General Hospital Recaps: The week of November 26, 2012 on GH

Carly and Skye realized that Lorenzo Alcazar might be alive and living in Llanview as Tomas Delgado. Meanwhile, Helena returned to town, and the Quartermaines geared up for a battle for control of ELQ.

Monday, November 26, 2012

by Boone

Sam, baby Danny, Kristina, and Molly remained in the chapel after Edward's memorial service. Kristina and Molly fretted privately about Sam and her inability to accept that Jason was dead. They invited her to dinner so that they could spoil Danny. Sam accepted the invitation to the lake house. Maxie and Lulu greeted Sam, and Lulu told Sam that she might soon be asking parenting advice.

Spinelli entered the chapel and tried to talk to Maxie, but she abruptly told Spinelli that he no longer had the right to call her "Maximista," and then dashed out of the church with Lulu. Sam asked Spinelli what was going on. Spinelli spilled his guts to Sam. He told her that Maxie had declared her love for him, but that Maxie had not done so until after he had gotten involved with Ellie.

Sam asked Spinelli what he would do about Maxie's declaration if he did not have a girlfriend. Spinelli answered that the point was moot because he did have a girlfriend. Spinelli changed the subject and said that he was ready to go back to work on helping Sam find Jason. Spinelli asked if John McBain had found any clues. Sam said that John did not believe that Jason was still alive. Sam wanted to know what Spinelli thought about Jason's plight.

Spinelli was diplomatic as he told Sam that he did not have her unwavering faith. He said that he wanted to believe, but logic got in his way. Sam said that Spinelli of all people should have faith because of what had just happened with Maxie. Even though he had given up hope, Maxie had finally said that she loved him. Ellie walked in as Spinelli said that it was too late.

Ellie though that Spinelli was referring to the fact that she was late to the funeral. Spinelli introduced Sam to Ellie and explained the part that Ellie had played in determining that Danny was actually Sam's son. After Spinelli and Ellie left to get lunch, Sam lit a candle and told Danny that she was not ready to give up on Jason.

Kristina sent Molly on ahead to Kelly's when she noticed Trey making repairs in the chapel. He told her that he was acting as the chapel handyman in exchange for food and a room in the basement. Kristina insisted that Trey join her for a burger at Kelly's.

Outside Kelly's, Starr texted Michael that she loved and supported him and then went inside to grab a table. Molly arrived and asked to sit with her, and Starr agreed. Both were working on their computers. Molly was somewhat secretive, and Starr was quickly able to get Molly to admit that she had written a novel.

Starr convinced Molly to let her read the novel after Starr promised Molly that she would keep it a secret. Kristina and Trey entered the restaurant. Starr was glad to see Trey. When she asked how he was doing, Kristina answered and made it sound like everything had worked out well for Trey. When Kristina and Trey sat down at another table, Trey thanked Kristina for making his situation sound better than it was.

Kristina asked why Trey had not called her when he found himself in trouble. Trey said that he was the guy whose father had almost killed her and that Trey was the guy who had married her on his father's instructions in order to get her fortune. Kristina pointed out that he was also the guy who had helped her father, Sonny, try to get Connie committed when he did not have to do so.

Trey said that he had other issues, including that his father had been working with Jerry Jacks when Jerry had contaminated the Port Charles water supply. Kristina asked what Trey would do next. Trey said that he did not know. He added that his filmmaking degree was useless in Port Charles. When Kristina asked if he was leaving town, Trey replied that he was not ready to deal with what was left of his father's house or business in New Orleans.

Kristina told Trey that she did not know what she would do next, either. Trey said that he was glad that Kristina was over her anger at her parents. Kristina said that Edward's funeral had started her thinking about forgiveness and how hard it was to hang on to anger and pain. Trey was thoughtful.

Starr was impressed by what she had read of Molly's novel before Kristina interrupted them. Starr covered and pretended that she had been helping Molly with a biology report. After Kristina went back to Trey, Starr gave Molly more compliments on her writing skills and insisted that Molly show it to a publisher. Molly said that no publisher would take the work of a high school student seriously. Starr told Molly that her dad, Todd Manning, was a publisher and that he would take Molly's work seriously.

Lulu and Maxie went to the Haunted Star for girl talk. Maxie shared her woes about Spinelli as well as the fact that she did not have a job prospect or any money. Lulu told Maxie all about the adoption fiasco and how she and Dante had been blacklisted because Lulu had faked all their family information. Maxie was happy for Lulu and Dante when Lulu explained that Sonny was willing to fund surrogacy for them. Maxie was thrilled for Lulu.

Lulu said that she and Dante had registered with the best surrogacy agency in New York and had done interviews, but had been disappointed. Lulu was fearful that surrogacy was not the answer because Lulu could not seem to connect to any of the women that she had interviewed, and she worried that the surrogate would want to keep the baby instead of surrendering it to Dante and Lulu. Lulu said that for the first time, she really wished she had a sister, someone she could count on, to carry the baby for her.

Maxie was ecstatic and thanked Lulu for keeping her mind off Spinelli for more than half an hour. Maxie gushed that what she really needed was a new project. And then, like a light bulb going on, Maxie said that she had a brilliant idea. When Lulu asked what it was, Maxie said that she could act as the surrogate for Dante and Lulu.

Monica, Tracy, Michael, A.J., Ned, Skye, and Alice all gathered at the Quartermaine crypt to say a final goodbye to Edward. A.J., whose ankle monitor had prevented him from attending the memorial service, spoke the last words. A.J. said that although he had not made Edward proud of him while Edward was alive, A.J. intended to make his "resurrection" count. A.J. said that he had been given a second chance at life, and this time around, he intended that his grandfather, Edward, would be proud of him.

After A.J.'s speech, the family adjourned to the mansion to hear the reading of Edward's will. Tracy anticipated inheriting all of Edward's property and was very unhappy to find out that Edward had used Diane Miller to draw up his last will and testament. Tracy protested that Diane was A.J.'s lawyer. Diane countered that Edward's will had been drawn up before she became A.J.'s lawyer.

Tracy grumbled but accepted the facts. Tracy was stunned when Edward's first bequest granted 12% of ELQ stock to each of Edward's five living grandchildren, which included Skye, because she had been adopted by Alan, as well as Jason who had not been officially declared dead. Edward's second bequest awarded 6% of the stock to each of his five great grandchildren. Tracy quickly realized that the two bequests represented 90% of ELQ's shares. Her expectations of receiving the remaining 10% were dashed when Monica received 5% and Alice, whom Edward called a loyal friend, received the remaining 5%. A tearful Alice said that she would rather have had five more years with Edward than the stock.

Tracy's hopes were quashed further when Edward's remaining fortune and assets were divided equally between Habitat for Humanity and PBS. Ned remained behind with Tracy as the rest of the family cheerfully departed for lunch. When Ned asked Tracy if there was anything that he could do, she sent him to lunch so that she could examine the will. After a thorough examination, Tracy was reluctantly convinced of it validity, but privately thought that there had to be a mistake because there had been no mention of her in it.

Tracy perked up when Diane produced a box from her briefcase that Diane said Edward had intended for Tracy. Tracy was delighted at first, but her spirits were crushed again when she opened the box and found only a jar of Pickle-Lila.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

by Elisabeth

Outside of Kelly's, Starr was on the phone with her mother. Blair was concerned because Starr didn't sound enthusiastic about attending Blair's wedding. Starr promised to relish every second of the nuptials, but Blair thought that Starr sounded more sarcastic than sincere. Starr assured Blair that she supported Blair's decision to marry Tomas, but Blair feared that Starr was just saying what Blair wanted to hear. Blair suspected that Todd had turned Starr against Blair, but Starr insisted that Blair was wrong. However, Starr conceded that Todd was still in love with Blair, and therefore, he wasn't happy about her impending wedding.

Blair tried to brush off Starr's claims about Todd's feelings for Blair, so Starr reminded Blair that Todd had proposed to Blair in June. Blair admitted that she had thought that Todd had been over that. "Have you met Dad?" Starr asked. Starr questioned if Blair really wanted to marry Tomas when Blair kept asking questions about Todd. Blair quickly assured her daughter that the wedding would proceed as planned because Blair and Tomas had a great relationship, and Blair was happy. Blair changed the subject by asking how Starr was doing after Johnny's betrayal.

Starr grumbled that it didn't make sense that Johnny would marry Connie when he had been involved with Carly. Blair suspected that Johnny had his reasons, prompting Starr to ask if Blair had loved Todd the first time that Blair had married Todd. Blair acknowledged that she had initially married Todd for his fortune, but she assured Starr that the second marriage to Todd had been about love. Blair recalled that everyone had disapproved of the marriage, but Blair insisted that the marriage had been perfect. Starr wondered why, if that was true, Blair was marrying Tomas.

