In Geneva, Dr. Kirk entered Dante's room as Dante read the file of his mission. "This can't be true," Dante said to the doctor. Dr. Kirk replied that it was Dante's mission to find out. Dante couldn't believe what was going on in Port Charles, and Dr. Kirk informed him that there had been many changes in town since Dante had left. Dante didn't expect to pick up where he had left off with everyone, and he thought back to the last time he'd left Lulu. Dr. Kirk clicked his pen a few times, and Dante stated in a monotone, "Complete the mission." He wondered what kind of trap could catch the target as he looked at a picture of Peter from the file.
Dr. Kirk explained that, while Peter had technically been cleared, some in the WSB believed that he was still involved in illegal activities, which was why the mission was "off the books." As Dante looked at a picture of Anna from the file, Dr. Kirk continued that the WSB was wondering if Peter had faked his reform, and if he'd had help. Dante packed as Dr. Kirk instructed Dante to lose his preconceived notions of who Anna and Peter were. Dante asked what would happen if he discovered that Peter wasn't as reformed as he claimed. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Dr. Kirk replied, and Dante left.
Dr. Kirk entered another room and told someone, "It's done," and that Dante had taken on the mission. The woman replied that Dante would prove her innocence and Peter's guilt all at once, and then she would have her revenge. The doctor looked on as Liesl smiled at the idea.
At the Metro Court restaurant, Lulu babbled on to Peter about how Dustin was staying with her while he was "between leases" and how he'd been helping around the house. She apologized for the unnecessary domestic update and informed her boss that she hadn't had any luck yet recruiting an "A-list reporter." Peter looked across the room and told Lulu that a more immediate concern of hers should be that Olivia and Robert were there.
Olivia insisted on getting Robert a room at the hotel, but he thought that she needed to go home and be with Ned. She figured that she could wait a few more minutes until Robert was settled, but he reminded her that all she'd talked about had been going home to Ned. Olivia admitted that she was afraid to see how little of her marriage was left when she went home, but Robert reassured her. Lulu approached the table and asked if Olivia had gotten her message, but Olivia replied that she'd had a "phone catastrophe." Robert excused himself and walked away from the table.
Lulu told Olivia that she and Dustin had wanted to have a dinner date with Olivia and Ned, and Olivia promised to call when she had a new phone. Olivia informed a curious Lulu that she'd lost her phone on a trip to see Dante. She told Lulu about the disappointing trip and that she'd finally accepted that there was no getting through to Dante. As Olivia cried, Lulu insisted that Olivia could call anytime and talk as long as she wanted. In the meantime, she suggested that Olivia find Ned, as he probably couldn't wait to see her.
"Miss me?" Robert said to Peter. Peter joked that he'd thought Robert would have returned home "mellower." Robert replied that losing Holly had taught him that time ran out, so the sooner he made Peter face justice, the sooner Robert could go on living his life. Lulu walked over and asked Robert to give threatening Peter a rest. Robert was mystified that Luke's daughter could defend someone like Peter. He added that he'd known some real reporters in his day, and she could be one of them if she took off her blinders.
When Robert was gone, Peter asked about what had happened with Olivia. Lulu replied that she had no details, but it made her want to go after Cyrus even harder. She was angry that people like Cyrus and the people who had hurt Dante could just get away with their crimes. Suddenly, she had an idea to get their "Cyrus project off the ground," and it had the added benefit of getting Robert off Peter's back.
Jax arrived home from a run, and Nina told him that he'd just missed Josslyn as she'd run upstairs to get ready for the homecoming dance. Just then, Josslyn returned downstairs, complaining about how she'd never be ready in time because she couldn't even find her makeup. Nina found it on the coffee table, and she wondered if Josslyn was all right. Josslyn talked about all the weird emotions she'd had between being sad about Mike and relieved about Nelle. Nina asked if there had been news about Nelle, but the answer was interrupted by the doorbell.
Nina let Sonny and Carly into the house, and Carly thanked Jax for hosting the pre-dance get together. Josslyn excused herself to get ready, but Nina wanted to hear about Nelle first. Sonny broke the news to Jax and Nina, and Nina thought the entire thing was sad. Carly said that they weren't going to dwell on Nelle that night, and she went upstairs with Josslyn to help her get ready. Nina expressed her condolences to Sonny for Mike, and he replied that he was just glad to have been able to spend Mike's last few years together with him.
