At General Hospital, Sabrina confronted Britt and accused her of faking morning sickness. Patrick overheard and defended Britt. He told Sabrina that it was not that easy to fake morning sickness. Sabrina snapped back as she challenged, "as easy as pretending to have an abortion to reel you in?" Patrick acknowledged Britt's devious behavior, but still backed Britt. Sabrina walked out.
Patrick followed Sabrina and said that he knew that Britt was not trustworthy, but he had no choice, even if Britt was manipulating him. Patrick assured Sabrina that he had not forgotten how mean and cruel Britt had been to Sabrina and Emma. Patrick said that his main concern was for his child and that no matter what Britt tried to pull, Patrick had to put Britt's health and the health of her baby first.
A technician delivered Britt's blood work to Patrick, who had permission from Britt's doctor to look at it. Sabrina was willing to bet that it showed that Britt was faking. A few minutes later, Patrick and Sabrina gave Britt the news. Patrick told Britt that she did have a heath issue. He said that the blood work showed that Britt had hyperemesis gravidarum, the same condition that Kate Middleton had suffered from during her early pregnancy. Patrick said that Britt's low potassium levels could prove fatal to Britt and the baby.
Britt turned to Sabrina and said that she wished that she had been faking her morning sickness. Sabrina apologized. She was chastened as she walked out of the examining room to leave Patrick and Britt alone to talk. Patrick asked Britt why she had not told him about her symptoms. Britt said that she had not wanted to bother him. Patrick told Britt that it was their baby and that they had to do things that affected the baby together. Britt agreed.
Patrick caught up with Sabrina in the hall. Sabrina felt bad about accusing Britt without proof. Patrick assured her that because of Britt's past manipulations, no one would blame Sabrina for jumping to conclusions. Patrick said that he did not trust Britt but that he had to put his unborn child first. Back in the exam room, Britt had a smug smile on her face as she remembered promising the lab technician, who had delivered the blood test results to Patrick, a promotion if the lab tech helped Britt out by giving Patrick phony test results, results faked Britt had faked.
A.J. found Elizabeth at the nurses' station. He told her how happy he was that she was giving him another chance. A.J. invited Elizabeth to go on a trip with him to New York City. He said that he had already booked a hotel. When Elizabeth hesitated, A.J. assured her that they had separate rooms. He also told Elizabeth about his upcoming appearance on The Chew. Elizabeth said she would go if her grandmother could babysit. After a quick phone call, Elizabeth was happy to tell A.J. that she had a sitter for her kids. A.J. sent Elizabeth home to pack.
Spinelli located A.J. and delivered the good news that he had talked to Betsy Frank and had gotten an address that might lead to Lauren Frank, the missing Quartermaine heir. The address was in New York City. A.J. was delighted.
Tracy talked to Nikolas on the phone. Nikolas said that his jet was gassed up and ready to go. Nikolas agreed to pick Tracy up after he visited Lulu. Tracy ended the call and went to the study where Luke was waiting for her. Tracy demanded to know what Luke had been doing. Luke told Tracy about Lulu's memory loss. Tracy said that she already knew about that and was interested to know why Luke had not been looking for the missing heir since he had returned to Port Charles.
Luke let Tracy know that he had been working on her project and had located an address in New York for Lauren Frank. When Tracy compliment Luke and laughingly disparaged Spinelli as a "bumbling sock puppet," Luke told her that the "sock puppet" had also found out the address. Tracy stopped laughing and told Luke to go to New York immediately. Luke said that he would but warned Tracy that he had some things to do first.
Tracy jumped to the conclusion that Luke intended to interfere with the intended nuptials between Scott and Laura. A.J. walked in on them and could not resist taunting Tracy about her relish, which A.J. said should be named "Sour Tracy" to better match the picture on the label. Tracy gave as much as she got but did not give away any of her machinations with Nikolas.
When A.J. left to pack, Tracy told Luke about her new partnership with Nikolas and their upcoming ambush of A.J. on The Chew. She also showed Luke a jar of "Pickle-Eddy" with its new label. Luke was not impressed. He said that Edward was a curmudgeon. Luke told Tracy that using Edward's picture on the label and accepting Nikolas' backing made him seriously question Tracy's judgment.
Tracy attacked Luke for not caring about her problems because he had been off on an adventure with Laura. Luke said he had not gone away because of Laura, but because Lulu had been kidnapped. Tracy wanted to know why Luke had interfered with Scott's wedding to Laura before he knew that Lulu had been kidnapped. Luke asked if Tracy was saying that instead of sniffing out Lauren Frank, he should be snuffing out Scott and Laura's wedding.
A frustrated Tracy said that she was saying the exact opposite. She wanted Luke to find the missing heir immediately. Luke said he would do that as soon as he had checked on Lulu. Luke left as A.J. carried his luggage downstairs. Tracy made disparaging comments. A.J. was upbeat and told Tracy that she would find out about his big surprise very soon. After A.J. left, Tracy gloated that A.J. was the one who would be surprised.
Milo and Lulu laughed while they did a light workout in his apartment. While Milo took a shower, Lulu was forced to answer the door when someone knocked. Lulu did not recognize Nikolas, who explained that he was her half-brother and that Stavros was his father. Nikolas apologized for not being able to stop Stavros from kidnapping Lulu. Lulu was touched to find out that Nikolas had been shot while trying to warn her.
Nikolas explained some of their family history and said that his family had hurt Lulu's family many times over the years. He suggested that maybe Lulu did not want to remember him because of all the hurt. Lulu said that she very much wanted to remember. Nikolas questioned what she was doing at Milo's place. Lulu said that Dante had wanted her to remember so badly that she had been very uncomfortable and had felt too pressured to think clearly.
Lulu said that she wanted to remember her husband, but when she looked at Dante, even though she felt that he would never give up on her, she could see what it was costing him, and she felt bad. Nikolas said that if love were easy, it would not mean much to have it. Lulu added, "Or lose it." Nikolas reminded Lulu that he had once said that to her and asked if she remembered that conversation. Lulu had a fleeting memory, but Milo walked in, and the memory was lost.
Nikolas warned Milo not to take advantage of Lulu, but Lulu said that she felt safe with Milo. Nikolas said that he had to leave on a business trip but would see Lulu as soon as he returned. Before exiting, Nikolas told Lulu that the people who loved her would never abandon her. Lulu cried after he was gone and told Milo, as he tried to comfort her, that she was hurting people who cared for her.
In the Metro Court lobby, Scott stopped Laura. Laura said that she was headed out to see Lulu. Laura showed Scott the family photo albums that Laura hoped would help Lulu reclaim her memories. Scott said that he had important things to say to Laura. He implored Laura to marry him immediately, but Laura insisted that she would not marry Scott until Lulu was recovered and able attend. Scott got snarky and said that he had stayed behind to look after Nikolas as Laura had requested, while she had gone off on an adventure with Luke.
Laura said that she had not gone on an adventure, and certainly not a romantic one. Scott said that Luke had stopped their first attempt to wed, and he wondered what Laura would do if Luke attempted to stop their second attempt. Laura said that she did not want to talk about Luke because her only concern at the moment was Lulu.
Scott apologized. Laura kissed him and said that she would take him to dinner that evening. Scott seemed to be appeased as he sent Laura off to see Lulu. Scott said that he would meet Laura for dinner later. Scott was not thrilled to find that a photo, which had fallen out of an album, was that of a young Luke and Laura.
Elizabeth was getting ready for her trip with A.J. when Nikolas knocked on the door. When she asked what he wanted, Nikolas said that he was there to see her, but added that he was getting a bonus as he picked up Aiden, hugged him, and remarked on how much Aiden had grown.
