05-18-2017 (Thursday) Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Valentine tries to call Nina again; he assures her that Anna Devane won’t be coming between them again.  She still refuses to come back home.  An apparent flashback to Anna’s last meeting with Valentin; he ties her up to the staircase handrail.  He tells her now is where she’s tries to escape and leaves. She gets untied; her phone rings.  She answers it; it’s the doctor, caring for her in London.  She tells him Valentin is on to them; he says they have a bigger problem, “Anna escaped” he tells her.  Ah… so this is Alex, not Anna!  He tells Alex Anna has figured out she switched places with her and is on her way back to Port Charles now; he tells her she has to get out of there now.  Robyn gets off a plane and sees ‘her mother’ standing there at the airport; Alex does her best to be motherly, but Robyn senses that something is wrong.  She tells Robyn that she just has to go take care of something and she’ll be back in time for the Ball; she holds out her arms to get a hug from Emma, but Emma shakes her head, and says, “that’s not grandma.”  Robyn realizes Emma is right, and suddenly, Anna appears behind Alex.

Laura runs into Dilllon; she tells him his mom left her some pretty big shoes to fill.  Brad overhears her talking and asks if he might talk to her.  He tells her about Dr. Finn’s addiction; she tells him she has no interest in starting a witch hunt, reminding him that Finn is doing everything he is required to do, taking classes and taking tests.  He keeps insisting she do something, and she puts him in his place; she tells him at this time, there is nothing further to discuss.  Finn and Hayden talk, out loud, about him needing to take another test, since the most recent one still came back positive.  He appears to fall for it.  They sit down and talk about the baby; Hayden tells Finn that she thinks she would like to have the baby.  He tells her he would understand if she didn’t want him around; she tells him the past is the past and they are moving forward… they are doing this, together.  The nurse comes by to take Finn’s blood for the repeat test; Brad stands nearby, looking at records.  They catch him when he goes in to retrieve the urine sample.

Rocco tells Charlotte that his dad makes the best pancakes in the world; Rocco is happy when he sees there are chocolate chips in them.  Chocolate chips are for special occasions; Lulu says this qualifies since it’s the first morning they are spending together as a family.  Valentin shows up to get Charlotte; Lulu tells him Dante can take her when he drops off Rocco.  They have an appointment, she tells him, with the case worker; Valentin does his best to make it seem as if there was no problem and the case worker is impressed that they managed to work things out for themselves last night.  After she leaves, he asks Lulu what kind of game she’s playing.  She tells him she wants him to drop the custody suit.  He refuses and leaves; Lulu tells Dante that everything is falling into place and Charlotte will be with them soon.

Michael talks to Kiki at the hospital; he asks her if she could check on her for him.  She tells him Nelle is lucky to have him as a friend; he tells her a lot of people don’t think he should be her friend.  She reminds him that he is a good person, and if he cares about Nelle, she says, there must be a good reason.  Nina shows up at the hospital; she thanks him for letting her know that Nelle was attacked.  She says she feels responsible for having Nelle get involved in her marital problems; she goes in to talk to Nelle.  She offers to let Michael come in with her, but he says he is going to respect Nelle’s wishes not to see him.  Nina tells Nelle she still has her job if she wants it, but lets her know she will be answering directly to Valentin; she tells Nelle that she is there fore her and always will be, and she tells her that there’s someone else who feels the same way, referring to Michael, of course.  She leaves.  Nelle tries to get out of bed; she keeps grabbing her side.  Laura sees Michael in the hall and asks if they can talk for a moment, he say sure and heads off with her; Nelle makes it out the door and looks around.

Kiki and Dillon are at the café; she’s waiting for her test results on the certification to become a nurse’s aid.  She’s nervous.  He asks her if she will go to the Nurses’ Ball with him; she says no, at least until she finds out if she passed or not.  Her phone bleeps; she almost looks at it.  She can’t; she hands it to him.  He tells her he is sorry; he says she won’t be spending the night in sweats after all.  She passed.

05-17-2017 (Wednesday) Where Does the Time Go?

Anna convinces the ‘Sister’ nurse that she is not Alex Merrick; she tells the nurse Alex is her twin sister.  She asks what day it is; the nurse says it’s the 17^th… Anna guesses she’s been there for two weeks, but the nurse tells her it’s May, not April.  Anna says she left Port Charles the end of March (?).  No explanation for overlapping storylines or her very recent interactions with Valentin.  Anna says she was at her sister’s office; she guesses her sister must have drugged her, although she can’t imagine why.  Nina tells Valentin that she can’t forgive him for lying to her; she’s not going back there, she says; she can’t.  He does his best to convince her that Anna will not be coming back into the picture, without telling her that he has secretly had Anna hospitalized (supposedly for the past two months).  

The doctor hears them talking; Anna pretends to still be unconscious.  The nurse claims she was just talking to the patient, trying to calm her; she tells him everything is quiet, and he leaves.  However, Anna becomes more and more agitated and the doctor comes back in when he hears Anna trying to get out of bed.  Nina talks to Andre; she asks how he can even be friends with Anna.  He tells her that he thinks what she had with Valentin was for more important than what he imagined he had with Anna.  She tells Andre, no matter how badly it all turned out, it has helped her find herself; she says she likes herself, and would do it all again in a heartbeat.  She laughs about Valentin, knowing now that Anna has been manipulating him and says he isn’t going to let Anna get away with that; she leaves.  Andre calls and leaves a message for Anna; he says he thinks trouble is coming her way.  As the doctor bends down to restrain Anna, she stabs him in the neck with a syringe she picked up from beside her bed, probably with the sedative in it.  He collapses and Anna asks the nurse to help her out.

Dante is surprised to see Charlotte when he gets home; he asks Lulu what’s going on.  She tells him, sometimes life is full of little unexpected surprises.  She explains the situation to Dante; he chuckles when she tells him that she thinks Valentin’s marriage to Nina is over.  They send the kids to brush their teeth; Lulu reminds them that it is still a school night.  Lulu revels in the beauty of the moment, as the kids fall asleep listening to Dante read their bedtime story; she says she wouldn’t miss a moment of this for the world.  Valentin shows up, thinking he is going to pick Charlotte up, but Lulu puts him in his place; she tells him Charlotte is sleeping and should get a good nights rest for school tomorrow.  She invites him back for pancakes in the morning and lets him know that she has clothes there for Charlotte to wear, so he needn’t bring any.  He leaves, frustrated; Dante laughs and tells Lulu he is impressed.

