Dante & Lulu #4  March 18 - June 3, 2010 - 8 hour original edit

DVD #4A  At GH, Lulu boldly walked up and then demanded to speak to Jason. Sam warned Lulu not to defend Ethan and then marched away. Lulu realized that Sonny had ordered Jason to kill Ethan. Lulu asked Jason to reconsider because she had talked Ethan out of leaving town. She didn't want to regret it. Jason explained that he wanted to get to the truth.

Michael quickly ducked out of sight when Dante managed to slip into the bungalow. Max and Milo blocked the way to the veranda while they dealt with Dante. Dante admitted that he had found it odd that three of Sonny's top men were on the island rather than in Port Charles for Sonny's trial. Max refused to give Dante any information. Michael listened intently to the conversation from his hiding spot behind some plants on the veranda. Dante heard Michael shift around. Max and Milo pretended that they hadn't heard anything. 

Dante went to check out the veranda, but stopped short when a scantily clad woman suddenly appeared in the doorway. She flirted with Max as she made her way to the door. Dante wasn't fooled; he suggested that they "cut the crap." Dante demanded to know where Michael was. Dante informed the brothers that a subpoena had been issued for Michael to testify. Michael's failure to appear would make Sonny look bad. Max and Milo didn't seem concerned. They accused Dante of being a snitch. Max wondered what kind of "dirt bag" hunted down a kid to force him to testify against his own father.

Dante arrived and Sonny knew that Dante had been on the island. Sonny invited Dante to be his guest the next time, so that Dante didn't have to sneak around. Dante wasn't interested in Sonny's generosity; Dante wanted to clear his brother of Sonny's mess. Dante was confident that Claire could secure a conviction without Michael's testimony.

3/19 Lulu arrived at Dante's new apartment with a housewarming present. It was a coffeemaker. Dante kissed her to show his appreciation. Lulu confessed that she loved his new place, but she was curious why Dante had chosen to move in on the day of Sonny's trial. Dante tried to ignore the question, but Lulu wouldn't let him. Lulu couldn't believe that Dante wasn't curious about the trial. Dante admitted that he was more interested in knowing what Lulu looked like naked. Dante managed to lure Lulu to the sofa, where things quickly heated up. Dante was frustrated when Lulu's pager went off. Lulu explained that Maxie needed to see her about work. She promised that they had all the time in the world, so there wasn't any rush for them to make love.

Olivia showed up at the loft a short time later. She handed Dante a casserole dish and then thanked him for allowing her to visit. As Olivia looked around, she admitted that she liked the apartment. Dante credited Lulu for finding it. Olivia choked up with emotion at the reminder that her baby had grown up.

Dante reminded Olivia that he was still mad at her, but he wanted her to know that Kristina's situation had made him realize how awesome Olivia was. Dante wondered if Olivia had known about the abuse that Sonny and Adella had suffered at Deke's hands. Olivia revealed that everyone had known, to some extent, but they had never talked about it. Dante couldn't conceive something like that happening to him. He knew that Olivia would never have stood by while a man beat her son. Dante was certain that Olivia would have taken a Louisville Slugger to the man's head. "Damn straight," Olivia confirmed.

In Maxie's hospital room, Spinelli watched while Maxie tried to do her job from her hospital bed. Maxie immediately started barking orders at Lulu the moment that Lulu arrived. Lulu and Spinelli became concerned when Maxie suffered a coughing fit that left Maxie breathless. Spinelli insisted that Maxie needed to rest. Maxie refused to give in to her illness, but Spinelli argued that Maxie was in "dangerous denial" about how serious her condition was.

He was concerned that she wasn't getting enough oxygen, so he decided to find Robin. Maxie objected; she knew that Robin would want Maxie to wear an oxygen mask. Lulu didn't understand the problem, since it would help Maxie to breathe easier. Maxie had been down that road when she was six years old; to her, an oxygen mask represented the final step over an abyss.

Lulu wondered what she could do to help Maxie. Maxie urged Lulu to leave the hospital, find Dante, and do something fun. Maxie suggested that Lulu and Dante have sex or take a walk in the park. Maxie didn't care what it was, as long as it made Lulu happy to be alive. A short time later, Robin entered Maxie's room with grim news. Maxie's vitals were "problematic," so Maxie needed to wear an oxygen mask.

Maxie was resigned to her fate. Spinelli apologized for putting Maxie in a situation that had made her so gravely sick. Maxie assured Spinelli that it wasn't his fault. She explained that if it hadn't been the storm drain, then it would have been something else. Maxie clarified that transplant recipients were susceptible to infection.

Lulu returned to Dante's loft. She was upset because she realized that Maxie could die from the pneumonia. Dante tried to comfort Lulu. Lulu regretted that she and Dante had wasted so much time. Lulu insisted that they should seize the moments that they had together and remind each other often how much they loved each other. Dante declared his love for Lulu and then pulled her close for a passionate kiss.

3/22 Lulu and Dante were getting passionate on Dante's bed in his new loft apartment, when Dante realized that he did not have any condoms. A frantic search through his unpacked boxes revealed the missing prophylactics. Just as they were furiously kissing and starting to undress, Dante's phone rang. It was the bailiff in Sonny's trial calling him to court. Sonny ran into Dante and Lulu while taking a break from the courtroom. Dante told Sonny that he did not care anything about his father. He also told Sonny that he would testify and make sure that Sonny paid for his crimes. In the courtroom, Claire called Dante to the stand to testify against Sonny, who looked very grim.

3/23 At Sonny's trial, Claire questioned Dante about the shooting in Sonny's living room. Diane objected because she claimed that the shooting wasn't relevant to Sonny's trial. The judge decided to save time by demanding to know who had shot Dante. Dante claimed that he had accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun. Claire continued to badger Dante about the shooting, until the judge ordered her to move on to something that pertained to the case.

Claire questioned Dante about the evidence that he had collected to link Sonny to Claudia's murder. Dante testified that Sonny had ordered Dante to burn down the cabin. Dante also revealed that Sonny had known details about Claudia's death before her body had been found. Finally, Dante explained that he had salvaged some clothes with Claudia's blood from Sonny's fireplace. Claire thanked Dante for his "impressive" and "convincing" testimony.

Diane objected to Claire's underhanded attempt to influence the jury. The judge warned Claire that she had stepped out of line. Claire didn't appear concerned as she asked Dante if Sonny had ever admitted to murdering Claudia with malice aforethought. "No," Dante admitted. After Claire introduced the strand of hair found in the burned-out cabin into evidence, she questioned Dante about any other possible witnesses to the crime.

Dante insisted that there wasn't any evidence to suggest that someone had seen Sonny kill Claudia. Claire accused Dante of dodging the question. The judge agreed; he asked Dante point-blank who had witnessed the murder. "Michael Corinthos III," Dante reluctantly admitted. Claire suggested that Sonny wasn't exactly a candidate for father of the year because one of his sons had suffered a gunshot wound while another had witnessed a murder. The judge immediately slapped Claire with a one thousand dollar fine; he warned Claire and Diane that he would not tolerate any more of their courtroom "theatrics."

Lulu followed Dante out of the courtroom. Dante felt as if he had just wrecked his brother's life. Lulu tried to get Dante to leave, but he wanted to talk to Claire first. Dante promised to call Lulu later. After Lulu left, Dante approached Claire. Dante was furious because Claire had forced him to admit that Michael might have witnessed Claudia's murder.

Dante insisted that he had given Claire an airtight case. Claire claimed that there wasn't any such thing. She argued that a witness was more compelling than evidence, so Michael's testimony was crucial. Claire suggested that Dante "tacitly helping" Sonny by hiding Michael had put the focus of the trial on Michael. Dante disagreed; he believed Claire had made the case all about Michael. Claire assured him that she could sleep at night because she hadn't thrown Michael under the bus, Dante had.

3/24 In the empty courtroom, Dante confronted Claire about her determination to force Michael to testify against Sonny. Claire insisted that Michael's testimony would secure a conviction; however, she suspected that Dante had second thoughts about sending Sonny to jail. Dante vowed that he would never forget that Sonny had been responsible for Vince Poletti's murder. Claire wasn't swayed. She couldn't shake the feeling that Dante wanted to keep Michael from testifying, in an effort to protect Sonny.

Dante questioned if Claire was the right person to prosecute Sonny. He insisted that she had everything that she needed to convict Sonny without Michael's testimony. Claire fired back that Dante was afraid to admit that his father had bludgeoned a woman to death. Dante revealed that he had pulled a dead 15-year-old prostitute from the river on his first day as a police officer, so he could accept what people were capable of. Dante didn't harbor any illusions about Sonny; he knew that Sonny was a ruthless and brutal man. Claire couldn't ignore that Dante had lied about the shooting to protect Sonny. She was certain that Dante had integrity, but it was buried deep. Claire advised Dante to find it or turn in his badge.

Lulu caught up to Dante at Jake's. Coleman surprised the couple with free beer on the house. Dante suspected that Coleman hoped to improve his image, so that Coleman wouldn't face backlash when he voted to acquit Sonny. Coleman assured them that he would just do his civic duty. However, Coleman conceded, "You have to wonder how far it extends when you have a piano wire wrapped around your neck."

Lulu and Dante carried their beers to a nearby table, where Lulu told Dante about her visit with Ethan. Lulu admitted that she wanted to believe her brother, but family history led her to believe that Ethan could have been capable of hurting Kristina. Dante realized that Lulu suspected that Ethan was a "chip off of the old block." "Exactly," Lulu agreed.

Dante suggested that the same could be said about him and Sonny. Lulu disagreed; she insisted that Dante and Sonny were nothing alike. Lulu claimed that Sonny's goodness was only skin deep, while Dante's goodness went all the way through. Dante smiled. He didn't know what he'd do without Lulu.

3/25 Claire approached Dante at the police station. She wondered what he thought about Johnny Zacchara as a witness for the prosecution. Dante insisted that Johnny was "nuts" like the rest of the Zaccharas. He warned her that Johnny was too focused on vengeance to be reliable. Alexis approached Lucky and Dante in the squad room. She informed them that she wanted to discuss the charges against Ethan.

3/26 Lulu stopped by the hospital to visit Maxie. Maxie realized that her situation was grim because Lulu couldn't look Maxie in the eye. Lulu looked up and then immediately choked up with emotion. Lulu tried to act casual by talking about work, but Maxie didn't want to hear about Crimson; she wanted to know if Lulu and Dante had sex yet. Lulu confided that Dante was a wonderful kisser, but they hadn't been able to take things further. Lulu admitted that the constant interruptions had become a running joke. 

Maxie cautioned Lulu not to sabotage herself. Maxie confessed that Spinelli knew that Maxie had a thing for bad boys, so he had planned the "silly mystery" with Chef Robaire. It was how Maxie ended up trapped in a storm drain overnight. Lulu and Maxie looked up when they heard a noise in the doorway. It was Spinelli. It was clear by the expression on Spinelli's face that he had overheard Maxie's comment. He apologized for interrupting them. Lulu confided that she had just told Maxie how blessed Maxie was to have Spinelli. Spinelli argued, "Hardly." He felt as if he were the one who had been blessed. Maxie didn't know what she would do without Spinelli. 

Lulu stopped Robin in the hallway to share her concerns about Maxie. Robin explained that Maxie had septicemia, which lowered the blood pressure and increased the likelihood of organ failure. Robin reminded Lulu that Maxie was family, so Robin would do everything in her power to save Maxie. However, there was a very real possibility that Maxie might not pull through.

At the police station, Alexis informed Lucky and Dante that she had spoken to Dan Auerback, the prosecutor. Dan had decided to drop the charges against Ethan because Kristina didn't want to testify. Alexis clarified that Ethan was free to go. Dante decided to do the honors and led Ethan away to be processed.

At Kelly's, Dante was happy to see Morgan walk in. Dante greeted Morgan and then mentioned the Yankees. Morgan confessed that it was unlikely that he would be able to attend a game any time soon, since Michael was away and Sonny was on trial. Morgan was curious how Sonny's trial was going; he complained that no one would tell him. Dante assured Morgan that Sonny had good attorneys, so he might beat the charges. Morgan wondered how Dante felt about the possibility of their father going to jail.

Dante led Morgan to a table. As the brothers sat down, Dante admitted that he trusted the law to work. Sonny entered the diner moments later. Dante didn't object when Sonny joined them. Morgan continued to question Dante about the trial, but it was Sonny who spoke up. Sonny explained that Dante had taken an oath to do a special job. Sonny didn't expect Dante to undo all of his work because Dante was related to Sonny.

Sonny was willing to accept what happened; he was proud of all of his kids, including Dante. Sonny's only regret was that he hadn't been able to help raise Dante and that Dante never had an opportunity to get to know his siblings. Morgan was confident that Sonny would be found not guilty and that Morgan, Sonny, and Dante would be able to go to a Yankees game together. Dante admitted that he thought that the Yankees would have a good year and then excused himself.

Dante arrived at the police station a short time later. He was surprised when he spotted his mother. Olivia explained that Claire had asked to meet Olivia, so that they could discuss Olivia's testimony. Olivia sensed that Dante was troubled. Dante confessed that he had just left Sonny and Morgan. Dante was plagued with second thoughts. Olivia understood Dante's confusion because Sonny was a devoted father. However, Olivia warned Dante that Sonny was also a narcissist and a manipulator who used that love against people. Johnny stormed into the police station seconds later. Johnny loudly suggested that Dante change his name from Falconeri to Corinthos. Johnny demanded to know how far Dante would go to protect Sonny.

Lulu was visibly shaken when she entered Kelly's. Carly was concerned when she saw her cousin. Lulu admitted that she was scared because Maxie's condition was grave. Carly offered to help Lulu in any way that she could. Lulu was thankful; she admitted that she had been concerned that Sonny's trial had pulled them apart. Carly made it clear that no man would ever get between them. Lulu agreed.

3/29 Morgan went to the PCPD to leave a Yankees souvenir coffee mug for Dante. Ronnie saw him and engaged him in conversation about the Yankees and about Michael. Ronnie tried to find out where Michael was, but Morgan did not tell him. As Ronnie became more insistent in his questioning, Dante arrived. He grabbed Ronnie, pushed him against a wall and told him to stop questioning Dante's brother.

3/30 Dante shoved Ronnie up against a wall in the squad room after Dante found Ronnie questioning Morgan. Ronnie threatened to file a report if Dante didn't take his hands off of him. Dante invited Ronnie to do his worst, but he did release Ronnie. Dante turned to Morgan to caution him not to trust Ronnie. Dante revealed that Ronnie was out to get Morgan's family. Morgan admitted that he had thought that Dante and Ronnie were friends.