Nikolas said that he was not giving up on Elizabeth. Elizabeth replied that she had reunited with A.J. She told Nikolas that she was taking trip to New York with A.J. and that they would have separate rooms. She also told Nikolas about A.J.'s appearance on The Chew. Nikolas said that A.J. would claim some kind of mix-up with the rooms, and Elizabeth would end up in the honeymoon suite with him.
Elizabeth laughed and said that if that happened, A.J. would be sleeping in the hot tub. Nikolas casually inquired about the hotel where Elizabeth and A.J. were staying. Elizabeth, not suspecting that Nikolas might have a hidden agenda, told him that they were registered at the Central Hotel.
When Elizabeth told Nikolas that she felt that she had to give A.J. a second chance, Nikolas said that it did not change anything for him. Before leaving her home, Nikolas said that he still wanted Elizabeth, and he did not intend to give up. Moments later, A.J. arrived to pick up Elizabeth. Nikolas stopped at the Quartermaines' to collect Tracy, who protested when Nikolas said that he had changed their accommodations to the Central Hotel.
At their apartment, Maxie listened in as Ellie played a message from Spinelli. Maxie wanted to know if Ellie intended to tell Spinelli what she knew. Maxie asked if Ellie would be comfortable should the knowledge that Maxie was actually carrying Spinelli's baby, not Lulu and Dante's child, cause Spinelli to get closer to Maxie. Maxie also asked if Ellie wanted to be the cause of the hurt that would fall on Dante and Lulu.
Before Ellie could answer, Dante knocked on the door. Before opening the door, Maxie looked out and cautioned Ellie to keep quiet. Dante entered and gave Maxie an update on Lulu. He said that he had sensed that Lulu was on the verge of remembering something the previous evening at the Floating Rib. Dante said that he had been explaining their past when Lulu had seemed to remember something, but Milo had interrupted, and Lulu had lost the fragment. Dante hoped that seeing Maxie would cause Lulu's memories to surface again.
Maxie was glad to leave with Dante. Before they left, Ellie seemed about to tell Dante about the baby, but Maxie glared at her, so Ellie only wished Dante success with Lulu. When Spinelli got to the apartment a few minutes later, he wanted to know why Ellie was wearing her crisis face. She said that Spinelli had no idea what was going on, but Spinelli said that he did have an idea. Ellie said that she had failed to tell Spinelli what she had found out about Maxie's baby.
Spinelli chastised Ellie for breaking into Maxie's medical records and using him to do it after he had specifically said that he did not want to violate Maxie's privacy. Spinelli said that Ellie had caused a breach of trust between them. Ellie tried to excuse her behavior by voicing her concern about the baby. Spinelli replied that Ellie knew that there was no problem and that Maxie was not hiding anything. Ellie insisted that Maxie was hiding something.
Spinelli believed that there was no problem with the baby, but Ellie said that there was a problem. Spinelli said that he thought that Ellie had checked the records and found nothing amiss. Ellie said that there was definitely something amiss. When Spinelli asked what, Ellie told him that Maxie had miscarried.
Lulu let Dante and Maxie into Milo's apartment. Maxie told Lulu about the baby. Lulu touched Maxie's stomach and was engaged as she felt the baby move. Dante told Lulu about the first time that the three of them had seen the baby's sonogram and heard its heartbeat.
Lulu saw the event in flashback and was not sure if she had had a genuine memory or if it was her good imagination at work. Maxie invited Lulu to go to a doctor's appointment with her. Lulu remembered what Nikolas had said earlier about love and accepted Maxie's invitation. Dante, Maxie, and Lulu left Milo's apartment and headed for GH.
Milo answered his door and found Laura on the other side. She asked to see Lulu, who was not home. Milo invited Laura in. She thanked him for helping Lulu. Milo was surprised and touched by Laura's kind words. Laura explained that she had gathered some family albums, which, hopefully, would jog Lulu's memory.
Laura asked if she could wait for Lulu. Milo told Laura that she was welcome to stay as long as she liked, but he was leaving for a while. Milo left, and Laura started looking at old photos. She scanned past photos of her wedding to Luke and photos of a very young Lulu. Laura was looking at family pictures that included Luke when there was a knock on the door. When Laura opened the door, Luke was standing on the threshold.
In Metro Court's lobby, Lucy called out to Scott because she needed a second opinion about how she looked. Lucy explained that Kevin's plane was expected to arrive at any time, so she wanted to look her best when she reunited with her husband. Scott assured her that she looked like "a million bucks," so she smiled then changed the subject by wondering why Scott was in the lobby. "Waiting for Laura, as usual," Scott grumbled as he complained about Laura putting the wedding on hold until Lulu was recovered.
Lucy suggested that Lulu consider hypnosis and suggested that Kevin could help. Scott thought that it was worth a try because Lulu was proving to be Luke's daughter by screwing things up between him and Laura. Lucy was offended on Lulu's behalf because Lulu hadn't deserved to be abducted by Stavros. Scott wondered if perhaps Laura was dragging her feet about getting married because of Luke. He showed Lucy the picture that had dropped out of Laura's photo album. Scott feared that Laura was in love with Luke.
Lucy had no idea how Laura felt about Luke, but she thought that it might be best for Scott to find out before he married Laura. Scott realized that he had made a mistake by pressuring Laura to move up the wedding date because it might have lit a fire under Luke and Laura. Scott conceded that he should have given Laura time to figure things out with Luke. Moments later, Lucy's phone vibrated. She was disappointed when she received a text message from Kevin that he had missed his flight. Scott felt bad for Lucy, so he invited her to dinner.
At Milo's apartment, Laura was surprised when Luke stopped by to check on their daughter. She explained that Lulu had accompanied Dante and Maxie to a prenatal checkup. Laura admitted that she couldn't stay away from their daughter despite having been warned not to crowd Lulu. Luke offered to keep Laura company because he wanted to see Lulu, too, so he sat on the sofa then picked up some magazines. However, he quickly lost interest in the fitness magazines.
Laura was curious if Luke had heard from Bobbie, so he revealed that his sister was back in Seattle and getting reacquainted with Noah Drake. Laura was happy for Bobbie. Luke wondered how Nikolas was doing, so Laura told him that Nikolas was recuperating at Wyndemere and that her mother, Lesley, would be returning with Spencer. Luke was tempted to warn Monica, but Laura suggested that it would be more entertaining to watch the reunion if Monica didn't know. Luke agreed, so he changed the subject by asking if Laura intended to "banana peel it" down the aisle with Scott.
Laura assured Luke that she planned to marry Scott, but she wanted to wait until Lulu was better. Luke confessed that he was in an awkward position because he wanted their daughter to recover, but he didn't want Laura to make the biggest mistake of her life by marrying "that slug." Laura suggested that it was past time for Luke to put his rivalry with Scott to rest, but Luke argued that Scott was a worm who didn't deserve Laura. Laura reminded Luke that people had said worse about Luke, but she had married him anyway. Laura explained that people could have said anything about Luke, but she wouldn't have listened because she had loved him.
Laura assured Luke that she hadn't regretted a single day of their life together. Luke agreed that they had had something good for a while. "We had something great," Laura insisted. Luke was startled when Laura quietly confessed that perhaps there was still something between them worth exploring. Luke drew closer to Laura then kissed her. After several moments, Laura slowly pulled away from the kiss. They agreed that the kiss had been familiar but different. They also agreed that it hadn't felt right.
Luke recalled when Lucky, as a young boy, had always worn a sweatshirt with the name of Lucky's favorite rock band on it. Laura chuckled because Lucky had refused to let them get rid of the stained sweatshirt even when Lucky had outgrown it. She suddenly realized that Luke was trying to tell her that, like the sweatshirt, it was time for them to say goodbye and let go. Luke reminded her that they could never say goodbye because they had created two beautiful children together.
