General Hospital Recaps: The week of August 26, 2013 on GH

Connie was fatally shot but left behind a clue pointing to the identity of her killer. Britt confessed to Patrick that he was not the father of her unborn child. Scott asked Laura for a divorce. Spinelli confronted Maxie about her lies.

Monday, August 26, 2013

by Boone

At General Hospital, Dante and Lulu left their baby's side to interrupt a loud argument between Spinelli and Ellie. When Dante asked what they were fighting about, Spinelli said that he and Ellie were arguing about Spinelli's baby, the one that Ellie did not want to have with Spinelli. Spinelli flashed back to Ellie's stunning revelation that Spinelli had fathered the child that Maxie had just delivered.

Out loud, Spinelli said that looking at Dante and Lulu's baby had made him realize just how much he wanted a child, which was the reason that he and Ellie were fighting. Dante said that he was sorry, but baby Falconeri was sleeping. He asked Spinelli and Ellie to take their disagreement somewhere else. Lulu said that she and Dante needed to check on Maxie. Spinelli said that he also needed to talk to Maxie.

Lulu took Ellie aside and told her to reconsider parenthood. Ellie became more and more uncomfortable as Lulu gushed on about all the joys of family and parenthood. When Dante and Lulu left, Ellie asked why Spinelli had not told them the truth. Spinelli said that he and Ellie agreed on one thing, that they could not tell Dante and Lulu the truth, which would smash their hearts into a thousand pieces.

Tearfully, Ellie told Spinelli that he had learned how she had felt. Spinelli had no sympathy for Ellie. Spinelli said that he doubted that Ellie had ever known how he felt. Ellie asked if he was going to eventually tell Dante and Lulu the truth or let the lie go on forever. Spinelli said that he had not processed the fact that he was a father and did not know what he would do. Spinelli asked Ellie how she could have put him in such a position.

Ellie said that she had intended to tell, but her fears and insecurities, as well as Maxie's pleas, had kept her silent. Ellie urged Spinelli to tell, but he angrily told Ellie that she was not qualified to give advice. Ellie said that she was qualified, because she knew what keeping such a secret had cost her. Ellie said that she had tried many times to tell Spinelli but had stopped because she had gotten scared and because she loved him so much. Ellie asked Spinelli to forgive her.

Spinelli said that he could not even look at Ellie, much less forgive her. Spinelli said that even if it had been Maxie's idea to lie, Ellie was the one Spinelli had loved and counted on to be truthful with him. Ellie questioned Spinelli's use of the past tense of "love," but Spinelli just told her to go. Ellie was in tears when Spinelli walked away.

Silas and Sam hugged when she told him that a donor had been found for Danny. Silas was surprised to find that the donor was not a relative. Silas was eager to get started on donor testing. Silas said that Danny had needed a break and that he had gotten it. He told Sam that it was time for the doctor to meet the donor.

Olivia was on a GH elevator when she noticed blood pooling around the doors. They opened to reveal Connie flat on her back with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Across the lobby, Alexis told Derek the circumstances of Sam's birth. As Alexis did so, Derek had a flashback and remembered his one night with Alexis. He was on the verge of telling her who he was when Olivia started screaming.

Alexis rushed over to Olivia to find that what Olivia though was Connie was a warning marker for a wet floor. Olivia started trying to calm Olivia down, but when Alexis could not reach Sonny on his cell phone for an update, Alexis agreed to accompany Olivia on a search to locate Connie. Sonny found Connie in her office. She was supine on the floor with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Sonny told Connie to hold on and stay alive. Connie told Sonny that she had known he would find her. Connie said that she loved Sonny and was sorry that she had betrayed him. Sonny said that he loved her too. He told her to hold on while he called 9-1-1. Sonny's phone did not work. He tossed it away and used the landline on Derek's desk. When Sonny again knelt beside Connie, she made a choking sound and died in his arms.

Sonny begged Connie to open her eyes. He grieved as he held her closely. As Sonny dried his tears, he noticed that Connie had written "AJ" in her own blood on a nearby pad, just before she had expired. Sonny remembered A.J.'s anger when Sonny had stopped A.J. from choking Connie. Sonny vowed, on his love for Connie, that A.J. would not get away with murdering Connie.

Lulu and Dante found Mac. Mac inquired about the baby and got a glowing report from the proud parents. When Lulu asked about Maxie, both she and Dante were worried when Mac told them that it had been touch and go for a while after the delivery. Lulu wanted to see Maxie, but Mac said that Maxie was tired and needed rest. Mac said that Maxie was full of meds and painkillers and was confused.

When Lulu asked what Mac was not saying, he told Dante and Lulu that Maxie was asking for the baby and claiming that it was hers. Dante and Lulu said that Maxie just needed more time to adjust, but Mac said it was more than that. Before he could explain what he meant, Dante got a call from work. Lulu wanted him to stay, but Dante said that Sonny had called in a shooting, and Dante had to go. Lulu understood.

Mac and Lulu continued talking. Mac said that, according to Felicia, being a cop's wife was a tough job. Lulu said that she had hoped that would change once the baby was born, but maybe she was engaging in wishful thinking, just like Maxie, who Lulu described as an incredible friend. Lulu said that she knew that Maxie was getting too attached when she had started calling the baby "Georgie." Mac said that Maxie had told him and Felicia that the baby was Spinelli's.

Lulu and Mac agreed that Maxie was strong and healthy. Dr. Chu had told Mac and Felicia that Maxie would make a full recovery. Lulu wanted to stay with Maxie, but Mac said that he would check on his daughter, Lulu could go spend more time with hers, and he would let Lulu know if Maxie's condition changed. Lulu returned to the nursery. Spinelli was looking at the baby and smiling.

Michael was waiting at the Quartermaine mansion when A.J. staggered through the terrace doors. Michael asked A.J. where he had been, but A.J. did not remember. Michael said that Elizabeth had called him and told Michael that she had found A.J. at the Floating Rib. Elizabeth had left A.J. there after he had made cruel and insensitive remarks to her about Jake.

Michael said that he had called the Floating Rib and had been told that A.J. had gone home in a cab. Michael had arrived and found an empty vodka bottle and an empty safe. Michael asked A.J. to account for his whereabouts, but when Michael called him "A.J.," A.J. started ranting that Michael never called him dad because Michael had been stolen from him. A.J. told Michael to leave him alone and then passed out, but not before falling on and breaking an end table in the process.

Ava got home in time to tell Michael that she had seen A.J. drinking earlier at the Floating Rib. Michael wanted to know why Ava had not stopped A.J. Ava said that A.J. was a big boy and could take care of himself. She said that A.J. had been agitated and talking about Connie. Ava helped Michael get A.J. off the floor and onto the couch. Ava said that A.J. would have a headache and plenty of regret when he woke up.

Ava got a phone call from Derek, who told her it was urgent that he see her immediately. He ordered her to meet him at GH. Ava acted all business and said that she had to meet a client. She advised Michael to get A.J. sober with lots of coffee and aspirin before she left.

Michael told A.J. to wake up. Michael said that drinking was not the answer and called A.J. "dad." He told A.J. that they could rebuild. Michael said that they could start their own company and fix everything. A.J. woke long enough to say that things could not be fixed. Michael repeated that they could fix what was wrong, but it started with A.J. getting sober. Michael went to the kitchen to brew coffee while A.J. stared at the empty safe.

Alexis arrived at Connie's office and found police on the scene. Olivia got hysterical when she was not allowed to see Connie. Olivia was screaming when Dante got there. He calmed her down and told her that she could not go in while they processed the scene. Dante wanted to talk to Sonny, but found out that Sonny was not there. An officer suggested that Sonny had gone after the shooter and showed Dante the "AJ" that Connie had written in her own blood.

A.J. was snoring when Sonny got to the Quartermaines' and kicked him in the foot. Sonny called A.J. a "worthless bastard" and told A.J. to get on his feet. A.J. seemed confused about Sonny's upset. Sonny was glad to explain as he pointed his gun at A.J. Sonny said that A.J. had killed Connie and that Sonny intended to kill A.J.

