Dante & Lulu #9 May 24 - September 16, 2011: 8 Hour Original Edit

DVD #9A Dante arrived home to find Lulu huddled on the bed as she tried to dig a piece of glass out of her finger. Dante took over the task of trying to remove the sliver of glass from her thumb, while Lulu told him that she had tried to clean up the mess on the Haunted Star. She was mortified when Dante revealed that he had been at the casino because of a complaint about the noise. Lulu feared that Luke had said something to upset Dante, but Dante assured her that he was fine. Lulu then tearfully told Dante about Luke's reaction to her attempt to clean up the casino. Dante insisted that Luke didn't have a right to yell at Lulu, but he explained that Luke was in a bad place, so Luke was lashing out at everyone around him. Dante urged Lulu not to take it personally. Lulu realized that she had been wrong to persuade Lucky to try a different tactic with Luke, so she intended to call Lucky to apologize. Luke poured himself a drink as Sonny entered the casino. Luke imagined that Dante had talked to Sonny. Sonny explained that Lulu wasn't taking proper care of herself because she was so worried about Luke. Luke insisted that he was fine, but Sonny could see that was a lie. Luke admitted that Lulu had tried to clean up the shattered glass in the casino, which had been reminiscent of Luke's mother's attempts to clean up after Luke's father. Luke explained that Tim Spencer had been a dock worker who drank too much, and viciously abused Luke's mother. Luke had learned at an early age how to cover up the abuse until his mother had died on the floor of their tenement apartment because she had been afraid to go to the hospital with a ruptured appendix. Luke suspected that was the reason that he had always been drawn to damsels in distress. Luke admitted that he had always feared that he would turn into his father. Luke acknowledged that he had crossed the line once, to his eternal shame, with Laura. Luke then quietly admitted that he had almost done it again earlier when Lulu had tried to clean up the broken glass. Luke acknowledged that he had frightened his daughter, which made him realize that he had behaved just like Tim: a drunk and a coward. "Luke, you know what has to be done, right?" Sonny quietly asked. "Yeah, I guess I do. I guess, I do," Luke answered. Luke called Lucky to ask Lucky to gather the Spencers for a family meeting at the Haunted Star. Lucky revealed that Ethan was with him, so he promised that they would be at the casino shortly. 5/25 At the Haunted Star, Luke announces that he is checking himself into rehab first thing the next morngin. Lucky suggested that Luke enter rehab immediately, tonight. He questions why wait till the morning. Luke didn't see the harm in waiting until morning. Tracy offered to take Luke to rehab, but Luke remained resistant because he resented being treated like a child. Lulu didn't know why it couldn't wait until morning, so Lucky explained that Luke might change his mind. Lucky asked to speak privately to Luke, but Lulu objected. Tracy assured Lulu that everything would be fine and then persuaded Lulu to leave with her. Luke realized that Lucky had been right. Luke had become his father, his worst fear. Luke deeply regretted killing Jake; he promised that he would never run from the responsibility of what he had done on that fateful night. Luke had always prided himself on never having regrets, but that was no longer true. Luke would always regret taking Jake's life. Luke realized that he had failed Lucky, but he promised that he had always loved him. Lucky assured Luke that it went both ways. At Kelly's, Tracy assured Lulu that all the arrangements had been made for Luke to receive thirty-day inpatient treatment at Shadybrook. Lulu couldn't understand why everyone had been so cold towards Luke after Luke had agreed to go to rehab. Tracy explained that addicts often made promises to go to rehab, but delayed treatment because in reality it was just a ploy to get the heat off of them. Lulu didn't understand how treating Luke like garbage would help Luke accept treatment. Tracy insisted that Luke needed to take responsibility for his actions, in order to be the man that they loved. "Isn't that worth whatever it takes?" Tracy wondered. Tracy's phone rang. It was Luke. Luke wanted Tracy to drive him to rehab because he was ready to go into treatment immediately. Later at Kelly's, Nikolas confessed that he hadn't thought that Luke could go to rehab. Lulu was certain that Luke had agreed to go for the sake of his children. Nikolas suspected that Lulu didn't believe that Luke was an alcoholic. Lulu assured Nikolas that she recognized that Luke had a problem, but she had been uncomfortable with the idea of tough love. However, Lulu was certain that Luke would make rehab work because he had finally accepted that he was an alcoholic. 5/26 Maxie bumped into Dante at Kelly's, so she was curious if Lulu was okay?Dante seemed confused by the question because he had thought that Lulu was at work. Maxie revealed that Lulu hadn't been at work for days. Dante realized that Lulu had been missing work because of Luke, so he promised to talk to Lulu about it. Maxie confessed that she didn't want to see Lulu lose her job, because Lulu was good at it, but Kate's patience was at an end. Maxie explained that she couldn't keep covering for Lulu, so it was time for Lulu to focus on herself instead of worrying about Luke. At the Haunted Star, Lulu looked around at the covered tables and clean floor. She jumped when she heard a noise. "Dad?" she called out moments before Tracy appeared in the doorway. Tracy was curious if Lulu had expected Luke to have skipped out on rehab. Lulu admitted that she had meant to call Tracy to see how things had gone when Tracy had dropped off Luke at Shadybrook. Tracy revealed that Luke had been quiet, but determined. Lulu was curious if Tracy thought that Luke would stay in