At Kristina’s apartment, Kristina left a voicemail message for Sonny explaining that she had called to let him know about Carly’s arrest. As she ended the call, she heard a knock. It was Alexis. Alexis assured Kristina that she would have gotten back to Kristina sooner, but Alexis had been busy with a “CLE webinar.” Kristina was curious if Alexis had talked to Molly, so Alexis revealed that she knew Molly and T.J. hadn’t been happy with how Kristina had answered the baby question during the interview with Perez Hilton. Kristina acknowledged that it had been an issue.
“How do you think you handled the baby question?” Alexis carefully asked. Kristina explained that she’d been both nervous and determined to protect Molly and T.J.’s privacy, but she denied that she had intended to give the impression that she and “Allie” would raise the baby together. “But, after the meltdown that Molly had here this morning, I’m starting to think maybe this baby should be mine,” Kristina said. Alexis gasped. “I hope you don’t mean that,” she told Kristina.
The conversation turned to Molly’s demand that Kristina sign papers to terminate Kristina’s parental rights to the baby. Kristina claimed that she had refused to sign the papers because she was the only one who would have a legal claim if T.J. and Molly broke up and T.J. decided to assert his biological rights. Kristina insisted that she had no other choice but to file the petition for custody that she had drafted. She asked if Alexis still had the documents, so Alexis assured Kristina that the papers were in a safe place. However, Alexis believed that both Kristina and Molly had overreacted.
Kristina was adamant that Molly and T.J.’s relationship was on shaky ground, and she refused to stand by while T.J. walked away with “our baby.” “Their baby,” Alexis corrected. Alexis reminded Kristina that Molly and T.J. had been together for ten years, but Kristina argued that Molly and T.J. were careful not to argue in front of Alexis. When Alexis asked what Molly and T.J. argued about, Kristina was honest. “Usually me,” she said. However, Kristina worried what would happen when Molly and T.J. had a screaming child on their hands.
“They’re going to parent,” Alexis said. Kristina seized the opportunity to point out that Molly hadn’t shared any plans for the baby, including childcare provisions. Kristina added that neither Molly nor T.J. would give up their career to stay home with the baby, but Alexis gently chastised Kristina for jumping to conclusions. Undaunted, Kristina argued that it would be up to her to care for the child. “What’s really the difference from me being its mother?” she asked.
Alexis explained that Molly and T.J. weren’t obligated to share their parenting style or plans with anyone, including Kristina. However, Alexis was certain that Molly had a plan for the baby because Molly was a planner. Kristina remained certain that Molly and T.J. would eventually break up, but Alexis observed that Kristina was the only one who talked about it—a lot. Kristina denied it, so Alexis changed tactics and urged Kristina to take a pause. Kristina pointed out that the baby would soon be born. “I’m the one who is responsible,” Kristina explained.
Kristina acknowledged that she had put her mother in an impossible situation, so she promised to seek legal advice elsewhere. Alexis advised Kristina to take a minute to remember the promises that Kristina had made to Molly. Alexis asked if keeping the baby was worth losing her sister, but Kristina defended her choices by insisting that making a claim on the baby was the only way for Kristina to protect Molly as a mother. “If that’s—I don’t know—if that’s really what she wants anymore. If they want to be parents,” Kristina said.
Alexis assured Kristina that both Molly and T.J. wanted to be parents. “What if they keep fighting?” Kristina asked. She wanted to give the baby a stable home and a mother. “Maybe even two,” Kristina said.
At the hospital, Molly entered the breakroom where T.J. was eating. “So?” he asked. “Kristina wouldn’t go for it. She flat-out refused to sign,” Molly said. T.J. wasn’t surprised because Kristina had made her intentions to keep the baby clear during the interview with Blaze. Molly explained that Kristina had claimed that she’d been protecting their privacy, but T.J. scoffed and accused Kristina of blatantly lying because she had refused to sign the papers.
Concerned, T.J. asked if he and Molly would end up in family court with lawyers. Molly acknowledged that it was a possibility, but the custody battle would be between T.J. and Kristina. Molly realized that it had been a mistake to confront Kristina with the demand to sign the legal documents, but she hoped that things would calm down before the baby was born and that Kristina would remember the promises she’d made. T.J. wanted to know everything that Kristina had said. “She said that she and Allie might make better parents than us,” Molly reluctantly shared.
Shocked, T.J. reminded Molly that Kristina had financed the youth center with her mobster father’s money and that Blaze was a pop star whose career had just been canceled. “So, we’re looking at parents of the year, right?” T.J. asked in a sarcastic tone. Molly told him that Kristina didn’t see things that way and that Kristina believed that Molly and T.J. were on the verge of splitting up. T.J. conceded that it had been a difficult year for them. Molly agreed, but she assured him that she had never wanted to be without him.
T.J. promised that he didn’t want to be without Molly and that most of their tension had been the result of worrying about the baby. He was certain that would change once the baby arrived. Molly warned him that there would be other stresses, but he assured her that they would be able to handle things. “Yeah, we will,” Molly said. Their conversation was cut short when Molly received a call from work. After a short exchange on the phone, she ended the call and explained that she had to get to the courthouse because an FBI agent had been causing problems and making demands.
In Sonny’s office at Pozzulo’s, Sonny held a gun in his hand as someone knocked on the door. He tried to ignore the knocking, but his cell phone rang with a call from Kristina. Sonny let the call go to voicemail as Dante called out to his father. After Sonny put the gun away, he opened the door. Dante greeted his father and revealed that Carly had sent him. Sonny slid into the chair behind his desk and filled Dante in about Jason’s deal with the FBI and Carly’s concern that Sonny would go after John.