Laura assured Luke that she wished him nothing but the best, so he promised her that he felt the same way about her. Laura hoped that he wouldn't stand in the way of her marrying Scott. Luke reminded her that he had never been able to stand in the way of her doing something that she wanted. He then noticed the time and announced that he had to leave on TAQ business. Laura had no idea was TAQ was, so Luke told her about Tracy's plans to build a corporate empire.
Laura wasn't surprised by Tracy's ambitions. Luke smiled then urged Laura not to give up on Lulu because he was certain that they would get their daughter back. Laura handed him a copy of her favorite family photo, which Luke promised to keep close. Laura gave him a quick kiss then watched him leave.
Later, Laura ran into the hotel lobby and apologized to Scott. Scott smiled as he wondered if the photo album had triggered Lulu's memories. Laura shook her head but revealed that she and Luke had had a long talk and had said their goodbyes. Scott was happily surprised when Laura asked him if he was ready to set a date for their wedding. Scott wondered about Luke, but Laura insisted that Luke was her past, while Scott was her future.
At the hospital, Maxie was curious if anything looked familiar to Lulu. Lulu reminded Maxie that it wasn't her first visit to the hospital since returning from Cassadine Island. Dante warned Maxie not to pressure Lulu into remembering anything. Lulu thought that it was surreal that Maxie was pregnant with Dante and Lulu's baby, but she was curious if Maxie had ever worried about becoming attached to the baby and not wanting to give it up after it was born.
Maxie was spared from having to answer when a nurse informed Maxie that Dr. Westbourne had been delayed. The nurse had noticed that Maxie had changed heath insurance providers, so she asked Maxie to update the records. Maxie realized that she had left her new insurance card at home, so she decided to dash to her apartment to fetch it.
Lulu suggested that they reschedule the prenatal checkup, but Maxie insisted that she would be back quickly. After Maxie left, Dante saw a nurse hand a man a small cup for a sperm sample. Dante chuckled as he told Lulu how she had helped him obtain a sperm sample that had created their unborn baby. Dante noticed how still Lulu became, so he wondered if she remembered anything. Lulu had a flashback of unbuttoning Dante's pants but refused to tell him. Moments later, Maxie returned, followed by the nurse who announced that Dr. Westbourne was ready for Maxie.
Lulu tried to follow Maxie and the nurse, but Dante held her back. He begged her to talk to him about what she had remembered, but Lulu insisted that she hadn't remembered anything. She slipped out of Dante's grip then disappeared down the hall before he could stop her.
At the apartment, Ellie reminded Spinelli that Maxie, not Ellie, had told him that Ellie hadn't found anything "untoward" in Maxie's medical files. Spinelli didn't understand why that mattered, so Ellie revealed that Maxie had been hiding the truth. Spinelli was stunned when Ellie told him that Maxie had miscarried Dante and Lulu's baby. Spinelli quickly pointed out that Maxie was clearly pregnant, so Ellie explained that Maxie had gotten pregnant after the miscarriage. Astounded, Spinelli wondered who the father was.
Ellie hesitated then reluctantly reminded him that he'd slept with Maxie on New Year's Eve. "I'm going to be a father?" Spinelli asked in shock. Spinelli was overjoyed because he had been resigned to never fathering a child. Spinelli suddenly realized that Olivia's vision about Maxie and a dog had been about the "baby Jackal." Maxie entered the apartment in time to hear Spinelli mention Olivia's prediction, so she was curious what Olivia had seen.
Spinelli beamed with joy as he confessed that he knew that Maxie was pregnant with his child. Maxie was furious that Ellie had told Spinelli, but he insisted that Maxie shouldn't be mad at Ellie because Ellie had freed Maxie from the secret and had cleared the way. "For what?" Maxie asked. "For us," Spinelli answered.
Spinelli apologized to Ellie, but he believed that he and Maxie owed it to their baby to raise their child together because they were in love. Ellie was hurt when Spinelli kissed Maxie. Moments later, Dante and Lulu entered the apartment. Lulu was furious when Spinelli told her about the miscarriage and Maxie's pregnancy with his child. In a fit of rage, Lulu pulled Dante's gun out its holster then fired a shot. Ellie screamed as the bullet struck her.
"Ellie?" Spinelli said as she jumped. It took Ellie a moment to realize that she had been lost in a fantasy, so she asked Spinelli what they had been talking about. Spinelli was curious who the father of Maxie's baby was, so Ellie told him that Maxie had persuaded Dr. Westbourne to implant one of Dante and Lulu's two viable frozen embryos. Ellie explained that Maxie had sworn the doctor to secrecy to spare Dante and Lulu unnecessary pain, so she wanted Spinelli to keep the secret as well. Spinelli assured her that he would and then announced that he had to leave town to follow a lead on Lauren Frank.
A short time later, Maxie arrived home. Ellie confessed that she understood Maxie's decision and promised that Maxie's secret was safe with her.
At Kelly's, Molly questioned why the diner was dark. She called out to T.J., but received a text message instructing her to go to the table with the yellow flower. Molly approached the table then spotted a black velvet bag. She opened the bag to dump the contents on the table. Small wooden letter tiles spilled out, so Molly moved the tiles around to figure out the message. Molly smiled when she quickly arranged the letters to read "Will you go to prom with me."
T.J., who had been watching Molly, was impressed by how fast she had solved the puzzle. T.J. presented her with a bouquet of yellow flowers then officially asked her to the prom. He explained that he had bought the tickets and had arranged for the limousine, so all he needed was a date. "No," Molly answered.
Molly quickly explained that she needed to tell T.J. something, but he was too shocked by her rejection. Molly assured him that she was still his girlfriend, but she thought that he should know that Rafe had kissed her. T.J.'s hurt turned to anger, but Molly insisted that it had been one-sided that that she had made it clear to Rafe that she was with T.J. T.J. was determined to make certain that it didn't happen again, so Molly warned him that she wouldn't go to prom with him if he hurt Rafe.
Eventually, Molly managed to calm T.J. down. She conceded that she might have inadvertently given Rafe mixed signals. T.J. couldn't understand why Molly had to continue her friendship with Rafe, so Molly asked T.J. to put himself in Rafe's position. T.J. agreed to cut Rafe some slack as long as Molly reminded Rafe that Molly was T.J.'s girlfriend.
Shortly after Molly left, T.J. realized that she had left her phone behind. He tried to call out to her, but she didn't hear him. T.J. picked up the phone then saw that Rafe had sent Molly a text message asking to meet Molly. T.J. replied by inviting Rafe to Kelly's.
At St. Timothy's church, Rafe lit a candle for his mother, Allison. He confessed that things were hard for him, but he promised her that he would be okay. Sam, who had been standing by the pews with Danny, approached Rafe to ask if he was okay. She quickly apologized because she knew what it was like for people to hover and worry about her. Rafe wondered if she was okay, so Sam admitted that she was as well as could be expected for someone who had lost the love of her life. Sam changed the subject by suggesting that she, Rafe, and Danny go to Kelly's for dinner.
Rafe admitted that he couldn't go to Kelly's because Molly liked to hang out there. Sam was curious why that would be a problem, so Rafe revealed that he had kissed Molly. Sam realized that was what had been troubling Rafe, but she reminded him that Molly was dating T.J. Rafe explained that it didn't change how he felt about Molly. According to Rafe, Molly had been the first person who had cared about him besides his mother.
Sam was certain that Rafe's crush would fade with time, but Rafe insisted that he was in love with Molly. Sam talked about how she had felt when she had fallen in love. Rafe appreciated the insight because he sensed that she understood what he was going through. Rafe decided to text Molly to ask to talk to her, so Sam assured him that he and Molly would work things out. Rafe smiled when he received a text message inviting him to Kelly's.
After Rafe left, Sam lit a candle for Jason then told her deceased husband that she still sensed that he was with her. She confessed that she expected him to walk through the door each day even though she knew that it was impossible. Moments later, the candle blew out, followed by a loud boom near the entrance. Nervously, Sam asked if anyone was in the church.