rehab. Tracy admitted that she had no idea, but she assured Lulu that Luke appeared to have taken it seriously because he realized that he had hurt his children. Lulu admitted that she had regrets, but Tracy insisted that Lulu hadn't done anything wrong. Lulu confessed that she had tried to remember if there had ever been a time during her childhood when Luke had yelled, stumbled, or done something that might have indicated that he had a drinking problem, but there hadn't been a single incident. Tracy explained that over time the alcohol had turned on Luke. Lulu wanted Luke to stop drinking, but she confessed that she was afraid that he wouldn't be her dad any more. Lulu hadn't realized that Luke had a drinking problem until Jake had died. Tracy suggested that they had all been blind to Luke's drinking. Lulu confided that Lucky had changed after he had gotten sober. According to Lulu, Lucky used to be fun, but after rehab he had turned serious. Lulu was afraid that the same thing would happen to Luke. Tracy explained that Lucky had simply grown up. Lulu argued that Lucky's dream had gotten smaller; he focused on keeping a job, raising kids, and staying sober, so that there wasn't any room for anything else in his life. Tracy conceded that Lulu made it sound grim. Lulu confessed that she couldn't see Luke going through the twelve-step program. Tracy chuckled as she assured Lulu that Luke would find a way to make it cool. However, Tracy insisted that Luke needed to focus on sobriety or else they would lose him. Lulu recalled that her father had always smelled like cigars, soap, and scotch when he had hugged her. She admitted that she would miss it because she had grown to like the smell. Tracy didn't know what would happen after Luke had completed the treatment, but she hoped that Luke focused on putting his life back together instead of trying to destroy it. Lulu wondered if Tracy thought that Luke would be able to do it. Tracy admitted that she didn't know, but she was certain that the burden of killing Jake would be something that Luke would have to learn to live with. Later, Dante found Lulu sitting alone in the casino. He told her about his encounter with Maxie, so he figured that he would find Lulu at the Haunted Star. Dante was curious what Lulu was doing at the casino. Lulu explained that she had intended to clean up Luke's mess, but Tracy had taken care of it. Dante suggested that Lulu go to work, but Lulu confessed that she didn't know where she wanted to be. She revealed that she had spent so many weeks worrying about her father, that it felt as if there were a hole in her life. Lulu added that she was afraid that Luke might emerge from rehab as a completely different man. The conversation then drifted to the night of the accident. Lulu wondered if Dante believed that the alcohol had played a part in the tragedy. Dante was reluctant to answer the question because he didn't want to hurt Lulu, but Lulu insisted that Dante's professional opinion might help her see things more clearly. Dante conceded that Luke might have seen Jake or swerved away if Luke hadn't been drinking. Dante was also certain that Luke would have realized that he had hit something, and then called for help. "Say it," Lulu tearfully urged Dante. "Yes, I think Luke's drinking contributed to the accident," Dante replied quietly. Lulu confessed that Luke had often let her down when she had been a child, and that she had always made excuses. She realized that she had to stop doing that because the same man who had let her down had also killed Jake. Dante was curious why she thought that Luke had agreed to go to rehab despite being so dead-set against it. Lulu revealed that Tracy suspected that Luke had done it for his children. Dante wondered if Lulu thought that Luke would want her to spend all of her time in the casino feeling terrible. Lulu didn't have an answer, so Dante advised her to live her life the best way that she could. Lulu smiled when he jokingly suggested that she could start by writing poems about her wonderful boyfriend. 5/27 At the Haunted Star, as Lulu crowed over her recent break with Kate and Crimson, Dante tried to be supportive. He worried that taking over the casino could be overwhelming for her. He was also concerned that Luke could return from rehab a bitter, resentful man. Dante proposed that he and Lulu go bungee jumping or take a camping trip. Lulu agreed to a vacation, but only after Luke returned home. At the station, Michael demands to know if the DA is dropping the charges against Abby? Michael had turned over an audio confession from the hit woman that she had killed Brandon and set up Abby for his murder. Dante stressed the importance of handling the case by the book. He wanted to make sure no one had paid the woman to take the fall or had mistaken what she'd said. Dante was skeptical of Johnny's motives. Why, Dante wondered, would Johnny involve the police in a mob matter. Johnny stated that he simply wanted Abby to be proven innocent. Dante appeared concerned about the growing friendship Michael was developing with Johnny. Dante went to Carly's home to inform her that Abby was off the hook for Brandon's murder. To Carly's astonishment, Dante mentioned that Lulu was having a tough time since, to Carly's surprise, Luke had gone into rehab. Dante asked Carly to reach out to Lulu. Later, Carly went to the Haunted Star to see her cousin. Lulu realized that Dante had sent Carly to see her. Lulu announced that she'd quit Crimson. Carly asked if Lulu really wanted to run a casino, and Lulu replied that she wanted to be close to Luke to help keep him sober. 