Dante was relieved to see his father in his office, so Sonny assured Dante that Carly’s concerns had been unfounded. Dante promised his father that everyone could see that John was out of control. Sonny was pleased because it was clear that John had had an agenda to take Sonny down from the start. Sonny conceded that it might sound paranoid, but he assured his son that it was true because the case against Carly was ridiculous. Sonny believed that John intended to use the charges against Carly to pressure Carly and Jason into testifying against Sonny in exchange for immunity.
Dante reminded Sonny that John had wanted to protect Sonny when John had first arrived in Port Charles, but Sonny insisted that it had been a ruse because John had wanted to get Sonny for 30 years and had finally found a way to “crucify” him. Dante agreed that it made sense, and he offered to talk to Anna about it. Sonny warned Dante that Anna was not a fan of Sonny’s, but Dante argued that John had repeatedly broken procedure and needed to be reined in. Dante promised to handle things, but he advised Sonny not to engage with John.
After Dante left, Sonny received a text message from Brick letting him know that John was at the courthouse. Sonny picked up his jacket and left.
Later, Dante stood at the nurse’s station while T.J. tried to pull up Jack Brennan’s file. T.J. frowned when he was unable to find a record of Brennan in the system, even though T.J. remembered Brennan being a patient. Dante was troubled by the lack of record, and T.J. agreed that it was strange. T.J. shared that he recalled Portia arguing with an FBI agent who had wanted to transfer Brennan, despite Brennan not being ready to be discharged. T.J. didn’t recall the agent’s name, but he doubted there were many FBI agents in Port Charles.
In Jason’s room above Bobbie’s, John tried to pressure Jason into helping him take Sonny down in exchange for Carly’s freedom. Jason was curious if the FBI was aware that their agent had been using his badge to settle a personal grudge. Frustrated, John asked why Jason was hesitating to help Carly, especially since Sonny had sent hit men to kill Jason. Jason denied that Sonny had been behind the attempt on Jason’s life at the coffee warehouse, so John circled back to his initial deal to drop the charges against Carly if Jason flipped on Sonny.
Jason wondered how hard John had had to fight to get assigned to Jason’s case after Jason had been arrested on Cassadine lsland. “It took some doing, but it was worth it,” John said. John explained that the FBI wasn’t happy that he had let Valentin slip through his fingers, but John was confident that they would settle for a strong RICO case against Sonny to make up for it. Jason accused John of using his badge to settle a score, but John was unapologetic because Sonny would be a better “get” than Carly.
John warned Jason that Jason would have to give up Sonny to save Carly. Jason walked over to the door and opened it. Jason made it clear that he didn’t trust John’s word because John would say anything to get Sonny. “One deal with you was enough,” Jason said. John decided to give Jason some time to think things over, but he assured Jason that he would be at the courthouse for Carly’s arraignment if Jason changed his mind.
In Ava’s suite, Ava was happy to see John. She admitted that she had begun to worry that he had left his suitcase with her and left town. John claimed that he had been camped out at the US Attorney’s office overnight. He explained that he needed to change and head to the courthouse, but he asked if he could leave his suitcase with her a bit longer. Ava assured him that he could leave it as long as he liked, but she admitted that she was afraid for him because Sonny had been more volatile than usual. John appreciated Ava’s concern, but he assured her that he had no worries about Sonny.
“If you knew what I know, you might be,” Ava said. John’s interest was piqued. With a little prying on John’s part, Ava offered to share a secret, but she needed to know that she could trust him. John pointed out that their conversation wasn’t being recorded, so Ava would be able to deny whatever she told him. Satisfied, Ava shared that she had recently discovered—by accident—that one of the two medications that Sonny took for his bipolar disorder had been drastically reduced to a quarter of the dose. She suggested that if one of the medications was off, then she could only assume the other was, as well.
John smiled when he realized that he could exploit the situation to his advantage. He reminded Ava that it might help her case against Sonny if Sonny were to go for John’s throat. “I hadn’t thought of that,” Ava claimed.
In the interrogation room at the Port Charles Police Station, Carly told Michael about Jason’s agreement with the FBI and how John had double-crossed Jason. However, she conceded that the FBI might decide that the end justified the means. Michael agreed, but he was hopeful that the FBI would clip John’s wings, anyway. Carly admitted that she would enjoy that, but she had more important matters to discuss with Michael because she had a favor to ask.
Carly explained that she needed Michael and Josslyn to find a way to make peace with Sonny for Donna’s sake because there was a good chance that Carly would get convicted. Michael assured his mother that he had tried to work things out with Sonny, but she implored him to keep making an effort because Sonny had been unstable, and Carly needed Michael and Josslyn to watch over their sister. Carly apologized for putting Michael in such an unfair position, but Michael blamed John for the situation.
Carly acknowledged that she had lost her temper with John. Michael promised to do everything possible to make peace with his father, but he admitted that getting Carly cleared would be his priority.
After Michael left, Jason arrived. “How mad at me are you?” Carly asked when he entered the interrogation room. Jason remained stone-faced, so she tried to cut the tension by pointing out that she had spared him a long ride to Quantico. Jason didn’t appear amused. Carly told him about the arrest and admitted that she hadn’t been able to keep her promise to Jason because she couldn’t stand the idea of John using him.