Dante decided to pull Ronnie into another room to finish their argument. Ronnie resented Dante badmouthing him to Morgan. Ronnie denied ever taking advantage of children. However, Ronnie promised to have Dante's badge if Dante continued to protect those around Sonny. Dante reminded Ronnie of Franco. Ronnie insisted that he had protected Franco because he had a personal relationship with Franco, not because Ronnie was a bad cop. Ronnie warned Dante that it was the "kiss of death" for a cop. Ronnie invited Dante to be a good brother to Morgan and even a good son to Sonny; however, Dante couldn't be a good cop at the same time.

Dante returned to Morgan in the squad room. Dante advised Morgan not to trust him, either, because Dante's job was to arrest people who broke the law. Carly entered the police station moments later. Dante explained that he had called her to pick up Morgan, but Dante needed a private word with her first. Carly gave Morgan some money and then sent him to the vending machines. As soon as Morgan walked away, Dante revealed that he had walked in on Ronnie trying to pump Morgan for information about Michael. Carly wondered what Morgan had been doing at the police station in the first place. 

Dante revealed that Morgan had dropped off a mug for Dante. He advised Carly to be careful. Dante warned her that if Morgan knew anything, then Carly should keep Morgan away from all cops. Carly was curious if it was a ploy for Dante to gain her trust. Dante assured Carly that he loved Lulu, so he would never hurt her family like that again. Carly hoped that Dante meant it because Morgan had been devastated when he had learned that Dante had been working undercover. Carly admitted that it had broken her heart when Morgan had questioned everything about his relationship with Dante. Dante regretted that he had hurt Morgan, but he promised that his friendship with Morgan had been real. Carly hoped that it was true, but she promised that if Dante had lied to her then no gun or badge would be able to protect Dante from her wrath.

Johnny was in a celebratory mood when he arrived at Jake's. Lulu assumed that Johnny had heard that Maxie's health had improved. Johnny was delighted to hear it. Lulu realized that wasn't the reason that Johnny was in a good mood. Johnny confessed that he had finally "pulled one over on Sonny." He was certain that Claudia was smiling wherever she was. Lulu enjoyed hearing about Sonny's reaction to Johnny's testimony. Dante entered the bar as Lulu and Johnny toasted to Johnny's victory with shots of Tequila. Lulu explained that Sonny had lost his temper in court. Johnny wished that Dante could have seen it. Johnny was certain that it would have been the perfect antidote for Dante's denial. Dante said nothing as Lulu and Johnny continued drinking.

3/31 Dante invited Olivia for breakfast at Kelly's. He confessed that he had a question that only Olivia could answer. Dante reminded her of the times that she had commented on how much Sonny and Dante were alike. He wondered if Olivia thought that Dante could abuse a woman. Olivia was shocked by the question. She insisted that she had been referring to Sonny's good qualities when she had compared Dante to Sonny.

Dante pointed out that he had a short fuse like Sonny. Olivia argued that Dante could control his temper. She reminded Dante that Sonny had suffered from bipolar disorder most of Sonny's life and that much of that time it had been undiagnosed. Olivia was curious what had prompted Dante's concerns. Dante told Olivia about Johnny's testimony and Sonny's reaction. Olivia was certain that Sonny would never abuse a woman.

According to Olivia, if Sonny had ever hit a woman then it would have been her. Olivia told her son about an incident when Sonny and Olivia had been dating. Olivia had "cracked" Sonny in the jaw with all of her might during a heated argument. However, instead of striking her back, Sonny had walked away. Olivia insisted that Dante didn't have to worry that he had inherited an "abuse gene."

Later, Dante dropped by the casino at Luke's request. Luke explained that Ethan was living under a dark cloud because of Kristina's accusations. Lucky had agreed to re-open the case, so Luke wanted Dante to help Lucky investigate the assault. Luke didn't think that Sonny would believe that Ethan was innocent unless Dante could vouch for Ethan. Dante thought that Luke overestimated Dante's influence; however, he agreed to help Lucky.

Dante arranged to meet Kristina at Kelly's. Kristina was curious if Dante had called her as a cop or as a brother. Dante admitted that as a brother, he was disgusted by the brutality of her attack. As a cop, Dante wanted to put the person responsible behind bars. Kristina assured Dante that she was satisfied with how things had worked out. Dante explained that he had experience with domestic abuse. He warned her that without intervention, the violence would continue to escalate.

Kristina believed that Ethan was truly remorseful for the attack. She was confident that he wouldn't do it again. Moments later, Kiefer entered the diner. Kiefer demanded to know why Kristina was talking to a cop. Kristina reminded Kiefer that Dante was her brother. Kiefer wanted to know if they had been talking about the beating. Dante was curious what Kiefer knew about the assault. Kristina appeared nervous as she glanced at her brother.

4/1 Kiefer wondered what Kristina and Dante had been talking about. Dante took the opportunity to ask Kiefer a few questions about the night of Kristina's attack. Kiefer claimed that he had been at a party. Kiefer was careful not to give anything away, but Dante wasn't quite convinced that Kiefer was innocent. After Kiefer left, Dante reminded Kristina of the time that Kristina had talked to him about boys who used girls for sex. Dante realized that she had been referring to Kiefer.

Later, Lucky met Dante to discuss the possibility that Kiefer might have attacked Kristina. Dante believed that Kiefer had a huge chip on his shoulder. Lucky agreed. They realized that most abusers tended to be a product of abuse. Dante noted that the Bauers had a squeaky clean reputation. Lucky recalled that the Bauers had seemed unusually guarded during his interview with them following Kristina's attack.

Dante was curious about Ethan's background. Lucky revealed that Ethan had talked highly of his adoptive parents, so Lucky didn't think that there had been any abuse. Lucky decided to question Kiefer's friends who had been at the party on the night of Kristina's attack. Dante offered to canvas Kristina's neighborhood to see if anyone recalled seeing anything out of the ordinary around the time of Kristina's assault.

Dante and Lucky met outside of Kelly's to compare notes. Lucky revealed that Kiefer's friend, Jordy, had confirmed that Kiefer had been furious when Kristina hadn't shown up for the party. According to Jordy, Kiefer had left the party early and never returned. Dante had talked to a neighbor who had seen a light-colored SUV speeding out of the Davis driveway at 9:30 p.m. on the night of the attack. Lucky insisted that Ethan had been on the Haunted Star at that time.

Dante was curious what kind of car Kiefer drove. "A silver SUV," Lucky answered. Dante realized that their evidence wouldn't hold up in court, so he decided to call Kiefer. Kiefer arrived at Kelly's a short time later. Lucky and Dante immediately proceeded to question Kiefer about the night of Kristina's attack. Kiefer became defensive as he admitted that he had left the party to "blow off some steam." Kiefer insisted that he hadn't done anything wrong; Kristina had been the one who had "screwed up big time." Kiefer argued that it was on her, not him. Lucky wondered if Kiefer was suggesting that Kristina had deserved to be beaten.

4/2 At the hospital, Maxie threw herself back into work while Lulu and Spinelli hovered nearby. Maxie was grateful that she had Lulu and Spinelli in her life. Maxie's good mood fled when a process server entered the room and then informed Maxie that she had been summoned to testify at Sonny's trial. After the process server left, Maxie asked Spinelli to fetch an oxygen mask from Epiphany; Maxie intended to make it appear that she was gravely ill.

Lulu wondered why Maxie was desperate to avoid testifying against Sonny. Maxie claimed that she had given her statement to the police, so she didn't see any reason to testify in court. Lulu demanded to know if it was okay with Maxie that Sonny had killed Claudia. Maxie pointed out that whatever happened to Sonny, affected Jason, which in turn impacted Spinelli. Lulu was curious if that meant that Maxie would lie to protect Sonny like everyone else did.

Maxie warned Lulu that Lulu's hatred for Sonny would eventually spill onto Dante if Lulu weren't careful. Lulu didn't seem concerned about it because Dante hated Sonny as much as she did. Maxie doubted that it was true. She reminded Lulu of how much Lulu had resented everyone accusing Luke of not being a good father, even though Lulu had been mad at Luke at the time. Lulu argued that it was a completely different situation. Maxie rolled her eyes and then advised Lulu to stop going around "dissing your man's daddy." 

At Kelly's, Lucky and Dante questioned Kiefer about the night of Kristina's attack. Lucky assumed the role of "bad cop" by accusing Kiefer of beating Kristina in a fit of rage because she had embarrassed him in front of all of Kiefer's friends. Dante pretended to be more understanding about the situation by suggesting that Kristina had pushed Kiefer too far. Kiefer played it cool; he insisted that he had stayed at the party until after 11:00 p.m.

Lucky was curious where Kiefer went after the party. Kiefer claimed that he had gone to the lake house to talk to Kristina, but Molly had answered the door and then told him about Kristina's attack. Lucky didn't believe Kiefer; he accused Kiefer of arriving at the lake house much earlier, attacking Kristina, and then fleeing. Kiefer figured out what Lucky and Dante were up to. Dante dropped all pretense of friendliness; he warned Kiefer to stay away from Kristina until everything had been resolved. "Go to hell," Kiefer shot back before he stormed out of the diner.

Lucky and Dante agreed that Kiefer had most likely attacked Kristina. They suspected that Kristina had lied to protect Kiefer from Sonny's wrath. Lucky realized that they were short on evidence, but they had certainly rattled Kiefer. Lucky was certain that Kiefer would scramble to cover his tracks. Dante vowed that he would not allow Kiefer to get away with what he had done to Kristina.

Later, Lucky and Dante went to the Haunted Star to talk to Ethan. Ethan wasn't there, so they told Luke that they were close to solving the case. Dante was determined to make things right for Ethan and everyone else.

Later, Melinda and Warren Bauer (Kiefer’s parents) were dinning in the restaurant when Lucky and Dante approached their table. The Bauers didn't appreciate the detectives interrupting their dinner. Lucky explained that they were trying to put together a timeline of the events leading to Kristina's attack. Warren objected to the police harassing his son because of a "few misleading statements" made by an "unstable girl."

4/5 As Alexis drove the Kristina to GH, she had flashbacks of Kiefer running out of the house and Kristina lying battered on the floor. Kiefer suddenly appeared in the road ahead of Alexis. He put up his hands as a gesture for her to stop, but Alexis did not stop. She hit him with the car and Kiefer flew off the road. Alexis did not seem concerned and continued driving.

Lucky and Dante drove out to the lake house for another interview with Kristina, who they believed would tell the truth if they interviewed her again. When they got there, the door was open, the house was empty, and there was blood on the floor. They immediately called for the crime scene investigation crew. Lucky tried to confirm Ethan's whereabouts, but could not reach him by phone.

4/6 Sonny stood quietly outside of Kristina's examination bay while Dante questioned Kristina about the attack earlier that night. Kristina quietly admitted that Kiefer had been responsible for the assault. She also confessed that Kiefer had beaten her on March 12, 2010. Dante gently urged Kristina to tell him everything that Kiefer had done to her. Kristina admitted that the abuse had started when Kiefer would get mad and then roughly grab or shake her. It had escalated to slapping and hitting, after which Kiefer would apologize.

Kristina had tried to break up with Kiefer twice, but he had managed to persuade her to take him back. Kristina acknowledged that she had been blinded by Kiefer's popularity. Sonny entered the room as Dante assured Kristina that it wasn't her fault that she had been abused. 

Lucky arrived at the hospital to talk to Dante about Kristina's statement regarding Kiefer. Lucky warned Dante that the Bauers would challenge Kristina's claim that Kiefer had attacked her. Dante confessed that he had felt a connection with Kristina while she had told him about the abuse. It humbled Dante to have a bond with two brothers and a sister after years of growing up as an only child.

Dante wondered if Jason knew about the change in Kristina's story. Lucky confided that Jason had been with him when Dante had called. Lucky realized that Dante didn't like Jason, but Lucky pointed out that Ethan would have been dead if not for Jason. Lucky decided to call Ethan to let him know that Ethan had been cleared of the assault.

Sonny spotted Dante outside of Kristina's room a short time later. Dante agreed to follow Sonny to the rooftop, so that they could have a private talk. Sonny thanked Dante for putting his hatred of Sonny aside to help Kristina. Sonny accused Kiefer of breaking Kristina down to such an extent that she had been afraid to trust anyone. Sonny was grateful that Dante had shown Kristina that it was okay to tell the truth. Dante couldn't believe that Sonny didn't understand the real reason why Kristina had lied.

Sonny disagreed; he argued that Kristina had lied to protect her abuser. Dante clarified that Kristina had been afraid to tell the truth because she feared that Sonny would kill Kiefer. Dante didn't think that Sonny was a good father because, instead of making Kristina feel better, Sonny had made her feel worse. Sonny acknowledged that he had made mistakes, but he would never intentionally hurt his children. Dante accused Sonny of being so selfish that Sonny's children were a distant second.

Sonny suggested that Dante was at war with himself because a part of Dante wanted Sonny to be his father. Both men were startled when Olivia suddenly appeared on the rooftop looking for Dante. Sonny immediately blamed Olivia for the hatred that Dante felt towards him. Sonny insisted that she had kept her secrets even though her son had been walking into danger. Olivia argued that she had always kept Dante safe, so she refused to apologize for the choices that she had made.

After Olivia stormed off, Sonny commented that Dante had "some mother." Dante was so infuriated by the comment that he punched Sonny in the jaw. Dante clarified that he didn't hate Sonny because of Olivia's secrets; he hated Sonny because of who Sonny was. Sonny gave Dante a free pass on the punch, but he warned Dante that the next time it would cost Dante. Sonny could only be pushed so far. "There it is," Dante announced as he pointed at Sonny. Dante claimed that he had seen the same look in Sonny's eyes just before Sonny had pulled the trigger and then shot him. "You come and get me, any time," Dante invited Sonny.

4/7 Dante caught up with Olivia just as she reached the elevators. Olivia was seething with fury because of her confrontation with Sonny on the hospital's rooftop. Olivia understood if Dante wanted to have a relationship with Sonny, but she refused to apologize for the choices that she had made. Dante confessed that his thoughts were on his old tree house. Olivia appeared perplexed. She wondered if he was referring to the one that she had torn down because she had been afraid that Dante would fall and break his neck. Dante reminded her that he had been so mad at her for destroying the tree house that he had vowed never to forgive her.

Olivia admitted that she would always try to protect Dante, even if he hated her for it. Dante realized that he had been a "dope" for holding a grudge against his mother. Dante confessed that he had punched Sonny after Sonny had blamed Olivia for Dante's refusal to accept Sonny as his father. Dante could see how damaged Sonny's children were, so he conceded that Olivia had made the right decision. Olivia welled up with tears when Dante told her that he loved her. She immediately reached out to hug her son.

