General Hospital Recaps: The week of April 26, 1999 on GH

Laura was distraught after Lucky's memorial service, unaware that Lucky was alive and a prisoner of Cesar Faison. Jerry and Jax received a visit from their parents. Sonny opened up to Hannah about Lily, Stone, and Brenda.

Monday April 26, 1999

by Soap Central

Liz sat alone in the front pew of the church, mourning Lucky's death. She talked to him, asking if he could give her a sign to tell her that he was really dead because she couldn't feel the anguish that she should feel if he were really dead. Nikolas walked up behind Liz and mentioned that Audrey had been worried about the young woman's whereabouts. Liz admitted that when she'd heard Nikolas' approaching footsteps, she had thought for a moment that it might be Lucky entering. Nikolas assured her that it wasn't foolish of her to think so, and then he praised her for her kind words at the funeral.

On the docks, Sonny walked up to Hannah, who was sitting on a bench. She told him that she was not going to steer clear of him, nor would she ever follow his orders. Sonny tried to warn her against the dangers of the docks, cautioning her that people got shot there. Hannah implied that the only danger targeted at the docks was toward Sonny and asked if she should be afraid. Sonny replied that dangers arose from all sources, and he contended that it was foolish to take unnecessary risks, especially if one already knew that something was dangerous.

Sonny then confided in his friend how sorry he was for having involved his best friend in such risky activity. Hannah asked if he was a criminal and if his coffee business was less than legitimate. Sonny assured her that he was neither a criminal nor was his coffee enterprise illegal, but he did note that his life involved certain dangers that had resulted in Lily's death and Stone's contraction of AIDS.

Tammy and Luke kissed passionately at his club as Laura watched in horror from the doorway. As things grew heavy, Laura walked away in shock and disbelief. Before things went too far, Luke and Tammy stopped. Luke complimented Tammy, telling her that she was a very attractive woman. He resisted Tammy's attempts to take care of him by making sure that he was well fed and that he had a place to sleep. Luke insisted that he was okay and that he could take care of himself, but Tammy warned him that sometimes, life surprised a person when they didn't expect it. Luke agreed, and the two said goodnight. Just as Tammy left the club, Felicia entered. She apologized for having missed the funeral and inquired as to his state. Luke commended his sister for pulling through for him when he most needed it, and as Felicia turned to go, Luke begged her to stay.

Carly heard a loud knock at the side entrance of the Quartermaine mansion. She went to the door and let Jason inside and then recounted the difficulties she had witnessed at Bobbie's. She told Jason how brave Lucas had been when he'd heard the news of Lucky's death, how he hadn't cried but had instead offered to say a prayer for the unfortunate young man. Carly then thought of her own childhood and realized that it hadn't been as bad as she might make it out to be. She rested on top of Jason on the sofa and asked him to remind her if she ever forgot that.

Jason asked about Lucky's funeral, and Carly said that it had been terrible; she had felt very uncomfortable there. Jason asked if Luke had mentioned him at the funeral, but Carly assured him that it would have been crazy for Luke to blame Jason for Lucky's death. She also told him that he should look forward, not back, although she added that she could never go on if Michael were to die. Jason confessed that he could not either. He then tried to say goodnight, but Carly persistently badgered him before he was able to finally depart.

At the Spencer home, Laura walked into an empty house. She gazed at a family picture as emotions ran deep and tears ran down her face. She slowly climbed the staircase and entered Lucky's old room. She closed the door behind her and sat down on her son's bed. She pulled his pillows close to her, trying to smell whatever scent might remain, and cried softly.

Laura proceeded to touch other items that had once belonged to Lucky, including a coat that she pulled over her shoulders as she cried uncontrollably, longing for her baby. On the mirror, Laura noticed a picture of mother and son that triggered something inside her. She lost control and smashed the mirror while screaming, "I hate you!" to all who might hear. She destroyed her son's room, flinging belongings in every direction and ripping things from the walls.

At Luke's, Felicia tried to comfort her friend. Luke expressed his doubts and regrets for having trusted Sonny and Jason and for having taught his son to trust them as well. He told Felicia that Lesley Lu believed that her brother would someday return and asked if she would even remember the brother that she had once had. Felicia urged Luke to preserve his son's memory and never allow Lulu to forget either. Luke told the story of his son's life in a storybook fashion, recounting how Lucky had tried to hate but that he had loved too much and had eventually forgiven. When he'd finally had his life in order, it had vanished in a puff of smoke.

On the docks, Hannah expressed her sorrow for Sonny's loss. She asked if he had been happy in his marriage to Lily, but he instead replied that she had been happy. Hannah probed him for answers, questioning him about the bomb that had been meant for him, but he insisted that if he had wanted to say more, he would have done so. He, rather dogmatically, said that he shouldn't have broken Brenda's heart, nor should Lucky have had to die. He then told Hannah that the entertainment portion of the evening was at its close. Hannah inquired as to whether or not she had been insensitive, but Sonny declared that she had not been, and the two bid each other goodnight.

At the Spencer home, Stefan walked into Lucky's room and found Laura sobbing on the floor, apologizing for having broken her son's things. Stefan assured her that he could fix the broken items and held Laura tightly. She told Stefan that everything was gone, completely washed away forever. He told her that she would always have those who loved her, including Nikolas, Lulu, her mother, and himself. He then took her away, and when Laura asked to where, he said to home.

At the church, Liz called Audrey to let her know that she was safe. After she hung up the phone, she confided to Nikolas that she had been having a dream that had felt like she would never awaken when she'd heard the sirens. She had called her love to tell him about the dream, but when she'd heard the puzzling recording on the other end of the line, she had decided to tell him in person. Liz admitted that she was afraid to go to sleep, for fear that she'd dream only of the sirens, but Nikolas encouraged her to dream of the pleasant memories that she had shared with Lucky.