At Kelly's, Rafe was startled when T.J. stepped out of the shadows to reveal that he had exchanged the text messages with Rafe. T.J. informed Rafe that he knew about the kiss, so he punched Rafe then ordered Rafe to stay away from Molly.
Luke called Tracy to let Tracy know that he was headed out of town to find Lauren Frank. Later, Luke arrived an apartment door as he left Tracy another voicemail message congratulating her on her victory because he was about to meet Lauren Frank.
Meanwhile, Spinelli left A.J. a voicemail message that he had arrived at Lauren Frank's apartment, so A.J.'s position at ELQ would be secured. Moments later, a young woman opened the door. "Lauren Frank, I presume?" Spinelli asked.
Luke's smile faded when someone opened the door to the apartment that he had suspected that Lauren Frank had lived in. "You're not Lauren Frank," Luke said.
At St. Timothy's church, Sam lit a candle for Jason. She confessed that a part of her still expected him to return home, even though it was impossible. Sam admitted that she missed Jason, so she made a point to talk to Danny about his father every day. She was startled when the candle suddenly blew out, followed by a loud sound near the entrance of the church. Sam nervously asked if anyone was there, but no one responded.
After several moments, Sam relit the candle and assured Jason that she loved him. Another loud noise drew Sam's attention to the doorway. She was relieved when Alexis entered the church, but she scolded her mother for scaring her. Alexis insisted that she had just arrived, so she had no idea what Sam was talking about. Sam was curious how Alexis had found her, so Alexis explained that the doorman at Sam's penthouse had told her.
Sam confessed that she had thought that it would help Rafe to light a candle for his mother and to talk to Allison, but Sam had ended up thinking about her own loss. Sam talked for a bit about Jason then confided that it had felt like someone had been watching her. Sam admitted that a part of her had hoped that it might have been Jason. Alexis felt bad for Sam, so they talked about Jason and Danny.
Sam was grateful that Jason, rather than "that psychopath," was Danny's father. Sam also confessed that she wasn't sorry that Franco was dead because Franco had destroyed the last few months of Jason and Sam's lives together. Alexis insisted that Sam was giving Franco too much power, so she urged her daughter to let go of the anger. Sam took a deep calming breath then agreed. After Sam and Alexis left with Danny, a mystery person stepped out of the shadows.
In New York City, A.J. invited Elizabeth to see the view of the city from his window. Elizabeth was amazed and admitted that it felt like they were on top of the world. A.J. agreed and confided that he looked forward to launching Pickle-Lila on The Chew the following day. He told her that Spinelli finding Lauren Frank would be the icing on the cake because it would secure A.J.'s position at ELQ and ensure that A.J. and Michael would continue to work side by side.
A.J. anticipated that his victory would be complete when Pickle-Lila knocked Tracy's relish out of the competition. Elizabeth was happy for A.J., but she decided to return to her room to unpack and call her sons before it was too late. A.J. thanked Elizabeth for agreeing to accompany him to New York City and for giving their relationship a second chance. Elizabeth confessed that she hadn't been eager to tell A.J. that Nikolas had kissed her, but she thought that honesty was the only way to make their relationship work. A.J. had a flashback of his sexual encounter with Carly.
A.J. called out to Elizabeth when she reached the door. He explained that he wanted her to know that their relationship was important to him, so he intended to be honest with her. Moments later, his phone rang. A.J. saw that it was Michael calling, but what he had to say to Elizabeth was more important. Elizabeth insisted that she needed to check in with Audrey before her grandmother went to bed, so she assured A.J. that they could continue their discussion in the morning.
Nearby, Tracy followed Nikolas into his hotel room. Nikolas reminded Tracy that she had her own room down the hall, but she wanted to have a drink to toast to their success. She was confident that the following day would be a banner day because they would get an opportunity to ambush A.J. when they unveiled Pickle-Eddie on the talk show. Tracy insisted that the "coup de grace" would be Luke finding Lauren Frank. Tracy explained that Luke had tracked Lauren to Manhattan, so Tracy hoped to reveal that she had secured Lauren's vote to oust A.J. from ELQ during the taping of the show.
Tracy was curious why Nikolas had chosen the hotel that they were staying at, so he confessed that Elizabeth was in the hotel with A.J. Tracy was outraged that Nikolas had risked being discovered by A.J. to be near Elizabeth. She explained that the point of ambushing A.J. during the television show was to catch A.J. off-guard. Tracy didn't want A.J. to get wind of what they had planned, but Nikolas wasn't concerned.
Tracy reminded Nikolas that her business and her family were on the line, so he had better not screw things up. After Tracy left, Nikolas began to undress, but stopped when Elizabeth suddenly entered the room. Stunned, Elizabeth demanded to know what Nikolas was doing in her hotel room. Nikolas claimed that it was his hotel room, so Elizabeth showed him her key card. Nikolas had a matching key card to the room, so he suggested that there had been a mix-up at the front desk.
Elizabeth doubted that it was a coincidence that Nikolas was in her hotel room because she had told him about the trip and where she would be staying. She informed him that it didn't matter if he had shown up intentionally or not because she was determined to explore a relationship with A.J. Nikolas was content to wait until A.J. screwed up, so Elizabeth ordered Nikolas to leave. Nikolas argued that he had been in the room first, so he wasn't going anywhere. He noticed that the bed was large, so he invited Elizabeth to share it with him.
Nikolas softly ran his fingers down her arm, but she stepped away from the seductive touch. "I can't do this," Elizabeth cried as she turned to face him. She made it clear that she refused to share a bed, room, or conversation with him because she resented how he teased her. Nikolas wondered if Elizabeth really thought that he was teasing her. Elizabeth ignored the question because she decided to get another room, since Nikolas wouldn't leave. Nikolas accepted her decision because he took comfort in knowing that she wouldn't be spending the night with A.J.
Meanwhile, A.J. wrapped up his phone call with Michael then entered the hallway to fetch some ice. He was startled when he bumped into Tracy, so he demanded to know what she was doing at the hotel. Tracy claimed that she was in the city on business, but A.J. didn't believe her. He was certain that Tracy's spies had told her about his appearance on The Chew to launch the new Pickle-Lila relish. Tracy accused A.J. of having an overinflated ego, but A.J. vowed that he would not allow Tracy to sabotage his plans.
Tracy promised that she didn't have any intention of showing up on the television show with Pickle-Tracy relish. She swore on her father that Pickle-Tracy was no more then wished A.J. luck with his television appearance. She hoped that he would get everything that he deserved.
Michael stopped by to check on his mother. Carly was frantic for news about Morgan, so she was relieved when Sonny stopped by a short time later. Sonny quickly filled Michael and Carly in on what had transpired at the boarding school with Morgan's roommate, Travis. Carly was shocked when she realized that Morgan had acquired a gambling debt, but she was curious what Travis had said about Morgan's disappearance. Sonny revealed that Travis suspected that Morgan had turned to a girl that Morgan had met online on a gaming site.
Michael warned Sonny and Carly that the girl that Morgan had met online might not be a girl at all. Michael explained that Morgan might have been a victim of a "catfishing" scam, where a person misrepresented themselves in order to target someone. Carly feared that Morgan had been the victim of a sexual predator, but Sonny was certain that the syndicate had likely targeted Morgan because he was Sonny's son. Michael decided to call A.J. to let A.J. know that Michael wouldn't make it to New York City.
A.J. assured Michael that he understood Michael's decision to cancel the trip then revealed that Elizabeth had joined A.J. on the trip. After A.J. wished Michael luck with the search for Morgan, Michael ended the call. Carly was curious what A.J.'s reaction had been, so Michael told him that A.J. had been supportive and that Elizabeth was with A.J. Satisfied, Carly refocused her energy on finding Morgan. Sonny ordered Michael to contact Spinelli to hack into the site and track down the girl that Morgan had met online.