Jason warned Carly that she needed to remain cool and not allow herself to be provoked again. “You cannot do anything to make this worse,” he explained. Carly hated that Jason was mad at her, so he clarified that he was worried because John hoped to get Jason and Carly to turn on Sonny. Carly assured Jason that would not happen, but she feared that John would try to break Jason to get the information that Jason had on Sonny.
Jason hoped the FBI would hold John accountable for John’s recent unethical actions, but he instructed Carly to do whatever Diane told her to do. Carly promised to heed Diane’s advice, but she shifted gears because she wanted Jason’s promise that he would take care of Michael, Josslyn, and Donna. Jason promised that he would. Moments later, a police officer entered the room, handcuffed Carly, and led her to her arraignment. Carly spotted Dante in the squad room, but she was hustled away before she could ask him about Sonny.
After Jason followed Carly out, Dante asked a police officer to let Anna know that Dante had the information that Anna had wanted. The police officer informed Dante that Anna had left for Washington, DC, earlier that morning.
At the courthouse, Michael and Molly greeted each other and chatted until John walked up, flashed his badge, and introduced himself to Molly. Molly and John stepped away to discuss business. Meanwhile, Sonny arrived at the courthouse. Michael greeted his father and asked if they could talk after the hearing because Michael wanted to sort through things. “Yeah, we’ll see,” Sonny said as he intently watched John and Molly.
Nearby, John asked Molly to turn over all the open files on Sonny, but Molly objected because that was outside her purview. She explained that John would have to get the files from Robert or Anna. When John noticed Sonny’s arrival, the conversation between John and Molly quickly escalated into a heated argument. John began to badger Molly for being Sonny’s niece, questioned her ethics, and asked if she would lie or “strip” for her uncle. Molly warned John that he was way out of line, but John ignored her.
Sonny marched over to confront John for the insulting way John had talked to Molly. “I’m here! Come on!” Sonny shouted. Sonny knew that he was John’s true target, but John merely smirked and continued to goad Sonny into reaction. Eventually, Sonny raised his fist to punch John, but Michael interceded and stopped Sonny from taking a swing at John.
Sonny and John's confrontation continued in the courtroom halls. John warned Sonny that Carly was going to lose everything, including Bobbie's, unless Jason turned on Sonny. John insisted that Jason would do it because he would do anything to protect Carly.
John did his best to goad Sonny until Sonny tried taking a punch. Michael stepped in to stop him. "He wants you to hit him. Don't give him the satisfaction of putting you behind bars," Michael said. Michael finally got Sonny to walk away while Molly, who was watching the whole incident, stayed behind.
John demanded to know why Molly would protect Sonny, so she insisted that she couldn't give John records on Sonny unless he filled out an official request. "Waving your badge around and making demands feels more like an abuse of power and misrepresentation of service to the government to fulfill a vendetta," Molly said.
After Sonny's confrontation with Jagger, Sonny and Michael met with Diane and Josslyn outside the courtroom, but Sonny turned his back and went inside when Jason joined them. Michael quickly asked if Jason was sure that Sonny was taking his meds. Jason assured Michael that Carly had checked, but Josslyn pointed out that the meds might have stopped working. John listened in on the conversation, knowing that Sonny wasn't getting the meds he was prescribed.
Finally, everyone entered the courtroom and saw Carly led in by a guard. She reunited with her family for a brief moment before the hearing began. Carly assured them she was okay, and she checked in about Donna. Diane coached everyone to be on their best behavior. She didn't want to hear even a word or a whisper, so the judge would look at Carly favorably. When Michael mentioned his meeting with the congressman, Carly made a vow: "If I'm going down, Cates is going with me."
While Diane made an argument for dismissing the case, a man arrived and whispered in the prosecutor's ear. When it was the prosecutor's turn, he didn't oppose the motion to dismiss, meaning Carly's time as a defendant had come to a close. It turned out that the audio file of Carly at the Five Families meeting had mysteriously vanished.
Carly and her family were over the moon when the judge dismissed the case, but John was incensed. The judge threatened him with contempt, so he finally piped down. John warned Carly and her loved ones that he was pretty sure he knew who had tampered with the evidence.
After the proceedings ended, Carly and Jason embraced but didn't talk much because Michael and Josslyn wanted attention. The prosecutor soon approached them and told them that John's behavior would be looked into. When Michael suggested they celebrate at Wiley's birthday party and invited Sonny, Sonny turned cold. "What is wrong with you people?" Sonny asked.
Sonny insisted to Jason that he could have told them what had been going on three years earlier. He said he would have made sure to stop John then. "You didn't trust me, and that hurt me. None of you did, but that's all right. And you know why? Because I'm going to take care of Jagger myself," Sonny said as he walked away.
Anna arrived at a WSB office in search of the truth. She wanted to know why Jack Brennan had been removed from Pentonville. Anna explained how Brennan's records seemed to have been wiped from both Pentonville and Port Charles Police Department records. "That sort of thing can only happen if someone very high up wants it to," Anna pointed out.
The WSB told Anna she was seeking information that was likely highly classified, so it was doubtful she would have much luck. Anna asked for help from people she knew from her years at the WSB and said she was happy to wait until she could speak to them. Just then, Brennan appeared, shocking Anna. He invited her into what seemed to be his office. Anna mentioned that all evidence of his existence had disappeared from Port Charles. Brennan claimed there was a reasonable explanation.