Dante approached Jason in the waiting area. Jason told Dante that Kiefer had died. Dante was curious how Jason managed to do what he did for Sonny when it was clear that Sonny's children's lives were a wreck. Dante understood loyalty, but he felt that Jason took it too far. Jason didn't think that Dante knew the meaning of loyalty. Dante suggested that Jason set aside his hatred of Dante to hear what Dante was trying to say.

Dante loved his siblings and he wanted only the best for them. Dante suggested that protecting Sonny had the opposite affect on Sonny's kids. Jason appeared deep in thought as Dante walked away. Later, Dante was trying to relax when Lulu stopped by the loft. She was surprised to see that Dante was home. Dante told Lulu about his confrontation with Sonny at the hospital. He realized what an "ass" he had been towards Olivia. However, he admitted that he was a bit confused by her choice to date Johnny when she was opposed to Sonny's lifestyle.

Lulu suspected that Dante wasn't really concerned about Olivia because she was a grown woman who was capable to taking care of herself. Dante admitted that he was worried about his siblings, but he didn't want to ruin their evening by dwelling on something that he didn't have any control over. Dante decided to put on some music. Lulu laughed when Hawaiian music filled the room. Dante confessed that the CD had been purchased for a bachelor party a few years back.

At the mention of the bachelor party, Dante confided that he felt as if he had held his mother back from finding "Mr. Right." Lulu suggested that it might have been Olivia's choice to remain single. Dante suspected that Olivia had been too busy raising him to have a social life. He respected his mother because she hadn't taken the "easy way out" by having an abortion. Lulu grew quiet as Dante talked about how much he admired his mother for deciding to raise him on her own.

Dante was bewildered when Lulu suddenly announced that she had to leave. Lulu gathered her things and was out the door before Dante could talk her out of it. In the elevator, Lulu recalled a conversation that she had with her father when she was a teen about her decision to terminate her pregnancy.

4/8 At the police station, Dante was on the phone trying to get an update about the accident that had led to Kiefer's death. Ronnie suggested that Dante needed to learn to prioritize; Ronnie insisted that finding Michael to testify against Sonny was more important than the Bauer accident. Ronnie suspected that Dante knew exactly where Michael was stashed, but Dante denied it. Dante believed that they had sufficient evidence to convict Sonny without Michael's testimony.

Claire walked up in time to hear Dante's comment. Claire disagreed with Dante's assessment; she demanded that he locate Michael immediately. Ronnie wished Claire luck getting through to Dante and then walked away. Dante assured her that he didn't know where Michael was; however, he didn't think that putting a "traumatized kid" on the stand was a good idea.

Dante returned to investigating Kiefer's hit-and-run until he spotted Ronnie escorting Johnny to an interrogation room. Dante followed Ronnie and then tried to join in on the interrogation. Ronnie was instantly suspicious of Dante's motives because of Dante's reluctance to help track down Michael. Ronnie believed that Michael's testimony was crucial to convicting Sonny. Dante sarcastically reminded Ronnie that Claire was supposed to have been the key to putting Sonny away.

Ronnie admitted that it baffled him why Johnny seemed reluctant to help them find Michael. Johnny suggested that if Ronnie's case hinged on dragging a "brain-damaged kid" in to testify, then Ronnie wasn't the great cop that he tried to pass himself off to be. After Johnny walked out, Ronnie turned to Dante. Ronnie warned Dante that Dante was really close to obstruction of justice.

4/9 At the police station, Luke waited for Ethan after Tracy had bailed Ethan out of jail. Luke was stunned when Ethan entered the squad room with a battered face. Ethan explained that apparently prisoners didn't take kindly to men who were accused of beating up young girls. Luke suspected that Dante had deliberately put Ethan in a cell with someone who would punish Ethan in a way that the police couldn't. Dante denied it, but he didn't appear too concerned about Ethan's condition.

Dante suggested that perhaps the same short fuse that had led Ethan to run down Kiefer had set off a fight with Ethan's cellmate. Luke threatened to sue the police department, but Ethan wasn't interested in going that route. Ethan simply wanted to leave. Luke insisted that Ethan go to the hospital to be checked out. As Ethan started to leave, Dante reminded Ethan to remain in town.

Once Ethan left, Luke warned Dante to stop using Ethan as a scapegoat. Luke argued that Ethan had been wrongly accused of assaulting Kristina and that he was innocent of killing Kiefer. Dante acknowledged that Kristina had lied about Ethan's involvement in the attack; however, it didn't clear him of the hit-and-run. Dante suggested that Luke allow the legal system to work.

At the Haunted Star, Lulu entered the office and demanded to know what the family emergency was. Luke explained that Dante had thrown Ethan into a cell with a felon who had attacked Ethan. Lulu didn't think that Dante would do that, but Luke suggested that she tell that to Ethan's abused face.

Luke warned Lulu that she would have to choose between her family and Dante. Lulu couldn't believe that Luke had the nerve to talk about family loyalty after he had abandoned his children for years. Lulu made it clear that she would stand by Dante's side. Luke warned Lulu that cops and mobsters were two sides of the same coin. He insisted that Dante was not the person that Lulu thought he was.

Jason went to the police station to talk to Lucky, but Dante revealed that Lucky wasn't there. Moments later, Carly marched into the police station demanding to see her son. Dante explained that Morgan wasn't there, but Carly didn't believe him. She told Dante and Jason that a police officer and social worker had picked Morgan up from school. Dante suspected that Ronnie was behind the stunt, so he made some phone calls. Eventually Dante discovered that Morgan had been taken to the courthouse.

As Morgan is testifying for Sonny’s trial, all heads turned when Dante suddenly entered the courtroom and then announced that he was there to "retrieve Morgan on behalf of his parents."

4/12 Dante burst into the courtroom where Sonny was being tried and demanded that Morgan leave with him. Dante made an impassioned appeal on Morgan's behalf, but the judge found him in contempt. Carly, Jax, and Jason arrived in time to hear Dante's speech. When Dante was taken away to jail, Carly told the judge that Morgan had been taken out of school and put on the stand without either of his parent's permission and she was taking her son home. Once the judge learned that Morgan was there without parental knowledge, he let Carly take the boy home. He called a recess and told Diane and Claire to see him in chambers.

Ronnie threw Dante into a jail cell, but not before castigating him for his actions in court. Dante was equally upset because Ronnie had used unethical tactics to badger Morgan. He wondered what made them any different from the criminals they tried to convict.

Sonny went to the police station to see Dante. Ronnie confronted Sonny and wanted to know if he was proud that he had corrupted Dante. Sonny told Ronnie that Dante was protecting his brother and that he was proud of him for his loyalty to his brother. When Lulu interrupted to show some fashion samples to Carly, Morgan told her that Dante had gone to jail to protect him. Lulu was proud of Dante and rushed off to the police station.

Dante was not especially pleased to see Sonny, but Sonny was very proud of Dante and said that Dante should give up being a cop, because the law mattered less to Dante than the people he loved. Sonny told Dante that what had happened in court and the extreme measures that Claire and Ronnie were willing to take in order to convict him showed what hypocrites they were. They proved themselves willing to break the law to get what they wanted. Sonny said that at least he did not pretend or hide behind the law.

Lulu ran into Ronnie at the police station. He told her to talk some sense into Dante, but she defended Dante. When Lulu saw Dante, she supported his decision to help his brother, Morgan. She asked about his visit with Sonny. Dante told her that he hated to agree with Sonny on anything, but in this instance he did. Dante said that as a cop he was supposed to be one of the good guys, and what had just happened to Morgan showed that the cops had not been the good guys. Both Claire and Ronnie had been willing to break the law to get the result they wanted.

4/13 Lulu was livid that the judge was able to force a little kid to testify against his father and then throw Dante into jail for trying to stop it. Lulu wondered if Dante felt betrayed because Sonny was walking around a free man, while Dante was locked up in jail. Dante admitted that he just wanted to help Morgan because he knew what it was like to grow up without a father. Lulu was amazed by Dante's compassion. Dante smiled and then told Lulu about Sonny's visit.

Lulu quickly guessed that Sonny wanted Dante to quit the police force and then return to Sonny's organization. Dante was impressed with Lulu's insight. Lulu shrugged; she thought that Sonny was pretty easy to figure out. Dante wondered if Lulu would still love him if he took Sonny up on the offer. Lulu suggested that it was a trick question because Dante would never go to work for Sonny. However, she assured Dante that if he quit being a police officer to become a plumber, or something along those lines, she would love him just as much.

Dante joked that she would probably love him more, since plumbers made more money than cops. Dante turned serious as he confessed that he would never be able to join the mob because he could never expose children to that lifestyle. Later, Dante wondered why Lulu had grown quiet when he had mentioned children. Lulu assured him that nothing was wrong, so Dante talked about having children one day. Lulu appeared relieved when Olivia arrived.

Olivia had picked up some food and a clean pair of underwear for Dante. Dante was embarrassed that his co-workers had seen what his mother had for him. Olivia was unapologetic; however, she was proud that Dante had stuck up for his brother. Dante and Olivia began chatting about how Olivia had raised Dante. Lulu admitted that she respected Olivia for taking on motherhood at such a young age. Olivia insisted that it had been the best decision that she had ever made.

Lulu quickly excused herself and then left. Dante seemed troubled by Lulu's sudden exit, but he didn't say anything. Later, Lulu stopped by Carly's house to talk to her cousin. Carly confessed that she hated that Dante had lied to them in the beginning, but she was grateful that he had tried to help Morgan at court. Lulu conceded that Dante was great with kids. Carly sensed that there was more behind the statement; she wondered if Dante knew about Lulu's abortion.

Lulu confessed that it had never occurred to her that it would be a big deal to Dante. Carly assured Lulu that Dante won't care, but Lulu disagreed. Lulu explained that Dante was "very Catholic" and that Olivia thought that having Dante had been the right decision. Carly pointed out that Dante might not necessarily share his mother's views. Lulu was certain that Dante wouldn't see Lulu in the same way if he found out about the abortion.

Claire paid Dante a visit in jail. She was curious if it had been worth it to play hero to Morgan. Dante suggested that Claire had blown it; he was confident that everyone, including the jury, saw Claire as vindictive, hard-assed, and a little bit of a bully for what she had put Morgan through. Claire insisted that she had needed identification on the car. Dante saw it as an empty excuse.

Claire confessed that she also put Morgan on the stand to get to Sonny. According to Claire, it had worked. Dante was stunned when Claire revealed that she had offered Sonny a deal. Dante argued that Sonny deserved to be put away for life, not a few years. Claire explained that she had used Morgan for leverage to get Sonny to take the deal. Claire believed that the plea agreement would be good for everyone.

4/15 At the police station, Jason demanded to know if Claire would accept his guilty plea in exchange for the offer that she had extended to Sonny. Dante entered the room moments later. Dante agreed that the evidence pointed to Sonny as the killer. Diane shrewdly pointed out that Jason's conviction would be a huge win for Claire. Claire agreed to think about, but she insisted that Jason remain in custody as a prisoner. After Claire and Diane left, Dante wondered why Jason wanted to take the fall for Sonny. Jason believed that it would be best for Morgan and Michael. Jason was curious why Dante seemed more interested in convicting Sonny than in helping the kids.

Dante thought that everyone would be better off without Sonny's influence. Morgan had Jax to help guide him, while Kristina had Alexis. Dante didn't want them to be raised as Michael had been. Michael had learned that the person with the biggest gun won. Jason refused to defend what had happened to Michael; he conceded that mistakes had been made. Jason was determined that the trial not wreck Michael's life.

Jason insisted that Morgan shouldn't have been subjected to what Claire had done. Dante pointed out that he had spent a night in jail because he had tried to protect Morgan. Dante loved his siblings and wanted what was best for them. Jason promised that Morgan, Michael, and Kristina would end up hating Dante if Sonny went to jail.

At the courthouse, Dante and Sonny traded heated words. Sonny refused to go to prison to make Dante happy. Dante was more certain than ever that Sonny had murdered Claudia. He accused Sonny of being an egomaniac. Moments later, Morgan arrived at the courthouse. Dante stepped away from Sonny to talk to Morgan. Dante explained that Ronnie had lied to Morgan. Dante made it clear that he wasn't in trouble, so Morgan didn't have to agree to everything that Claire said. Sonny stood nearby, listening to the conversation.

4/16 At the courthouse, Sonny, Diane, and Claire hovered nearby while Dante advised Morgan to answer Claire's questions truthfully, but not to let Claire force him to say something that made Morgan uncomfortable. Claire stepped forward to order Dante to back off or she would have Dante charged with witness tampering. As the social worker hustled Morgan away, Sonny made another attempt to get Claire to change her mind about calling Morgan as a witness. Claire suggested that Sonny take the deal if he didn't want Morgan to testify. After Sonny and Diane entered the courtroom, Dante made it clear that he would not allow Claire to run roughshod over Morgan.

Lulu was talking on her cell phone while juggling several shopping bags as she walked home. Dante approached Lulu when he spotted her. After Lulu ended the call, Dante told her about Morgan's testimony. Dante realized that the good guys were almost as bad as the people that they were going after. Lulu was stunned when Dante told her about the plea bargain that Claire had extended to Sonny. She wasn't surprised to learn that Jason had offered to go to jail for Sonny.

Dante hated the role that he had played in what Michael and Morgan were going through. Dante questioned if he was any better than the prosecution. Lulu insisted that Dante hadn't done anything wrong. She believed that Morgan would be better off without Sonny. Lulu reminded Dante that Morgan would have him. Lulu believed that Dante was a better role model than Sonny.

At the police station, Mac sent Ronnie to Sonny's private island to serve Michael with a subpoena to appear in court. Ronnie didn't think it would be a good idea for Dante to know about the trip because Dante had a close connection to the kids. Ronnie promised that Dante was an upstanding police officer, but Dante was in over his head with Sonny. 

Dante entered the squad room. Dante grew suspicious when Mac assigned him to drug surveillance. Dante realized it was a move to keep him away from the trial. Mac reminded Dante who was in charge. Dante was curious where Ronnie was, but Mac would only reveal that Ronnie was working on something else. After Mac walked away, Dante made a call requesting information. Later, Dante showed up at Pozzulo's to talk to Jason. Dante wanted to know where Michael was because Ronnie had been sent to the island with a subpoena for Michael.

4/19 Dante went to Jason at Sonny's restaurant office and told him that Ronnie was on the island searching for Michael. Jason blasted Dante for his betrayal of Sonny. When Dante said he was trying to protect his brothers, Jason told him that he could not protect his brothers by putting Sonny in prison. When Dante left in disgust, Jason phoned the island.

