Joss arrives at the Metro Court pool and spots Trina and Kai by the pool. Trina invites her to join them. Emma is there too, and is not pleased to see Joss. Emma notes Dalton’s presence near the bar and tables, and wonders if they are keeping Joss from something? Joss says she has to work today and walks over to Dalton.
Emma complains to Trina that she knows Joss is her bestie, but Joss sabotaged her and stole her job. Trina tells Emma that Joss wouldn’t take a job she didn’t earn. Kai and Trina then hit the pool.
Dalton’s Research Revealed — Sort Of…
Sidwell and Jordan meet with Henry Dalton. Sidwell informs Jordan that the professor is doing cutting-edge research. Joss approaches them, and Henry introduces Joss to Jordan and Sidwell. Joss already knows Jordan, and Jordan explains to Sidwell that Joss is Carly’s daughter.
Sidwell invites Joss to join them, and Henry praises Joss for passing his rigorous screening process. He learned he needs to be able to trust completely those he works with, a lesson he learned the hard way. He also informs Joss that Sidwell has generously funded his new batch of research. Sidwell suggests Henry tell Jordan what he’s working on. Henry explains he’s working on a new type of clean energy.
Later, Joss gets a phone call and is called away, and Sidwell also has to leave. However, Sidwell suggests Jordan stay and get to know Henry. Jordan tells Dalton that she’s looking forward to learning about his exciting research. Dalton tells her it’s all hush-hush right now, as he doesn’t want it being publicly scrutinized before it’s completed.
Meanwhile, Trina and Kai push Emma to join them in the pool. She does, and Dalton watches Emma ditch her robe and enter the pool in her bikini. Emma gives him a look back, but it’s not exactly a warm one.
Gio Lashes Out at the Cerullos
At the Quartermaines, Gloria is glad Gio has come home to his family, but he says he’s only here to get his stuff and split. Lois tells him that she knows he’s angry, but Brook Lynn had nothing to do with this and never knew he was her son. Gio asks Brook Lynn if they made her give him up, too?
Brook Lynn says nobody made her give Gio up, and that was her decision. She explains that she was a teen, and she wanted him to have a family that could take care of him. He feels she didn’t want him, as if she did, she would have found a way to keep him. Brook Lynn says giving him up was the ultimate act of love she could do for him. Lois insists it’s true, and Brook Lynn never thought she’d see him again.
Gloria tells Gio they found him a good mother in Camilla, who loved him, and he loved her. Gio says even when his mom was dying, she didn’t tell him the truth. Lois explains that they talked to Camilla and agreed not to tell Gio the truth as it would be too hard on him to understand while his mother was dying. Brook Lynn asks, “Wait, did you pressure a dying woman to keep your secret?”
Gloria scolds Brook Lynn and says how dare she say that to them. Gloria and Lois both reveal that Camilla didn’t want to break Gio’s heart as she was dying. Lois says if Brook Lynn wished to keep Gio, they would have helped her. Gloria adds that if Camilla wanted to tell Gio the truth, they would have supported her.
Brook Lynn says she understands why they didn’t tell her about Gio before Camilla died, but after she did die, Brook Lynn feels that she could have helped Gio. She tells Lois and Gloria she wants them out of her sight and to go back to Bensonhurst. Lois tells her mom they should go and they walk out.
Money Laundering
At Alexis’ office, she asks if Marco is asking her if she’s laundering money. He isn’t, but he knows how easy it is to get involved in shady investment schemes. She assures him she is good, and the Douloss Fund isn’t a shell company, and she is confident in her investments. He says to know that he’s here to help in the future. That’s when Alexis gets a call….
Dante’s Sorry
At Sonny’s, Dante tells his father that he owes him an apology for how he treated him after discovering he was his father. Sonny says it’s not necessary, and he is sure that in time, Gio will come around and learn to accept him. Dante has to get to Michael’s court case, and thanks his dad.
Michael and Willow Meet in Court
In court, Diane gives Ric her list of witnesses and suggests Willow take the offer they’ve made her. Ric refuses it.
Jason, Carly, Kristina, Michael, Tracy, and Sasha arrive outside the courtroom, as do Willow, Nina, and Drew. Willow is having difficulty feeling confident, but when Nina sees Sasha, she assures her daughter that everything will work out fine.
Tracy walks over to Drew and says she’s sorry she’s out of Ketamine, so he’ll have to get more elsewhere. Meanwhile, Kristina asks Carly if Jason admitted to being Sasha’s baby daddy. Carly says he hasn’t, and she hasn’t pushed him. Nearby, Sasha is worried Ric may know the truth about her baby, but Jason assures her he doesn’t.
Court is about to start, but Diane tells Jason they have a problem. She isn’t calling him to testify, as Ric could use it to claim Michael was put in danger in the first place because of his proximity to him and his father. She even believes Jason shouldn’t be in the courtroom, as being there could give Ric a chance to call him. Michael knows Daine right, and Jason tells Michael to go get those kids and know he’s a great father.
Ric calls Alexis and orders her to come down to the courthouse. She says she doesn’t have a court date today. Ric says, “You don’t, but Kristina does!” He says Diane put Kristina on her witness list, and he is worried she’ll say Willow used Michael’s torched body as a bargaining chip, so she needs to stop her, or he may bring up the brakeline incident while Kristina is on the stand. He tells her to do what she needs to do fast.
