Jason happened by in time to catch Sam when she leaped from a second floor room in her underwear. Once back in the offices of McCall & Jackal, wearing Jason's black leather jacket, she told him that she had been on a case and had followed a cheating wife into a spa. She had taken off her clothes and donned a robe to blend in. Eventually she found the wife with a female lover, who took offense when Sam snapped a photo of the twosome for the hubby. Sam lost her robe when she made a hasty exit through the bathroom window.

Her story made Jason smile, but Sam wanted to know about his latest injuries. He told her about Jerry's involvement in Michael's shooting. Jason said that he was sure that Claudia was also involved. Jason told Sam that he had captured Jerry earlier, but before he could learn anything, Jerry's car had exploded and Jerry had escaped from the hospital, where they had both been taken for treatment.

Sam wanted to know if Jason had any proof. Jason said that while he lacked proof, there were some very telling indicators. He said that a low-level Zacchara flunky named Fredo had dropped out of sight right after the bombing and that, coincidentally, his specialty was explosives.

Sam agreed that it was likely that Claudia had ordered the bombing to keep Jerry quiet. She also pointed out that Jason could not tell Sonny that his pregnant wife was responsible for the shooting of his comatose son.

When he arrived home, Sonny interrupted Jax's conversation with Claudia. When he asked what was going on, Claudia immediately told Sonny that Jax was trying to persuade her to help him keep Sonny away from Carly. She told Jax that she never lied to her husband.

Jax asked Sonny to respect Carly's wishes and stay away, but Sonny was determined to convince Carly to terminate her pregnancy rather than risk her life to have a baby with Jax. He told Jax to leave and to never go behind his back with his wife again. Jax told Sonny that he would abide by Sonny's request as long as Sonny did the same and did not go behind Jax's back with Carly.

After Jax left, Claudia said that she would never agree with anyone but Sonny in public, but privately, she said that she agreed with Jax. She told Sonny that she thought that he ought to pay more attention to the child that they were having instead of being so obsessed with Carly.

Sonny said that Carly had other children to consider and that he would not give up. Then he told Claudia that she had nothing to worry about because he would love her child as much as he loved all his other children. They shared a tender moment, but before it went further, Olivia arrived.

Claudia got angry and wanted to send Olivia away, but Sonny said he had called Olivia over and sent Claudia away instead. He told Claudia to go to her room and not to eavesdrop.

Once Claudia was gone, Sonny cut to the chase and tried to get Olivia to reveal Carly's whereabouts. Olivia was tactful, but would not reveal anything to Sonny. She told him that Carly had specifically asked her not to tell Sonny anything.

Nikolas got an eyeful when he barged into Rebecca's room without knocking. He found a disheveled Lucky and Rebecca in what appeared to be a compromising position. He apologized for intruding and rushed out without waiting for a reply.

Rebecca and Lucky got dressed and discussed their decision not to sleep together. Rebecca admitted that she was attracted to Nikolas, and Lucky said that he wanted to have another chance to get it right with Liz.

On the docks, Maxie's plan to have a pretend stalker attack her went horribly wrong. When she realized that a real mugger was threatening her, she kneed the guy in the groin and ran. Fortunately, Johnny appeared on the scene and jumped him. Johnny gave the thug a good beating before Maxie called him off. The thug recovered quickly and ran away.

Spinelli arrived just in time to see Maxie hugging Johnny. At first he thought that Johnny was the stalker, but Maxie quickly let him know that Johnny had just saved her. Spinelli was let down to know that, once again, Johnny had defended Maxie and he had failed her.

Maxie tried to cheer him up, but a decidedly dour Spinelli sent her home with the mob prince while he looked for clues on the docks. Spinelli did not find any clues, but the photographer's assistant that Maxie had hired to impersonate a stalker showed up and spilled Maxie's plan to Spinelli.

Patrick dropped in on a still tipsy Liz to ask her to watch Emma the next day. She told him about her adventure at Jake's and the kiss that she shared with Nikolas. She told Patrick that she had been married four times, had two kids and still did not know the meaning of love. She asked him what love meant to him. Before Patrick could say much, there was a knock on Liz's door. When she answered it, Lucky was there.