Morgan worried about Molly and called Dante for help. Dante explained the law and said that anything that he did would be considered a conflict of interest. He told Molly that she could call him anytime, but that there was nothing that he could do. He advised the children to let the law take its course.

A recess was called at court just before closing arguments were to be made by both Claire and Diane. Diane told Sonny that Carly's testimony had been very convincing and that they had a chance at winning. Both Claire and Dante were looking on. Claire told Dante that if the prosecution did not find Michael and put him on the stand, Sonny would walk.

4/20 At the courthouse, Claire and Dante watched Sonny and Carly. Claire hated how Sonny and Carly were gloating. Claire was more certain than ever that the only way to secure a conviction against Sonny was by putting Michael on the witness stand. Claire and Dante watched as Sonny smiled smugly at them. Claire warned Dante that it was time for them to make a decision. She either had to proceed with her closing argument or make one more effort to get Michael to testify. Dante instructed Claire to request a 24-hour continuance, so that he could find Michael. Moments later, Claire asked Judge Carroll to grant her 24 hours to find Michael. Diane strongly objected, but the judge ruled in Claire's favor.

Dante showed up to see Morgan. Dante claimed that he wanted to apologize for not being able to help with Warren Bauer. Morgan realized that, as a cop, Dante was expected to follow the rules, so he didn't hold it against Dante. Morgan confessed that he hoped that after the trial, he could go to a Yankees game with Dante, Michael, and Sonny. Dante promised to work on it when Michael returned. Morgan didn't think that Michael would be eager to return home because he was having fun at a resort in Copa del Oro. 

Dante was on a plane headed to Copa del Oro to serve the subpoena to Michael. He was plagued with thoughts of Morgan during the flight to the island. A short time later, Dante arrived at the resort where Michael was staying. Dante immediately informed Michael that Michael had to return to Port Charles to testify. Michael suggested that Dante might not like what Michael had to say.

4/21 At Copa del Ora, Dante announced that he was there to take Michael back to Port Charles. Michael was certain that Dante had known that Michael had been on Sonny's island, so Michael was curious what had prompted Dante's sudden change of heart about Michael's testimony. Dante claimed that it wasn't up to him to determine if Michael's testimony had any relevance on the case; it was for the jury to decide. 

Moments later, Michael's cell phone rang. It was Morgan. Morgan admitted that he had told Dante where Michael was staying, so Morgan wanted Michael to be on the lookout. Michael assured Morgan that everything was fine; he promised that Max and Milo would be able to keep Dante away. Morgan seemed to relax. Michael promised to call his little brother the following day and then ended the call. Dante thanked Michael for covering for him with Morgan. Michael made it clear that he had done it for Morgan because he didn't want Morgan to feel responsible for Dante finding him.

Michael warned Dante that Max and Milo wouldn't allow Michael to leave the island with Dante. Dante assured Michael that Max and Milo had been dealt with, so they wouldn't be a problem. Dante warned Michael that the prosecutor had done a very good job with placing Michael at the scene of Claudia's murder. Dante was certain that Michael had witnessed Claudia's last moments.

Michael admitted to killing Claudia, but Dante didn't believe him. Dante insisted that Michael would need proof if anyone were to believe the confession. Michael pulled out his backpack and then informed Dante that the proof was inside. Dante found a shirt, covered with dried blood, when he opened the backpack. Michael revealed that the blood was Claudia's.

Michael confessed that he had found Claudia in the cabin as she was about to kidnap Josslyn. Michael had grabbed an axe handle and then struck Claudia with it. Dante refused to believe that Michael had killed Claudia. Michael accused Dante of not wanting to hear the truth because Dante wanted Sonny to be guilty of the crime. Later, on the fight black to Port Charles, Michael was curious what would happen when they landed. Dante explained that the shirt would be sent to forensics to determine if it was covered with Claudia's blood. Dante had no idea what to do if forensics confirmed Michael's story.

4/22 At Dante's loft, Dante ended a call with the forensics lab and then offered Michael some breakfast. Michael and Dante turned when Lulu stepped off of the elevator and then entered the loft. Lulu was shocked to see Michael standing in Dante's living room. Michael wondered who should tell Lulu the latest development. Dante decided to do the honors, so he quickly filled Lulu in on Michael's confession.

It was clear that Dante had his doubts about Michael's story. Michael explained that Dante simply didn't want to accept that Sonny wasn't guilty. Lulu also suspected that Michael's confession was a lie. She argued that too many people would have been involved in the cover-up. Michael reminded Lulu that the Corinthos family was skilled at covering things up. Lulu believed that Michael might have confessed because Michael would get a lighter sentence than Sonny, since Michael had been a minor at the time of Claudia's murder.

Michael wasn't surprised that they both suspected that he was lying. Dante pointed out that Michael was highly motivated to make up the story because Michael was desperate to save his father. Michael grew tired of the argument, so he decided to take a shower. After Michael left the room, Dante confessed that he had regrets about finding Michael. Dante believed that it was best for Sonny to go to jail. He was certain that Michael, Morgan, and Kristina would be better off.

However, Michael's confession had changed everything. Lulu thought that it was entirely possible that Michael had made up the story, but Dante revealed that Michael had produced a shirt covered with Claudia's blood. Dante explained that he was waiting for the forensics department to confirm that it was Claudia's blood on the shirt. Dante had no idea what to do if Michael had killed Claudia. Lulu suggested doing nothing.

Dante recalled a time that Sonny had sent him to Pine Barrens to kill someone. He remembered wondering how many other men Sonny had sent to their deaths. Dante argued that even if Sonny hadn't killed Claudia, he was guilty of murder. He believed that Sonny deserved to go to jail. A short time later, Dante received the call that he had been dreading. The forensics department confirmed that the blood on the shirt was Claudia's.

Michael returned to the living room just as Dante filled Lulu in on the DNA results. Lulu and Dante realized that Michael had told the truth. Michael was curious what Dante intended to do with the new information. Lulu arrived home with Michael in tow. Lulu explained that Dante needed time to think things through. Michael sensed that Lulu was disappointed. She reluctantly confirmed his suspicions. Michael realized that Lulu hated Sonny, so she wanted Sonny to go to jail.

Sonny arrived home to find Dante waiting for him. Sonny poured himself a drink as he revealed that his fate was in the hands of the jury. Dante slowly approached Sonny. Dante confessed that the trial had been a waste of time because Sonny hadn't killed Claudia; Michael had. Sonny stared intently at Dante.

4/23 At Lulu's apartment, Michael reminded Lulu how much Sonny loved her. Lulu confessed that she could never forgive Sonny for shooting Dante. Michael and Lulu were startled when Maxie entered the apartment. Maxie was equally stunned to see Michael standing in the living room. Maxie quickly realized that Dante must have tracked down Michael. Lulu panicked when Maxie decided to call Jason. Lulu threatened to cut off Maxie's arm if she touched the phone.

As Lulu and Maxie argued about whether or not to call Jason, Lulu realized that Maxie had known that Michael had killed Claudia. Lulu couldn't believe that Maxie hadn't said a word. Maxie explained that she had recently learned the truth, but that she couldn't betray Spinelli's confidence. Lulu explained that she felt the same way about Dante, so she begged Maxie to walk away and not tell Jason about Michael's whereabouts. Maxie agreed to walk away, but she couldn't make any promises to Lulu about not telling Jason where Michael was hiding. 

After Maxie left, Michael warned Lulu that Maxie would likely tell Spinelli that Michael was in the apartment. Michael was confident that Jason would turn up on Lulu's doorstep very soon. Lulu advised Michael not to underestimate the power of friendship. Lulu explained that Maxie understood that it was important for Lulu to be the person that Dante could trust. Michael suggested that it might be equally important for Maxie to be the person that Spinelli could trust. Lulu disagreed and then changed the subject. She was curious why Michael had waited so long to confess when it was clear that Michael wanted the truth to be out.

Michael revealed that he had intended to take responsibility for Claudia's death, but everyone around him had insisted on the cover-up. However, Michael was clear that he refused to allow Sonny to go to jail for a crime that Michael had committed. Michael sensed that Lulu was keeping something from him. He wondered where Dante was. Lulu avoided the question by urging Michael to trust Dante to take the lead. Michael agreed to wait for Dante, but it his patience was wearing thin.

At Greystone Manor, Dante confronted Sonny with the truth about Michael's role in Claudia's death. Sonny stuck to his story that he had killed Claudia until Dante revealed that Michael had confessed. Sonny was stunned to learn that Michael had also given Dante a shirt covered with Claudia's blood. Sonny insisted that it had been an accident. Sonny admitted that Michael had found Claudia in the cabin with Josslyn in her arms. Michael had taken an axe handle and then struck Claudia, but Michael hadn't intended to kill her. 

Dante wondered why they had covered up the crime. Dante was certain that it would have been ruled self-defense. Sonny argued that the police would have jumped at the opportunity to railroad Michael as payback for not being able to prosecute Sonny. Sonny didn't want Michael to carry the stigma of being labeled a killer. Sonny wanted to go to jail in Michael's place; he took responsibility for the death of many men, including Lieutenant Poletti. Sonny implored Dante to allow justice to take its course. He assured Dante that even Diane was certain that Sonny would be convicted.

Dante found Lulu waiting for him when he arrived at his loft. Lulu explained that she had received his message. Dante looked around for Michael. Lulu assured him that Michael had promised to wait at the apartment. Dante revealed the details about his visit with Sonny. He admitted that he wasn't comfortable allowing Sonny to take responsibility for another person's crime, even if it was Sonny's choice.

A short time later, Lulu and Dante returned to her apartment. Dante was eager to move Michael to another location before Jason found him. Lulu seemed surprised that Dante didn't intend to turn Michael over to the police. Dante explained that he needed more time to decide. They were stunned when the entered the apartment to discover that Michael was gone.

4/26 Michael was gone when Lulu and Dante arrived at her apartment. Dante wondered if he had done the right thing by keeping Michael and his confession from Claire. Lulu told him that she would support his decision, no matter what he ultimately decided to do. Lucky stopped by the apartment after Dante called him. Dante told Lucky that forensic evidence confirmed that Michael, not Sonny, had killed Claudia. He told Lucky about his conversation with Sonny and how Sonny had begged him to keep Michael safe.

Lulu suggested that even though Sonny had not killed Claudia, he had committed other crimes and deserved to go to prison. She thought that keeping silent might be the best thing to do for Michael and the rest of Sonny's family. Dante was not sure what to do. He asked Lucky to help him find Michael. Lucky agreed, but Dante decided that it was something he had to do himself. Lucky told Dante that he was in danger of losing his badge if he hid the truth that Michael had killed Claudia. Before leaving Lulu and Dante alone, Lucky told Dante to think long and hard before making a decision. Dante was pacing, talking to Lulu, and trying to decide what to do when there was a knock on the door. It was Jason. He demanded to see Michael.

4/27 In Lulu's apartment, Jason pleaded with Dante and Lulu to tell him where Michael was, but neither would reveal anything. Jason begged them to help him protect Michael, but Dante and Lulu remained silent. Jason tried another tactic; he demanded to know what Dante's plan was. Dante hoped that Sonny would be convicted and then sent to jail for a lifetime of crimes. Jason was curious what Dante would do if Sonny were acquitted.

Dante saw Michael as a victim, just like Claudia, so he didn't want Michael to get hurt. Jason argued that Michael would only be safe if Michael left the country. Jason turned to Lulu for help, but Lulu insisted that she honestly didn't know where Michael was. Frustrated, Jason left. Afterwards, Dante wondered if Lulu was okay. Lulu reminded him that she had told Jason the truth.

Lulu confessed that she was conflicted because Jason had protected Michael since birth. She had been tempted to tell Jason that Michael was in Port Charles. Dante insisted that they couldn't tell Jason anything because Jason would mobilize the entire organization to find Michael. Dante regretted that he had put Lulu in such a difficult situation. Lulu assured Dante that he didn't have anything to be sorry for because they were a team. Dante kissed Lulu and then left to search for Michael.

Carly showed up at Lulu's apartment and immediately demanded to know where Michael was hiding. Lulu explained that she couldn't tell Carly, which added fuel to Carly's rage. Carly couldn't believe that Lulu would put Dante ahead of family. Lulu claimed that she wasn't doing that, but Carly didn't believe her. Carly accused Lulu of ruining Michael's life.

Lulu claimed that she was trying to protect Michael and that she loved Carly. Carly suggested that if Lulu loved her then she would reveal where Michael was, but Lulu remained tight-lipped. Carly insisted that Michael had acted in defense of Carly and Josslyn when he had struck Claudia. She urged Lulu not to put Michael's life in Dante's hands.

Lulu argued that it wasn't Dante's fault that Carly, Sonny, and Jason had covered up Claudia's death. Lulu defended Dante by reminding Carly that he was doing his job. Dante entered moments later. He suggested that Carly's problem was with him, not Lulu. Carly explained that Dante was merely someone who was related, but Lulu was family. "She owes me and Michael a hell of a lot better than this," Carly declared before she stormed out of the apartment.

Lulu's eyes filled with tears as she admitted that she would feel as betrayed as Carly if their situations had been reversed. However, Lulu believed that Michael's fate was Dante's call to make. Lulu was curious if Dante was any closer to deciding what he would do. Dante remained conflicted, but he was adamant that he wanted to protect Michael.

4/28 Lulu grew alarmed when she found Dante's loft in shambles and Dante gone. She immediately relaxed when Dante stepped off of the elevator moments later. Lulu confessed that she had almost called the police. Dante chuckled as he conceded that his loft looked like a crime scene. However, he assured her that he was merely a slob. Lulu admitted that she had been worried that Jason had grabbed him in an effort to learn where Michael was.

Dante explained that he had suffered from a bout of insomnia, so he had gotten up in the middle of the night. Dante had taken his frustration out on a chair after he had stubbed his toe, which had resulted in the chair being upended. Lulu was relieved, but the discussion quickly turned serious when she asked if Dante had made a decision about Michael. Dante assured her that he had meant what he had said to Jason about wanting Sonny to go to jail and protecting Michael.

Lulu wondered if Dante hoped that the jury would convict Sonny before Dante had to make a decision. Lulu and Dante sat down to eat breakfast, but were interrupted when Claire arrived moments later. Claire demanded to know where Michael was. When Dante confessed that he had no idea, Claire ordered Lulu to leave. Lulu reminded Claire that it was Dante's apartment; however, Lulu decided to give them some privacy.

After Lulu left, Claire grilled Dante about Michael's whereabouts. Dante revealed that he had lost Michael. Claire was certain that it had been a deliberate move on Dante's part, in order to protect Sonny. She promised to push for obstruction charges against Dante if Sonny was acquitted.

