Nikolas accused Stefan of ignoring his responsibilities at General Hospital and was determined to see the hospital thrive as a tribute to Laura. Stefan was privately aware that he had allowed his concern for Katherine to sidetrack him, but then assured Alexis that he had not forgotten the real reason why they had come to Port Charles. Katherine's surgery forced Miranda to recall painful memories of her own recuperation. Miranda opened up to Jax and told him about the years she had lost. Jax felt that he and Miranda couldn't exist in the present until they lived through their past together. Sonny was furious when Brenda went snooping for information about the mystery nurse at Mercy Hospital. Brenda, however, learned the useful information that the nurse in question had a relationship with a very manipulative boyfriend. Taggert warned Brenda to stay off the case and Sonny agreed. Brenda then told Sonny that it was too late because she was already involved. Dorman terrorized Monica in the hospital garage. Alan arrived and publicly threatened to kill Dorman if he ever came near his family again. Later, Alan and Monica realized the gulf that existed between them and Emily. Emily developed a crush on Nikolas.
All of Port Charles celebrated New Year's Eve, although some gatherings were more festive than others. Everyone felt awkward when Tony arrived at the party at the brownstone with Carly as his date. Not knowing that Tony would be there with Carly, Bobbie also went to the brownstone party. Tony then decided that Carly should leave so that he could stay at the party with Lucas. Carly privately seethed and agreed to leave, but was hurt by the turn of events. Tom and Felicia helped Audrey get through her first New Year's Eve without Steve. Mac and Miranda also went to the party after Katherine insisted on being left alone at the hospital. Later, however, Katherine asked Stefan to stay with her until she fell asleep. At the party at Luke's, AJ asked Jason to stop the gathering at the Quartermaines later that evening. Jason declined, however, and told AJ that it wouldn't fix anything. Jason and Gina played a game of pool, until Robin called to wish Jason a happy New Year. Meanwhile, at the Quartermaine mansion, Monica and Alan missed not having Jason with them but were grateful to have made it through another year together. Jax and Brenda arrived and faced the demons of the room they were almost married in. Brenda, however, couldn't get Sonny off of her mind. Keesha was stunned when AJ proposed marriage to her. Ned continued to chat with Alexis and Emily was thrilled to spend time with Nikolas.
Happy New Year!
At Luke's, Miranda pays Sonny a visit and asks him what he can tell herabout Stefan Cassadine. When Sonny asks her why she is so interested, shetells him it has to do with Katherine being shot there and him owning GH.He tells her he is a man with wealth and history in Port Charles, and goeson to describe Luke's inkling that he is in town for revenge for the deathof his brother. When Alexis comes in to see Kevin, who is there working while Lucy lends her personal touch to the club, Miranda seems to worry aboutbeing recognized and shuns her face from her. Alexis tells Kevin that Dormanis on to the fact they are working together to help Monica and that theywill have to stop. Kevin, on his trusty lap top computer, tells Alexishe is working on something he will have for her soon which should prove helpful in her case against him. When she leaves, we learn that Kevin hasaccessed Dr. Dorman's medical school records. Sonny notices Miranda's shyness of face around Alexis and asks her why...she tells him she just gives her the creeps and leaves it at that. Mac shows up at Luke's and makesLucy promise not to go after Deception while Katherine is off her feet.Lucy assures him she has no plans to do so and says she will visit Katherine the hospital and tell her that herself. Mac thanks her...on his way outSonny stops him and tells him that if he can get into Marilyn's apartmentjust one more time, he will be able to prove that he was set up. Mac tellshim "no way", and that he is sick of bending the rules for him.
At the Port Charles Grill, Brenda tells Jacks that she found out infor-mation on the nurse who drugged Sonny. When Jacks expresses his disapprovalof her involement in the situation, she tells him that this woman tried tokill Sonny and that this, and Sonny, is part of her unfinished business,just as Miranda is part of his. In the heat of the discussion, Ned bargesin and sits down. He threatens Jacks in going to the tabloids and exposinghis family's skeletons, as well as all the dirty details of Miranda and heralleged death, etc. In return for his silence, Ned tells Jacks he willaccept nothing less than all of his shares of ELQ and that the bottom lineis...he wants him off the board. Brenda is outraged at Ned for using infor-mation that she shared with him as a friend, to threaten her husband with.Ned reminds her that her husband had no problem doing the same thing tothe Q's. Brenda tells Ned that he is becoming eveything that Lois triedto escape from and that she will never forgive him for this. In closing,Ned tells Jacks he has two weeks to sell back all the stock. When he leaves,Brenda tells Jacks she is so sorry for what's happened and that in an oddway she admires him for standing up for Miranda in not wanting to drag her through the mud again.
At the hospital, Bobbie gets a call from Lucas, who she is assuming iswith Tony at the Brownstone. He tells her he is at the Brownstone butthat his daddy has left, and then hangs up. In a panic, Bobbie rushesout of GH to go to Lucas. In the meantime, Tony is with Carly at the apartment where they are sharing an intimate moment or two. Tony appologizesfor neglecting her so much lately and tells her she has every right to bemad at him. Carly says she knows she can't hang out with him and Lucas while he is planning to fight for custody and that she understands. Tonytells her is visit is through since he needs to get back to Lucas, whomhe left at the Brownstone with Felicia. He promises it won't always belike this, and that he loves her. She tries to persuade him to stay a bit longer, but he leaves. Tony shows up right before Bobbie at the Brownstone. She tells him Lucas called her and said he was alone and thatshe paniced. Tony says he just ran out for a few things for lunch. Lucasbegs his mom and dad to play a game of Twister with him...so they agree.As the two are quite twisted around each other, Carly walks in with Tony'swallet in her hand, saying he forgot it at home. Bobbie asks if she hasa key...she tells her the door was open, hands Tony his wallet, and leavesabruptly, saying she doesn't want to intrude. Bobbie asks Tony just how muchtime Lucas is spending around Carly, and he replies "a lot less than howmuch he spends around Stefan."