Ava caught up with Derek and demanded to know what had gotten him so unhinged that he was willing to risk their cover and meet with her in public. Derek quickly explained that he had just learned that he was Sam's father. Ava asked if he was sure, but Derek explained that he remembered his one-night stand with Alexis from the time that he had been in school in New Hampshire, but that he had never known that Alexis had gotten pregnant or had had a child.

Sam and Silas joined Ava and Derek. Sam had a big, friendly smile for Derek as she introduced him to Silas. Silas asked why Ava was there. She said that Derek was one of her clients. Sam asked if Derek had changed his mind. Derek asked why, and Sam told him that he had had a strange look on his face. Derek said that he had not been staring; he had been thinking. Derek said that he had not changed his mind, and he was very glad that he could help. Derek and Silas made plans to start the testing the following day.

Sam gave Derek a very warm hug before she and Silas went to check on Danny. Ava noticed the look on Derek's face and realized that he wanted to tell Sam that he was her father. Ava cautioned Derek that if he told Sam that he was her father, Derek would also be revealed as Julian Jerome, and all their plans would go up in smoke.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

by Elisabeth

Morgan and Kiki put up flyers around the hospital, asking for help finding Franco, despite Kiki's certainty that Franco had left the premises after slipping out of his hospital room. Morgan spotted Ellie, so he handed her a flyer and asked if she had seen Franco. Ellie shook her head and left.

On the hospital's rooftop, Franco climbed up on the ledge and looked down. He eventually made his way to a set of stairs leading to the helipad and sat. Moments later, Ellie stepped out onto the roof and walked over to the ledge. She wiped away a tear as she thought about her confession to Spinelli.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Franco quietly said. Startled, Ellie turned around to look at Franco. Franco quipped that it was a long way down from the roof, but Ellie was not amused. She informed Franco that he was in a restricted area, so it wasn't safe for him to be on the rooftop, but Franco wasn't concerned about his safety. Ellie revealed that his loved ones were searching for him, but he denied that anyone cared about him. Ellie showed Franco the flyer as she explained that his daughter was worried.

Franco argued that Kiki wasn't his daughter, so Kiki was no longer in his life. Ellie empathized because she was in a similar situation. Franco was curious how Ellie had handled learning that her child wasn't hers. Ellie quickly clarified that she didn't have children, prompting Franco to nod in understanding as he commented, "Who'd want to bring another ginger into the world? It's rough on you guys."

Ellie ignored the remark and explained that she had lost her boyfriend. Franco was curious how her boyfriend had died, so she admitted that her boyfriend was alive, but Damien wanted nothing to do with her. Franco wondered why, so she admitted that she had lied. Ellie was shocked when Franco suggested that she leap to her death. According to Franco, if the lie had been as big and devastating as Ellie claimed then the damage that Ellie had caused could never be repaired.

Ellie asked what made Franco an expert, so he explained that he had been lied to for twenty-one years by a woman who had allowed him to believe that he had fathered a child. Franco insisted that he wanted restitution, so Ellie was curious if he expected the woman who had lied to him to leap to her death. Franco insisted that it would be too good for Ava Jerome.

Ellie suggested that perhaps there had been more to Ava's story than Franco realized, but Franco disagreed, so Ellie shifted the focus back to herself. Ellie admitted that it had been wrong for her to lie, however it wasn't worth killing herself over. Ellie explained that she didn't need to be a martyr to get redemption if that was what Franco had been thinking. Ellie recalled that Franco had been on the "forgiveness tour" to make amends to those that he had wronged, so, according to his logic, he should have killed himself ten times over instead of trying to prove himself worthy of a second chance.

Ellie insisted that Spinelli had been the best thing that had ever happened to her, so she refused to surrender. Ellie invited Franco to continue to dwell on the wrong that had been done to him, while conveniently forgetting his own transgressions, but Ellie was determined to fix her life.

Meanwhile, Carly left Michael a voicemail message asking him to return her call because she wanted to know if he had located A.J. Morgan and Kiki walked up as Carly ended the call. Morgan was concerned that Carly was at the hospital because Josslyn was sick, so Carly told him that his sister was in Australia for a month, visiting with Jax. Carly explained that she had been looking for A.J., but she hadn't found him in any of the local bars, so she had decided to check the hospital. Morgan started to explain that Michael had reason to believe that A.J. had fallen off the wagon, but Kiki surprised her husband by confessing that Michael had already told her about A.J.'s reaction to losing ELQ.

Carly shifted gears to ask why Morgan and Kiki were at the hospital, so they filled Carly in about Franco's disappearance and their efforts to find Franco. According to Kiki, Franco had thought that donating bone marrow to Danny was the one good thing that Franco could do to prove that Franco was worthy of being Kiki's father. However, Franco had been told that he wasn't a viable candidate to donate bone marrow and then had learned that Kiki wasn't his daughter.

Morgan quietly suggested that he and Kiki head home because they were almost out of flyers. Kiki balked, but Morgan assured her that they could resume the search in the morning. Kiki reluctantly agreed, but she asked Carly to call if Franco or A.J. were found.

After Morgan and Kiki left, Carly saw Ellie approach the nurses' station to report that Franco was on the rooftop.

On the rooftop, Franco leaned over the ledge and looked down. He heard the door open and assumed that Ellie had returned, so he was surprised when Carly announced herself. Franco grumbled about the lack of privacy on the rooftop, prompting Carly to warn him that security guards were on their way to collect him. "What are you, the advance team?" Franco asked.

Carly ignored the remark as she confessed that she had heard that Franco had had a rough couple of hours. She imagined that it had been difficult to hear that he wasn't a viable candidate to donate bone marrow to Danny. Franco assured Carly that he felt worse for Danny than he did for himself. Carly broached the subject of Kiki, but Franco tried to brush it off by claiming that it hadn't been a great loss because he'd only known Kiki for a few short months. However, he conceded that he had hoped to get to know Kiki, so he could prove that there was more to him than his notorious past.

Franco lamented that he had no one to prove himself to, so Carly reminded Franco that he had returned to Port Charles, determined to atone to everyone, including Carly, for the wrongs that he had done. She suggested that he stop looking for the easy way out and focus on getting on track with his plan to make amends to those that he had hurt. Carly walked to the door, stopped, and then looked back at Franco. "Are you coming?" she asked. Franco stood up and walked towards her.

Outside of the neonatal intensive care unit's nursery, Spinelli gazed at his newborn daughter as Lulu stood next to him. Lulu heartily agreed with his assessment that the infant girl was beautiful. She beamed with pride as she added that the newborn's thoughtful expression reminded her of Dante. Spinelli tensed but hid it behind a brittle smile.

Spinelli recalled Ellie's confession that the baby that Maxie had given birth to was his daughter, not Lulu and Dante's child. He pushed the memory away as he asked Lulu where Dante was. Lulu explained that Dante had been called to work for an "all hands on deck" crisis. Spinelli couldn't imagine any father wanting to leave his newborn daughter's side, so Lulu assured Spinelli that Dante would return as soon as possible for that very reason.

Spinelli changed the subject by asking if Lulu had talked to Maxie. Lulu realized that Spinelli hadn't heard about the complication following the baby's birth, so she quickly filled Spinelli in on the emergency surgery to stop Maxie's hemorrhaging. Spinelli was shocked and immediately regretted that he had left the viewing room so soon after the Caesarian delivery. Lulu assured Spinelli that Maxie had been stabilized and was expected to make a full recovery. However, Lulu confided that there had been a troubling development after Maxie had woken up from the surgery.

Spinelli was surprised when Lulu told him about Maxie's claim that the baby girl was Maxie and Spinelli's infant daughter. Lulu confessed that she wasn't surprised because she had sensed Maxie's growing attachment to the baby over the previous few months. She conceded that Maxie had been under the influence of powerful medications, but Lulu had an uneasy feeling because she couldn't understand why Maxie would say that the baby was not Dante and Lulu's daughter.