5/31 Dante found Lulu working at the Haunted Star. He wanted to spend the day with her, but Lulu explained that she had been trying to decode Luke's accounting system. Dante revealed that he had hoped to pick up some lunch, a bottle of wine, and then take the speedboat out for the day. Lulu smiled as she assured Dante that she appreciated him sending Carly to talk to her, and that he had borrowed Sonny's boat. However, Lulu insisted that she was happy that Luke was in rehab because she was certain that it would be the best thing for her relationship with her father. Lulu then shifted gears to reveal that Luke had been siphoning money from the casino for ages. Dante was surprised that Tracy had put up with it, but Lulu insisted that it just proved how much Tracy loved Luke. Lulu then announced that she intended to enlist Ethan's help to update the casino, and to draw in new clients, so that Luke would have something to focus on after rehab. Dante suggested that Lulu might want to reconsider, since it was unlikely that Luke would want to be surrounded by alcohol. Lulu dismissed Dante's concerns because she intended to work by Luke's side. Lulu admitted that she had always wanted to do something meaningful with her father. She explained that Lucky and Ethan had each had an opportunity to build special memories with Luke, so it was finally her turn. Lulu decided to take the accounting books to Shadybrook, so that Luke had something to work on. Dante didn't know much about rehab, but he was certain that Luke should be focusing on sobriety, not the Haunted Star. Lulu insisted that she knew her father best; Luke would need something to look forward to in order to get him through rehab. Dante decided to bite his tongue as Lulu prattled on about how she was confident that her collaboration with Luke would be the start of a great relationship. A short time later, Lulu arrived at Shadybrook. She was surprised to discover that Luke wasn't in his room, so she asked one of the counselors where her father was. The counselor revealed that Luke had left Shadybrook shortly after checking in. 6/1 At Shadybrook, Lulu demanded to know why her family hadn't been notified when Luke had left rehab. Dr. Nichols, the supervisor of the rehab program, explained that treatment was voluntary, and that they were obligated to respect a patient's privacy. Dr. Nichols revealed that he had tried to persuade Luke to stay, but Luke hadn't been ready to accept that he had a problem. Lulu was frustrated because Dr. Nichols had let Luke leave, but Dr. Nichols reminded her that they couldn't legally force Luke to remain in treatment if Luke had voluntarily checked himself in. Lulu was curious how long Luke had stayed at Shadybrook. "Fifteen minutes," Dr. Nichols replied. Outside of Kelly's, Dante admitted that he had been happy to receive a call from Kristina asking him to meet her. Dante noticed Kristina's outfit, so he wondered if she intended to go "clubbing" afterwards. Kristina explained that she had decided to update her wardrobe, but their father had flipped out. According to Kristina, Sonny would have her dressing like a twelve-year-old for the rest of her life, and wouldn't allow her to date until she was thirty. Kristina revealed that it was the reason that she had called Dante. Dante confessed that he might not have been the best person for her to call because he wasn't thrilled with her new look. Kristina insisted that Maxie had helped her select the outfits. "That explains a lot," Dante remarked. Kristina ignored the comment as she forged ahead with her plea. Kristina realized that she had made some terrible choices by pretending to date Johnny, but she assured Dante that she had genuine feelings for Ethan. Dante was surprised, so Kristina assured him that she and Ethan were just friends, but she wanted more. Kristina had hoped that Dante could talk to Sonny to make Sonny understand that she should be allowed to date whomever she wanted. Later, at the loft, Dante received an update on the hit woman. He was furious when he learned that the hit woman had dropped off of the radar. Dante ended the call just as Lulu walked in. Lulu quickly told Dante about Luke's decision to leave rehab shortly after checking in. Dante wondered why the family hadn't been notified, so Lulu explained what Dr. Nichols had told her. Lulu wasn't surprised that Luke had opted to lie to everyone about going to rehab because Luke hated goodbyes. Lulu called Spinelli to leave him a message to call her back on an urgent matter. Afterwards, Lulu admitted that Luke had likely left the country. Dante explained that he could try to use his police resources to track down Luke, but it might be frowned upon because Luke was an adult, who was free to go where he liked. Lulu realized that she had to call Lucky, but she confessed that she was furious that she had listened to her brother. Lulu reminded Dante that she had never thought that tough love would work with her father, so she was afraid of what Luke would do next. Dante reminded Lulu that Luke knew how to disappear, so he advised her to relax for the evening because she wouldn't be able to find Luke right away. Lulu explained that she needed to find Luke quickly, or else Luke would never return. Dante was curious what Lulu would do if she found Luke but Luke refused to cooperate. At Sonny's office at Pozzulo's, Anthony directed two thugs to carefully place the dead hit woman in Sonny's chair behind the desk. 6/2 Dante arrived after receiving a call from Sonny about the dead body in his office. Brenda decided to take Alec home, so Sonny followed Dante to the office, but Dante stopped his father in the doorway. Dante reminded Sonny that it was a crime scene, so he advised Sonny not to touch anything. Dante realized that the dead woman was the hit woman who had killed Abby's ex-boyfriend, Brandon. Sonny was certain that Anthony was responsible for the corpse in his office, but Dante had his doubts. Sonny insisted that he wouldn't have had someone "whacked" and then left the person in his office for Brenda and Alec to find. Sonny was offended when Dante suggested that it would be a perfect way to throw off suspicion. Dante decided to call the police to report the crime, but discovered that someone had already called in