash drive. Ava explained that it was no longer an issue, which immediately piqued Scott's interest.

Ava claimed that it was clear that Ric hadn't stolen the flash drive because the police would have already been at her door. Ava decided that it was time to move forward by securing custody of Avery while Sonny was still in the hospital. Scott reminded Ava that she still owed him $5,000,000 because he had gotten her out of jail, but Ava argued that he had failed to give her the flash drive. Scott refused to help Ava for free, so she agreed to pay him $1,000,000 if he delivered Avery into her arms by the end of the day.

Scott warned Ava that Carly would object, but Ava insisted that Carly didn't have any legal standing because Ava, not Carly, was Avery's mother. Shortly after Scott left, Julian arrived home. Ava and Julian happily reunited with a warm hug as Julian congratulated his sister on her freedom. Julian assumed that Ava had gotten her hands on the flash drive, and she didn't correct him when he advised her to destroy it. However, she was concerned about where her brother had been.

Julian told Ava about his confrontation with Morgan when Morgan had decided to avenge Sonny by killing Julian. Julian explained that he was a marked man, and he needed Ava's help to uncover the person responsible for trying to frame Julian for the attacks on Sonny. Ava recalled her conversation with Paul when Paul had gloated about using Julian as a scapegoat, but she decided not to share the information with her brother. Instead, Ava admitted that she had initially believed that Julian had shot Sonny to stop Sonny and Carly's wedding.

Julian reminded Ava that he was out of the mob and that as much as he loved his sister, he would not kill for her. Ava assured him that she believed he was a law-abiding citizen, prompting Julian to question her sudden turnaround. Ava credited her new lease on life with making her see things differently. Julian wondered if Ava regretted that they would no longer be partners in crime. Ava suggested that perhaps she would find someone new to team up with. Julian urged his sister to be careful. She promised that she would be because she had too much to live for.

Julian decided to start making some calls to their old associates to find out if he could get a lead on who might be gunning for Sonny. Ava promised to make a few phone calls as well. Grateful, Julian told his sister that he was happy to have her back, but he imagined the cost for her freedom had been steep. "You have no idea," Ava answered. Later, Scott returned. Ava was eager to know if he had good news for her.

At the hospital, Morgan stared at his sleeping father through the window to Sonny's hospital room. He wondered if Michael had lied about Sonny asking Michael to stop Morgan from killing Julian, because Julian needed to die in order for Sonny to be safe. Moments later, Carly and Michael walked up. Morgan told them that Sonny had been resting comfortably. Carly was relieved because she knew that rest was the best thing for Sonny.

Carly and Michael carefully broached the subject of Morgan's promise to talk to a psychiatrist, but Morgan immediately balked. He reminded them that the promise had been predicated on Sonny and Carly's marriage, which hadn't happened because Sonny had been shot. Carly argued that it would give Sonny peace of mind if Morgan saw a doctor, but Morgan resisted the idea. Michael tried to reason with Morgan by pointing out that Morgan had been reckless by not stopping to consider the consequences of killing Julian.

Morgan insisted that he had wanted to avenge their father's shooting, but Carly reminded Morgan that it would have landed him in Pentonville, since Alexis would have been a witness to the murder. Morgan was adamant about not talking to a psychiatrist. Carly begged Morgan to do it for Sonny because it would give Sonny peace of mind. Morgan stubbornly refused because he didn't care if he had bipolar disorder; he only cared about keeping Sonny alive.

Morgan promised not to go after Julian again, but he wanted to send someone to take Julian out. Michael explained that they couldn't risk it, since Morgan's actions the previous evening would make them the first suspects if Julian were killed. Michael added that they weren't even certain that Julian had been responsible for the shooting. Morgan wondered who else would have made a move against Sonny. "Ava," Carly answered without hesitation.

Carly admitted that it made sense, but Morgan argued that Ava only cared about getting Avery back. Carly suddenly panicked when she realized that Ava might make a move for Avery while Sonny was in the hospital. Carly wanted Avery with her. Michael stepped away to make a phone call. Meanwhile, Carly called Ric to give him a chance to prove his loyalty by stopping Ava from securing custody of Avery. After Carly ended the call, Morgan questioned why Carly had turned to Ric for help.