At Maxie's apartment, she and Johnny talked. She told him about her plan to make Spinelli believe that he had rescued her from harm and how it had gone horribly wrong. She thanked him. When he asked her how she felt about him, Maxie was honest.

She told Johnny that she was attracted to him and that she liked him, but she said that she loved Spinelli and did not want to do anything that would jeopardize that. Maxie said the same was true about Lulu. She said that Lulu was the closest thing to a friend that she had and she did not want to sleep with Johnny just to "try it out" if it would hurt Lulu.

Just at that moment Spinelli knocked on the door. Spinelli wanted to know if Maxie had set him up. Johnny took that as his cue to leave, but not before asking Spinelli to cut Maxie some slack. Maxie admitted the truth to Spinelli. She also told him how much she missed him and loved him and needed him in her life.

Maxie's pleas did not sway Spinelli. He was humiliated and told Maxie that he could no longer be her friend. Maxie was heartbroken when he left without forgiving her.

After Olivia left, Claudia confronted Sonny and wanted to know what was going on. He told her that he was trying to get Carly's address. Claudia tried to direct Sonny's attention to her baby, and succeeded. They were headed off to the kitchen to cook when a phone rang. Since it belonged to neither of them, they looked until they discovered Olivia's phone in the couch. Claudia was livid. She was convinced that Olivia had left it deliberately as an excuse to return.

Sonny squelched Claudia when he told her that he would return the phone to Olivia immediately. Claudia was irate that Sonny was leaving her to go out into the rain to return Olivia's phone, but Sonny did not listen to her. She slammed the door after him when he left.

Lucky told Liz that Nikolas had burst in on him and Rebecca. He told her that nothing had happened with Rebecca because he had realized that he still had feelings for Liz and did not want to move on. Liz was overjoyed and told Lucky that even though she had kissed Nikolas, she realized that she did not want to move on from Lucky, either.

Nikolas was well on his way towards getting drunk when Rebecca appeared at Wyndemere. Nikolas assumed that she had come to tell him to stay out of her business, but she told him he was dead wrong. Reluctantly she admitted that she was attracted to him, even though he had crazy relatives and was possibly insane himself. She said that she had thought about running away, but she found she could not. With that admission, Nikolas moved swiftly, took her in his arms, and kissed her passionately.

Olivia was relaxing at home when Sonny showed up with her phone. She thanked him and tried to take the phone, but Sonny would not let go of her hand.

Claudia was talking on the phone to Fredo. She cautioned him to stay out of town and not to let anyone know that she ordered the hit on Jerry. She had just promised him a large payment, when she dropped to her knees and doubled over in pain.

At Olivia's house, Sonny refused to leave until she invited him in for a drink. He finally admitted the real reason for his insistence on staying at her house. Claudia had been so nice to him that everything had started to feel like they were part of a normal family and relationship.

Olivia was very clear on her feelings for Claudia, so she couldn't understand why Sonny was keeping up the charade of a marriage to Claudia. Olivia had raised her son without a father, so she felt Sonny should walk away from Claudia with or without the baby. The pregnancy changed things for Sonny, though. He had created another life and was obligated to care for the baby.

Olivia couldn't believe that the child was the sole reason why Sonny was trying to remain close to Claudia. Olivia didn't know Sonny's suspicions about Claudia's involvement in Michael's shooting, though.

At Sonny's house, Claudia called out for help after doubling over in stomach pain. Unfortunately, the only one to rush to Claudia's assistance was Ric. He took her phone and refused to call for an ambulance.

Ric wanted to take Claudia to the hospital himself instead of calling for an ambulance. He pointed out that Claudia wouldn't want sirens screaming down the driveway if she lost the baby. It would make it more difficult for Claudia to fake the pregnancy if she did suffer a miscarriage. Finally, he gave Claudia back her phone but told her the only reason that he was helping was because he might be the father of her child.

Realizing Ric's point was valid about calling an ambulance, Claudia took the phone and called Johnny. There was no answer, though, so Claudia was forced to leave a message. Claudia was unable to bear the pain any longer and allowed Ric to take her to the hospital.