Blair explained that people changed, and perfect moments didn't last. Starr assured her mother that she wanted Blair to be happy. Blair insisted that she was happy and looked forward to seeing Starr on Saturday. Starr promised to be there and ended the call. Afterwards, Blair appeared pensive as she looked at the picture on her cell phone. It was a snapshot of Blair and Todd that had been taken on the day of their second wedding.

At the Haunted Star, Lulu was stunned when Maxie proposed being Lulu's surrogate. Lulu wondered if Maxie was joking, but Maxie assured her friend that she was serious. Lulu sobered as she listed all of the reasons why it wasn't a good idea, including hormonal treatments, weight gain, stretch marks, and the pain of childbirth, all of which Lulu suspected that Maxie hadn't considered. Maxie argued that they were like sisters, so it was the perfect solution to Lulu's dilemma, and it would keep Maxie focused on something other than Maxie's problems with Spinelli. Lulu was grateful for the offer, but she doubted that Maxie would be prepared to simply hand over the baby after carrying it for nine months.

Maxie assured Lulu that it would be easy because Maxie knew that Lulu and Dante would raise the baby. Lulu insisted that Maxie couldn't use Lulu's problems to solve Maxie's own problems. Maxie was hurt by Lulu's rejection and the implication that Maxie couldn't be selfless enough to be a surrogate, so she decided to leave. Maxie hoped that Lulu found what Lulu was looking for, so Lulu returned the sentiment.

A short time later, Dante arrived and greeted his wife. Lulu told Dante about Maxie's surprising offer. Dante reminded Lulu that they had several potential candidates to interview the following day, but Lulu feared that she wouldn't find anyone that she would be comfortable enough with to carry their baby.

At Kelly's, Mac met with his brother, Robert. Mac wondered why Robert was in town, so Robert agreed to explain, but first he needed a favor from Mac. Robert warned Mac that Mac couldn't tell Anna about it. Mac was intrigued when Robert confided that Cesar Faison might be masquerading as Duke Lavery. Mac was skeptical, so Robert told his brother about Olivia's odd encounter with Duke and the sketch that Liz had drawn based on Olivia's description. Robert warned Mac that Anna was in trouble if Faison was involved.

Robert explained that he needed a copy of the police report on Faison's "death" to clear up any doubts. Mac reminded Robert that Mac no longer had access to the information because Mac wasn't a part of the police force. Robert was confident that there were still a lot of police officers who where loyal to Mac, so it wouldn't be a problem. However, Robert warned Mac to not let Anna get wind of what they were doing because he didn't want Anna to inadvertently tip off Faison.

On the pier, Faison, disguised as Duke, puffed on a cigarillo as he thought about his last encounter with Anna when she had confessed that he had seemed different to her. Faison returned to the present as he dropped the cigarillo on the ground and put it out with his foot. Moments later, Johnny walked up. Johnny immediately sensed that something was troubling the man he believed was Duke. Faison appeared momentarily confused about why Johnny would be interested, so Johnny reminded Faison that Johnny was part owner of the Haunted Star, which meant that "Duke" worked for him.

Johnny wondered why a guy like Duke would want to work behind a bar, so Faison told his story about spending years in a Turkish prison and claimed that he was trying to carve out a new life for himself. Johnny was familiar with Duke's criminal history, so Johnny was curious why Duke hadn't fallen into old patterns. Faison reminded Johnny that Duke had given up his life of crime and then admitted that he knew about Johnny's own mob connections. Johnny thought that it was odd that Duke would know or care about Johnny's history, so Faison explained that it wasn't always easy to leave "the life."

Johnny disagreed because Johnny had seen the damage that a criminal lifestyle could cause, which was why Johnny made it clear the nightclub was a legitimate business. Johnny insisted that he intended to keep it that way. Faison smiled and confessed that he looked forward to getting to know Johnny because he believed that they had a lot in common. Shortly after Johnny left, Robert walked up.

Faison suspected that Luke had called in the cavalry to keep an eye on Anna. Faison admitted that he was grateful because Robert's arrival had pushed Anna closer to Duke. Robert conceded that he and Anna had had a tumultuous relationship, but in the end, Anna had always trusted Robert, which should threaten Duke. Faison coolly reminded Robert that Anna had chosen Duke, not Robert. "So it would seem. I guess there can be no other love, other than that which Anna had for Duke Lavery," Robert replied.

Felicia stopped by Anna's office to invite Anna out for a bite to eat. Anna insisted that she was too busy, so Felicia smiled knowingly as she entered the office with a bag of food. Felicia had anticipated Anna's reluctance to leave. Anna smiled as Felicia set out the food and then began to chat about Robert's sudden arrival. Felicia wondered how Anna felt about having Robert and Duke in town, while Luke was conspicuously absent. Anna explained that Luke had gone to Turkey to dig up dirt on Duke, to no avail, so Luke had enlisted Robert's help to cast doubt on Duke.

Felicia hinted that perhaps Robert had more personal reasons to be concerned about Anna, but Anna doubted that Robert had any romantic interest in Anna. However, Anna conceded that there had been something different about Duke. Anna assured her friend that Duke had had all the right memories, but it had felt as if Duke had been frozen in time. Anna confided that kissing Duke had felt different than Anna had expected. Moments later, Anna was called away, so she excused herself.

In the hallway, Anna was startled when she bumped into Mac. Mac had been reading a file, which tumbled to the ground when Anna had walked into him. Anna was shocked when she picked up the file and realized that it was Cesar Faison's file. Mac explained that he had wanted to help when Jerry Jacks had planted the pathogen into the water, so Mac had asked one of the clerks to check for similar modus operandi. According to Mac, Faison had been at the top of the list. Anna asked Mac to put the file back because she didn't want to think about Faison.

Later, Felicia decided to leave, so Anna vowed to focus on discussing Felicia's love life the next time that they got together. Felicia explained that she was happy, so it wasn't necessary, but Felicia wanted Anna to be happy, so if Duke was the man for Anna, then Felicia would support Anna. However, Felicia suggested that perhaps the difference that Anna felt with Duke might be Anna's way of finding an excuse not to be with him. Anna disagreed, but she wanted to take things slowly with Duke.

As if on cue, Faison, disguised as Duke, appeared in the doorway. Felicia greeted him and then wished him luck. Faison wondered why he needed luck, but Felicia simply smiled and breezed past him. Anna brushed it off as unimportant, so Faison leaned down to kiss Anna. Anna pulled back when she noticed that he had been smoking. Faison claimed that smoking had been one of the few pleasures that prisoners had had in the Turkish jail, so he had picked up the bad habit.

Anna was curious if there were any other surprises in store for her. Faison carefully explained that some things about him had changed, which was normal, but the important things remained the same, which was all that really mattered.

On the pier, Mac handed the file on Faison to Robert. Mac explained that Faison's body had never been recovered, which didn't surprise Robert. Robert insisted that Faison thrived on mind games, so Anna's grief over losing Robin was exactly the kind of situation that Faison would exploit. Mac trusted Robert's instincts, so Mac believed that Faison was posing as Duke. Robert was curious if Anna had seen Mac or suspected anything. Mac admitted that he had bumped into Anna, but had managed to explain everything to Anna's satisfaction without arousing suspicion.

Robert was satisfied, but he realized that he would need a lot of proof to convince Anna that Faison had returned. Robert decided to call someone who might be able to help. After Mac left, Robert made a phone call to a friend. Afterwards, Robert spotted a discarded cigarillo on the ground. Robert pulled a pen out his pocket and then speared the cigarillo to pick it up and study it.

At Kelly's, Maxie placed an order for a plain salad but then changed her mind by ordering a Cobb salad with everything and a glass of milk. Moments later, Felicia entered and sat down at her daughter's table. Maxie confessed that she was determined to prove that she could be different. Felicia admitted that there seemed to be a lot of that going around lately.

At the Quartermaine mansion, Tracy glared at the jar of Pickle-Lila relish that Edward had bequeathed to Tracy. "Thanks for nothing, Daddy," Tracy groused as she chucked the jar over her shoulder. Ned deftly caught the flying jar as he entered library. "What the hell is this?" Ned asked as he looked at the jar. "Why, my inheritance, of course," Tracy replied.

Tracy told Ned about Edward's odd "gift." Ned recalled hearing stories about his grandmother's famous pickle relish. Tracy explained that the family had suffered a reversal of fortune, thanks to Monica, so Lila had decided to package her own pickle-relish. The business venture had been a huge success, which had allowed Lila to replenish the family's coffers and save ELQ. Tracy confessed that she had never been a fan of Lila's idea, so Tracy suspected that bequeathing the jar of pickle relish to Tracy was Edward's idea of a joke.