Spinelli pointed out that it was hard to figure out how Maxie's mind worked under the best of circumstances, but Lulu was certain that something had prompted Maxie to say the things that Maxie had said. Lulu wondered if perhaps Maxie still had feelings for Spinelli, but Spinelli quickly discounted the possibility because he and Maxie had broken up a long time before. Lulu conceded that he had a point, especially since he was with Ellie. Spinelli quietly admitted that he and Ellie were over.

Lulu hoped that Spinelli and Ellie could work things out because he had seemed happy with Ellie and had grown as a person, so Lulu thought that Ellie was good for Spinelli. "I'm not so sure," Spinelli carefully replied. Lulu decided not to push the subject, so she donned a hospital gown and entered the baby's nursery.

Spinelli went to the elevator where Ellie called out to him. Spinelli made it clear that he didn't want to talk to her, but Ellie pleaded with him to hear her out. Spinelli told her that she had until the elevator arrived, so Ellie assured him that she loved him very much. She knew that keeping quiet about the baby had been wrong and reprehensible, but she insisted that their relationship was worth fighting for. The elevator door opened, so Spinelli entered the elevator. He glared at Ellie with loathing as the door quietly closed.

At Crimson, Olivia was distraught when she realized that her cousin had been murdered. Dante held his mother as Olivia wept inconsolably and asked who would shoot Connie. Dante claimed that he didn't know, but he admitted that he had to leave. Olivia suspected that Dante knew something, but Dante denied it. Alexis stepped forward to help with Olivia, so Dante could leave. Olivia begged her son to make certain that Connie's killer paid for what had happened to her cousin, so Dante promised her that he would.

After Dante left, Olivia worried about Sonny. Alexis agreed that Sonny didn't handle grief well, but she tried to downplay Sonny's disappearance to keep Olivia calm. Olivia couldn't understand why Sonny had left Connie alone before the police had arrived, but Alexis didn't have any answers. Olivia decided that Connie needed to be with family, so she tried to enter her cousin's office. A police officer blocked Olivia's path, prompting Olivia to tearfully promise that she wouldn't disturb anything; she just wanted to be with her cousin.

Olivia glanced into the office and saw Connie's body. She immediately burst into a fresh bout of tears until her eyes landed on the large piece of paper with "AJ" written in Connie's blood. Olivia's grief turned to rage as she realized that A.J. had likely murdered Connie. Alexis urged Olivia not to get ahead of herself, but Olivia was certain that A.J. had killed Connie. Olivia reminded Alexis that A.J. had hated Connie because Connie's article had ousted him from ELQ.

Alexis and Olivia realized that Sonny and Dante had likely seen the piece of paper with "AJ" written in blood, so Alexis decided to call Shawn to find out if Sonny had gone to confront A.J. Alexis tried to hide her concern when the call went to voicemail, but Olivia was too angry to care. Olivia was frustrated because she didn't understand the point of having visions if she couldn't use them to help her loved ones, including Connie. Alexis insisted that the visions were a gift, but Olivia wailed that they were torture.

Alexis insisted that Olivia was not to blame for what had happened to Connie, so Olivia confessed that she wanted A.J. to get exactly what he deserved. Olivia hoped that Dante arrived too late to save A.J. from Sonny's deadly wrath.

Olivia once again dissolved into tears as she recalled that she and Connie had argued the last time that they had seen each other. Alexis tried to comfort Olivia, but Olivia became hysterical when the medical examiner closed Connie's body bag in preparation for transporting Connie's body to the morgue.

At the Quartermaine mansion, Michael was surprised when he opened the door and saw Dante on the doorstep. Michael greeted his elder brother with a smile and congratulated Dante on the birth of the baby. Michael explained that he had received Dante's text message, so Michael had planned to stop by the hospital in the morning to visit Dante's newborn daughter. Michael was curious why Dante was there, so Dante admitted that he needed to talk to A.J.

"About what?" Michael asked. "About a murder," Dante explained. Michael was shocked when Dante revealed that Connie had been shot to death and that A.J. was the prime suspect. Michael insisted that A.J. couldn't have done it, so Dante reminded Michael of A.J.'s recent violent encounter with Connie and A.J.'s raging anger towards her for being the catalyst in unseating A.J. as CEO of ELQ. Michael continued to defend A.J., prompting Dante to reveal that Connie had written "AJ" in blood before she had died.

Dante advised Michael not to protect A.J., so Michael explained that A.J. was passed out in the parlor. Michael warned Dante that A.J. wouldn't be able to answer any questions because A.J. was still drunk. Dante argued that it didn't matter, so Michael wondered if Sonny knew about the tragedy. Dante explained that Sonny had called 9-1-1, but Sonny hadn't been at the scene when the police had arrived. Michael feared that Sonny was on his way to confront A.J., so Michael led Dante to the parlor.

In the parlor, Sonny aimed a gun at A.J. as he ordered A.J. to stand up. Confused, A.J. stumbled drunkenly to his feet and raised his hands. "What is it?" A.J. slurred. Sonny ranted about A.J. being a "worthless bastard" and accused A.J. of killing Connie. "So, now I'm gonna kill you," Sonny said with deadly intent. A.J. began to back up as he tried to make sense of what Sonny had said, but that only enraged Sonny further. Sonny warned A.J. that A.J. had nowhere to hide, so A.J. would not get out of the room alive.

Sonny offered A.J. the opportunity to say a few last words before Sonny ended A.J.'s "miserable life." "Please," A.J. begged. "What are you saying? Connie's dead?" A.J. asked. Enraged, Sonny hit A.J. in the head with the butt of the gun. A.J. fell to the ground as Sonny revealed that he had found Connie on the floor, bleeding to death from a gunshot wound. Sonny thought that it was fitting that A.J. die the same way.

A.J. tried to deny that he had killed Connie, but Sonny refused to listen. According to Sonny, A.J. had hoped to get away with the murder, but Connie had turned the tables on A.J. because she had written A.J.'s name in blood before she had died. Sonny demanded that A.J. confess before Sonny killed A.J., but A.J. insisted that Sonny had it wrong. Sonny didn't want to hear that, so he threatened to kill A.J. slowly if A.J. refused to admit to the murder.

Sonny's temper flared when A.J. refused to confess, so Sonny once again hit A.J. in the head with the butt of the gun. A.J. fell to the ground, prompting Sonny to stand over A.J. with the muzzle of the gun pointed at the back of A.J.'s head. "Come on, you bitch," Sonny shouted to get A.J. to confess. A.J. pleaded with Sonny to stop, but that only fueled Sonny's rage.

Moments later, Michael and Dante burst through the door. Sonny ordered Michael and Dante to leave because he didn't want his sons to see him kill A.J. Dante urged Sonny to put the gun down and to allow the law to deal with A.J., but Sonny refused. Sonny made it clear that he intended to kill A.J., prompting Michael to remind Sonny that Sonny didn't have just Dante and Michael to consider, but also Morgan and Kristina.

Michael pleaded with Sonny to spare A.J.'s life because all of Sonny's loved ones, including Sonny's children, would pay the price if Sonny pulled the trigger. Sonny claimed that he didn't care because A.J. had to die. Michael reminded Sonny that A.J. was Michael's father, so Sonny would be taking both of Michael's fathers away by killing A.J. Sonny stubbornly refused to lower the gun, so Michael vowed that Sonny would be nothing to him if Sonny murdered A.J.

Sonny reluctantly backed off. "Thank you," A.J. said as he stumbled to his feet. Sonny made it clear that A.J. had Michael to thank and then walked out. Meanwhile, Dante stepped forward to inform A.J. that A.J. would pay for killing Dante's cousin, Connie. Dante marched A.J. out of the parlor as Michael quietly followed.

Sonny returned to Crimson as Connie's body was taken away. He saw Alexis comforting Olivia but didn't make his presence known.

The episode featured "When It's All In Pieces," by Rachel Diggs.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

by Elisabeth

At the Quartermaine mansion, Tracy left Luke a voicemail message to let him know that she was back in control at ELQ. She then admitted that she was afraid that he had died because he hadn't returned any of her phone calls. Tracy was startled when Luke suddenly appeared in the doorway leading to the patio and scolded her for making assumptions.