Once they arrived at the hospital, Dr. Lee and Epiphany tried to diagnose the problem while they dealt with the constant bickering between Ric and Claudia. Dr. Lee ordered tests for Claudia while Ric tried to listen from outside the exam room. Meanwhile, Epiphany called Sonny to inform him about the situation.

Once the cramping and bleeding was under control, Dr. Lee was no longer as concerned about a miscarriage as she had been when Claudia was first admitted. She told Claudia they would know more once the test results were back. Dr. Lee tried to control her emotions around Claudia, but the two women clearly were not friends. Claudia was upset when she learned that Sonny was on his way. She insisted that Sonny was not to receive any information when Claudia received the test results.

At the Haunted Star, Luke caught Ethan trying to steal money from the cash box. Luke had expected that move, though, so he had left a riddle in the otherwise empty box. Luke knew that if Ethan had the money to leave, he wouldn't stick around for the DNA test. Luke and Ethan sat down to a game of poker while they discussed their predicament.

Luke told Ethan about the colored past of the Spencer family, including how he grew up with Aunt Ruby. When Lucky was younger, Luke had sent his son across the country to stay with Ruby. He had known that Ruby would take care of his son just as she had taken care of him. Luke had not expected Lucky to turn into a law-abiding citizen who raised other men's children. Luke had expected his child to turn out more like the man Ethan had become.

Two heart attacks had shown Luke that he wouldn't live forever, and Lulu and Lucky seemed to despise him most of the time. Luke wanted a son that could learn from all his cons to become an even better con artist than Luke was. Ethan pointed out that he didn't have to be Luke's son to be his apprentice.

Rebecca and Nikolas made out on the couch at Wyndemere, but Rebecca suddenly pulled away before things went too far. She wanted to make sure that if they had sex, Nikolas would be making love to her and not Emily. Rebecca also did not want their first time to be while they were drunk. Nikolas agreed with her, so Rebecca decided it was time to go home.

Rebecca walked back inside after learning that mechanical trouble and the storm had caused the launch operator to postpone the trip to Port Charles. Rebecca asked if she could stay in one of the guest bedrooms at Wyndemere, and Nikolas agreed.

Later, Rebecca waltzed downstairs wearing a white nightgown and robe. Nikolas immediately stared at her with a look of shock and grief all over his face. Rebecca realized the gown had been Emily's, so she soon retreated back to her room. It wasn't long before she ran back to Nikolas' side when she heard him screaming. Nikolas was having a nightmare about the night Emily was murdered.

Lucky sat on the couch in Liz's living room and talked about how they always ended up together. Liz acknowledged that, but she pointed out that it had always been the middle part of the relationship that caused them problems. Both Lucky and Liz seemed determined to change that, though. They talked about the mistakes they had made in the past.

Liz wanted to take things slow and shelter the kids for as long as possible if she and Lucky were going to try getting back together. Neither Liz nor Lucky wanted to get the boys' hopes up if they couldn't make the relationship work. As if on cue, Cameron rushed downstairs, ecstatic that his parents were back together when he saw them kiss.

At Wyndemere, Rebecca prepared to leave. She entered the library to thank Nikolas for providing her with a guest room to spend the night in. Nikolas apologized for his drunken behavior. Nikolas wanted to spend more time with Rebecca, but she had plans for the day. Rebecca was certain that Nikolas would be bored helping her paint her room at Kelly's. Nikolas insisted that he had experience painting and would be delighted to help her.

Later, Nikolas showed up at Rebecca's place. Rebecca thought Nikolas was too well dressed for painting, but Nikolas claimed that his attire was old. Rebecca quickly realized the Nikolas knew very little about painting. She showed him how to tape the baseboards and around the windows. Afterwards, they moved furniture around and then they began painting. Rebecca finished the job quickly while Nikolas focused on one small area.

Nikolas injured his back while he moved more furniture around for Rebecca. Nikolas was certain that he had pulled a muscle. Rebecca instructed Nikolas to take off his clothes; she had the perfect cure for him. Moments later, Nikolas was on the floor while Rebecca massaged his back.