Sonny, Jax, and Nina talked about how special the night was supposed to be for Josslyn and how many good memories there were to be had in high school. Josslyn and Carly returned downstairs, wanting opinions on Josslyn's hair and makeup. Carly reminded Josslyn that there was a fashion magazine editor in the room, and Nina happily accompanied Josslyn upstairs to help. When they were gone, Jax wondered how long it had taken Carly after Jax had left her house to tell Sonny and Jason about the night in the woods. She admitted that Lulu had visited after Jax had left, and she'd told Sonny and Jason immediately after Lulu had left.
"I know what you're gonna say," Jax told Sonny in response to Sonny's glare. "I don't think you do," Sonny replied, and he thanked Jax for not running directly to the cops. The two men bickered about it until Carly demanded that they stop. Sonny revealed that he'd been handling situations like that for years, so "from now on, we're gonna do it my way." Jax didn't want to continue talking there, where Nina could overhear. Just then, Nina entered the room. Jax claimed that they'd been talking about the details of Nelle's death, and they were too gruesome for Nina to hear. Nina thought it was hard to believe that Nelle was gone.
Curtis found Portia at the hospital, and she assumed that Jordan had told Curtis about their talk. He replied that she had, but he was there for a different reason. He wanted her to tell him about Britt. Just then, a bruised and scraped Martin arrived at the hospital, begging for help. He claimed that he'd just been mugged, so Portia took him to an exam room. Inside the exam room, Curtis asked what the attacker had looked like, but Martin replied that he'd been hit from behind. Portia asked Curtis to wait outside, so he left the room and took out his phone.
"You're drunk," Valentin said as he brushed past Ned outside the Floating Rib. Ned pulled Valentin back and punched him, and Chase immediately stepped between the men. Ned wanted to protect Alexis from Valentin, but Valentin insisted that she didn't need protecting. Valentin didn't want to press charges, and Chase warned Ned, "Don't make me write this up. Let it be over." Ned put his hands up and declared the conflict over. Chase offered to call a car for Ned, but Ned refused to leave Alexis alone with Valentin.
Ned, Chase, and Valentin returned to the bar. Just then, Chase's phone went off, and he answered it to Curtis. Curtis instructed Chase to get to the hospital, as Martin had been robbed and mugged. Chase repeated the information, which caught Valentin's attention. When Chase was off the phone, Valentin asked what had happened to his attorney and insisted on going to the hospital with Chase. Chase wondered who would want to attack Martin, and Valentin cracked that Martin was a lawyer. Valentin glared at Ned, and he left with Chase.
Alexis sat at the bar and had the bartender pour her another drink. Ned sat down next to her and expressed to her how good "smacking" Valentin had felt. He was curious as to why Alexis had been with Valentin. She answered that she'd been nice to Valentin when he'd hit rock bottom, and he'd wanted to return the favor. Ned insisted that there had to have been something in it for Valentin. Alexis thought that Ned should go home, but he felt that it was too empty there. He told her about Olivia's trip, and Alexis was sure that he would get an explanation soon. Alexis told Ned about Neil's memorial service, and Ned assured her that Neil's brother had been wrong about her.
Alexis and Ned got a couple drinks and toasted to "good times past." They talked about their own relationship, and Alexis thought he'd dodged a bullet when she'd left him at the altar. She figured that if she hadn't left him, he wouldn't have found Olivia. "Found and lost, like ELQ and my daughter," Ned lamented. Alexis assured him that those things weren't permanent, and he was a good man. A few minutes later, he informed her that he'd called a car, and he could drop her off first. He realized that it wasn't even late, so they should go somewhere else. "The night is still young," he said. "We're not," she shot back. "Says who?" he replied as the two got closer. He got a text that the car was there, so it was time to go home. "All alone," Alexis added glumly.
