Maxie arrived at Crimson and sensed that Lulu was upset. Lulu told her that Dante had been stoned the prior night and that he and Brooke were half-naked and all over each other. Maxie replied that being wasted was the oldest excuse in the book, but Lulu defended Dante and said that she'd never seen him in that state before. Lulu and Maxie both agreed that Brook would be capable of drugging someone.

Dante showed up at Crimson with flowers and cupcakes and begged Lulu to forgive him. He declared his undying and abiding love for her and swore that he had not done anything with Brook, intentionally. He explained to Lulu that Brook had called him, upset, and asked him to meet her at Jake's. He went on to say that the two had a couple of beers and that was the last he remembered. Lulu assured Dante that she wouldn't hold the incident against him but that she was furious at Brook. Dante told Lulu how much he loved her, and they kissed. Lulu shared with Dante that, while he had been out of it, he talked about something from his past that he regretted. Lulu was intrigued, but Dante hadn't gone into any detail. Maxie returned and shared that she'd run into Brook in front of Kelly's and that Brook had lied about having drugged Dante. "That girl is guilty as sin," Maxie spit. Dante left and later Olivia arrived. Lulu had called her to talk about what had happened. Lulu explained that she believed Brook was trying to sabotage Lulu and Dante's relationship. She further explained that she was pretty sure Brook had drugged Dante. Olivia was flabbergasted.

Dante arrived, having asked Brook to meet him there. He asked her to tell him what had happened the night before. Brook played it off as if she'd believed that Dante had been distraught and that she was just being a friend. Dante asked her point-blank if she had drugged him.

8/20 Dante returned to the police station, surprised to see that Jason was detained. Dante asked Ronnie why Jason had been arrested. Ronnie replied that Jason was a suspect in the fire that had destroyed Johnny's warehouse. Dante knew that it didn't make any sense for Jason to have done that. Ronnie and Dante argued about which side of the law Dante was on and whether Ronnie was waging a vendetta that was compromising his decisions. Ronnie left and Dante went to talk to Jason. Dante told Jason that Santos believed Johnny had killed Tomas but that Dante and Jason knew it was Sonny who had been behind the hit. Dante told Jason that a lot of people they cared for could be hurt if things continued to escalate. Jason railed against Ronnie and informed Dante that Ronnie had taken Michael off of a road crew as an attempt to harass Jason. Dante said he'd make sure that wouldn't happen again but worried more about the brewing war between Johnny and Sonny. Jason relayed that Sonny was willing to negotiate with Johnny.

At Crimson, Lulu explained to Olivia that Brooke and Dante had been intimate the night before. Lulu confided that, in the past, Lulu had been drugged and had thrown herself at Dante but that Dante hadn't taken advantage of the situation. However, she pointed out, Brooke hadn't been as gallant. Olivia was shocked to think that Brook would have seduced Dante, knowing he was not in is right mind, but she admitted that it was a possibility. She didn't believe, though, that Brook had been the one to slip Dante a roofie. Olivia said it was likely one of Dante's enemies.

Dante and Brook sat at a sidewalk table outside of Kelly's. Brook asked Dante how he could think she would have drugged him. As she spoke, her voice crackled until she broke down in tears. She claimed that she'd really believed that Dante wanted to be with her. Dante chalked the incident up to someone having tried to drug Brook at Jake's but that maybe he'd drunk the tainted beer by accident. He questioned, however, why Brook hadn't noticed that something had been off that night. Brook told him that she had been drunk, so she hadn't been acting herself either. Dante apologized to Brook for having doubted her.

8/23 A shaken Sonny found Dante waiting for him when he got home. Sonny wanted to know if Dante was there as a son or a cop. Dante said he was both. Sonny told him that he had just shot Johnny. Sonny told Dante that he could either be a cop and arrest him or be a son and hear him out. Dante called the station and found out that Johnny was alive. He agreed to hear Sonny's side of the story. Sonny told Dante that he finally understood that what he did had effects on Morgan, Michael, and Kristina. Sonny told Dante that he was not justifying his actions; he was just asking Dante to listen. Sonny said he shot Johnny in self-defense. He told Dante that he did not deny that his actions had set Johnny and his plans for revenge in motion. Sonny said that in the beginning, when Johnny had started going after him, he pushed Johnny back. Sonny said that when he saw the cost to his children, he realized that he had to make peace so that he could get his children back in his life.

Sonny said his only purpose in meeting Johnny was to make peace. He told Dante the exact truth of what had happened. He swore to Dante that if he had not pulled the trigger, he would be dead, and Dante would be wondering whether or not to attend the funeral. Sonny told Dante that he was not a cold-blooded killer. He said that if he had wanted Johnny dead, he would have shot him several times to make sure, then called in his crew to clean up and dispose of the evidence. Sonny said that he had left Johnny alive and had given him a fighting chance. Dante said leaving Johnny alive did not make him sound like a stone-cold killer, but it did not make him sound like a saint either. When Sonny asked if Dante believed him, Dante said that he believed that Sonny loved his kids and would lay down his life for them. Dante said that he thought that Sonny had told the truth because of his reaction to the drive-by that could have killed Michael. While Sonny and Dante talked, Ronnie stood on the docks with Johnny's gun. He wiped off the fingerprints and tossed it into the water. Dante told Sonny that he should turn himself in. Dante said that would go a long way in helping Sonny to convince people that he was telling the truth. Sonny seemed about to agree when Ronnie pounded on the door and burst in to arrest Sonny for attempted murder. Dante told Ronnie that it was self-defense, but Ronnie told Dante that no gun had been found at the scene, which surprised both Sonny and Dante.

8/24 At Greystone Manor, Ronnie took the opportunity to goad Sonny while Dante tried to insist that Sonny had shot Johnny in self-defense. Ronnie argued that the evidence didn't corroborate that, since a gun hadn't been found near Johnny. Dante couldn't believe that Sonny had lied, but Sonny claimed that he had told the truth about the shooting. Sonny reminded Dante that he had known that the cops would knock on the door, so it didn't make sense for Sonny to lie about a gun when it could easily be disproved. Ronnie suggested that Sonny was arrogant enough to believe that he could get away with murder because Sonny had done it countless times before. "Shut up," Sonny shouted at Ronnie. Sonny was certain that Dante believed Sonny, so he urged him to hold onto the truth. Sonny pointed out that Johnny wouldn't have been alive if Sonny had truly wanted to get rid of him. Sonny believed that the facts would prove that Sonny had told the truth. Moments later, Sonny was led away in handcuffs.

Later, Dante showed up at the hospital to get an update from Lucky. Lucky suspected that Ethan was hiding something, but Dante was certain that Sonny had shot Johnny without justification. Dante argued that Sonny was trying to lie his way out of an attempt to murder Johnny. Michael spotted Dante when he arrived at the hospital. Dante explained that Johnny was out of surgery, but he remained in critical condition. However, Dante didn't think that it was a good idea for Michael to be seen at the hospital. Michael had saved Johnny's life a week earlier, so he wanted to stick around to talk to Johnny when Johnny woke up. Dante wondered if Michael thought perhaps Johnny would feel obligated to vouch that Sonny didn't have a gun. Michael was annoyed that Dante refused to give their father the benefit of the doubt. Dante corrected his little brother; he had believed Sonny's claims until the evidence had proven otherwise.

8/25 At the loft, Dante had a dream about waking up to find that he wasn't alone in bed. In the dream, Dante began to kiss Lulu's shoulder, but he freaked out when he realized that it was Brook, not Lulu. Dante woke up with a start, which awakened Michael, who had been sleeping on the sofa. Michael wondered if everything were okay. Dante assured Michael, "Yes," and then explained that he'd had a nightmare. Moments later, someone knocked on the door. Dante opened the door to find Lulu standing on his doorstep with two cups of coffee: one for herself and the other for Michael. Michael took the coffee, straightened up, and then started to leave, but Dante wanted to clear the air first. Lulu admitted that she couldn't get past the fact that she had found Dante with his tongue down Brook's throat. Michael admitted that Dante had been genuinely surprised when he had learned about the incident with Brook, so it was clear that Dante had been drugged. After Michael left, Lulu confessed that she didn't think that Dante should have been out drinking with Brook in the first place.

Dante promised that he had not cheated on Lulu. Lulu believed him, but she couldn't forget what she had seen. Dante insisted that he loved Lulu. Lulu began to soften toward Dante. She started to respond to his kiss until Brook pounded on the door, demanding to talk to Dante. Dante wanted to ignore Brook, but Brook explained that it was important. Lulu marched over to the door and then threw it open. Brook didn't appreciate Lulu's hostility. According to Brook, Brook had been as much of a victim as Dante had been. Lulu was outraged because Brook had taken advantage of Dante's drugged state. Brook claimed that she had been drunk, so she had believed everything that Dante had told her. Brook claimed that, drugged or not, Dante had made it clear that he was attracted to Brook. Dante quickly interceded. He made it clear that Lulu was the woman that he wanted to be with. Dante didn't want to hurt Brook, but he needed her to understand that he was in love with Lulu. Lulu smugly offered to write it down for Brook, so that Brook would be able to understand it better. Brook valued Dante's friendship too much to continue arguing, but she let Dante know that she would be waiting when Dante grew tired of Lulu.