Spinelli sat in his office, daydreaming about a case, when Maxie walked in. Maxie was desperate for Spinelli's help. Spinelli thought it was another ploy to trick him into forgiving Maxie. Maxie insisted that that the case was real. There had been a leak at Crimson and she needed to track down the source.

Spinelli demanded to know if Maxie was attracted to Johnny. Maxie tried to avoid answering the question, but Spinelli insisted on the truth. Maxie admitted that she was attracted to Johnny. However, she added that she was attracted to Spinelli in many more important ways. Spinelli's disappointment was visible.

Moments later, Lulu entered the office. She was frantic to know if Maxie had made any progress with Spinelli. Spinelli couldn't believe that Maxie had enlisted Lulu's help to con him into thinking that they had an actual crisis at Crimson. Lulu and Maxie realized that they couldn't convince Spinelli that they were telling the truth, so they decided to look for Sam.

Later, at Crimson, Maxie tried to do damage control to avoid a catastrophe while Lulu left a message for Sam. Maxie and Lulu were thrilled when Spinelli walked in a few minutes later. Spinelli realized that they had been telling him the truth, so he agreed to help. Maxie was overjoyed until Spinelli made it clear that he was helping them as a favor to Lulu, not Maxie.

Lucky went to the Haunted Star to question Ethan about a theft. To Lucky's frustration, Luke immediately provided an alibi for Ethan. Lucky was furious when Luke announced that Ethan might be Lucky's brother.

Lucky was certain it was all just an elaborate hoax on Ethan's part. He refused to believe that Ethan was his brother. Lucky pointed out that Ethan was nearly the same age as Lulu. If Ethan was Luke's son, then it meant that Luke had been unfaithful to Laura. Luke didn't make any excuses for his infidelity, which served to anger Lucky further.

Lucky realized that Luke wanted Ethan to be his son. Lucky believed that Luke viewed Ethan as the perfect son because Ethan didn't know the real Luke. Lucky warned Luke not to tell Lulu about the paternity results. Luke thought Lulu had a right to know.

Lucky turned away from Luke just as Tracy walked into the Haunted Star. As Lucky passed Tracy, he stopped long enough to ask her to make certain that Luke didn't hurt Lulu, then he continued on his way.

Luke decided to go to the hospital to get the paternity results. He invited Ethan to join him. Tracy followed Luke out of the casino; Ethan was close on their heels.

At the hospital, Epiphany asked Tracy, Luke, and Ethan to wait in a conference room while she went to check on the paternity results. Luke assured Ethan that, regardless of the results, he was welcome to continue working on the Haunted Star. When Epiphany walked in with the envelope, Luke invited Epiphany to read the results to them. Luke considered Epiphany the only impartial person in the room.

Patrick asked Liz to notify him when Dr. Hensen arrived at the hospital. Patrick explained that they needed to do surgery on Michael as soon as possible. Matt tried to remind Patrick that it was Dr. Hensen's call to make, not Patrick's. Patrick refused to listen to Matt.

Jason went to visit Michael. Patrick entered the room a few minutes later. Jason and Patrick talked about Michael's prognosis. Patrick admitted that recent tests had revealed that it was critical for Michael to undergo surgery immediately. Jason reminded Patrick that Carly was out of town. Patrick insisted that time was of the essence; he needed someone to give consent for the surgery.

A short time later, Jax walked into Michael's room. Jason told Jax about his conversation with Patrick. Jax worried that the change in plans might add to Carly's stress.

Liz was surprised when she walked into Michael's room to find Jason alone with Michael. She apologized for intruding. Jason was relieved when he learned that Liz would be part of Michael's surgical team.

Liz and Jason began talking about Jake. Jason hoped that his choice to walk away from Jake had spared his son from a fate similar to Michael's. Liz reminded Jason that he wasn't responsible for what had happened to Michael. She also told Jason that giving up Jake had been a selfless act on Jason's part.

Liz asked Jason if he remembered what the significance of the following day was. Jason smiled in answer. Liz thought it would be a wonderful miracle if Michael woke up on Jake's birthday.