Tracy quietly reiterated that she had thought that Luke had died, so he reminded her that he had promised to return for the birth of his granddaughter. Tracy asked how Lulu and the baby were doing, so Luke assured Tracy that both mother and child were fine. He then congratulated Tracy on her victory at ELQ. Tracy demanded to know why he hadn't returned any of her phone calls, so Luke reminded her that he had been focusing on finding Jerry Jacks and the cure for the radiation poisoning.

Tracy assumed that Luke had found the life-saving treatment because he had returned to Port Charles. "Not exactly," Luke replied. He told her in about his trip to Ireland and his encounter with Sean Donely. Tracy was disappointed when she realized that Luke would be leaving town to resume the search.

"Okay, goodbye," Tracy said in a vain effort to hide her hurt. Luke knew that Tracy wanted the "whole enchilada," but he couldn't give that to her at that moment, so he asked her to put it aside because he wanted to say goodbye. Tracy melted into his arms when Luke tenderly kissed her.

At the hospital, Laura paid Lulu and the baby a visit. Laura rocked her granddaughter as she acknowledged that she had missed out on precious moments with Aiden. Lulu tried to cheer her mother up by reminding her that Scott was a "step-grandpa." Laura looked sad as she agreed to let Scott know once he resurfaced. As if on cue, Scott knocked on the nursery window. Laura handed the baby to Lulu then joined Scott in the hallway.

Laura wondered where Scott had been and admitted that she had been worried because he hadn't returned any of her countless phone calls, nor had he left her a note telling her where he had gone. Scott admitted that one good turn deserved another. "You ran off with your ex, so I ran off with mine," Scott said. He explained that he had gone to New Mexico with Lucy to take care of spa business, which Laura should have done because it was Laura's company. Laura was certain that Lucy had understood why Laura hadn't been able to make the trip, but Scott disagreed because even he couldn't understand.

Laura appreciated that Scott was upset, but she assured him that she was there at that moment and was ready to focus completely on their marriage. She was stunned when Scott revealed that he wanted a divorce. Tears swam in Laura's eyes as she reminded him that they had just remarried, but Scott argued that she had abandoned their marriage "five minutes" after the wedding to chase after Luke. Laura insisted that Luke had been dying, but Scott questioned if Laura would have done the same for Scott if his and Luke's roles had been reversed.

"Absolutely," Laura insisted, but she clarified that she wouldn't have been married to Luke because she and Luke no longer fit together. "Neither do we," Scott sadly replied. Scott confessed that he had known it all along, but he had hoped that getting married would help them recapture the love that they had once felt for each other. However, Scott had finally accepted that he would never be first in Laura's heart and that she would never love him as much as he loved her.

Laura began to cry as Scott confessed that he was tired of trying, and he suspected that she felt the same way. Laura insisted that she didn't want to give up on their marriage, but Scott was determined to break the cycle that they had been stuck in by walking away from her for the last time. Laura tearfully wondered where Scott planned to go, so he admitted that he intended to remain in Port Charles. Luke rounded the corner as Laura and Scott shared an emotional goodbye hug.

After Scott left, Laura wiped away the tears, prompting Luke to ask if she was okay. Laura claimed that she was fine, but Luke didn't believe her. Moments later, her phone rang. Laura glanced at the caller identification, but didn't answer the call. Luke was curious why she hadn't taken the call, so Laura explained that it had been the clinic in Paris. She admitted that she had been postponing her yearly wellness evaluation for a month but quickly assured Luke that she felt fine.

Luke wanted Laura to remain healthy because he needed Laura to be there for both their children and grandchildren in case he died. Luke and Laura were startled when Lulu suddenly appeared in the doorway and demanded to know what was going on. Laura explained that Luke had been upset because Laura had put off her wellness evaluation. Lulu sided with Luke, so Laura agreed to fly to Paris for the evaluation, but she promised to return to Port Charles and the new baby as soon as she could. However, Laura made it clear that she expected daily updates of the baby along with plenty of pictures.

Laura then turned to Luke and admitted that she was glad that they had both been present for the birth of their granddaughter. Luke credited Laura for making it happen. He conceded that he might not have been fair or gracious, but he was grateful for everything that Laura had done. Laura smiled and gently kissed Luke.

After Laura left, Lulu asked her father when he had intended to tell her that he was dying. She admitted that she had overheard her parents talking, so he told her about Helena's plot to kill him and his search for the cure. Lulu thought that finding Jerry was a long shot, but Luke reminded his daughter that those were his favorite odds. Luke thanked Lulu for not saying anything in front of Laura because he was certain that Laura wouldn't have gone to Paris.

Lulu explained that she had kept quiet because she wanted to make certain that her mother had the yearly checkup. She assured Luke that she loved Laura and understood that Laura's illness had kept her mother from Lulu for many years, but Luke had always been the one who had been there for Lulu when Lulu had needed him the most. She implored her father to do everything possible to continue to be there for her and for her daughter.

At the elevator, Felix called out to Patrick and Sabrina when they arrived for work. Felix was curious where Sabrina had been because he had been trying to call her. Patrick and Sabrina were shocked when Felix told them that Britt was gone. Patrick demanded to know what Felix was talking about, so he told them that Liesl Obrecht had poisoned Duke. Felix explained that Anna had gone to the apartment to question Britt, but Britt had been gone when Felix had arrived home and that her bed hadn't been slept in.

Felix suspected that Anna had arrested Britt for aiding and abetting Dr. Obrecht and possibly as an accessory after the fact. Felix was eager to celebrate, but Patrick resented Felix's attitude because Britt might end up giving birth to Patrick's son in jail. Felix apologized, but admitted that he kept forgetting that the baby was Patrick's son, in part because Felix didn't believe that it was true. Patrick argued that the paternity test had proved otherwise.

Patrick decided to go to the police station, so Sabrina promised to get someone to cover for him at work. After Patrick kissed her goodbye and left, Sabrina smacked Felix on the arm for handling things badly with Patrick. Felix apologized again, but he assured her that he stood behind everything that he had said. Felix believed that the best thing that could happen to Patrick, Emma, and the unborn baby was for Britt to go to jail, if Britt had been mixed up with the diabolical Dr. Obrecht.

At the nurses' station, Sabrina confessed that she might have high-fived Felix if Patrick hadn't been there. Felix thought that Sabrina had every right to be happy about the latest developments with Britt because Sabrina would have everything that Sabrina wanted if Britt weren't around. Sabrina agreed, but she insisted that she didn't want the baby to suffer by losing his mother like that.

At Wyndemere, Britt entered the salon and warmly greeted Nikolas. Nikolas wondered if she had liked her accommodations, so Britt confessed that the bathroom had been bigger than Sabrina's entire apartment. Britt admitted that the estate was Gothic and reminiscent of something straight out of Jane Eyre. "Oh, my God. Are you Batman?" Britt suddenly asked with a glint of mirth twinkling in her eyes. Nikolas revealed that he did have a butler named Alfred.

Nikolas handed Britt a glass of orange juice and a breakfast plate. Nikolas and Britt sat down, so Britt confessed that she appreciated everything that Nikolas had done for her. She admitted that she hadn't known who else to call when she had landed in legal trouble. Nikolas was curious why she hadn't called Patrick, so she explained that things were complicated with Patrick.

Nikolas assured Britt that things weren't complicated between them, so Britt suggested that he give it time. Nikolas smiled and assured her that he was always happy to help a friend, which was what she was despite what Elizabeth or anyone else tried to tell him. Britt warned Nikolas that he might be in over his head because the police believed that she had conspired with her mother. Nikolas explained that he had chosen to trust Britt, so he hoped that she honored that by being honest with him.

Nikolas was curious if Britt's mother had gotten her mixed up in anything, so Britt promised him that she hadn't had any knowledge of her mother's plan to poison Duke. Nikolas wondered why she had lied about when she had last seen her mother. Britt appreciated that her mother had done some terrible things, but Liesl was still her mother, so she had wanted to buy her mother time to get away. According to Britt, in her mother's own way, Liesl had always looked out for Britt, especially with the baby.

Nikolas was surprised because pregnancy was Britt's area of medical expertise, so he wondered how Liesl had helped Britt. Britt appeared on the verge of making a confession when Nikolas' phone rang. He excused himself to answer the call. It was Lulu letting him know about his niece's arrival.