Carly conceded that she disliked Ric, but Ric was talented and had handled the custody case for Sonny from the beginning. She also pointed out that Ric had incentive to fight hard, since he desperately wanted to impress Sonny. Michael was curious what Ric wanted in return. Carly confessed that she had agreed to allow Ric to visit Sonny.

A short time later, Sabrina arrived with Avery. Carly quickly picked up the baby then held her closely as she carried Avery to the window to see Sonny. Patrick walked up to report to the family that Sonny's vital signs had been steadily improving, but he was curious if the family had noticed anything about Sonny that might have raised concerns. Carly told Patrick that Sonny had mistaken Jake for Jason, which Elizabeth had attributed to the morphine. Patrick conceded that it was possible. He went to check on Sonny.

Carly continued to assure Avery that everything would be fine and that she would get to visit with her father soon. Carly's smile vanished when Ava walked up and boldly announced that Avery would prefer to see her mother, Ava.

Jake bumps into Sam at the Noodle Buddha

Thursday, September 24, 2015

by Elisabeth

At the Quartermaine mansion, Alexis entered the living room and introduced herself to Paul. She explained that they needed to discuss Julian's case, but Paul was curious if she had a habit of seeking out the district attorney to talk about her client's cases. Alexis conceded that Julian was special because she and Julian had a "personal relationship." Paul offered Alexis a cup of coffee as he poured one for himself, but she declined and cut to the chase by asking him to drop the charges against Julian.

Paul claimed to have a vague recollection of the case, but he knew that Julian had been named as the mastermind by one of the men who had hijacked Sonny's shipments, which also linked Julian to Sonny's recent shooting. Alexis argued that Charlie had not been credible because, within 24 hours of being released from jail, Charlie had abducted a young boy to lure Sonny into an ambush. Paul explained that he needed more information, but Alexis insisted that Julian had been framed. Paul was curious if she had any suspects in mind, but Alexis shook her head as she pointed out that it was up to the police to investigate all avenues.

Paul assured Alexis that he had no desire to put innocent people behind bars, but he also intended to keep law-abiding citizens safe. He promised that Julian would have nothing to fear from him if Julian hadn't done anything wrong. Satisfied, Alexis admitted that Paul was a breath of fresh air after dealing with Scott and Ric, who each lacked ethics. Paul smiled politely as he claimed that he hoped to be more than a good district attorney; he wanted an opportunity to forge a relationship with his son Dillon.

Alexis revealed that she had known Dillon a long time and had always found him to be a good kid with principals. Alexis suspected that Dillon had inherited his honorable side from Paul rather than Tracy, but Paul credited Tracy for the way Dillon had turned out because Tracy had raised Dillon. Alexis conceded that perhaps motherhood had uncovered hidden depths to Tracy. Paul cryptically reminded Alexis that people were rarely more than one thing then reiterated that he would review Julian's case. Pleased, Alexis left.

At the Jerome apartment, Julian tensed when someone knocked on the door, but he instantly relaxed when Sam identified herself. Julian promptly opened the door to pull his daughter inside then quickly closed it. Sam immediately noticed that her father seemed jumpy. Julian revealed that he was a marked man. Julian filled her in about his encounter with Morgan and about Michael's timely intervention, which had stopped Morgan from pulling the trigger.

Sam excused Morgan's actions by reminding her father that Morgan had likely been out to avenge Sonny's shooting, but she urged Julian to go into hiding. Julian explained that Michael had told Morgan that Sonny didn't want Julian dead, but Sam suspected that Sonny had simply wanted to keep Morgan out of trouble. She feared that Sonny would send other men to kill her father, but Julian doubted that Sonny would make a move until he was certain that Julian had been responsible for the attacks on Sonny.

Sam was curious if there was anything linking Julian to the crimes. Julian told her that the evidence was "coincidental" because he hadn't hijacked Sonny's shipments nor had he orchestrated the incident at the warehouse when Sonny had been shot. Julian acknowledged that he was living on borrowed time, so he had to find the person responsible for framing him. Sam offered to help, but Julian refused to consider it because he didn't want his daughter in danger. Sam reminded Julian that she was a private investigator and Jason's widow, which she could use to her advantage, but Julian was adamant that Sam not get involved because he wanted her to be happy.