Lucky found Liz taking a break at the hospital. Liz realized that she and Lucky had made plans to discuss Jake's birthday party. She apologized for forgetting about it. Liz explained that she had been asked to assist with Michael's surgery.

Talk of Michael led to talk of Jason and Jake. Liz admitted that she was grateful that she had a second chance with Jake. Liz was also happy that Lucky had opened his heart to Jake and Cameron. As they talked, Liz sensed that Lucky was troubled. She guessed that it was about Luke.

Lucky didn't deny it. However, he didn't want to discuss it. Lucky wanted to focus on the birthday party instead. Liz and Lucky made plans to take the boys to a popular arcade where they sold pizza. Liz challenged Lucky to a game of Danger Duel; she vowed to be the victor.

Dr. Henson informed Jax that she needed to return to Germany immediately. Her mother was gravely ill. Dr. Henson assured Jax that she would return in time for Michael's surgery, the following month. Jax was confused by the conflicting reports that he had received regarding Michael's surgery.

Patrick approached Dr. Hensen and Jax. Patrick explained that recent tests had indicated that Michael's NSD levels had dropped rapidly. It was Patrick's medical opinion that Michael required surgery within hours if there was any hope of a successful outcome. Dr. Hensen heartily disagreed. Patrick threatened to do the surgery himself if Dr. Hensen refused to operate.

Jax decided to go with Dr. Hensen's recommendation. Patrick warned Jax that he was condemning Michael to a life in a coma. Jax informed Patrick that his services were no longer required.

Jax returned to Michael's room to talk to Jason. He told Jason that he had decided to postpone Michael's surgery. Jax was convinced that Patrick's desire to operate on Michael stemmed from guilt over not being able to spare Michael from a coma following the shooting. Jax also informed Jason that he did not want Carly to know about Patrick's desire to operate on Michael.

Patrick left a message for Sonny about Michael's prognosis. Jax overheard Patrick's end of the conversation. Jax accused Patrick of allowing his ego to guide his decision. Jax warned Patrick that Jax's family was at stake; Jax would do anything to protect them. Jax promised to sue Patrick for malpractice if Patrick didn't let the matter drop.

Carly walked into Michael's room. She thought Michael looked healthier since his arrival at General Hospital. Jason asked Carly how she was doing. Carly said that the doctors ran a battery of tests and checked her thoroughly. They had given her a mountain of information and instructions to follow. They assured her that, if she followed their guidelines, her risk for pregnancy complications would be reduced to less than 25 percent.

Jason decided that Carly had a right to know about Patrick's diagnosis. Jason told her that Patrick was certain that they only had a small window of opportunity to operate. If they missed it, then Michael wouldn't emerge from his coma.

On the floor of her rented room, Rebecca massaged Nikolas' injured back. She decided she would have more success by walking on it. Unfortunately for Rebecca, she lost her balance and fell. Nikolas crawled over to where Rebecca had landed. After Rebecca assured Nikolas that she was not hurt, the two burst out laughing.

Nikolas put his shirt back on to resume painting. Nikolas proved to be as clumsy as Rebecca when he stepped into a bucket of paint and stumbled. Rebecca laughed as she turned on the CD player and opened a bottle of beer. Rebecca sipped on the beer as she and Nikolas continued to paint the room. Eventually, Nikolas reached for his own bottle of beer.

Later, Rebecca and Nikolas splashed each other with paint. Their antics led to kissing, which led to them tearing each other's clothes off as they tumbled into bed.

At the hospital, per Luke's request, Epiphany read the results of the paternity test. She revealed that Luke and Ethan were not a DNA match. Luke was not Ethan's father. Ethan appeared relieved while Luke seemed stunned. Luke asked to see the results.

Epiphany handed the test to Luke and explained the results. Luke wanted to take another test, but Epiphany advised him against it. Another test would not change the results.

Luke let Ethan know that his offer remained open; Ethan could stay on at the Haunted Star. Ethan thanked Luke, then left. Epiphany followed Ethan out of the door.

Tracy admitted that she was delighted that the results had nipped whatever Holly and Ethan had been scamming in the bud. Luke told Tracy that he was certain of one thing; Ethan had not been scamming him.