After Nikolas left to pay Lulu and the baby a visit, Britt picked up a photo album and opened it. She looked at several pictures of Nikolas and Emily. "Oh, Mother, what have you got me involved in?" Britt asked aloud. Britt admitted that she had been close to telling Nikolas that Patrick wasn't the baby's father.

At the hospital, Elizabeth was working at the nurses' station when Michael walked up. He revealed that he had something to tell her about A.J., but Elizabeth didn't want to hear it because she was still upset about the cruel things that A.J. had said to her about Jake. Michael explained that A.J. had been arrested for suspicion of murder. Stunned, Elizabeth asked who A.J. had been accused of killing, so Michael told her about Connie's murder. Elizabeth felt terrible for Michael and asked how Sonny was holding up. Her heart broke for Sonny when Michael revealed that Sonny had been the one to find Connie.

Michael admitted that things had gotten bad because Sonny had gone to the mansion to confront A.J. about the murder and would have killed A.J. if Michael hadn't intervened. Elizabeth was curious why Sonny had assumed that A.J. had killed Connie, so Michael told her about the damaging evidence.

Elizabeth pointed out that A.J. had been very drunk, so she wondered if Michael thought that A.J. could have done it. Michael conceded that he didn't know what to think because A.J. had talked about Connie with deep-seated hatred. Elizabeth's eyes clouded with concern when she recalled A.J. confessing to her that he would have killed Connie if Sonny hadn't stopped him.

Later, Nikolas spotted Elizabeth huddled in a corner, wiping away her tears. Worried, Nikolas called out to her. Elizabeth ran into his arms, so he held her tightly and assured her that everything would be okay. Elizabeth looked up at Nikolas with sad eyes as she told him about Connie's murder and A.J.'s possible involvement in the crime.

In the interrogation room, A.J. sat alone as he had a flash of memory of opening the safe in the parlor. Moments later, Dante and Anna entered the room. Dante glared at A.J. with barely contained rage as Anna handed A.J. a cup of coffee. She dropped all pretenses of civility as she demanded to know if A.J. had murdered Connie Falconeri. A.J. reminded Anna that he couldn't remember much of the previous night because he had been drunk. Dante snidely offered to tell Sonny and Olivia that, because Dante was certain that it would make them feel better about Connie's senseless death.

Anna sarcastically suggested that Dante keep his voice down because A.J. had a hangover. Dante promised to keep that in mind and then slammed an evidence folder down on the table. A.J. stiffened when Dante spread out graphic crime scene photos of Connie's office, including a picture of Connie's bloody body. A.J. promptly leaned over and vomited as Anna rolled her eyes in annoyance.

After the mess was cleaned up, Dante and Anna resumed their interrogation. Anna handed A.J. a bottle of water as Dante simmered with hostility. Dante berated A.J. and then produced A.J.'s criminal file. Dante listed a litany of terrible crimes that A.J. had committed over the years to illustrate that they should have foreseen that A.J. would resort to murder. Dante continued to rant at A.J. until Anna quietly said, "Enough."

A.J. questioned why Dante was even there since Connie had been Dante's cousin. Anna explained that it was Dante's case and that A.J. was alive because Dante had intervened. Dante reigned in his fury and suggested that they review A.J.'s movements the previous evening. Dante knew that A.J. had gone to the Floating Rib to drink and had had an argument with Elizabeth, who had taken A.J.'s car keys when she had left the bar. Dante noted that A.J. had taken a cab home, but A.J. had been gone by the time that Michael had arrived.

Dante explained that they needed to know what A.J. had done during the hours that A.J. had been missing because that was when Connie had been shot. A.J. reiterated that he couldn't remember, but he insisted that he hadn't had a gun. Anna was curious if anyone in the Quartermaine mansion owned a gun, so A.J. admitted that his aunt, Tracy, had one in the safe.

Anna sent Dante to the Quartermaine mansion to look for the gun. After Dante left, Anna pointed out that once they recovered the bullet and the gun A.J. would either be exonerated, or his life would get a whole lot worse. A.J. chuckled at the idea that things could get worse than they already were, so Anna reminded him that he could end up in Pentonville. Anna urged A.J. to cooperate because it could make things easer at sentencing. A.J. insisted that he was cooperating but then tensed as he suddenly recalled retrieving a gun from the safe in the parlor.

Anna noticed the change in A.J., so she was certain that he had remembered something significant. She asked A.J. about it, but he decided to wait for his attorney to arrive.

In the squad room, Dante called Lulu to let her know that he was tied up on a case. Lulu could tell from Dante's tone that it was serious, so he confirmed that it was.

After Dante left, Patrick arrived at the police station. Anna saw him through the interrogation room window, so she entered the squad room to find out why Patrick was there. Patrick asked if it was true that Britt's mother had tried to kill Duke. Anna nodded, so Patrick wanted to know if Britt had been involved. Anna explained that they had evidence that Britt had lied about when Britt had last seen Dr. Obrecht. Patrick reminded Anna that Britt was pregnant with his child, so he didn't want his son to be born in jail.

Anna realized that Patrick didn't know that Nikolas had bailed Britt out of jail, so she told him. Patrick was curious where Britt had gone, so Anna suggested that he talk to Nikolas.

At the Quartermaine mansion, Tracy was surprised when Dante entered the parlor, accompanied by a police officer. Dante explained that he was there on official business and asked if she owned a gun. Tracy freely admitted that she did, but she assured him that it was legal. Tracy was curious who had told Dante about the gun, so he admitted that A.J. had. Tracy made a few caustic remarks about A.J. as she went to the safe to retrieve the gun. She was shocked when she discovered that the gun was missing.

At the police station, A.J. sat in the interrogation room in a state of horrified shock. "My God, I did it," he whispered to himself.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

by Elisabeth

At the hospital, Molly and Rafe were delighted when Sam and Alexis revealed that a bone marrow donor had been found. Alexis insisted that some of the credit went to Molly and Rafe because the teens had helped at the bone marrow drive. Molly was curious who the donor was, so Alexis showed her a picture of Derek Wells. Molly was impressed because he was handsome, but Sam argued that it didn't matter as long as he could save Danny's life. Alexis explained that Derek owned Crimson and the Port Charles Press, so he'd had an attack of conscience when he had pulled Danny's story from the front page, prompting him to be tested.

Molly confessed that she had held out hope that they would find Sam's father, but Rafe pointed out that the odds had been slim because they had only had the name Julian to go by. Molly wondered when the transplant would take place, so Sam explained that they were waiting for the results of a few more tests. Alexis added that it could take hours, so she ordered Molly and Rafe to have fun and celebrate the good news by attending a local music festival instead of hanging around the hospital.

In the hallway, Derek/Julian called his sister, Ava, to let her know that he was waiting on the results of some tests before he was cleared to donate his bone marrow to save his grandson's life. Derek had thought about her advice to keep quiet about his connection to Sam, but he admitted that "no way in hell" could he be around his daughter without telling Sam the truth. Ava apparently objected, so he promised not to tell anyone who he really was.

Molly and Rafe exited Danny's hospital room in time to hear Derek's parting words to Ava. Rafe asked Derek about the remark, so Derek claimed that he had been talking about business and needing the element of surprise. Derek then changed the subject by asking who Molly and Rafe were. Derek was surprised when Molly explained that she was Sam's half-sister. She thanked Derek for saving her nephew's life and admitted that it was amazing that a random stranger had been a match.

Derek smiled awkwardly, but the teens didn't seem to notice as they announced that they had to leave. Molly invited Derek to go into Danny's room to get to know the little boy before the transplant. She was certain that Derek would love Danny.

Moments later, Derek entered Danny's hospital room. Sam and Alexis smiled and greeted him by referring to him as "Mr. Wells." Derek suggested that they be on a first-name basis, so Sam agreed, since they were practically family thanks to Derek's life-saving donation. Derek smiled when Sam officially introduced him to Danny. He admitted that Danny looked like Sam, but Sam insisted that Danny resembled her husband. Derek was curious where Danny's father was, so Sam quietly revealed that her husband had passed away the previous summer.