Sam assured Julian that she was happy and confided about Patrick's marriage proposal. Julian was surprised when Sam revealed that she hadn't been able to say yes because the timing had been off, since Patrick had asked her on the eve of what would have been Sam and Jason's fourth wedding anniversary. She pulled the dragon and phoenix figurines from her purse to show her father as she told him about her spontaneous wedding to Jason. Sam confided that she had no idea why she had the figurines, but she realized that she needed to find a way to let Jason go before she accepted Patrick's proposal. After Sam and Julian's talk, Sam announced that she had to leave. Julian reminded her not to get involved in his problem.

Sam reluctantly agreed and left. A short time later, Alexis dropped by to check on Julian and to tell him about her talk with Paul. She was hopeful that Paul would keep an open mind about Julian and realize that he was innocent.

At the hospital, Michael exited the elevator and ran into Jake, who asked about Sonny. Michael told him that Sonny had been steadily improving. Jake was happy for Sonny's loved ones, but he was curious how Morgan had been holding up. Michael realized that Carly had filled Jake in about Morgan's determination to kill Julian and assured Jake that the crisis had been successfully averted.

Jake thought Carly was lucky to have Michael, but Michael admitted that something had to be done about Julian. Michael mentioned that he had assigned people to look into all the unanswered questions surrounding Sonny's shooting, which was something that Jason would have done if Jason had still been alive. Michael talked about Sonny and Jason's close bond and how Sonny had always been able to trust Jason to run the organization when Sonny had been unable. Jake realized that it might have been the reason why Sonny had mistaken Jake for Jason.

Jake suspected that Sonny's hallucination of Jason had been triggered by concern for Michael and Morgan, since Sonny had always relied on Jason to protect the family. However, Jake admitted that it had been unsettling when Sonny had looked him in the face and called him Jason. The conversation then drifted to Sonny's conversation with Elizabeth about wishing Jason had been alive to see little Jake return home. Michael wondered how little Jake had been doing. Jake admitted that little Jake was a child of few words. Michael smiled because Jason had been the same way.

Michael was happy that little Jake had Jake to lean on. Jake smiled then announced that he and Elizabeth had set a wedding date for November 6. Michael promised to mark the date on his calendar because he wanted to be present when Jake started his new life. Moments later, Michael excused himself because he had promised his family that he would pick up some food that wasn't from the hospital's cafeteria. Jake offered to take care of it for Michael so Michael could stay with the family.

In Sonny's hospital room, Sonny weakly thanked Patrick for saving his life. Patrick explained that he had merely removed the bullet; Jake had been the one to save Sonny at the warehouse. Sonny admitted that the events following the shooting had been a blur. Patrick revealed that Sonny had mistaken Jake for Jason. Sonny seemed surprised, but he was curious if Patrick knew what had transpired at the warehouse. Patrick revealed what Sam had told him about Jake disarming and killing the men who had held T.J. hostage.

Sonny realized why he had assumed that Jake had been Jason; Jake had done exactly what Jason would have done with the same precision and skill. Sonny admitted that he could use Jason's help, but Patrick couldn't understand why Sonny continued to repeatedly risk his life when Sonny had a woman who loved him, children, money, and his health. Sonny claimed that once a person was in the mob, they couldn't get out. Patrick was curious if Jason had used the same excuse.

Patrick reminded Sonny that Patrick had had a front row seat to how Jason's choices had worked out. He told Sonny about the pain that Sam lived with because she had lost Jason. Sonny was certain that Jason would want Sam to move on with her life, but Patrick explained that it wasn't easy because Sam was in love with a man that she would never get to see again.

In the waiting area outside Sonny's hospital room, Carly held Avery in her arms and promised the baby that Avery would soon get to see Sonny. Ava strolled up and smiled with smug satisfaction as she suggested that Avery would prefer to visit with her "mommy." Carly clutched the baby closer as she demanded to know what Ava was doing at the hospital. Ava explained that she was there for her baby, but Carly argued that Ava had been declared dead.

Ava pointed out that reports of her death had been greatly exaggerated, but Carly was not amused. Carly made it clear that she would not allow Ava near Avery. Ava countered that Carly wasn't Avery's mother and had no legal standing to object. Carly argued that Ava had escaped a murder conviction because of a legal technicality, but Ava was unapologetic. Ava insisted that she was free to live her life and raise her daughter, but Carly disagreed.