"I was never there," he said, as he mimicked performing a magic trick. Anna claimed she'd kept hard copies of all his records, but Brennan didn't buy it. Anna told Brennan he had clearly won. He was free, and she couldn't do anything about it because she was nothing but a local police commissioner. Anna deduced that he had allowed the FBI to take Pikeman down so the WSB would come out clean, and he could resume his place with the bureau.
Anna then asked Brennan for a favor and wondered if he had leverage over John. He claimed that, as a WSB agent, he had no pull over the FBI . Anna told him that John was "off the rails" and had targeted Carly to get to Sonny. "He's like a wrecking ball, and I'm not going to stand by and let him play out this vendetta," Anna said.
While Anna looked for answers with the WSB, Dante made phone calls from the PCPD to try to solve the Brennan mystery on his end. After Dante hung up, Molly arrived looking for Anna, so Dante asked what he could help her with. Molly told Dante all about the "rogue FBI agent roaming the courthouse," and Dante knew she was referring to John. Dante was alarmed when Molly informed him that John and Sonny had nearly gotten into a physical altercation.
Alexis soon showed up to drop off paperwork. Dante was thrilled to learn that Alexis was a practicing lawyer again. When Dante walked away, Alexis took the opportunity to talk with her daughter. Molly immediately knew that Alexis had spoken with Kristina.
Alexis and Kristina sat down in the interrogation room to chat. "What were you thinking? You jumped the gun by trying to force her to sign the termination of her parental rights on the spot?" Alexis asked.
Molly countered that she had only handed Kristina a document that Kristina had already agreed to sign once the baby was born. "It is very obvious that Kristina wants to keep this baby. At the very least, she is strongly considering it," Molly said. Alexis defended Kristina, saying she had just been trying to protect Molly and T.J.'s privacy with the vague answer she had given on Perez Hilton's talk show. Alexis insisted Kristina hadn't wanted to talk about Molly's fertility issues in public.
Molly insisted that Kristina had known what she'd been doing with her answer. Alexis pointed out that Kristina's pregnancy hormones were screaming for her to protect the baby. However, Alexis was sure that in the end, Kristina would give the baby to Molly and T.J. as promised. Alexis asked Molly to back off so Kristina didn't dig her heels in.
Wiley and Willow enjoyed Wiley's birthday party at the Metro Court pool, but Wiley wanted to know where his dad was. Willow tried telling him, but Wiley was distracted and excited as soon as he spotted Nina. Wiley ran into Nina's arms, but he wasn't the only child who wanted her. James soon approached his Aunt Nina. As Wiley and James vied for Nina's attention, Nina presented Wiley with his birthday gift. While he played with his new toys with James, Willow and Nina made small talk.
Nina told Willow it was the middle of her work day, so she would get out of everyone's hair, but Willow asked her to stay. Willow also thanked Nina for helping set up a meeting between Michael and Congressman McConkey. Willow assured Nina that Michael just wanted the congressman to look into how John was abusing his power.
Maxie and Spinelli looked on, pleased that Nina was getting along well with everyone. The subject soon turned to Carly's court case. Maxie wanted to know why Carly had been arrested, and Maxie could tell Spinelli knew more than he was letting on. Spinelli told her all about the evidence John was using against Carly to get Jason to do his bidding.
When Maxie asked Spinelli if there was any way to make the audio file on Carly disappear, Spinelli insisted that "not even the Jackal could pull that off."
At Metro Court’s pool, Donna was overjoyed to see her mother, Michael, and Josslyn arrive. Carly closed her eyes and sighed with relief as she tightly hugged Donna. Moments later, Wiley ran over to greet his grandmother. Carly apologized for being late to the party, but Wiley and Donna were too happy to see Carly to be upset. They dragged her over to get some cake. Smiling, Carly followed the children while Michael walked over to greet his wife.
When Josslyn offered to supervise the kids in the water, they happily followed her to the pool. Michael told Willow, Maxie, and Spinelli that the case against Carly had been dismissed because the incriminating evidence had disappeared. “That’s amazing,” Willow said. “Isn’t it, though?” Carly asked, looking pointedly at Spinelli.
Later, Michael wrapped up a phone call, prompting Willow to ask him if everything was okay. He explained that he’d been making certain all the paperwork in his mother’s case had been properly filed. Willow broached the subject of the missing evidence, but Michael assured her that he had no idea who had been responsible for it going missing. He admitted that he was grateful because his mother was the heart of the family. Willow thought it was a shame Sonny hadn’t taken the opportunity to make peace with his family.
Michael explained that he tried not to take it personally because Sonny had been dealing with other things. He filled Willow in about the confrontation between Sonny and John at the courthouse, and he admitted that his father had been more volatile lately. Michael told her about Jason and Carly’s suspicion that Sonny was off his bipolar medication, but Sonny had denied it. “Maybe this is just how he is now,” Michael suggested. He caught himself and quickly shifted gears because it was their son’s birthday party.
As Michael and Willow watched the children splashing in the water, Willow admitted that she felt blessed because she was able to watch Wiley grow up and be his mom. “Thanks to you,” Willow said. Michael smiled and assured her that he and the children were the lucky ones to have Willow in their lives. Willow returned his smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Nearby, Carly and Josslyn sat on deck chairs as they watched Donna have a blast with the other children in the pool. Carly confessed that she’d been preparing herself to go to prison, but Josslyn reminded her mother that it was over. Carly’s smile was bittersweet because she regretted what she had put Josslyn through. “I literally taunted an FBI agent into arresting me. How stupid is that?” Carly asked.