Derek apologized for his insensitivity, but Sam assured him that it was fine. Derek asked if he could hold Danny, so Sam handed the baby to Derek. Derek held his grandson and gently kissed the top of the baby's head as he whispered that Danny was his "little man." He returned Danny to Sam's waiting arms then admitted that he had to tell Alexis and Sam something important.

Sam feared that Derek had changed his mind about the transplant, so he quickly assured her that he hadn't. Relieved, Sam asked what he had wanted to say. Derek stammered for a moment then explained that he had simply wanted Alexis and Sam to know that he was eager to get the green light for the transplant because it would be an honor to save Danny's life. Sam wished that she could repay Derek, but he insisted that Danny living a long and happy life would be payment enough.

Sam handed Danny to Alexis, so Sam could track down Silas to find out the results of the tests. After Sam left, Derek and Alexis smiled awkwardly at each other. Alexis confessed that she wasn't good at small talk, but a picture of Derek on a nearby table snagged his attention. He picked it up then asked if Alexis had been investigating him. Alexis returned Danny to the crib as she admitted that she had been curious about the man who would save her grandson's life.

Derek wondered if Alexis had found anything interesting about him online. "No," Alexis revealed, but she questioned if it would have mattered. "It might," Derek replied as he moved close to Alexis. Alexis confessed that she was intrigued.

Spinelli stood outside of the neonatal intensive care unit's nursery to watch his daughter. Lulu was unaware of his presence as she fussed over the newborn baby. Spinelli's eyes filled with tears as he thought about Ellie's confession, but he quickly wiped them away when Nikolas approached. Nikolas had noticed Spinelli's distress, so he asked if Spinelli was okay. Spinelli attributed the tears to allergies and then quickly walked away.

Nikolas shrugged the encounter off as he entered the nursery to greet his sister and meet his newborn niece. He was curious what Lulu had named the baby, so she confessed that they were open to suggestions. Lulu smiled when Nikolas admitted that he had always been partial to "Nikola." Nikolas insisted that it was a pretty name, so Lulu promised to keep it in mind. She then shifted gears by apologizing for not calling him sooner about the baby, but he assured her that it was okay because he had been busy.

Lulu was not pleased when Nikolas told her about Britt's arrest and his efforts to help. She warned her brother that Britt was trouble, so Nikolas assured her that he had heard all of the warnings. Lulu wanted Nikolas to be careful and not to let Britt try to pass the baby off as his, prompting Nikolas to point out that it would be difficult to do because he had only recently met Britt.

Nikolas reminded his sister that if it weren't for Britt, "Nikola" would still be a dream, so Lulu accused Nikolas of playing dirty. Nikolas refused to apologize because Britt had been the one to help Maxie get pregnant with Lulu's child.

Lulu muttered that it was more complicated than that. "How so?" Nikolas asked. Lulu tried to downplay the remark, but Nikolas pushed for an answer. Lulu explained that she had sensed for a while that Maxie had grown too attached to the Lulu's baby, so it hadn't been surprising when Maxie had claimed that the baby was Maxie and Spinelli's child.

Lulu tensed when Nikolas mentioned that he had seen a choked-up Spinelli outside of the nursery earlier. "Again?" Lulu asked with concern. Nikolas pointed out that babies tended to make people emotional, but Lulu confided that she had been getting a weird vibe from Spinelli, so she wanted to know why Spinelli had been lurking around the nursery.

Nikolas changed the subject by commenting about Laura's trip to Paris. Lulu revealed that Luke had helped her to persuade Laura to report to the clinic for the wellness evaluation, so Nikolas thanked her. He noticed his sister's troubled expression when she had mentioned Luke, so Lulu admitted that Luke was ill and might die. Stunned, Nikolas confessed that he had always thought of Luke as invincible.

Lulu confessed that she had been overwhelmed welcoming a daughter into the world and then saying goodbye to her father for possibly the last time. Nikolas was grateful that most of his family was dead because it meant that a Cassadine couldn't be blamed. He became alarmed when Lulu quickly looked away. Nikolas demanded to know what she was hiding, so Lulu told him about Helena's plot to kill Luke with radiation poisoning. Nikolas apologized and pulled his sister into his arms as she began to weep.

In Maxie's hospital room, Maxie rocked her newborn daughter in her arms. "Hey, Georgie-baby," Maxie cooed. "Mommy loves you so much," she promised as Lulu suddenly appeared in the doorway. "I'll take my baby now," Lulu coldly informed Maxie. Maxie objected, but Lulu marched over and snatched the baby out of Maxie's protesting arms.

Maxie's eyes suddenly snapped open. She looked around the around the room, but neither Lulu nor the baby was there. Maxie started to climb out of bed, but Mac entered the room and immediately stopped her with a reminder that she was recovering from surgery. He helped Maxie back into bed as he asked her what she had been doing. Maxie claimed that she was still out of it from the medications then asked where her mother was.

Mac explained that Felicia had stopped by Maxie's apartment to pick up some clothes for Maxie. He was curious if Maxie recalled waking up shortly after surgery, so Maxie shook her head. Mac admitted that she had been out of it and had insisted that Dante and Lulu's baby was her daughter. Maxie nervously asked if she had called the baby Georgie, so Mac shook his head. "I don't think so," Mac told her, but he revealed that she had claimed that Spinelli was the baby's father.

In the hallway, Spinelli rounded the corner in time to hear what Mac had said to Maxie. Spinelli continued to eavesdrop as Mac explained that Maxie had needed to be sedated, so Mac and Felicia had turned to Kevin for help. Kevin had assured the Scorpios that Maxie's confusion had been normal under the circumstances and that "postpartum events" were more likely for surrogate mothers. Maxie became agitated at the suggestion that she was mentally unstable, but Mac assured her that she was fine.

However, Mac wanted to make certain that Maxie understood that the baby was Dante and Lulu's daughter. Spinelli tensed as he waited for Maxie's answer. He was frustrated when she assured Mac that she knew that the baby was not hers. Angry, Spinelli stormed away.

Maxie was curious where the baby was. He explained that the baby had been sent to NICU as a precaution and then added, "She's right where she belongs, with her mother." A few minutes later, Mac offered to fetch Maxie a milkshake, so she thanked him. After Mac left, Maxie gingerly climbed out of bed.

In the hallway, Sam spotted Spinelli, so she called out to him. She immediately sensed that something was wrong, so she asked him what was troubling him. Spinelli tried to deflect by asking how Danny was. Sam grinned as she revealed that they had found a donor. Spinelli smiled, and he admitted that he had needed the good news, prompting Sam to ask if he was okay. Sam was disappointed when he told her that he and Ellie had hit a rough patch.

After Sam left to find Silas, Mac returned with Maxie's milkshake. He greeted Spinelli then invited Spinelli to visit Maxie. Spinelli reluctantly followed Mac into the hospital room, but Maxie was gone.

Meanwhile, Nikolas insisted that Lulu take a break while the baby was asleep, so Lulu agreed to go to the cafeteria with Nikolas. Maxie waited until they were gone then slipped into the nursery to see her daughter.

Elsewhere at the hospital, Sabrina was startled when she found Ellie huddled in a corner of a vacant room. Sabrina became concerned when she realized that Ellie had been crying. Ellie admitted that she and Spinelli had broken up, so Sabrina assured Ellie that everything would work out because Spinelli was crazy about Ellie.

Ellie explained that Spinelli refused to accept her apology, but she couldn't blame him because she had told a terrible lie. Sabrina offered to listen if Ellie needed someone to talk to, but Ellie revealed that she couldn't confide to Sabrina because it wouldn't be fair to anyone. However, the bottom line was that Ellie had kept a secret that was life-changing to several people, including Spinelli, so Ellie doubted that Spinelli would forgive her.

Sabrina thought that telling the truth should count for something, especially since there had been a time that Spinelli had betrayed Ellie. Sabrina recalled the night that Ellie had been struck by a car and temporarily paralyzed. Sabrina had desperately tried to reach Spinelli to let him know about Ellie's dire condition, but he hadn't answered the phone. "Why?" Sabrina pointedly asked.