After Brook left, Dante could tell that Lulu was upset, so he reminded her that he loved her. Lulu wanted to believe him, but she acknowledged that Brook and Dante had a long history together. Dante insisted that Brook was like a sister to him. He argued that his drugged state hadn't been any different than when Lulu had been drugged. Dante reminded her that she had begged him to have sex with her, but he hadn't because he had known that it wasn't what Lulu had truly wanted. Lulu suggested that they might need some space to reevaluate their relationship. Dante begged Lulu to reconsider; he didn't think that he could live without Lulu. Dante knew that he'd fall in love one day, but he had expected it to hit him out of nowhere instead of building slowly over time. Lulu had made him work for it, so she had taught him an important lesson. Dante cherished her because he had gotten to know and trust her, which was why he couldn't imagine losing her. Dante feared that losing her would kill him. "So, there was no lightening bolt?" Lulu wondered as she started to smile. Dante began to relax as Lulu admitted that she had liked what he had told her, but it hadn't been enough for her to forgive him. Dante promised to do anything, so Lulu whispered a suggestion in his ear. Dante's smile deepened as he admitted that it would give him pleasure to accommodate her. Lulu and Dante kissed and then began to make love.

8/26 At Kelly's, Brook was offended by Michael's suggestion that Carly had hired her to break up Dante and Lulu. Michael apologized, but he explained that he knew his mother. He also admitted that he had overheard Brook ordering an expensive piece of furniture on the phone when he had first entered the diner. Michael pointed out that it raised questions because Brook was supposed to have been broke. Brook insisted that the idea of her working for Carly to wreck Dante's relationship with Lulu was farfetched. Michael wasn't moved by the argument. He knew that his mother held a grudge for a long time, so he was certain that she had been plotting something with Brook. Lulu strolled into Kelly's moments later. Lulu immediately approached the table to warn Brook not to bother trying to manipulate Michael to further her agenda with Dante. Lulu warned Brook that she would still have to go through Lulu, and Lulu refused to budge.

Brook informed Lulu that Michael was her cousin as well as Lulu's, so Brook had every right to talk to him whenever she liked. Brook was curious why Lulu wasn't with Dante, if Lulu's relationship with Dante were so strong. Brook reminded Lulu that she was friends with Dante long before he knew Lulu, so Brook was confident that their friendship would continue long after Lulu disappeared from Dante's life. Lulu was curious if Brook had missed the part where Lulu had warned her that she wasn't going anywhere. Brook smiled as she revealed that those were the famous last words of all of Dante's ex-girlfriends. Lulu's smile disappeared as she accused Brook of being a "two-faced bitch." Michael jumped up to intercede before things turned violent between Lulu and Brook. He suggested that Brook back off. Brook admitted that she had thought about it, but then decided not to.

In Johnny's hospital room, Dante questioned Maya about anything that Johnny might have said after the shooting. Maya explained that Johnny had only regained consciousness for a few moments. She revealed that Johnny wished her luck when she explained that they intended to operate on him. Johnny had also asked for Olivia to be notified, but then he had changed his mind. Dante wanted to know if Johnny had spoken to anyone else besides Maya. "Ethan," Maya revealed. Dante wondered what her impression of Johnny was, since she had spent time with Johnny prior to the shooting. Maya clarified that she didn't know Johnny well, but he had seemed like a good guy with a soft side. Olivia entered the room moments later. Maya gently explained to Olivia that Johnny was in critical condition.

As Maya left the room, Olivia approached Johnny's bedside. Olivia held Johnny's hand and then began to blame herself for the shooting. She begged Johnny to fight for his life and then promised to remain by his side. Dante stood quietly near his mother as Olivia explained that Johnny hadn't given a damn about his life, but she insisted that he had good qualities. She told Dante that Johnny was an accomplished pianist who was sensitive and insightful. Olivia claimed that it was that side of Johnny that she had fallen in love with. Dante became annoyed as his mother waxed poetic about Johnny. He realized that she loved Johnny and saw some wonderful qualities in him, but Dante argued that Johnny's life had been in total chaos. Dante warned her that once his death-match with Sonny was over, Johnny would find someone new to go to war with. Dante thought that his mother deserved better than that. Olivia insisted that there was no one better than Johnny.

Dante asked to speak to his mother in the hallway. She was reluctant to leave Johnny's side, but Dante pointed out that Johnny would still be there when they were done. In the hallway, Dante reminded Olivia of all of the reasons that he loved her. Olivia was thrilled to hear her son's kind words, but she was curious what his point was. Dante insisted that his mother deserved the best. Olivia argued that it wasn't his call to make. Olivia reminded Dante that he was a grown man with a life of his own. She had a right to choose whom she wanted to be with. Olivia explained that pushing Johnny away had made her miserable because she had loved him. Dante realized that he couldn't argue against love. Olivia finally broached the subject of the shooting; she needed to know if Sonny had truly shot an unarmed man. Dante confessed that he honestly didn't know.

Later, Dante entered the interrogation room to talk to Sonny. Dante admitted that nothing had backed up Sonny's claim of self-defense. Sonny was frustrated. Dante explained that he had gone to question Johnny, but it had been surreal when Olivia had arrived to see Johnny. Dante revealed that Olivia had an air of quiet dignity about her as if she had been through it before. Dante realized that she had been when Sonny had shot him. Sonny insisted that it had been completely different circumstances. Dante argued, "Only in your mind." Dante confessed that he would never forget the look in Sonny's eyes when Sonny had shot him. Just thinking of that moment made Dante realize that Sonny was perfectly capable of murdering someone in cold blood. Sonny wondered if Dante truly believed that he hadn't learned anything from that tragedy.

According to Sonny, he had learned one of the most important lessons of his life. Sonny explained that he had felt justified to kill Dante that night because Dante was a cop who had infiltrated the organization, knew secrets, and had gotten close to the family. Sonny believed that it had been the right decision to kill Dante until he realized that he had shot his own son. Sonny thanked God every day that Dante had survived, even though Dante hated him. Sonny learned that it had to be an equal playing field; an unarmed man was not a threat that should be met with lethal force. Sonny had sworn that night that he would never shoot an unarmed man again. Sonny reiterated that Johnny had drawn a weapon, so Sonny had shot Johnny to defend his own life. Sonny asked Dante to believe him not as a cop, but as a son.

8/27 In the PCPD's interrogation room, Sonny and Dante discussed Johnny's shooting. Sonny admitted that, when he'd shot Dante, it had been wrong, because Dante was unarmed. Sonny insisted, however, that Johnny had been armed and would have killed Sonny. The shooting was self-defense, Sonny claimed. He swore that he was telling the truth, and Dante said he believed him. That declaration meant a lot to Sonny, but Dante gave him fair warning: that Dante believed Sonny this time, it wouldn't stop him from pursuing his father for all of the other crimes he'd committed. Dante explained that the only reason he believed Sonny's story was because he knew that Sonny was too smart and too methodical to have failed at a hit on one of his enemies. Sonny replied that he'd prefer that Dante believed him because he was his father.

Dante said that the tape Claire had of Sonny admitting to having wanted to set Johnny up for exactly what ended up happening was Sonny's biggest hurdle. Dante asked Sonny if anyone had seen Johnny holding a gun prior to the incident. Only a credible witness, Dante explained, could support Sonny's self-defense claim. Dante asked Sonny to go over every detail he could remember from the incident. As the two discussed the matter, Diane walked in and berated Dante for questioning Sonny without counsel. Sonny defended Dante, but Diane wouldn't have it.

8/30 Dante and Lulu were also at the hospital. Dante was checking on Johnny's condition. Dante told Lulu that he believed Sonny and needed to prove his innocence, even though he knew that Lulu did not like Sonny; Dante was torn about what to do. Lulu asked Dante what he would do if Sonny were not his father. Dante said he would go with his gut. Lulu asked Dante what his gut was telling him. Dante said that he believed Sonny's version of events. Lulu told Dante that he should investigate and that she supported him in his decision.

Brook Lynn and Carly had a meeting in the Metro Court. Brook told Carly that she had successfully caused Lulu and Dante to break up. Carly wanted proof. Brook said that she had heard a loud argument between them. Carly wanted to know why Brook had not recorded it on her cell phone and delivered the evidence. Carly said that Brook had not succeeded. Carly said that Brook just wanted to take the money and run without delivering on their deal. Brook admitted that she had not finished the job. She told Carly that she had done her part but Dante was too in Love with Lulu. Brook said that she wanted her money and if she did not get it, she would tell Lulu and Dante the truth. Carly called her bluff.

Dante entered the room and said that he also believed Sonny. After Olivia left, Sonny said that he did not want Dante to suffer because of his belief in Sonny. Dante said that Lulu supported Dante in getting at the truth. Sonny said that even though Lulu had stopped liking him after he shot Dante, she was still a good woman and Sonny was glad that Dante had found her. Sonny said he hoped that Dante never had to give Lulu up to protect her the way Sonny had been forced to give up Brenda. Dante asked about Brenda, but Michael showed up before Sonny answered. Sonny wanted to send Michael away, but when Dante tried, Michael convinced Dante to let him talk to Sonny for a few minutes.

Brook went to Dante's apartment and told Lulu that Carly had been behind the scheme to break up Lulu and Dante. Lulu did not believe her and called Carly over to the apartment. When Carly arrived, Lulu asked Carly to look her in the eyes and say that Brook Lynn was lying. Instead, Carly proudly admitted what she had done.