4/29 At the loft, Dante made it clear that he wasn't afraid of losing his badge. Claire insisted that Dante was obstructing justice by not turning Michael over to the authorities. Dante didn't "give a damn" about her threats because he had put everyone he cared about through hell already. Claire urged Dante to think like a cop, but Dante pointed out that it hadn't gotten him anywhere. Dante believed that Claire was only interested in making a name for herself with a high-profile conviction. Claire wasn't insulted at being called ambitious because she had worked hard to get where she was. Dante wasn't impressed; he accused her of being the only one who was allowed to bend the law.

Later, Ronnie entered the loft. Dante assumed that Ronnie was there to confiscate Dante's badge. Ronnie didn't think it was a good idea for Dante to mess with Claire. He advised Dante to turn Michael in. Dante warned that Ronnie might not like what Michael had to say. Ronnie was stunned when Dante revealed that Michael had confessed to killing Claudia. Initially, Ronnie didn't believe Dante, but Dante made it clear that it was the truth.

Dante admitted that he was conflicted about what to do. Ronnie thought that it was a gift that Sonny had taken the rap for Michael. If Sonny were convicted then they would all win. Ronnie didn't think justice would be served if Michael confessed to killing Claudia. Lulu arrived shortly after Ronnie left. Lulu revealed that Maxie had fled to Milan to avoid her. Lulu believed that Maxie felt guilty for breaking the girlfriend code by ratting out Lulu to Jason.

Lulu noticed that Dante seemed troubled. He admitted that he remained undecided about the situation with Michael. Dante shared a story about his youth when he had played baseball. Dante had made a spectacular play on the field, but the umpire had ruled against Dante. Dante had been furious, so he had yelled at the umpire. In the end, Dante had been sent to the dugout.

Dante was certain that the coach would yell at Dante, but he hadn't. The coach agreed that Dante had made a great play and that the umpire had made a bad call. However, the coach was disappointed because Dante had robbed himself of an opportunity by losing his temper. Dante revealed that the coach had been Lt. Poletti. As he concluded the story, Dante realized what he had to do.

Dante arrived at the courthouse to see if the jury was close to a verdict. One of the court officers confided that he had overheard the jury talking; it appeared that they were prepared to convict Sonny. The officer congratulated Dante. The jury filed in and as Alice prepared to read the verdict to the courtroom, Dante entered. Dante insisted that he had new evidence that needed to be heard. The judge was outraged, but Dante ignored him. Dante insisted that the truth needed to be told. Everyone was stunned when Dante announced that Sonny hadn't killed Claudia, Michael had.

4/30 At the courthouse, Dante told the judge that Michael was the one who killed Claudia. Both Diana and Claire objected to Dante's story. Jason discreetly left the courtroom. Dante insisted that he had proof to back up his claim. The judge directed the jury to leave the room. Claire insisted that Dante had no proof and wasn't able to produce Michael as a witness.

Diane announced that Michael was only confessing to Claudia's murder as a way to save Sonny. Dante reminded everyone that he had proof. The judge warned Dante to follow the rules of his courtroom and then called Dante to the stand. Dante insisted that he wanted to see Sonny put away but only for a crime Sonny actually committed. The judge asked Dante what led him to believe that Michael killed Claudia.

Dante relayed how he found Michael and served him a subpoena for Sonny's trial. Dante then revealed how Michael insisted that he killed Claudia and showed Dante the shirt he wore the night of the murder. Dante told the judge that the blood on Michael's shirt was Claudia's. The judge asked Dante if Michael confessed to hitting Claudia with intent to kill. Dante reminded the judge that Michael's impulse control had been affected as a result of being shot in the head. Dante also brought up how everyone was upset the night Sonny publicly denounced Claudia and then Claudia kidnapped Carly, who was going into labor.

Dante relayed how Michael came to find Claudia's car, then found Carly and Claudia in the cabin. Dante said Michael knew that Claudia was trying to take off with his baby sister so Michael hit Claudia. Dante then told the courtroom how Michael dropped to his knees, then got Claudia's blood on his shirt. Dante said that he believed that Michael didn't mean to kill Claudia. Dante knew that Michael wanted to come forward but wasn't able to because Sonny, Carly and Jason engineered a cover up. Claire objected that Sonny's sons were just coming up with a story to save Sonny. The judge issued a warrant for Michael's arrest.

The judge dismissed Dante from the stand and ordered Carly back on the stand. The judge reminded Carly the consequences of perjury and how it'd affect Michael. Carly announced that she wanted to change her story. Carly told the judge that Michael had been there the night Claudia died. She described how Michael had come with Sonny and knelt down to Claudia's body after Sonny hit Claudia. Carly claimed that they only wanted to shield an already traumatized Michael from the case after everything Michael had been through. The judge dismissed Carly from the stand and ordered a review of Michael's medical records.

Johnny confronted Dante on selling out his own brother and possibly getting Sonny free. The Mayor warned Dante that he would become the subject of an Internal Affairs investigation. Lulu insisted on standing by Dante against Carly and Sonny. Carly accused Lulu of betraying her by siding with Dante. Sonny confronted Dante and asked Dante if Dante hated Sonny enough to go after Michael.

5/3 Outside the courtroom, Carly castigated Lulu because she had supported Dante's decision to tell the truth about Michael, instead of calling Carly to let her know that Michael was back. Carly told Lulu that it was not okay to put her boyfriend before her family. Lulu defended her actions by saying that Michael was hurting and wanted to confess. Carly's fury was not abated. She blamed Lulu for not understanding Michael's condition and hurting him instead of protecting him. She accused Lulu of disloyalty to the family. Carly told Lulu that she was angriest because Carly had been there for Lulu every time she had needed to talk about her boyfriends, her mother, or any other problem. Carly said she was really disappointed that the one time she had needed Lulu, Lulu had turned her back on Carly. Carly told Lulu that when Michael had needed her she had thrown him under a bus. Carly called Lulu a "selfish bitch" and then walked away.

In another area outside the courtroom, Sonny berated Dante for hurting Michael. Dante retorted that he was not trying to hurt Michael. He told Sonny that he was trying to help Michael so that he did not grow up to be like Sonny.

Dante told a shaken Lulu how much he appreciated her support. She said that she knew that he was doing what he thought was right for Michael and even though she did not trust the system, she trusted him. Molly, Morgan, and Kristina arrived and demanded to know why Dante had given up their brother. Dante said that he was trying to help Michael and that it was best to tell the truth and let the system work. He assured Morgan that Michael would not go to prison and neither would Sonny. He told them that Michael would probably get counseling, which he needed, and a suspended sentence. Morgan was appeased, but Molly was not. Neither was Carly, who had a few harsh words for Dante after she sent Morgan, Molly, and Kristina home.

Outside the courtroom, Sonny spoke to Lulu. He told her that Michael was her family and that he thought family meant something to her. Sonny told Lulu that he was saddened to find out that it did not. Olivia told Dante to watch his back. She told him that she did not want him to get killed because he was doing the right thing. Jason and Sam arrived and both glared at Dante.

Jason continued to glare at Dante as he, Sam, and Carly took their seats in the gallery behind the defense. Dante, Lulu, Olivia, and Jax took seats on the prosecution side. After the bailiff called the court to order, Judge Carroll told everyone present to keep quiet or suffer the consequences. He told both lawyers that he would be doing the questioning and he expected no coaching or influencing of testimony by anyone in the courtroom. Michael was handcuffed when he was led in to testify. After the cuffs were removed, he was sworn in. The first question that the judge asked was if Michael had killed his stepmother.

5/4 In the courtroom, Michael sat on the witness stand while Judge Carroll questioned him about the night of Claudia's death. Michael admitted that he had killed Claudia on November 4, 2009. The judge instructed Michael to explain, in detail, the events that had led to Claudia's demise. Michael told the judge about the moments following Sonny's confrontation with Claudia and how Carly had gone into labor after Claudia had abducted her. Michael believed that everyone would have been better off without him, so he decided to run away.

Michael had spotted Claudia's abandoned car on the side of the road, while he had been on his way out of town. Michael revealed that he had followed a path through the woods until he had stumbled upon the cabin. Michael claimed that had heard Carly cry out as he reached the cabin. Michael had feared the worst, so he had grabbed the axe handle and then entered the cabin. In the cabin, Claudia had been about to kidnap Josslyn. Michael explained that he had swung the axe to stop Claudia from taking his baby sister.

Judge Carroll was curious what Michael had been thinking at the moment that he had struck Claudia. Michael admitted that his only thought had been to stop Claudia from kidnapping the baby. Michael also revealed that Jason and Sam, not Sonny, had arrived at the cabin shortly after Claudia's death. Judge Carroll wondered if anyone, at any time, had ever suggested calling the police. "No," Michael quietly answered.

Judge Carroll thanked Michael for his cooperation, but he wanted to know if Michael had intended to kill Claudia. Michael revealed that his only thought had been to make certain that Carly and Josslyn were okay. The judge believed Michael and commended Dante for standing up for the truth. Judge Carroll charged Michael with manslaughter and then ordered that Michael be taken to jail. The judge decided that Michael was too much of a flight risk, so bail had been denied. Judge Carroll announced that Michael would remain in custody until sentencing on May 7, 2010.

The judge approved Dante's request to be the one to arrest his brother. Dante read Michael his Miranda Rights as everyone looked on. After Michael was led away in handcuffs, Judge Carroll officially dropped the murder charges against Sonny. Lulu approached Olivia. Olivia admitted that she was proud that Dante had followed his conscience. Olivia was also glad that Dante had Lulu in his life. After Carly stormed out of the courtroom, she encountered Lulu in the hallway. Carly hoped that Lulu pictured Michael behind bars when Lulu celebrated Dante's victory by "getting horizontal." Lulu admitted that she was deeply sorry that Michael had been arrested. Lulu's regret seemed to fuel Carly's anger. Tracy walked up while Carly blasted Lulu for betraying the family for Dante.

Tracy accused Carly of creating the whole mess by stealing Michael from the Quartermaines and then allowing Sonny to raise him. Tracy suggested that Carly only had herself to blame. Lulu warned Tracy that she didn't need Tracy to fight her battles, but Tracy refused to back down. Tracy wondered what Carly thought would happen if Michael were raised by a criminal. "He'd grow up to be a choirboy?" Tracy sarcastically asked.

Carly claimed that she had expected Lulu to choose her family over Dante. Tracy confessed that she wasn't a fan of Dante's because she suspected that Dante would turn out to be just like Sonny; however, Tracy continued to defend Lulu's decision. Carly was curious if Tracy would be so quick to support Lulu if Dante had arrested Luke.

Dante and Michael arrived at the police station shortly after leaving the courthouse. Dante prepared Michael for what to expect during and after the booking process. Michael was curious why Dante had turned him in. Dante claimed that the short version was that the truth needed to be exposed. Dante could see that the guilt had been eating away at Michael. Michael wondered what would happen if the judge didn't believe that Michael had acted in defense of Carly and Josslyn.

Dante was confident that Michael wouldn't face any jail time because Michael had been a minor at the time of the killing and because Michael had suffered brain damage. Dante was certain that Michael would get a suspended sentence and be ordered to undergo therapy. Later, Carly was in an interrogation room waiting for Michael when Dante entered. Carly defiantly explained that she was there to see Michael. Dante realized that he wasn't Carly's favorite person, but he tried to explain his decision.

Carly didn't think Dante could understand her position because he wasn't a parent. According to Carly, Dante was a vindictive liar. Dante insisted that he had told the truth in an effort to help Michael, but Carly didn't see it. Dante started to explain that Michael was desperate to follow in Sonny's footsteps, but Carly cut in that Sonny would never have allowed it. Dante argued that Sonny wouldn't have been able to stop it. Dante believed that Michael was better off with the truth out because Michael would no longer be burdened with the guilt of keeping the secret. Carly grew tired of arguing, so she reiterated that she wanted to see her son. Michael entered the interrogation room moments later. 

Lulu was waiting when Dante entered the loft. Dante told Lulu about Michael's booking process and then confided that Michael had been scared. Lulu felt bad for Michael, but she fully supported Dante's decision. Dante appreciated Lulu's faith in him. He apologized for leaving her at the courthouse with Carly. Lulu admitted that she understood that Carly was mad; however, she was hurt that Carly had insulted her.

Lulu couldn't believe that Carly refused to listen to anything that Lulu had to say. She was taken aback by how intolerant Carly had been, even though they had been as close as sisters. Lulu explained that she and Carly had shared a lot, but Carly felt that she couldn't trust Lulu. Dante clarified that it was he that Carly felt couldn't be trusted. Lulu took comfort in knowing that the judge would go easy on Michael. Dante agreed; he was confident that Michael would be out of jail by Friday.

5/5 At the loft, Dante and Lulu cuddled on the sofa as they talked about the merits of tough love. Dante hoped that the arrest had scared Michael straight. Lulu suggested that they buy Michael a cheeseburger from Kelly's after Michael was released from jail. At the reminder of food, Dante confessed that he hadn't eaten all day. Lulu was also hungry, so she offered to order a pizza. Dante insisted cooking dinner instead.

Lulu made it clear that she didn't have any idea how to cook, so Dante promised to teach her. After he showed her how to dice tomatoes, Dante returned to the kitchen to prepare some pasta sauce. Lulu laughed when she spotted Dante grabbing a jar of sauce. As they continued cooking the meal, Dante mentioned Jason's name in passing, which rattled Lulu. Lulu nicked her finger when her knife slipped. Dante quickly bandaged the injured digit as he assured Lulu that no one would try to get to him because they would have to go through Lulu first.

After Lulu's finger was taken care of, Dante handed her a glass of wine. Dante proposed a toast to Lulu for standing by him. Lulu took the opportunity to assure Dante that he had done the right thing. Afterwards, Dante resumed cooking alone. Later, Lulu confessed that she had enjoyed the dinner. Dante sensed that Lulu was still unsettled. Lulu admitted that she was upset about her confrontation with Carly.

Lulu revealed that a part of her didn't want to defend herself against Carly's accusations because, right or wrong, Lulu had helped to put Michael in jail. However, Lulu wouldn't have done anything different because she couldn't think of a better place to be than beside Dante. After Lulu helped Dante clean up the dishes, she decided to head home. Dante asked Lulu to stay because he loved her. Lulu confessed that she had been hoping that Dante would invite her to spend the night. Dante and Lulu kissed and then made love. The episode featured the song, "Make You Feel My Love," by Adele

5/6 At the loft, Dante and Lulu woke up in bed together. They were blissfully happy after a night of making love. Dante fetched some cold pasta for them to nibble on in bed, while Lulu admitted that it almost felt wrong for them to be so happy. She worried that they were somehow tempting fate. Dante assured Lulu that they were destined to be together and then kissed her.