Ned reminded his mother that Edward had been a shrewd old bird, so Ned was certain that there was more to the gift. Tracy sarcastically suggested that perhaps Edward wanted her to open a hot dog stand. Ned appreciated that Tracy and Edward had had a deep bond, so he understood why his mother had been disappointed not to receive any of Edward's shares of ELQ, but he pointed out that Tracy was still the CEO of the company. Tracy doubted that she would retain the title for long because she was certain that A.J. was plotting to oust her. Ned argued that the shares had been scattered between so many people that it would be almost impossible to get a majority vote to have Tracy removed as CEO of ELQ.

Tracy pointed out that several of the shareholders could form an alliance, so she suspected that A.J. had begun to recruit people, starting with Skye. Ned reminded Tracy that A.J. was facing serious prison time. Tracy conceded that in a perfect world, she wouldn't be concerned, but Diane Miller was capable of mounting an impressive defense for A.J., especially with Monica footing the bill. Tracy appreciated that A.J. might lack the support, but Monica had been waiting all of A.J.'s life to put A.J. in charge of ELQ, so Monica would help A.J.

Tracy and Ned agreed that A.J. would get Skye, Lila Rae, Michael, and Monica's shares to back up his bid to step in as CEO, but he would only have 41% of the shares. Meanwhile, Tracy was certain that she could count on Ned, Dillon, Brook Lynn, Maya, and possibly Alice to back her, which would give Tracy 41% of the vote. Tracy realized that Sam, who controlled 18% of the shares, could be the deciding vote. Ned insisted that Tracy had to find a way to get to Sam, so Tracy assured her son that she would not give up without a fight. Ned promised to rally the troops and then hugged him mother.

Afterwards, Ned realized why Edward had left the special pickle relish to Tracy. He disappeared into the kitchen for a few minutes and then returned with two hot dogs garnished with the pickle relish. Tracy and Ned took a bite of their hot dogs and agreed that the pickle relish was divine. Tracy made it clear that she would not share a drop of it with Monica, even if Monica begged.

At the Quartermaine mausoleum, A.J. apologized as he softly stroked his grandfather's plaque. Skye was curious what A.J. was apologizing for, so A.J. admitted that the plan had been to convince Edward that A.J. hadn't been a complete screw-up. A.J. had wanted an opportunity to prove himself to his grandfather. "Obviously, I didn't have the time," A.J. quietly added. A.J. confessed that he didn't think that he deserved to have the twelve percent shares of ELQ, but Skye insisted that Edward had left those shares to each of his grandchildren.

A.J. reminded Skye that Edward hadn't known that A.J. had been alive, so Edward hadn't realized that he had left twelve percent of the shares to A.J. Skye insisted that A.J. could still prove himself to Michael and even A.J. himself. A.J. welcomed the opportunity, but first he had to beat the charges that he was facing. Skye assured A.J. that Diane was a "shark." A.J. hoped so because he didn't want to go to jail. Skye was curious what A.J. wanted.

A.J. confessed that he wanted to take his inheritance and do something good for the family that would make Michael proud. Skye wondered what was stopping A.J., so A.J. reminded her that Tracy was CEO of ELQ. A.J. doubted that he would get any traction in the company while Tracy remained at the helm. Skye suggested that Tracy could be forced out, but A.J. didn't see how that was possible. Skye confided that she had uncovered some incriminating evidence against Tracy, which proved that Tracy had once used mob money taken from Tracy's husband, Gino Soleito, to keep ELQ solvent. A.J. was certain that Edward would roll over in his grave if he had known about what Tracy had done, so Skye confessed that she had shared the information with Edward.

Skye revealed that it was the reason that Edward had refused to lift a finger to help Tracy when Anthony had used the information, courtesy of Skye, to blackmail Tracy into marriage. A.J. was surprised when Skye told him about Anthony's murder and then confided that the case remained open. A.J. wondered if it was in bad taste to plot to overthrow Tracy, but Skye was certain that Edward would approve. However, Skye warned A.J. that the proof of Tracy's illegal activity had disappeared because she had given it to Anthony.

A.J. was dejected, but Skye reminded A.J. that they weren't out of hope because A.J. had control of 41% of ELQ's shares with Skye, Lila Rae, Michael, and Monica backing him. They realized that Tracy could also get 41% of the shares to swing her way, so they needed to court the other 18%, which was controlled by Sam. Skye encouraged A.J. to find a way to get to Sam, but A.J. insisted that he needed to deal with his legal problems first.

After Skye left, A.J. decided that Skye was right; he was a Quartermaine. He finally appreciated what that meant, so he vowed to be worthy of his inheritance.

Later, Skye went to the Haunted Star to talk to Johnny. Johnny recalled that she had tied him to a bedpost and then had met with Anthony the last time that he had seen her. Skye offered to make it up to Johnny, but Johnny wasn't fooled; he knew exactly why Skye was there. Skye's hopes were dashed when Johnny made it clear that he would not turn over the incriminating evidence against Tracy. However, she was encouraged that he had it, but Johnny cryptically replied, "Guess you'll never know."

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

by Elisabeth

At the apartment, Spinelli tried to talk to Maxie about where things stood between them, but Maxie ignored him by pretending that she had developed a sudden interest in the financial market and sports, while she read the news online. Spinelli apologized for hurting Maxie, but he insisted that the silent treatment wasn't practical because there was too much at stake for them not to talk things out. Ellie agreed as she entered the living room. Ellie knew that there was more going on than Maxie or Spinelli had led on. Ellie demanded to know the exact nature of Spinelli and Maxie's relationship.

Spinelli had no idea what Ellie was talking about, so Ellie revealed that she knew that Spinelli and Maxie had been married. Spinelli sputtered with shock as Ellie made it clear that she wasn't interested in being a sister-wife. Spinelli assured Ellie that he had never married Maxie, but Ellie produced a picture of Spinelli and his bride. Maxie demanded to know what Ellie had been doing in Maxie's bedroom, so Ellie explained that she had been looking for the brush that she had lent to Maxie. Spinelli quickly explained that he and Maxie had been engaged at one time, but they had called off the wedding at the last minute.

Ellie wondered how Spinelli and Maxie had gone from being an engaged couple to just friends, so Maxie revealed it had been a different time in their lives. Maxie credited Spinelli with realizing that Maxie hadn't been ready to give Spinelli the commitment that he had deserved and then confessed that he had already moved on by the time that Maxie had had a change of heart. Ellie relaxed and apologized for going into Maxie's room. Maxie assured Ellie that it was okay because it had allowed them to get everything out into the open. Spinelli cryptically reminded Maxie that they still had things to discuss, but Maxie refused, so she left.

Spinelli apologized for not telling Ellie about his non-wedding to Maxie sooner. Ellie agreed that she had deserved to know, so she was curious how long before it had happened. Spinelli confessed that Maxie had declared her love for him the previous week. Ellie was shocked when Spinelli added that Maxie had asked him to choose between Maxie and Ellie.

At the Haunted Star, Dante and Lulu discussed the surrogate candidates that they had interviewed. Lulu hadn't been impressed with any of the women, so she wondered if it was too late to reconsider Maxie's offer to carry their baby. Dante reminded Lulu that she had been concerned that the surrogacy might complicate things between her and Maxie. He also pointed out that Maxie tended to be impulsive and rarely considered the consequences of her actions. Lulu assured Dante that she and Maxie had discussed the surrogacy in depth, so Maxie was fully aware of what it would entail.

Dante pointed out that he and Lulu still had another woman to interview, so they should keep an open mind and see what the young woman had to say. A short time later, the candidate arrived for her interview. Initially, the woman seemed ideal. According to the candidate, she had two children, so she wanted to help another couple experience the joys of parenthood. The woman went on to explain that her husband supported her decision, but then admitted that he was out of work, so they needed the money.

It quickly became clear to Dante and Lulu that the woman was more interested in money than in helping them to become parents. The woman revealed that she had met with another couple who had offered her an appealing "package" that would provide her with enough money to cover her family's expenses during the pregnancy. Dante and Lulu were uncomfortable with the idea of buying a baby, so they tactfully explained that they needed time to mull things over and would be in contact with her. The woman warned them that women like her were few and far between, so they should make up their minds soon.

After the woman left, Dante suggested that they keep searching for the right woman to carry their baby, but Lulu suspected that they had already found her. Moments later, Maxie entered the nightclub as she ranted about her terrible morning. Maxie then changed the subject by asking how their search for a surrogate had gone. Dante and Lulu admitted that it depended. "On what?" Maxie asked. "On whether or not you still want to give us our baby," Lulu answered.

At the Quartermaine mansion, A.J. looked at his notepad, which had two columns: one with the names of the people who would back A.J.'s bid to oust Tracy as CEO of ELQ and the other with a list of people Tracy could count on to support her. In the middle were Michael, Sam, and Danny's names with question marks next to each name. A.J. then began to doodle on a picture of Tracy by adding red devil horns and a goatee to her image. Moments later, Michael stopped by to check on everyone. A.J. confessed that they were all doing well; Alice was interviewing cooks, and Monica was spending time with Lila Rae. A.J. explained that as long as they kept busy, then they didn't think too much about how much they missed Edward.