Michael asks Griffin if he knows anything more about Nelle’s condition; he says she is stable but may need surgery.  He thanks Michael for letting them know that Nelle only has one kidney; he goes to check another patient. Carly talks to her mom; she tells Bobbie she is so frustrated that her lawyer had this so-called “prior relationship” with Sonny.  Bobbie suggest hiring Scotty, but Carly quickly says she would never hire him; she says she’s desperate, but not that desperate.  Bobbie accuses her of trying to stretch this whole process out, to hand on to Sonny; she says she should quit trying to hold onto his assets.  Carly says he deserves it for what he did to Jax and Joslyn; Bobbie asks if she thinks she’s the “Karma Police.”  (That’s cute.)

Bobbie suggests making a quick, clean break; she asks if that isn’t what she to Michael to do with Nelle.  Michael asks a nurse if he can go in to see Nelle; she says she isn’t supposed to let anyone in there.  She smiles at him, and tells him she needs to go check on some lab results; he says, “thank you.”  She nods her head and she walks off; Michael shakes his head as he looks at Nelle, all hooked up to machines. He talks to Nelle and tells her he’s sorry this happened to her.  As he says he’ll leave her alone, she wakes up; Griffin comes in and tells Michael he has to leave so he can examine Nelle.  When he comes out, he tells Michael that Nelle doesn’t want to see her.

Martina comes to Sonny’s, to tell him goodbye; she says it’s been a bumpy ride so far.  She says she hates leaving it like this; she doesn’t like not finishing what she started.  She laughs, saying, “I had you, Sonny.”  She calls him a target-rich environment; he makes a toast to having her off the case, and they click their glasses.  She says she needs to leave; he suggests she stay.  She says she has a plane to catch in the morning; he says he can set an alarm.

05-16-2017 (Tuesday) Magic

Michael sees Nina at the Metro Court; he asks if he can sit down.  He assumes she has spoken to Nelle, but she says she hasn’t heard from her.  Michael says she left her a message; he tells her she is quitting.  Charlotte comes running in; Lulu picked her up from school.  She tells Nina Nelle was a no-show picking Charlotte up from school, and the school called her when they couldn’t reach Valentin.  Griffin asks Charlotte if he can sit down next to her; she says if he wants.  She offers a bite of her ice cream sundae; he apologizes for losing his temper at Maxie and Nathan’s wedding and promises he won’t fight with her dad anymore.  She invites him to a school festival; he says he would love to be there.  

Lulu questions where Nelle is and Michael says he doesn’t think she would just abandon Charlotte; he leaves the table to make a phone call.  Lulu asks Nina what is going on; Nina refuses to tell her, only defending Valentine’s devotion to his daughter.  Lulu gives Nina a message for Valentin; Valentin tells her she can tell him herself, because she isn’t going back to Wyndemere.  Michael goes back to the pier and finds Nelle; he calls for an ambulance.  Michael gives Griffin Nelle’s information; he says he is going to stay there with her and they take Nelle in for examination.  Griffin is afraid there may be trauma to her kidney; she may need surgery.

Jake reminds Aiden that what he saw was a secret and he can’t tell anybody; he says he is the only one who knows what to do with it.  Franco asks Jake if he wants to do an encore to their performance last year, at the Nurses’ Ball this year; he tells him he wants to do a solo, magic act.  Franco suggests he try out his act on he and Elizabeth; he performs a pretty good card trick, then tells them goodnight and runs up the stairs (without his box).  Franco and Elizabeth have a cute little fight over him not telling her he was going to Greece; it ends with them angrily saying they love each other, and then kissing.  They hear footsteps; it’s Jake.  He says he forgot his box; they go up to check on Aiden and he opens his box one more time.  He looks at the container and says if he were a real magician he would make the Chimera disappear, so he never had to think if it again.

The doctor gives Anna another sedative; Anna tells him it’s a mistake.  The nurse asks if it’s necessary and he tells her “Dr. Merrick must be sedated at all times.”  Anna is surprised that Valentin broke her necklace; she is more surprised when he shows her his broken watch and tells her he knows she has been listening in on him.  He says he doesn’t want anyone listening to what is about to happen; Anna, in the hospital, hears the doctor say she shouldn’t give them any more trouble.  The nurse questions what trouble she has been; he tells the nurse to do her job and let him do his.  Anna thinks to herself, not to give in; she says she has to fight this.  The nurse tells her just to rest; Anna closes her eyes.  

Valentin tells Anna he now understands why she always knew where he was; she says she didn’t force the watch on him.  She tells him he has made up this little life that is an illusion, suggesting he wants her more because they have a truth Nina can never really understand.  He says what he understands is that she wanted the Chimera so bad she was willing to destroy his life to get it.  Anna still tries to plead with him about the pull between them, saying it’s stronger than all the lies, reminding him that she saved his life by leaving that note for him to see; she tells him they can still be together, if he wants, and asks him just to tell her what he did with the Chimera so they can be done with this.  She tells him his marriage to Nina was never going to last because Nina doesn’t know the real man; she touches him and he tells her to stop it.  Anna tells Valentin she wants to stop playing games; he tells her he agrees, and says, “you lose.”  She wakes up again, telling herself she must rise to the surface; she begins to move and the nurse hollers for the doctor.  Anna manages to say, “no.”  She tells the nurse the story she has been told is wrong; she tells the nurse her real name.

Anna continues pleading with Valentin; she says nothing has been lost yet, and asks him just to tell her about the Chimera and says then they can be two people who understand each other.  He likens addiction to insanity; he says he was addicted to her, but says he’s cured.  Anna mocks him and he says he knows now exactly what he needs to do; he grabs a scarf and wraps it around his hands, stretching it between them.  Anna tries to insist to the nurse that she is being held against her will and needs her help; she tells her she is not confused.  Valentine finds Nina, still at the Metro Court; he tells her he was able to stop Anna and says she won’t be coming between them ever again.

05-15-2017 (Monday) Where is Anna?

Julian, in handcuffs, sits at a table; the district attorney has an offer for him.  Scotty sees Alexis and asks if she is there for Julian’s arraignment; she tells him, even if she had her license back, she wouldn’t be defending him because she’s a witness.  She tells him she has to go.  The D.A. offers Julian his freedom in exchange for Sonny Corinthos; he wants him to “be a rat.”  The plan is for him to “provoke” Sonny while they keep him under surveillance; the D.A. says, they’ll get Sonny when he goes after Julian.  Julian turns down the deal; he says it’s not for him.  The D.A. gets mad and says that’s okay; he tells Julian that his guilty verdict is a sure thing.  He tells Scotty that the arraignment has been postponed.  Scotty is mad when Julian tells him the D.A. made him an offer; he says offers are supposed to go through him.  He then gets mad at Julian for turning the offer down, saying he is going to lose and screw up his winning streak.  Scotty tells Alexis Julian just blew the best chance he had; she goes in to talk to him.  She tells him that despite everything that has happened, she doesn’t want him to go to prison, but she doesn’t know how to stop it.