Somewhere in a dark room, Lucky drank a bottle of water and then threw it forcefully against the door.

Tuesday, April 27, 1999

by Soap Central

Edward was reading an article in the Herald when A.J. went down to breakfast. Edward berated A.J. for not being at work hours earlier. Then they discussed the article in the newspaper. Edward couldn't believe they would print a story using an unnamed person as their only source but admitted the story couldn't be better timed if they had planted it. A.J. said the article proved that Jason was a danger to Michael, and then proudly boasted that he had planted it and was the unnamed source quoted.

A.J. told Edward that there was no way that Judge Carter wouldn't be swayed after seeing that. Edward advised A.J. that he should never underestimate Jason. A.J. informed Edward that he wanted three things: Jason out of his life, sole custody of Michael, and control of ELQ. Edward assured him that all those things would happen in time. Little did Edward and A.J. know, but Carly had been listening through the door throughout the entire conversation. Of course, she left the house in search of Jason.

Sonny went to Kelly's for breakfast. Tammy wanted to know why he hadn't been at the memorial service for Lucky. Before he answered, she gave him some well-meaning advice. She told him that Luke really needed friends at that moment. Sonny assured her that he was one friend that Luke didn't need right then. Tammy told Sonny that a lifetime friend was always needed and then left Sonny to brood in silence.

Mac and Felicia sat at a nearby table. Mac was appalled by the article on the front page of the newspaper. He said that the arson report wasn't even finished yet. Felicia and Mac discussed Luke and Laura's loss and how terrible it had to be for them. Mac, of course, wanted to blame Sonny, but Felicia defended him. Mac described to Felicia the night of the fire and the way Luke had acted. He then reaffirmed his commitment to Felicia and the girls. Felicia assured him that he couldn't get away from her even if he wanted to because she would follow him to the ends of the earth. She then left to go and see Lila.

Luke showed up at Laura's house to see Lulu, but the only person he found was Bobbie. She took him upstairs to see what Laura had done to Lucky's room. Luke was shocked but then admitted she had only beaten him to the job. Bobbie was concerned about Laura and wondered if they should look for her. Luke assured her that he knew exactly where Laura was -- at Wyndemere.

Luke and Bobbie set about straightening Lucky's room. Bobbie encouraged Luke not to throw out Lucky's things because he would regret it. She told him that she was very glad that she had some of B.J.'s as well as Ruby's things. Bobbie was sure that Laura would definitely want to keep Lucky's things. She then left to help out at Kelly's.

Laura was indeed at Wyndemere. She thanked Stefan for going to the house the day before. She told him she probably would have destroyed the whole house if he hadn't gone. Stefan told her that he would have checked on her no matter what. Laura told him she didn't think she would ever be okay again. She spoke about how she had left her son in his grave, and all she could think about was how cold the ground was.

Laura started rambling about how Lucky had left her. Then she started in with speculation: if only he had been at home instead of in that room, if only she hadn't driven him away, if only... Laura told Stefan that she had to go home and straighten out Lucky's room before Lesley and Lulu got back from Amy's. She called the house, and Luke answered. She told him about Lucky's room and asked him to leave a note so that her mother would be sure not to let Lulu go in there. She then left Wyndemere and headed home.

Felicia and Lila briefly discussed Lucky's death and its effect on Emily. Lila said that Emily was devastated but that she grieved privately. Felicia then talked to Lila about the first time she had met Edward. She said that Edward was the love of her life, but when they had first met, she had been engaged to a man named Elliot Thompson. Felicia asked what had happened to him, and Lila informed her that Elliot had been killed in the war. She also explained that it had been an arranged marriage. Lila also told Felicia about some letters that she had exchanged with Edward and her cousin, Eleanor.

Hannah met up with Jason on the docks while she was looking for Sonny. She asked Jason how Sonny was doing and wanted to know why he felt responsible for the terrible things that happened around him. Jason tried to explain. Hannah told Jason that she only wanted to help Sonny. Carly, of course, just happened to be around the corner, eavesdropping on the conversation, and Sonny caught her.

Sonny demanded that Carly apologize for what had happened at Luke's club. Carly grudgingly offered an apology, and Hannah accepted it in the spirit it had been given. Carly then demanded to talk to Jason. As they walked away, Hannah offered her thanks to Sonny for making Carly apologize.

Carly told Jason that A.J. had planted the article in the paper. Jason said it didn't matter. Carly believed it did and said she was going to find proof. Jason warned her to be careful because A.J. was getting desperate. After Carly and Hannah left, Sonny asked Jason what he and Hannah had been talking about. Jason told him, and Sonny told Jason to tell Hannah to stay away from him.

When Laura arrived home, Luke was still there. He told her Mac was on the way with the finished arson report. Laura asked Luke to stay and hear about the report with her. While they waited for Mac, Luke and Laura discussed why they had gone to Port Charles and the reasons why Lucky had left home. While Laura blamed herself, Luke tried to make her see that it hadn't been her fault.

Mac showed up and told Luke and Laura that the fire had been an accident caused by candles Lucky had left lit when he had gone to sleep. Luke had a hard time believing that. Mac assured him that there were no lose ends and no mistakes. The fire had definitely been an accident.

Jerry showed up at Kelly's and tried to comfort Bobbie. She spent some time, telling him about Lucky and how much she had loved him.

Felicia gathered her things, getting ready to leave the Quartermaines', when Edward entered. He told her about the first time he had ever seen Lila and how she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The phone began ringing, and Felicia made her escape as A.J. and Carly entered. The phone call was from the mayor's office, giving the news that the fire at the garage had been an accident, and the case had officially been closed. Edward was upset because he said they no longer had the upper hand in the custody trial.