Eventually, Dante and Lulu made it to the living room. As they cuddled on the sofa, Lulu's cell phone rang. She turned it off when she saw that Maxie was trying to reach her. Dante decided to follow Lulu's lead by turning off his cell phone. He then asked Lulu what she would like to do. Lulu confessed that she had a fantasy of them taking a shower together. Dante smiled as he swept Lulu into his arms and then carried her to the bathroom.

After the shower, Dante confided that he had never felt as deeply about another woman as he did Lulu. Lulu admitted that she had never believed in love until she had met Dante. "Now I'm a goner," Lulu confessed. Their romantic interlude ended abruptly when they heard the elevator approach. Moments later, Lucky entered the loft. Lucky revealed that Maxie had called in a "potential suicide" because she was desperate to find Lulu. Lulu was livid. After she stormed off to get dressed, Lucky warned Dante to treat Lulu well. Lucky didn't want to see his sister hurt. Dante promised that he would take good care of Lulu.

Maxie was relieved when Lulu finally arrived for work. However, Lulu was more interested in discussing their problem. Maxie pointed out that she had never promised Lulu that she wouldn't tell Jason and Spinelli that Michael had been hiding out in the apartment. Lulu reminded Maxie that Dante was a police officer. As Lulu talked about Dante, Maxie realized that Lulu and Dante had made love. Maxie was curious how Dante was in bed.

Lulu seemed surprised by the question, but then smiled as she admitted that Dante was wonderful. However, Lulu insisted that she was still mad at Maxie. Maxie conceded that she was loyal to Spinelli and Jason, so there would be times that Lulu and Maxie might clash. Maxie admitted that she had fled to Milan to avoid an uncomfortable conversation that could have led to the end of their friendship. Maxie advised Lulu to enjoy the time with Dante while she could because there were quite a few people who where unhappy with Michael's situation.

Dante arrived to talk to Michael. confident that he would be set free, they discussed Michael's future. Michael was curious why Dante was interested in what would happen next since Dante's job was done. Dante agreed that his responsibility as a police officer was done; however, his job as a brother was, "just gearing up."

Sonny decided to head to Dante's loft. Dante was stunned when he arrived home to find Sonny waiting for him. Sonny suggested that Dante find a more secure place, unless he was under the impression that he was still under Sonny's protection. Dante defended his decision to reveal the truth about Michael because it had set Michael free from Sonny's "twisted code of ethics." Dante believed that Michael finally had a real chance at a future. Sonny reminded Dante that Michael would always carry the stigma of having killed someone because of Dante. Dante pointed out that Michael had killed someone, so it wasn't Dante's fault. Moments later, Sonny received word that the judge was ready to sentence Michael.

5/7 At Crimson, Maxie regretted not telling Jason about Michael's whereabouts sooner. Lulu insisted that once people understood that Dante was trying to save Michael, they would be grateful to Dante. Maxie warned Lulu not to be too optimistic about Michael's sentencing. Lulu believed that Michael would not go to prison since his actions were clearly self-defense. Lulu recalled the guilt she felt after killing Logan, and she believed that she and Dante were saving Michael from that type of suffering. Lulu got a call from Olivia, who told her that Michael was about to be sentenced. Lulu and Olivia agreed to head to the courthouse to support Dante.

Sonny and Dante entered the courthouse. Dante told Carly, "I need you to hear me out about Michael." Dante insisted Michael needed to tell the truth, but Carly believed that Dante only told the truth when it made Dante look good. Dante believed that judge would see that Michael needed a chance to rebuild his life. Dante declared, "I swear to you, this is the best thing to happen to this kid." Sonny cut in, "You need to stop talking now, Dante."

Carly asked Jason if he thought Michael would go to prison. Kristina, Morgan, and Molly arrived but tried to stay out of sight. Sonny told Dante that Dante had no right to lecture Carly when Dante didn't even know Michael. Dante believed that Sonny messed up Michael's life. Sonny told Dante, "Maybe I don't deserve a better son than you, but Michael deserves a better brother." 

Lulu surprised Dante with her arrival and told him that she would stick by him. Judge Carroll arrived, and Michael entered. Judge Carroll asked if anyone wanted to speak on the victim's behalf. Johnny announced that he would. Johnny told everyone about his complicated relationship with his sister. Johnny believed that Sonny had driven Claudia over the edge, but he mentioned that Michael was only protecting Carly and Josslyn. Johnny declared, "Michael is not responsible for the death of Claudia Zacchara. Sonny Corinthos is."

Johnny declared that Claudia wouldn't have wanted Michael to suffer and hoped the judge would be lenient on Michael. Judge Carroll stated that Michael would be sentence to five years in prison with a chance of parole in two years. The courtroom exploded with protests. Dante shouted, "Your honor, you can't do this!" Judge Carroll ordered everyone to sit down. Dante begged Judge Carroll to reconsider Michael's sentence. Dante pleaded, "Give my brother a chance to build a better life, to build a better future for himself."

Judge Carroll ordered Dante to sit down. Judge Carroll explained that Michael was of legal age and that Michael had had a lot of time to come forward with the truth. While Judge Carroll sympathized with the ordeals Michael had endured, the judge believed that Michael's time in prison might prevent him from breaking the law in the future. Sonny explained to Judge Carroll that it was he, not Michael, that was responsible for Claudia's death. Sonny begged Judge Carroll to punish him, not Michael.

Judge Carroll agreed that Sonny was indirectly responsible for Michael killing Claudia, but Judge Carroll upheld Michael's sentence. Judge Carroll decided that while everyone broke several laws, their punishment was the knowledge that their actions had led Michael to prison. Carly, Sonny, and Jason hugged Michael. As Michael was led out, Molly, Morgan and Kristina learned that Michael was going to prison. Morgan insisted that Dante had promised Michael wouldn't go to prison. Michael responded, "Dante was wrong." Back in the courtroom, Jason hugged a devastated Carly.

5/10 In the courtroom, Johnny launched into a verbal condemnation of Dante. He said that Dante had saved Sonny again and that he had done it by sacrificing his brother. Lulu defended Dante, but Johnny said that Dante had also ripped away the last shreds of dignity from Claudia also. He said that she would be remembered for sending Michael to prison. As Lulu and Dante tried to leave, Morgan, Molly, and Kristina confronted them. Each of the siblings roundly condemned Dante for his actions, which they perceived as a betrayal of Michael.

When Morgan screamed at Dante that he was a liar and he wished Dante were dead, Sonny intervened. Sonny told Morgan that Michael would not like to hear him say things like that. When the kids said that they were going to see Michael, Sonny asked Kristina to take them home, but she refused and said that they were going to see Michael because he needed them.

Calling for Diane, Sonny went back inside the courtroom. The kids left to see Michael. Lulu and Dante talked in the hall. Lulu told Dante that it was not his fault, but Dante disagreed. Lulu asked him what he would have felt if Michael was a stranger. Dante said that Michael was not a stranger and that he had made a promise, which had been broken. Lulu told Dante that it was the judge who had let him down.

Dante sent Lulu away and confronted Sonny in the courtroom after Diane and Claire left. Dante said that both he and Sonny were to blame for Michael's predicament because both of them had believed that they could selectively use the law. Dante told Sonny that he wished that he had let Sonny go to prison for the crime he did commit when Sonny shot an unarmed police officer. As Sonny stalked away, he said he wished the same thing.

Lulu went to Lucky and asked to see Carly. Lulu was sure that Jason intended to kill Dante, and Lulu wanted to ask Carly to stop him. Lucky said it was not the best time to talk to Carly and then sent Lulu away. Lulu was waiting for Sonny when he got home. She worried that Jason would kill Dante. Sonny told Lulu that even though he was extremely angry with Dante, he would never order his death, but he told her that he no longer had control of Jason and could not be sure that he could stop him.

Dante went home to his loft, took out his gun and badge, and laid them on a table. As he was looking at them, Carly entered on the elevator. She asked him if he was considering a change in careers. Then she picked up his gun, pointed it at his heart and said, "It's a little late for that, don't you think? At least where Michael is concerned."

5/11 At the loft, Carly pointed a gun at Dante, while she vented about Michael's prison sentence. Dante calmly took the gun from Carly and then pointed out that all she had to do was to wait for Jason to take care of things. Dante apologized that his actions had led to Michael's arrest and conviction. He understood everyone's anger, including Jason's, but Dante refused to allow Jason to kill him. Carly surprised Dante by admitting that it was her fault that Michael had been sent to Pentonville.

Carly and Dante sat down in the living room as Carly opened up about how she had fallen in love with Sonny when Michael had been a baby. Carly had told herself that everything would be fine because Sonny was a wonderful and caring father. In the end, though, it had been Carly's decision to raise Michael in Sonny's world. Carly realized that, even as a teenager, Olivia had known better. Carly hated that Dante had told the court about what Michael had done, but she was angry at herself for putting Michael in that situation.

Dante regretted how he had hurt Morgan. Carly confessed that she had liked Dante from the start because of the way that he had treated Morgan, so she didn't want Dante to blame himself for anything. She intended to talk to Jason, so that Dante would be safe. Olivia stopped by to check on her son shortly after Carly left. Dante admitted that he was furious because the judge had sentenced Michael to time in jail.

Olivia tried to assure Dante that it wasn't his fault, but he believed that he deserved to have Jason gunning for him. Olivia refused to allow Dante to throw his life away. Dante assured her that she didn't have anything to worry about; she had already saved his life. Olivia was surprised when Dante explained that Carly had applauded Olivia for choosing to keep Dante away from Sonny. Dante also revealed that Carly blamed herself for what had happened to Michael; however, he still felt responsible for his brother's situation. Olivia reminded Dante that he couldn't have known what the judge would decide. She insisted that Dante had only tried to protect Michael.

At Greystone Manor, Lulu pleaded with Sonny to stop Jason from killing Dante. Sonny reminded Lulu that Michael had a special place in Jason's heart. He didn't think he could stop Jason from going after Dante. Lulu begged Sonny to stop the violence, but Sonny couldn't make any promises. Lulu then went to see Carly to persuade her to ask Jason to leave Dante alone. Lulu explained that Dante had never intended for Michael to end up in jail.

Lulu insisted that the judge was to blame for what had happened. Lulu begged Carly to spare Dante's life, but Carly asked Lulu to stop. Carly revealed that she had just returned from Dante's loft and that she had assured him that he was safe. Lulu was stunned when Carly admitted that Lulu had been correct; Dante had been a scapegoat. Carly acknowledged that she had only herself to blame for the way that Michael had been raised.

Carly promised that she would talk to Jason to make certain that he understood that she didn't hold Dante responsible for Michael's jail sentence. Lulu wept with relief as Carly apologized for lashing out at Lulu. Lulu was thrilled that she and Carly would be able to repair their relationship. Carly hugged Lulu and then suggested that Lulu find Dante to let him know that everything would be okay. Carly's smile disappeared as soon as Lulu left.

At the loft, Lulu told Dante that she had talked to Sonny and then Carly. Dante was impressed by her desire to protect him. Lulu insisted that she loved him, so she didn't want to lose him. Dante was happy that Lulu was in his corner. Lulu was certain that everything would be okay, but Dante couldn't rest until he had made things right by getting Michael out of Pentonville.

5/12 At the loft, Lulu suggested that a walk might help to clear Dante's head. Dante felt responsible for Michael's situation, so he didn't think anything would help. Lulu insisted that Dante had done his job with compassion and that his motives had been pure. Dante hated that the law had failed Michael, so he was determined to find a way to fix things. Dante wondered if Lulu would continue to stick by him. Lulu didn't hesitate to assure him that she would.

They sat down to figure out how they could help Michael. Dante worried that the appeals process would take years, so Lulu suggested talking to Edward. She believed that Edward might have some pull with the right people. Dante agreed, but he also wanted to enlist Claire's help. Dante pointed out that Claire felt guilty about the sentence, so she might be willing to work on getting Michael released. After Dante left to track down Claire, Lulu decided to head over to the Quartermaines'.

At the Quartermaine mansion, Edward explained that he had started making phone calls the moment that Michael had been sentenced. However, no one had been able to do anything for him. Monica revealed that it didn't help that Michael was legally a Corinthos, not a Quartermaine. Monica confessed that no one was willing to assist a mobster's son. Tracy assured Lulu that she had also made some phone calls on behalf of Michael, but no one had returned the calls. Tracy felt bad for Michael, but she was also concerned about Lulu. Tracy feared that Dante was as toxic to Lulu as Sonny was to Michael. Lulu argued that Dante was nothing like his father. "You're wrong," Tracy warned Lulu.

Dante entered the Metro Court restaurant. Claire tried to avoid Dante, but he insisted on speaking to her. Claire reluctantly agreed to hear him out. Dante admitted that he was eager to help Michael. Claire warned him that it wouldn't be easy. Dante suggested that Claire call Michael as a witness for a trial, so that they could have Michael transferred out of Pentonville. Claire pointed out that Judge Carroll would see through the ploy. She didn't have any sympathy for Dante. As far as Claire was concerned, Michael would be free if Dante hadn't chosen to protect Sonny.

Dante and Lulu met up at the loft a short time later. Dante admitted that Claire had been right when she had blamed him for Michael's imprisonment. Dante realized that if he had told the truth about Sonny shooting him then Sonny would have gone to jail instead of Michael. Dante regretted that he had allowed his emotions to get in the way of his better judgment.

5/14 At the police station, Lucky and Dante were frustrated that they weren't able to find any loopholes in Michael's confession. Lucky remained determined to get Michael out of prison. Lucky and Dante combed Michael's files for anything that might help their cause. Judge Carroll arrived. The judge deduced that Lucky and Dante were trying to free Michael. Judge Carroll assured Dante that Dante did the right thing, unlike Lucky, who didn't follow the letter of the law.

Dante asked Judge Carroll to reverse the sentence on Michael, but Judge Carroll refused, believing that prison would be Michael's best chance to get away from a life of crime. After Judge Carroll left, Lucky proposed that they uncover Judge Carroll's dirty secrets in order to make the judge reconsider Michael's sentence.

Lulu arrived at the PCPD and heard from Dante that Jason was talking to Lucky. Lulu believed that Jason was trying to turn Lucky against Dante. Lulu told Jason that Carly swore that Dante was safe from Jason. Before Jason left, Jason accused Lulu of choosing Dante over the people that loved her. Dante wanted to go after Jason for maligning Lulu, but Lucky stunned Dante with the news of Jason's plan. Dante admitted to Lulu that he was glad Jason was going to protect Michael. Lulu was comforted that Dante would safe from Jason. Dante believed he knew someone who was able to dig up dirt on Judge Carroll.