Court begins, and Diane states her client Michael wants full custody of his children. She will argue Willow threw away her marriage and family when she had an affair with Michael’s uncle, Congressman Drew Cain. They also offer Willow five million dollars as a divorce settlement. Ric counter-argues that Willow is a good mother and she will be seeking full custody of the children. The judge tells Diane to call her first witness.
Carly takes the stand and says she was at the Quartermaine Christmas party, where Willow and Drew’s affair video was played. She went to the Gatehouse afterward and found Nina and Willow trying to take the children. She argues that Michael let Willow take the kids as it was best for the children at the moment, who were already tired and upset due to the late hour they were dragged out of bed.
Diane then questions Carly about Willow taking the kids to DC with Drew. Carly says Michael did not authorize her to take the kids across state lines. The only reason they knew about the trip was because Wiley called her saying Willow was in Uncle Drew’s room at the time.
Chase is called next about being tasked with taking the children from Willow under a court order. Diane also says she knows he was once married to Willow, and asks if she was faithful to him. Chase looks at Michael and says she wasn’t, and admits that Willow cheated on him with Michael.
A recess is called, and Ric assures Drew that everything is going well. He says Diane is only covering old evidence, while they have new, compelling evidence. Ric looks at Nina.
Outside the courtroom, Dante arrives at the same time Alexis does. He spies Alexis grab Kristina and drag her off, but he doesn’t hear Alexis tell Kristina they have to leave to keep both of them out of prison.
Diane begins to plan her line-up of witnesses, only for Dante to reveal that Kristina just left with Alexis. Diane was counting on her to explain what happened at the hospital after Michael was burned, but Michael knows someone else they can call to testify about that.
Court resumes, and Dante is called to the stand, and testifies per Diane’s questioning that the device in Sonny’s penthouse that injured Michael was not meant for him. Ric cross-examines and has Dante confirm Michael’s arrest and sentencing to prison for manslaughter years ago. Diane counters and asks Dante to explain the circumstances of the arrest. Dante explains that Michael was stopping Claudia Zachara from absconding with his baby sister, Kristina. Ric cross-examines again and has Dante confirm that Michael bludgeoned Claudia with an axe handle, and the charge was involuntary manslaughter and not defensive manslaughter.
Tracy is called to the stand next by Diane, and testifies that Michael is the future of her family as Monica and Alan’s only living grandson. Diane asks about Drew’s place in the family, and Tracy testified that ever since the beginning, Drew has wanted everything that Michael has had, including Michael’s wife. Ric cross-examines and questions Tracy about her arrest for kidnapping Amelia and Wiley. She says she was babysitting them for Michael, and this hearing is not about her, but Willow’s fitness as a mother. Ric again asks if she was charged with kidnapping, and Tracy is forced to answer yes.
Tracy leaves, having done her part, and Diane is about to call Michael to the stand. That’s when Joss, whom Diane has called as a surprise witness, appears. Because she wasn’t on the list, Ric forces the judge to refuse to give Diane time to prep Joss.
Joss gets on the stand and testifies that Willow used Michael’s burns as a bargaining chip and forbade his family from seeing him until she got her kids back. She also says Drew stood by her side and supported her as she used Michael in this way. Ric cross-examines and asks Joss about her mother, Carly, stealing the children from Willow and their home. Joss says her mother had a legal court order to take the children, and they weren’t at home, but staying at Nina’s. Ric asks Joss to confirm that Willow’s only desire has always been to be with her children. Carly watches and hopes Joss doesn’t take Ric’s bait.
Kristina Meets Marco
Kristina and Alexis return to Alexis’ office, and Marco interrupts and says Diane wants to know why she took Kristina out of court. Kristina says she’ll call and tell Diane that it was too triggering after the last time Ric shredded her on the stand. Kristina tells Marco they haven’t met and introduces herself as the family reject. Marco introduces himself, though he does not mention Natalia or Blaze, and says he’s only heard nice things about her. Marco leaves them, and Kristina thinks she should return to court. Alexis forbids it and reminds her she’s running the show now after Kristina almost killed two people while trying to kill a third.
Lois Says Goodbye
Jason arrives at Sonny’s, and he assumes Diane ordered him out of the court for Michael’s benefit. They discuss what happened with Gio, who wants nothing to do with the Quartermaines. Jason says the Qs are furious with Lois, and Sonny says they aren’t the only ones.
Lois arrives later and tells Sonny that she and her mom are returning to Bensonhurst. Her daughter wants nothing to do with her or her mom, and she asks Sonny to look out for Gio, as she is worried about him, and he feels he has no one right now. Sonny says he will. Lois tells him goodbye and exits.
Brook Lynn Extends an Invitation
Back at the Q mansion, Brook Lynn tells Gio that she knows this is hard, but she’d like him to consider staying. Gio knows they were both lied to, but the fact is, none of them wanted him, and the feeling is mutual. Gio walks out.
On the next General Hospital, Gio is unsure he can trust Sonny. In court, Ric asks Sasha when the last time she slept with Michael was. Brook Lynn confronts Lulu and tells her she finally got what she wanted and destroyed her life.