Chase and Valentin arrived at the hospital, and Portia assured them that Martin only had a slight concussion. She approved Chase's request to ask Martin some questions, so Valentin followed Chase to Martin's exam room. In the room, Chase asked Martin what had happened. He explained that he'd finished up a meeting with a potential client at Metro Court, so he'd taken the elevator to the parking garage. He'd been walking toward his car when suddenly he'd been flat on the floor in a lot of pain. He continued that his briefcase, which contained contracts, legal briefs, and an envelope from Nelle, had been taken. Chase wondered how Julian had reacted, and Martin replied that he'd been more interested in Nelle's estate. Chase advised that he could return with more questions, and he left.
Once alone, Valentin demanded to know what was in Nelle's envelope, as he wanted to know if it contained any information about him. Martin claimed that he didn't know, but even if he did, he wouldn't tell. Valentin knew that Nelle had had a habit of making other people's business her business, and he vowed to stop at nothing to protect his loved ones. Valentin reminded Martin how much he paid Martin and that Martin's first loyalty was to Valentin. Martin divulged that Nelle had trusted no one, so any secrets she'd had were probably going to the grave with her. Valentin advised Martin to start praying, and he left.
Portia asked Chase if all of his questions had been answered. "For now," he replied, and he promised to be back later. When he was gone, Curtis again asked Portia about Britt. She replied that he shouldn't be asking questions, as she didn't want him poking around Cyrus, for his own safety. Curtis appreciated her concern, but he informed her that his family had to worry about Cyrus, anyway. Portia remembered Curtis saying that he would do right by Trina, but he couldn't do that if he was dead. She wouldn't stop him, but she advised him to be careful.
Outside of Charlie's, Julian took out the trash, and he took Nelle's envelope out of his pocket. When he returned inside, Cyrus greeted him by saying, "Just the man I'm looking for! You have something I want." Cyrus divulged that he wanted to buy Charlie's. Julian replied that it wasn't for sale, and he refused to hear any offers. He didn't want a partner or his past dragging him down. Cyrus related that it was hard to convince people in Port Charles that someone was reformed.
Chase arrived at Charlie's, and Cyrus growled that he was sick of the police harassment. "Not everything is about you," Chase spat, and he walked up to Julian. He told Julian about Martin's mugging and asked where Julian had been at five o' clock. Cyrus instructed Julian not to answer anything without a lawyer. Julian insisted that he hadn't done anything, and Cyrus chimed in that Julian had been there at the bar with him. Chase assumed that Cyrus would be willing to sign a statement saying so, and Cyrus agreed. Chase still advised Julian to get a lawyer, because he wasn't done with the questions, and he left.
Julian thanked Cyrus for the alibi, but he insisted that he hadn't done anything wrong. Julian offered to buy Cyrus a drink for his trouble. "On one condition," Cyrus responded, and he asked that Julian at least agree to hear his offer to buy the bar. A few minutes later, Julian opened Nelle's envelope behind the bar. Addressing him, Nelle had written that Julian had predictably found a way to get the letter away from Martin. The letter informed him that the actual incriminating letter was still out there. "I may be dead, but you're in hell. Your loving wife, Nelle," the letter concluded. Julian wondered who Nelle had trusted enough to give the real letter to.
In the Pentonville mail room, a guard sorted the incoming mail. One envelope covered in smiley faces caught his eye. The return address was labeled, "NBJ," and the letter was addressed to Ryan Chamberlain.
Due to ABC Sports coverage of the Major League Baseball postseason, General Hospital did not air. This was a planned preemption and there were no "lost" episodes as a result of the schedule change.
Regular programming resumed on Thursday, October 1, and picked up where the Monday, September 28, episode concluded.
Due to ABC Sports coverage of the Major League Baseball postseason, General Hospital did not air. This was a planned preemption and there were no "lost" episodes as a result of the schedule change.
Regular programming resumed on Thursday, October 1, and picked up where the Monday, September 28, episode concluded.
Brando and Dev arrived outside of Jax's house, and Brando said that Dev looked good all dressed up for the dance. Dev commented that the tie was choking him, but Brando thought that Josslyn would appreciate that Dev had dressed up. Just then, Brando's phone went off, and he told Dev to go inside while Brando found out who it was. Once Dev was inside, Brando answered the phone to Cyrus. Cyrus informed Brando that the men who'd attacked Brando had been arrested thanks to an anonymous tip.