Carly apologized because she realized that she had put everyone through a lot of worry. Josslyn admitted that she loved that Carly hadn’t let John walk all over her, but Carly insisted that she’d had a lot more to lose than to gain. Carly wanted Josslyn to learn from Carly’s mistakes because Carly should have thought more about how her actions would impact
Josslyn and Donna. Josslyn conceded that Carly had been impulsive and reckless, but Josslyn loved her mother and was happy that Carly was free. Smiling, Carly hugged her daughter.
Elsewhere in the pool area, Maxie and Spinelli sat at a table and discussed how happy they were that Jason was finally free. Spinelli admitted it had been a bitter reminder of what could be lost in an instant. Maxie was surprised by Spinelli’s pessimistic view because he was usually an optimist. Spinelli explained that Jason and Carly would do anything for each other, but seeing how things had played out for them had made Spinelli reassess certain priorities and his commitment to them. “That’s you, Maxie, and the kids. Our family,” he said.
Touched, Maxie promised that Spinelli showed her and the kids every day that he loved them. She assured him that she didn’t expect him to stop doing what he did, but she asked that he be careful. Spinelli vowed to always discuss his jobs with Maxie first, so they could weigh the risks together. Moments later, Carly approached the table and asked for a word with Spinelli. After Maxie stepped away, Carly sat down and asked if she had Spinelli to thank for her good fortune. She was surprised when Spinelli admitted that he hadn’t been the one to erase the audio file. “I must have a guardian angel,” Carly decided.
At Kristina’s apartment, Kristina opened her door and found Molly standing in the hallway. Molly asked if they could talk, but Kristina warned her sister that she hadn’t signed the legal documents to terminate her parental rights. “Good. Trash them. Better yet, give them to me. I’ll tear them up myself,” Molly said as she entered the apartment.
Molly asked how Kristina was doing, so Kristina assured Molly that the baby was fine. Molly was pleased to hear it, but she had been concerned about her sister. Kristina seemed surprised. She listed a few pregnancy-related issues but assured Molly that they were all worth it. Molly was glad because she didn’t want Kristina stressed. “Could have fooled me,” Kristina said. Molly admitted that she shouldn’t have confronted her sister with the legal documents, but Kristina wanted to know if Molly had expected her to sign them.
“I’m sorry, Kristina. I was scared,” Molly explained. Molly admitted that the interview with Perez Hilton had blindsided her and T.J. Molly asked Kristina to put herself in Molly and T.J.’s shoes as the parents of the baby. Molly shared that she and T.J. had prepared the nursery, and they had been working long hours so that Molly could take maternity leave and T.J. take a vacation around Kristina’s due date. “I mean, how do you think it made us feel to watch you claim our baby as yours?” Molly asked.
Kristina denied that she had done that. “I know. I took your silence for an answer,” Molly said in reference to Kristina’s response during the interview. Molly acknowledged that it had been wrong, and she apologized to her sister. Kristina confessed that she had rewatched the interview, and she’d seen how her answers could have been misinterpreted, but she promised that it had not been intentional. Kristina assured Molly that she wanted everything to work out and for the baby to grow up healthy, happy, and loved. Molly insisted that she wanted the same thing, but she also wanted things to be good between her and Kristina because they were sisters. Kristina agreed.
When someone knocked on the door, Kristina went to answer it. A process server quickly handed Kristina an envelope and left. After Kristina closed the door, she opened the envelope and discovered that she’d been subpoenaed to appear at the custody hearing as a witness for Ava. Kristina realized that Ava hoped to force Kristina to testify about Sonny’s altercation with Dex, so she asked if there was a way to get out of testifying. Molly explained that Kristina would have to testify, but she offered to help prepare Kristina for the hearing.
Molly urged Kristina to relax, and she promised to check if there had been any other filings in the case. Kristina suggested that Ava might change her mind, but Molly admitted that it would be unlikely because there was no reason for Ava to back out. “Unless I give her a reason,” Kristina said under her breath.
At the police station, Dante reported to Anna in the interrogation room that Carly’s hearing was underway. He also told Anna about the heated exchange between Sonny and John in the hallway, prompting Anna to ask if criminal charges had been filed. “Not yet,” Dante said. Anna was relieved because she wasn’t eager to deal with Diane.
The conversation turned to Jack Brennan, as Anna shared that Brennan had been reinstated as an agent with the WSB. Just then, John barged in and demanded to have a word with Anna. “In private,” John added as he glared at Dante. Dante turned to leave, but John called out to him and advised Dante to “put a leash” on Sonny, or Sonny might find himself locked up. After Dante left, John informed Anna that Carly was a free woman because the audio file of Carly’s meeting with several mob families had vanished.
John complained that three years of his work—including the time and energy he had put into handling Jason Morgan—had gone down the drain. Anna pointed out that John had conflated the Pikeman case with the case against Carly, but they were unrelated. She reminded John that the Pikeman case had been resolved, even if it hadn’t been to his liking, but John pushed back and accused Anna of tampering with the evidence against Carly. “You made a deal with Jason, didn’t you?” John asked. He was certain Jason had agreed to let Anna tip off Valentin in exchange for Anna helping Carly.
Anna denied it, but John didn’t believe her. He was certain that she had tried to frame him because John’s credentials had been used the last time the audio file had been accessed. Anna chuckled because she realized that John would soon have to answer to his bosses about that. “What happened to you?” John asked. He reminded Anna that she had made an oath to protect and serve.