Ellie quietly admitted that Spinelli had been having intercourse with Maxie. Sabrina nodded and then reminded Ellie that Ellie had forgiven Spinelli for the transgression. Ellie conceded that Spinelli had deeply hurt her, but her betrayal had been worse because it had affected Spinelli as well as Maxie and her baby. Sabrina was confused about the remark, so Ellie quickly covered the slip by claiming that she had meant "the" baby.

Ellie revealed that she had overheard a conversation between Maxie and Frisco that had given Ellie reason to suspect that there had been something wrong with the baby that Maxie didn't want Dante and Lulu to know about. Ellie had felt obligated to find out what was going on, so she could let the baby's parents know. She admitted that she had manipulated an unwitting Spinelli to hack into the hospital's records so that she could access Maxie's medical file. Ellie was ashamed that she had broken her own code of ethics, but Sabrina argued that it had been to protect Dante and Lulu.

Ellie confessed that her intentions hadn't been so pure; she conceded that she might have been driven by jealousy. Ellie wished that she had never found out the truth or had allowed Maxie to persuade her to lie because the lie that she had told to hold onto Spinelli's love had ultimately driven him away. Sabrina admitted that love sometimes made people do crazy things and pointed to her own decision to secretly run a paternity test without Britt's consent. Sabrina confessed that she continued to have a hard time believing that Patrick was the father of Britt's baby.

At Wyndemere, Patrick informed Britt that he knew everything about Britt and Britt's mother. Britt quietly wondered how he had found out, but Patrick didn't think it mattered because he knew that Britt's mother had tried to kill Duke, had put Robin's father in a coma, and had been working with Cesar Faison. Patrick was furious because he had started to trust Britt and had had hope that they could amicably raise their baby. However, he realized that that was never going to happen.

Britt assured Patrick that she had been sincere when she had admitted to all the terrible things that she had done, but Patrick pointed that out that she had neglected to mention that her mother was the diabolical doctor who had been in cahoots with the man who had spent years waging war against Robin's family. Patrick wondered what else Britt had been hiding, so Britt insisted that she'd had no idea what her mother had been up to.

Patrick didn't believe Britt because the police had found a bottle of propofol in the apartment, which was Dr. Obrecht's drug of choice. Britt argued that she had ordered her mother to leave when she had found the vial of propofol, but Patrick insisted that she should have called the police. Britt reminded him that they were talking about her mother, but Patrick pointed out that Liesl Obrecht was a criminal. Britt denied that she had known about the crimes that her mother had committed, but Patrick was skeptical.

Patrick made it clear that he didn't want Britt's mother around the baby, so Britt assured him that her mother had nothing to do with the baby. Patrick didn't believe her because he knew that Britt's mother had been in town during the Nurses Ball. Britt was shocked when Patrick told her about his encounter with her mother when he had dropped Noah off at the airport. Patrick was certain that Britt and her mother had conspired against him, so Britt admitted that it was true.

Britt conceded that her mother had urged her to give him the news about the baby at the Nurses Ball because her mother knew that Britt had loved him, so they had hoped that the announcement would pave the way for Britt and Patrick to work things out. Patrick accused Britt of dropping the news like an atomic bomb in public while he had been honoring his dead wife.

Patrick pointed out that Britt would have woken up in jail if it hadn't been for Nikolas. He insisted that Britt's mother was a lethal woman. "And that's my fault?" Britt asked. Patrick refused to allow Britt's mother to get near his son, so Britt assured him that she rarely saw her mother because her mother lived in Europe. Patrick reminded Britt that she had been seen with her mother at least two times in the past six months.

Patrick refused to take any chances, so he announced that he would sue for full custody of the baby. Outraged, Britt reminded him that she was the baby's mother, but Patrick countered that her mother had tried to kill two people in his family. Britt assured him that she would keep her mother away from the baby, but Patrick couldn't trust Britt to keep her word. Britt warned Patrick that she had rights as the baby's mother, so Patrick agreed to allow her supervised visits with his son.

Patrick promised that Britt would hear from his attorney and started to leave, but Britt warned him that it was a big mistake. Patrick insisted that he was trying to protect his son. "He's not your son," Britt shouted.

Friday, August 30, 2013

by Elisabeth

At the boathouse, Morgan invited Kiki to go swimming, but she wasn't in the mood. Disappointed, Morgan asked what was troubling his new bride. Kiki admitted that she felt bad for Franco because Ava had lied to Franco for over twenty years.

As if on cue, Ava entered the boathouse. Kiki ordered her mother to leave, but Ava explained that she was there to let Morgan and Kiki know that the police had been searching the grounds for a murder weapon. Stunned, Kiki asked who had been murdered, so Ava told them about the shooting and A.J.'s possible role in Connie's death. Morgan was immediately concerned about his father because he knew how much Sonny had loved Connie.

Morgan became annoyed when Kiki admitted that she felt bad for Michael, so he decided to head to his father's to check on Sonny. Kiki offered to accompany Morgan, but Morgan doubted that Sonny would want to see anyone. Kiki assured Morgan that she understood, so she told him that she would check on Franco. "Oh, Kiki, must you?" Ava asked.

Kiki reminded her mother that Franco was still suffering from years of Ava's lies and then marched out. After Kiki left, Morgan tried to dismiss Ava, but she told him that she wanted to have a little chat with him about his wedding to her daughter. Ava was upset that Morgan hadn't let her know about the quickie wedding, so Morgan explained that there hadn't been time because he had been desperate to marry Kiki before Kiki saw the newspaper article revealing that Kiki was not related to Michael.

Morgan admitted that he had been afraid that he would lose Kiki to Michael. Ava wondered how Kiki had reacted when she had learned about Morgan's deception, so Morgan confessed that Kiki didn't know. He was certain that his marriage would remain safe as long as Kiki never found out. Ava pointed out that she could decide to tell her daughter the truth.

Morgan was disappointed because he had thought that Ava was on his side. Ava assured him that she was, but her relationship with Kiki was on the rocks, so telling Kiki the truth about Morgan could go a long way in healing their relationship. "You'd screw me over just like that?" Morgan asked. Morgan begged Ava not to say anything, so she agreed provided that he did something for her. Morgan didn't want to lose Kiki, so he vowed to do whatever Ava asked. Ava promised to mull it over and leave it at that for the time being.

Later, Morgan left the boathouse but stopped short when he noticed something hidden in the bushes. He was shocked when he realized that it was a gun.

In the interrogation room, Michael pointed out that A.J. had been very drunk the previous evening, so he was curious what A.J. remembered. A.J. explained that he had a clear recollection of taking Tracy's gun from the safe, so he was certain that he had killed Connie. Michael was skeptical, but A.J. argued that Connie had written A.J.'s name in blood, so A.J. thought that he should talk to Anna.

Michael urged A.J. to wait for Diane to arrive before giving Anna a statement, but A.J. insisted that it wouldn't change anything. Michael argued that A.J.'s memory couldn't be trusted because A.J. had been drunk and disoriented for most of the night.

A.J. was thankful that Monica was out of town at a medical conference because it would buy him some time to get everything settled before she returned home. A.J. thought that it would be best if he confessed, but Michael objected. A.J. insisted on taking responsibility for Connie's murder, so he asked Michael to fetch Anna because A.J. didn't want to drag things out. "That's the last thing you're going to do," Diane said as she suddenly appeared in the doorway.

Diane apologized for being late. She admitted that she had been spending time with "Manolo" in St. Barts when she had received the call, so she had left the man in a hot tub and had returned home. Diane focused her attention on A.J. as she informed him that she hadn't ditched her vacation to hear her client use the "C-word." A.J.'s eyebrows furrowed with confusion. "Confess," Diane clarified.

Diane asked Michael to help her demonstrate how a client should behave either before or after they were read their Miranda Rights. "I'm not saying anything without my attorney," Michael recited. Diane asked Michael why that was important, so Michael explained that the less one said, the less there would be for their attorney to get declared inadmissible in a court of law. "Like you sprang from my own loins," Diane proclaimed with pride.