8/31 When Dante entered the courtroom, Diane warned him not to cause trouble, but Dante assured her that he didn't have any intention of making things worse for Sonny. After the judge took her seat, the hearing started. Sonny quickly pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder. Diane accused Claire of acting as a woman scorned after she pursued an inappropriate relationship with Sonny. After he rejected her overtures, she has sought revenge. Claire insisted that Sonny had initiated all of her contact with him. Claire claimed that her sole purpose in communicating with Sonny had been to gain information, which she had never made any attempt to hide. Claire assured the judge that the tapes would verify everything. Diane argued that Sonny had simply told Claire what Claire had wanted to hear, so the tapes were nothing more than "pillow talk."

Diane announced that she wanted to call Dante to the stand to testify. Claire objected, but the judge overruled her. Dante took the stand to assure the judge that Sonny wasn't a flight risk. Dante promised the judge that Sonny would never leave his children behind. Claire only had one question for Dante: she wanted to know what Dante's relationship with Sonny was. Dante admitted that Sonny was his father. Claire smugly announced that she didn't have any further questions and then sat down. Claire was outraged when the judge decided to set Sonny's bail at three million dollars. Claire promised Diane that she would make certain that Sonny was sent away for life. Meanwhile, Sonny turned to thank Dante for his help. Dante explained that he had done it for Michael; Michael had assured Dante that Sonny never lied to his children.

Claire confronted Dante for his role in helping Sonny. Dante explained that he wanted Sonny to pay for the life of crime that Sonny had led. However, Dante didn't want Sonny to go to jail for a crime that Sonny had not committed. Claire reminded Dante that she had a tape of Sonny promising to kill Johnny in self-defense. She admitted that she had been warned numerous times not to trust Sonny because it would backfire on her, so she suggested that Dante heed the same advice. Later, Dante went to Greystone Manor to see Sonny. Dante quickly realized that Sonny had fled the country when Diane informed him that Sonny wasn't at home. Dante was livid as he called the police station to order an APB on Sonny.

At the loft, Lulu confronted Carly about Brook's claim that Carly had hired Brook to seduce Dante. Carly admitted that it was true, but Carly claimed that she had done it out of love and concern for Lulu. Carly insisted that she had been worried that Dante was just like Sonny. Brook refused to let Carly twist things around to paint Brook as the villain. Brook urged Lulu to remember that Carly was a vengeful person who didn't forgive easily. Lulu reminded Brook that Brook had accepted money to have sex with someone, so Brook didn't have any credibility. Carly seized the opportunity to capitalize on the headway that she had made with Lulu by admitting that she had been wrong about Dante. Carly apologized for doubting Dante's commitment to Lulu and then expressed regret for dragging Brook into their lives. Carly ordered Brook to move out of the loft and to return to Bensonhurst. Brook realized that Lulu believed Carly, so she left. Alone with Lulu, Carly once again expressed remorse for hurting her cousin. Lulu accepted the apology.

As the two talked, Lulu mentioned that Sonny had been arrested. Carly was furious that Sonny would put his kids through another trial by shooting Johnny. Carly's phone rang as she ranted about Sonny. Lulu was sipping a glass of wine when Dante arrived home. Dante quickly kissed Lulu and then explained, "I needed that." Lulu admitted that she had needed the kiss too. Dante was curious what had happened to upset Lulu. "Carly," Lulu revealed and then promised to fill him in later. She wanted to know what had happened with Sonny. Dante confessed that he had stood up for Sonny in court, but that Sonny had later skipped town.

9/1 At Crimson, Maxie noticed that Lulu had immersed herself in work, which usually only happened when something was troubling Lulu. Lulu admitted that Brook had been exposed as a "lying, manipulating slut" and that Brook was out of their lives for good. Lulu then revealed the details of Carly's plans for Brook to seduce Dante. Maxie wasn't surprised that Brook had agreed to go along with Carly's plans; however, Maxie was impressed with Carly. According to Maxie, Carly had proved that Dante wasn't like Sonny, so it had been a brilliant plan. Lulu referred to Brook as a "skank" as she told Maxie how Brook had tried to deny being interested in Dante. Maxie confessed that she had seen through Brook from the beginning because, "it takes one to know one." Lulu objected to Maxie putting herself in the same category as Brook. Maxie reminded Lulu that Maxie had once faked a pregnancy and then a miscarriage. Lulu insisted that the difference had been that Maxie had gone after Lucky because it had been a choice, not because someone had paid Maxie. Lulu also argued that Maxie had taken full responsibility for her actions instead of trying to blame someone else, as Brook had done.

9/2 Dante arrived home. Kristina admitted that she and Michael had heard about Sonny's decision to jump bail. Dante confessed that it meant that Sonny was "guilty as sin." Kristina grumbled about what a disappointment Sonny was as a father. Dante rushed to assure Kristina and Michael that their father loved them. Kristina acknowledged that, in his way, Sonny did love them, but it wasn't enough because Sonny always seemed to let them down. Michael insisted that Sonny had shot Johnny in self-defense. Dante wanted to believe Sonny, but the evidence suggested that Johnny hadn't been armed when Sonny had shot him. Michael implored Dante to dig further.

Later, Lulu entered the loft to find Dante alone. Lulu explained that she had called, but Dante hadn't answered his phone. Dante apologized; he explained that he hadn't been in the mood to talk to anyone. Lulu didn't take it personally because she suspected that it had to do with Sonny. Dante and Lulu discussed Sonny's decision to leave the country. Dante regretted that he hadn't heeded Lulu's advice not to trust Sonny. Lulu hoped that Michael would finally see Sonny for who Sonny really was. Dante revealed that Michael wanted him to uncover the truth about Sonny. Dante didn't think that Michael would believe that Sonny had shot Johnny in cold blood unless Sonny made a full confession to Michael. Lulu didn't think Sonny would ever admit to shooting an unarmed man. Dante agreed, so he needed to find a witness to the shooting. Lulu was curious how Dante would feel if Sonny were innocent of the crime. Dante reminded Lulu that it wouldn't change the fact that Sonny was a criminal. Lulu was curious if Dante would want to have a relationship with Sonny, but Dante insisted that the only thing that he wanted was the truth. Dante could easily imagine that Sonny had shot Johnny point-blank because Sonny had done the same to Dante.

9/3 Dante arrived at the penthouse and demanded to know where Sonny had gone. Jason explained that he and Sonny hadn't talked before Sonny jumped bail, because Santos' and his men were ambushing Jason at the time. One thing he did know, however, was that Sonny was too smart to have shot a defenseless Johnny in public, as Johnny had claimed. Dante asked Jason to help prove it. Dante explained that he was bound by the confines of the law, but Jason had more freedom to find evidence that would prove Johnny had set Sonny up. At that moment, Carly burst through the door and didn't see Dante, as she blabbered about Sonny having left the country. Dante asked her for details, which caught her off-guard.

Lucky went to Dante's loft and ran into Lulu. Lucky told her about his encounter with Johnny and that Johnny had offered him a job. Lucky admitted that a part of him almost wanted to say yes. Lulu cautioned Lucky to beware. She reminded him that he'd never been good at following rules. Lucky lamented that the bad guys had the advantage and that the good guys got "stuck, coloring inside the lines." He said he kept hearing their father's voice inside his head asking what Lucky was thinking when he became a cop. Lulu was surprised at how disillusioned her brother had become. He assured her that he wasn't going to join a criminal organization but that he sometimes missed being an outlaw. As Lucky left, he told Lulu that he was probably just venting but that he'd let her know if he made any career decisions.

9/7 As Dante prepared to leave Jason's living room, Carly burst through the door but didn't see Dante. She blurted out to Jason that she had an idea as to where Sonny was. Dante asked her for details, which caught her off-guard. He questioned Carly, but she made it clear she wouldn't share any information with him. Dante wondered why Sonny would have run, had he not shot an unarmed Johnny. Carly replied that Johnny was not stupid enough to walk around town without a weapon. Dante returned and suggested that Spinelli illegally search for video evidence. Spinelli mockingly protested that he couldn't break the law, but Dante gave him tacit permission. Spinelli compiled a list of eight people who had been on Baker Street around the time of Johnny's shooting. However, because most security footage was routinely dumped after 48 hours, and it had been more than two days since the incident, Spinelli was unable to find video evidence from that time. Dante suggested that he and Jason team up the following day to question those witnesses.

9/8 At the penthouse, Dante persuaded Jason to work together to clear Sonny's name.

At the loft, Lulu had on a slinky negligee as she walked around lighting candles in preparation for a romantic evening with Dante. Lulu was startled when Michael walked through the door. Michael stammered out an apology and then immediately turned away. Michael offered to leave, but Lulu insisted that he the loft was his home. Lulu dashed into the bathroom to pull on some clothes and then returned to the living room. Michael remained uneasy about what he had walked in on and once again offered to spend the night at his mother's house. Lulu insisted that she had an errand to run. She had bought a present for Spencer because she imagined the little boy was lonely after Elizabeth and the boys had flown to California to visit Sarah. Lulu asked Michael to extinguish the candles and then left. Dante arrived home a short time later. Dante noticed the lingering scent of the candles, so Michael told him about what had happened. Michael promised that he had looked away the moment that he realized that Lulu had been in her lingerie. Dante chuckled as he assured his brother that it hadn't been a big deal; he was certain that they would end up laughing about it one day. Michael insisted on spending the night at Carly's, so Dante didn't argue. After Michael left, Dante stripped down to his underwear and then relit all of the candles that Michael had put out.