Tracy followed Luke back to the Haunted Star. She wasn't surprised to find Luke drinking. Tracy realized that Lucky had been right about Luke. Luke had seen Ethan as a reflection of himself. Luke had sought validation through Ethan. Tracy suspected that Luke's brush with mortality, following his heart attacks, had prompted the need.

Luke admitted that he had seen something of himself in Ethan. Luke also remained convinced that Holly had sent Ethan to Luke because Ethan was his son. Luke was disappointed by the results of the paternity test. However, he conceded that the last thing he needed was another child.

At Crimson, Spinelli explained that he would only answer to Lulu, not Maxie, "the faithless one." Maxie was hurt by the nickname, but she was relieved that he had accepted the assignment.

Maxie's hovering distracted Spinelli. He couldn't seem to concentrate while he worked on Crimson's computer. Lulu scolded Maxie; she told Maxie to stop using their crisis as an opportunity to repair the damage to Maxie and Spinelli's relationship. Ethan's arrival interrupted them.

Ethan told Lulu that Luke and Lucky had an argument. Ethan thought that Luke would appreciate a visit from his daughter. Lulu agreed to go with Ethan.

A short time later, Spinelli compiled a list of possible suspects at Crimson. He showed the list to Maxie and was impressed with her insight into each of her co-workers. Their investigation came to a screeching halt when Kate walked into Crimson. Kate demanded to know what Spinelli was doing on one of the Crimson computers. Maxie claimed that she had hired Spinelli to add a firewall to their system.

Kate asked if Maxie's intention had been to keep future Crimson layouts, like the recent one for a new shoe line, from leaking out. Maxie realized that Kate knew about her disaster. Kate was curious if Maxie had honestly believed that Kate would not have found out.

Kate was livid over the leak of the layout. Maxie assured Kate that she had Spinelli investigating the case. Kate wondered if Maxie was willing to risk Maxie's career, as well as Lulu's, for Spinelli's sleuthing skills. Maxie did not hesitate to answer, "Yes." Spinelli appeared humbled.

Kate gave Maxie 24 hours to find the saboteur. If Maxie failed, she and Lulu were out of a job. Maxie tried to explain that it wasn't Lulu's fault, but Kate wasn't impressed. Kate insisted that Maxie and Lulu worked as a team; therefore they would be fired as such.

Spinelli returned to working his case. When Spinelli found a lead, Maxie was delighted. A spark of their old chemistry returned as Maxie and Spinelli made plans to catch the culprit.

Luke and Tracy were surprised when Lulu and Ethan arrived at the casino. Tracy quickly sent Ethan on an errand. Tracy appeared to panic when Lulu admitted that she had warmed to Ethan. Tracy reminded Lulu that Ethan wasn't to be trusted.

Lulu confessed that she had revised her opinion after getting to know Ethan. Luke gave Tracy a not-so-subtle hint that he wanted to talk to his daughter privately. Before Tracy left, she made another attempt to warn Lulu away from Ethan. Lulu didn't understand why Tracy suddenly disliked Ethan.

Luke asked Lulu for a favor. He wanted Lulu to pay extra attention to Ethan when Tracy was around. Luke suspected that Tracy was up to something. Luke was certain that Tracy's reaction to Lulu's flirting with Ethan would be revealing.

At the hospital, Patrick explained to Sonny that Michael's only chance for recovery was to have surgery as soon as possible. Jax told Sonny that Dr. Hensen had disagreed with Patrick's diagnosis. Jax believed that Patrick's ego had clouded his judgment.

Sonny wondered why Carly had not been included in on the decision. Jax was concerned that the stress could kill Carly and the baby. Jax thought it was best for Carly not to know about Patrick's concerns. Jax was convinced that Dr. Hensen knew best, since she had founded the experimental treatment. Sonny agreed with Jax.

Later, Sonny saw Claudia in the hospital corridor. Claudia had been worried about the baby after her scare the previous day. She had arranged to have an exam, to assure herself that the baby was fine. She invited Sonny to go with her to the appointment.