Elizabeth hugs Franco when she sees him; she asks about the bruises on his face.  He says that’s the thanks he gets for helping Jason; he tells her, thanks to him, Jason had a breakthrough about Jake.  He asks where Jake is; Jake is on top of the hill, looking at his Chimera thermos.  Elizabeth is horrified when Franco tells her he beat up Jason to recreate him being disoriented; he tells her it’s okay though, because it worked.  They go looking for Jake when Aiden says he didn’t want to play with him; Jake closes the lid to his box quickly when he hears his mother calling him.  Franco asks to see his magic box, but Jake says it’s for his eyes only; Elizabeth tells him to come eat lunch and he leaves his box on the park bench.

Sam hugs Jason when he walks in the door; she says, it’s not how long he was gone, it’s where he was.  She asks what the bruises are from; he tells her Franco followed him.  Jason describes the whole expedition to Sam and says he is worried about what Jake saw; Sam says it is a lot to process.  Jason says they can’t waste any more time and calls Liz; he says he needs to see Jake.  She tells him where they are and Jason says they are on their way; Jake asks if he has to talk about when his dad looked different and says he doesn’t want to talk about that, ever again.  When Jason shows up, he asks Jake to go talk privately with him; he tells Jake he doesn’t have to worry about him… or the scarecrow.  Jake gets a nervous look on his face; Jake tells his dad, it’s not about what he did… it’s about what he didn’t do.  He says his mom always taught him if he saw something bad, he should tell someone, but there was no one to tell when he saw the man beating his dad up.

Jason assures Jake nothing that happened on the island was his fault; he says just the fact that he wanted to help him, means everything in the world to him and tells Jake he is very brave for surviving all he went through.  He promises Jake “that woman” is gone and will never hurt him or his family again; Jason kisses Jake’s head.  Jake looks at his magic box and tells his dad there is something else he doesn’t know; he says there’s something else he needs to tell him.  Jason tells him he can tell him anything, reminding him there’s always a fix.  Jake just tells him that he loves him and doesn’t care what he looks like; he says he’s the best dad ever.  Then he tells him Spencer sent him a magic kit and he wants to practice, without Aiden; Jason says he will go play with Aiden to keep him busy.  Jake tells him he’s the best dad ever.  Jake gets upset when Aiden comes up behind him and sees the Chimera container; he tells Aiden it is a secret and he can’t tell anyone.  Franco apologizes to Jason for thinking Jake was afraid of him, instead of afraid for him; Jason says he started to think the same thing, and admits that it was Franco who got Jake to open up so they could find out about this.

Valentin takes Anna to an empty house; he tells her it’s almost like he still doesn’t know her.  He offers her a glass of champagne; Anna wakes up, again, in a hospital bed – in London, England – the nurse asks her if she knows where she is.  While still talking to Valentin, Anna says she deeply regrets what she did to him and is trying to make amends; she brings up the Chimera project again, asking for more details.  He tells her Nina left him because of her; in London, the nurse tells her they knew she wouldn’t be able to speak when she woke up.  She says her doctor is Dr. Lancaster, she thinks Anna is “Doctor Alex Merrick” and she says she is Sister Caroline Crane. Anna is told she’s had a medical incident and they’ve been caring for her there at the clinic.  Anna says she didn’t know he and Nina had broken up and apologizes if she had anything to do with it; he tells Anna to stop talking.  He says he loved Nina and he thought of Anna as an adversary; someone who denied their mutual past.  Since she has admitted everything, good and bad, he says, he can’t blame Nina for leaving him; in the hospital, Anna grabs her mouth.  The nurse says she knows it’s frightening, not being able to speak; she tells Anna Dr. Lancaster found her “in her flat” and brought her here.  Anna grabs the nurse when she says she is going to get him; Anna passes out as she strains to say something.  The nurse runs for help.

Valentin tells Anna that Nina left because she sensed that he still felt something for Anna, as strong as it was all those years ago; Anna says she has feelings for him too, but tried hard to fight them, for his marriage.  She says that’s why she has to make sure she hasn’t left any wreckage behind, like the Chimera project.  She says he stole it for her, so it’s her fault it’s out there, adding that it should be locked up in a lab somewhere at the WSB.  He says the WSB should have never created it and assures her there is nothing to worry about anymore; he steps closer to her.  She starts to get seductive and says she wants to talk about them now, what they were and what they could be; the doctor says she needs another sedative.  The nurse questions it being too soon for another injection; he says he knows what she needs.

Anna tells Valentin they have a connection and they should just accept it; he tells her if she keeps asking for it she is going to get it.  He says she may have second thoughts because deep in side he is the same man he used to be; she says he was always beautiful inside.  He says he was weak compared to her, but not anymore; she tells him he is strong and handsome and equal in every way, adding that they shouldn’t have any secrets from each other.  She kisses him; he kisses her back.  Anna asks Valentin to make love to her; he asks her if she's sure that’s what she really wants, then he pulls off her Chimera necklace, and tells her he is one step ahead of her.

05-12-2017 (Friday) Secrets and Surprises

Griffin tells Hayden that her test results, aside from falsely being opiate positive, show that she is pregnant; she wonders why a lab tech, checking for opiates, would even check for pregnancy.  Griffin says he is going to check on something and promises them he will be right back; Finn asks Hayden if she could really be pregnant.  She says she has been focused on other things and hasn’t been paying attention to her cycle; Griffin returns.  He tells them another lab tech noticed the presence of HGC in her bloodstream from the first test, and ran the pregnancy test; she is indeed pregnant.  Hayden says she is the least maternal person she knows; Finn tells her she is good with Roxie.  She tells him she doesn’t know if she’s ready to be a parent, asking if he is.  He says he doesn’t know, after they talk for a while, but says he will support whatever decision she makes.

When Nina realizes Anna has been listening to their conversations this whole time, she is stunned; she tells Curtis Anna has been targeting her husband and knows exactly where to aim.  Valentin tells Anna he is busy and turns down her invitation to go the park and have a picnic; she says she was hoping they could build on how close they got yesterday.  He tells her he doesn’t want to see her again, today or any other day; at the bar, Nina fills Curtis in on Anna’s past with Valentin and her claiming to want to make amends.  Jordan surprises Anna when she sits down with her at a table in the diner; …Curtis tells Nina to be very careful, when he sees Valentin step in the room.  Valentin makes another plea for Nina’s forgiveness; he tells her he was a fool.  She tells him he’s right, and says, Anna has been using him this whole time.  She gives him his busted watch back and tells him it was bugged; Valentin gets angry and goes to see Anna.  Jordan tells Anna that she actually thought she and Andre might get together after they broke up; Anna denies sensing anything there.  Jordan then tells her what Valerie says, and struggles with whether it was true or not.  Anna tells her to quit stressing over it; if she is happy with Curtis she says, go for it.  Valentin tells Nina that Anna called again today and he told her he doesn’t want to see her again; he says that’s twice he has let Anna destroy his life and he will never forgive himself.  Curtis comes into the diner and asks Jordan to escort him to the Nurses’ Ball; she agrees.