a tip. Sonny immediately accused Anthony of placing the call to the police. Dante was curious what Anthony stood to gain by killing the hit woman. Sonny didn't have an answer, but he was certain that Anthony had something big planned. "Like what?" Dante wondered. At the Haunted Star, Maxie was curious about Lulu's numerous text messages requesting to see Maxie. Maxie hoped that Lulu intended to return to Crimson, but Lulu explained that she was through working for Kate. Lulu explained that she needed Maxie's help because Lulu intended to revamp the casino, so that it would be a profitable business. Maxie advised Lulu to discuss it with Luke before making any changes because Luke had never seemed interested in making a profit. Lulu revealed that Luke had left rehab, so Luke wasn't available to consult with. Lulu admitted that her family had handled Luke wrong, so Lulu intended to give Luke a reason to return to by fixing up the casino, and luring in a younger clientele. Lulu appreciated Maxie's sense of style and knack for knowing what was in, so she hoped that Maxie would agree to redecorate the casino from top to bottom. Lulu was certain that the casino's success would draw Luke back to town. Maxie realized that it was painful when a parent left, but she suggested that it was best to simply accept it. Lulu denied that Luke was anything like Maxie's parents, Frisco and Felicia. "Yet, Luke up and leaves again and again," Maxie pointed out. "Not because he doesn't care," Lulu stubbornly argued. Maxie explained that Luke had killed Jake, and then refused to get help for a drinking problem. Lulu realized that, but she was certain that fixing up the casino would give Luke a sense of purpose. "By running a bar and casino?" Maxie asked. Lulu insisted that Luke loved running the Haunted Star, especially when it was filled with people. According to Lulu, Luke's drinking had only gotten bad after the accident, so tough love hadn't been the answer. Maxie was curious what Lulu would do if Luke decided not to return to Port Charles. Lulu was certain that her father would eventually show up, so she intended to make certain that Luke knew that she loved him and that she accepted him the way that he was. Tracy entered the Haunted Star to find Lulu moving chairs around. Tracy suspected that Lulu already knew that Luke had left rehab. Lulu confirmed Tracy's suspicions and then admitted that she was furious that she had listened to Tracy and Lucky because they had pushed Luke too hard, which had resulted in Luke taking off. Lulu intended to give Luke a reason to return. Lulu outlined her plans for the casino. Tracy suggested that Lulu's plans were just a form of enabling, which Tracy refused to do. Tracy insisted that Luke needed to hit rock bottom on his own before he could get help. Lulu disagreed, so she intended to forge ahead with her plans. Tracy warned Lulu that it wasn't an option because Tracy had decided to sell the casino. Maxie started to cross the yellow police tape at Poluzzo’s but Dante warned her that it was a crime scene. Maxie revealed that she wasn't there to discuss the latest mob hit; she was concerned about Lulu, who had a crazy notion that turning things around at the casino would fix everything. Dante explained that Lulu hoped the renovation would be the start of a new beginning with Luke, but Maxie argued that Lulu had to accept that Luke had deserted her. Maxie warned Dante that they had to help Lulu before Lulu ended up in trouble. 6/3 At Sonny's restaurant, Dante completed the police investigation into the hit woman's death. Jason arrived, and Dante asked him not to retaliate against Anthony. Dante explained his theory that Anthony had hired the woman to implicate Abby in Brandon's death. Anthony had then had her killed and had the body stashed in Sonny's office so that Sonny would break the truce. Dante asked Jason for help to prove that Anthony had been behind the murder by discussing what Jason and Anthony had talked about at the police station. Jason responded that Anthony had admitted to incriminating Abby to cause tension between the Corinthos and Zacchara families. Dante worried that, since Michael had become indebted to the Zacchara family, Jason and Sonny would strike back at Anthony. Dante pleaded with Jason to let the police handle the situation. Lulu defended her father as Tracy made plans to sell the Haunted Star. Tracy admitted she was remorseful for having enabled Luke's alcoholism. Lulu said that it was no wonder Luke had left town, since everyone who loved him did nothing but judge him. Lulu added that their family had made Luke feel guiltier than he'd already felt for killing Jake. Tracy explained that she'd kept the Haunted Star in her name to keep Luke in Port Charles. She didn't want to see Lulu engage in the same codependent behavior. Lulu protested, saying that her plan was to reinvigorate the casino and turn it into a business Luke would be proud of. Tracy retorted that Luke would never return, and Lulu disagreed. Luke would want to return once the business turned around, Lulu proposed. Lulu accused Tracy of trying to push Luke out of their lives and told her to stop spouting twelve-step propaganda. It had worked for Lucky, Lulu argued, but it had only pushed Luke away. Tracy retorted that Luke was an alcoholic, even though he refused to admit it. Lulu worried that her family was going to fall apart. Tracy met Dante at Kelly's, and they discussed Lulu's state of mind. Dante had suggested to Lulu that she go to an Al-Anon meeting to hear stories from other people who had an alcoholic family member, but she'd refused. He explained that Lulu didn't fully believe her father was an alcoholic and that she regretted having taken part in the intervention. Tracy was sorry that she'd enabled Luke for so long. She'd seen, first-hand, what addiction could do to a family, mentioning the struggles that her brother Alan and her nephew AJ had gone through. To