Someone was watching Lucky on a security camera as he tried to hack his way onto the Internet, using a computer in his cell. Then a hand turned off the camera monitor.

Wednesday, April 28, 1999

by Soap Central

Katherine arrived at Jax's penthouse and found that he had a business offer for her. Jax divulged to Katherine that he knew of Deception's recent great strides and their new promotional campaign, set to begin the next month. Katherine, worried Jax was making threats to raid Deception, assured him that she would not make it easy for him. Being clear that Deception was of no interest to him, Jax offered to free up some of her valuable time by taking her ELQ stock off of her hands -- at a considerable profit of course. Knowing that Jax had recently attempted to acquire some of the Cassadine fortune, Katherine promised not only to give some thought to the offer but to find out what Jax was really up to.

Up to nothing at Deception, Nikolas procrastinated, trying not to think about Lucky, when Emily made a moral support visit. They both discussed how they could think of nothing else except Lucky and how much worse Liz had to be feeling. Emily told Nikolas that that day had been Liz's first day back to school and how hard she had tried to show Emily that everything was normal by talking about biology and schoolwork. Emily tried to explain to Nikolas that sometimes avoidance was the best way to help things back to normal.

Emily assured Nikolas that things would get better. They would never be the same without Lucky, but they would get back to a normal life. She encouraged Nikolas to try to work and get his mind off Lucky. They agreed that together they could support Liz and help her through it.

Alone, Luke sat in his club. The phone rang, only to be the evil voice of Faison, offering yet again to purchase the great diamond. Luke explained that he was not doing business with anyone at that time and abruptly hung up. Sonny entered to offer Luke the papers that would dissolve their partnership. Luke informed Sonny that he and Jason were off the hook, the investigation was closed, and the fire had been officially deemed an accident.

Sonny proceeded to still offer Luke a way out of their partnership. Luke opened the documents and found that Sonny was giving Luke his half of the club. Luke told Sonny that such an offer only made Sonny look guilty and proceeded to tear up the papers. Since he and Laura were over and Lucky was dead, the business was important to him. Luke's was reopening. Luke left Sonny at the bar as he went to tell Bobbie the news.

Meanwhile, at Kelly's, Bobbie was covering the shifts when Liz arrived to work. Although Bobbie encouraged her to go home and rest, Liz wanted to keep busy, and being at work was the best place for that, not at home refolding all of her clothes. Mac entered with the news that Lucky's death had been an accident and not arson. Liz was stunned to hear the source of the fire had been candles at Lucky's bedside. She was frozen.

Bobbie tried to reassure Liz that it had to be better since she knew it had only been an accident. Liz, obviously overwhelmed, asked for the rest of the day off and ran out of Kelly's. Outside, Liz daydreamed of her last conversation with Lucky, especially of telling him to light another candle for her.

Back at Jax's, Jerry barged in, very much out of sorts, as Jax was about to leave. Flustered at his brother's interruption as he was leaving to go sailing, Jax gave his brother a brief moment to explain his anxiousness as Jax answered the door. It was about John and Lady Jane. Jerry exclaimed that he just couldn't handle it. Jax's parents had arrived to try to patch things up and to return the last check that Jax had sent to them to get on their feet. Jerry and Jax were surprised to hear that each had been sending money to their parents without the other's knowledge. Slightly perturbed that his father had once again taken control of the family situation without input, Jax explained that he had wanted to be the one to go to them.

On the docks, Mac ran into Taggert, who claimed that Sonny and Jason were back in business. Taggert saw the crates of coffee being delivered and wanted to get a search warrant. Mac told Taggert that the arson report cleared Sonny and Jason and that the case of the fire was closed. Obviously not believing the report, Taggert continued on his tirade. Mac threatened Taggert that if he persisted to act without cause, Mac would suspend him.

At Luke's, Hannah tried to comfort Sonny about the fire. Liz walked in to do the same. After telling Sonny the story about the candles and trying to relieve his feelings of guilt, Sonny saw how much Liz had begun to blame herself. He asked if she believed in heaven, and she said she did. He asked if she believed Lucky was in heaven, and she said yes. He then asked her if Lucky was blaming her for the candles or for asking him to light another one. "Of course not," she replied, "Lucky's not like that."

Sonny told Liz that just like Lucky wouldn't be blaming her, he wouldn't want her to be blaming herself. Liz was not comfortable with the reprisal and wanted to go home. Sonny had Johnny take Liz home and reminded her that if she needed anything, she could turn to him. In the limo on the way home, Liz apologized to Lucky and began to cry.

As Bobbie was closing up Kelly's, Luke arrived, intending to give her the news of the arson report. Bobbie tried to comfort Luke because the fire had been an accident, and he wasn't to blame for allowing Sonny and Jason to have a part in their lives. Luke said that just because a report said it was an accident didn't mean anything. After the fire, he had been looking for anyone to blame -- everyone to blame. Since there was no one specific, he was left with a knot of pain in his stomach. Bobbie empathized that once it was all over, he wouldn't remember all of it. Luke would remember the first time he had held his son's hand and how he had grown up to be a wonderful man. The rest would fall by the wayside.

Remembering his recent brush with death, Jax told his parents that while he had been stranded in the Sahara, it had been his belief that his family would pull through for him that had helped him through the ordeal. He had relied on the knowledge that Jerry would indeed find and rescue him. After Brenda's death, he had realized that the love one had for people was what was important and that the crash had reminded him of that. He was not going to let what had happened between them stand in the way of their family.