At Wyndemere, Lulu was stunned to discover Brook lounging in Nikolas' home. Brook explained that she had accepted a job with Nikolas. Lulu was not pleased, so Brook suggested that Lulu discuss it with Nikolas. Lulu turned to find her brother standing in the doorway. Lulu hoped that Nikolas had better sense than to hire a "lying skank" like Brook. Nikolas advised Lulu to calm down, but Lulu refused. Lulu insisted that Brook was trash because she had been paid to sleep with Dante to break his relationship with Lulu. Lulu remarked that in her book it made Brook a prostitute. "Enough with the name-calling," Nikolas admonished his sister. He assured Lulu that he knew what had transpired between Brook and Carly. Lulu doubted it. Nikolas ignored Lulu's comment as he questioned why she wasn't angry with Carly.

Lulu admitted that she was furious with her cousin; however, she wanted to focus on Brook. Lulu dropped Spencer's present on the table, warned Nikolas to keep an eye on Brook, and then stormed out. Brook wondered if she should pack her things. Lulu returned to the loft to find Dante waiting for her. She took in his state of undress and the glow of candles and then demanded to know what he was doing. Dante grinned wickedly as he explained that he'd been waiting for her. Lulu was too upset about Nikolas to appreciate Dante's efforts. Dante poured them each a glass of wine and then sat down with Lulu on the sofa to hear her out. Lulu didn't understand what the deal was with Brook and men. Lulu wondered if everyone were an idiot. Dante suggested that Lulu rewind to the beginning of the night, before she had become upset about Brook. Lulu initially seemed reluctant, but she eventually relaxed enough to joke that she feared that she might have traumatized Michael. Dante chuckled and then leaned forward to kiss Lulu.

9/9 At Crimson, Lulu was relieved when she saw that Kate hadn't arrived for work yet. Lulu didn't want Kate to know how late she was. Lulu sat down to work while Dante followed Lulu to her desk. Dante didn't seem to be in a rush to leave as he confessed that it might be for the best that Sonny had fled. Dante wandered over to a rack and then selected an elegant gown that he said he would love to see Lulu wear to the opera. Lulu reminded Dante that tickets to the opera were expensive and then wondered why Dante didn't seem focused on the investigation. Dante suggested that it would be a waste of time. Lulu realized that Dante believed that Sonny was guilty of the crime. Dante didn't deny it, but he did assure her that he would complete the investigation, so that his siblings could have some closure. However, Dante was through with Sonny. Lulu smiled as she agreed to go to the opera with Dante.

Later, Carly arrived at Crimson while Lulu was on the phone with an angry photographer. As the other lines rang, Carly offered to deal with the photographer. Lulu handed Carly the phone and then dashed over to Maxie's desk to answer the other lines. Carly quickly took care of the photographer by offering to make the Zen Garden at Metro Court available and then agreed to cater lunch for the photographer's entire staff. Lulu was impressed, but she was curious why Carly had stopped by. Carly explained that Sonny had decided to return home to face the charges and clear his name. Lulu was frustrated because Dante had finally gotten to a "good place." Lulu was certain that Sonny would make Dante's life miserable and jeopardize Dante's career.

Lulu feared that Dante would be tempted to tamper with evidence to protect Sonny; she wished that Sonny had stayed away. Lulu accused Sonny of being selfish because he might force Dante into a position where Dante had to compromise himself by risking his badge to save his father. Carly completely agreed. Dante spotted his mother at the elevator. He wondered what she was doing at the hospital until he spotted a bag of pastries in her hand. Dante took the bag as he confessed that he was grateful that at least she hadn't baked for Johnny. Olivia resented Dante's attitude, but Dante didn't apologize. He couldn't understand why she would become involved with Johnny when she had spent Dante's entire life trying to keep Dante away from the mob.

Olivia informed her son that, if it made Dante feel better, she and Johnny were arguing. Dante didn't want to know the details, but Olivia offered them anyway. Olivia admitted that she believed that Sonny had acted in self-defense. Olivia suspected that Johnny had decided to take advantage of the situation when he had awakened to learn that Sonny had been arrested. She didn't think that Sonny would shoot an unarmed man after what had happened to Dante. Dante argued that Sonny had jumped bail, so it made him look guilty. Olivia was confident that the truth would eventually be revealed. She snatched back the bag of pastries from Dante and then walked away. A short time later, Dante entered Johnny's hospital room to question him about the shooting. Dante wasn't surprised when Johnny denied that he had been armed. Dante admitted that he found it curious that Johnny would be walking around without a gun. Johnny suggested that Dante would feel better when Dante accepted his father for who he truly was.

Jason was waiting for Dante at the police station when Dante arrived. Jason and Dante went to the interrogation room to speak privately. Dante was surprised when Jason revealed that Sonny was on his way back to Port Charles to face the charges, so it was imperative that they find proof of Sonny's innocence. Dante showed Jason the list of five people that Spinelli had found who had used an ATM near Baker Street around the time of the shooting. Jason was stunned to see Ronnie's name on the list. Jason immediately accused Ronnie of hating Sonny enough to tamper with evidence by getting rid of Johnny's gun after the shooting. Dante refused to accept that Ronnie would go that far, but Jason reminded Dante that Ronnie had kept silent about his connection to Franco. Jason explained that Dante had a choice: protect Ronnie or get to the truth.

9/10 Jason presented evidence to Dante that Ronnie had ditched Johnny's gun at the crime scene, after Johnny had been shot. Claire arrived as Diane and Sonny walked into the police station. Diane explained that Sonny had merely spent time alone to clear his head but that he had not jumped bail. Claire didn't buy it and demanded to interrogate Sonny. Sonny asked to speak to Jason first, and Claire allowed it. Dante approached Ronnie and asked when Ronnie had decided to remove Johnny's gun from the crime scene. Ronnie categorically denied that he had framed Sonny and accused Dante of allowing himself to be manipulated by Sonny. Ronnie told Dante to get his priorities straight. After Ronnie walked away, Dante told Jason that it was credible that Ronnie had disposed of the gun. They had to prove it, Dante stated.

Dante and Jason went to a construction site to speak to one of the potential witnesses. Dante took the lead, as they posed as a television crew doing a story on Johnny Zacchara's shooting. The man stated that he didn't know anything about the incident and wouldn't feel comfortable discussing it if he did. Dante convinced the man that he could become a celebrity if they were to do a story on him. The man admitted that he had been on Baker Street, shooting video of a potential construction site, when Johnny was shot. He showed them footage that clearly showed the confrontation between Sonny and Johnny.

9/13 Jason and Dante pretended to be TV reporters when they questioned a construction worker who had recorded video footage of the confrontation between Sonny and Johnny. The footage was inconclusive. It was apparent that Johnny was holding something, but whether or not it was a gun was unclear. Dante revealed himself as a policeman and convinced the worker to give him the video footage. After the worker left the room, Dante told Jason that he had a plan to get Johnny to confess the truth. They agreed that if Dante's plan worked, they had to convince Sonny and Johnny to call a truce.

Dante confronted Johnny at the hospital. He showed Johnny a photo that was clearly Johnny with something in his outstretched hand. Dante bluffed that the worker who had taken the video would testify that Johnny had a gun. Dante offered Johnny a choice: make peace with Sonny or face arrest for making a false statement. Johnny reluctantly admitted that he had pulled a gun on Sonny but did not know what had happened to the gun. He agreed to make peace.

Dante escorted Johnny to the police station and put him in the interrogation room with Sonny. He asked both of them to put their egos aside and make an agreement for a truce. As Dante closed the interrogation room door, Olivia stormed in and wanted to know why Dante had taken Johnny out of the hospital. Dante told her that Johnny had told the truth, which exonerated Sonny. He told Olivia that Johnny and Sonny were forging a peace agreement. Olivia was not fooled. She figured out that Dante had tricked Johnny into telling the truth. She was proud of Johnny and glad that Johnny and Sonny were both willing to make peace.

In the interrogation room, Sonny told Johnny that he was ready to put the past behind and move on. He said that he was tired of his kids getting caught in the middle. Johnny said that a truce was okay with him, but he would not give up any territory. Sonny said fine. He said that as long as Johnny respected his territory, he would try not to take what belonged to Johnny.

9/14 At the police station, Olivia realized that Dante didn't have any real evidence against Johnny. However, she hoped that her son's white lie might lead to a truce between Sonny and Johnny. Dante warned his mother that she shouldn't get carried away if Sonny and Johnny stopped feuding. Olivia reminded Dante that it wasn't his call to make, but Dante insisted that Olivia should stay far away from Johnny.

Dante arrived at the loft to find Lulu sitting in a chair. Dante handed her a bouquet of flowers and then kissed her. Lulu was thrilled with the flowers, but she was curious why he had bought them. Dante revealed that he had some news that he wanted to share with her and Michael. Lulu explained that Michael had decided to spend the night at Carly's again, so they were alone. Dante was happy that he and Lulu had the loft to themselves for the night, but he also wanted to tell her his news. Dante revealed that Johnny had changed his statement about the shooting and that Sonny and Johnny had agreed to a peace treaty. Lulu was thrilled that Dante had managed to make everything work out. Dante smiled happily and then kissed Lulu. Dante and Lulu snuggled up together on the sofa as Lulu apologized for doubting Dante. She had feared that Dante might have been tempted to bend the law to help Sonny. Lulu realized that she should have known better.