Michael noticed the notepad on the table, so he asked A.J. about it. A.J. explained that he and Skye had been working on an idea. Michael thought that A.J. should focus on A.J.'s criminal defense, but A.J. explained that Diane had insisted that she had everything well in hand. A.J. admitted that ELQ was a good distraction, but he doubted that he could get anything done while Tracy remained in charge. Michael reminded A.J. that Tracy could be voted out. A.J. chuckled and praised Michael for thinking like a Quartermaine.

A.J. revealed that Skye had suggested the same thing and then told Michael about Skye's idea to have A.J. replace Tracy as the CEO of ELQ. A.J. explained that he had 35% of the shares to back him, so he hoped that he could count on Michael's support. Michael was reluctant to commit because he didn't think that Tracy was doing a poor job as CEO. A.J. explained that things could be better and that he didn't want Tracy completely gone from ELQ, just out of the leadership position. Michael admitted that Tracy had been pretty decent to Michael, but Michael didn't agree with her campaign to send A.J. to jail.

A.J. insisted that he knew ELQ like the back of his hand and that he had been groomed to take over the company since birth. Michael recalled that A.J. had once embezzled half of ELQ's operating budget. A.J. didn't deny it, but he assured Michael that most of the money had been confiscated and returned when A.J. had "died." Michael warned A.J. that the shareholders might be reluctant to trust A.J. as CEO, but A.J. vowed to do whatever he had to, in order to uphold the family legacy. A.J. confessed that he could use Michael's help, but Michael argued that he was too busy with school.

A.J. offered to teach Michael the ropes because ELQ was Michael's birthright, but Michael remained reluctant. A.J. sensed that Michael had begun to pull away, so he wondered if Sonny had gotten to Michael. Michael made it clear that he loved Sonny and Carly. Michael realized that everyone had made mistakes, not just A.J., so Sonny and Carly would have to accept Michael's relationship with A.J. as much as A.J. would have to accept Michael's relationship with Sonny and Carly.

Michael admitted that he was glad that A.J. was back and that they had a chance to get to know each other, but A.J. feared that Sonny wouldn't be able to accept that. A.J. explained that Sonny didn't like things to get in his way or to challenge Sonny's authority, so when Sonny heard the word "no," Sonny tended to find ways to make a person change their mind. A.J. warned Michael that Sonny wasn't above resorting to using force if Sonny didn't get what he wanted. Michael insisted that A.J. had it wrong, but A.J. argued that Sonny was volatile, with a tendency to scream and yell.

A.J. was certain that Michael tried to make things okay for Sonny when Sonny's temper flared, which A.J. suspected Michael had learned from Jason. However, Jason had been an adult when Jason had made the choice to work for Sonny, while Michael was still a kid. Michael insisted that he could take care of himself. A.J. was certain that Sonny wanted Michael to love Sonny and reject A.J. A.J. warned Michael that Sonny wouldn't have any compunction about putting a gun to someone's head if Sonny didn't get his way.

"You mark my words, you keep defying him and sooner or later he'll do that to you," A.J. cautioned Michael. Michael was uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, so he decided to leave. A.J. asked Michael to think about everything that A.J. had said, including the offer to go to work for ELQ. A.J. had a strong feeling that A.J. and Michael would make a great team.

Sonny arrived at his warehouse, where Connie had been bound to a chair with a gag covering her mouth. "How's our patient, Doc?" Sonny asked the man hovering over Connie. Sonny was surprised that Connie had managed to give the doctor a black eye, so the doctor explained that he had tried to hypnotize Connie to coax Kate out, but Connie was the most entrenched alter personality that the doctor had ever encountered. The doctor informed Sonny that Kate's dissociative identity disorder was beyond his ability to treat. The doctor suggested that Sonny find another doctor or an exorcist.

After the doctor collected his things and bolted, Sonny dismissed Max. Connie glared at Sonny as he slowly removed the gag. Connie screamed for help, while Sonny patiently waited for her to wear herself out. Connie reminded Sonny that she had a life and people who would miss her, but Sonny argued that it was Kate's life, which Connie had stolen from Kate. Connie argued that if Kate had wanted her life back so badly, then she would have returned for it. Connie warned Sonny that Johnny would eventually look for her, as would her boss, Todd, so Sonny checked her cell phone, which didn't have any voicemails or text messages.

Sonny noted that it appeared that people seemed to be happy to be rid of Connie. "Why would that be?" Sonny wondered. Connie shot Sonny a venomous look, so Sonny was curious why Connie hated him so much. Sonny pointed out that if she truly was the host personality, then she had been the one who had been in love with Sonny during their teenage years in Bensonhurst. Sonny was shocked when Connie angrily blamed him for her rape. Connie explained that Joe had targeted her because Joe Sr. had favored Sonny over Joe.

Sonny's eyes filled with unshed tears as Connie reminded Sonny that he had promised to protect her. She told him about the brutality of the rape and then accused Sonny of not being there to protect her. "Why weren't you there, Sonny?" Connie tearfully asked. "Why didn't you save me?" she wondered. Sonny apologized and assured her that he would have stopped Joe from hurting her if he had known. Sonny reminded her that Joe was gone, so he vowed that he would not let another person hurt her again.

Connie's eyes softened as Sonny promised that she didn't have to be afraid anymore because he would keep her safe. He insisted that he wanted her back, whether she was Kate or Connie, and then asked if she wanted to return to him. "Sonny," Connie whispered, just as Michael entered the warehouse. "What the hell are you doing?" Michael demanded in a shocked voice.

At Kelly's, Shawn refilled Skye's coffee cup as she read the news on her iPad. Skye confessed that she liked to keep up with the news in the various towns that she had lived in, like Pine Valley and Llanview. Shawn was curious what was going on in Pine Valley, so Skye told him about her Uncle Stuart's art opening that she planned to attend. Carly entered the diner but stopped in her tracks when she spotted Skye at the counter. Carly snidely suggested that Skye remain in Pine Valley, since no one in Port Charles would miss her. Skye smiled indulgently as she thanked Carly for sending condolences after Edward had passed away.

Carly insisted that Skye was no more a Quartermaine than Carly was, so Skye shot back that Skye was as much of a Quartermaine as Michael was a Corinthos. Carly accused Skye's mother of getting pregnant with Skye after banging a carnie in sawdust. Shawn advised Carly take a step back, but Carly argued that she had every right to loathe Skye because Skye had been A.J.'s accomplice. Skye denied any involvement in the kidnappings, so Carly snidely accused Skye of sleeping her way across the eastern seaboard and leeching off of rich families.

"Like that's something you would never even remotely do," Skye remarked as she collected her things to leave. Carly continued to fling insults at Skye, so Skye decided to push back by suggesting that Michael would soon take his place next to A.J. "Right where he belongs. And you will be utterly and completely forsaken," Skye added. Carly warned Skye not to talk about Michael and then bragged that Michael knew who his parents were and loved them. Skye was certain that, in time, that would change because Carly wouldn't be able to lie and scam her way out of things.

Carly assured Skye that Michael recalled the kidnapping, A.J.'s lies, and witnessing A.J.'s attempt to kill Jason. Skye realized that Jason was no longer around to save Carly and clean up Carly's messes, so Michael would finally get to know who his father really was and see Carly for what Carly was. "The slut of Port Charles," Skye added. Carly viciously slapped Skye for the insult, so Skye slapped Carly back. Carly immediately jumped on Skye, prompting Max and Shawn to step in to pull the brawling women apart.

Skye insisted that Carly had started it, but Carly denied it. Skye glanced down and noticed her iPad on the ground. Furious, Skye picked up her prized possession, while Carly cattily suggested that Skye could probably find a geek to sleep with to get a replacement. Skye turned on the iPad and froze when she saw the front page of Llanview's society page that featured a picture of Blair and Tomas. Skye and Carly gasped when the realized what they were looking at. "Lorenzo?" Skye asked. "Alcazar," Carly confirmed.

Skye and Carly quickly read the article, which revealed that the man pictured was named Tomas Delgado. They both agreed that he was really Lorenzo Alcazar. Carly felt bad for Blair. Skye wasn't surprised that Carly liked Blair, so Carly wondered what Skye had against Blair. Skye revealed that Blair had once tried to frame Skye for attempted murder. Carly smiled, but Skye pointed out that what mattered was that Lila Rae's father, Lorenzo Alcazar, was alive. Skye couldn't fathom how that was possible, so Carly suggested that she might know where they could get some answers.

At Manning Enterprises, Molly followed Starr out of the elevator, but was reluctant to go further. Molly clutched her manuscript to her chest as she admitted that she was afraid that Todd would hate the novel. Starr realized that her father had a bad reputation, but she promised Molly that Todd was a pussycat inside. Starr was confident that everything would be fine, as long as they caught Todd in a good mood.

