At the Deception office, Brook Lynn calls Chase and leaves a message saying she should have her test results soon and thought they could go to New York City for a relaxing weekend and some baby-making time. After she gets off the phone, Lulu shows up. Lulu is there to meet Maxie, but Brook Lynn says she’s in a meeting and then they are booked up with interviews. Lulu explains that’s why she’s there, as she wants an interview. Brook Lynn can’t believe she wants to work here.
Brook Lynn says this is an assistant job, and she thought her last job was writing for a paper. They soon begin bickering about their past, and Brook Lynn doesn’t know why Lulu can’t move on, given she and Dante have. Maxie interrupts and says it is clear they are getting along as well as ever. Brook Lynn gets a text and says she needs to go home to her husband and tells Maxie that she leaves the interviews in her hands.
Maxie tells Lulu that she is overqualified to be an assistant, but Lulu needs to make money. Maxie tells her that the job is to be Brook Lynn’s assistant, and she doesn’t see it going well because they hate each other. Lulu asks exactly when and why she and Brook Lynn became besties.
Maxie says she’ll have to tell her what happened with Peter August over a big bottle of wine, but just know that Brook Lynn is a good person and has been a good friend to her. Lulu has issues with her, saying Brook Lynn likes to play she’s from Bensonhurst, but she’s always had the Quartermaine money. Maxie thinks something else is really going on, and Lulu admits it’s Charlotte. Lulu explains she needs money to go looking for Charlotte, and she needs money for a place for her, Charlotte and Rocco when she finds her daughter. She feels the world has moved forward without her, but she’s falling behind. Maxie tells her she’s taking the right steps, so Lulu asks if she has the job. Maxie asks if she can put the past behind her and work with Brook Lynn.
At the Quartermaine mansion, Chase tells Tracy that she can’t keep those kids from Willow. Tracy has had this conversation enough times today and needs a break and tells him to butt out. Chase begs her not to make this more difficult, but Tracy feels it’s simple, and those children are going nowhere. Chase says everyone is saying she’s acting out of spite, but he doesn’t believe that and knows family means everything to her. However, she’s not protecting those kids, and she’s causing more harm.
Chase knows she’s doing this because those kids are Quartermaines, but they are also Willow’s kids and need her mom. Tracy says he’s predisposed to favor Willow, he thinks she’s an angel, but Drew and Willow’s behavior has been reprehensible. She fumes over the photo of Drew, Willow and Wiley at his inauguration. Chase says this is about two kids who need their mom. Tracy yells that Willow doesn’t put them first, but she does.
Chase tells her that she could face criminal charges if she doesn’t give those kids to Willow, but Tracy isn’t afraid of a fight. Suddenly, Brook Lynn appears and asks why Tracy is fighting with her husband. Tracy explains they are having a disagreement over who the children should be with, noting those children are the only thing that puts a smile on Monica’s face. Brook Lynn says if Monica knew what was going on she’d agree the children should be with their mother since they can’t be with Michael.
At Ava’s gallery, Lucas and Ava watch a video Lucas recorded of Avery’s dance recital. She thanks him for coming and showing him. Ava asks about the fire at Sonny’s and if they know what caused it. Lucas says they don’t, and he gets where she’s going but notes Avery is completely safe at Carly’s. Ava knows she is and asks Lucas to give her a hug and tell her that her mom loves her. Lucas will, and heads to work.
Ava calls Ric over, and he arrives and asks what is so important. She says Avery’s life is in danger, and she should be with her. Ric thought she was at Carly’s. Ava says the fire at Sonny’s was no accident, and Ric says of course it wasn’t. However, given Avery has been at Carly’s, where she’s lived most of her life, the court likely won’t see a reason to change the custody arrangement. He says she needs to wait for the right moment to make a move. Ava notes, “So says the absentee father.” He tells her not to make this personal. Ava apologizes but doesn’t know how he could stay away from Molly. Ric has his regrets, but she needs to be patient, and this is going to be a long, expensive battle. He brings up the fact that she still hasn’t paid him.
Ric tells Ava that Sonny has won many custody battles, so she needs to wait for the right moment to come along to strike. Suddenly, Jenz appears, introduces himself, and says he’d like to buy paintings to decorate his new home. Ava asks to know a little bit about himself and his house so she can help steer him in the right direction. He says he’s an importer and just bought Spoon Island. Ava is stunned and says she used to live there.
Jenz asks why she moved off of such a beautiful island. She explains it was her husband’s and they split. He feels his wandering into her gallery was kismet, and he trusts her in choosing a painting to make this house his own. She shows him a painting by a Greek artist from Crete and offers to show him more of his work. She leads Jenz around the gallery.
Eventually, Jenz purchases a painting and invites her over to help him pick the perfect spot for it and they can talk about future purchases. She tells him that it would be her pleasure. He hopes to see her soon and kisses her hand. He departs, and Ric says watching her work was enlightening, and then snatches Jenz’ check from her hands as her first payment for what she owes him.
