Outside the courtroom, Alexis prepared Nina for her arraignment. Nina was grateful that Nathan had hired Alexis on Nina's behalf. Franco wondered about his arraignment. "There's no chance in hell I'm representing you," Alexis told him. She explained that representing him would be a conflict of interest after what he'd done to Sam. He asked where that left him. Alexis had spoken to another lawyer at her firm who'd agreed to defend him. As if on cue, Henry Sullivan introduced himself.
Henry proceeded to give Franco strict instructions for what to do during the arraignment. "Don't get in my way," he concluded harshly. Franco and Henry went into the courtroom. Nina wanted Alexis' word that Alexis wasn't trying to intentionally ruin Franco. Alexis promised that Henry was Franco's best shot at getting out of the charges.
In the courtroom, Scott told Franco how much Franco's letter had meant to Scott. Franco suggested that, if his things went badly, Scott could write back to Franco. Scott hoped that wouldn't be the case. The judge entered and began Nina's arraignment by listing her numerous charges. On behalf of Nina, Alexis pleaded that Nina was not guilty by reason of insanity. She cited all the things Nina had gone through after waking up from a twenty-year-long coma and claimed that Nina had suffered a break from reality. She asked for an evaluation at a mental health facility.
Scott responded that the district attorney's office had no objections, and the judge agreed. A distressed Nina told Franco that she wasn't crazy. He insisted that a psych ward was better than prison. Shortly after, the judge began Franco's arraignment by listing his numerous charges. Henry made the same plea for Franco as Alexis had for Nina. The assistant D.A. had no objections, but the judge did.
The judge explained that, at Franco's last trial, his bad actions had been proven to have been caused by his brain tumor, which had been removed. She believed that meant that he was responsible for every subsequent wrongdoing after the removal of the tumor. Franco ran around the courtroom, making a commotion in an effort to prove how crazy he was, but Henry demanded that Franco sit down and shut up. The judge continued that she believed the "criminal" was a flight risk, so she sentenced Franco to await trial at Pentonville.
Nina was very upset, and Franco tried to console her by telling her that she would be fine. Cops dragged out both Nina and Franco, who were screaming. Franco tried to explain to the cops that she was only scared, but they were both taken away in opposite directions.
On the phone, Nathan told the person on the other end of the line that he really wanted to help Maxie. Just then, Maxie entered the hospital room, so Nathan promptly hung up. After some prodding from Maxie, Nathan finally admitted that he'd enlisted Dante to find out information about Judge Walters. Maxie told him that it wouldn't do any good and that the universe was probably trying to tell her that she was going to be a horrible mother.
To help Maxie focus on something else, she and Nathan played a game of Connect Four. Maxie wondered why he kept looking at his phone. He revealed that Nina's arraignment was that day. Maxie hoped that Nina would have better luck in court than Maxie had.
A short while later, Alexis called to update Nathan on Nina's arraignment. She disclosed that Judge Walters had called her, wanting to have a meeting, and that she would keep him updated. Nathan got off the phone and told Maxie the news. She suggested that the judge had found out she'd been spending time with Nathan, so he was going to add on more time until she could see her daughter.
Nathan thought that Maxie should go meet up with Alexis and Judge Walters, but Maxie thought Alexis could just update Maxie later. Nathan advised Maxie not to give up on getting Georgie back without a fight. He finally convinced her to go, so she kissed him and left. A short while later, Nathan was on the phone with Dante. Nathan related that he owed Dante, and he wished he could "see Maxie's face when she finds out."
Maxie ran into Alexis at the courthouse. She wondered if she'd missed another meeting. Alexis revealed that Judge Walters had reversed his ruling, so Maxie could see her daughter.
As Silas walked up to the nurses' station, Morgan, Kiki, and Carly exited the elevator and made a beeline right for him. Morgan said that he'd received a call that the results of the DNA test were in. Silas hadn't received the news, but he left to check on the results. Morgan admitted how nervous he was.