Sonny declined the offer; he explained that he had to an important decision to make about Michael. Sonny was concerned that he might put his fears for Carly ahead of Michael's well-being. Claudia pointed out that Carly had made her choice about the baby; Sonny needed to accept it and focus on Michael.

In Michael's room, Carly asked Jason what she should do about Michael's surgery. Jason explained the options, as he understood them. According to Jason, Patrick insisted that Michael didn't have the luxury of time.

Carly was conflicted. She loved Jax, but she realized that Jax would err on the side of caution to avoid any risk to her pregnancy. However, Michael was Carly's child and her impulse was to do whatever she could for him.

Jason offered to find Sonny, so that Carly could talk things over with him. Carly declined because of Sonny's feelings about her pregnancy. She worried that Sonny would just add to her stress.

Patrick walked into the room a moment later. He was relieved that Carly had returned. Patrick began to plead his case for Michael's surgery. When Jax joined them, Jax presented Dr. Hensen's position. Carly calmly listened to Patrick and Jax.

Jax realized that Carly had made her decision. Carly confirmed it; she gave Patrick her consent to operate on Michael.

Jax attempted to persuade Carly to delay the surgery. Carly wasn't swayed. When he tried to enlist Jason's help, Jason supported Carly's decision. After Patrick left to prepare for the surgery, Sonny entered the room. Carly informed Sonny that she had given Patrick her approval to operate on Michael. Sonny asked to speak to Carly alone.

Patrick reviewed a list of surgical instructions with Liz. Matt approached them and advised Patrick against operating on Michael. Patrick asked Matt to join the surgical team. Matt reminded Patrick that Dr. Hensen was the expert, not Patrick. Patrick insisted that he knew what he was doing.

Eventually, Matt capitulated and agreed to assist Patrick with the surgery.

After Jason and Jax left the room, Sonny and Carly spoke to Michael. Sonny told Michael that he loved and believed in him. Carly promised Michael that she would do her part to remain strong and calm. She asked Michael to do his part to return to them.

Outside of Michael's room, Claudia suggested to Jason that they work through their issues. Jason's response was to tell Claudia that she didn't have any right to be around Michael.

Moments later, Liz and an orderly wheeled Michael out of his room. Carly kissed Michael before he was taken to surgery. Jason glared at Claudia.

Epiphany showed Carly, Sonny, Jax, and Jason to a private waiting room. Claudia walked in moments later. Carly ignored Claudia. Sonny quietly suggested that Claudia leave, but she refused.

After Patrick and Matt scrubbed up for the surgery, Patrick made certain that his team was prepared for the surgery ahead. Everyone took their positions then proceeded to operate on Michael.

Carly and Jax waited with Sonny, Jason, and Claudia as Patrick began Michael's surgery. It was evident that Claudia was annoying everyone, so Sonny took his wife out in the hallway for a walk. He asked Claudia to go home after her appointment with Dr. Lee, but Claudia didn't think that was a good idea. She tried to get him to go to her appointment with her, but Sonny wanted to focus completely on Michael.

Once Sonny and Claudia were gone, Jax left to check in with Olivia. Jason sat at Carly's side and tried to help her learn how to meditate. The doctors had told her it could help her blood pressure and give her a better chance of surviving the pregnancy.

As soon as Olivia arrived at the hospital, she started to fill Jax in on business he had missed. Jax wasn't interested in business, though. He needed to get Olivia's opinion on Claudia and how she was upsetting Carly. Olivia knew Carly's situation with the pregnancy and insisted Jax get Claudia out of the waiting area.

Claudia was determined to be at Sonny's side after her appointment with Dr. Lee was over, so she waltzed back into the waiting area and bragged about how great her pregnancy was going. Carly couldn't stand being around Claudia any longer, so she soon made her escape to the restroom.

As soon as Carly left the room, Jax demanded Claudia leave. Jason agreed with him, and Sonny pointed out that they must know some evidence against Claudia, because they were becoming hostile against his wife. Sonny, Jax, and Jason immediately shut up when Carly walked back in the room. It was too late, though. Carly knew something was going on.

Meanwhile, Patrick and Matt began Michael's surgery. They were doing well until they began to implant the devices into Michael's brain. Suddenly, Michael started to crash.