Michael explained that Spinelli was out of town on ELQ business, but suggested that Spinelli's network of friends, known as "Friends of Spinelli" or FOS, could help. Carly was shocked when Michael revealed that an FOS worked at Metro Court, so Michael decided to head over to the hotel to talk to the man. Carly thanked Michael for his help.
After Michael left, Carly invited Sonny to gloat about how her efforts to keep Morgan safe had failed. Sonny assured her that he didn't blame her because he knew that she had done the best that she could. Carly worried that Morgan had grown distant from them and had turned to gambling because they had always argued in front of Morgan. Sonny pointed out that Morgan was their son, so it was in Morgan's genes to be reckless.
Spinelli smiled when a woman opened an apartment door. "Lauren Frank, I presume?" Spinelli asked. The woman was curious who wanted to know, so Spinelli introduced himself. The woman wondered why a private investigator was looking for Lauren Frank, so Spinelli revealed that her uncle had hired him. The woman informed him that she didn't have an uncle, but Spinelli disagreed because he was certain that she was Lauren Frank.
Spinelli explained that her uncle was A.J. Quartermaine, who had twin younger brothers, one of whom had been a famous artist named Franco. Spinelli was certain that Franco was Lauren's father. The woman appeared resigned as she conceded that she was Lauren Frank and that she had known that her father was Franco. However, she was curious why her "Uncle A.J." wanted to find her.
Spinelli explained that Lauren was entitled to a share of the family fortune, including stocks in ELQ. Spinelli quickly filled her in on A.J. and Tracy's battle for control of ELQ. Spinelli confided that Tracy had mismanaged the finances then had thrown the company under the bus by leaking damaging information about ELQ to the press. Lauren was horrified by what Tracy had done, so Spinelli handed Lauren a proxy to sign. He assured her that she could make certain that Tracy never gained control of ELQ again by signing the proxy.
Spinelli was shocked when Lauren announced that she couldn't sign the proxy because she wasn't Lauren Frank. Spinelli insisted that she was wrong, but the woman revealed that Luke Spencer had hired her to pretend to be Lauren and had left a message for Spinelli. "Spinelli, you've been punked," the young woman recited.
In Manhattan, Luke realized that the woman who opened the apartment door wasn't Lauren Frank because the woman he was looking for was much younger than the woman who had opened the door. The woman was insulted by the remark, so Luke quickly introduced himself and explained that he had followed a lead that suggested that Lauren lived in the apartment. The woman invited Luke into her home as she explained that she was the only person in the apartment. Luke wondered if the woman had any idea where he could find Lauren.
The woman claimed that she didn't know, so Luke offered to pay her for the information. The woman stuck to her story, prompting Luke to suggest that the woman was Lauren's mother. Luke explained that he had uncovered information that had revealed that Lauren's mother's name was Ava Jerome. He picked up a bill from the coffee table with Ava Jerome's name on it. Ava confirmed that her name was Ava Jerome, but she didn't know any Franks. Luke revealed that Robert Frank had been known in the art world, and certain criminal circles, as Franco.
Ava admitted that she had heard of Franco because she was an art dealer. Luke told Ava about his visit with Franco's mother, who had told him where to find Lauren's mother and that the address had led him to Ava's doorstep. Ava was forced to admit that she'd had a daughter with Franco, but she insisted that she hadn't realized how disturbed Franco had been when she had met the homicidal artist. Ava revealed that she had been working at a gallery in SoHo when Franco had appeared one day to paint a graffiti installation on the back wall of the building.
Ava explained that Franco hadn't been authorized to paint the wall, so the police had been called. However, people in the art community had recognized Franco's talent, so the wall had been declared a work of art. The incident and the art had made Franco famous. According to Ava, Franco had been sexy and charming during the early years, so she had been swept off her feet. She assured Luke that Franco's early work hadn't been as dark as it had been towards the end.
Ava had grown to regret that she had told Franco about the pregnancy because he had seen the baby as a work of art to be molded. Ava had been unnerved by Franco's attitude, so she had taken steps to keep Franco out of Lauren's life. Ava clarified that her daughter's name was Lauren Jerome, not Lauren Frank. Luke revealed that Lauren was a Quartermaine because Franco had been Alan Quartermaine's son. Ava was surprised when he explained that Lauren was entitled to an inheritance from Edward Quartermaine that included stock in ELQ.
Luke told Ava about Tracy's battle to regain control of ELQ from A.J., whom Luke described as a chronic screw-up who had never done anything successful in his life. Luke asked Ava to help vote A.J. out as CEO from ELQ by having Lauren sign a proxy, but Ava wanted time to think things over. Luke handed the proxy to Ava, but warned her not to take too long. After Luke left, Ava called out that the coast was clear. Moments later, Morgan entered the living room.
In Sonny's office at Pozzulo's, Sonny reminded Shawn that it was imperative that Morgan be found before the thugs looking for Morgan caught up with the teen. Sonny ended the call when Olivia entered the office. Olivia could tell from the expression on Sonny's face that the news about Morgan wasn't good. Sonny confirmed that they hadn't found his son, but he assured Olivia that everyone from Shawn to Michael was working on it. Olivia was surprised when Sonny asked for her help too.
Olivia suspected that Sonny hoped one of her visions could lead him to Morgan, so she explained that her visions didn't work like that. Sonny assured her that he was looking for more tangible answers, so he wanted Olivia to go to Pentonville to talk to Johnny. Sonny hoped that Johnny would be more cooperative with Olivia than with Sonny. Olivia assured Sonny that Johnny had been legitimately concerned about Morgan, so Johnny had told her everything. Sonny was certain that Johnny had additional information, but Olivia disagreed. She feared that all she would get from Johnny was a lecture about Sonny.
Olivia explained that Johnny had a "crazy notion" that Olivia was falling for Sonny again. Sonny dismissed the possibility as ridiculous. Olivia agreed and insisted that what she and Sonny had shared was in the past and long over. Sonny thought that it was absurd to think that he and Olivia were more than friends.
At Carly's house, Carly was frantic for information about Morgan. She confessed to Michael that she hated waiting, so she was curious if Michael was able to reach the hacker who was part of Spinelli's network of friends. Michael confirmed that it appeared that Morgan had been a victim of "catfishing," but he quickly assured his mother that the hacker was working to find out the identity of the person who had befriended Morgan online under false pretenses.
Later, Woodrow, the hacker, arrived to update Michael and Carly. Carly confessed that she was grateful for Woodrow's help. Woodrow revealed that he had managed to hack into the gambling site, using Morgan's credit card information, but the site used sophisticated software, so he hadn't gleaned any personal information. Woodrow conceded that the site was genius because they had sucked Morgan in without Morgan even realizing it.
Carly wanted to know who Morgan had talked to on the site, so Woodrow told her that Morgan had used the clever screen name "Captain Morgan" and that Morgan had exchanged a lot of instant messages with a girl who went by the name of "Jerome Around The World." Carly feared that a sexual predator had targeted Morgan, but Michael urged his mother not to jump to conclusions. Woodrow explained that he couldn't trace the online account to a real person, but he handed Carly a copy of the instant messages that Morgan and the mystery person had exchanged. Michael became uncomfortable reading the steamy private messages, but Carly quickly realized that Jerome Around The World had been manipulating Morgan.
Carly showed Michael where Morgan had asked to meet the mystery girl, but the girl had insisted on keeping the fantasy going. Carly and Michael continued to read the instant messages and discovered that Morgan had told the girl about his troubles. The girl had promised to help Morgan by offering him a safe haven, so she had asked Morgan to text message his phone number to her. Carly was frustrated that the messages had ended with Morgan promising to send the phone number.