At GH, Nikolas shows up in Katherine's room to talk and she wants littleto do with him. As he is daydreaming about their kiss, Katherine pretendsto be nodding off and he leaves. When Miranda comes in, Katherine tellsher how difficult it is to have visiters and how comfortable she feels around her and others she doesn't know as well, as opposed to around Mac.Miranda senses her frustration and suggests that she give the book thatLucy brought as a gift, a swift throw across the room. Katherine thinks it'sa great idea and does just that. The two laugh, and when Katherine nodsoff for real, Miranda leaves. Shortly after, Stefan appears at the windowand looks in on Katherine as she wakes...the two glance at one another andsmile.
Jacks shows up at GH and tells Mac he needs to talk with him about Miranda.
Brenda shows up at Luke's to talk with SonnyRecap --->
Brenda visits Sonny at Luke's to tell him she wants to be involved inhelping him find Marilyn. Sonny suprisingly agrees to her help as longas she agrees to let him do the leg work and stay out of danger. Sonnyleaves to take care of business. Brenda leaves also and heads for Marilyn'sapartment...when she arrives and breaks in, her mouth is covered by ablack gloved stranger. She soon realizes it is Sonny who has anticipatedher arrival. He yells at her for coming and reminds her of the danger sinceMarilyn is no doubt dead. Brenda defends herself telling Sonny she has justas much right to be there as he does. Brenda decides to play Nancy Drewand hunt for clues despite Sonny's sketicism as to what she will find. Shegoes to the kitchen and he pretends he is leaving, but ends up stickingaround anyways. When Brenda comes out of the kitchen she tells Sonny shehas come to the revelation that Marilyn must have had to leave the apartmentsuddenly since there is a bag of groceries with bananas in it, and no onewould buy bananas if they knew they wouldn't be around. Sonny is less thanenthusiastic about her findings so she retreats to the bedroom to find moreclues. She returns with yet another revelation that a man packed up theapartment since left behind was a well worn nightgown, no doubt Marilyn'sfavorite, along with a very expensive piece of lingerie which Brendaconcludes no one in their right mind would take off without. Again, Sonnypoints out the irrelevance of her findings and tells her they should packup and leave. As the two attempt to leave, someone else enters the apartment.
Alone in the park, Emily clutches a picture of her mother as she lamentsover her death on her birthday. Her "friend" from school shows up and offerslittle support but rather a bag of drugs. Emily turns him down this timeand says she has to head to GH for a lunch with Monica. At GH, Monica, Alan,and Dorman face off again and the insults fly. Dorman asks Alan why hewas willing to take Monica back after all her indiscretions. When he walksaway, Alan tells Monica the services of Sonny might come in handy when dealing with Dorman. Monica calms him down and leaves with Emily for thePort Charles Grill lunch. Monica tries to encourage conversation from Emily who simplysays her mom is dead..."what else is there left to say." Monica gives hera present from her mother...a locket with her and her mother's pictures init and tells her it is ok to put it on. Emily tells her this is not thetime or place. Monica receives an emergency phone call from GH and needs toleave. She tells Emily she will bring the car around and meet her outside.On her way out, Emily runs inot Dorman again who has come for a meeting withhis lawyer and Alexis. Dorman is quite hostile at this meeting, saying thatMonica has severely slandered him and that she needs to pay. Alexis alludesto some sort of out of court settlement...Dorman's lawyer encourages himto look at that possibility and he promptly fires her on the spot and walksout of the meeting. A peeping Ned walks over to Alexis' table where shetells Ned that Dorman is indeed out for blood.
At GH, Jacks tells Mac he has a problem with Miranda spending so muchtime around Katherine because it is causing her to relive too many painfulmemories of her own operations and ordeals. Mac tells Jacks that he can'tprevent Miranda from seeing Katherine and then accuses Jacks of still beingin love with her...he asks if he and Miranda slept together in Australia.Jacks answers with a definitive "no" and tells Mac that it is none of hisbusiness anyways. He goes further to explain to Mac that Miranda was thefirst love of his life and he can't simply walk away from her...he stillfeels an obligation towards her and thinks she needs to be around peoplewho care about her right now. Miranda overhears bits of the conversationand yells at both Jacks and Mac for pitying her. Jacks assures her that'snot what it is and that they are only looking out for her well being. Macreminds her that she wasn't the only one who suffered and that she shouldn'tthink she can just come back after being "dead" and then walk out again withno consideration for others involved. Miranda says she just thinks it wouldbe best for everyone if she were to just leave, but she will think about whatthey have said. When alone, Miranda asks Jacks if he would recognize herface if he didn't know it was really her...he tells her he wouldn't.
Nikolas visits a depressed Katherine and confesses to her that he feelsa terrible guilt for coming onto her the night she was shot and he knowsthat she was at Wyndemere to confront him about it. She tells him that shewas there by choice and she understands why he came onto her since he washurting over the death of his mother. She tells Nikolas she is very fondof him and that he doesn't need to feel pity for her. Nikolas says he willconfess everything that has happened to his uncle. Katherine tells himthat is not necessary and Nikolas tells her he will make everything up toher. After Nikolas leaves, a frustrated Katherine hits her legs and cries.Stefan looks in on Katherine from the window outside her room. He imagineswalking inside and her telling him that she has pain in her legs that shecan feel and that she knows that he has been willing her to walk. Hedreams that she stands and begins to walk...with gratitude for his healingof her.