Anna assured John that she had been doing just that, but he disagreed because Anna had climbed into bed with the enemy by letting both Valentin and Sonny go free. “Well done, Commissioner. You’re protecting and serving—them,” John snidely said. After John marched out, Anna pulled out her phone.
In Ava’s suite, Ava and Scott discussed the possibility of Laura testifying. Scott was confident that Laura would be a good witness, but Ava had her doubts because Laura had had some bad press lately. Scott wasn’t concerned, but they would need more character witnesses because he was certain that Carly would convincingly lie for Sonny on the stand. Ava pointed out that Carly might not be believable once Carly was convicted of RICO crimes.
A short time later, Ava grew annoyed when she saw Scott text-messaging someone. He explained that he’d been notified that Kristina had been served. Ava was delighted because Kristina had always acted entitled and “high and mighty” like Alexis. Ava looked forward to Kristina crashing down to earth when she was forced to admit that Sonny was a “brutal lunatic.” Scott confessed that he would enjoy it, too. “It’s the least that Sonny deserves after everything he’s done,” Scott said.
Ava insisted that getting Avery away from Sonny would be the kindest thing that Kristina could do for her little sister. “Yeah, but she’s gonna fight like hell on the stand,” Scott warned Ava. Ava wasn’t worried because the odds were that Sonny would have a total meltdown when he saw Kristina take the stand.
Sometime after Scott left, John arrived. Ava immediately noticed that he was in a foul mood, so John told her about Carly’s hearing and the missing evidence. John was furious because he was no closer to putting Sonny behind bars where Sonny belonged. Ava conceded that Jason and Carly would always be loyal to Sonny, but Ava was certain that John would find another way to take down Sonny. John admitted that he felt bad because he had hoped to spare Ava from having to face Sonny in family court.
Ava shared with John that Kristina had been subpoenaed to testify against Sonny. John smiled wickedly when Ava assured him that Kristina’s testimony about the altercation between Sonny and Dex would trigger Sonny into having a spectacular meltdown in court. John revealed that Sonny had been easily provoked earlier at the courthouse. Ava believed John would soon be able to arrest Sonny on assault charges. John agreed because Sonny was a ticking time bomb.
As Ava and John talked about their plans for Sonny, passion sparked between them. Moments later, John pulled Ava into a heated kiss.
At Pozzulo’s, Sonny was in his office as he spoke to Brick on the phone, asking for a location on “Jagger.” After he ended the call, Sonny went to retrieve his gun, but he closed the drawer when he heard a knock at the door. It was Jason. Sonny made it clear that he had nothing to say to Jason, which was fine with Jason because Jason wanted to do the talking. Jason told Sonny about getting arrested on Cassadine Island, and his first encounter with John. Jason admitted that John had had Carly “dead to rights,” which he had used to force Jason’s cooperation. Jason speculated that the FBI had sat on the evidence for a year, waiting for an opportunity to use it.
Sonny asked if the FBI had asked Jason to flip on him. Jason revealed that the request had been made, but Jason had refused turn against Sonny. “So, you would have let them charge Carly before you flipped on me?” Sonny asked. Jason explained that it had never gotten to that because John had brought up Pikeman. Sonny wanted to know why Jason hadn’t turned to him as soon as the FBI had approached Jason about spying on Pikeman. Sonny insisted that he should have been the first to know because Sonny knew “Jagger” best.
“I’m his number one target. Always have been,” Sonny explained. Jason agreed, but he added that it hadn’t been obvious until recently. “You didn’t trust me,” Sonny said. Sonny accused Jason of going behind his back and getting played by Jagger, so Sonny was determined to look out for himself because Jagger would not stop unless Sonny put Jagger down. Jason advised Sonny against taking action because Jagger’s bosses would deal with the rogue agent.
“Jagger is my problem,” Sonny argued. “I’m gonna deal with him,” Sonny insisted. Before Jason could reply, Dante appeared in the doorway. Dante picked up on the tension, but Jason decided it was his cue to leave. However, Jason stopped in the doorway and turned back to Sonny to let Sonny know that he’d had a chance to save Carly the previous night by turning against Sonny, but Jason had turned the offer down. “Again,” Jason said.
After Jason left, Dante asked what he had walked in on, so Sonny revealed that Jagger had used Carly as leverage to force Jason to help with Pikeman, but Sonny had been the true target. “I believe you. Jagger crossed the line,” Dante said. Satisfied, Sonny informed Dante that Jagger needed to be taught a lesson, but Dante advised Sonny to let Jagger’s bosses deal with Jagger. Dante’s frustration mounted when it became clear that Sonny had no intention of backing down.
Dante assured his father that he wanted to help. Moments later, Sonny’s phone rang. Sonny let Dante know that their conversation was over, so Dante reluctantly left. Once he was alone, Sonny answered the call from Brick. After Brick shared that Jagger was with Ava, Sonny instructed Brick to get plenty of pictures.
At the police station, Jason joined Anna in the interrogation room. He was curious if he had her to thank for the evidence against Carly disappearing, but she admitted that erasing the audio file hadn’t been her doing. “Okay. Who did?” Jason asked. Anna told Jason about her visit with Brennan at the WSB office in Washington, DC. She suspected the WSB had tried to distance themselves from Pikeman by letting Brennan sit in Pentonville in order to control the pace of the investigation and buy some time to cut ties with Pikeman.
Anna conceded that Brennan was good at what he did. Jason agreed, but he wondered if Valentin had been in on it. Anna didn’t know, but she was certain the WSB had bankrolled Valentin’s disappearance, so she hoped Valentin and Charlotte were safe and living under new identities. Jason admitted that it made sense. “Except for one thing,” Anna said. She couldn’t figure out why Brennan would help Carly.