Dante's surprise, she let Dante know that she was putting the Haunted Star up for sale. Dante balked, stating that Lulu had quit Crimson to revamp the casino. Tracy assured Dante that Luke was not returning. Tracy only hoped that Lulu would some day forgive her. Lulu had Nikolas stop by to review her business plan for the casino. She assured him that he'd see a return on his investment. Nik asked how Luke would fit into the plan, and Lulu said he'd run it with her upon his return. Nikolas worried that Lulu's lack of experience running a business, particularly in the gaming industry, might hinder her ability to make the Haunted Star a success. Lulu told him that Ethan had grown up in a casino and would be an asset, but Nikolas didn't feel that inspired any confidence. Lulu assumed Nik wasn't interested in her proposition, but he argued otherwise. "If I'm going to make an investment, I'd rather make it in you than in Luke," he said. Lulu convinced him that she wanted to prove that she could handle more than answering Kate Howard's phone calls. Nikolas agreed to give Lulu the money. He warned her, however, that she might end up very disappointed if she expected a successful business to put her family back together. Dante returned to the casino and was greeted by an ecstatic Lulu, who told him Nik had given her the money to buy the Haunted Star from Tracy. Dante found it difficult to get excited over Lulu's decision. 6/6 On the Haunted Star, Dante told Lulu that he thought it was a bad idea to but the boat. Dante worried that Lulu was making an impulsive decision. He said that with all the recent upsets in her life that it might not be the best time to make a life-altering decision. Dante said that if she bought Haunted Star he wanted her to do it for the right reasons. Lulu said the best reason was that redoing it and making it successful again was the best way to get her dad back. Lucky entered at that point and told Lulu not to count on it. Lulu was surprised to see Lucky because she thought that he had gone away to look for Luke. Lucky said that he had been working and would not look for Luke who obviously did not want to be found. Lulu blamed Lucky for Luke's disappearance. She said that Lucky had not been compassionate and that was the reason that Luke had left. Lulu said that Nikolas had given her the money and she was buying the Haunted Star so Luke would have a place to come back to. Lucky said that it was a bad idea because Lulu was completely ignoring the fact Luke was a raging alcoholic and a thriving Haunted Star was the last place he needed to be. Dante defended Lulu and said that she could deal with her grief any way she wanted to. Lucky told Dante that he was feeding Lulu's denial. Lulu thanked Dante for standing up for her and then told him that she could take care of it. After Dante left Lulu alone with Lucky, Lulu begged Lucky to put his feelings aside and do what was best for their family, which was to bring Luke home. When Lucky refused, Lulu said that Luke had left because of Lucky. She said that Luke loved Lucky more than he loved his other children. Lulu said that Luke left because he had ruined his golden boy's golden life. Lucky said that Luke left because he could not face his addiction. Lulu said it was not about rehab. It was about Luke doing what was best for Lucky. Lucky said that was not true. Lulu said that if Luke loved her half as much as he loved Lucky she would go get him and bring him home. Lulu said that Lucky had to go find Luke and bring him home while she redecorated and reinvigorated the Haunted Star. Lulu told Lucky that she was really sorry about Jake death, but did not excuse Lucky and mean that Lucky could dump his alcoholism on Luke and drive Luke away from the rest of them. Lucky said that he did not intend to drive Luke away. He said that he wanted to save Luke from the out of control drinking that was slowly killing him. Lulu said that Luke's drinking was not out of control until after Jake's death when Lucky accused Luke of being an alcoholic. Lulu said that Luke was trying to punish himself by making Lucky's accusation a self-fulfilling prophecy. Lucky said that it was not about him and that the whole family had been on board for the intervention. Lucky said that Luke had a disease. Lulu threw up her hands in disgust. She screamed at Lucky that he was the one with the disease, not Luke. She told Lucky that his obsession had taken Luke away from all of them. She said that Lucky had driven Luke away. She told Lucky that she did not want to hear what he had to say. As Lucky stood and watched, Lulu walked over to the bar and poured and downed a double shot of scotch. When Lucky walked away without speaking, Lulu poured and downed another double shot. Dante went to Jason to tell him that Luke had bailed on rehab. Dante asked Jason to go to Lucky and urge him to reconcile with Luke. Jason asked if Dante wanted him to tell Lucky that the accident with Jake was not Luke's fault. Dante told Jason that he needed to put aside his grief and do what was best for Lucky's family. Jason said that it was Luke's fault and he would not say that alcohol did not play a part in Jake's death. Dante said that Jason was saying that Luke's arrogance had killed Jake, but Jason failed to realize that he was too arrogant to leave the business and set a better example for Michael. Dante asked Jason how that made him any better than Luke. Dante went back to the Haunted Star and found a drunk Lulu bemoaning the fact that she had accused Lucky of being in an AA cult and driving him away. When Lulu feared that she had lost her brother, Dante comforted her and said to give Lucky a couple of days to get over it. He told her that she would feel better on the morrow. Lulu reached for the bottle and poured two drinks. She asked Dante to join her for a drink and toast the Spencers. She said they were fun while they lasted and how she wished that they would rest in peace. Dante