Lulu saw Luke at the Haunted Star . She was grateful Luke wasn't mad at her for standing by Dante. She asked Luke if he had any dirt on Judge Carroll. Luke promised to ask around. Lulu believed that it was Sonny's fault that Michael had a hard life. Luke reminded Lulu that Sonny was always going to be Dante's father.

5/17 Jason told Carly not to do anything reckless while he was gone because he would not be there to protect her. Carly said that she would not do anything crazy, but that she did intend to make Dante and Lulu pay. Jason tried to discourage her, but Carly said that she would have her revenge. B

Dante interrupted a heated argument between Jax and Sonny. Sonny was angry because Jax intended to adopt Morgan. Each tried to enlist Dante to his side, but Dante said that he was there about Michael. He asked Sonny and Jax to put aside their differences and concentrate on freeing Michael. When Jax and Sonny continued to argue and blame each other for Michael's predicament, Dante left in disgust. 

Lulu and Luke talked in his office on the Haunted Star. Luke warned her that Dante was Sonny's son and that the apple did not fall far from the tree. Lulu defended Dante and said that he was nothing like Sonny. Luke pointed out that Dante was good at duplicity and that his undercover cop gig proved that. Lulu said that she would stand behind Dante just as Laura had stood behind Luke back in the day. Luke was not happy, but accepted Lulu's choice.

Ronnie was all smiles when he took beer and pizza to Dante's loft. He told Dante that there was no reason for Dante to obsess about Michael because Jason had pleaded guilty to a Class D felony and would be joining Michael in prison. Ronnie told Dante that it was a triple win because Michael would be safe, Jason would be gone, and they would get a new opportunity to nail Sonny because he would have to get his hands dirty in the business once Jason was out of the picture.

When Dante continued to express his concern for Michael, Ronnie accused him of being soft and using Michael as an excuse not to pursue Sonny. Ronnie said that Michael had both Jax and Edward Quartermaine on his side. Ronnie told Dante to concentrate on getting Sonny sent to prison instead of getting Michael out. When Lulu arrived on the scene, Ronnie tried to enlist her support, but she stood firmly in Dante's corner. Ronnie left in disgust. Lulu told Dante that she understood that Michael came first. She told him to concentrate on getting Michael out of prison and away from Sonny by any means possible.

5/18 At the police station, Dante was confident that he had found something damaging in Judge Carroll's past. Dante revealed that a wealthy man's twenty-year-old daughter had gotten involved in a drug smuggling ring, which had later resulted in her arrest. Dante claimed that Judge Carroll had made the case disappear. Dante and Lucky filled Claire in on what they had uncovered. Claire agreed that it was entirely possible that the rich father had lined Peter Carroll's pockets to get his daughter out of legal trouble. She instructed Lucky and Dante to get some proof, so that she could confront Judge Carroll with the damaging information.

Later, Lucky was disappointed when he discovered that the boyfriend of the twenty-year-old had threatened to kill the girl's family and that a witnessed had corroborated the threat. Lucky explained that Judge Carroll had not acted inappropriately after all. Dante was frustrated because he believed that the judge had been wrong to send Michael to Pentonville. Lucky was mad because he had done everything by the book, but it hadn't helped Michael. Dante wondered if Lucky were suggesting that he manufacture evidence against the judge.

Lucky was curious how badly Dante wanted Michael to be released. Dante thought about it for a minute and then confessed that he refused to frame an innocent person for a crime, even if it helped Michael. Lucky had no idea what to do next. Dante decided to pay Michael a visit at Pentonville. As Michael sat down, Dante assured his brother that he was doing everything in his power to get Michael out of jail. Michael revealed that Sonny was also working on it. Michael was confident that Sonny would find a way to secure his release soon. Dante warned Michael not to put too much faith in Sonny; it was how Michael had ended up in jail.

5/19 At Pentonville, Dante advised Michael to pull away from Sonny's influence. Dante blamed Sonny for Michael getting shot and thrown into jail. Michael argued that Dante had been responsible for his imprisonment, not Sonny. Michael resented how Dante had used Morgan to find him. Dante conceded that Michael would have been at home if it hadn't been for him. Dante knew that he had made mistakes, but he was trying to get Michael out of jail.

Michael accused Dante of trying to do damage control, in order to convince Sonny that he hadn't intended for Michael to go to jail. Dante acknowledged that Michael had reason to doubt his motives, but Dante refused to rest until Michael was free. After Dante left Pentonville, he headed to the park. In the park, Dante spotted a pregnant teenager trying to pick a blanket up off of the ground. Dante immediately sprang into action to help her.

Lulu approached Dante as the young mother thanked Dante for his help and then left. Lulu confessed that she had seen everything; she had been impressed with his gallantry. Dante wondered how old the teenager had been. Lulu suspected that the girl had been fifteen or sixteen. Dante was blown away that someone that young had the courage to handle motherhood. Dante appeared oblivious to Lulu's sudden discomfort.

Dante told her about his visit with Michael. Lulu was curious why Dante was opposed to Sonny helping Michael. Dante feared that it would send the wrong message about Sonny's world. They then talked about Jason's plan to protect Michael in jail. Dante admitted that Jason had done more for Michael than Dante had. Dante was frustrated because he seemed to make matters worse every time he tried to help.

Lulu entered the Metro Court Restaurant to pick up Kate's lunch. She approached Carly when she spotted her cousin working. Lulu immediately noticed that Carly seemed distracted. Carly admitted that she was trying not to think about Jason going to jail at 3:00 p.m. Lulu assured Carly that Jason could handle himself in prison. Carly confessed that she was more worried about herself than Jason. Carly didn't know what she would do without her best friend.

Carly revealed that the only thing that had gotten her though it was the knowledge that Michael would be safe once Jason was with him. Lulu offered to stay with Carly for a while. As they sat down at a table, Lulu revealed that Dante felt guilty about Michael's sentencing, so he was doing everything in his power to get Michael released. Carly sensed that something else was troubling Lulu. Lulu told Carly about the incident in the park with the pregnant teenager. Carly realized that Lulu hadn't told Dante about the abortion. Lulu feared that it would completely change how Dante felt about her if he knew.

At the police station, Dante and Claire waited for Jason to turn himself in. Claire worried that Jason would back out of their agreement, but Dante was confident that Jason would show. Claire found it ironic that a cop and federal agent were counting on a criminal. Moments later, Jason and Sam arrived. Dante immediately took Jason into custody and then prepared to send him to Pentonville.

5/20 At the Metro Court Restaurant, Lulu and Carly discussed Dante's possible reaction to learning that Lulu had an abortion when she was a teen. Carly insisted that Dante loved Lulu, but Lulu didn't think that Dante would look at her the same way if he knew that she had decided to terminate her pregnancy. Lulu explained that Dante seemed to have a knee-jerk reaction whenever he was around children; he bragged about how his teenage mother had made the difficult choice by raising her baby instead of taking the easy way out. Lulu argued that the Falconeris were staunch Catholics who had rigid beliefs about abortion. Carly suggested that perhaps Dante wasn't the kind of person who imposed his personal beliefs on others, so she urged Lulu not to underestimate Dante.

At Crimson, Maxie admitted that she was worried about Spinelli because he had barricaded himself in the penthouse like Howard Hughes. Lulu had no idea who Howard Hughes was, so Maxie reminded her about the movie. Maxie thought it was unhealthy for Spinelli to be staring at his computer all day long. "Isn't that normal for him?" Lulu wondered. "Not when he calls me Princess Everelda," Maxie replied. Maxie insisted that everything could have been avoided if Lulu had just told Jason the truth about where Michael had been hiding instead of going along with Dante's plans. 

Lulu complained that none of that mattered because she might lose Dante over something that happened before they had met. Lulu explained that Olivia had been fifteen when she had given birth to Dante. Maxie realized that was why Olivia looked more like Dante's sister rather than his mother. Lulu ignored the comment as she explained that Dante was a strict Catholic who probably wouldn't see that Lulu's abortion had been the right decision for her at that time. Maxie was curious if Lulu regretted terminating the pregnancy. Lulu assured her that she didn't, but she feared that it would change things between her and Dante if he knew. Maxie advised Lulu not to tell Dante.

5/21 At the police station, as Dante entered, Sam and Jason tried to understand why Mayor Floyd wanted to delay Jason's transfer to Pentonville. Mayor Floyd announced that Jason would go to prison but only on a conviction that would make sure that Jason never would get out. Mayor Floyd declared that the Port Charles District Attorney's office was reviewing the Federal Prosecutor's plea bargain deal because they wanted to add charges to it. Dante and Jason argued that Jason should go to Pentonville as soon as possible, but the mayor wanted Jason to remain at the police station until everything was resolved. Jason worried that he wouldn't get to Michael in time.

Alone with Mayor Floyd, Dante threatened to make public the mayor's many exploits with prostitutes unless Mayor Floyd allowed Jason's transfer to Pentonville. Dante returned to tell Jason and Sam that Jason was indeed going to jail. Dante promised that once Jason got out on this sentence, Dante would send both Jason and Sonny back to jail for good.

Dante found Olivia and Sonny having dinner at the Metro Court. Dante wondered what slop the prison was feeding Michael while Sonny and Olivia were enjoying their quality meal. Dante accused Olivia letting Sonny manipulate her. Dante announced that Sonny had no chance of ever getting close to him and left. 

At Crimson, Maxie advised Lulu not to tell Dante about the abortion. Lulu remained determined to tell Dante the truth, especially since Dante could possibly learn the truth from someone else. Maxie advised Lulu to tell Dante the truth in public so Dante wouldn't make a scene. Lulu thought that Dante had a right to react however he wanted. Lulu stated that she believed that when two people were in love, then they should be real with each other. Matt entered. Lulu shooed Matt into Kate's office so she could talk to Maxie alone. Lulu learned that Maxie hoped to get Spinelli to snap out of his depression over Jason by making Spinelli jealous. Maxie revealed that Matt was taking Maxie out on a date. Lulu thought Maxie's plan would blow up in Maxie's face.

At Jason's penthouse, while researching Dante's past with Spinelli on a computer, Carly recognized Brook Lynn Ashton in a picture with Dante. Carly deduced that Brook Lynn and Dante had grown up knowing each other in Bensonhurst. Carly wondered if Brook Lynn wanted to get reacquainted with Dante.

Lulu, concerned with how Spinelli was dealing with Jason being gone, visited Spinelli. Spinelli admitted how sad he felt without Jason being around. Spinelli knew that Lulu had gone through a tough time in choosing her loyalty to Dante over telling Jason about Michael's whereabouts. Lulu told Spinelli that she was living with the consequences, but Spinelli believed that Michael was the one suffering most of all. Lulu revealed that Dante was working on getting Michael out prison. Spinelli was glad that Jason would protect Michael in prison but was worried that Jason might not ever be let out of jail. Spinelli wondered why Lulu chose to stand by Dante, the one person that had deceived everyone. Lulu pointed out that Dante had never deceived her. Spinelli responded, "Not yet."

Later, Dante found Lulu at Crimson. He revealed what a horrible day he'd had with Mayor Floyd trying to delay Jason's prison transfer and then having found Olivia with Sonny. Lulu wondered why Olivia was with Sonny. Dante believed Sonny was using Olivia to get to Dante. Dante was angry that Olivia got sentimental over Sonny, especially since Olivia raised Dante on her own. He complimented Olivia's courage in choosing to have a baby as a teenager instead of having an abortion. When Dante leaned in to kiss Lulu, she leaned away. Dante asked Lulu what was wrong.

In a park, Carly found Brook Lynn trying to manipulate a pretzel vendor into giving Brook Lynn free food. Carly announced her presence by saying, "Seems like there's a thief on every corner these days." Brook Lynn wondered why Carly was in her neighborhood. Carly revealed that she was looking for Brook Lynn. Brook Lynn demanded to know what Carly wanted from her. Carly offered Brook Lynn money and the chance to have the credit card fraud charges disappear if Brook Lynn helped Carly with a project.

5/24 Carly caught up to Brook Lynn in the park and put her plan for revenge against Dante and Lulu in motion. She questioned Brook Lynn, who had just run a scam on a hot dog vendor, about her relationship to the Falconeri family and Dante in particular. When Brook Lynn told Carly that their families had been very close and that she had been closest to Dante, Carly said she would not tell Brook Lynn's family about what she had done in the park. Carly also offered to pay off all Brook Lynn's debts, put her up at the Metro Court, and give her a job if she could get Dante to sleep with her. 

When Brook Lynn wanted to know why, Carly told her that Dante was Sonny's son. She said she did not trust him and wanted to get him away from her cousin, Lulu. Brook Lynn recognized her valuable bargaining position and told Carly that she was not a prostitute and would not sleep with Dante for the money alone. She told Carly that she was a singer and did not want to work as a clerk. Carly agreed to have a cabaret night in the hotel lounge and give her a tryout as well as buy all her clothes if Brook Lynn would pursue Dante. Brook Lynn agreed.

At the Crimson offices, Dante sensed that Lulu was troubled. When he asked what was wrong, Lulu said it was work. Dante worried about Michael, and Lulu told him to stop blaming himself. She told him that everything that had happened was the result of a secret. Lulu said that sometimes you had to wait for the right time to tell a secret because every choice had consequences. Lulu seemed to be about to tell Dante her secret when his phone rang. It was Claire asking him to go to Sonny's to execute a search warrant.

Dante met Claire at Sonny's but told her that if Sonny gave her permission to search, there was probably nothing to find. Claire accused Dante of not wanting to search because he was protecting Sonny again. Dante said that he was not. He said that no one was more motivated than he. When Claire confronted him about being shot, Dante admitted that he had lied. He told Claire that if he had not been so arrogant and had not lied about Sonny shooting him, then Sonny, not Michael would be in jail. He offered to accuse Sonny, but Claire said it was too late.

Carly caught up with Lulu before she left Crimson to meet Dante at Jake's. Carly told Lulu that she had rethought her earlier advice and had changed her mind. Carly told Lulu that it would be better if she kept the truth of her abortion from Dante. Carly told Lulu that she was sure that Dante's feelings for Lulu would change if he knew that she had chosen to have an abortion when she was a pregnant, unwed teen.

Outside Jake's, Dante heard a familiar voice singing "When You Wish Upon a Star." When he entered the bar, Dante caught sight of Brook Lynn as she sang. They smiled at each other.