Diane made it clear that A.J. was not to confess, prompting A.J. to tell her about the gun. Diane argued that her sources had informed her that Tracy's gun was missing and that there wasn't any proof that it had been used to kill Connie or that A.J. had taken it. A.J. pointed out that Tracy's gun was the same caliber of gun that had been used to kill Connie. A.J. admitted that he had taken it from the safe, so Diane asked if A.J. remembered killing Connie.

A.J. was about to answer, but Diane advised him to keep quiet because Michael was not protected by privilege, which meant that Michael could be called to testify. She asked Michael to step out of the room, so she could continue her discussion with A.J. in private. Michael assured his father that he would wait in the squad room. A.J. was surprised that Michael had referred to him as "Dad." "Because you are," Michael told A.J.

After Michael left, Diane asked A.J. to walk her through the events of the previous evening as he remembered them. A.J. recalled taking the gun and then going to Crimson to confront Connie. He admitted that his memories were jumbled, but he was certain that he had been enraged and had wanted to make Connie pay for destroying everything important in his life. A.J. confessed that he had a clear memory of pointing the gun at Connie, so Diane asked if he had pulled the trigger.

A.J. admitted that he didn't recall firing the gun, but Connie had written his name in blood. Diane argued that there could have been a million reasons that Connie could have done that. Diane explained that it was her job to find one plausible answer, which she intended to do. However, Diane insisted that the rest of the case against A.J. was circumstantial because there weren't any witnesses or a weapon.

In the squad room, Michael was surprised when Kiki walked in. She admitted that she had heard about A.J. Michael hugged her and confessed that it had been a difficult few hours. Kiki wondered if Michael thought that A.J. had killed Connie, so he conceded that he didn't know because his father had been drinking and filled with hatred.

At Wyndemere, Britt warned Patrick that he would never get full custody of the baby, but Patrick told her that she would hear from his attorney because he was determined to protect his son. "He's not your son," Britt shouted. Patrick conceded that he wasn't the baby's only parent, but he refused to let Britt's dangerous mother near the baby. Britt told Patrick to pay attention and repeated that he was not the baby's father.

Patrick accused Britt of being a pathological liar. "Exactly," Britt said. She explained that she had lied about the baby's paternity in a desperate attempt to lure him back. Patrick questioned the timing of her confession and pointed out that a paternity test had confirmed that he was the father. Britt revealed that her mother had tampered with the tests.

Stunned, Patrick asked why Britt would lie to him like that. Britt insisted that she had loved Patrick, but Patrick argued that they had barely had a relationship. Britt claimed it had been her mother's idea to pass the baby off as Patrick's, so Britt had gone along with the plan because Britt had been desperate to win Patrick's love.

Patrick continued to question Britt's story, so she invited him to run another paternity test. "Okay, so, if it's not my baby, right...it's not my baby, then who is the father? Hmm?" Patrick asked.

At the neonatal intensive care unit's nursery, Maxie gazed at her daughter for the first time. A nurse entered the nursery and asked if Maxie was the baby's mother. Maxie quietly admitted that she was, so the nurse apologized for not recognizing Maxie. The nurse checked Maxie's hospital bracelet against the baby's as she explained that she was a part-timer who was covering for another nurse. After the nurse confirmed that the bracelets matched, she invited Maxie to hold the newborn.

The nurse noticed that Maxie moved tenderly, so she guessed that Maxie had had a Caesarian section delivery. Maxie nodded as she picked up and held her daughter for the first time. The nurse was curious if the baby had latched on yet, but Maxie had no idea what she was talking about, so the nurse wondered if Maxie intended to breastfeed. She quickly assured Maxie that it was better for the baby, so Maxie agreed to try it, but she was afraid that she might do something wrong.

The nurse offered to help Maxie, so Maxie sat down with the infant then started to loosen her gown. Spinelli suddenly entered the room and asked what Maxie was doing. Maxie started to explain, but Spinelli gently whisked the baby out of her arms and returned the infant to the bassinet. Spinelli insisted that Maxie needed to rest, so he quickly ushered her out of the room. "What about the baby?" the nurse asked as Spinelli and Maxie left.

Lulu threw herself into Dante's arms when she saw him exit the elevator. Dante apologized for taking so long to return to the hospital, but he admitted that he had a lot to tell her. Dante led her to a quiet corner to tell her about Connie's murder. Shocked, Lulu recalled the first time that she had gone to work for Connie, who had been living as Kate Howard. Lulu smiled sadly as she recalled how Connie had hated Lulu's hair, clothes, and shoes, so Connie had taken Lulu on as a "charity case."

Lulu admitted that Connie had been impossible to please, but she had learned a lot from Connie. Lulu suddenly realized how the tragedy would impact Sonny and Olivia, so Dante admitted that his father was a mess because Sonny had found Connie. Lulu was shocked when he told her about the confrontation between Sonny and A.J. and how Michael had talked Sonny down from killing A.J.

Lulu seemed skeptical that A.J. would shoot Connie, but Dante insisted that A.J. had had motive and opportunity. He conceded that they hadn't found the gun, but Connie had made certain that they knew that A.J. had shot her. Lulu thought that it was sad that Connie had seemed glamorous on the outside, but in reality her life had been incredibly difficult.

Dante and Lulu decided to check on the baby, so they went to the nursery. Lulu was annoyed when she saw the nurse about to give the baby a bottle because Lulu had intended to feed the baby. The nurse wanted to know who Dante and Lulu were, so they informed her that they were the baby's parents. "Who was the other woman then?" the nurse asked in confusion.

Dante and Lulu quickly realized that Maxie had been in the nursery, but they were shocked when the nurse revealed that Maxie had intended to breastfeed the newborn. The nurse quickly assured them that a young man had stopped Maxie from nursing the infant, so Dante made it clear that neither Maxie nor anyone else was authorized to be in the room with their child.

In Maxie's hospital room, Maxie slowly made her way to the bed as she explained that she had just wanted to see the baby. Maxie insisted that it had been the nurse's idea for her to breastfeed the baby and then reminded Spinelli that she hadn't gone through with it, so she begged him not to tell Dante and Lulu. "Tell them what?" Spinelli asked. "That I tried to nurse their baby," Maxie carefully replied.

"But she isn't their baby, is she?" Spinelli asked. "She's yours...and mine," he added. Maxie tried to deny it, but Spinelli warned her that it was pointless because Ellie had told him everything. Spinelli's eyes filled with tears of anger as he told her that no matter how misguided their drunken tryst had been, they had conceived a child. He was stunned that Maxie could lie to Dante and Lulu for months and allow the unwitting couple to fall in love with a child that wasn't theirs.

Spinelli begged Maxie to help him understand how she could do that to Dante and Lulu, and to him. Maxie explained that she had wanted to give Dante and Lulu a baby, so she had promised them that she could do it. Maxie admitted that Lulu hadn't trusted Maxie at first, but then Lulu had changed her mind. Maxie had been devastated when she had miscarried Dante and Lulu's baby, so she had wanted to fix things before Dante and Lulu had returned from Europe.

Maxie told Spinelli about her attempt to get pregnant only to learn that she was already pregnant with his child. She revealed that she had intended to tell him the truth, but then he had told her that he and Ellie had worked things out. Maxie had refused to ruin Spinelli's life again or let Dante and Lulu down, so she had decided to lie. "Nobody was ever supposed to know the truth," Maxie cried. "Well, now I do," Spinelli reminded her.

Spinelli explained that he couldn't pretend not to know the truth about their daughter. Maxie maintained that she had never meant for him to find out, but Spinelli argued that a part of her had to know that he might learn the truth one day. He was curious how she had thought that it would play out. Maxie didn't have an answer, but Spinelli suggested that it didn't matter because she clearly had grown attached to the baby.

Spinelli admitted that knowing that he had a child in the world was awe-inspiring because he had never imagined that it would happen. Spinelli smiled as he talked about their daughter and how incredible it was that they had made her because Maxie had been his first love. "Did you really think that you could give our baby to Dante and Lulu and there would just be no consequences?" Spinelli asked. Dante and Lulu entered the room before Maxie could answer.