As Nikolas and Diana discussed the Deception tour plans, Diana again asked if Nikolas would be escorting her. Katherine interrupted just in time to hear that and reminded Diana that Nikolas had work to do at Deception and would be as helpful as possible. Diana was asked to leave as Katherine and Nikolas had business to discuss. Katherine patronizingly told Nikolas that his denial about Lucky was unhealthy and that he should not be trying to work but should grieve instead. She invited him to her suite, which he respectfully declined, saying that a friend had recommended that work would help him deal with his loss.

Luke was left alone again, in the dark, to deal with his loss when a vision of Lucky appeared to him. Luke questioned if it was really him. "What do you think?" Lucky replied. Luke proceeded to tell Lucky how much he missed him -- how the best part of him had died with Lucky. Lucky asked his father if Luke remembered what he had said after Aunt Ruby had died. "Stay stuck or move forward and stake out new ground," Lucky said. "I can't," Luke said. "You can. You're the strongest man I ever met," Lucky said. Luke looked down in grief and when he looked back up, Lucky was gone.

Thursday, April 29

by Starla Gist

At the Quartermaine mansion, Felicia waited for Lila inside the family room so that they could discuss more of Lila's memoirs. Lila wheeled herself in, and the two women chatted. Felicia wondered about the love letters and asked Lila if she still had them. Lila said she was afraid not and then explained to Felicia that she had given them to her cousin for safekeeping. Felicia asked Lila if her cousins still knew where they were.

Lila told Felicia she was afraid the love letters were lost forever, since it had been such a long time before, and her cousin had died. Felicia then asked Lila if her cousin had had any children and if they might have the letters. Lila said she was not sure and then gave Felicia information on how she might be able to locate them. Felicia decided to do that and told Lila that she would be in touch with her if she turned up anything. Felicia left.

Meanwhile, just out in the doorway area, Carly was on the phone, trying to reach Jason. She heard A.J. entering and told Benny to tell him she had called. She hung up quickly. She then ran and grabbed her notebook to pretend that she was writing something down inside of it. A.J. walked in the door and asked Carly if she would like to play hooky from class that night. Carly made an excuse to avoid another dinner date with A.J. and told him that she had a very important class that day that would be talking about dimensional designing, and she needed to be there. A.J. understood and said he'd take a rain check.

Carly then told A.J. that she had played with Michael all day and that he was asleep. A.J. told her that he'd check up on Michael after he dropped her off at class. Nervous, Carly told him he didn't have to do that because she had already called a cab -- and besides, he had just gotten home from a hard day at work. A.J. fell for it and told her he'd see her when she got back. Carly left. Outside, she was pleased that she had been able to fool A.J. again.

Shortly afterwards, Edward arrived at home, telling A.J. that all his calls to the judge had worked against them because they had moved up the court date, and the judge that they were suppose to have had preside over the matter was unable to fit their court date in his schedule. A.J. was pleased because that was what he had wanted. Edward warned A.J. that they had just one short week to prove that he was the best father for Michael and that he and Carly were the perfect parents. A.J. told Edward that he and Carly were going to show a united front, but Edward told him that the police report had already proven that Lucky's death had been an accident and had had nothing to do with Jason. He also reminded A.J. that Jason and Sonny were operating a legitimate business, plus that a social worker had seen that Jason seemed to be the only one who could put a smile on Michael's face.

A.J. was worried. Edward told him not to forget that aside from Emily and Bobbie, who were willing to testify to Jason's well-being, by the time they went to court, Monica might turn against him as well. A.J. told Edward that there was still the warehouse fire, and he also had Tony Jones's testimony on Jason's condition, among other things, plus he was the biological father, so Edward should not worry about the custody hearing. Edward told A.J. he hoped so and then left to go upstairs.

A.J. made a few phone calls. Later on, Edward was back downstairs, reading the paper. A.J. entered, and Edward asked if he had found Carly. A.J. said that she was at her design class. Edward said that the main thing was to get that young lady's cooperation. A.J. told Edward not to underestimate him. Edward went upstairs to check on Lila. Alone, A.J. pulled out an engagement ring.

At the bar at the Port Charles Grill, Ned approached, and Jax said not to remind him to keep Alexis safe. Ned said that he trusted Alexis to speak for herself and then asked if Jax was still going to pursue the Cassadine holdings without Alexis. Jax didn't give a straight answer, and Ned advised that if Jax chose not to pursue it, he had a business proposition for Jax. Ned left and went to his table.

Shortly after, Jerry walked over and told Jax that he needed Jax's help. He then explained that their mother had asked Bobbie to join them that evening for dinner. An amused Jax asked Jerry what the problem was. Jerry admitted that he hoped their parents found Bobbie to be as wonderful as he thought she was. Jerry told Jax he was worrying for nothing. Jane and John Jacks showed up, and the foursome went to their table.

Meanwhile, just out near the entryway, Bobbie ran into Felicia in the lobby and admitted to Felicia that she was nervous about meeting the parents. Felicia said that Bobbie was the best thing to ever happen to Jerry and that Jane and John Jacks should be nervous about meeting her. Felicia's compliment made Bobbie feel better as she took a deep breath and headed inside. Felicia went inside, too, but she was there to talk to Ned.

While they waited on Bobbie, John and Jane talked to Jerry about Bobbie and compared her to his former lovers. Jane said that Jerry appeared smitten, as a blushing Jerry hated the teasing. Jax enjoyed watching his brother squirm as Jerry nervously prepared to introduce their parents to Bobbie. As if on cue, Bobbie walked over to the table. She greeted Jerry with a kiss then Jerry introduced Bobbie to his parents. Jane said that she was eager to get to know the woman who had stolen her son's heart, and Jerry started blushing again.