said he would have a drink with her but would not toast the demise of her family. Instead he would toast their relationship and the fact that he would stand by her through anything. They clinked glasses and drank. Lulu was a little wobbly as Lulu took Dante's hand and he led her to the dance floor. Dante held Lulu close and tenderly began a slow dance with her. 6/7 On the Haunted Star, Dante and Lulu ripped off each other's clothes and then made love. Afterwards, Dante admitted that it had been "transcendental." Lulu agreed. Dante was relieved that no one had walked in on them. Lulu chuckled as she reminded him that she would soon own the casino. She then confessed that their lovemaking had made her forget all of her problems for the first time. Dante offered to be available any time that she needed his help to escape from her troubles. Lulu apologized for being "all over the place" in recent weeks. Dante smiled as he assured her that he didn't mind as long as she continued to apologize in the same way. Lulu and Dante showed up at Lucky’s apartment. Lulu explained that she wanted to apologize for blaming Lucky for Luke leaving town. Lulu also regretted drinking in front of Lucky because she realized that it had been low of her. Lulu conceded that she had no right to judge Lucky because Lucky loved Luke. Lucky admitted that Lulu had been right; he had driven Luke away, so Lucky was determined to make things right by finding their father. Lulu was thrilled especially when Lucky revealed that he had a good idea where Luke might be. Lulu sobered as she insisted that she didn't want Lucky to seek their father out simply because she had goaded him into it. Lucky assured her that she hadn't, but he admitted that she had been wrong about one thing: Luke didn't love Lucky more than he loved Lulu. Lucky was determined to put Lulu's heart and needs ahead of his own, which meant that he had to get Luke to return home. Lucky promised that he would not shut their father out if Luke didn't stop drinking. Lulu was relieved, but Lucky warned her that Luke might not be receptive. Lulu was confident that Lucky would say exactly what Luke needed to hear. In the background, Dante watched Lulu with concern etched on his face. Lulu was in an upbeat mood when she and Dante returned to the casino. Dante was reluctant to be the "doom and gloom guy," but he reminded Lulu that finding Luke wasn't the same as getting Luke to return home. Lulu was certain that when Lucky gave up on the "whole alcoholism thing," and assured Luke that they would accept Luke, then Luke would agree to return to Port Charles. Dante decided to change the subject by reminding her that they were supposed to have gone back to his place. Lulu explained that she just needed to order some liquor for the casino. Dante thought that Lulu was being a bit optimistic, but Lulu was determined to get the casino up and running within the week, so that Luke would have something to look forward to. Lulu was confident that Luke would be happy that she had saved the casino for him. Dante watched Lulu with a sense of uneasiness as she blissfully typed away on the laptop. 6/10 Lulu showed up at Crimson as Maxie handled a disaster created by her new assistant, Inga. She thought that Lulu had returned to work, but Lulu said she was there to pick up her final paycheck. Maxie was very blunt when she told Lulu that Luke would not be returning and that it would be better if he did not. Lulu was livid, but Maxie pointed out that not only would Port Charles be a torturous reminder of Jake's death, but also that Jason would probably kill Luke. Lulu was sure that Jason would not hurt Luke. Lulu said that several people had driven down that road and any one of them could have hit Jake. Lulu agonized as she told Maxie that Jake's death and Luke's self-destruction were destroying her family. Maxie asked Lulu why, under those circumstances, she wanted Luke to return home. Dante went to see Jason about a warehouse fire. Jason told him to see Diane. Dante begged Jason to quit his illegal activities and let the police handle the problem. Jason said, "Before or after Anthony burns the city down." Dante tried to get Jason to back away, but Jason would not agree. Dante asked Jason to think about Michael and not put him in the middle of his fight with the Zaccharas. Jason said that Michael understood what was at stake. As he left Jason alone, Dante was disgusted and said that he hoped Michael did not get hurt. Dante responded to a call from Maxie. When he arrived at Crimson, she berated him for not getting Lulu to be reasonable about the Haunted Star and Luke's return. Dante said that Lulu was her own person, and he would be there to support her. Dante said it was not his place to tell either Luke or Lulu how to live their lives. Maxie said it was a crock. She said that Lulu was circling the drain and it was time to get creative. Maxie pulled out first-class tickets for a fancy, pampered, two-week stay in France. She said that she had planned to go with Matt, but believed that Lulu needed it more than she did. Dante was ecstatic. Maxie said that there was one catch: Dante had to convince Lulu to work at Crimson again. Lulu went to Jason and told him that Lucky had gone to locate Luke and urge him to return. She asked Jason to stay away from Luke and said that hurting Luke would not resurrect Jake or change what had happened. Jason said that he would not forgive Luke. Lulu said that she was not asking Jason to forgive Luke, just not to kill Luke. Jason said that he did not intend to kill Luke. Jason said that he wanted Luke to suffer. Jason said that he wanted Luke to wake up and grieve every day, just like Jason did. Dante tried to talk Lulu into taking the trip to France with him, but she insisted that she had to stay in Port Charles so that she could spend time with Luke when he returned home with Lucky. 