At Kelly's, Mike stormed upstairs and burst into Rebecca's room as she and Nikolas were making out on the bed. He rushed out as quickly as he had entered when he realized what he had stumbled in on.

As soon as they were "decent," Nikolas opened the door and allowed Mike to enter the room again. Mike was initially upset that Rebecca had repainted the room. The paint fumes had caused customers to leave the restaurant downstairs. Mike was more upset about a possible relationship between Rebecca and Nikolas. He had seen first-hand how obsessed Nikolas became with the women in his life.

After Mike left, Rebecca and Nikolas tried to start back where they had left off. Just as they started kissing, Nikolas' phone rang. It was Alexis and she needed to see him right away.

Nikolas arrived at General Hospital just as Epiphany was yelling at Alexis for obtaining Rebecca's employment records. Once Epiphany was gone, Alexis told Nikolas that Rebecca had spent time in Greece. She was sure Rebecca had met Helena there, also. Nikolas wasn't interested in hearing any more of Alexis' theories until she had actual proof.

Alexis left the hospital and decided to go to Rebecca's apartment. When Rebecca let her in, Alexis noted how nicely the place was furnished. She guessed the Helena was paying her well. Alexis offered to double Helena's offer if Rebecca cut all ties with Nikolas and left town. She warned Rebecca that Helena usually killed her pawns once she was done with them.

Nikolas walked into the apartment just as Rebecca was pointing out to Alexis that Rebecca's life would be in just as much danger from Helena if she fled town. Nikolas was angry with Alexis, and he told her he didn't care if Rebecca was involved with Helena.

At the Haunted Star, Luke asked his daughter to fake a relationship with Ethan when Tracy was around. He couldn't explain any further because Tracy walked into the casino. She sent Lulu on an errand to retrieve her phone from the car, and Lulu knew that it was just a ploy to speak with Luke in private.

As soon as Lulu had left, Tracy demanded to know if Lulu knew about the DNA test between Luke and Ethan. Luke denied telling Lulu anything about the paternity tests. Tracy also wanted to know why Luke wanted to keep Ethan around after discovering he was not the boy's father.

Lulu walked back into the casino with Tracy's phone and said it was ringing off the hook. Tracy took the phone and saw a message about an ELQ emergency. She rushed out, and Luke realized his daughter had set it all up so Tracy would leave. He was quite impressed with Lulu for that stunt, but he still didn't want to answer any questions about his motives to create a fake relationship between Lulu and Ethan.

Once Ethan arrived at work, Luke left him alone with Lulu. Ethan was suspicious of Lulu's pleasant attitude towards him, but Lulu said she was just enjoying the time with her father when they actually got along. Lulu heard Tracy yelling at someone as she was arriving back at the Haunted Star, so Lulu pulled Ethan into a deep kiss. Ethan was shocked, but Tracy was even more surprised and she squealed when she saw them kiss.

Spinelli told Maxie that they needed bait to lure the double agent who had stolen Crimson's layout and given it to Couture. Maxie reluctantly offered the layout she had designed on how to be a sexy Christmas elf. Kate had been impressed with the idea when Maxie had pitched it to her, and Spinelli was even more impressed when he saw it himself.

Spinelli immediately set to work planting a tracking device in the layout, but Maxie was still worried. If their plan backfired, Kate would fire both Maxie and Lulu. Spinelli promised not to let Maxie down.

Kate walked out of her office and started to yell at Spinelli and Maxie, but Johnny walked in and interrupted them. Kate wanted Maxie and Johnny to go to an event together that evening, but Johnny refused to do his part. After Johnny had stormed out, Kate was livid. She threatened again to fire Maxie and Lulu if they didn't find out who had stolen Kate's work.

Maxie met up with Spinelli in his car after they planted the tracking device and layout for the double agent to steal. Spinelli explained to Maxie how they would keep an eye on the layout from the computer. Maxie showed her thoughtful side and took out the snacks she had bought for them. Spinelli was so impressed with Maxie that he immediately leaned over to kiss her. As they kissed again, a woman in heels appeared to be sneaking up on them.