9/15 At the loft, Dante kissed Lulu awake. Lulu smiled as she admitted that she didn't need an alarm clock with Dante around. Moments later, the phone rang. Lulu was surprised to hear Lucky on the other end of the line. Lucky claimed that he was at Heathrow Airport in London, on Luke's trail, but he needed to speak to Dante. Lulu handed Dante the phone and then went to the bathroom to get ready for the day. After Dante assured Lucky that Lulu was out of the room, Lucky explained that he had been recruited by Interpol to go undercover as Ronan O'Reilly. Lucky wondered what Dante knew about Galway United. Dante knew that Galway United had a soccer team, but he reminded Lucky that the Irish referred to soccer as football. Lucky revealed that he had only been given hours to prepare for his undercover assignment, so he needed Dante to get on the computer to do some research for him. Dante offered Lucky some pointers on undercover work: listen, speak as little as possible, and take down anyone who messed with him.

Later, Lulu tried to find out why Lucky had called. Dante pointed out that Lucky would have told her if he had wanted her to know. Lulu suggested that Lucky might have kept quiet if he thought that Luke was in danger because Lucky knew that Lulu would head to London to help. After Lulu left, Dante headed to the police station, where he encountered Ronnie. Dante immediately accused Ronnie of being a dirty cop because Ronnie had tried to frame Sonny by getting rid of Johnny's gun. According to Ronnie, Sonny compromised Dante's badge every day by walking around a free man. Moments later, Dante received a call from the dean of Michael's school.

Dante arrived at Michael’s school. Mr. Buckley explained that Michael had assaulted one of the students. Dante decided to question the students about the fight. Kristina insisted that Bryce had started it, but Mr. Buckley suggested that Kristina wasn't objective because Michael was her brother. Dante talked to a few students, but they had witnessed the fight, not what had led to it. A few other students confirmed Taylor's accusations. Dante wanted to press charges against Bryce, but Michael asked his brother to drop it. Later, Dante and Michael returned to the loft. Dante wondered why Michael hadn't spoken up about what had really transpired. Michael didn't think that anyone would take the word of an ex-con over an honor roll student. Dante accused Bryce of being a "lying sack of crap." Dante was impressed that Michael hadn't pulled any punches. Michael explained that Bryce had shoved Michael back against the wall, which Michael had learned not to let happen in Pentonville. Dante sensed that Michael was holding something back, so he suggested that it was time for them to discuss what had happened in jail.

9/16 At the loft, Michael refused to tell Dante about what had happened in prison. Michael promised to walk away the next time someone tried to provoke him into a fight. Dante realized that Carter had really messed with Michael's head. Dante insisted that whatever had happened wasn't Michael's fault because Franco had pulled Carter's strings. Michael yelled out for Dante to drop the matter. Michael appreciated that Dante had arranged for Michael's early release from jail and that he had persuaded Mr. Buckley not to expel him, but he resented Dante acting as if he knew what it had been like for Michael in jail.

Dante acknowledged that Michael shouldn't have gone to Pentonville. "That's on me," Dante assured his brother. Michael reminded Dante that Jason had been there for him. Dante advised Michael to talk to Jason. Michael immediately rejected the suggestion. He insisted that Dante could help by not mentioning Pentonville again. Dante interrupted Jax and Carly. Jax and Carly pulled apart from their kiss as Dante confessed that he was happy to find them together. Dante quickly filled them in on Michael's fight at Madison Prep. Carly was furious because the school hadn't called her. Dante explained that he had been listed on the court records as the person to notify. Carly was not pleased; she argued that Dante should have gotten in touch with her. Dante assured her that he had handled it.

Dante filled Sonny in on Michael's fight at school. Dante revealed that Sonny would have been proud of Kristina because she had gone to bat for Michael. Sonny appreciated that Dante had stopped by to let him know about Michael. Dante glanced at the romantic table set for two and then deduced that Sonny was expecting Claire. Dante explained that he had heard about Claire's decision to recuse herself from prosecuting Sonny in the future. Dante was curious if Sonny were using Claire. Sonny confessed that, in a way, he was. Sonny explained that he had recently seen Brenda. Sonny liked Claire, but he hoped that she would help him forget about Brenda. Sonny wondered if that were wrong.

9/17 Sonny and Dante sat in Sonny's study and bonded over their troubled romantic relationships. Dante shared an experience he'd had with a coworker. Sonny said that the two of them were more alike than he'd realized. Sonny talked about his feelings for Brenda. He said that, as much as he'd been able to fall in love with other women since, he'd never gotten over Brenda. Dante cautioned Sonny to be careful and not risk hurting Claire just to help get over Brenda. As Dante left, he reminded Sonny that he still intended to send Sonny to prison. Sonny replied that it had been nice that, at least for the evening, he and Dante had just been father and son. Claire arrived, which prompted Dante to call Claire a hypocrite.

9/20 At Jason's penthouse, Dante wanted to know why Spinelli was searching the Internet to get information on the Balkan. Spinelli, who was still angry with Dante, told him it was none of his business. Dante said that the Balkan was a dangerous criminal and if Sonny was thinking about doing business with him, Dante had a right to know. Spinelli spewed out all the animosity he felt and blamed Dante for all Michael's problems. Dante said he felt horrible about what had happened to Michael and that he had done everything in his power to make up for it. When he asked Spinelli to cut him some slack, Spinelli remained unforgiving. Spinelli said that he hoped that Lulu finally wised up and left Dante. Spinelli said that he also hoped that Dante had to suffer the pain of a broken heart so that he would know what others had felt because of him.

Dante called an old friend in the police department where he had worked before transferring to Port Charles. He told his friend that he needed all the "intel" on the Balkan that he could get. When Lulu got home, Dante told her that he had lied to her, and he needed to tell the truth about Lucky. Dante said that he had promised not to tell, but things had changed. He told her that Lucky was not off looking for Luke, but doing an undercover assignment for Interpol, masquerading as an Irish hit man named Ronan. Lulu said that Lucky had told her that he was restless with his sons gone. He had also told her that he had been tempted by an offer from Johnny. Lulu said that she thought that looking for Luke was Lucky's way of curing giving in to his restlessness. Dante told her that he did not know until earlier that day that Lucky's assignment was the Balkan. Dante told Lulu that the Balkan was a walking death sentence. He feared that Lucky was in serious trouble and might not survive. When Lulu wanted to know how Dante knew so much about the Balkan, he said that he had been involved peripherally in a case that concerned the Balkan and he had learned that the Balkan was a seriously bad man.

9/21 At the loft, Lulu insisted on going to Ireland to help Lucky. Dante warned her that it was the quickest way to get Lucky killed. He explained that Interpol had given Lucky very little time to prepare for the assignment, so Lulu's presence could compromise everything. Lulu feared that Lucky might get himself killed. She assured Dante that she was perfectly capable of running a scam, so she wasn't worried about blowing Lucky's cover. Dante reminded Lulu that he had been trained in undercover work. He explained that the more people who knew of an undercover agent's true identity increased the risk of exposure. Lulu was curious how Dante knew of the Balkan.

Tracy stopped by to talk to Lulu. Tracy wanted Lucky to stop searching for Luke, but she hadn't been able to reach him. Lulu was surprised by Tracy's decision, but she agreed to try to get in touch with Lucky to let him know. However, Lulu reminded Tracy that Luke might return on his own. Tracy was confident that the millions that Luke had stolen from her would keep him busy for a year or two. Lulu was certain that Tracy would miss Luke. Tracy confessed that that was part of the problem. Tracy explained that she couldn't stop thinking about Luke because he was an addiction. Tracy was tired of putting her life on hold for Luke, so she was certain that she would be able to move forward if Luke stayed away. Lulu seemed disappointed, but she agreed to honor Tracy's wishes. However, Lulu assured Tracy that Tracy would always be her "step-monster" whether Tracy was legally wed to Luke or not.

After Tracy left, Lulu made it clear that she intended to fly to Ireland to find Lucky. Dante decided that he would go with Lulu, but Lulu insisted that it wasn't necessary. Dante disagreed. Later, Dante and Lulu were on a flight bound for Ireland. Lulu confessed that she was a little excited to see Ireland because her parents had lived there for a few months before her birth. Dante reminded Lulu that they were not headed to Ireland for a vacation. Lulu wondered if Dante had ever been to the Emerald Isle, but Dante shook his head. He admitted that he had never left the United States, except to fly to Sonny's island. However, Dante confessed that he had always dreamed of seeing Italy. Lulu smiled as she advised Dante to stick with her; she promised to show him the world.

9/23 In Ireland, Lulu and Dante tracked down Ronan O'Reilly's room. Lulu quickly gained entry by picking the lock. Dante was discouraged when he realized that Lucky wasn't there. Lulu managed to figure out where Lucky had stashed some important documents, including a picture of Ronan. She was taken aback by how much Lucky resembled Ronan. Dante was impressed with Lulu's remarkable skill of picking a lock and finding the hidden documents. Lulu explained that Lucky and, on occasion, Luke had taught her a few tricks. Lulu confessed that it felt a bit like "coming home." Dante admitted that he, too, sometimes wondered how he fit in with his family's history. Lulu realized that he was referring to Sonny. Dante revealed that he was curious how things would have turned out if he had grown up with Sonny in his life. Lulu didn't think that Olivia would have been able to raise Dante as well as she had because Dante would have been conflicted about right from wrong, just like Michael was.