Morgan stood next to his mother as Carly accused Ava of getting pregnant with Avery to save herself. Ava disagreed, but Carly reminded Ava that Ava had once threatened to give Avery fetal alcohol syndrome as a means of lashing out at Sonny. Ava insisted that she hadn't meant it, but Carly remained adamant that Ava would not get her hands on Avery because Ava was a "sociopath" who only wanted to use Avery for her own gain. Carly believed that Ava saw Avery as a commodity rather than a person.

Carly refused to allow Ava to ruin Avery's life the way that Ava had Kiki and Morgan's. Ava scoffed and asked Morgan if she had truly ruined his life. Morgan pointed out that Ava hadn't made it better. Ava conceded that he was right. However, Ava assured him that she was deeply sorry for how she had hurt him. Carly and Ava continued to trade heated words until Carly grew tired of the argument and ordered Milo to escort Ava out of the hospital. Ava informed Carly that a court order had been issued granting Ava permission to take Avery.

Stunned, Carly held the baby closer as Ava produced the court document. Morgan advised Carly to hand the baby over to Ava because Ava would use Carly's refusal against Sonny and Carly when Sonny and Carly went to court to fight for custody. Carly realized that Morgan was right, so she kissed the top of Avery's head then reluctantly handed the baby to Ava. However, Carly warned Ava to take good care of Avery or it would be the end of Ava. Ava took Avery into her arms and happily cooed to the baby as Carly looked over the court order.

Ava started to leave, but Carly called out to Ava to stop. Carly informed Ava that the documents stipulated that Ava had to give Sonny 24-hour notice prior to taking the baby. Ava decided to inform Sonny in person, but Carly blocked Ava from entering Sonny's hospital room. Carly ordered Ava to hand the baby back to Carly. Ava was forced to comply, but she warned Carly that she would be at Greystone Manor the following day to take Avery.

After Ava left, Patrick emerged from Sonny's hospital room to let Carly know that Sonny was on the mend. Carly was relieved. Moments later, Michael walked up. Carly and Morgan filled Michael in about the court order. Morgan was concerned that Sonny wasn't strong enough to handle the news, but Carly insisted that Sonny deserved to know what was going on.

Seconds later, Sonny's face lit up when Carly entered his hospital room with Avery. Carly leaned in close so Sonny could kiss his daughter.

Meanwhile, Paul called Ava. Paul wanted to meet with Ava to discuss the next steps of his plans to take down Sonny.

At the Noodle Buddha, Sam entered the courtyard where she and Jason had exchanged wedding vows. She looked around then sat at a table as she pulled out the dragon and phoenix figurines. Moments later, Jake walked up.

A part of Sam thinks Jason is still alive

Friday, September 25, 2015

by Elisabeth

At the Jerome apartment, Alexis told Julian that she had high hopes for him because the new district attorney seemed smart and had a strong desire to win the right way -- with actual evidence. Alexis was confident that Julian had a fair shot of having the charges against him dropped, but Julian was skeptical. Alexis insisted that Paul wanted to set a good example for his son and had been open to the possibility that Julian had been framed, but Julian worried that Sonny's men would retaliate before the real shooter was found.

Later, Julian and Alexis relaxed on the sofa as Julian told her about Patrick's proposal. Both Julian and Alexis were miffed that Patrick hadn't asked for their blessing first, but they agreed that Patrick was good for their daughter. Alexis admitted that she couldn't blame Patrick for the bad timing of the proposal, since Patrick couldn't have know that it had been the eve of what would have been Sam and Jason's fourth wedding anniversary. Julian quickly assured her that their daughter hadn't turned down Patrick's proposal, but Sam had asked for more time.

Alexis was relieved, but Julian hoped that Sam would be able to move past her grief for Jason. Alexis doubted that anyone would ever replace Jason in Sam's heart, but Julian questioned Sam's devotion to Jason, since Jason had put the mob ahead of Sam. Julian appreciated that Patrick put Sam first. Alexis laughed because it was hypocritical of Julian to judge Jason. Julian didn't disagree, but he preferred their daughter to be with a surgeon rather than a mob enforcer. Later, Julian confessed that he was glad the mob was no longer a part of his life -- or Sam's -- because he looked forward to a wonderful future with Alexis.