Michael suggested that perhaps the mystery girl had intended to help Morgan. Carly decided to take the copy of the instant message to Sonny, so she asked Michael to stay with Josslyn until Mercedes arrived. Michael agreed, so Carly thanked Woodrow for all of his help and then left.
At Ava Jerome's apartment, Ava greeted Morgan when she entered the living room. She hoped that he had slept well. Morgan confessed that he had freaked out when she had asked him to hide in her office the previous day because he had thought her visitor had been the men who were after him. Ava assured Morgan that her visitor had been there on another matter. Morgan was skeptical, so Ava explained that the man had been looking for her daughter. However, she made it clear that she refused to discuss her daughter or her daughter's father.
Morgan changed the subject by confessing that his parents might have found out about his gambling debt. Ava was surprised when Morgan admitted that his family had left him countless messages, but he hadn't listened to them. She advised Morgan to at least listen to the messages.
Later, Morgan listened to voicemail messages from Michael, Carly, and Sonny expressing concern and begging Morgan to call them back. Ava stood nearby as she heard Sonny offer to pay off Morgan's debt so that Morgan could return home safely. Morgan pressed end to stop the voicemail message. Ava realized that Morgan didn't intend to call Sonny, so she was curious why Morgan didn't want any help from his father. Morgan insisted that he wasn't a kid who needed his father to clean up his mess.
Ava assured Morgan that she didn't think of him as a kid, so Morgan apologized for snapping at her. Ava reminded Morgan that he was dealing with a lot, so he was allowed to be moody. Morgan explained that involving his father would only complicate things further, but Ava insisted that Morgan was lucky to have parents who were willing to help because not everyone was as fortunate.
Later, Morgan was surprised when Ava returned to the living room with a suitcase in tow. Ava explained that she had scheduled a business trip before he had arrived, so she couldn't cancel it. Morgan offered to leave, but Ava assured him that it wasn't necessary. However, she advised Morgan to consider calling his parents to let them know that he was okay because she was certain that they were worried about him. After Ava left, Morgan called Michael.
Spinelli approached the front desk to ask the clerk for A.J.'s room number. Spinelli's eyes narrowed when he noticed Luke standing next to him, asking for Tracy's room number. Spinelli accused Luke of tricking him, but Luke denied it. Spinelli called Luke out on the lie because the woman who had impersonated Lauren Frank had passed along Luke's message to Spinelli. Luke smiled as he confessed that he had been standing in Betsy Frank's kitchen when Spinelli had paid Franco's mother a visit. According to Luke, Franco's mother had already decided to side with Tracy, so she had agreed to give Spinelli the address of a young woman whose father had owed Luke a favor.
Tracy knocked on Nikolas' hotel room door. She was taken aback by his shirtless state when he answered the door, so she accused him of looking like a "hunk from a daytime serial who can't find his shirt." "It sounds like you watch a lot of those," Nikolas quipped with a smile. "Maybe one," Tracy conceded then ordered Nikolas to get dressed. She insisted that they needed a battle plan before they appeared on The Chew because they had lost the element of surprise, thanks to Nikolas' unhealthy attachment to Elizabeth.
Tracy confessed that she had bumped into A.J. in the hallway the previous evening, so A.J. knew that Tracy was in town. She quickly filled Nikolas in on her discussion with A.J., but Nikolas wasn't concerned because he doubted that A.J. knew the real reason that he and Tracy were in the city. Tracy wanted A.J.'s humiliation and downfall on the cooking talk show to go viral, so she insisted that she and Nikolas strategize. However, she couldn't concentrate with Nikolas' tattooed torso distracting her, so she ordered him to put on a suit, while she waited for him in the lobby.
In A.J.'s hotel room, A.J. checked in with Michael to find out if there had been any news about Morgan. Michael didn't have anything to report, so A.J. asked Michael to keep him posted on any new developments. A.J. quickly ended the call when Elizabeth arrived. She held up a bag of freshly baked bagels as she revealed that it was considered good luck to eat the New York-style bagels. A.J. confessed that he could use some luck, but Elizabeth insisted that he didn't need it with a product like Pickle-Lila. A.J. admitted that he wasn't worried about the relish, but rather about what Tracy was up to.
Elizabeth was shocked when A.J. told her about his encounter with Tracy in the hallway. A.J. thought that his aunt had been at the hotel to sabotage him, but Tracy had sworn on the memories of Edward and Lila that she didn't have any plans to promote Pickle-Tracy relish. A.J. doubted that Tracy would swear on the memory of her parents to cover up a lie, but A.J. didn't trust Tracy. Elizabeth confessed that Nikolas was also in the hotel. Elizabeth assured A.J. that Nikolas had promised her that his business in the city had nothing to do with A.J.
A.J. accused Nikolas of lying because Tracy had told A.J. that Nikolas was Tracy's business partner. A.J. was certain that Nikolas and Tracy planned to do something to ruin his appearance on the daytime talk show. Moments later, Spinelli appeared. Spinelli sensed that he had interrupted an important moment, but Elizabeth assured Spinelli that his timing had been perfect. She asked Spinelli to stay with A.J. then dashed off to have a word with Nikolas.
Moments later, Elizabeth pounded on Nikolas' door. Nikolas had a towel wrapped around his hips as he answered the door. Elizabeth smacked him in the chest then blasted him for deceiving her. Nikolas denied it, but Elizabeth revealed that she knew that he was in business with Tracy. Nikolas insisted that he hadn't technically lied to Elizabeth, but she argued that he'd been dishonest by intentionally misleading her. Elizabeth was certain that Nikolas was in the city to sabotage A.J.'s appearance on television.
Elizabeth was caught off-guard when Nikolas admitted that she was right. Elizabeth realized that Nikolas had agreed to partner with Tracy to stick it to A.J. Nikolas explained that he hadn't liked how territorial A.J. had been with Elizabeth and that she deserved someone better. Elizabeth suspected that Nikolas was referring to himself. "Yes," Nikolas replied. Elizabeth couldn't believe that Nikolas' idea of fighting for her was to destroy A.J.
Nikolas reminded Elizabeth that he had been shot and that his heart had stopped twice. According to Nikolas, if he had died, he would have had two regrets: leaving Spencer behind and the time that Nikolas had lost with Elizabeth. Nikolas insisted that the year that they had spent apart from each other, living on opposite sides of the world, had been a waste of time for both of them. He confessed that he desperately wanted her and that A.J. wasn't the man for her. Nikolas accused A.J. causing damage wherever A.J. went and relying on others to clean up the messes.
Elizabeth imagined that it was nice to be perfect like Nikolas, who judged people who were struggling. Nikolas couldn't believe that Elizabeth would defend A.J., but she was curious why she shouldn't. Nikolas was certain that A.J. would eventually hurt Elizabeth. "So you're going to hurt him first?" Elizabeth asked. Nikolas believed that the sooner that Elizabeth saw A.J.'s true colors, the faster she would get away from A.J. "And?" Elizabeth wondered.
Nikolas admitted that he intended to be there to help Elizabeth pick up the pieces when A.J. failed her. Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears, so Nikolas begged her to look at him. He wanted her to know how much he loved her. She told him that if he truly loved her then he would leave A.J. alone. Elizabeth pointed out that Nikolas had every advantage over A.J., so Nikolas was being a bully by going after A.J. She refused to believe that Nikolas was like that, so she begged him not to go through with his plans to sabotage A.J.
In the lobby, Tracy was delighted when she spotted Luke because she was eager for news about his search for her great-niece, Lauren. Luke revealed that he had tracked down Lauren's mother, Ava, and had sent Spinelli on a false lead. Luke explained that he had left the proxy with Ava, but Tracy suspected that Lauren's mother would try to use the proxy to get the sun, the moon, and all of the Quartermaine cash. Luke doubted that Ava needed the money because she lived in an upscale apartment building. Tracy realized that she didn't have time to continue their discussion because she had to fetch Nikolas for their television appearance. However, she took comfort in knowing that Spinelli hadn't found Lauren, thanks to Luke's efforts to throw Spinelli off of Lauren's trail.