In Todd's office, Todd angrily wadded up the society page announcing Blair's impending marriage to Tomas. Todd yelled in anger as he threw the balled-up newspaper page across the room. Starr entered the office in time to catch it and then scolded him for having bad aim. Todd demanded to know what she was doing there, so Starr revealed that she needed to talk to him. Todd was only interested in her apology for stabbing him in the back. Molly hovered in the doorway with eyes as huge as saucers, while Starr tried to get to the bottom of Todd's sour mood.

Todd felt betrayed because Starr hadn't told him about Blair's wedding to Tomas on Saturday. Starr confessed that she had been concerned about Todd's reaction to the news. Todd was hurt that Blair actually intended to go through with the wedding, so Starr explained that Blair loved Tomas. Todd couldn't understand why Blair, or anyone else in the family, would accept Tomas when he had helped to kidnap and imprison Todd, while Victor had stolen Todd's life for eight long years. Todd forbid Starr from attending the wedding, but Starr refused to hurt her mother.

Starr tried to cheer her father up by admitting that Blair had told Starr about Blair and Todd's second wedding and how happy they had been. Todd calmed down, but he insisted that Blair was fooling herself about Tomas. Starr decided to redirect Todd's focus by introducing him to Molly and telling him about Molly's novel, which Starr wanted Todd to read. Starr assured Todd that the novel was wonderful and would make her father a lot of money. Todd would only agree to read it if Starr boycotted Blair's wedding.

Starr refused to cave in to her father's demands, so Todd suggested that Starr take the manuscript to Tomas. Starr cryptically explained that Molly was Sam's youngest sister and that the family had just endured months of separation from Sam's baby. Todd heard the unspoken message, so he offered Molly the opportunity to tell him what the novel was about in fifty words or less. He quickly lost interest when Molly admitted that it was a love story, but Molly wisely explained that it was about the kind of love that hurt and made a person keep going back to someone even though they knew it wasn't good for them. Todd was curious how the story ended, so Starr and Molly suggested that he read it and find out.

Later, Todd stared at the society page that he had smoothed out on his desk and asked, "Oh, Blair, what are you doing?" Moments later, Carly entered the office and insisted that they needed to talk. Todd was curious what was on Carly's mind. "Blair," Carly answered. Carly wanted Todd to tell her everything that he knew about the man that Blair intended to marry. Todd didn't want to discuss Tomas Delgado. "What if I tell you that's not Tomas Delgado?" Carly asked.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

by Elisabeth

At the Haunted Star, Dante and Lulu wondered if Maxie's offer to carry their baby was still open. Maxie thought that they were joking, but Dante and Lulu assured her that they were serious. Maxie reminded Lulu that Lulu had told Maxie that Maxie couldn't use Lulu's problems to fix Maxie's own problems. Lulu apologized for her knee-jerk reaction, so Maxie was curious if Dante and Lulu had met with the other surrogate candidates. Dante and Lulu confessed that they hadn't been impressed with the women that they had interviewed.

Maxie feared that she was merely a last resort for Dante and Lulu. They didn't blame Maxie for being suspicious, but they assured her that they wanted Maxie to carry their child. Lulu insisted that Maxie was her best friend and that Maxie was sweet and kind, so they would be grateful if Maxie agreed to be their surrogate. However, Lulu made it clear that Maxie was free to turn them down and promised that it wouldn't affect their friendship. Maxie had only one stipulation: she wanted cute maternity clothes.

Lulu, Dante, and Maxie smiled as they realized that they were actually going to go forward with the surrogacy. Dante fetched a bottle of champagne and three glasses to celebrate. Maxie was curious how the surrogacy process would work, so Lulu decided to look online and read the various steps required to implant Lulu's fertilized egg into Maxie's uterus. Maxie grew silent when Lulu mentioned needles, catheters, and the possibility of a carrying multiple babies. Dante and Lulu assured Maxie that she was free to change her mind, but Maxie promised them that she could deal with all of that, and more, if it meant that Dante and Lulu could have a baby.

At the apartment, Ellie recovered from her shock of learning about Maxie's declaration of love for Spinelli just a week earlier. Ellie couldn't understand why Maxie would do that when Maxie knew that Spinelli and Ellie were in an intimate relationship. She couldn't imagine why Maxie would think that confessing her love for Spinelli would change anything until she realized that it was because Spinelli was in love with Maxie. Spinelli insisted that he'd had no idea that Maxie had felt that way about him, but Ellie was still reeling from the realization that Spinelli loved Maxie. She admitted that she had known that things with Spinelli had been too good to be true.

Ellie felt like an idiot because she had thought that Maxie had wanted to room with her because Maxie had liked Ellie. Spinelli pointed out that Ellie had been the one to push the issue, but Ellie was too busy ranting about Maxie. She realized that Maxie had only wanted Ellie to move in so that Maxie could be closer to Spinelli, but Spinelli insisted that his feelings for Ellie had deepened because of the kindness that Ellie had shown to Maxie. Ellie quickly surmised that Maxie had divorced Matt to prove her commitment to Spinelli, so she was curious when Spinelli intended to break off their relationship. Spinelli admitted that Maxie had demanded that he choose either Maxie or Ellie, so he had chosen Ellie.

Ellie was silent for a long time, so Spinelli wasn't sure if it was the calm before the storm or an indication that Ellie was happy. Ellie pointed out that Maxie was sexy, adorable, and everything that Ellie wasn't, so she was certain that Spinelli still loved Maxie. "Used to love her," Spinelli clarified. Ellie insisted that the only reason that Spinelli hadn't married Maxie was because Maxie, not Spinelli, hadn't been ready for marriage. Spinelli assured Ellie that he had moved on.

Ellie was curious why Spinelli had chosen her, so Spinelli admitted that it was because she was his girlfriend and he had made a commitment to her. Ellie was disappointed because it seemed like he simply wanted to do the right thing. Spinelli argued that he had chosen Ellie because he was finally doing what he wanted. Ellie wondered if Spinelli would have taken Maxie up on her offer if Ellie hadn't been in the picture. Spinelli admitted that he had waited a long time for Maxie to fall in love with him, so a part of him would always love Maxie. However, that didn't mean that they were right for each other.

Ellie didn't understand why not, since Spinelli and Maxie loved each other. Spinelli explained that he had forced himself to move on after a year of waiting for Maxie. Shortly afterwards, he had met Ellie. Spinelli assured Ellie that she was a gift and remarkable in every way because she had made him realize that getting over Maxie had been a blessing. Spinelli felt liberated because he no longer had to run in circles, trying to get a woman's attention. Ellie quietly admitted that he'd had her attention from the start. Spinelli smiled as he confided that he felt free to be himself when he was with her.

Ellie returned the smile when Spinelli explained that he was with her because she made him happy. "Not instead of or in spite of anyone," he added. Ellie admitted that no one had ever said that to her before. Spinelli conceded that words were powerful, but he wanted to show her how he felt. Ellie and Spinelli kissed and then made love. Afterwards, Ellie decided that she needed to move out because it would be best for everyone, including Maxie, who needed to move forward.

Ellie surprised Spinelli by suggesting that she move into the office with him. Spinelli warned her that the office wouldn't be practical or comfortable. "Less comfortable than living with a woman who still loves my boyfriend?" Ellie asked. Spinelli agreed that she had a point, but he assured Ellie that he didn't have feelings for Maxie. Spinelli admitted that Maxie tended to be flighty, so he was certain that Maxie would soon forget all about him.

At the warehouse, Sonny promised Kate that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her again. "Sonny," Kate tearfully whispered. "What the hell is going on?" Michael demanded as he entered the warehouse and saw Connie tied to the chair. Sonny ordered Michael to leave, but the distraction gave Connie the opportunity to push Kate back and regain control. Connie dared Sonny to tell Michael the truth about how he had snatched her, thrown her into a car, and then had tied her to a chair like an animal for days. Michael was stunned.

Sonny tried to explain that his plan had been to lure Kate out, but Michael insisted that what Sonny had done to Connie had been wrong. Sonny complained that the legal system was worthless because it had failed to let him get Kate the treatment that she had desperately needed. Michael pointed out that Sonny wasn't a psychiatrist, so Sonny assured Michael that he had hired a doctor to treat Kate, but the doctor hadn't been able to handle Connie. Sonny revealed that he had been on the verge of getting Kate back when Michael had walked in.

Connie wanted Michael to call the police, so Sonny warned Connie that that was not going to happen. Michael insisted that kidnapping was wrong, but Sonny argued that it had been the only option left open to him. Michael was adamant that Sonny couldn't keep using force to get what he wanted. It might have worked with A.J., but Michael insisted that it didn't mean that Sonny could keep doing it. Sonny was curious why they were talking about A.J., so Michael reminded Sonny that Sonny had forced A.J. to give up Michael by resorting to threats and violence, which was exactly what Sonny had done to Connie. Sonny argued that the situations were completely different.