At the hospital, Alexis was on the phone with Adrian. She warned him that if he printed one more word about Kristina, he would have to answer to her.
Jordan found T.J. at the hospital, and she wanted to check in, as she felt like something was bothering him. T.J. told her about his and Molly’s recent problems with Kristina regarding the baby, and he remarked that he could feel himself and Molly pulling in opposite directions because of it. Jordan wondered if it was time to talk to a lawyer, but T.J. didn’t want the child’s life to start with a custody battle. Jordan promised that if things ended up in court, she would fight right alongside T.J. and Molly.
Later, Jordan was gone, and Alexis found T.J. She assured him that she loved him and that he was an important part of their family. She hoped that T.J. would give things time and keep the peace, but he wondered if that also applied to Kristina. He demanded to know what would happen if she tried to keep the baby.
Sam and Molly met up at the Port Charles Surf Lodge to catch up. Molly told Sam all about what had happened with Kristina, their fight over the termination papers, and Molly’s subsequent apology. Sam commended Molly for being the bigger person. Molly continued with Ava’s subpoena, and she remarked that it had felt good being on the same side as Kristina again. Molly said that she felt more hopeful, and she thought that everything would work out.
At the Metro Court pool, Brook Lynn told Lois all about the record label. She talked about how grateful she was to Sonny, and how great of an opportunity it was. Lois was concerned about Sonny’s involvement, but Brook Lynn assured her that he was only involved financially. Blaze arrived, so Lois left so they could have their meeting. Brook Lynn excitedly told Blaze about the record label, and Blaze loved the idea. Brook Lynn admitted that it had been Natalia’s idea, and it was up to Blaze whether or not she wanted her mother involved.
Just then, Natalia approached and asked what she’d missed. Brook Lynn excused herself so Natalia and Blaze could talk. Natalia made a long speech about how genuinely sorry she was for everything that had happened as a result of her words. She promised to respect whatever decision Blaze made about Natalia’s involvement in Blaze’s career. As grateful as Blaze was for everything her mother had done for her, she was moving on to a new phase of her career and personal life, and she couldn’t see Natalie involved in either. She continued that it was because of Natalia’s inability to accept who Blaze was and had always been, and if Natalia couldn’t accept it, Blaze didn’t know where they would go from there.
Across the deck, Josslyn complained to Giovanni about how hot it was. He remarked that he would probably take a dip in the Quartermaines’ pool that night, and Josslyn invited herself and Trina along.
A few minutes later, Brook Lynn approached Giovanni and asked him to recommend something for her to order to celebrate the good day she was having. She observed that he seemed to like working there, but she wondered if he would be interested in some local session work, as well. “Absolutely!” he exclaimed, and she told him that there was a new record label that could use his talent.
In Sonny’s office, he told Brick on the phone to keep an eye on Ava’s suite, as he wanted to know everything she was doing and everyone she was seeing. He requested 24-hour surveillance with photos. When he hung up, Kristina entered his office and told him about Ava’s subpoena. Sonny assured her that the case wouldn’t make it to court. Scott arrived and informed Sonny that the courts had ruled against blocking Ava’s visitation with Avery, and he handed Sonny the paperwork proving it. He told Kristina that he'd see her the next day for her deposition. “Go to hell,” Kristina muttered, and she stormed out. Scott left, and Sonny crumpled up the paperwork.
A few minutes later, Sonny told someone on the phone to block Ava’s visitation, as he wanted her nowhere near Avery. Lois arrived after Sonny hung up, and they caught up. Lois wanted to talk to him about the record label, as she wanted to look out for Brook Lynn. She loved him and wanted to trust him, but she asked point-blank if the label was going to be “clean or not.” Sonny accused her of turning on him like everyone else, and he invited her to leave.
In Ava’s hotel room, Ava talked to Trina about work shipments, and Trina was taking notes. Trina was startled when Jagger emerged in a towel, and Ava explained that he was using her shower because it had better water pressure than the place he was staying. Trina excused herself to go to work and left. Ava advised him that using discretion would have been better, but he reminded her that she’d had no problem with him walking around naked the night before. She informed him that he couldn’t stay there, as it would look bad with the custody battle going on.
A short while later, Jagger emerged fully clothed, and he remarked that he wasn’t eager to parade Ava around on his arm, either. She cracked that he seemed to have trashed his reputation just fine without her help. She advised him to take his bags with him, but he replied that he couldn’t because he was going to work. He figured he would pick them up that night, so they could see each other again. He gave her a smoldering look and left.
Trina found Josslyn at the pool and stammered that she’d just seen something she wasn’t supposed to see. She told Josslyn about Ava and John, and she didn’t know what Ava was thinking. Josslyn replied that Ava always had an agenda, so Ava thought that John would be helpful to her in some way.
There was a knock on Ava’s door, and she let Kristina in. Kristina demanded that Ava withdraw her subpoena of Kristina, but Ava refused, citing that she was doing the best she could to protect her child. Kristina commented that she wouldn’t be at the deposition or the hearing, and Ava coolly replied that Kristina could do what she wanted as an adult. “Withdraw it, or you won’t like what happens next,” Kristina growled.