In A.J.'s hotel room, Spinelli confessed that his efforts to track down Lauren had failed. A.J. was furious when Spinelli revealed that Luke had arranged for an imposter to distract Spinelli. A.J. realized that he had likely lost control of ELQ when Spinelli revealed that Luke was in the hotel. A.J. couldn't believe that all of his hard work had gone down the drain. A.J. became increasingly agitated as he complained that every time he clawed his way out of a hole, something happened to derail his efforts. Spinelli became alarmed when A.J. began to struggle to breathe and then collapsed.
Spinelli feared that A.J. was having a heart attack, so he offered to call 9-1-1. Between gasps for breath, A.J. managed to ask Spinelli to call Elizabeth, but Spinelli decided that there wasn't any time to spare. Spinelli proceeded to attempt to administer CPR just as Elizabeth walked in. Startled, Elizabeth demanded to know what was going on. Spinelli told her what had happened, so Elizabeth raced to A.J.'s side then gently talked him down from the panic attack by guiding A.J. to take deep, calming breaths. A.J. slowly recovered from the panic attack.
A.J. apologized for frightening Spinelli, but Spinelli feared that he might have broken A.J.'s ribs while administering CPR. A.J. admitted that the ribs were likely bruised but not broken. Spinelli was afraid that the bad news about Lauren had triggered the panic attack, but A.J. assured Spinelli that he didn't blame Spinelli. After Spinelli left, Elizabeth was curious what Spinelli had been talking about. A.J. told her that Tracy had found Lauren first, so Tracy would use the proxy to vote him out of ELQ.
A.J. was curious how Elizabeth's talk with Nikolas had gone, so she revealed that Nikolas had admitted that he was in the city to ambush A.J. on television. She explained that she had tried to talk Nikolas out of it, but she had no idea if she had been successful. Elizabeth helped A.J. to stand up and assured him that he would be great on the cooking talk show. A.J. confessed that it meant a lot to him that she had gone to bat for him.
A.J. was disappointed that Spinelli's failure to find Lauren meant that A.J. wouldn't have a fighting chance to retain control of ELQ. He confessed that he felt all alone, so Elizabeth reminded him that she was on his side and that she would be there for him at the end of the day when all was said and done. "I guess I must have done something right," A.J. replied with a smile. Elizabeth held out her hand. "Let's go rock daytime T.V. and make you and Pickle-Lila a huge success," Elizabeth said. A.J. put his hand in hers then followed her out.
Tracy knocked on Nikolas' hotel room door. She was relieved when he opened the door, dressed in a suit. However, her good humor fled when Nikolas informed her that neither of them would be making an appearance on The Chew.
Outside of Kelly's, Carly left Spinelli a voicemail message imploring him to return her call because she needed his help. Anna spotted Carly and immediately picked up on Carly's anxiety. Carly told Anna about Morgan's disappearance then begged Anna to help. Anna regretfully explained that she didn't have jurisdiction where Morgan had vanished, so there wasn't much that Anna could do. However, Anna promised to make some phone calls. Frustrated, Carly decided to seek help elsewhere.
Sam arrived home as Rafe tried to sneak out of the penthouse. She was curious why he had on a pair of sunglasses, so he pointed out that it was sunny outside. Sam argued that it wasn't sunny inside then pulled off the sunglasses before Rafe could stop her. She was shocked when she saw his bruised eye. Rafe quickly tried to attribute it to a clumsy accident, but Sam recognized what a punch looked like. Rafe's reluctance to discuss it prompted her to suspect T.J. of inflicting the injury.
Rafe insisted that he had things under control, but Sam decided to call Shawn. Rafe begged her not to because he feared that it would make things worse. Sam explained that she didn't want Rafe to have to continue to defend himself after leaving the group home, so Rafe assured her that he would clear the air with T.J. Carly suddenly burst through the door as Rafe prepared to leave. Sam tried to stop Rafe, but Carly insisted that she had something important to discuss with Sam. Sam explained that she had been in the middle of some "domestic drama," but Carly was unapologetic as she revealed that Morgan was missing.
Carly complained that when Anna's granddaughter had gone to "feed a duck," Anna had pulled out all the stops to find Emma, but Anna had refused to help search for Morgan. Sam tactfully pointed out that Anna didn't have jurisdiction in Nashville, so Carly offered to hire Sam to track down Morgan. Sam refused to accept payment, but she asked Carly to start from the beginning. Carly told Sam about Morgan's gambling debt, the men who were looking for her son, and the girl that Morgan had met online.
Sam looked over the instant messages that Morgan had exchanged with the girl known as Jerome Around The World. Carly lamented that her efforts to keep Morgan safe had been in vain because Morgan had become entangled in Sonny's world anyway. Sam decided to send Morgan a text message, posing as the girl he had met online, so she asked Carly for his cell phone number. Carly doubted that the plan would work, but Sam pointed out that they didn't have anything to lose. After Carly gave Sam the phone number, Sam sent a text message to Morgan that simply read, "Sup, Captain?"
At Ava Jerome's penthouse, Morgan spoke to Michael on the phone as if everything was fine. Michael revealed that they knew about Morgan's gambling debt with an online bookie. Morgan insisted that he could handle things. "By disappearing?" Michael asked. Morgan argued that a person couldn't disappear if they were already gone. Morgan pointed out that he'd been taking care of himself ever since their mother had "outsourced parenting" to Sherman-Johnston Military Academy. Michael reminded his brother that Carly had tried to keep Morgan safe, but Morgan had already heard all the excuses.
Michael changed the subject by assuring Morgan that help was on the way. Morgan became alarmed when he realized that Sonny was involved. Michael told Morgan about Sonny's visit to Morgan's dorm room and the encounter with Travis. Morgan chuckled at the idea of Travis aiming a gun at Sonny, but Michael reminded Morgan that Travis could have been killed. Michael urged Morgan to return home before things became worse, but Morgan refused.
Michael offered to keep their parents out of it if Morgan revealed where he was. Morgan was reluctant to trust Michael, but Michael insisted that he wanted to help his brother even if it meant not telling their parents.
At the penthouse, Carly confessed that she wished that it had been Michael, not Morgan, who had gotten in trouble because Michael was strong, smart, and capable of dealing with difficult situations. Carly realized that Morgan was reckless like his parents, which was a big disadvantage. Sam received a text message from Morgan, asking what had happened to her phone. Sam realized that Morgan assumed that she was Jerome Around The World, so she gave him a plausible excuse about having lost her phone then asked to meet him. Carly waited anxiously until Morgan replied that he was on the phone with his brother.
Shocked, Carly realized that Morgan was talking to Michael, so she and Sam headed to Carly's house. A short time later, they arrived at the house, but Michael was gone.
Meanwhile, Morgan heard a knock on the door. He assumed that it was Michael, so he went to the door. Morgan's smile disappeared when two thugs pushed their way into the penthouse and revealed that they knew that he was Morgan Corinthos. Morgan offered to give them a payment, but the thugs made it clear that it was not an option by pummeling the teen.
At Kelly's, T.J. was reading Molly's text messages on her phone as he thought about his encounter with Rafe when T.J. had punched Rafe and warned Rafe to stay away from Molly. Moments later, Molly entered the diner. She was relieved when she saw T.J. with her phone because she had been going crazy looking for it. T.J. explained that he had found it after she had left. He quickly deleted the text messages then handed it to Molly.