"A.J. always told me that this is your M.O.," Michael admitted. Sonny reminded Michael that Michael had grown up with Sonny and had called Sonny "dad." Sonny accused A.J. of filling Michael's head with garbage. Connie urged Michael to call the police, but Michael refused. However, Michael ordered Sonny to release Connie. Connie vowed to call the police herself, but Sonny and Michael ignored her. Michael was curious how Sonny thought things would have played out with Connie.

Connie offered to explain for Sonny. She told Michael that his "adoptive dad" had thought that flashing his dimples would draw Kate out and that they'd go skipping off into the sunset together. Michael warned Sonny that Sonny had hurt Kate, not just Connie, by holding Connie a prisoner in the warehouse, so Sonny needed to let her go. "Then what, Michael?" Sonny asked. Michael didn't have an answer, but Sonny finally relented and untied Connie.

Connie immediately reached for the phone, but Sonny warned her that he would accuse her of attempted murder if she called the police. Connie reminded Sonny that she had witnesses to prove that he had kidnapped her, but Sonny pointed out that Shawn and the doctor wouldn't back up Connie's claims because they were loyal to Sonny. Sonny acknowledged that he wasn't an upstanding citizen, but he doubted that anyone would believe Connie over Sonny. Connie realized that Sonny had a point, so she warned him never to abduct her again, or she would make sure that Sonny wouldn't survive the experience. "Whatever," Sonny replied as Connie marched out. Frustrated, Sonny explained that he had been very close to getting Kate back until Michael had arrived.

Michael couldn't believe that Sonny had implied that it was his fault that Sonny had failed to draw Kate out. Michael explained that Kate had retreated because of what Sonny had done, not because Michael had walked in. Michael insisted that Sonny had no one to blame for what had happened except Sonny.

At Kelly's, Molly played around with a picture of herself on her laptop, proclaiming herself to be a best-selling author. T.J. walked in, so she quickly closed the screen before he saw it. T.J. was curious why she hadn't been at school, so Molly explained that she had taken a personal day to attend to some business. T.J. was curious what kind of business, so Molly admitted that she had pitched her novel to a publisher. T.J. laughed until he realized that she had been serious. Molly confided that she hadn't told anyone in her family about the novel.

T.J. was surprised and happy for Molly, so he asked what the novel was about. Molly handed a copy of her manuscript to him and invited him to read it. Molly explained that the story was about a young girl who was determined to prove that she could live without her parents' money. The heroine took a job at a diner in a small town in Maine, where she met an irresistibly hot guy. "So, it's about me," T.J. joked as Molly burst out laughing.

Molly admitted that it had been Starr's idea to have Todd read the manuscript and consider it for publication. T.J. was confident that Molly's book would be published and that she would be a huge success. Molly confessed that she was nervous that Todd might not read it to the end. Later, Molly reminded T.J. that she didn't want anyone to know about the book until she was certain that Todd would publish it.

At Ta's house in Llanview, Blair opened a special pre-wedding present from Ta. It was a picture of Tomas and Blair with a piece of Ta and Tomas' mother's wedding veil, a dried bloom from the matriarch's bouquet, and a traditional Puerto Rican wedding favor adorning the portrait. Blair was touched by the handmade gift, so she thanked Ta. Ta couldn't believe that Blair would be a Delgado in less than a day. Ta was happy to welcome Blair into the family because she credited Blair with saving her life after Todd had destroyed it.

Ta confessed that returning without the baby had been crushing, so she wouldn't have survived the ordeal if it hadn't been for Blair's unwavering support. Blair assured Ta that they all loved her and then confided that she couldn't believe that Todd had switched the babies. Blair was tired of Todd fooling her, but Ta pointed out that Blair couldn't have possibly known what Todd had done. Blair reminded Ta that Todd had once led Blair to believe that their son, Jack, had died because Todd couldn't accept the possibility that Jack might have been Max Holden's son. Blair insisted that Todd had done nearly the same thing to Sam Morgan.

Ta suggested that she and Blair focus on the wedding rather than talk about Todd. Blair happily agreed because she was thrilled to be marrying the most wonderful man. However, their conversation eventually drifted back to the topic of Todd as Ta admitted that she suspected that Todd had switched babies because he hadn't been able to stand seeing Ta grieve. Blair was curious if Ta had forgiven Todd for what he had done. Ta assured Blair that she hadn't, but she understood his motives. Ta thought that it was sad that Todd tended to cause the most damage when he tried to do something good. Blair disagreed because she had seen Todd intentionally do a lot of horrible things.

Ta wished that Todd had had courage to admit to his role in the baby switch. Ta recalled how her son hadn't made a sound or taken a breath when Todd had delivered him, so she couldn't understand why she hadn't questioned it when Todd had put a healthy baby into her arms, knowing that Todd had murdered Victor. Blair suspected that Ta had needed to believe that her son had survived, but the lie was on Todd, not Ta. Ta smiled because Blair sounded like Tomas. Blair beamed at the compliment, but she was concerned that Tomas hadn't returned from running his errands.

Blair felt foolish for being worried, but Ta pointed out that Blair had good reason to be concerned, since Todd had kidnapped Tomas a year before and had framed him for murder. Ta then talked about her brother's decision to leave home years earlier to go to Paris to become a pianist. Ta hadn't known then that it would be so many years until she saw her brother again. Blair was relieved that Tomas' work with the CIA was in the past because Blair doubted that she could handle kissing Tomas goodbye, knowing that every time he left he would be walking into danger. Ta seemed pleased that Blair was truly over Todd. Blair confessed that Todd hadn't made it easy by proposing earlier that summer because it had stirred up some old feelings.

However, that had changed when Blair had learned about what Todd had done to Ta. Blair appreciated that Tomas was easygoing and honest, so she didn't have to deal with the drama that always surrounded Todd. Ta was grateful that Todd wasn't an issue between her and Blair either because it had allowed Ta and Blair to become friends and bond as sisters-in-law.

At Manning Enterprises, Todd made it clear that he didn't want to discuss Tomas Delgado. Carly was curious how he would feel if she told him that the man that Blair was about to marry was not Tomas. Todd was curious who Carly thought the man was. "The father of my child," Skye answered from the doorway. Todd was startled to see Skye, so he pretended that she reminded him of someone that he had once known but couldn't place. "The person you and your bitch of an ex-wife tried to frame for shooting Max Holden?" Skye suggested. "Yeah," Todd answered.

Skye wasn't in the mood for Todd's games, so she cut to the chase by informing him that she was there to discuss Alcazar. Todd wondered if Alcazar was a remote island prison. Carly pointed to the picture of Tomas and explained that the man in the picture was Alcazar. Todd was confused, so Carly decided to pull up some images of Lorenzo Alcazar online. Todd was stunned because it was clear that Tomas and Lorenzo looked exactly alike. He wondered who Lorenzo Alcazar was, so Skye and Carly revealed that Lorenzo had been an international arms dealer.

Carly admitted that she had been briefly married to Lorenzo. Skye added that Lorenzo was Lila Rae's murdered father. Carly explained that Jason had been acquitted of Lorenzo's murder because there hadn't been any proof that Lorenzo had died. Todd wondered how long before Lorenzo had allegedly died. "Years," Skye replied. Todd conceded that Tomas and Lorenzo could be the same person. "Unless it's Luis," Skye realized.

Skye revealed that Luis had been Lorenzo's identical twin brother. Carly reminded Skye that Luis' body had been recovered, so Tomas couldn't be Luis. Skye and Carly conceded that it was possible that Lorenzo had staged his death, since he'd had the money and resources to pull it off. Todd was delighted because it meant the end of Blair and Tomas when Blair learned the truth about Tomas. Carly cautioned Todd not to celebrate yet because they needed proof. Skye was curious why Todd despised Tomas so much, so Todd revealed that Tomas had held Todd in an underground prison, delivered Todd into the hands of Todd's lunatic mother, and had allowed Todd's twin, Victor, to live Todd's life for eight years.

According to Todd, Tomas had claimed that it had been necessary because Tomas had been part of a rogue CIA group. Skye wondered if Tomas had always been in the CIA. Todd revealed that Tomas had supposedly spent time in Paris as a musician until his sudden disappearance. Todd explained that the Delgados hadn't heard from Tomas for many years until he had turned up in Llanview a couple of years before. Skye was certain that Lorenzo was Tomas, but Carly suggested that perhaps Tomas was Lorenzo. Todd insisted that it didn't matter, because either way, it made Tomas a "big fat liar."