Lulu warned Dante that he might not have turned out to be the man that she had fallen in love with. Lulu then switched gears to remind Dante that they needed to concentrate on the present. She didn't think that Lucky had been in the room for any length of time. Dante and Lulu decided to track Lucky down, so they left the room. However, Dante took a moment to remind Lulu that they weren't on a backyard adventure; the Balkan was lethal.

Lucky found himself bound to a chair in a warehouse at an unknown location. One of the Balkan's thugs entered the room and immediately let Lucky know that Lucky would remain handcuffed and bound to the chair until the Balkan arrived. Lucky, posing as Ronan, made it clear that he was not happy with his treatment. The thug quickly lost his temper with Lucky, so he punched him. Lucky was knocked backwards, chair and all. Before the thug righted Lucky's chair, Lucky managed to find something on the floor to help him pick the lock on the handcuffs. After the thug left the room, Lucky immediately went to work freeing himself. When the thug returned, Lucky provoked another fight until the thug approached the chair to slug Lucky for a second time. Lucky jumped up and then quickly gained the upper hand. After Lucky knocked the thug out, he grabbed a gun and then left the warehouse.

Lulu entered a tavern, where Dante was already seated at a table and sipping on some ale. Lulu strode to the bar, ordered a beer, and then asked the bartender if he knew Ronan O'Reilly. The bartender denied knowing Ronan, but Siobhan had overheard the exchange. Dante joined Lulu at the bar after the bartender walked away. Siobhan had a brief exchange of words with the bartender and then walked up to Lulu. Siobhan admitted that she had heard that Lulu had been looking for someone. Siobhan offered to continue their conversation elsewhere, but Lulu refused to leave. Dante started to question Siobhan, but Lucky entered the tavern. Lucky took one look at Siobhan, Lulu, and Dante at the bar and then commented that they were quite an interesting group to behold.

9/24 Siobhan confronted Lulu at the pub in Ireland and insinuated that Lulu was a working girl. Lulu casually denied the accusation and asked if Siobhan knew Ronan O'Reilly. Siobhan was caught off-guard when Dante turned around and asked if she considered herself a friend of Ronan's. Lucky entered the bar and asked Siobhan who her friends were. She replied that she didn't know them but that they'd been asking about him. The innkeeper warned Ronan that he'd have to take any hostilities outside. Dante identified himself as a cop, and Lulu introduced herself as Detective Leslie Spencer.

Dante questioned "Ronan" about his whereabouts on the 20th of August, the night a bomb had killed several people. Lucky replied that he had been in church. He told Dante and Lulu to stop poking around in places they had no business. Dante and Lulu left the bar and sat at a table without saying another word. Lucky bought Siobhan a drink. The innkeeper grumbled about the cops having been there. He suggested Ronan and Siobhan find another pub to frequent. Lucky told him to mind his own business. "It would just break my heart if a faulty gas line leak suddenly exploded, left it nothing but rubble," Lucky threatened. The man apologized and walked away. Siobhan asked Ronan why he was wasn't making plans to kill the cops. Lucky replied that, since he'd found God, he was trying to walk down a new path.

At their table, Lulu expressed that she was impressed by Lucky's skill as a con artist, but Dante warned her not to celebrate any victories. Impersonating someone one knew nothing about was exceedingly dangerous, he cautioned. Lulu and Dante shared their mutual appreciation for each other's abilities to deceive as well. Dante approached Lucky and told him to be prepared to make a statement, because Dante was planning to work with local authorities to take "Ronan" in.

Moments after Lucky returned to his room, Dante knocked on the door. Lucky invited Dante and Lulu in. After establishing that the room was not bugged, they spoke freely. Lucky hostilely demanded to know why they were there. Lulu and Dante explained that they knew Lucky was impersonating Ronan O'Reilly and was attempting to take down the Balkan. Lucky told them that he'd been close to getting a meeting with the man but had been kidnapped by the Balkan's goons because "Ronan" had changed the rendezvous location. Lucky had escaped and was still alive, he reasoned, because the Balkan wanted something from O'Reilly. Dante suggested that the Balkan might have changed his mind since "Ronan" had embarrassed the man by having fled. Dante warned Lucky not to become too confident. He urged Lucky not to make the same mistakes Dante had made with Sonny and advised Lucky to cut his losses and walk away, but Lulu interjected that she knew her brother too well and that he wouldn't quit. However, Lucky wouldn't be on his own; she and Dante were going to stay and help, she stated.

9/27 In Ireland, Lucky, Lulu, and Dante talked in Ronan's room. Dante and Lulu wanted Lucky to quit his undercover work and return to Port Charles with them. Lucky refused. He said that he was close to discovering the identity of the Balkan. Lucky said that he knew that he was taking a risk, but it was no different that when Dante had gone undercover to get Sonny. Dante said that there was a big difference between taking a risk and throwing your life away. Lucky was unmoved and asked Dante and Lulu to go home, but they said they were staying as long as Lucky did.

Dante and Lucky went to the warehouse where Lucky had been held captive earlier to look for clues. Dante said that Lucky was impersonating a stone cold killer and as time passed, it would send up red flags if he did not kill anyone. Dante said that the longer Lucky pretended to be Ronan the more likely he was to be discovered. Dante hid when the henchmen who had grabbed and imprisoned Lucky in the warehouse entered the building. Lucky confronted them in his brash Ronan identity. When the conversation turned hostile, Dante leaped out with his gun and told them to surrender. The thugs started firing, and Lucky went down. Dante shot one of the thugs. Lucky, who had been pretending to be shot, grabbed a gun and shot the other thug. As sirens blared in the distance, Dante urged Lucky to flee, but Lucky told Dante to go alone while he remained behind.

Siobhan's knock on Ronan's door was answered by Lulu. Siobhan was protective of Ronan and told Lulu, whom she thought was a cop, that she did not have the right to search the room. Lulu told her that Ronan was a killer. Siobhan said that Ronan had changed. She said that she saw compassion in his eyes and he deserved a second chance. Lulu told her that killers did not change. Siobhan said that men could change if they had an experience with God. She said that Ronan was a man who had felt despair and had found hope again. Lulu was thoughtful when she told Siobhan that it sounded like she was falling for Ronan.

9/28 In Ireland, Lucky and Dante exchanged gunfire with two of the Balkan's thugs. The Balkan's thugs were killed within minutes, while Lucky and Dante escaped unscathed. As the police sirens closed in, Dante decided that he and Lucky should leave before they were spotted. Lucky slipped into the role of Ronan as he explained to Dante that it would be best if the police spotted Ronan near the bodies because it would get back to the Balkan. Lucky promised to flee before the police captured him. Dante agreed to the plan, but he made Lucky promise to rendezvous thirty minutes later.

At Ronan's apartment, Siobhan was curious why two cops from the United States would chase Ronan to Ireland when they couldn't even arrest him. Lulu explained that they believed that Ronan had valuable information about an on-going investigation. Lulu decided to question Siobhan about the Balkan. Siobhan suggested that Lulu might get more information if Lulu weren't a cop. Lulu glanced down when her phone beeped; Dante had asked Lulu to meet him. Lulu announced that they had to leave, so she held the door open and then followed Siobhan out.

A short time later, Lulu, Dante, and Lucky returned to Ronan's room. They were unaware that Siobhan had hidden in the closet. Lulu, Lucky, and Dante talked openly about Lucky's undercover work and his plans to lure the Balkan out. Lucky had found a cell phone on one of the thugs that appeared to have a message sent by the Balkan, so Lucky intended to send the Balkan a picture of the two dead thugs. Lulu worried that the Balkan might be furious, but Lucky argued that the Balkan would expect Ronan to react with violence. Dante agreed that it was a good opportunity to protect Lucky's cover as Ronan by allowing the police and the Balkan to believe that Ronan had been responsible for the deaths of the thugs. Lucky and Dante urged Lulu to stick with the plan; Lucky was confident that no one would discover that Lucky was an undercover cop.

9/29 In Ireland, Lucky explained to Lulu and Dante that he hadn't been given much of a choice to assume Ronan O'Reilly's identity. Lucky realized that he was flying blind, but he was confident that he had pulled off his undercover assignment because he had been able to fool Siobhan. Lucky, Lulu, and Dante were unaware that Siobhan hid in the closet, eavesdropping on their conversation. Siobhan appeared hurt by Lucky's comment. Lulu was curious how Lucky intended to explain the deaths of the Balkan's two thugs to Siobhan. Lucky adopted an Irish brogue as he explained that he would claim self-defense. In the closet, Siobhan's expression shifted to disgust. Moments later, Ronan's phone rang. Lulu advised Lucky let it go to voicemail, but Lucky ignored her. It was Seamus, a close friend and business associate of Ronan's. Seamus wanted to stop by to talk to Ronan, but Lucky insisted that it was too dangerous, so he agreed to try to meet Seamus elsewhere.

After Lucky ended the call, Lulu warned Lucky not to meet Seamus. She feared that Seamus could blow Lucky's cover. Lucky reminded Lulu that he had given himself an out by not committing to meeting Seamus. Dante was certain that Seamus would seek out Lucky if Lucky didn't show. Lucky didn't seem concerned because he had been able to convince Siobhan that he was Ronan. Lulu argued that Siobhan had an emotional stake in believing that he was Ronan because she wanted her boyfriend's killer to find redemption. Lulu thought that it would be more difficult to pull the wool over a hired gun's eyes. Dante decided to intercept Seamus. Dante intended to identify himself as a police officer, and then question Seamus, in an effort to buy Lucky some time. Lulu was determined to go with Dante even though Lucky and Dante objected. Lucky followed Dante and Lulu out, while he gave them directions on where he had arranged to meet Seamus. Siobhan looked shell-shocked as she stepped out of the closet a few moments later. She took a deep breath and then marched to the door.