A few minutes later, Silas returned with an envelope. He read from the page of results that Carly and the baby were not related, which meant that Sonny, not Morgan, was the father of the baby. Morgan was clearly disappointed and tried to say that it was better off that way. He thanked Silas for performing the test. Morgan didn't know how he was supposed to feel, and Carly assured him that he needed time to work through his feelings. Carly hugged her son.
Morgan wanted to talk to Kiki alone, so the two left. Carly confided in Silas that she hated to see Morgan hurt, but it was for the best that the baby was Sonny's. She mentioned that both Kiki and Morgan were next of kin to the baby's jailbird parents. Silas asked if Carly would tell Sonny. She agreed to make sure Sonny knew. She thanked him again and wondered what was next.
Kiki confided her worry in Morgan about how "screwed up" both of the baby's parents were. She continued that the baby needed them. Morgan told her how badly he'd wanted to be the baby's father. He related that he'd lost Michael, Sonny, and the baby. Kiki agreed that she'd wanted the baby to be Morgan's. He thanked her for her support and told her that she was the only one helping to get him through the difficult time. The two hugged. After they pulled away, they leaned in and shared a kiss.
Carlos sat on the trunk of the car where Ric was being held. Ric banged on the trunk. Carlos yelled that he'd given Ric food, water, and an opportunity to stretch his legs. He promised everything would soon be over. Just then, Carlos got a call from Johnny, who was in possession of a cell phone. Johnny reminded Carlos that Ric would be kept alive if Sonny complied. As if on cue, Sonny entered. Johnny asked Carlos to tell Ric that Sonny was thinking about his brother, and he hung up the phone.
Sonny informed Johnny that he'd done his part, so he needed proof that Ric was alive. Johnny was surprised at how quickly Sonny had made his decision and wondered if Sonny thought that Duke and Shawn would listen to Sonny. Sonny replied that his "soldiers" only made moves under orders. Johnny tried to make small talk about Sonny's family, but Sonny advised Johnny to keep his distance until "the Ric situation is handled."
At the gallery, Jordan was on the phone with Anna. She informed Anna that she couldn't find any evidence linking the Jeromes to Ric's disappearance. She thought her only shot would be to ask Julian point-blank. Just then, Shawn entered, and Jordan quickly hung up the phone. Shawn wondered why Jordan was involved with Julian and Carlos again, but she brushed the question off, saying she had somewhere to be. Shawn asked if she was going to check on Ric, which stopped her in her tracks.
Jordan sincerely answered that she didn't know if Julian had Ric. Shawn informed Jordan that Julian and Carlos were holding Ric hostage for Johnny and that they were going to kill him if Sonny didn't give up his territory. He knew how she didn't like to see the innocent suffer, so he asked for her help saving Ric.
Sam was looking at screenshots from the security video at the police station when there was a knock on her door. She was surprised to answer the door to Julian. He wanted to check up on her after her "attack" and wondered if there were any leads. She mentioned that she had a theory, and he offered to "handle" the suspect. She wondered if he would just have Carlos "take care" of it.
Sam related that she'd heard that Julian was again involved in the mob, "not that you ever left." He promised that he was no longer dealing with drugs. He only wanted to be a good father and grandfather. Sam promised not to shut him out like Alexis had. However, she wanted to set ground rules: no questions or discussion about his business in front of Sam and Danny. He agreed, and she went upstairs to wake Danny up from his nap.
Just then, Julian's phone rang, and he answered it to Jordan. She wanted to know where Ric was. She lied that Anna had searched the gallery, looking for Ric and asking questions, but Jordan hadn't been able to cover since she hadn't known anything. Julian confided that Ric had been "grabbed" a few nights before. As she asked where Ric was being kept, Carlos crept into the gallery, overhearing everything.
When Jordan was off the phone, she wondered if she should call the cops. Shawn didn't think there was time for that and volunteered to go get Ric. As he asked Jordan where Ric was, Carlos crept out of the gallery.
Sam returned downstairs with Danny. They made small talk about Christmas and the family. Julian wondered how Molly was doing. Sam knew that Molly was having a hard time and needed her family. Sam related that the first Christmas after losing someone was never easy. As Danny played, Julian expressed his hope for Molly to spend the holidays with all of her family.