Molly was disappointed that she hadn't received a single text message since she had lost the phone. T.J. was curious if she had been expecting anyone in particular to contact her. Molly realized that T.J. was referring to Rafe, so she assured him that she had explained to Rafe that she cared about Rafe, but not the way that Rafe wanted. Molly smiled as she insisted that she already had a "wonderful, smoking hot boyfriend."
Molly changed the subject by talking about the prom. She was eager to show T.J. off to everyone and to go shopping for a dress later that afternoon. T.J. decided to tell her about his confrontation with Rafe, but the confession was cut short when Molly suddenly gasped at the sight of Rafe's black eye as he entered the diner. She immediately demanded to know who had punched Rafe, so Rafe claimed that he had been jumped by some guys from the group home. Molly wanted the boys to be held accountable for the attack, but Rafe assured Molly that he was fine and that it had been an isolated incident.
T.J. urged Molly to respect Rafe's wishes, but Molly wanted justice, so she decided to talk to Anna, who was seated nearby at the counter. T.J. quickly admitted that he had punched Rafe. Molly immediately blamed herself for the altercation because she had told T.J. about Rafe's kiss. Molly's guilt quickly turned to anger when T.J. confessed that he had deliberately lured Rafe to Kelly's after T.J. had read a text message that Rafe had sent asking to see Molly. Rafe explained that he had intended to apologize to Molly for the kiss, but T.J. had sucker punched Rafe and run away.
T.J. argued that Rafe could have easily sent Molly an email instead of doing it in person, but Molly had heard enough. She advised T.J. to find another date to the prom and then left.
At the counter, Duke surprised Anna with a jar of Pickle-Lila. She eagerly spread some relish on her sandwich then took a bite. Anna groaned with delight as she confessed that it wasn't exactly as she remembered, but it was quite delicious. Anna thought that Duke deserved a pat on the back for arranging for A.J. to appear on national television to promote the relish. Duke conceded that it had been a coup to book a spot on the cooking talk show, but he was confident that the relish would be a hit, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Duke began talking about Tracy's efforts stop production of Pickle-Lila, but Anna was too focused on her sandwich to pay attention. Duke chuckled as he advised Anna to remember to breathe. Anna apologized, but she loved the relish. Duke hoped that consumers would feel the same way, otherwise he would have to return to a life of crime. Anna decided that she was in a win-win situation because if she didn't have the relish then she'd have the satisfaction of arresting Duke. Duke laughed then confessed that he needed help getting the word out about the television spot, but he had no idea how to use Twitter. Anna showed him how to post a tweet then admitted that she hoped that he never changed.
In Nikolas' hotel room, Tracy was shocked when Nikolas informed her that neither of them would make an appearance on the cooking talk show. Tracy demanded to know why. "Because of Elizabeth," Nikolas answered. Tracy was curious how "that simpering wimp" factored into their media blitz and then suggested that Nikolas was wrapped around Elizabeth's little finger. Nikolas explained that Elizabeth knew about their plans to ambush A.J. on television, so she had asked Nikolas to back off.
Nikolas refused to hurt Elizabeth, so he had decided to leave A.J. alone. Tracy insisted that she needed her relish to succeed. She severed her partnership with Nikolas then headed to the door with the intention of going to the show to tape her segment. However, Tracy quickly discovered that two burly guards who worked for Nikolas were blocking the exit. Tracy tried to push past the men, but they picked her up, carried her into the hotel room, and then deposited her on the bed. Tracy sputtered with indignation as she warned Nikolas that A.J. would annihilate ELQ by foisting the imposter relish on the public.
Nikolas ignored Tracy as he instructed the guards to keep Tracy in the hotel room and off the phone until A.J.'s segment was over. Tracy begged Nikolas to reconsider. "My future is Elizabeth, not relish," Nikolas told her. After Nikolas left, Tracy paced the room. She attempted to leave, but the guards blocked the door. Frustrated, Tracy changed tactics by suggesting that the Cassadines' wealth and powers were quickly dwindling because Helena and Stavros had died.
Tracy promised to put the guards in charge of ELQ's security if they let her go, but they went into the hallway to guard the door. Dejected, Tracy sat down on the bed then apologized to Edward for taking so long to figure out that he had bequeathed her the relish to save ELQ. Tracy hated that she was trapped in a hotel room, while A.J. stole her victory. She hoped that her father could forgive her for squandering the last chance that he had given her.
Tracy was startled when she suddenly heard two loud thumps in the hallway. She crept to the door then opened it. Tracy was shocked when she saw that the two guards had been knocked out. She looked up and down the hallway, but didn't see anyone. Tracy glanced at the jar of Pickle-Eddie that sat on the bed and realized that her father had been responsible for the turn of events. She vowed not to let Edward down as she slipped out of the room.
A.J. and Elizabeth walked the halls of the building where The Chew was taped. A.J. was excited to be a guest on the show because he was certain that Pickle-Lila would be a great success and save ELQ from financial ruin. Elizabeth was happy that she could be a part of it, so A.J. assured her that he wouldn't have had it any other way. "And to think, right before the Nurses Ball, I almost wrote you off as a faithless jackass," Elizabeth confessed.
A.J. tensed as his thoughts drifted to his sexual encounter with Carly. He quickly pushed them aside and admitted that he was glad that Elizabeth had changed her mind about him. Elizabeth explained that his actions had changed her mind. She was certain that others would see him as the stand-up guy that he was.
"That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard," a man said as he passed A.J. and Elizabeth. "Excuse me?" A.J. asked. A.J. and Elizabeth relaxed when they noticed that the man was on the phone. The man wrapped up the phone call then introduced himself as Todd Garrin, a producer for the show. After A.J. introduced himself, Todd explained that they were calling A.J.'s segment "Clash of the Condiments." Todd assumed that Elizabeth was Tracy Quartermaine, so A.J. quickly clarified that his aunt wasn't there.
A.J. was shocked when Todd revealed that Tracy had been scheduled to appear alongside A.J. in the taste-off. According to Todd, the family feud over relish recipes was the hook to draw in viewers. Todd ushered A.J. and Elizabeth into the Green Room then explained that they could relax there until hair and make-up was ready for A.J.
After Todd left, A.J. confessed that he had a bad feeling about his segment because Tracy wasn't there yet. A.J. was certain that it meant that Tracy was up to something, so Elizabeth suggested that perhaps Nikolas had changed his mind. A short time later, Todd returned to fetch A.J. Elizabeth kissed A.J. and wished him luck. After A.J. left, Elizabeth looked at the array of appetizing snacks that had been laid out on a table. She picked up a cookie to nibble on then slid another into her purse for later.
"Busted, I saw that," Nikolas said as he suddenly appeared in the doorway. Startled, Elizabeth wondered what Nikolas was doing there. Nikolas reminded her that he had been invited to the show, but Elizabeth accused him of plotting to get on the show to ambush A.J. Elizabeth insisted that Nikolas' actions made him look bad and didn't endear him to her.
Nikolas surprised Elizabeth by agreeing with her. He confessed that he had taken steps to stop Tracy from appearing as a guest during A.J.'s segment, prompting Elizabeth to question Nikolas' motives. Nikolas explained that it was because she had asked him. He was certain that A.J. was already lying about something, so it was a matter of time before A.J. crashed and burned. Elizabeth argued that A.J. had changed, so Nikolas suggested that they agree to disagree about A.J.
Nikolas confessed that he wanted his hands to remain clean when A.J. fell because pushing A.J. along would not win Elizabeth over. "And I will win you over," Nikolas assured her. Elizabeth resented Nikolas trying to pressure her, but Nikolas clarified that he simply wanted her to know how he felt and what his intentions were because he sensed something real between them whenever they were together. He was certain that she felt it, too, so he refused to give up on it.
A.J. returned to let Elizabeth know that his segment was about to begin, but stopped short when he spotted Nikolas in the Green Room with her.