Lulu and Dante found themselves lost in the Irish countryside. Lulu decided to take over the driving, so that Dante could read the map. However, things went from bad to worse when their car began to make clanking noises and then slowed down.

9/30 In Ireland, Lulu and Dante woke up in an abandoned cottage. They decided to head back to their car, so that they could move it off of the road before something happened to it. Dante confessed that he had known an Irish woman, Katy O'Connor, who had told him about Irish superstitions. Dante warned Lulu to be careful about what she said because it could happen. He used rain as an example. Seconds later, thunder rumbled outside. Lulu laughed and then challenged Dante to a race to the car before the skies opened up.

Lulu and Dante returned to the cottage a short time later. Dante was happy that they had been able to move the car, while Lulu had been thrilled that they had found some stale coffee and a candy bar in the car. Lulu wondered how they would get to Bally Lynde. Dante told Lulu that Katy O'Connor used to pray to Saint Brigid for a sign when she needed guidance. Lulu stepped out of the cottage and then shouted to Saint Brigid to give them a sign. Dante was startled when he heard a strange noise. Lulu laughed as she revealed that the sound was sheep in a nearby field. She suggested that their sign might mean that they should hang out with the sheep for a while. Later, Lulu and Dante lugged a heavy sack, filled with supplies, into the cottage. A nice farmer, who had offered them the cottage for as long as they needed, had given it to them. The farmer had also let them know that there was a town seven miles from the cottage where a bus stopped once a day.

Lulu wasn't sure if the bus went to Bally Lynde, so she thought that they should stay put until Lucky called them. "If the city boy can handle it," she teasingly added. Dante confessed that if he didn't know better, he'd think that she had grown up on the run as Lucky had. Lulu grinned as she admitted that she would have liked that. As Lulu and Dante started to settle in, Lulu suggested that they fetch some firewood. Dante was impressed by how comfortable she was with everything. Lulu confided that she had felt cheated out of the fun that Lucky had enjoyed growing up. She was curious if Dante was interested in traveling for a while. Dante questioned if Lulu were trying to live up to the Spencer name.

10/1 Dante noted to Lulu how much she seemed to enjoy being stuck in a deserted cabin in Ireland. She explained that she'd always felt that she was the reason her parents settled down and how that negatively impacted her father. Being on a case and working to take down a drug lord was exciting. Maybe this was her chance to live up to the Luke and Laura legacy, she thought. Dante cautioned Lulu not to compare herself to others; she would make herself miserable. Lulu admitted that her parents likely emphasized the romance and excitement of the life they'd led while downplaying the danger and fear. Dante related his own experiences and could commiserate with what Lulu's parents had probably experienced when they tried to live a normal life after having been on the run for so long. He knew how hard it was to adjust to coming off an undercover case.

Dante walked to town to check on the status of their car. After he left, Agent Bates walked in and remarked that Lulu and Dante had made quite a stir in the village. However, he failed to introduce himself and, at the first chance, Lulu struck him with a fireplace poker and knocked him out. Dante returned and was surprised to discover that Lulu had coldcocked an Interpol agent.

10/4 In Ireland, Dante and Lulu argued about what to do after Lulu knocked out an Interpol agent that she had mistaken for one of the Balkan's thugs. She wanted to run away so that they could keep helping Lucky, but Dante wanted to make sure that the agent was not hurt seriously. While they argued, the agent recovered and insisted that Lulu and Dante return to Port Charles. The agent told them that they would distract Lucky, not help him. Agents escorted Dante and a reluctant Lulu to a plane, which they boarded. Lulu wanted to get off and worried that Lucky would be killed. Dante said that she was upset because Lucky got the life of adventure and Lulu was going home with Dante. Lulu fretted about work at Crimson and started leafing through fashion magazines. Dante was stunned speechless when one of the magazines fell open to a picture of Brenda.

10/5 On the plane, Lulu questioned what Dante found so fascinating about the fashion magazine that he was looking at. She was unaware that Dante was actually staring at an image of Brenda. Dante ignored the question as he closed the magazine and then admitted that Lulu had been right to suggest that the Balkan was getting stronger. Lulu wondered how Dante knew so much about the Balkan. Dante explained that he had worked on the peripheral edges of a case involving the Balkan when he had been a beat cop in Bensonhurst. He had learned then that the Balkan's men were hardcore Russian mafia who were not to be messed with. Lulu was curious what had happened to the case. Dante shrugged his shoulders as he revealed that it had gone cold and that the Balkan's men had returned to Europe. Lulu realized that Dante was disappointed because Interpol hadn't recruited him to help. She knew that Dante hated leaving anything unfinished. Later, Dante had a nightmare of standing in an alleyway while he heard a woman's bloodcurdling scream.

10/6 On the plane, Lulu questioned what Dante's nightmare had been about. Dante was reluctant to discuss it, so he told her that there had just been images that he couldn't really make sense of. Dante attributed the bad dream to being keyed up about Lucky and the Balkan. Lulu let the matter drop and then suggested that Dante try to go back to sleep. Dante had something else in mind as he hinted that they join the Mile High Club. Lulu would have been tempted if the blankets weren't the size of handkerchiefs. Dante settled for kissing Lulu.

Lulu and Dante were relieved when they arrived at the loft. They headed straight to bed, but moments later, Maxie pounded on the door. Maxie knew that Lulu was there, so she ordered Lulu to open the door. After Maxie entered the loft, Lulu demanded to know what Maxie wanted. Maxie explained that they had to work, so she had picked up a couple of cups of coffee for her and Lulu. Dante decided that it was his cue to leave. He pointedly looked at Maxie as he promised Lulu that he would return with dinner for two and then excused himself. Maxie revealed that she wanted to get Kate's dream cover model for Crimson: Brenda Barrett. Lulu was certain that Carly would never stand for it. Maxie argued that Carly couldn't make or break their careers, so Maxie was more interested in pleasing Kate. Lulu was surprised to learn that no one had talked to Brenda about posing for the magazine. Maxie hoped that she and Lulu could do that together, but Lulu didn't think that it would work. Maxie insisted that they had to try because Brenda was extremely popular with women and men.

Kate found it amusing how Olivia moved from guy to guy. Olivia was livid as she stood up, took off her earrings, and then threatened to "bitch-slap" Kate "into next Tuesday." The cousins' argument quickly escalated to a catfight just as Dante entered the bar. Steve and Dante quickly pulled Kate and Olivia apart as the women continued to fling insults at each other. Eventually, Coleman managed to drag Kate back to the bar. Olivia threw her arms around her son and then enthusiastically welcomed her son home. Olivia scolded him for not letting her know about his travel plans. Dante assured his mother that it had been a little vacation getaway to Ireland to help out Lucky. Dante promised to let his mother know the next time that he left town.

Dante returned to the loft to find Lulu fast asleep. He picked up a magazine to stare at a picture of Brenda. Dante dropped the magazine on the table when Lulu woke up. Dante joined Lulu in bed and then confessed that all he wanted to do was to love her and never take her for granted. Lulu smiled as she returned the declaration of love and then kissed him.

10/7 At Pozzulo's, Dante let Sonny know that the investigation into the bombing of Johnny's car had been reopened. Sonny reminded Dante that the Lopez brothers had been responsible, but Dante revealed that the Lopez brothers had been cleared. Sonny wondered why Dante was trying to rock the boat by reopening an investigation that might end the truce between Sonny and Johnny. Sonny urged Dante to leave it alone. Dante explained that he hadn't asked for the case; it had been assigned to him because Lucky had been out of town. However, Dante couldn't ignore that Kristina and Johnny had almost been killed in the bombing, so he felt compelled to investigate. Dante insisted that Sonny had the means, the motive, and the opportunity to plant the bomb under Johnny's car. Sonny warned Dante not to repeat the mistake that Dante had made with Michael. Dante argued that it was an entirely different situation, but Sonny disagreed. Sonny reminded Dante that Michael had paid a much higher price than Dante had expected. Sonny didn't understand why Dante wanted to stir things up and put the truce in jeopardy. Sonny claimed that sometimes it was best to leave well enough alone.

Carly returned to the loft to have a talk with Dante about Michael. Carly was curious why Dante hadn't answered his phone. Dante explained that he had turned it off. Carly suggested that it was never a good idea to turn off a phone when a person was responsible for children. Carly explained that the school had contacted her after Michael had called in sick and Dante hadn't answered their calls. Dante revealed that he and Lulu had taken a short trip to Ireland. Carly wondered why he hadn't told her because Michael could have stayed with her while Dante had been out of town. Dante didn't think that the judge would have approved. "But it's okay that he stays by himself?" Carly asked. Dante acknowledged that he had messed up and that he should have called her to let her know what was going on.

Carly realized that Michael wasn't a priority for Dante, but Dante assured her that he was. Carly didn't believe him. She suggested that if he were having a hard time with the living arrangements then she would petition the courts to make some changes. Dante didn't think that it would be a good idea. Carly argued that Michael needed to be with his family, so that he could have someone to talk to. Dante insisted that Michael could talk to him. Carly acknowledged that she and Michael were grateful for Dante securing Michael's release from Pentonville, but she didn't want anything to go wrong with Michael's parole. Dante explained that he had a clean record, which was the only thing that Judge Carroll cared about. Dante insisted that it wasn't the time to make changes.