Cyrus admitted that the attackers had been some of his men gone rogue, so he wanted to make amends by sending Brando some new equipment for his shop. Brando turned the offer down. Cyrus said that he wanted Brando for part of his team, as he thought that Brando would "flourish" under Cyrus' leadership. "Which team?" Brando wondered. Cyrus asked for a chance to prove it, and he promised to talk to Brando soon.
Cyrus entered Charlie's, and Jason saw the man enter the bar. Sam arrived behind Jason, who wondered why she was following him. She countered by asking why he was following Cyrus. He answered that he was working, and there had been a reason that he'd been "sketchy on the details," as she'd put it. Jason informed her that Cyrus had had a long conversation with Julian hours before, and he hadn't left Charlie's since. Sam wondered what Cyrus would want with Julian, and she figured that there was only one way to find out. She made her way to the bar, followed by Jason.
Julian was rereading Nelle's letter when Cyrus entered Charlie's. Julian informed Cyrus that he still wasn't interested in selling the bar, regardless of how appreciative he was for the alibi. Cyrus commented that Julian still looked distressed, and he wondered if Julian was worried about Nelle's crimes being held against him. Julian replied that Nelle couldn't hurt anyone anymore. "You hope," Cyrus answered. Cyrus advised Julian to keep Cyrus in mind, as he only needed to ask for help if he was in more trouble.
Jason and Sam entered the bar, and Sam asked to talk to Julian in private. Cyrus made his way across the room, and Jason followed. Cyrus expressed his condolences over Mike, as he knew that it was terrible to lose a loved one. He wondered if Sonny's business had suffered, but he remembered that Jason always had Sonny's back. Cyrus mentioned Brando, and how lucky he'd been that Jason had found him. Jason replied that Brando insisted that he could take care of himself, which was fine with him. Cyrus innocently wondered if Brando had been taken "under the Corinthos wing."
At the bar, Sam cut to the chase and demanded to know what was going on between Julian and Cyrus. Julian insisted that Cyrus was a customer, as "even kingpins get thirsty." He divulged Cyrus' offer to buy the bar and his own refusal of the offer, so Sam wondered why Cyrus was still there. "Hell if I know," Julian replied, but he wouldn't turn down the money that Cyrus was spending. Julian countered that Sam should be focusing on Alexis, and she should talk to Cyrus if she thought that he was up to no good. Julian maintained that he was no longer interested in battling or causing more issues with Sonny, as he had his own problems. He excused himself and walked away.
Sam approached Jason and Cyrus, and Cyrus thought it was a shame about Neil. Sam pointedly wondered where Neil could have gotten the drugs he'd used, and Cyrus played dumb. He reminded Sam that the charges against him had been "trumped up." Cyrus asked Sam to pass his condolences on to Alexis, and he left. Between Cyrus mentioning Alexis, and his attempted dealings with Julian, Sam felt like Cyrus was taunting them. Jason agreed that Cyrus definitely seemed to be pushing the boundaries of their agreement. Jason vowed to tell Sonny. A short while later, Jason called Sonny and told Sonny that he had an update about Cyrus, and he asked Sonny to meet him.
At Wyndemere, Ava's phone went off, and she answered it to Nina. Nina exclaimed that she'd been worried about Ava, as she hadn't called Nina after meeting with her blackmailer as she'd promised. Ava brushed off the blackmailer as "no threat" to her. Nina wanted details, but Ava couldn't talk about it, since she didn't know where Nikolas was "lurking." Nina wondered if the couple had talked about their night together, and Ava responded that neither had mentioned it. Ava didn't want to appear vulnerable, and she didn't want to potentially give Nikolas any ammunition.
A few minutes later, Ava ended her call when Nikolas entered. "How was your day?" he asked. "Fine, yours?" she replied. "Fine," he answered. Nikolas rifled through some paperwork on the desk, and he suddenly exclaimed, "How could you do this behind my back?" Thinking that he'd been sent the picture, Ava insisted she could explain. However, he yelled that ten thousand dollars for sheets and bedding was way too much. She coolly answered that she had sensitive skin, and she was expected to live a certain lifestyle as the mistress of Wyndemere. "You were just fine with cotton sheets at Sonny's cabin," Nikolas observed with a smirk. "Says you," she shot back.