Todd was eager to tell Blair, so he picked up the phone. Carly snatched it out of his hand as she pointed out that Blair wouldn't believe anything that Todd said because he had an ulterior motive. Todd agreed that Carly had a point, but he insisted that they needed to tell Blair about Tomas before the wedding. Skye was curious when the wedding was, so Todd revealed that it was the following day. Todd decided to have a chat with Tomas, so he ordered his jet to be readied for a flight to Llanview.

Carly and Skye insisted on going with Todd. Todd agreed because he couldn't wait to see the expression on Tomas' face when Carly and Skye confronted Tomas. According to Todd, the only thing better than Tomas' reaction to Carly and Skye would be Blair's expression when she realized that Tomas had lied.

A short time later, Connie entered the office. "Scarface, you here?" she asked. She was relieved when Todd didn't reply because it meant that she could eat her lunch in peace. Connie sat down at the desk, pulled out her sandwich and started to take a bite when her eyes landed on Molly's manuscript titled Love in Maine. Connie opened it to the first page and chuckled. "Get out. Teen-emo angst. Just what the doctor ordered," Connie said as she settled back to read the story.

In Llanview, Blair thanked Ta for everything and then opened the door to leave. Blair stopped short when she saw Carly, Skye, and Todd standing on Ta's doorstep. "What the hell?" Blair asked. "We're here to stop the wedding," Todd explained.

Friday, November 30, 2012

by Elisabeth

Mac greeted Anna when he entered Kelly's. Anna invited him to join her, so he sat down. Mac was curious how Anna was doing, prompting Anna to wonder if he had asked because his brother, Robert, was back in town, sticking his nose where it didn't belong. Anna wanted Mac to talk some sense into Robert, but Mac pointed out that Robert had never listened to him. Anna glanced down when her phone rang, but she let the call go to voicemail when she saw that it was Duke. Mac was curious if she wanted him to talk to Robert because she was ready to move forward with Duke.

Mac explained that Robert was concerned about Anna because Duke seemed different. Anna conceded that she had noticed some changes in Duke, but she insisted that it was natural because he was older. Mac wondered what kind of differences Anna had noticed in Duke, but Maxie's timely arrival saved Anna from answering the uncomfortable question. Maxie greeted Mac and Anna and then asked if Felicia was around. When Mac revealed that Felicia had taken Emma to the movies, Maxie was disappointed because she had exciting news.

Mac and Anna were stunned when Maxie suddenly announced, "I'm having a baby." Mac recovered from his shock enough to ask when Maxie and Spinelli had gotten back together. Maxie quickly clarified that Dante was the father. Mac was outraged because Dante was a married man. After Anna managed to calm Mac down, Maxie told them about Lulu's inability to carry a child to term and Maxie's offer to be Lulu and Dante's surrogate.

Mac insisted that it was a crazy idea. Maxie assured Mac that she had researched everything online and conceded that there were some scary aspects of being a surrogate, but they paled in comparison to giving her best friend a baby. Mac feared that Maxie was in over her head, so Maxie was curious if he would have felt the same way if Robin had been sitting in Maxie's place. Maxie realized that it was painful for Mac and Anna to talk about Robin, but Maxie believed that Mac had always had more faith in Robin than he'd had in Maxie. Mac denied it, but Anna admitted that Robin had talked to her about growing up with Mac and the girls, so Anna knew that Mac had always given Robin more leeway because he had trusted Robin's decisions.

Anna suggested that Maxie had earned Mac's trust. Mac implored Maxie to think things through and to consider the emotional consequences, not just the physical ones. Maxie promised Mac that she had, so she was more than ready. Anna thought that Maxie had made a beautiful choice, but she had one piece of advice. She urged Maxie to be sure it was what Maxie truly wanted to do. "I am," Maxie replied.

After Anna left, Maxie wondered if she had Mac's blessing. Mac worried that Maxie might miss out on falling in love and having her own child, but Maxie insisted that that was far off in the future for her because the man she loved was with someone else. Maxie believed that the surrogacy would give her life meaning and allow her the opportunity to do something selfless. She explained that a baby was important to Lulu and Dante, so if they could trust Maxie with their baby, then Mac should too. Mac assured Maxie that he loved her, so she had his blessing if it really was what she wanted to do.

Mac reminded Maxie to tell the doctor about her heart transplant. Maxie admitted that she had researched it online and didn't think that it would be a problem. Maxie was eager to share her news with Felicia, so Mac suggested that they tell Felicia together.

Outside of Kelly's, Sonny confessed that he had been close to reaching Kate. Shawn suggested that Sonny try again, but Sonny explained that it was too risky, so he had to find another way to get Kate the help that she needed. Shawn offered his services if Sonny needed him for anything else. Sonny appreciated what Shawn had done, so he intended to take Shawn up on the offer. Alexis walked up in time to hear the tail end of the conversation. She begged Shawn to tell her that he wasn't working for Sonny.

Sonny assured Alexis that she had misheard and then quickly left. Shawn tried to distract Alexis by kissing her, but she demanded to know what Shawn and Sonny had been talking about. Shawn admitted that he had done a favor for Sonny, so Alexis asked for details. Shawn claimed that he had signed a contract to exclusively sell Sonny's coffee at Kelly's. Alexis knew that Shawn was lying, so she followed him into the diner to get to the bottom of things. At the counter, Alexis insisted that she deserved a truthful answer.

Shawn was uncomfortable discussing the matter in a public place where the present and past police commissioners were within hearing range, so he led Alexis to his apartment. Moments later, they entered his apartment. Alexis was shocked when he told her about Connie's kidnapping. Shawn apologized for lying to her, but he had been afraid that she would flip out, which she had. Alexis wanted Shawn to promise that he wouldn't continue to work for Sonny, but Shawn refused. He pointed out that she worked for Sonny, but Alexis argued that it was different because everyone was entitled to legal representation.

Shawn explained that running Kelly's was safe, but it was not who he was. Alexis admitted that she cared about Shawn, so she was afraid that something would happen to him. Shawn promised her that he would be fine, but Alexis insisted that he couldn't guarantee that because whoever worked for Sonny eventually got hurt. Alexis didn't think that she could handle it if something happened to Shawn. Shawn was touched by her admission because he cared about her too. Alexis suspected that Shawn didn't care enough about her to not work for Sonny.

Shawn assured Alexis that he wouldn't take any chances with his life because he had a lot to look forward to. Alexis reluctantly accepted his decision, so they kissed. Within moments they tore each other's clothes off and fell to the bed. After they made love, Shawn was curious if she planned to continue to fight him about working for Sonny. Alexis confessed that she was too happy. Shawn was disappointed because he liked how they made up after an argument. Alexis smiled and explained that she just wanted Shawn to be safe. Shawn returned the smile and then made love to her again.

At the Haunted Star, Faison, disguised as Duke, left Anna a voicemail message explaining that he respected her decision to take things slowly, but he wanted to see her later that evening to discuss something important. Meanwhile, Robert and Olivia hovered in a nearby corner, spying on the man that they suspected might be Faison. Robert hoped that Olivia didn't mind helping him, so she assured him that it was fine because Dante and Lulu had asked to see her to share some important news. Olivia didn't spot her son or daughter-in-law, so she accompanied Robert to the bar. Robert hoped that Olivia had another psychic flash that would confirm that the man passing himself off as Duke was in fact Faison.

At the bar, Faison greeted Robert and Olivia and then asked if they wanted a drink. Olivia declined, but watched Faison closely. Moments later, Lulu walked up and greeted Robert and Olivia. Lulu explained that Robert was a family friend, so his drinks were on the house. Robert ordered a vodka martini, shaken not stirred. "How original," Faison replied.

Dante approached the bar and immediately noticed that his mother seemed distracted. Olivia tore her gaze away from Faison and explained to Dante that she was simply curious what the urgency to see her had been. Dante didn't want to spoil the surprise, so he and Lulu invited Olivia to their table to wait for Sonny's arrival. Dante and Lulu led the way, so Olivia stopped to quietly let Robert know that she hadn't had a vision. Robert remained determined to find out why she had seen Faison during her last encounter with "Duke."

Later, Faison made a point of personally greeting Sonny when Sonny arrived. Faison introduced himself as Duke and then extended his condolences for the loss of Sonny's friend, Jason Morgan. Faison was curious if they had any leads on the shooter, so Dante explained that the investigation was ongoing. Faison returned to the bar and asked how Robert's martini was. Robert complained that it wasn't dry enough, but he was more interested in hearing about the shooting that Faison had talked to Sonny about. Faison told him about Jason's death, so Robert was curious why Duke Lavery would care.

Faison reminded Robert that Duke had been close to the Quartermaines, but Robert confessed that Duke had never struck him as the type of person who cared much about law and order. Robert then revealed that he had once been the police commissioner of Port Charles. Faison imagined Robert took comfort in reliving the glory days. Robert explained that it was a mistake to live in the past. Faison agreed, so he and Anna were focused on the future.