6/14 Lulu was out jogging when she spotted Lucky standing on the porch of their mother's house. She stopped to find out where Luke was. Lucky was curious what Lulu knew about their grandfather, Tim Spencer. Lulu knew very little, so Lucky told her about Tim's drinking and the abusive environment that Luke and Bobbie had been raised in. Lulu insisted that Luke was nothing like Tim, but Lucky disagreed. Lucky confessed that he had seen a side of Luke that he had never seen before. Lulu demanded to know where Luke was, so Lucky revealed that Luke was living in a "whorehouse" in Jacksonville, Florida, where Luke and Bobbie had lived with their Aunt Ruby. Lucky explained that it was the only home that Luke had ever known, but Lulu disagreed. Lucky told Lulu that the Spencer house had never been Luke's home. Lulu was rattled when Lucky confided that being in the whorehouse had been difficult for him because Lucky had imagined what it would have been like if he and Lulu had been in Luke and Bobbie's place. Lucky realized that the "whole mess" had driven Luke straight to the brothel. Later, Lulu was standing on the pier when Dante approached her. He immediately sensed that something was wrong, so Lulu revealed that Luke would not be returning. "I'm sorry," Dante replied, but Lulu realized that he hadn't been surprised. Dante confessed that he couldn't blame Luke for not wanting to return to Port Charles after what had happened. "This is different," Lulu explained. She was certain that Luke was resigned not to be their father anymore. Lulu regretted being a part of the intervention because they had poured salt on Luke's wounds when Luke had already been feeling horrible for killing Jake. Lulu believed that they should have gone with her first instinct to accept Luke for who he was. She was certain that Luke would never have shut them out if they had. Dante suggested that Lulu get her mind off of her family troubles by attending Michael's graduation ceremony with him. Lulu decided that it would be best to go the Haunted Star to meet Ethan because she didn't want to spoil anyone's fun. Dante assured Lulu that Luke loved her, but Lulu didn't think that her father loved her enough to return. Lulu entered the casino to find Lucky and Ethan together. She immediately realized that Ethan knew about their father. Ethan was certain that Luke would bounce back, but Lucky revealed that Luke had never wanted the responsibility of children, so Luke wasn't interested in continuing his relationship with Lucky, Lulu, and Ethan. Lulu and Ethan were shocked when Lucky admitted that Luke had told him that killing Jake had been liberating because it had freed Luke from being a father. Lucky suggested that the sooner that Lulu and Ethan accepted that, the better. Later, Lulu and Ethan found Lucky standing on the porch of the Spencer house. Ethan was curious what Lucky was doing there, so Lucky explained that he was seeing the house through Luke's eyes. According to Lucky, it was suffocating, but Lulu argued that the house wasn't that bad. Lucky reminded her that their parents' marriage had fallen apart, as had Lucky's marriage to Elizabeth, while they had lived in the house. Lucky confided that Luke had always wanted to see the place "torched." 6/15 Dante arrived at Kristina and Michael’s high school graduation ceremony. Mayor Floyd began his speech about the graduating class. Kristina and Michael were stunned when they heard a speaker thank Melinda Bauer for the generous endowment of an athletic scholarship, to be awarded to a student, in memory of her late son, Kiefer Bauer. Bryce, one of Kristina and Michael's classmates, decided to give Kristina a hard time by suggesting that it had been nice of Mrs. Bauer to give someone a scholarship; however Bryce was certain that Mrs. Bauer would have preferred to spend the money on Kiefer, if Kristina hadn't gotten Kiefer killed. Michael warned Bryce to back off, but Bryce forged ahead by accusing "some loser" of beating up Kristina. Kristina denied that Ethan had hurt her, so Bryce was curious why she had accused Ethan of the attack. Kristina admitted that she had tried to protect Kiefer, but Bryce didn't believe her because Kiefer had ended up dead. Bryce insisted that all of Kiefer's friends had warned Kiefer that he could have done better than dating someone like Kristina. Michael argued that Kiefer had been an abusive pig, but Bryce insisted that Kristina had deserved it if Kiefer had hit her. Michael was livid, so he took a swing at Bryce. The speech ended abruptly when Bryce went sailing past the podium. Seconds later, Michael appeared to take another swing at Bryce, but froze when he realized that everyone was watching him in shocked silence. Later, Dante stopped by Abby's apartment in the hopes that Michael had gone there after the debacle at the graduation ceremony. Abby explained that she hadn't heard from Michael, but she was worried about him. She insisted that Michael wouldn't have punched someone unless Michael had been provoked. Abby admitted that it scared her how Michael was drawn to the mob. Dante confessed that it worried him too. Abby imagined that it was difficult for Dante to know that Michael wanted to join Sonny's organization. Dante admitted that it was challenging, but he was determined to keep Michael on the right side of the law. Abby thought that it was a "lost cause," but she wished Dante luck. Dante confided that he gave Michael credit for becoming involved with Abby. Abby immediately tensed because she thought that Dante was alluding to her days as a stripper. Dante quickly clarified that he meant that Michael's family, himself included, had been terrible role models for relationships because they all fought like "cats and dogs." Abby quickly relaxed. Moments later, Michael knocked on the door. Abby was overjoyed as she greeted Michael was a fierce hug and then admitted that she had been worried about him. Michael spotted Dante in the living room, so he suspected that Dante was there because Bryce