Michael overhears Nelle on the phone, leaving a message for Nina about spying on her husband; Nelle tells Nina that she is going to have to find another nanny for Charlotte.  She explains to Michael that Nina threatened to fire her unless she did what she wanted; she says she followed him once, and hated every second of it… she tells Michael she actually lied about what he was doing.  She tells Michael she just quit; she tells Michael she is going to go somewhere else because there’s nothing left for her there.  Michael says she doesn’t have as many enemies as she thinks; but can’t give her a reason to stay.  He tells her good luck and walks away.  A man shows up on the pier and mugs Nelle; grabbing her purse and shoving her over some crates.

Carly questions why her lawyer is at this restaurant with her husband; Martina apologizes, telling Carly she asked Sonny to meet, to tell him she is removing herself from the case “to avoid the appearance of impropriety.”   She tells Carly that she has personal reasons to quit the case.  Carly asks her to explain; Sonny speaks up, saying he is the reason.  He says the two of them know each other; Martina chimes in and says she was involved with a law firm that handled a suit for Sonny’s coffee company years ago.  Carly says she can understand that, maybe, but questions why Martina told Sonny before telling her; she says she meant no disrespect, calling Sonny by his first name, which makes Carly even more suspicious and she accuses them of conspiring together.  Martina leaves; Carly and Sonny start screaming at each other about cheating and lying, and Carly insists Sonny tell her the whole truth about Martina.  He avoids answering by changing the conversation; Carly gets frustrated and leaves.

Michael tells his mother Nelle is leaving town.  She says it’s for the best; Nelle lays unconscious on the ground, with blood on her forehead.  Valentine tells Anna that he can’t deny what they have anymore and asks her to join him somewhere they can be alone; she wakes up in a hospital bed.  A nurse tells her she is going to be just fine.

05-11-2017 (Thursday) Plan B

Hayden sits in the park; Curtis sees her and asks about her and Finn.  She tells him she isn’t sure what she and Finn are at the moment.  Finn talks to Griffin; Griffin tells him if someone is tampering with his results, they should know it about it.  Finn thanks him for going along with Hayden’s plan; Griffin says he just hopes it work.  Curtis offers to help, but Hayden tells him “it’s handled.”  Griffin and Finn discuss how Monica might feel about this whole thing; she steps off the elevator and they both do their best to avoid her.  Curtis asks Hayden if Finn has said anything about them kissing that night; she says she was so messed up, but she remembers that.  Finn walks up and says he remembers it too.  He tells them he’s been meaning to talk to them about that night; they both apologize and he says there’s no need.  He thanks them for helping him through detox; Curtis tells him to just take care of his girl, as he shakes Finn’s hand.  Finn tells Hayden he is in no position to pass judgment on anyone and asks if he can show her something; he holds up his phone.  It’s a picture of a townhouse he just purchased for he and Roxie; he suggests maybe Hayden could bring over her toothbrush sometime and leave it.  She kisses him.  They go to the hospital and meet with Griffin, who has the results from Finn’s last test; they are positive for opiates.  Hayden laughs; it worked.  It was her blood they tested; Griffin promises to find out who is behind this.  Hayden and Finn say they have a pretty good idea.

Valentin comes in the house and sees Nina; he says he is glad she’s back.  She tells him she is just there to say goodbye; she says she is leaving him.  He tries to plead his case, telling Nina he is an idiot; he says the memories he thinks are locked up, are still inside him.  Anna rolls her eyes as she listens, on her headphone, to Valentine telling Nina that he only wants her; he loves her.  Robin calls; Anna tries to cut her short by lying to her, saying she has just arrived for her phlebotomy appointment.  Valentine promises Nina that he will never see Anna again if she stays; Nina says she promised herself she would never feel vengeful again.  She tells him she knows Anna gave him that watch and asks why he’s been lying to her about it the whole time; he takes it off and tells her to take it.  He says he doesn’t want it anymore; she asks why he would even wear it in the first place.  He says he doesn’t know and goes on to talk about how important Nina is to him; he says they can work through this and he will prove himself to her.  He begs her to stay, if not for him, then for Charlotte’s sake.  She tells him not to dare use Charlotte and says she isn’t doing Charlotte any good, like this; she says Anna will always be in his life and she just can’t accept that.  She says she wanted to be a role model for Charlotte; her being jealous and insecure isn’t good for Charlotte she says.  She leaves.

Griffin happens by and asks Anna why she is upset, after he hears her say, “damn it.”  He asks Anna about her phlebotomy appointment; he says Robin called him a little concerned.  Anna says she was confused; it’s tomorrow.  He tells her he knows something is going on and guesses it has to do with Valentin.  She blows that off and swears she is doing her best to take care of herself; Griffin brings up his father and starts asking questions, but gets a page from the hospital and has to go.  Anna now looks deep in thought.  Valentin remembers moments with Nina as they were falling in love; then moments with Anna.  He gets angry and throws his glass into the fireplace.  Anna now listens as Nina talks to Curtis; she pulls Valentin’s watch out of her purse.  Curtis admires it and asks if she has any plans for it; she throws it on the ground and stomps on it.  The speakers crackle in Anna’s ears; she calls Valentin and asks if he might be free to meet again.  Curtis picks up the watch and starts looking at it; he finds the listening device.

Sonny goes to see Andre at the hospital; he asks Andre if he has anything to tell him that he doesn’t already know.  Andre doesn’t tell him that he noticed something about those pills after looking at the report; he just says he will keep investigating and let him know if he finds anything.  Sonny leaves; Andre asks Monica if she can talk.   He says it’s about Morgan Corinthos; he tells her his prescription.  He asks if she thinks the pharmacy could have messed it up; she says she would hate to think so.  Andre says he owes it to Morgan, and his parents, to get to the bottom of this.

Olivia is surprised to see that Carly is wearing her wedding rings again; she asks if that means things are better.  Carly tells her it is only for appearance sake; Olivia asks if she isn’t still holding out hope.  Olivia asks if Sonny is buying a table for the Nurses’ Ball this year, and if Carly is sitting at it; Carly tells her that wasn’t so subtle.  Carly notices Olivia’s engagement ring and asks why she didn’t tell her; Olivia says she was kind of afraid to.  Carly tells Olivia that she is still able to be happy for her, despite what’s going on in her life; Olivia tries to tell Carly it could still happen for her and Sonny too.  Olivia says death could sneak up on them too, and asks if Carly could accept never seeing the face of the man she has loved most of her life again.  Carly offers to help Olivia plan her wedding, to distract her from the ugliness in her life right now; she goes to see a man about the cake.