Bobbie told John and Jane about how she had met Jerry, and Jerry continued to be nervous as an amused Jax enjoyed it all. During dinner, Bobbie handled herself adeptly under John and Jane's scrutiny. As the evening went on, Bobbie won over the elder Jackses with flying colors. Jax and Jerry then made comments about their parents calling it a night after the long flight. John and Jane agreed and told Bobbie how thrilled they were to meet her. They excused themselves from dinner and left.

Jerry kissed Bobbie, who was happy the evening had gone well. She then excused herself to call to check on Lucas. Alone, Jax teased Jerry about his nervousness, and Jerry jokingly told Jax that one day he would be in the same position, having his parents grill the prospective girlfriend.

Ned and V sat at another table. V nagged Ned to work on expanding his fan base by going on the road. Ned told V that he could not do a road tour. Felicia approached and apologized for interrupting. She asked Ned about his offer to finance some research. She said that she was trying to find Lila's old love letters and had to find Chloe. She was in London. She said that Chloe had been avoiding her phone calls.

Ned said that it was simple. Felicia just had to go to London and track the lady down. Ned told her he'd be glad to finance the trip. Felicia thanked Ned for his help; there might be a good chance she could get the letters for the book. She also said that Ned could read through the manuscript before it was finished. V hoped she could read it too. Ned said that it was a side of her that he hadn't seen.

Felicia said she has to get ready for her trip. As she was leaving, she ran into Mac. She rushed through her explanation of why she was going to London. He was amazed that he was the last to know about her plans. She looked at her watch a few times while trying to explain why she was going and whom she was going to see. He accepted her rushed explanation and kissed her goodbye. She did remember to tell him that it was Chloe Morgan that she was going to see and then left while a startled Mac stood there, speechless.

While on the plane, Felicia tried to find out more about Chloe Morgan and read a fashion magazine that had an article about her in it.

Jason was at Luke's, all dirty. Hannah saw him and poured him a beer. He told her about working at the warehouse. She asked about all his careers, including busboy and coffee merchant. Jason told her it was better to own a business than work for one. They then jumped on the subject of Lucky, and he told her about the arson report and its findings. She was glad to hear that they didn't think it had had anything to do with Jason and Sonny. He said that it was still hard to believe.

Hannah talked some more to Jason Sonny got ready to walk out but heard Hannah quizzing Jason about him and decided to eavesdrop. Jason didn't reveal much about Sonny, but what he did reveal had her intrigued. They jumped on the subject of Taggert, and Hannah asked Jason what was with him and Sonny. Jason told her that Taggert had had a vendetta against Sonny ever since he had arrived in Port Charles. She asked him about what, but Jason didn't divulge that information and told her that she'd have to talk to Sonny. She then told Jason about her run-in with Taggert when he had arrived to bother Sonny.

Still listening, Sonny decided to make his presence known, walked out to the bar, and told Jason that thanks to Hannah. Taggert hadn't stuck around long like he usually did. Jason asked what had happened, and Sonny told him about Hannah spilling a whole tray of drinks on Taggert. They all laughed. Hannah left to get something out of the kitchen. After she left, Jason admitted that Hannah was asking all kinds of questions about Sonny, and she had shown her concern for Taggert pushing Sonny. He then told Sonny that Hannah was very interested in him.

Jason gave Sonny the paperwork for the day's work and told Sonny he has to go and would catch up to him later. Taggert decided to go into Luke's to bother Sonny again and sat at Sonny's table. Sonny tried to ignore him. Taggert told Sonny that he didn't care what the fire report showed and still blamed Sonny for Lucky's death. Taggert said it was all because Jason owned the business. Sonny said that he was going to call Mac to report Taggert.

As Sonny and Taggert continued to go rounds, Hannah watched it all. Sonny waved Taggert away, and he left. Hannah followed Taggert outside and asked him how he spelled his name because she wanted to be accurate when she filed a harassment report. Taggert told her to reconsider threatening an officer. She said that she had other witnesses to prove that he was persecuting Sonny, even though the fire had been considered an accident. They would all go down to the police station, and after they were through giving their statements, they would make sure he lost his job.

Taggert told her that Sonny was a racketeer, and Taggert was sick and tired of going to the morgue and putting names in his file. He then told her if she were smart, she'd avoid him. If she were not, he would consider her one of Sonny's accomplices, and she would be looking for lots more trouble than she could handle. Sonny had followed them outside and heard Hannah make her threats to Taggert.

Once Taggert had left, Sonny told Hannah that Taggert's vendetta was with him, not her. It had nothing to do with her, and he didn't want her to interfere or get involved. He then told her that antagonizing Taggert would only get her in trouble. He asked her what she was thinking. Hannah apologized and told Sonny that Taggert had just gotten her upset. Sonny was impressed when Hannah defended him to Taggert and showed his appreciation by giving her a kiss.

Carly slipped into Jason's bedroom and wanted to make love with him. Seeing that Jason was in the shower, Carly staged a seduction scene designed to snare Jason. She then unbuttoned her shirt a bit and struck a seductive pose on the bed. Jason walked out of the shower, surprised to see her sitting there. Carly said, "Surprised?" She then told Jason that she couldn't stop thinking about him.

Jason asked Carly what she was doing there. She told him it was okay because A.J. thought she was at school. She then seductively walked over to him and told him that she knew he wanted her too. Jason looked like he was going to burst her bubble and tell her to take a walk.

Bobbie dropped by Audrey's to check up on Liz. While Liz still felt she was at fault, Bobbie encouraged an unhappy Liz to believe that, in time, she would begin to feel that the end of her grieving was in sight. Bobbie then left and told Liz to call her if she needed her for anything. Shortly afterwards, Nikolas showed up. As they talked about Lucky and the fact that they couldn't believe he was gone, Liz tearfully informed Nikolas that she had been responsible for Lucky's death.