5/20 At Crimson, Carly suggested that Lulu's abortion could be a deal breaker for Dante. Carly was afraid that Dante might not understand that it had been the right choice for Lulu at that time. Lulu admitted that Carly was saying what Lulu had already been thinking. However, Lulu felt that she had to tell Dante the truth because she didn't want to have any secrets between them. Carly conceded that it was a tough call to make because Dante was a "rule-follower." Lulu sensed that Carly was trying to advise her not to tell Dante about the abortion. Carly made it clear that it was Lulu's call to make, but she suggested that if Dante never learned about the abortion then it would be one less thing for Lulu and Dante to have to deal with. Lulu had to rush off to meet Dante, but she promised to play it by ear.

At Jake's, Dante smiled while Brook serenaded everyone with her rendition of "When You Wish Upon A Star." When the song ended, Brook ran into Dante's arms. Johnny was curious who the mystery woman was. Nearby, Maxie pulled Dante away from Brook when she spotted them hugging. Dante explained to Maxie that Brook was a friend from Bensonhurst.

Lulu entered the bar. Lulu was startled when she recognized Brook standing next to Dante. Lulu realized that she should have guessed that Dante had known Brook because the Cerullos and Falconeris were from the same neighborhood in New York City. Brook was surprised to learn that Dante and Lulu were in a relationship with each other. She was curious how Lulu and Dante had met. Lulu explained that Dante had saved her life on two occasions. Brook was eager to hear the details, but Dante decided to change the subject by letting Brook know that he had discovered that Sonny was his father.

Brook was shocked by the news, but she recovered quickly as Dante credited Lulu for helping him deal with the ramifications of having a criminal for a father. Brook observed that Lulu had "come a long way from trying to steal Dillon away from Georgie." Dante seemed oblivious to the sudden tension between Lulu and Brook. He joked that he wasn't the only person that Brook had dirt on. Lulu explained that she and Dante had plans and then dragged Dante away.

Lulu and Dante returned to the loft. Dante confessed that seeing Brook had made him realize how little he knew about Lulu's past. Lulu's silence worried him. He sensed that something had been bothering her for some time. Lulu confessed that she had to tell him something, but she was reluctant to discuss it because she didn't want him to see her in a different light. Dante assured Lulu that she could tell him anything; nothing would change how he felt about her.

Lulu's eyes filled with tears as she revealed that she had once been obsessed with Dillon, the guy that Brook had mentioned. She confided that Dillon had been her first and that after they had sex, she had discovered that she was pregnant. Dante was quiet as Lulu tearfully confessed that she had been terrified at the prospect of raising a child, so she had made the only choice that had made sense to her. Lulu admitted that she had an abortion.

Dante surprised Lulu by assuring her that he loved and respected her all the more for having made a difficult choice. Dante knew Lulu's heart, so he was confident that Lulu had done what she had thought was best. Dante promised that he loved her and that nothing would ever change that. Lulu smiled with relief as Dante hugged her.

Brook met up with Carly. Brook revealed that she had reunited with Dante, but there had been a snag. Brook warned Carly that Dante wasn't the type to stray from the woman he loved. Carly wasn't interested in hearing Brook's excuses. She offered to pay Brook a fifty thousand dollar bonus if Brook were able to secure video footage of Dante cheating on Lulu.

5/26 At the hospital, Elizabeth pulled Robin aside to ask for her help with Nikolas. Elizabeth explained that Nikolas had become extremely controlling since he had learned that she was pregnant with his child. Elizabeth explained that Nikolas was trying to pressure her to move in with him, but she refused to expose her children to Helena. Robin promised to talk to Nikolas as soon as possible. A short time later, Robin went to Wyndemere.

Nikolas complained to Robin that Elizabeth saw him differently since their affair had ended. Nikolas didn't appreciate that Elizabeth put all of the blame for the affair on him. He acknowledged that Elizabeth had always been remorseful after they had slept together, but he insisted that she had been a willing participant. Robin recalled that Nikolas and Elizabeth had deeply regretted betraying Lucky. Robin suggested that Elizabeth's new view of things was proof of how destructive guilt could be.

Nikolas was certain that Elizabeth wanted to paint him as the bad guy, so that she could pretend that Lucky was the baby's father. Robin urged Nikolas to back off because it wasn't helping matters. Nikolas stubbornly refused to consider it. He insisted that he had an obligation to his child, so if that meant he had to pressure Elizabeth to meet it, "so be it."

At the loft, Lulu woke up in Dante's arms. She smiled brightly when Dante confessed that he loved being in love with her. Lulu admitted that nothing had ever felt so right to her. She confided that she had been terrified to tell him about the abortion because she had feared that his feelings for her would change. Dante assured her that he respected her for making a difficult choice.

Lulu reminded Dante that he had praised Olivia for not taking the easy way out. Dante explained that he loved and admired his mother, but he was in love with Lulu. Dante didn't think that he had the right to be self-righteous. Later, Lulu finished dressing and then prepared to leave. She revealed that she had to go home to change before she headed to work. Dante thought that she looked fine in what she was wearing.

Lulu insisted that she couldn't wear the same outfit two days in a row. According to Lulu, Kate and Maxie remembered what she had worn on a Thursday in September, so they would notice. Lulu wondered if Dante planned to go to work. Dante nodded his head and then began talking about Michael. Lulu was curious when Dante would stop blaming himself for Michael incarceration. Dante promised to stop feeling responsible once Michael was released and Sonny was sent to jail.

After Lulu left, Claire stopped by to talk to Dante. Claire informed him that she had every intention of building a new case against Sonny and then sending him to jail. She was certain that once Sonny was convicted, people would be willing to work on Michael's release. Claire pointed out that, with Jason out of the way, things were heating up between Johnny and Sonny. Claire wanted to capitalize on the situation. Dante realized that Sonny would be forced to do his own dirty work. He was confident that they would be able to build a case against Sonny for attempted murder when he went after Johnny.

Dante arrived moments after Olivia and Carly left the restaurant. Brook ushered Dante to a table and then advised him to sit down because she had to tell him a few things.

At Crimson, Lulu was in an upbeat mood. Maxie was curious what had changed since the last time that she had seen Lulu. Lulu revealed that she had told Dante the truth about the abortion. Lulu was thrilled because Dante had proven to her that he loved her. "Three times," Lulu added with a bold grin. Maxie was happy for Lulu, but Lulu warned her that they weren't completely trouble-free because she and Dante weren't popular with quite a few people because of the situation with Michael. However, Lulu was confident that she and Dante could weather anything because they trusted each other.

5/27 At the Metro Court Restaurant, Brook and Dante sat down at a table. Dante joked that half of their neighborhood in Bensonhurst had relocated to Port Charles. Brook was surprised to learn that Ronnie Domestico was working in Port Charles. Dante changed the subject to find out why she had called him. Brook confessed that she had been concerned after she had witnessed an argument between Olivia and Johnny. Dante was silent after she revealed what she had overheard.

Brook wondered if Dante was okay. He explained that Olivia had kept her secret for a long time, but Sonny was trying to use her to get to Dante. Dante assured Brook that most of the time Olivia saw Sonny for the "piece of garbage" that he was. Brook was startled by the vehemence in Dante's tone. Dante accused Sonny of being an "egomaniacal murderer." He personified everything that Dante abhorred.

Dante was curious if Brook recalled Lieutenant Poletti. Brook nodded her head; she remembered the police officer well. Brook was shocked when Dante revealed that Sonny had been responsible for Poletti's murder. She admitted that it sounded like a cosmic joke. "Tell me about it," Dante agreed. Lulu entered the restaurant moments later to pick up Kate's lunch. She was surprised to see Dante and Brook. Brook greeted Lulu and then quickly excused herself. Lulu sat down and offered to grant Dante a wish. Dante smiled as he admitted that there was something that he'd like.

At the police station, Ronnie approached Dante to find out if Dante's search of Sonny's place had yielded anything. Dante claimed that nothing useful had been discovered. Ronnie grumbled that Claire should have called him instead of Dante. Dante resented Ronnie's insinuation that he hadn't done his job. Dante clarified that he was completely motivated to send Sonny to jail because it would it was the only way to get Michael out of Pentonville. Dante was determined to right his wrong. Lucky arrived a short time later. Lucky mentioned that he had encountered Johnny on the piers. Lucky was worried about what Johnny planned to do. Dante insisted that they had to keep their eye on the prize; Sonny was their priority. 

Brook bumped into Lulu on the street. Lulu was juggling bags filled with groceries. Lulu explained that she had offered Dante one wish, so he had asked her to go shopping for him. Brook confessed that it seemed like an odd request. However, she offered to help Lulu carry some of the bags. Lulu appreciated the help, but she insisted that it wasn't necessary. Brook ignored Lulu as she took one of the bags.

Brook instantly fell in love with Dante's loft when she and Lulu arrived to drop off the groceries. As they chatted, Brook was able to discover that Lulu worked long hours and didn't live with Dante. Brook wondered if Lulu was as in love with Dante as he seemed to be with her. Lulu smiled as she answered, "Yes." Brook claimed that she was happy for Dante and then changed the subject.

Brook had heard that Lulu had a close relationship with Carly, so Brook was curious if Lulu would do her a favor. Before Brook could explain, Dante arrived home. Lulu jumped up to greet Dante and then turned back to Brook to invite her to continue. Brook confessed that she needed a job, so she hoped that Lulu would talk to Carly about hiring Brook as a singer in the lounge. Dante thought that it was a great idea; he offered to vouch for Brook's talent as a singer.

5/28 At the loft, Dante praised Brook's vocal skills as he fetched three beers from the refrigerator. Lulu recalled that Brook had issues in the past with singing for money. Brook assured Lulu that she was over that. Dante thought it was a great idea for Lulu to talk to Carly about hiring Brook to sing in the lounge. Lulu was hesitant to impose on Carly after what had happened with Michael.

Dante and Lulu explained how Michael had killed Claudia. Lulu revealed that Carly had been furious when Lulu had kept quiet about where Dante had stashed Michael. Dante admitted that he had stepped forward with the truth because he had sincerely believed that Michael would have been received probation. Lulu admitted that Carly had recently forgiven them, but things remained a bit strained between them. "Now it makes sense," Brook mumbled to herself when she realized what had motivated Carly to break up Dante and Lulu.

"What makes sense?" Lulu wondered. Brook quickly covered the slip by claiming that she understood Lulu's hesitation to talk to Carly. Dante suggested that it would benefit Carly to hire Brook, so he thought that Lulu should talk to her cousin. Brook insisted that it wasn't necessary, since she wasn't certain how long she would remain in Port Charles. Lulu insisted that she didn't mind asking Carly to consider giving Brook a job. However, Lulu warned Brook not to get her hopes up, since Carly could say no.

Brook thanked Lulu and then decided to leave, but Dante invited Brook to stay for dinner. Brook accepted the offer. As she settled back down on the sofa, Brook and Dante began to reminisce about Bensonhurst. Moments later, Lulu received a text message from Kate demanding that Lulu get to the office. Dante walked Lulu to the door and then kissed her goodbye. After Lulu left, Dante turned to Brook to ask her what she planned to cook.

A short time later, Sonny entered the loft. Brook stayed in the kitchen while Dante spoke to Sonny. Sonny warned Dante that Johnny was trying to start a war; he feared that Olivia would end up being dragged down with Johnny. Sonny believed that Olivia deserved better than someone like Johnny Zacchara. After Sonny left, Dante joined Brook in the kitchen. Brook admitted that she had known Sonny for a long time because Sonny and her mother, Lois, had grown up together. Brook realized that Dante might not like to hear it, but Sonny had always been really nice to her and her mother. Dante changed the subject by commenting on how impressed he was that she knew her way around a kitchen. Brook remarked that she had heard that Sonny was an excellent cook. Dante confirmed that Sonny was practically a professional chef. He conceded that he had gotten to know a different side of Sonny while working undercover.

Lulu was delighted when she bumped into Carly on the street. She took the opportunity to ask if Carly would consider hiring Brook.

6/1 Lulu suggested that a singer like Brook would be great for Carly's business. Carly feigned confusion over why Brook would want a job when she had access to the Quartermaine fortune and didn't intend to stick around Port Charles. Lulu explained that Brook wanted to work; she also thought it would be nice, after everything that happened with Michael, if Edward had Brook around. Lulu realized almost immediately how insensitive that had sounded. Carly accepted Lulu's apology and then agreed to talk to Brook.

At the loft, Dante admitted that cooking with Brook made him homesick for Bensonhurst. Brook smiled and then guided the conversation to Lulu and Carly's strained relationship. Dante hoped that the Metro Court gig would help patch up things between the cousins. Dante acknowledged that he wasn't popular with Carly, or the people in Port Charles, so he hoped that Brook stayed in town. He joked that she would join an exclusive list of people who liked him: Olivia and Lulu.

Lulu arrived shortly after Dante and Brook sat down to eat. Lulu admitted that the aroma from the dinner was amazing. Dante explained that they would have waited for Lulu, but the pasta had finished cooking sooner than they had expected. Dante poured Lulu a glass of wine as she sat down to join them for the meal. Lulu announced that she had managed to persuade Carly to give Brook an interview. Brook thanked Lulu as Dante filled Lulu's plate with pasta.

Lulu was awed by how delicious the meal was; she had no idea that Brook was such a wonderful cook. Brook admitted that Dante had helped. Dante and Brook engaged in some good-natured ribbing as they debated whose family the recipe had belonged to. Lulu chuckled along with them; she confessed that she enjoyed having a man wait on her. Dante leaned over to kiss Lulu while Brook looked on.

Later, Dante and Lulu sat on the sofa, lost in their own world. Brook observed them for several moments and then headed to the elevator. Lulu turned when she heard the elevator start up. Lulu and Dante tried to get Brook to stay, but Brook insisted that she needed to get some rest if she hoped to impress Carly. After Brook left, Lulu confessed that she was delighted that she had been able to set up an interview for Brook.

Lulu once again gushed about Brook's cooking. Dante revealed that Brook was like his mother and all of the other Falconeri and Cerullo women; cooking was like breathing to them. Lulu smiled as she jokingly wondered if the boys had learned how to wait on the women. Dante chuckled as he leaned forward to kiss Lulu and then make love to her. 

6/3 Lulu arrived at Crimson with a bag of leftovers that Maxie admitted smelled delicious. Lulu revealed that Brook had cooked the food. Maxie sneered; she wasn't surprised that Brook could cook. Lulu wondered why Maxie disliked Brook. As Dante walked in, Maxie admitted that she simply wasn't a fan of Brook's. Dante was curious what Maxie had against Brook. Maxie insisted that Brook was trouble; she was surprised that Lulu didn't see it. Lulu pointed out that Brook was a friend of Dante's and those were in short supply. However, more importantly, Lulu believed that people could change.