Robert admitted that it should be quite enlightening to see how that worked out for Faison and Anna. Later, Robert decided to leave. Faison hoped that Robert wasn't leaving on his account. "Actually, I am," Robert replied with a chuckle and then left.

Nearby, Dante and Lulu told Sonny and Olivia about their decision to have Maxie carry Dante and Lulu's baby. Sonny and Olivia were surprised by their choice. Dante and Lulu conceded that Maxie might be unusual, but they had thought everything through, and Maxie had agreed to be their surrogate. Olivia suddenly had a vision of Lulu holding a small stuffed dog that had been swaddled in a baby blanket, but she opted to keep quiet about the strange vision. Meanwhile, Sonny confessed that Maxie had never seemed like the maternal type.

Dante and Lulu assured Sonny and Olivia that they had discussed everything in depth, so Maxie knew what she was getting into. Sonny seemed satisfied, so he gave them his blessing. Dante was curious what Olivia thought about their decision, so Olivia congratulated them. However, she urged them to keep their eyes wide open. After Olivia left to share the news with Steve, Sonny gave Dante a check. Dante was grateful for the money, so Sonny explained that he wanted an opportunity to be a good grandfather, since he hadn't been able to be a part of Dante's childhood.

After Sonny left, Dante and Lulu sat down to have a glass of champagne. Dante sensed that something was troubling Lulu, so she mentioned that Olivia had acted oddly. Dante suspected that Olivia had had a vision, but he was confident that it had been of Dante, Lulu, and their baby living happily ever after.

Nearby, Anna arrived to let "Duke" know that she had received his message. Faison explained that there was something that she needed to know; he had a confession to make about who he really was.

At the nurses' station, Sabrina panicked when she saw Patrick talking to Steve. Liz wondered why Sabrina was upset, so Sabrina reminded Liz about Sabrina's confession to having a crush on Steve. Liz assured Sabrina that Patrick would never tell Steve. Nearby, Britt smiled to herself as she pretended to be focused on a patient's chart. Moments later, Patrick and Steve approached the nurses' station. Sabrina was horrified when Steve revealed that Patrick had told him everything.

"About the Nurses Ball," Patrick clarified. Sabrina relaxed as Steve admitted that he wanted to be a part of the committee. Liz smiled and announced that she had booked the conference room. Steve and Patrick headed to the conference room, while Sabrina confided to Liz that she was relieved because Sabrina doubted that she could have continued to work at the hospital if Patrick had told Steve about the crush. Britt smiled wickedly as Liz and Sabrina went to the conference room.

Later, Liz, Sabrina, Patrick, and Steve began to discuss the plans for the Nurses Ball when Britt breezed into the room and apologized for being late. Britt claimed that she had been busy saving the life of a patient who had flat-lined. Liz confessed that she hadn't realized that Britt had been interested in helping with the Nurses Ball, so Britt claimed that she thought it was a worthy cause. They decided that they would have to break off into teams of two, so that one team could focus on finding a venue for the event, and the other team could work on getting sponsors. Britt seized the opportunity to suggest that Sabrina and Steve team up. Sabrina was mortified when Britt innocently confessed that she was trying to play Cupid.

Steve tactfully reminded Britt that he had a girlfriend. Britt apologized and then claimed that she hadn't realized that Sabrina's feelings for Steve weren't returned. Humiliated and embarrassed, Sabrina excused herself and fled the room. Liz quickly followed Sabrina and caught up with her at the nurses' station. Sabrina was distraught, but Liz insisted that Sabrina hadn't done anything wrong; however, Britt was a different matter.

Sabrina decided that she had to find a new job because Sabrina could never face Steve again. Liz argued that what Sabrina was working on was bigger than all of them, including whatever agenda Britt had. Sabrina realized that Liz had a point, so she decided to suck it up and focus on the Nurses Ball.

In the conference room, Britt claimed that she had assumed that everyone had known about Sabrina's crush on Steve because it had been obvious. Patrick insisted that Sabrina was shy and didn't want anyone to know her private business. Britt decided that she could make it up to Sabrina by teaming up with Patrick to find the perfect location for the Nurses Ball.

Moments later, Sabrina and Liz returned to the conference room. Britt smirked as Sabrina apologized and explained that she needed to be honest about her feelings. Sabrina admitted that she had told Patrick that she had a crush on Steve, but Sabrina respected that Steve had a girlfriend, so she promised to be professional. Liz confessed that she had a problem with Steve helping Sabrina to find sponsors for the ball because Steve had a difficult time asking anyone for money. "You couldn't even sell Mom gift wrap in high school," Liz reminded her brother. Steve argued that their mother had had a closet full of wrapping paper, but Liz insisted that it didn't matter.

Patrick assured everyone that he didn't mind asking people for money, especially when it was for a cause that was close to his heart. Britt objected when Patrick decided to work with Sabrina, but everyone ignored Britt. Liz proposed teaming up with her brother to find the perfect locale for the Nurses Ball. Later, Britt's mood soured when she overheard Patrick invite Sabrina to have breakfast with him the following day, so that they could brainstorm. Liz approached Britt to suggest that Britt focus on getting the word out, which Britt could do in her spare time.

Elsewhere, Olivia approached the nurses' station to ask Patrick if he had seen Steve. She was startled when Steve turned around to let her know that he wasn't Patrick. He was surprised that Olivia had mistaken him for Patrick, so Olivia attributed it to crossed internal wires. She had no idea how she couldn't have recognized the man that she loved when he was right in front of her.

In Llanview, Todd admitted to Blair that he, Carly, and Skye were there to stop the wedding. Blair assured the trio that no one would stop her wedding, but Todd disagreed. He was certain that Blair would be grateful when she heard what they had to say. Blair didn't care because she believed that Tomas was ten times the man that Todd could ever be. "He's not Tomas," Todd revealed. "What?" Ta asked.

Carly and Skye assured Blair and Ta that it was true and then explained that the man known at Tomas Delgado was really Lorenzo Alcazar, an international arms dealer who had once been married to Carly and had fathered Skye's daughter. Ta and Blair thought that Carly and Skye were crazy and suggested that Todd had put the women up to it. Carly and Skye showed Blair a picture of Lorenzo and Carly and another picture of Lorenzo with Skye and Lila Rae. Blair argued that pictures could have been altered, so Todd handed Blair a file of newspaper clippings about Lorenzo. Ta and Blair insisted that the file didn't prove anything because Todd could have created the clippings at his newspaper.

Ta reminded everyone that Tomas was her brother, so she would know her own brother. Todd suggested that they go to the source, but Ta explained that Tomas was busy. Todd wondered if Tomas was locking up another "poor bastard" in a secret CIA basement somewhere. Blair informed Todd that Tomas was taking care of some last-minute errands for the wedding and then pointed out that Tomas didn't have to answer to Todd. "No, but he has to answer to you," Todd replied. Todd could tell that Blair had doubts about Tomas, but Blair denied it; however, she decided to call Tomas anyway.

Blair reached Tomas and asked him to stop by Ta's house. Skye snatched the phone out of Blair's hand. "Lorenzo? Is that you?" Skye demanded before Blair grabbed the phone out of Skye's hand. Blair was met with a dial tone, so she assumed that Tomas had ended the call before Skye had taken the phone out of Blair's hand. Ta was certain that her brother would straighten everything up when he arrived, so she suggested that everyone relax.

Blair was curious why Skye hadn't kept a better eye on Skye's baby's father, so Carly explained that they had thought that Lorenzo had been dead. "Obviously, we were wrong," Skye added. Blair snidely suggested that she could understand why someone would fake their own death to get away from Skye and then taunted Skye for never being able to hold on to a man. Things quickly escalated into a physical altercation between Blair and Skye as the two women goaded each other and traded insults. Carly and Ta were forced to pull them apart, while Todd watched the catfight with relish.

Ta ordered Blair to step out of the room to cool off and then asked Carly to take Skye into the playroom to calm down. Todd was surprised that Ta still had a playroom. He was curious how she had been doing since her return from Port Charles. "I miss my son, Todd," Ta admitted. Todd assured Ta that he had never meant to hurt her. Moments later, Blair returned to announce that Tomas had just sent her a text to let her know that he had stopped off to pick up flowers for Blair, but that he would be there in ten minutes.

Later, Todd noticed that Blair seemed nervous. Blair claimed that she simply didn't want Tomas to see Todd. Todd wondered why, so Ta reminded Todd that Todd had kidnapped Tomas the year before. Moments later, the doorbell rang.

Robert arrived at Wyndemere and laughed because it still had the same "rancid ambiance." "Come out, come out, wherever you are," Robert called out. Moments later, Helena stepped out of the shadows. "Mrs. C.," Robert greeted her with a smile. "Or do you prefer good old Helena?" he wondered. Helena was not amused.