Nikolas reminded Ava that sex wasn't a part of their marriage contract, and she insisted that she hadn't forgotten. She claimed that she hadn't given their night together much thought, and he asked if she regretted it. "Do you?" she wondered as they grew closer. Ava related that Nina thought she was crazy, and Nikolas was surprised that Ava had told anyone. "Unlike you, I need friends," Ava said. Nikolas agreed that it had been crazy of them to have sex, and he wondered what they were supposed to do. Ava stated that their marriage was a business arrangement, so sex should be off the table. "Is that what you want?" Nikolas asked. "Is that what you want?" Ava asked, getting closer, but they were interrupted by a knock on the door.
Nikolas let Julian into the house, and Julian asked for a private conversation with Ava. Ava shut Nikolas out of the living room, and Julian begged for help, as he was in trouble. He told her about the letter, and he had no idea who could have the real one. Nikolas entered the room, declaring it his own. Ava countered that it belonged to both of them, and there were many other rooms in the house he could go into. Just then, Ava got a call from an unknown number. She answered to a recorded voice asking her to accept the charges for a collect call from Pentonville from Ryan Chamberlain.
At Jax's, Carly, Portia, and Elizabeth were complimenting Dev when Brando entered the house. Cameron wondered if Josslyn always took so long to get ready for school in the morning, and Dev stammered out a noncommittal answer. Dev claimed that he was just nervous for his first high school dance. Jax descended the stairs and announced, "Your public awaits!" Josslyn descended the stairs in a shiny red dress, and Trina followed in a sparkling silver dress. Everyone downstairs clapped and took pictures of the girls as Dev and Cameron admired them.
Jax thanked Nina for pausing the search for her own child to help with his. She answered that she was having fun, and Phyllis Caulfield could wait a little longer. Elizabeth expressed to Cameron how glad she was that the four friends were going to the dance together after all they'd been through. Carly thought that Sonny would love looking through all of her pictures of the night. Jax asked Carly how she was doing since she'd told Jason and Sonny about Nelle. She replied that she was relieved, as she hated keeping secrets from Sonny. Jax didn't like keeping the secret from Nina, and he related that news of the death had hit her hard.
Portia and Elizabeth approached Carly and Jax, wondering how Nelle had died. Carly replied that the cause of death hadn't yet been determined. Elizabeth was glad that Nelle's body had been found, so the family could stop looking over their shoulders. Nina and Josslyn approached the group, and Jax wondered if the kids were ready to go. Josslyn informed her father that they couldn't be the first ones there. Cameron wondered how Trina was feeling. She thought it would be hard going to the dance, but she related that he was the only thing she needed in order to feel safe. Dev told Josslyn that he was sorry Mike couldn't see her that night, but she hoped he could. She was glad to hear that Dev was thinking about Mike.
A few minutes later, Brando told Dev that it looked like Dev and Josslyn had been connecting. He advised Dev to relax and be himself. Portia asked Elizabeth if they were doing the right thing by letting their kids go to the dance. Elizabeth admitted to a couple sleepless nights over it, but she thought that they needed to be all right with it if the kids were. Portia thought it was a good idea that they were chaperoning. Trina lightheartedly warned her mother not to embarrass them.
Carly got everyone's attention in order to announce the rules for the night. She started that Tony would be there to drive them to the dance, and there was to be no drinking. Josslyn and Cameron joked that they'd learned their lesson the year before. Carly continued that they were not to leave without Tony, and the same rules applied for wherever they went after the dance. Josslyn cracked that they should get pictures with Tony, which reminded Carly to get more pictures of the kids. The four took pictures with each other and their parents.