Martina meets with Sonny at Pozzulo’s restaurant; she tells him Carly refused to even consider settlement, but she has come up with a plan to settle his case as quickly as possible.  Sonny makes her an espresso and asks what ‘Plan B’ is; she says he just need to give Carly everything.  Sonny tells her he isn’t going to do that; he tells her she is going to have to quit the case.  She agrees that is probably better than disbarment and reaches out to shake his hand, just as Carly walks in the door (to order that cake); Carly asks what the hell is going on.  She tells the two of them their answer better be damn good.

05-10-2017 (Wednesday) Playing the Game

Curtis and Jordan sit down for a drink at the Floating Rib; Andre sits at the counter.  They laugh and have a good time, as Andre stares at them; Valerie comes in and sits down next to Andre.  She and Andre comment about the happy couple; they make it appear that they are having a good time together.  Curtis and Jordan notice; Andre excuses himself.  Jordan goes over to talk to Valerie; Valerie sharply asks her if she is going to warn her off of Andre, too.  When Valerie leaves, Curtis asks what that was about; Jordan says they were just “talking shop.”  Jordan suddenly cuts the date short, kisses Curtis and says she’ll see him later; she leaves abruptly.

Anna asks Valentine how he knows the buyer is dead; she says “that toxin is deadly” and asks how he knows it isn’t still out there and won’t be used.  How can he be sure it wasn’t handed down, she asks.  Valentin flashes back to the sale of the Chimera project; it looks like an urn.  He hands it over to Helena; she references him by name, and he seems surprised she knows who he is.  Nathan says every email from Maxie gets more vague; he can’t believe she’s talking now about not coming back.  Nina asks Nathan to accompany her on the ride to the island; she says Valentin is probably still on his run.  Nathan looks up prices for a ticket to Portland; Nina offers to pay for it, but he turns her down.  Nina tells Nathan that she suspects why Valentin is taking so long ‘on his run’ – scene flashes to Anna, asking Valentin if he still doesn’t trust her at all.  He asks if she has ever been ‘herself’ with him, or if she’s always had an agenda; she playfully asks if he thinks he ever really knew her.  She smiles and says she could just disappear from his life forever; she tells him it’s his choice.  Nina tells her brother about her concerns; Nathan says he thought they already got past this… Nina says she thought so too, but every time she turns around, she comes face to face with Anna.  Nathan tells her he wishes she was miles away from Valentin, but says if she loves him, which she says she does, she has to figure all this out.  Anna tells Valentin she’ll be happy to give him his space, if he wants; she says every time she sees him, she thinks of the ills she committed against him, and says he should have been a friend.  She tells him she drowns in guilt all the time; he says that means something.  He stops her when she tries to leave; he says it is time they get to know each other, as they are now; Andre interrupts and Valentin leaves.  Andre asks Anna how close she is planning to get; Anna just smiles.  When Valentin walks in the door, Nina confronts him; she asks if he is having an affair with Anna and he says no, immediately.  She asks if he wants to; he hesitates, and she says that is all she needs to hear.  She asks Nathan to escort her back off the island.  Anna asks Andre if he really cares about her, or if she is just a distraction to keep his mind off the mess he’s made of his relationship with Jordan.  He leaves.  Anna gets a call; she tells whoever it is, that she is making progress, and adds that she wants this over as bad as they do.

Jason says he remembers the restraints; he recalls being shackled to the wall, and somebody beating him.  The man tells him his life is not his own, saying that’s Rule #1; Franco wonders why seeing that would make Jake afraid of him.  Jason recalls, the man telling him, “Rule #2” – when you finish an op, don’t miss your extraction” – the man tells Jason he doesn’t make decisions, he follows orders.  Helena laughs and tells the man, he underestimates Jason Morgan; Jason tells Franco, Helena was there.  He recalls her saying she always has “assets in reserve.”  Jason tries to think what, or who, that could mean; Franco asks if she gave him any hints.  Jason remembers Helena talking to him about a job he did, saying it was great, except that he missed the rendezvous.  She mentions Faizon.  As Jason contemplates, Franco hits him over the head with a rock; when he wakes up, he is chained to the wall again.  Franco says, it’s a perfect fit; he says maybe he should finish what Helena started, and he punches Jason in the stomach.  Jason’s mind goes back to Helena telling him he kills for her; Helena then notices Jake, and says, “hello, little man.”  Jason tells Franco Jake was there and saw it.  Franco lets Jason out of the cuffs and tells him, he didn’t really want to chain him up and beat him, he just figured it would spur him along a little when he saw he was about to remember.  Jason repays the favor by knocking Franco out, putting him in the cuffs and splashing a bucket of water on his face.  He tells him he will send help; he needs to get to his son’s birthday party. 

Jake is getting impatient about his dad getting home; he starts to get upset, but then quickly changes his attitude.  Kiki shows up at the door, carrying a package from Franco; it’s a birthday present.  Jake wants to open it, but Liz tells him to get busy on his homework.  A package arrives for him, via delivery; it’s from Spencer, supposedly.  The delivery driver tells Jake, “Happy Birthday, Little Man” and it seems to give Jake the chills.  He stares blankly.  Liz lets him open the box; it’s a treasure chest, with a magic set in it.  There’s a note, for Jake’s eyes only, telling him to look “underneath.”  He opens a lid and there is what appears to be the ‘thermos’ or urn, containing the Chimera toxin.

05-09-2017 (Tuesday) Jason, the Scarecrow

Sonny tells Martina she has a problem… and he has a solution; Martina tells him, if he is planning on blackmailing her, it will undermine his case.  He tells her that’s not it; he tells her about Ava making threats to expose their affair.  Martina realizes, if that happens, they both lose; Sonny tells her that’s why he needs her help.  He tells Martina that Carly is going to ask questions, and Lulu is her cousin, so she could get the security footage; he tells her if they can agree on a settlement and finalize the divorce, there would be nothing for Ava to hold over their heads.  She says she feels like there’s a catch; Sonny tells her, that’s because there is.  He says she has to talk Carly into dropping her claim on his assets; she says he’ll have to meet Carly halfway.  Sonny says that is halfway; she has her stuff, he has his.  Kristina comes to see her father; he tells her everything is good.  She tells him she knows better; she says Michael told her that Carly is taking everything.  She tells him she is going to work at Perks, until she saves up enough money to go back to school; he offers to help, saying he and Carly are going to settle soon.