Johnny got off the phone with Carlos and told Sonny that Shawn wasn't cooperating. He explained that Shawn had apparently convinced one of Julian's associates to give up Ric's location. He revealed that he'd given the "kill order" to Carlos. His temper flaring, Sonny pinned Johnny against the fence, holding something sharp up to Johnny's neck. "Now there's no one around to stop me," he threatened. "What about me?" Franco said as he put a hand on Sonny's shoulder.
Back at the garage, Carlos apologized to Ric that things hadn't worked out "like they were supposed to." He readied his gun and opened the trunk. He pointed his gun at Ric and told him that it was "nothing personal." Just then, Jordan and Shawn burst into the garage, pointing guns at Carlos. "Drop it," Jordan demanded.
Kiki and Morgan broke away from their kiss. Kiki apologized and assured him that she knew he hadn't meant it. "I did," he admitted. He expressed his appreciation that she'd helped him through "this whole ordeal" and told her how important she was to him. He related that they'd always shared a connection, which had only grown stronger.
Kiki responded that it was an emotional time, and if Michael found out that she and Morgan had kissed, he would hate them even more than he already did. She continued that they couldn't deal with their feelings at that moment because their baby sister needed them. Morgan agreed to put the baby first, and the two left.
Nathan was pacing the room when Maxie burst in. She babbled excitedly that she had news Nathan wouldn't believe, until she realized that he was out of bed. She forced him back into bed and finally told him her news -- Judge Walters had reversed his decision, effective immediately, and she would be able to see her daughter whenever she wanted. She wondered why he'd changed his mind and asked Nathan if he knew anything, which he denied.
Maxie listed all the things she wished to do with Georgie for the holidays, and Nathan advised her to get on the next flight, since Christmas Eve was the next day. She wanted Nathan to go with her. He didn't think there was any way Liesl would clear him for a cross-country flight. She was sad that they wouldn't get to spend Christmas together after waiting for so long to be together, so he suggested that they "do Christmas right now."
A few minutes later, Nathan peeked out the window of his room. He rushed back to bed when he saw Maxie returning. She informed him that she'd booked a flight for the next day. She took a card out of her purse and gave it to him. He opened it to reveal a card for a year's worth of free ribs at the Floating Rib. She didn't think it was much, but he loved it. He retrieved her gift from the side table and handed it to her. She was ecstatic to find the limited edition Cartullo shoes she'd been wanting.
Nathan remembered how Maxie would sneak a look in the magazine every time Levi had left the apartment, and how she'd sighed over the shoes. She scolded him for spending a fortune, but he swore he'd started saving months before. He helped her put them on, and she was content that she had gotten all of her Christmas wishes. She kissed him.
Nathan thought Maxie should get her packing done. Maxie made sure that Nathan couldn't go with her. He revealed that, unlike the first time he'd met "the girl of my dreams," he knew that she would be returning this time around. He promised to make the new year one to remember. She agreed and kissed him again.
Carly was looking at the DNA test results when Jake stepped off the elevator. He made sure she was all right. She assured him that she just had a lot of information to process. She wondered if he was all right, but he told her that he was only taking lunch to Elizabeth. He checked on her again, and she insisted that the best possible outcome had happened. She explained the situation with the baby. She regretted that the baby had to live with the bad choices of the adults and added that she should have been able to stop Franco from ruining everyone's lives.
Jake wondered why Carly had been with Franco, since he knew she'd had to convince herself to go through with the wedding in the first place. She admitted that Franco, who it had been believed was Jason's brother, had filled a hole in her heart once Jason had died. Once she'd thought better of the decision, it had been too late. He related that she could only learn from her mistakes and move on.
Carly continued saying she felt bad for the baby, who had no name, nowhere to live, and no guardian. She wished Michael would step in, but she knew he wouldn't. Carly wanted to tell Sonny that the baby was his, but he refused to see her. Jake offered to, but she vowed to figure out a way to get the news to him. Jake thought the baby was lucky to have Carly. She thanked him for listening, and he assured her that everything would work out.