Nikolas wondered why Liz was blaming herself. Liz showed Nikolas a candle and told him about the candles in Lucky's room. She then said that the fire had been because of the candles. She had put them in the room; he had lit them because of her. Liz then broke down in front of Nikolas as she continued to blame herself for Lucky's death.

Nikolas held her close and told her that it wasn't her fault. She told him about asking Lucky to light the candles late at night. If she hadn't told him, he wouldn't have died. Nikolas said that it was part Lucky's fault; he was the one who had fallen asleep. She said no, it had been an accident, and he said exactly.

An understanding Nikolas was able to get Liz to realize that Lucky's death had been no one's fault. Later, Liz received a package. Nikolas helped her open it up. It turned out to be her painting of Lucky that she had sent to the art school.

Faison was watching Lucky on multiple monitors. He zoomed in close to Lucky's face. Faison was in Lucky's room. Lucky asked why he was being kept a prisoner. Faison apologized for not being a good host. Faison introduced himself to Lucky, who was shocked to meet face-to-face with the notorious Cesar Faison

Friday, April 30, 1999

by Soap Central

Alan found A.J. in the Quartermaine living room. He noticed that A.J. had decorated the room with candles and asked what was up. A.J. said that he was planning a little surprise for Carly.

In Jason's bedroom, Carly continued to entice Jason. She said that if he told her to go, she would.

Outside Luke's, Hannah pulled away from Sonny's kiss and looked into his eyes breathlessly. She said that he was right -- he was dangerous. Sonny said that he had warned her. Hannah put her arms around Sonny's neck and pulled him in for another passionate kiss.

Tammy arrived at Luke's to discuss the "other night." Luke asked if she was there to lodge a complaint. Tammy laughed and said no. She just hadn't seen him since then, and she wanted to make it clear that that was what it was -- just one night. No one knew better than her what it was like to have things ignite in the moment. The other night had been a moment.

Tammy didn't subscribe to that whole idea that a person was responsible for acting on their impulses. What she was trying to say was that one night was okay with her. Tammy looked surprised when Luke asked what made her think that all he wanted was one night.

At the Port Charles Grill, Stefan and Laura prepared to order dinner. Stefan hoped that a change of scenery would be good for Laura, since she hadn't left her house since returning after trashing Lucky's room. Jax stopped by the table to offer Laura his condolences. He told Stefan that he was also officially withdrawing as a contender for the Cassadine spoils. The stakes were a little too high.

Jax explained that Helena had tried to kill him and make it look like an accident. He didn't mind taking chances, but the Cassadine fortune wasn't worth his life. Once Jax left, Laura turned to Stefan and said that Helena was the one who had killed Lucky.

At the Hardy house, Liz continued to stare at Lucky's portrait. Nikolas was amazed at how good the portrait was. He had thought Lucky hadn't wanted anyone to see it because he had been afraid that it didn't look like him and he hadn't wanted anyone to tell Liz. It looked exactly like Lucky. He told Liz that Lucky was right. She had a gift.

Liz took the portrait from Nikolas and tearfully said that Lucky had always told her she'd be a famous painter someday. He had even had her believing it. Liz said that she didn't know if she would ever be able to paint again. Nikolas sat next to her on the couch and offered her a comforting pat on the back as she continued to stare at Lucky's portrait with unshed tears in her eyes.

In his cell, Lucky was surprised to hear his captor introduce himself as Cesar Faison. Faison said that he was flattered that Lucky had heard of him. Lucky told Faison that he had heard Faison was dead. Faison said that death could sometimes prove to be an illusion. His had been. And so was Lucky's. Lucky looked understandably shocked when Faison mentioned Lucky's death, since that was the first he'd heard of it.

Felicia arrived in London, looking for Chloe Morgan. The person who answered the door to Chole's suite rudely slammed the door in Felicia's face when she learned that Felicia had nothing to do with the show.

Alan invited Carly and A.J. to a play, but A.J. declined. A.J. explained that Carly had been so supportive that he had been planning on doing something nice for her. He said that he had learned that from Alan. Alan always went out of his way to do something nice for Monica. A.J. asked Alan if, despite everything he and Monica had been through, he was glad that he had married Monica. Alan said that he wouldn't change a thing, but the difference was that he loved Monica.

Jason told Carly that the answer still was, and always would be, no. Carly was angry and thought it was because of Robin. Jason said it had nothing to do with Robin, and he had nothing against sex. There were a lot of women he would sleep with, just not her. Carly was insulted by Jason's comment. Jason asked if she had ever hated him more than when they had been sleeping together because that was the only time he hadn't been able to stand her.

Things had been different then. There had been no Michael, and Jason and Carly hadn't been friends. That had changed, though, and they were part of each other's lives. He wasn't going to lose that. Carly asked why he had kissed her. Jason said that she had kissed him. He hadn't pushed her away because he hadn't wanted to hurt her. Jason apologized for doing anything that might have made Carly think he wanted to sleep with her but said that it was never going to happen.

Felicia followed several models into Chloe Morgan's suite. The receptionist threatened to call security when she saw Felicia, but Felicia begged her to just listen to what Felicia had to say. Felicia assured the woman that she was not dangerous. She didn't want to interview Chloe; she just wanted to talk to her about a distant relative.

As Felicia continued to explain, a delivery person arrived with flowers. The receptionist set the flowers on the desk and then turned to call security. As she turned, she upset the vase, which Felicia caught and prevented from spilling onto Chloe's designs. The receptionist was very grateful that Felicia had helped to avert a disaster and agreed to let her wait and try to speak with Chloe.

Laura insisted to Stefan that Helena was behind Lucky's death. Stefan assured Laura that Jax's difficulties with Helena had nothing to do with Lucky's death. Laura was convinced that Helena had killed Lucky for revenge. Stefan pointed out that the arson report had been definitive. The fire had been an accident. Besides, he knew Helena better than anyone. If Helena had killed Lucky, she would have made sure that Laura knew somehow. Laura was still unconvinced.