Bobbie seems to defend Sonny, as she talks to her daughter; she tells Carly that she doesn’t need the money and shouldn’t be trying to hang onto all the assets.  Carly says she is going to make sure Sonny doesn’t see one dime of what he signed over to her, for what he did to Jax.  She tells her mother, she is so angry with Sonny and she doesn’t see that changing; but she says, writing in her journal made her remember what it was like to love Sonny, and be loved by him.  Bobbie asks if Morgan hadn’t died, if Carly thinks they would still be together; she simply says she can’t live in the fantasy of who she wants Sonny to be.  When Carly’s lawyer shows up, Bobbie excuses herself, and jokes about wanting to kill Lucy.  Carly tells Martina that her son wants her to give Sonny what is his and keep what’s hers; Martina says he may have a good point.  Carly starts to be suspicious when Martina says, she should present all of her options, and one would be to divide the assets fairly; Carly asks her what is up.  She says she simply takes pride in doing what is best for her client, regardless of how it impacts her fee, personally.  She tells her because of their ability to work together for Avery’s sake, shows that they have the ability to compromise; she tells her, her advice as her attorney is to compromise.

Lulu finds Nina at the Metro Court, and asks her for a favor; she’s wondering if they can take Charlotte on a late afternoon trip, and was wondering if she could spend the night.  Nina says no.  Lulu gets into a bickering contest with Nina, who says the problem is that they give her an inch and she wants to take a mile; Nina says Lulu isn’t considering Charlotte’s feelings.  Lulu tells Nina she won’t even be Charlotte’s step-mother for long; she says Valentin will betray her like he has everyone else.  Laura tells Lulu their table is ready; Lulu sarcastically apologizes to Nina.  Nina asks her brother how he can be friends with that girl; he says she isn’t always like that.  She tells him she loves Valentine, and she knows he loves his daughter; she says she’ll be damned if Lulu will break up their family.  Lulu tells her mom, the more time Charlotte spends with her, the more she will rely on her, and the less she will need Valentine and Nina.  She gets a text from Olivia; Lulu has to go pick up Rocco and Leo.  Olivia has to deal with a problem at the hotel.  Nina tells Nathan that she has decided to give Maxi her job back; she says she misses her at work and she is tired of seeing him pine for her, but Maxi replies to Nina’s email/offer by declining, saying she isn’t sure she is going to return to Port Charles at all.

Anna finds Valentine, on a walk; she tells him that she was actually following him, because they need to talk.  He asks why; she says they need to talk about the Chimera project.  She tells him it was easier not knowing what she did to him, because now that she knows, it’s all she can think about; he scoffs at her.  She tells him she needs to know who else was interested in buying the secrets and who he turned it over to; he tells her he doesn’t want to discuss this.  Anna does her best to talk him into telling her, but he says he “can’t.”  He says he sold it for a spectacular amount of money to the highest bidder; but he says whoever bought it is dead… stone dead.

Jason runs into Franco, in Greece; Franco says his sole motivation is to help Jake.  He says he is there to solve the mystery of the scarecrow; he tells Jason that he has a boat and he is going to have to work together with him.  Franco says if there are any answers, they are on Cassadine Island; Jason agrees to go with him on his boat.  When hey arrive on the island, they find a scarecrow; as Jason goes to check it out, Franco finds something else… it’s a picture of the Chimera, on a tree.  They determine it’s the tree he drew, that he was hiding behind; they look from his vantage point and can’t see the scarecrow.  Jason says all he could see is a wall; Jason and Franco start looking at everything on the wall.  They find chains; Jason has a flashback of being chained to the wall.  He tells Franco, it’s him; Jason says, “I’m the scarecrow.”

05-08-2017 (Monday) The Plan

Jason calls Sam; he tells her he is having a little trouble getting to Cassadine Island…just “a few hiccups,” he says.  She asks about some information he is following up on; he says he will be careful and she calls him a liar.  Sam goes to see Elizabeth at the hospital; she needs to talk to her about Jason.  When Franco shows up, Sam says it can wait; Liz convinces her to talk and she tells them both that Jason went to Greece.  Franco tells them he needs to go do something, and he leaves.  Sam notices that Scout is a bit warm and worries she is sick; she asks Liz to get a doctor.  Liz thinks she’s fine, but does as asked; Sam apologizes to Liz for panicking after the exam.  Elizabeth tells her that’s what mother’s are supposed to do.  

Jason prepares for a confrontation by putting his hand-gun together; Jason meets with the woman who lied to Lulu last year on Cassadine Island.  He shows her Jakes picture, but she denies having ever seen the boy; she says Helena used to talk about a boy she ‘rescued from sea’ but she claims, she, herself, never saw him.

Ava runs into Martina; she tells Martina she could use a favor.  Martina tells Ava she is not looking for any more clients; she’s just in town for this one case.  Ava says she’s sure there is something she could do or say to make her reconsider.  Carly meets with her lawyer; Martina tells Carly that she should put her rings back on.  She says, it’s a defensive move, because Sonny took his off; she needs to look like she is still holding on and therefore deserving of all of the assets.  Carly says Alexis was right; Martina thinks of everything.

Michael tries to talk his dad into working things out with Carly; Sonny says he intends to keep what is his.  Sonny tells Michael, Avery went to the playground with the nanny; Michael goes to see his sister at the playground.  Ava goes to see Sonny and seemingly talks him into letting her have Avery for the coming weekend, noting that he will be busy preparing for the upcoming trial; he waves her off, and she thanks him.  He calls somebody and says he is ready to “pull the trigger” on that thing he’s been planning; he tells them to “do it now.”  Ava shows up at the playground and Michael refuses to let her see Avery; she tells him he is just like his father.  

Sonny calls Martina and asks her to meet him; she shows up and asks what he wants.

05-05-2017 (Friday) Martina

Alexis runs into a man from the review board, at the police station; she apologizes for missing the meeting.  She explains that she felt it was her duty to do the right thing, so that’s what she did by defending Julian against the kidnapping charges.  The man gets mad at her and leaves.  Jordan tells Julian that Alexis is disputing his story and the DA is dropping the indictment altogether.  Alexis and Julian catch sight of each other.  He thanks her for telling the truth; she says she thinks they should tell everyone, everything.

Hayden calls and leaves Tracy a voicemail; she has thank you for her.  Brad comes in and starts bitching about Finn again; he calls him a junkie and says he is jerk, aside from that.  He says his arrogance and intolerance are going to bring him down “without a shadow of a doubt.”  Hayden asks how he can be so sure about that.  Griffin calls Finn in to his office, to tell him that his test results came back “positive” again.  Hayden comes in and tells Griffin he has to listen to Finn; she explains that she was just talking to the person who is setting him up.  Brad offers to run the samples down, himself; Griffin tells Finn and Hayden that no matter how this goes, it’s going to be bad for someone.

Carly asks her attorney what she and her husband were really talking about after she and Diane left the conference room; Ava remembers seeing Sonny take his ring off.  Sonny meets her at the daycare center where she is trying to get a position for Avery; he tells Ava to stay out of his business, “or else.”  Michael asks his mom if she is really going to go through with this; she goes on a rant about what he did to Jax.  She says he’ll make enough money back in six months to open a legitimate business and get back into the states; she says she’ll even let him rent the beach house, if he signs a lease. 