Carlos apologized to Ric and told him that it was "nothing personal" as Carlos pointed a gun at Ric. Jordan and Shawn burst into the garage, and Jordan warned Carlos to "drop it." Carlos told them that he had his orders to kill Ric. Jordan insisted that Ric was innocent, and Shawn informed Carlos that, if Ric was hurt, Carlos wouldn't leave the garage alive. He wondered if Carlos were willing to die for Johnny.
"Fine," Carlos spat, frustrated. He warned Jordan that she was "as good as dead" and left. Shawn and Jordan helped Ric out of the trunk of the car. Jordan and Shawn thought Ric should go to the hospital, but he only wanted to go home. Jordan told him that he'd better go somewhere safe before he got taken again. Shawn thought Ric was safe for a while, and Jordan accepted that Ric would want to spend the upcoming holidays with his family. "Where's home?" Jordan wondered. "Anywhere my daughter is," Ric replied. When Ric was gone, Shawn warned Jordan that Julian would be after her.
Johnny informed Sonny that, as they spoke, Ric was getting a bullet to the head. In anger, Sonny pinned Johnny against a fence and held a shiv to his throat. Franco pulled Sonny away, and Sonny wondered why Franco was there. He revealed that he was only there until his lawyer got him acquitted and observed that he'd gotten there just in time. "Anyone who hates Sonny is a friend of mine," he said.
Sonny told Franco that they had "lots to discuss" and proceeded to insult the "freak." Franco wondered if Johnny was going to help him out after Franco had saved his life. Johnny yelled that he would never help Franco after Franco had strapped Lulu to a bomb years before. "I'll never be that hard up for friends," he added and left. "Alone at last," Sonny said, smiling.
Franco threw all of Sonny's crimes and consequences in his face, but Sonny was consoled by the fact that Franco was out of Carly's life. Sonny remembered that the last time Franco had been at Pentonville, he'd ordered Carter to rape Michael. He knew there were lots of guys in the prison like Carter, and he vowed to make sure they did the same thing to Franco. He threatened Franco with the shiv, but Franco insisted that he wasn't afraid of Sonny, because Sonny was all talk without Jason.
"Here you go," Sonny said as he suddenly put the shiv in Franco's breast pocket. Confused, Franco took the shiv out just as a guard entered. The guard pinned him up against a fence as Franco tried to explain what had really happened. The guard led Franco away. "Bye-bye, Franco," Sonny muttered.
A short while later, Johnny stormed up to Sonny. After mentioning that Franco was on his way to solitary confinement, he blasted Sonny for double-crossing Johnny. He informed Sonny that Shawn and Jordan had freed Ric. Sonny told Johnny that his territory would stay his, and his family would stay safe no matter what.
Julian hoped that Molly would get to spend the holidays with her whole family. Just then, Molly called out that that wouldn't happen since Julian had been responsible for her father's death. Julian opened the door to leave and insisted that Molly would feel different about things soon enough. "I doubt it," she said, and Julian left.
Molly and Sam sat down to wrap Christmas presents, and Sam offered to listen if Molly wanted to talk, but Molly insisted that she was fine. Alexis entered the apartment, and Molly told her that she'd "missed your boyfriend." Molly took Danny into the kitchen for some hot chocolate. Sam explained Molly's foul mood to Alexis, and Alexis wanted to tell Sam something in return. She admitted that, although he was missing, Ric was alive. She explained the situation to Sam.
Alexis concluded that she didn't want to tell Molly that Ric was alive without knowing it for sure to save Molly from grieving twice. Sam disagreed with Alexis' decision and cited her own experience with Patrick not telling her that Jason had survived his gunshot. As Sam told Alexis that Molly had a right to know, Molly overheard and wondered what they were talking about.
Alexis told Molly to sit because she had something to tell Molly about Ric. Alexis beat around the bush as there was a knock on the door. Molly told her mother to figure out the "complicated" situation while she answered the door. She sarcastically suggested the Julian was back and opened the door. "Daddy?" Molly said as she saw Ric in the door. Ric pulled his open-mouthed daughter into a tight embrace. "I'm home," he assured her.