At the Port Charles Grill, Cody drowns his sorrows in booze and runs into Drew on his way out. As they bicker, Jordan intervenes before they come to fisticuffs. Cody says he has no problem with Drew, but Drew seems to have one with him. Jordan tells them neither needs to get into a fight in a public place. Cody tells Drew to have a terrible day and walks off.
Drew thanks Jordan for having his back, but she says he seemed to be the one who started things. Drew says he doesn’t trust Cody, but Jordan points out that nobody in this town currently trusts him. He guesses she spoke to Curtis, who he did offer a promotion to. Jordan says he misled Curtis and betrayed a man who was a good friend to him. Jordan tells him he needs to stop digging himself a larger hole and start mending fences, or he’s going to end up all alone.
Jordan departs and Martin approaches Drew. He jokes it’s safe to say his approval rating among his constituents has gone down. Drew won’t discuss his personal life with him. Martin offers him advice from someone who has gone through three divorces. The heart wants what it wants, so he needs to stay true to himself and what he wants. Drew thanks him and asks Martin to help him get Willow’s children away from the Quartermaines and back with their mother. He says Tracy has no legal rights to those kids. Martin knows that, but Tracy knows the system, and she has deep pockets. Drew says he’ll do anything to reunite Willow with her children.
Later, Martin and Drew arrive at the Quartermaine mansion with several officers. Martin tells Tracy they have a court order, and she must hand over Willow’s children. Giddy, Tracy explains she can’t, as she doesn’t know where they are. Drew orders the officers to arrest her. When Tracy resists, that’s added to her record. Tracy tells Drew he will regret this as she’s placed in handcuffs.
Cody stops by the hospital with a check for Brad to give his aunt, saying it’s most of the money he owes her. Brad can’t believe he placed a bet for him and he can’t pay up. Lucas spies on them from afar. Cody hands him a check and is five thousand short. Cody says he’s good for it, but Brad says to take it up with his aunt.
Cody walks off, and Lucas approaches Brad about what’s going on. Brad tells him everything that happened, but Lucas says he doesn’t owe him an explanation. Brad knows that, but Lucas taught him that telling the truth is important, and he wanted him to know. Lucas smiles, says he appreciates it, and walks off.
Sonny arrives outside Michael’s room to meet with Carly and Willow. Willow knows they are both upset with her, but she wants to find a way forward that works for all of them. Carly asks if that means she’ll let them see their son.
Carly admits she took the kids, but for Michael, and she never expected Tracy to hold onto them. She and Sonny both say they’ve tried to get the kids from Tracy, and they are worried sick about them. Carly says Tracy can’t hold onto them legally, and they will get them back. Willow hopes so but says she’s realized she can only trust her own judgment on what to do, and that includes what is best for Michael. She knows Michael needs them, and she won’t stand in their way of seeing him. Sonny thanks her, and Willow honestly doesn’t know how things got to this point. She says she still loves Michael; he gave her a family, and she wants him to get better and be with their kids.
Portia arrives to discuss the next steps for Michael’s recovery. Willow tells Portia they can talk in front of Sonny and Carly and they will all make a decision together. Portia says a bed has opened up at Johns Hopkins, which is the best burn treatment hospital in the country and is fairly close, so they can visit.
Carly explains she may have a better option. Carly fills them in about the clinic in Russia, which closed, but that one of the doctors has relocated to Germany, and Jack Brennan has secured Michael a space there. Sonny takes Carly off to talk privately and doesn’t know how he feels about sending Michael so far away. She says he saw the results himself with Ava, and this is best option for Michael. Sonny doesn’t know if they should trust the WSB. Carly says she’ll be there daily with Michael, so trust her.
Sonny and Carly return to Willow and Portia. Willow feels they should keep Michael nearby, and Portia, not knowing anything about this treatment at the German hospital, has to agree. Carly tells them Ava went to the Russian clinic, was covered with third-degree burns, and they would never know it. Willow still chooses Johns Hopkins, but Sonny believes Michael should make the call. That means waking him up, and it would cause him great pain. Carly agrees Michael would want to make this decision, so Willow tells Portia to wake him up. Portia says only one person can talk to him, and they agree Carly will talk to him.
Carly sees Michael, who stirs awake and is in great pain. Back outside his room, Sonny tells Willow he’s glad they were able to come together to do what is best with Michael. Willow says Michael is lucky to have him and Carly fight for him. Not everyone has that kind of unconditional love. Meanwhile, Carly informs Michael that they want to help him get better, but they need him to tell them how, and he needs to make a choice.
On the next General Hospital, the ABC soap is not on Monday due to the inauguration. On Tuesday, a tense confrontation between Ava and Sonny over Avery leaves Sonny with chest pains, and Anna questions a suspect about the bomb in Sonny’s penthouse.