Ava accidentally bumps into Martina; she is stunned when she realizes it was Carly’s lawyer who Sonny left the bar with.  Carly questions why it’s any of Ava’s business who her lawyer is.  Michael tells his dad his mom’s agenda and says they are both going to lose; he says she’s flying in a specialist to represent her.  Sonny says he has already met her and knows how to handle her.

05-04-2017 (Thursday) The Goodbye

Sonny and Carly sit down with their attorneys; Carly’s attorney hits hard, accusing Sonny of having offshore accounts and threatening him with prison time for federal violations, if he doesn’t reveal all of his assets.  Carly tells her she doesn’t want to bring up the legality of his offshore holdings; Martina tells Sonny he should thank his wife for her generosity.  She suggests he release his claim on all of the other property, in return; he says he is willing to let her have most of it, but there are some things he just won’t let go.  Carly says she will see him in court then, and gets up, saying they are done there; Diane says she will request a court date.  She leaves the room; Sonny and Martina now look at each other.  She says this is quite a surprise; he accuses her of setting the whole thing up.  She swears it was all a coincidence; he says they still have a problem.  He says they need to come clean and admit what happened; she says there is no way they are doing that.  Carly comes back in the room and asks what they are talking about; Martina says she was telling Sonny she looks forward to seeing him in Court.

Nathan is upset that Maxie isn’t coming home; he tears up the Welcome Home card that was left for her, by the cleaners he hired, along with a dozen red roses.  After Tracy announces she is leaving Port Charles, everyone says their goodbyes; Finn tries to talk her out of going… everyone else knows not to bother.  Lulu tells her she has always been her hero; Maxi calls Lulu.  Michael tells her that he will do his best to take over the reigns at the company; she tells him she has no doubt he will shine.  She turns to Ned and tells him that he doesn’t have to change his name because he was always truly a Quartermaine, no matter what name he carried.  He says he will carry it with pride; she tells him he is her rock; he always has been, and always will be.  They hug and she exits the room.  Olivia tells Ned that she has decided she will take the Quartermaine name as well; together, they will look after Port Charles, she says.

Monica calls for the private jet to take her wherever she wants to go; she tells her a car will be there for her shortly.  Monica tells her that she loves her, although she isn’t quite sure when it happened.  Tracy smiles.  She leaves; she runs back in for one last hug before leaving.  Nurse Amy comes to see Maxie; Nathan explains that she isn’t in town.  Amy is made because she flaked out on the Nurses Ball; Nathan reveals his sadness about her absence.  Amy ‘counsels’ him not to give up; she says, if it’s meant to be, they will make it work one way or another.  He thanks her for her encouragement and leaves the room for a minute; she tears the picture of him and Maxie (that was attached to the card he tore up) in half and takes it, and smiles.  Tracy has made arrangements for the sale ahead of time; she completes the sale, and a montage of clips from her time on the show plays, both old and new.  She turns to walk out and there is Luke, in a wheelchair, looking very sickly.

05-03-2017 (Wednesday) A New Girl in Town

Tracy tells her father she knows exactly where the painting should go; she calls somebody across the world to make some “very specific arrangements.”  Tracy tells Dillon about her ‘vision’ while unconscious in the crypt, and tells him she is finally at peace with herself.  She invites Monica and the family to a brunch, with some invited guests, being Kiki, Hayden and Finn, Laura, Olivia, and Lulu.  Ned announces to his family that he has made a decision to change his name from Ashton to Quartermaine; he says it’s how he thinks of himself and is intrinsic to his identity.  Monica seems very happy; Ned asks his mother if she approves that he take the name Edward Lawrence Quartermaine, and she, almost in tears, says, “with all my heart.”  

Tracy tells the family of her father’s ventures as Jimmy Lee Holt and about the letter her father left her; she says it set her free.  She tells her family and friends that she loves them all very much, but she now has to step out of her father’s shadow; she says she has to make a life for herself and she can’t do it there.  She announces to them, she’s leaving.

As Carly frets over whether or not to take off her ring, Sonny climbs onto the bed, while kissing the young lady he met in the bar (on The Floating Rib).  She accepts responsibility for the cards that have been delivered there for Lucy, for the Nurses’ Ball.  Olivia and Dante help Lucy with a box of decorations; Nathan tells Dante that Maxie is coming home, and he hired somebody to clean the apartment for him.  Nathan gets a call that Maxie is not coming home after all.  Dante tells Nathan Maxie must believe that their marriage can handle it; he says their marriage is solid.  Nathan isn’t so sure.  Sonny and Martina introduce themselves to each other in the morning light; he asks her if she has any regrets.  She says no and asks him if he does; he tells her he had a great time last night and it was a welcome distraction for what he has to do today.  She tells him she has to meet with a client in an hour; he says that gives them plenty of time and they start kissing again.  (I’m guessing this is Carly’s lawyer, recommended by Alexis and they’ll be finding this out shortly.)  

Carly comes to talk to Lulu about using The Floating Rib as an overflow (hotel) for a convention that is coming to town the week of the Nurses’ Ball.  Carly hears a noise in the room behind the bar; she goes to check it out.  Martina’s feet kick the phone off of the nightstand; Lulu tells Carly that she has the State Room rented out for the week, as Carly tries to open the door.  Sonny asks if he’ll get to see her later; she says probably not, because this case is probably going to take up all her time this week.  They agree to get together again, if they ever bump into each other in the future.  Carly meets Diane in the conference; they are the first to arrive.  Diane tells Carly that Sonny is going to miss her like a dying man misses oxygen; she says it’s easy to dissolve a marriage, but they will never dissolve this relationship and they should just go to separate corners until they work things out.  When Sonny comes in, Diane tells him they may be able to drop this whole thing; Carly notices he took off his ring.  She says they can get started, and she takes off her ring; her attorney enters the room… it’s Martina.

05-02-2017 (Tuesday) Disaster Looms

Valentine hands Anna’s necklace back, as he sits down next to her.  He says he can’t believe that she still has it; she says Robyn found it in her jewelry box and she didn’t remember where she had gotten it until recently.  She says it’s a symbol of the project that brought them together… and tore them apart.  The Chimera project was the last thing she asked him to help her with, she says.    She talks about the Chimera; a dream, an illusion.  She wishes she could go back and change things; she talks about the things from that night that she cherishes.  He says it was all an illusion, like that necklace; she says he doesn’t know the whole story, claiming it was not all an illusion.  She gets cold; he gives her his jacket.  She says she never would have ordered his death; she lit a candle for him after he vanished.  She says her regret was not losing the “secret of the Chimera project,” it was losing him; she says she broke both of their hearts that night in Lisbon.  Anna tries to stand and remembers her ankle is hurt.  Valentin offers to give Anna a ride home, even though she protests.  But the car won’t start; strange, he says, he never has trouble with that car.  He calls for an Ubber; Anna apologizes for him being “stuck” with her.  Valentin says he should go for ice; Anna asks him just to stay with her, and tells him she doesn’t consider them mortal enemies.  She says she was in the wrong, so he can make the rules; she brings up the past again and gets him to mention that he may have sold the secrets to somebody else.  Her ride arrives before he confirms anything.