The man posing as Luke called out for Julian at the gallery. A short while later, Julian finally returned. "You knew I'd come for you eventually," the impostor told Julian, still posing as the real Luke. Julian insisted that everything had been Faison's idea, and that his hands had been tied because of threats against his family. The impostor pointed a gun at Julian and said that he wanted revenge.
Julian informed Luke's impostor that Faison should be the man's target. He wondered why the impostor would throw his life away after just getting it back. The impostor told Julian that he wouldn't shoot Julian, because he needed him, since the impostor was "back in business." He informed a confused Julian that the real Luke was still "under lock and key," and that Faison had been a successful diversion.
Julian wondered who the impostor was and how he looked exactly like Luke. "It's not your concern," the impostor replied. Julian told the man that he would return to the business willingly, but only if there were no threats, and the two men would operate as equals. Just then, Carlos entered and updated Julian on what Jordan and Shawn had done. The impostor demanded that Julian "eliminate" Jordan.
With Christmas rapidly approaching, the residents of Port Charles gathered for the annual General Hospital party, mistletoe became a major topic of conversation, and reunions were all the rage. Unfortunately, it soon became clear that not everybody was going to get what they wanted for Christmas.
First up was Molly, who was pretty much the happiest girl in town thanks to the return of her dad, Ric. When she went upstairs to retrieve the letter he'd written to her before "dying," Ric shared a few words with Sam. Despite their complicated -- as in slept together while he was married to her mom -- history, the pair wound up being downright civil to one another. Once Sam left to take Danny to the festivities at the hospital, Molly urged her father to go see Elizabeth. While he clearly wanted to, it seemed there might also be a part of him that was afraid of how she might react.
What wasn't in question was how Eilzabeth would react when she saw Jake and Sam interacting at the hospital. Immediately going into protective mode, Elizabeth suggested Sam calm down and stop harassing Jake. For her part, Sam seemed perfectly fine with putting aside all their various issues for the moment so everybody could just get through the holidays.
When it was time for the reading of the Christmas story, the lights flickered, and a horrendous beast appeared at the top of the staircase above the nurses' station. While this was yet another person wearing a rubber mask, it wasn't the Luke impostor or Faison, but rather, Liesl Obrecht. Rather than tell the story of Christmas -- which Nikolas described as being about "Santa and presents and elves" with nary a mention of a swaddled babe in a manger -- Liesl had opted for the story of Krampus, a creature from Germanic folklore who ate children and looked like a non-green Grinch. Eventually, Monica saved the day -- after Emma trembled in fear while Josslyn delighted in the terrifying tale -- by banishing Krampus and getting Santa to join them.
Over at the Jerome Art Gallery, things weren't going so well for Alexis and Julian. With Ric back among the living, she tried to find out exactly what Julian's role in recent events had been. But really, it didn't matter what he said because they arrived at the same impasse as always. "I'm so sad about what we lost," Alexis lamented. But Julian reminded her that "it's not lost. You walked away." And that's exactly what she did yet again, despite it being painfully clear how badly they simply wanted to be together.
Arriving home, Elizabeth found that some craft elf and his much bigger helper had put some mistletoe over the entryway. And while Jake might not remember his name or that he'd kidnapped Sam, the guy was pretty sure that there were rules about kissing people under the mistletoe. Unfortunately, he and Elizabeth spent so much time talking that just before he could move in for the liplock, Ric showed up on her porch. Elizabeth was overjoyed to see her not-dead ex, who admitted that he wanted to pick up where they'd left off. And while Ric wasn't so sure about the guy crashing on Elizabeth's couch, it was poor Jake who felt left out when he watched from the sidelines as his newly resurrected rival got a smooch from the lovely nurse.
Patrick proved himself to be much more adept at using mistletoe the way it was meant to be used. After admitting that he was glad Sam had forgiven him for not telling her that her husband was briefly alive but then died again, he gave her a token of his affection, and they wound up kissing beneath the mistletoe.