At the nurses' station, Elizabeth spoke to her grandmother on the phone to share the good news that she and Jake had set a date for the wedding. Patrick stood nearby and listened as Elizabeth thanked Audrey for offering to help with the wedding arrangements. After Elizabeth ended the call, Patrick congratulated Elizabeth. She smiled but confessed that it wouldn't be easy to pull a wedding together in a short time. Patrick admitted that he was envious because he had asked Sam to marry him, but Sam hadn't been able to give him an answer because his timing had been off.

Elizabeth hid a flash of guilt as Patrick told her about the proposal and mentioned that it would have been Jason and Sam's fourth wedding anniversary. Elizabeth feared that Patrick and Sam had ended things, but he quickly assured her that he and Sam were still together. Elizabeth offered Patrick words of encouragement, but Patrick confided that he was concerned that Sam had used the anniversary as an excuse to turn down Patrick's proposal because Sam didn't think that marriage to him wouldn't compare to what she'd once shared with Jason.

Elizabeth was certain that Sam loved Patrick. Patrick agreed, but he suspected that Sam was still in love with Jason. Elizabeth disagreed and added that it was time for Sam to accept that Jason was gone for good. Patrick reminded Elizabeth that he couldn't make Sam accept that if Sam wasn't ready. Elizabeth urged Patrick not to give up, but he didn't intend to because he loved Sam and the family they had created.

Patrick was confident that Sam would accept his proposal when she was ready. However, he was curious why Elizabeth seemed "intense" about things working out between him and Sam. Elizabeth nervously attributed it to a desire to see everyone as happy as she was. Patrick smiled but reminded Elizabeth that Sam needed time just as he had when he had lost Robin. Patrick assured Elizabeth that Sam had promised to accept his proposal, which Elizabeth thought was a good sign that Sam wanted a life with Patrick.

At the Noodle Buddha, Sam was surprised when she saw Jake enter the private garden where she and Jason had exchanged wedding vows. Jake explained that he had stopped by to pick up food for Sonny's family because everyone had gotten tired of the hospital's food. Sam was curious why Jake had picked the Chinese restaurant, but Jake admitted that he had no idea except that it had looked like a "cool" place when he had seen it. Jake took a seat across from Sam as she told him about her spontaneous wedding to Jason. She explained that she and Jason had planned a big wedding, but the plans had gotten out of hand.

Jake had a sudden flashback of the night of the wedding when he had invited Sam on a motorcycle ride. Sam noticed the change in Jake, so he explained that he occasionally had flashes of memories. He told her about the flashback, but they agreed that he had been remembering the time when he had given her a ride the day she had moved in with Patrick. Jake was curious how things were going between Patrick and Sam. She told him about the proposal of marriage and why she hadn't been able to say yes.

Sam realized that it hadn't been the first wedding anniversary without Jason, but things felt different for her than they had in the past. Jake noticed the figurines. Sam admitted that she had hoped that visiting the garden with the figurines would allow her to "come full circle" and finally let go of Jason. Jake wondered if it had worked, but Sam seemed uncertain. She admitted that she had hoped spending time in the garden would make her accept that Jason was really gone, but Jake suggested that perhaps Sam wanted to keep Jason alive.

Sam didn't think what Jake had said made sense. He agreed but asked why she seemed determined to hold on to a ghost. Sam confessed that deep down inside, a part of her believed that Jason was still alive.

In Sonny's hospital room, Avery sat on her father's bed as he smiled at his youngest daughter. Sonny couldn't wait to return home with Carly and Avery, but he sensed that something was troubling Carly. Carly reluctantly revealed that Ava had been released from jail because the flash drive with Ava's confession had vanished. Sonny was furious, but Carly begged him to remain calm. She explained that Ric had been fired, and the judge had dismissed the charges with prejudice, which meant that the charges could be reinstated if the flash drive was found.

Sonny decided to fire Ric as his attorney, but Carly explained that they still needed Ric because Ava had made a bid to take custody of Avery. Carly showed Sonny the court documents as she filled him in about the 24-hour notice that would allow Ava to take Avery the following day. Sonny argued that he and Carly were Avery's parents, and he refused to hand his daughter over to Ava.