10/8 At Crimson, Lulu worried about how Carly would react with Brenda in town. Dante arrived and explained that Carly planned to petition the judge to compel Michael to live with her and Jax, because Dante had let Michael skip school. Dante worried about the effect on Michael if Dante needed to prove that Sonny had put the bomb that had almost killed Kristina in Johnny's car. Lulu urged him to investigate the case to his fullest abilities.

As Dante left, Tracy arrived to tell Lulu that Luke had turned up in an Irish jail. Once Lulu established that her father was all right, she suggested that Tracy chase down her husband because, Lulu stated, they both knew that was what Tracy wanted. Stunned, Tracy left. Sam arrived to return the clothes Maxie had lent her. She explained to Lulu that she had used the new look in an insecure bid for Jason's affections. Lulu commiserated. Sam said that she wished anyone but Jason had rescued Brenda.

Dante went to Sonny's home to see him. While waiting, Brenda walked in and surprised Dante. It was obvious the two knew each other. Sonny arrived and introduced Brenda to his son, Dante. Brenda was shocked.

DVD #6B 10/11 At the Crimson offices, Sam and Lulu discussed Brenda and the effect that she was having on the men of Port Charles. Sam said Jason was not bowled over by Brenda, but did feel the need to protect her. Sam admitted that she would be glad when Brenda went back to Rome. Lulu said she was glad that Sonny was the great love of Brenda's life so that Brenda would stay occupied with him. Maxie arrived and was upset that Spinelli was a blubbering mess over Brenda and thought she was the incarnation of Ariel Blaine, superspy, a character from a computer game. Maxie wanted Sam to force Jason to send Brenda back to Rome, but when Sam said that she could not do that because Jason had appointed himself Brenda's guardian, Maxie said that she would take care of it.

At Sonny's home, Dante was introduced to Brenda as Sonny's son. Both seemed flustered. Dante asked why she was there. Brenda said that she was seeing old friends. Dante said that he and Sonny were on opposite sides of the law. Dante told Brenda that Sonny had shot him on a previous occasion when Dante had tried to arrest Sonny. Sonny said that things had gotten better since then. Dante said that he was at Sonny's place on official business. He said he was investigating the bomb in Johnny's car. Sonny said he had planted the bomb. Brenda said that some things were better left unsolved because sometimes people did the right thing for the wrong reasons. She gave Dante a pointed look when she said, "But you know that, don't you, Dante?" Dante responded that a crime had been committed and blood ties would not make it go away. Dante was very formal with Brenda when he told her it had been nice meeting her and he hoped she enjoyed her time in Port Charles.

Spinelli went to Crimson to see Lulu and gushed about Brenda's beauty and other virtues. He said that he understood why his room was pink. Spinelli said that the room had originally been painted pink for Brenda and that he would never change it. Lulu pointed out that idolizing Brenda was a waste of time because it was unobtainable and going nowhere. She also said that his infatuation with Brenda was hurting Maxie. Spinelli said that the object of courtly love was for the love to be unobtainable. He said that all of Brenda's virtues more than warranted his devotion.

Dante was home in his loft, gazing at a picture of Brenda, when Lulu got there. He told her about meeting Brenda at Sonny's. He said he recognized her from the fashion magazines that Lulu had left lying around. Lulu wanted to know what Dante thought of Brenda, and if he had fallen under her spell like every other man. Lulu did not wait for an answer, but plunged into telling him about her fears for Spinelli and his infatuation. Dante was not listening to her. He was lost in thought as he remembered his first meeting with Brenda when he was assigned to her protection detail as a young patrolman in New York City.

10/12 Brenda became lost in the past as she remembered offering Dante a snack to eat while he guarded her from the hallway. She was touched when Dante picked out two chocolate bars from a gift basket and then revealed his intention to give the chocolate to his mother. Brenda's tears dried up as she smiled at the memory.

At Dante's loft, Dante recalled when a detective had explained that Brenda needed protection. According to the detective, a guy who was wanted by Interpol was stalking Brenda. Dante returned to the present when Lulu wondered what Brenda had been like. Lulu had seen numerous pictures of Brenda, so was curious if airbrushing had covered up some of Brenda's flaws. Dante revealed that Brenda was as beautiful in person as she was in the magazines. Lulu seemed disappointed, so Dante added that, in his eyes, Lulu was the most beautiful woman. Lulu beamed at the compliment. Dante wondered why Lulu wanted to know what Brenda had been like. Lulu confessed that she had grown up hearing stories about how wonderful Brenda had been. Dante was surprised when Lulu revealed that Brenda was the "B" in Lois Cerullo's old recording label, L&B Records. Lulu then told Dante what she knew about Brenda and Sonny's relationship. Dante confided that Brenda had been very protective of Sonny when he had met her at Sonny's home. Lulu felt bad for Dante because everyone, including his mother, siblings, and Brenda, seemed to always defend Sonny. Lulu admitted that she had been young when Sonny and Brenda had been involved, but she had heard stories. According to Lulu, Sonny and Brenda had a "crazy intense love." Lulu also revealed that Sonny had left Brenda at the altar. It dawned on Dante that Sonny had been referring to Brenda when he had told Dante about leaving a woman, whom he had loved, for her own good.

Later, Lulu spotted Brenda's picture in another fashion magazine. Dante joked that Brenda could always start a new career as Sonny's defender if she ever stopped modeling. Lulu worried that Dante might be torn between protecting Sonny and protecting his job as he investigated the bombing of Johnny's car. Dante assured her that he was determined to do his job. However, he was baffled that Brenda seemed to believe that Sonny was a really good man. Lulu suggested that it was denial. Dante revealed that Brenda had barely batted an eye when he had told her that Sonny had shot him. Lulu wondered if Dante had wished that he hadn't moved to Port Charles. Dante assured Lulu that he didn't have any regrets because he had met her. Dante kissed Lulu and then they made love.

Afterwards, Lulu slept soundly in Dante's arms while he thought about the past. Dante remembered how he had offered to guard Brenda from the hallway, so that she could have some privacy in her hotel suite. Brenda had begged Dante to stay because she couldn't sleep without someone talking to her. She invited Dante to watch television, but Dante warned her that he was an "obnoxious channel flipper." Dante assured her that she would be fine because he might hit on the cleaning ladies, but he wouldn't let anyone enter her room. Brenda laughed as she admitted that he had eased her mind.

10/14 At the police station, Dante was trying to work on the car bombing case, but instead he stared at a picture on his computer screen that had been taken of him and Brenda years earlier when he had been guarding her. Olivia walked up to his desk with a big paper bag. She noticed that Dante seemed fixated on the computer. Dante explained that he was just working on a case. Olivia smiled and then told her son that the bag contained some home-cooked food for him and Michael. Dante was thrilled and assured her that it was much appreciated. Olivia wondered how Michael was doing. Dante admitted that it hadn't been easy for Michael, but he was holding up okay. Olivia told Dante how proud she was of him for taking Michael under his wing; she realized that it was a huge responsibility. She offered to cook Michael dinner if Michael needed a good meal. The conversation then drifted to the bombing of Johnny's car. Olivia insisted that Sonny hadn't been responsible because he had looked her in the eye when he had sworn that he hadn't planted the bomb. After Olivia left, Mayor Floyd entered the squad room to talk to Dante about the investigation. Mayor Floyd warned Dante to be careful because he would launch a full investigation if he sensed any hint of impropriety on Dante's part. Mayor Floyd made it clear that he would have Dante's badge if Dante compromised the case.

Claire arrived at the station a short time later. She wanted an update about the bombing, without an attitude from Dante. Dante explained that he hadn't wanted the case, but someone higher than the commissioner had insisted on Dante being assigned to the investigation. Claire reminded Dante that Sonny was their prime suspect because the Lopez brothers had been cleared. Dante was curious how things were going between Claire and Sonny. Claire revealed that she had been quietly kicked to the curb when Brenda had shown up in Port Charles. She clarified that she didn't want him to frame Sonny, but she expected Dante to put together an airtight case, so that the legal system could deal with Sonny. After Claire left, Dante remembered finding Brenda unconscious on the floor of her hotel suite shortly after he had first met her. Brenda slowly woke up to question what Dante had been doing there. "I thought you needed me," Dante answered.

10/15 Dante thought about his past with Brenda. He recalled the time he'd met her, when he had guarded her while she was staying in New York years before. Lulu stopped by the station to visit Dante. Dante continued to hide his and Brenda's shared past from Lulu. He begged out of dinner with Lulu and told her he would probably work late.

Jason went to see Dante and asked Dante to talk to Claire to ask her not to pursue Michael for violating his parole. Dante agreed and promised to remind Michael to stay away from Sonny. Dante also informed Jason that the Lopez brothers had been cleared in the car bombing that had almost killed Johnny and Kristina, and that Sonny had become the prime suspect. Michael might be asked to testify against their father, Dante cautioned. Mayor Floyd walked in to find Dante and Jason conversing and insinuated that Dante was a crooked cop. The mayor threatened to launch an internal affairs investigation. Jason reminded the mayor that Sam and Spinelli had photos showing the man in bed with a hooker, and threatened to release them. Mayor Floyd left in a huff.

Dante arrived to speak with Brenda. They went upstairs to talk privately. Dante and Brenda promised each other that neither had shared their secret. Jason walked into his living room and, soon after, Sonny arrived.