“You are your father’s daughter,” Ava observed. Kristina felt sorry for Avery being stuck with Ava for a mom, but Ava reminded Kristina that she hadn’t exactly hit the “parent lottery,” either. As someone took photos through the window of the room, Kristina screamed that she would tell the court that Ava had killed Morgan and Connie. “Listen to me,” Ava interrupted as she grabbed Kristina’s arm. “Don’t touch me,” Kristina demanded as she jerked back. She tripped on John’s bags and fell into the window, falling through and landing in the pool below, to the shock of every pool-goer.
The patrons at the Metro Court pool were stunned when they saw a woman come through a window and plunge into the pool. Josslyn jumped into the water to pull the woman out, and everyone was horrified to see it was Kristina.
As Natalia comforted a hysterical Blaze, and Brook Lynn called for help, Trina looked up and saw a shocked Ava standing by the window. Ava quickly closed the curtains and called Scott for help. "I need you like I've never needed you before," Ava said.
Gio helped Josslyn get Kristina onto a backboard and out of the pool. Finally, Dante and the paramedics arrived. Dante assured his unconscious sister that she would be okay. Chase ordered the pool to be locked down, and he checked on Brook Lynn.
Josslyn stayed with Kristina in the ambulance while Natalia drove Blaze to General Hospital so they could meet Kristina when she got there. Kristina opened her eyes en route to the hospital and asked how the baby was. She didn't remember what had happened, so Josslyn explained it all and assured her that she was in good hands.
Back at the pool, Dante tried to figure out what had happened. He looked up at the window and wondered why the curtains were closed and intact, even after Kristina had taken her fall. "You're right. Someone must have closed them after she fell. Kristina wasn't alone in that room," Chase said.
Dante dropped into Ava's room. She said she'd known he would show up eventually. Ava was ready to answer questions and explained that Kristina had stopped by. Ava said she had thought Kristina would help Ava with her custody suit. Ava told Dante that Scott had subpoenaed Kristina, and Kristina had been furious about it. Ava relayed how she and Kristina had argued, but she claimed that Kristina had become physical and tried to attack her.
Ava told Dante that Kristina had lunged at her before tripping over Ava's shoes and falling out the window. She even claimed the curtains had already been closed. Dante didn't believe Ava, since his sister wasn't a violent person. Dante informed Ava that a witness had seen her close the curtains after Kristina had fallen. Ava lied some more and said she'd opened them and then closed them again because she hadn't wanted to look down at what had happened. "I don't know. It was such a blur. Maybe the curtains were open," Ava said frantically.
Dante accused Ava of lying about everything, but Ava insisted that she was telling the truth. Dante didn't believe Kristina had fallen out a hotel window just from tripping over a pair of shoes. Ava didn't want to tell Dante that Kristina had really tripped over John's duffel bag. Dante still accused Ava of lying and arrested her for assaulting Kristina.
In his office, Sonny tried to get Lois to talk another time, but she insisted they needed to chat right then and there about the record company he was funding for Brook Lynn. She asked Sonny if the money he planned to invest was legit, and he insisted that it was. Sonny finally got Lois to let the subject go. She told him she hated leaving things they way they were, but it was how it had to be for the time being. Soon after Lois left, Gio called Sonny to tell him about Kristina.
Back at Metro Court, Brook Lynn was shaken up and needed to catch her breath in the ladies' room. That was where Lois found her. She had heard someone had fallen through a window, and she was shocked to learn it was Kristina. Brook Lynn praised both Josslyn and Gio for their rescue efforts. Lois worried about Sonny because he'd already been upset when she'd left him earlier.
In the pool area, Gio tried to be a friend to Trina as she told him all about how Ava had been her mentor. She knew Ava had done some bad things, but she knew a softer side of Ava. "She's always had my back. She's always been there for me. I've always had my doubts about her, but I stick up for her because I feel like she's more than the mistakes she's made in the past. But now, maybe I was right to doubt her," Trina said as she looked up at the window.
T.J. and Alexis stood in the hallway at the hospital, talking about the baby situation. T.J. feared that Kristina would fight for custody of the baby and win, since she was the biological mother. Alexis assured him he was getting ahead of himself, but she reminded T.J. that she had no control over what Kristina would end up doing. T.J. wanted to put all possibilities on the table and find a solution right then and there.
As Alexis tried to calm T.J., he had one important question. "What are you going to do when Kristina tries to take our baby?" T.J. asked.
Alexis begged T.J. not to make her choose between her daughters. He understood, but he also felt desperate. Alexis asked T.J. not to force the issue, but T.J. couldn't get what Kristina had said about being better parents than him and Molly out of his mind. He knew Kristina had legal claims to the baby, and Alexis told him that "the law is the law, and there is nothing I can do about it." T.J. was incredulous and called her a coward.
"I warned everyone from the very beginning. This was my biggest fear," Alexis said, referring to the red flags she had sent up about Kristina being the egg donor and the surrogate. T.J. was sure there was something Alexis could do. He wanted her to at least talk to Kristina and make sure she knew what keeping the baby would do to her relationship with Molly.
Alexis and T.J.'s conversation came to an abrupt stop when they saw Kristina being wheeled in. They were stunned but let the doctors get to work. Blaze and Natalia soon arrived, but there was no update on Kristina and the baby's condition.
Alexis broke down crying as soon as Sonny arrived. She threw herself into his arms. After Alexis wiped away her tears, Josslyn explained everything that had happened since she had seen Kristina fly out the window. Natalia told Sonny that Josslyn had saved Kristina's life.
The doctor soon arrived with news. Kristina had suffered multiple internal injuries, and the baby was in distress, so they were prepping Kristina for an emergency C-section.