In the waiting area, Michael and Morgan watched their father, mother, and Avery through the window of Sonny's hospital room while the brothers discussed Ava's attempt to take custody of Avery. Michael hoped that Ric devised a strategy to block the court order. Moments later, Ric walked up. Ric quickly assured the brothers that Carly had authorized the visit, but Michael and Morgan refused to allow Ric to enter Sonny's hospital room because their mother was breaking some bad news to Sonny.

Ric realized that Michael and Morgan had been referring to Ava's bid for custody, and he promised to file a motion in the morning to block Ava's court order. However, Ric desperately needed to discuss another matter with Sonny. Michael and Morgan demanded to know what Ric wanted to talk to Sonny about, but Ric explained that it was confidential. Morgan threatened to have Milo escort Ric out of the hospital, prompting Ric to relent by revealing that a neutral mediator for the five families had called a meeting to get to the bottom of who had shot Sonny. Ric added that the meeting would be held at Pozzulo's later that day, and Ric intended to attend as Sonny's emissary.

Michael and Morgan objected because they needed Ric to focus on keeping Avery out of Ava's hands. Ric argued that it was necessary for a representative of Sonny's organization to attend the meeting, otherwise it would make it appear that the Corinthos organization was in shambles. Morgan announced that he would do it, but Ric scoffed because Morgan was hotheaded and immature. Morgan's temper flared because he resented Ric's accusation that Morgan couldn't handle himself at a meeting with the heads of the crime families.

Michael stepped in to reiterate that he needed Ric to do whatever was necessary to block Ava's attempt to get Avery. Michael instructed Ric to have Ava's court order vacated, secure Sonny as the sole custodial parent, and grant Carly guardianship of the baby. Ric reluctantly agreed and promised to call Michael with an update. After Ric left, Michael informed Morgan that Michael would attend the meeting. Morgan immediately objected because Michael wasn't even a Corinthos.

Michael explained that Morgan was too volatile to face the crime bosses, while Michael would be able to remain calm and hopefully figure out who had shot their father.

Later, Morgan entered Sonny's hospital room with Milo. Carly handed Avery to Morgan with instructions for Morgan to keep the baby safe and away from Ava. Morgan assured his mother that he would take care of Avery. After Morgan left, Carly reminded Sonny that Sonny needed to get strong. Sonny was determined to keep Ava away from Avery, but Carly warned him that it would be an uphill battle.

Sonny vowed that if the justice system didn't take care of Ava, then he would. Carly promised to help Sonny fight for Avery, but she didn't want more bloodshed. Carly was certain that there had to be another way, but Sonny refused to make any promises. Carly insisted that they would find a way to prove to the judge that it would be in Avery's best interest to remain with them. She added that they could greatly increase their chances and gain the upper hand by getting married right away.

On the piers, Paul was waiting when Ava arrived. He greeted her pleasantly, but she pointed out that she hadn't had much of a choice. Paul agreed, since he wouldn't hesitate to use the flash drive to send her to jail. Ava resented being blackmailed, but Paul was unapologetic as he cut to the chase by explaining that they had business to discuss. Paul revealed that a meeting had been arranged for the five families to discuss Sonny's shooting.

Ava admitted that she didn't mind being the figurehead for the Jerome organization, but she balked at attending the meeting because she couldn't risk it being used against her during her custody battle with Sonny. Paul promised to use resources to help Ava in court, but he made it clear that her attendance at the meeting wasn't negotiable. He explained that they would have the advantage because without Sonny at the meeting, there wouldn't be anyone to express Sonny's concerns.

Ava refused to take responsibility for shooting Sonny, so Paul reminded her that he wanted her to point the finger elsewhere. Ava refused to throw her brother under the bus, but she realized that she could solve her problems by exposing Paul's role in the attacks against Sonny. Paul warned Ava that he had taken precautions to make certain the flash drive would be found if she tried to betray him. Ava realized that her options were limited, so she asked what Paul expected her to do.

After Ava left, Paul made a phone call to update someone about the meeting. He admitted that he was uncertain what Ava intended to do because she was unpredictable.

At Pozzulo's, the mediator called the meeting of the five families to order. He was pleased that Sonny had sent a representative. Michael introduced himself as "Michael Corinthos III," and everyone welcomed him. They observed a moment of silence for their fallen comrade Serge then began the meeting. However, Ava strolled in to take Serge's seat as she announced that she was the head of the Jerome organization. Everyone sat up straight when Ava added that she had the name of the person who had shot Sonny.