In the end, however, it was Maxie who got the true holiday miracle. Having flown to Portland, she knocked on Spinelli's door, which was festooned with the world's brightest wreath, and was finally reunited with her daughter, Georgie. Via Facetime, Maxie introduced her precious baby girl to Nathan, who was still in the hospital back in Port Charles. When Liesl visited with her son, he tried to find out exactly how she'd gotten the judge to change his mind about Maxie.
What Liesl didn't reveal to Nathan was that she had threatened to fire Monica unless the cardiologist ensured that her beau, the judge, had a change of heart. When Monica asked David, the judge, why he'd taken such a hard line with Maxie, he told the sad story of his own daughter, whose wild behavior and rule-breaking had resulted in her tragic demise. He revealed that he'd seen Maxie making the same bad choices as his late daughter had, and he'd acted to try to prevent her from meeting the same fate.
Due to the Christmas holiday, General Hospital did not air. This programming change was anticipated and there were no "lost" episodes as a result.
Regularly programming resumed on Friday, December 26, and picked up where the Wedneday, December 24 episode concluded.
At the hospital, Elizabeth admired Epiphany's 2015 New Year glasses. Epiphany told Elizabeth that Milo had given them to her for their plans for New Year's Eve. Epiphany wondered if Elizabeth had plans with Jake. Elizabeth informed Epiphany that Ric was alive and had shown up on her doorstep on Christmas Eve. He'd been splitting his time between her and Molly ever since. Epiphany wondered where Jake fit in. "He doesn't," Elizabeth replied sadly.
Elizabeth explained that Jake had been gone all day every day at his new snow-shoveling job. She thought he just didn't want to intrude on her and Ric. Epiphany recognized that both men had feelings for Elizabeth and wondered about Elizabeth's feelings. She gushed that being with Ric felt right, and she loved him, but Jake easily fit in with her family. Epiphany thought that Elizabeth needed to do something about her love triangle, so she sent Elizabeth home to figure it out.
As Jake got dressed, there was a knock on Elizabeth's front door. Jake answered it to Ric, who wanted to talk to Jake. He wanted to thank Jake for giving Ric and Elizabeth space, "if that's what you're doing." Jake related that his snow-shoveling job paid cash, and he hadn't needed to show identification. Ric remarked that Jake and Elizabeth had seemed close when Ric had shown up on Christmas Eve. Jake explained that he and Elizabeth had been fulfilling the "mistletoe tradition," but Ric thought it had been more.
Ric continued that, before he'd had to leave, he and Elizabeth had talked about starting a life together. "And it would be a shame if I got in the way?" Jake guessed. Ric wondered what the prognosis was for Jake getting his memory back. Jake informed him that there was no way to tell. Ric suggested that Jake had a family somewhere out there. He didn't think it would be fair for Elizabeth to invest in Jake if there was a possibility that Jake wasn't free to be with Elizabeth.
Ric commended Jake for handling the "impossible situation" like a gentleman. "I know you'll do what's best for Elizabeth," Ric said, and he left. Later, Elizabeth arrived home and found Jake getting his things together. "I'm moving out," he told her.
Luke's impostor arrived at the gallery to ask if Julian had "put Jordan down like a rabid dog." When Julian avoided the question, the impostor whined that Jordan's death was supposed to have been his Christmas present. Julian explained that Jordan had gone "underground," and he hadn't been able to locate her. The impostor informed Julian that some of his men had seen Jordan, and he wrote down the address of the "dump near the waterfront" that she was staying at.
Julian had thought that Jordan would have been long gone. Luke's impostor instructed Julian to "Make an example of her," but he accused Julian of "going soft." Julian accused the impostor of never lifting a finger to do anything himself, but the impostor just said that Julian had been dragging him down. Julian promised that Jordan would die for helping to rescue Ric. The impostor gave Julian a gun and instructed him to find Jordan and kill her.
There was a knock on the door of the place where Jordan was hiding out. She retrieved a gun from beneath her pillow and stood next to the door. Anna called out through the door that it was she and Dante. She let them into the room, and Anna told her that they wanted to help solve her problem. Jordan looked out the door to make sure no one had followed Anna and Dante then shut the door.