Josslyn, Cameron, Trina, Dev, Portia, and Elizabeth arrived on the dock in front of the Haunted Star. Portia advised the kids to go in, and the two moms would catch up. Cameron asked Trina how she was feeling. "I'm smiling, aren't I?" she replied, and the kids went in. Portia related to Elizabeth that it had taken all of her restraint to let Trina out of her sight, and Elizabeth agreed. Portia wanted to talk to Elizabeth about Britt, and she added that there was no reason for Britt to cut Elizabeth's hours. Elizabeth thought back to her conversation with Jason about Cyrus ridding the hospital of everyone who knew how it ran, and pushing Elizabeth and Epiphany out, since they were close with Sonny and Jason.
Elizabeth was glad that Portia was staying in her position, as the hospital needed good doctors like her. They wondered if Britt knew what she was getting into, as being a puppet for Cyrus sounded like a dangerous job. Portia thanked Elizabeth for checking in on her and for caring. Elizabeth replied that the "good guys" had to stick together, and the two entered the ship together.
At Jax's, Carly talked about how "adorable" Dev had looked, and Brando jokingly warned her not to say that to Dev's face. He called Dev likeable, and he'd observed that Dev wore his heart on his sleeve. He thanked Carly for including him in the night, as he'd had a better time than he'd thought he would. "You're family now," Carly replied with a smile.
Jax found Nina looking solemnly out the window, and he made sure that she was all right. She admitted that she was wondering whether or not her own child had had nights like that. She hoped that her child had had a happy and normal life, but she wished that she'd been a part of it. A few minutes later, the two joined Carly and Brando, and Brando excused himself. He thanked Jax for hosting, and Jax offered to walk Brando to his car.
When the men were gone, Carly noticed that Nina had tears in her eyes. Carly cracked that Josslyn wouldn't talk to her for a long time if she'd cried that night. Nina admitted that she couldn't help but picture her own child out with the four kids, even though they wouldn't be the same age. Carly reminded Nina that Charlotte would be ready for her own homecoming dance sooner than Nina realized. Jax returned as Nina updated Carly on her search. Nina thought that it was a long shot, but Carly reminded Nina of how she'd found Bobbie years later. Jax and Carly urged her to keep looking, and Carly added that Nina deserved to be a mom.
On the Haunted Star, Josslyn expressed to Dev how good it felt to have a normal social life again after their lockdown. She thanked Dev for making the lockdown more bearable. Dev called Josslyn "harika," and she wondered if that was a compliment. Dev answered that it meant that she was gorgeous, but he thought that she was gorgeous even when she wasn't all dressed up. She awkwardly replied that seeing past the "messy hair and bunny slippers" was part of being family. He divulged that, even though they were pretending to be cousins, he didn't see her that way anymore.
Josslyn quickly told Dev that she was happy that they were friends. She added that everyone thought they were actually related, so it was good that they got along. She excused herself to catch up with a couple of her friends from volleyball.
Cameron found Trina outside on the deck, and he wondered what had happened to her smile. "I can't," she responded. She thought that going to the dance was a big mistake, but Cameron insisted that her father would want her to live her life and be happy. Trina needed a minute to herself, so she excused herself. Cameron made her promise that she would be back, and she did.
Cameron ran into Dev, and they informed each other of Josslyn and Trina's whereabouts. Cameron ran off to find Trina, who ran into Dev when Cameron was gone. Dev informed her that Cameron was looking for her. She glumly told him that she didn't feel like partying, so she was going home.
In his search for Trina, Cameron stumbled upon Josslyn. He told her that he needed to find Trina, who was upset, and Josslyn thought that he was a great friend. He countered that it was tough to figure out the right thing to do. Josslyn advised him to be honest with himself and follow his heart. He wondered what she was doing out there, as he thought she'd been with her volleyball friends. She replied that she'd needed some fresh air, as she was tired of letting people down.
Cameron didn't think that Josslyn ever let anyone down, and he insisted that she was amazing just the way she was. She was glad that he had always been in her life, and he agreed with the sentiment. As the two grew closer, Josslyn thought that they should head back inside, and he agreed. Instead of walking away, the two shared a kiss.
Due to ABC Sports coverage of the Major League Baseball postseason, General Hospital did not air. This was a planned preemption and there were no "lost" episodes as a result of the schedule change.
Regular programming resumed on Monday, October 5, and picked up where the Thursday, October 1, episode concluded.