Faison told Lucky that it was unfortunate that he'd had to miss his own memorial service. It had been quite heartbreaking, but "so tastefully done." Lucky didn't believe Faison and said that if there really had been a memorial service, it was because his parents were playing along, scamming until they figured out a way to find him. They didn't really believe he was dead. His mom had a sense about those things.

Faison agreed that such perceptions were possible, but it took a little more than a sense to deny the realties of a body burned beyond recognition, a dental match, and a DNA match. It had taken him a lot of work to switch all the medical records, but the results were absolutely gratifying. He pointed to Lucky and told him that he was dead -- as dead as Faison ever had been. Lucky said that everyone would think it had been arson.

Faison asked if Lucky took him for an amateur. He told Lucky that Lucky had started the fire when he had left his candles unattended. The arson report was quite clear. The candles were to blame. He believed it was Lucky's girlfriend. At the mention of Liz, Lucky screamed at Faison, calling him a bastard and lunging for him.

Faison physically restrained Lucky and said he was impulsive like his father. Lucky said that Faison didn't know anything about Luke. Faison gleefully told Lucky that he had been doing business with Luke for quite some time. Luke sold him diamonds, and he referred Luke to an excellent tobacconist. He was sure Lucky had seen Luke smoking the special blend he had recommended. Luke knew him and suspected nothing.

At Luke's, Luke noticed Tammy watching him and asked her if she saw anything she liked. Tammy told Luke that he didn't miss a beat, but she happened to know the difference between a man who wanted her and one who was just trying to drown. She told Luke, who was smoking one of the special cigars, that he had been a really good friend to her, but he didn't need to dress up what had happened the other night. Tammy asked how he was really doing.

Luke said that he got up every morning and tried to figure out how he could best honor his son. When he couldn't think of anything, he just did something. That was why he had decided to reopen the club. That was why he was asking people if they "want cheese fries with that." At the end of the day, he got in bed and stared at the ceiling. Sometimes he slept; sometimes he didn't. Then the sun rose, and it all started over again.

Luke guessed he was okay. He didn't hold much stock in the need to get on with things, but Lucky had, so maybe Luke owed it to him to try. Someone walked up to the bar and asked if he could get a burger. With a wink at Tammy, Luke asked the person if he wanted cheese fries with that and went in back to get the order.

Outside Luke's, Sonny and Hannah continued to make out, but Hannah pulled away, saying it was too fast. She was outside of a blues club, kissing a man she hardly knew -- a man who went around warning people he was dangerous. She was nowhere near ready to feel anything for Sonny. She didn't even know if she wanted to. Everything she knew about him sent alarm bells clanging.

Sonny said that Hannah didn't look alarmed. Hannah asked Sonny if he knew how inconsistent he was. One minute he told her to walk away, and the next minute he was kissing her. It was confusing, and when she was confused, she backed off. That was her backing off. Sonny asked Hannah if she was the one who had followed him to the pier, listened while he poured his heart out, defended him to the cops, and done everything she could so that he would notice her. Well, he said, he had noticed her.

Hannah admitted that she had wanted him to kiss her. It was just too much too soon. She apologized for the mixed signals and started to walk away. Sonny took her arm and pulled her back, saying that it wasn't that simple.

Sonny told Hannah that he hadn't gone outside to kiss her. He had gone outside to tell her to lay off Taggert. He didn't want her involved. Hannah said that cops didn't intimidate her. Sonny said that he had noticed. From what he had observed, she didn't run from anything. She fought first.

Sonny asked why Hannah was running at that moment. He wondered what it mattered if he were inconsistent. She was too. They had started "this dance" -- one pulled away, one followed. It was his turn. He wanted to follow. For the record, he wasn't looking for any guarantees -- and he wasn't going to make any. Hannah said that she understood and then left, saying that she had to get back to work.

Hannah went back inside, looking a little flushed. Sonny followed her and suggested that she take the rest of the evening off, since things were kind of slow. She thanked Sonny and accepted his offer of his car and driver to take her home.

At Jason's, Carly was repairing her face while she told Jason how humiliating it was to psyche herself up to seduce him and then be rejected. Jason asked why she had done it. Carly said that she had done it because she wasn't stuck in the past like he was. It hadn't worked before because of Robin. Jason pointed out that she had tried to blackmail him. Carly accused him of not trusting her.

Jason said that he trusted the way things were at that moment. Jason explained that when they had first met, they had done what had felt good, and when it hadn't felt good anymore, he had told her. There had been nothing to lose. Carly was mad, but he didn't care. Everyone involved was an adult. He explained that there was Michael, who was caught in the middle. He wouldn't let her use Michael as a weapon against him. Carly said that she wasn't mad "this time" because she was the one who had convinced him that they couldn't be friends if they slept together.

Jason would rather be her friend. Carly would rather have both. She wanted to prove that they could have both. Jason told her not to try to prove anything but to just accept it. Carly said that she didn't plan on sneaking into his room on a regular basis. Once a year was enough for her, but she was right. He was really good for her, and he might not believe it, but she was good for him too. Jason told her to go home.

Carly said that she was home. She didn't live at the Quartermaines'; she was stuck there temporarily. Jason told her to go the Quartermaines'; he had something to do. Carly asked if it was dangerous. When Jason didn't answer, Carly told him to call her when it was over so she would know that he was safe. As they left, Carly pointed out that what she'd had in mind would have been nicer for both of them.