Anna said that Jordan was a "marked woman" who was no longer under protection of the DEA. Anna proposed that Jordan work for the Port Charles Police Department and keep her cover. She suggested that, between saving Ric and tipping Shawn off about the hit on Michael, Duke would welcome her into Sonny's business. Jordan thought that Anna had an ulterior motive -- to go after Duke. Anna admitted that she wanted to take down Sonny's empire "once and for all."
Anna gave Jordan two options. Jordan could either work with Anna and help to clean up the city or stand by and watch the mob war corrupt it. She urged Jordan to think about it quickly because "time is running out." She and Dante left. Later, Jordan was getting ready for the day and walked toward the door. "Going somewhere?" Julian asked a shocked Jordan.
Maxie marveled to Spinelli about how fast Georgie was growing up. She wished she could stay, but Spinelli promised to document everything for Maxie. Just then, Spinelli looked at his computer and saw a problem. It seemed that all flights out of Portland had been canceled due to fog. Maxie wondered how she would tell Nathan.
Lulu helped Nathan into his apartment. He sighed that it wouldn't feel like home until Maxie returned. He mentioned how much he had to do in order to get ready for his and Maxie's date that night. Lulu reminded him that he was supposed to rest. She revealed that she had done most of the planning for him, preparing strawberries and cream, buying and chilling Champagne, and getting a suit for Nathan. She set out flowers and two Champagne glasses as well. Nathan couldn't wait to "commemorate" his and Maxie first meeting at the apartment. Lulu couldn't wait to hear all about it.
Nathan's phone rang, and he happily answered it to Maxie. She revealed that she wasn't going to make it back that night because her flight had been canceled due to fog. He assured her that New Year's Eve was "just another day," and that they could postpone their second date. "We're good at that," she commented. He advised her to keep him posted, and she promised that she would. She sadly wished him a happy new year and hung up.
Maxie complained to Spinelli that she and Nathan had suffered enough, and it was time for them to catch a break. Spinelli reasoned that she would get to spend an extra night with Georgie. She was more than happy to spend more time with Georgie, but she and Nathan had been trying for a very long time to be together. She felt like they were jinxed, but she refused to be "kept down," and she vowed to see Nathan that night.
"That is not how tonight was supposed to go," Nathan glumly told Lulu. Lulu assured him that he and Maxie would have their date, just not on the anniversary of meeting each other. Nathan vowed that, through all he and Maxie had been through, he would see Maxie that night. "Nothing will stop me," he vowed.
Later, there was a knock on Spinelli's door. He answered the door to Nathan. Spinelli wondered why Nathan was there. He explained that Maxie had called to say that she was stranded, so he'd gotten on a plane to see her. Spinelli revealed that Maxie wasn't there.
"Surprise! I'm home!" Maxie called out when she arrived at her apartment. She searched all over the apartment, calling out for Nathan. "You've got to be kidding me," she said when she couldn't find him.
Duke was sitting at the Metro Court restaurant when Shawn walked up and sat down. Duke commended Shawn for saving Ric and keeping Sonny's territory safe but knew it wouldn't be the last they'd hear from Julian. Shawn was worried about Jordan, who Carlos had pegged as a "dead woman."
Just then, Alexis walked up and sat down at Duke and Shawn's table. She wanted to thank Shawn for saving Ric and therefore giving Molly the best Christmas present she could have wanted. Alexis had heard from Lucy that Duke had "taken over the reins" of Sonny's business. She remarked that Anna probably didn't approve. Duke informed Alexis that his relationship with Anna was over. Alexis urged Duke to reconsider his choice. He responded that Julian had caused harm to his family, so he wouldn't let go of that.
Alexis related that she and Anna had something in common. She was no longer with Julian because she couldn't be with anyone "caught up in a life of crime." Ric entered and expressed his gratitude to Shawn for saving him. He also had a message for Duke to give to Sonny. Ric wanted Sonny to know that he didn't want any part of "the business" to touch him or his family.
A short while later, Luke's impostor entered the Metro Court restaurant. He eyed Ric as Ric walked by with Alexis. Lulu entered and hugged her "father." Dante entered shortly after, and the three sat down for a leisurely lunch.