Sonny tells Carly he needs to talk to her about Morgan; he tells her about the pills being part of the robbery, and that there was no information gained from them.  They question why Morgan would have had his pills with him at The Floating Rib; and if he did, how were they still there six months later?  Carly wants to have the pills analyzed; Sonny tells her he’s already done it, and the results were normal.  She gets upset and talks about the circumstances of his death, but gets a phone call about a meeting regarding the divorce.  Sonny tells her he doesn’t want to have a meeting; he just wants to take what’s his… Carly tells him, she has what’s his and plans on keeping it.  She reminds him that he signed everything over to her right before going to jail when he thought he killed Morgan.  They start fighting; Joslyn comes off the elevator and lays into Sonny.  She tells him she does not forgive him for anything he’s done and says Morgan wouldn’t forgive him either; Sonny says, maybe not and leaves.  

Carly tells Jos that her divorcing Sonny has nothing to do with her and she doesn’t want her hating him; Joslyn says, “too late.”  Joslyn questions her mother about not wanting to move to Australia and asks, if things are really over between her and Sonny, why she is still wearing the ring; she goes back to her room.  Carly looks at her ring.  Sonny goes to the bar where he meets with a young lady.  Ava comes to see Scotty; he tells her, Julian is going to stay in jail.  She says she is there about “her” not her brother; she says she is done worrying, thanks to him.  She says things are improving for her and talks about a spectacular sunset she saw tonight; she says it’s all due to his advice.  He jokes that he should become some lifestyle guru; she said it was just his assurance that the pills aren’t going to come back to “bite” her.  She talks to him about her chances to get custody of Avery; he convinces her it is best not to try that right now.  They decide to go out for a drink; they are surprised to see Sonny talking with somebody.  He tells the lady that he needs to make it an early night; she leaves her room key on the table.  He takes his ring off and picks up the key, leaving the bar with the young lady.

Franco and Elizabeth notice the new drawing on Jake’s timeline; Franco says it doesn’t look like anything good (the one resembling a lion, but with a snake’s tail, and cloven hooves)…. Franco says he wants to help Jake.  Jason, after seeing the ‘new’ page in Helena’s book, says he recognizes the image; it’s a Chimera, he says.  Sam asks how he knows; he isn’t sure, he just knows.  Jason says they need to deal with this now.  Jason and Sam go over to Elizabeth’s; they all agree, the Chimera is definitely connected to Jake’s birthday in some way; Jason is frustrated that he doesn’t remember his time on the island.  They agree to take a break for the night; Jason takes the book back.  He tells Franco that he realizes Jake “thinks he has a connection” with him, and tells him to “do the right thing.”  Sam tells Jason that she thinks whatever Helena did to Jake and to him are all tied together; he says he agrees and tells her he needs to go back to Cassadine Island.  Franco revels in Jason’s acknowledgment of Jake’s connection; then he tells her that he held back some information about the Chimera he found online.  He says the appearance of the Chimera is said to be foreshadowing of disaster.

05-01-2017 (Monday) The Chimera

Nina tells Valentine not to wait up for him; she says fashion never sleeps and she has to find a replacement for Maxie, but no one has her drive or stamina.  Anna listens in; she jumps when Nathan touches her on the shoulder.  He asks her if she’s okay; she claims it’s her medication, saying it makes her loopy.  They talk; he says he misses Maxie now that she’s living across the country.  Not the newlywed bliss he was hoping for he says, but what can you do?  He hugs her goodbye and finishes his run.  Nelle shows up as Nina is trying to get rid of Valentin; she tells her to go after him and follow him.  Nelle says she can’t do that.  Nina tells her she just wants her help because talking to her husband has gotten her nowhere; she says she just needs to know if he is even thinking about it.  She asks her not to make her threaten to fire her again; Nelle says she’ll give it some serious thought when Nathan shows up unannounced.  

Nina asks her brother why he doesn’t come to see her at Wyndemere; he says it’s because of her husband.  Nina says she understands; she then confesses her suspicions about Anna and Valentin.  He tells her just to be careful, for herself and for Charlotte, he says. Valentine happens by and Anna “twists” her ankle and face-plants on the pier; he asks what had her so deep in thought and she replies, “you.”  He helps her to the bench and gets her an ice pack; Nelle watches.  Anna tells Valentin she regrets her actions when they worked for the WSB.  Everything, she says… well, not everything; she reaches out and takes his hand.  He stands up and says that’s over now; he wonders where his boat is.  Anna starts playing with her necklace.  Nelle goes back to report to Nina; she tells her that Valentin was alone on the pier.  He waited for the boat and went home.  Meanwhile, Anna is asking him if he recognizes the necklace; he takes it in his hands.

Sam and Jason look through the book to try to find clues that will help Jake; Elizabeth and Franco contemplate Jake’s drawing again.  Franco wonders why Helena would have waited a whole year for some ‘plan’ to go down; Sam says none of this makes any sense.  She wonders if Jake made all of this up.  Jason worries what happened during the two years of his life he still can’t account for; he says he wishes there were some way to prove whether or not he was on Cassadine Island at that time.  Sam checks the computer records for the facility where Helena held Jason; he recalls Helena saying he will never remember what happened to Jake on that island.  Sam has an idea; she pours him a shot of tequila and spills it on the book.  As he wipes it off, Jason notices that two pages were stuck together; there is something on the page he recognizes, a “Chimera” he calls it.  Jake is drawing a picture on his timeline, of the exact same creature (looks sort of like a lion).

Ned thinks he may have another solution to Samira’s problems; he offers her a check for $10,000 to help set her up a new life with the Visa extension he lined up for her.  He says she is facing criminal charges if she plays this out to the bitter end; she takes the check.  She says she didn’t mean to hurt anyone; he tells her not to bother explaining.  She says she’s sorry; he says, “not nearly as sorry as someone else is going to be.”  Ned calls a family meeting and requires his father’s attendance; Tracy gets the idea.  Larry Ashton set the whole thing up; Samira was an actress, there was no kidnapped daughter.  Ned explains how he figured it all out; everything happened exactly as he planned.  Tracy tries to hit Ashton over the head with the fireplace poker; Ned stops her and tells him to get out of the mansion.  Tracy says if he ever darkens the doorway again, he can rest assured that the Quartermaine’s can cover up a murder.  Tracy decides what to do with the painting.  

Jane Elliot's GOODBYE

TRACY LEAVING Port Charles & GH