At the Hardy house, Nikolas offered a glass of water to Liz, who apologized for being upset. Nikolas said that she didn't have to feel sorry for being sad. It was better than pretending that she didn't feel anything at all. He was worried about her after the first day. Liz said that the whole thing reminded her of when she had fallen off her bike when she had been eight. At first, she hadn't felt anything, but then she had hurt everywhere, and all she had been able to do was sit on the ground and cry. At the fire, she had been afraid to feel anything. She knew when she did that she would feel everything, and without Lucky to help her, she would drown.

Nikolas said that she was too strong to drown. Liz said that she wasn't strong. Lucky had made her strong; he had given her that. He had given her everything, and it was all gone. Nikolas said that Lucky had just made the good in her better. He had made her believe in a gift she'd already had. He hadn't given her strength or talent; he had just nurtured it. Even without Lucky, she was the artist. Liz said that she wasn't an artist anymore. She had already tried.

Liz explained that one night, she had been thinking about Lucky and when he had slept on the floor by her bed. She had almost been able to see him because she had wanted it so badly. She hadn't been able to sleep, so she had decided to try to draw Lucky the way she remembered him, but she hadn't even been able to lift the pencil off the page.

Nikolas told Liz that she needed to try again. She needed to keep practicing It was like when he had needed to learn to speak all over. Something had just happened along and taken a part of him away, just like her painting and drawing was a part of her that had been taken away. It really wasn't gone, just asleep, waiting for her to heal.

Nikolas took Liz's hand in his own and told her that if she believed that Lucky had given her talent and strength to her, that was a gift she got to keep. She was Lucky's legacy -- the best thing Lucky had ever done. She had to prove that Lucky was right.

Tammy asked Luke if he was still living above the club. Luke asked if she was planning on paying him a visit. Tammy said that she had been wondering about Laura and where she was in everything. Luke said that he and Laura had been through before Lucky had died. Losing Lucky had sort of sunk the lifeboat. Tammy said that she thought that Luke and Laura would have turned to each other.

Luke said that Laura didn't want him anymore. She had moved on. She was a survivor. She would manage somehow. Tammy asked about Luke. He said that he was a cat who always landed on his feet. At that moment, he was still falling, and the other night she had caught him. Luke said that he'd had enough cheese fries for one night and offered Tammy a ride home.

Stefan and Laura had finished their meal. Laura apologized for not being very good company. Stefan suggested that they leave, and Laura agreed. As they walked out, Jerry arrived and found Jax waiting for him in the bar. Jerry asked if Jax had gotten a chance to speak to Stefan. Jax said that he thought Stefan had bought his story. He had laid it on pretty thick about how intimidated he was by Helena.

Jax was sure that once Stefan found out that Jax was inquiring about ELQ stock, he would be convinced, and so would Helena. Helena and Stefan would turn on each other and fight to a standstill. Then, they could blindside them. Jerry agreed that it was a brilliant strategy.

In London, the receptionist told Felicia that Chloe Morgan was running late and wouldn't be able to speak with her. On cue, Chloe rushed out of her office on her way to a ball. Her receptionist stopped her with last-minute instructions and noticed that she wasn't wearing any shoes. Chloe said that she hadn't been able to find them and was ready to go without, since her dress was long enough to cover her feet. Felicia walked up, holding a pair of shoes, and offered to give them to Chloe in exchange for five minutes of her time. Chloe looked happy and intrigued.

Sonny and Jason were together in a car, watching the warehouse. Sonny asked if Jason was sure that they hadn't been followed because Taggert had been on his case. Jason asked if Hannah had gotten rid of him again. Sonny told Jason how Hannah had tried again to defend him to Taggert, but he had stopped her. He didn't want Hannah involved in his business. Jason told Sonny that he would tell Hannah to stay away, but Sonny told him not to bother. Hannah could make up her own mind about him.

At the Quartermaines', Carly rushed down the stairs and found A.J. waiting. She told A.J. that she had just checked on Michael, who was sleeping soundly. A.J. was glad to hear that Michael was fine and said that he had something to show Carly. He led Carly into the living room, which was decorated with glowing candles. Carly asked what the occasion was, and A.J. told her that he wasn't sure that there was one. She would have to decide.

A.J. motioned Carly to sit on the couch and sat down next to her. He told her that he had given it a lot of thought. They had made something wonderful together, but he wanted them to have more -- a life together. He handed Carly a small box. She was speechless when she opened the box to reveal a huge diamond ring. A.J. asked Carly if she would marry him.

Nikolas was laughing as he looked at Liz's picture of Wyndemere. He couldn't believe she thought it was beautiful. She had to really be an artist. She saw beauty where no one else did. Liz explained that art schools liked ruins, and Wyndemere was the closest thing to a ruin that Port Charles had. Nikolas asked if she would sell the painting because he would like to give it to his father.

As Nikolas started to put the painting back into the box, he noticed an envelope. He pulled it out and told Liz that it was addressed to her. Liz said that it was either an acceptance or rejection letter. Nikolas asked if she wanted to see if she had gotten in.

Faison told Lucky that he believed that he had outlined the situation so that even Lucky could understand. He wouldn't escape. Lucky said maybe not the first time, or the time after that, but he would eventually. There was no way that Faison would keep him there. Faison said that he had hoped it wouldn't "come to this." He mimicked what Lucky said and asked if that was a threat. He called it "so uncivilized."

Faison said that since Lucky insisted -- he turned on the television, and Lucky saw Liz in the church before his memorial service. As Lucky watched, Faison said that he believed that Lucky knew the young lady. It was heartbreaking, really. "So sad. So young," Faison said, adding that it would be even sadder if such youth, such beauty, such potential were snuffed out because Lucky was too stubborn to cooperate. Lucky watched in shock, trying to hide his growing anger and despair, as he realized what Faison was threatening to do if he didn't play along.