wanted to press charges. Dante explained that he had stopped by to give Michael his graduation present. Michael took the envelope that Dante had extended and then read the letter inside. Michael was stunned to learn that he had completed his parole. Dante insisted that Michael had done it by turning his life around. After Dante left, Abby and Michael discussed where Michael would live. Michael was delighted when Abby invited him to move in with her. He promised to pay half the rent with the money he earned working at the coffee warehouse. Dante stopped by Carly's house to tell her that Michael was driving him crazy. Dante was frustrated because Michael was camped out on his sofa, which had put a crimp in Dante and Lulu's love life. Dante wanted Carly to take responsibility for her son. Carly was livid. "Are you kidding me?" she asked angrily. "Actually, I am kidding you," Dante replied. Carly was shocked when Dante revealed that Michael's parole was over. Carly realized that Dante had talked to Judge Carroll because Michael's parole had been scheduled to end in August. Dante insisted that Michael's accomplishments had persuaded the judge to give Michael time off for good behavior. Carly's eyes filled with tears as she thanked Dante for talking to the judge on Michael's behalf. Dante assured her that Michael had earned it. 6/16 At the Spencer house, Lulu explained that she had been patrolling her mother's house because Lucky seemed to have a "weird fixation" on it. Dante was curious what that meant, so she revealed that Lucky had started talking about the house in the same way that Luke had. According to Lulu, Luke had always wanted to see the place burned to the ground. Dante wondered if Lulu suspected that Lucky might do something. Lulu realized that she didn't have any room to judge anyone because of her own erratic behavior. Dante was curious if she were referring to her refusal to take advantage of Maxie's generous offer to send them to Paris. Lulu nodded and then acknowledged that her decision to quit her job and to ask Nikolas for money to buy the Haunted Star were other examples. Lulu realized that Lucky was in pain, but she insisted that they had all had a hand in Luke's decision to leave town. Dante thought that guilt was a way to take control of a situation. Lulu argued that Luke, not Lucky, hated the Spencer house, so she couldn't understand why Lucky was trying to rewrite history. Dante suspected that it was easier for Lucky to blame the house than to blame Luke for giving up. Maxie met Dante on the pier to tell him that she was concerned that Lucky was about to "implode" because Lucky had been "talking strange." Dante suggested that Lucky might have been venting, but Maxie was certain that it was more than that. Dante wondered if Maxie had spoken to Siobhan about it. According to Maxie, Siobhan only looked out for herself because Lucky tended to gravitate towards women who were extremely selfish, Maxie included. Maxie insisted that Siobhan realized that Lucky was headed down a bad road, so Dante suggested that they try to guide Lucky down the right one. Maxie was curious when Dante had turned into the "world's most positive policeman." Dante admitted that he had faith in Lucky, but Maxie argued that Lucky's faith had been shattered because Luke had pulled the rug out from under Lucky. Maxie suspected that Dante knew what that was like because of his experience with Sonny and Olivia. Dante admitted that she had a point. Maxie confessed that she knew what it was like to be abandoned by her parents, so she feared that Lucky might relapse. Dante realized that she might be right. At the Spencer house, Lucky slowly made his way to the porch as he opened and closed his father's lighter. Eventually, Lucky poured gasoline all around the house, and on the porch, before setting the house ablaze. Moments later, Dante arrived on the scene and then demanded to know what had happened. Lucky casually explained that he had set fire to the house as a farewell present to Luke. Dante tried to hustle Lucky away from the house before anyone saw them, but Lucky wanted to watch the house burn to the ground. Dante was forced to drag Lucky to the car and then pushed Lucky into the front passenger seat. Lucky argued that setting fire to the house hadn't been a big deal because it was abandoned. Dante reminded Lucky that it was considered arson and that Lucky could lose his badge. Dante then called the authorities to report the fire, unaware that Siobhan had approached the house in stunned disbelief. Siobhan feared the worst when she called out Lucky's name, but didn't hear a response. Certain that Lucky was inside the house, Siobhan raced into the house to find her husband. At the car, Lucky was shocked when he heard a woman scream. "Did you hear that?" Lucky asked Dante. 6/17 Dante phoned in the fire. Lucky did not seem like himself. He wanted to watch the fire and told Dante that Luke would be proud. Dante asked if Lucky cared about losing his badge. Both men rushed back to the blaze when they heard Siobhan scream. Lucky carried an unconscious Siobhan out of the house. Dante drove to GH, where Siobhan was stabilized for surgery and Matt prepared to operate. Dante got a call from Mac, who berated Dante for leaving the scene of the fire. He ordered Dante back to the Spencer house and insinuated that Dante was covering up for someone. At the scene of the fire, Mac accused Dante of covering up for Luke. Dante was relieved that Mac did not suspect Lucky. When Mac asked if Dante had seen Luke, Dante was sincere when he said he had not. Mac was on a tirade about what a menace Luke Spencer was when Lucky called to report that Lisa had taken hostages. Mac and Dante rushed to GH. Jason was the first to arrive at GH. He pounded on the door, but the guard ignored him. Ronnie rushed up, drew his gun and accused Jason of causing the lockdown. Mac and Dante arrived on Ronnie's heels and said Lisa had taken hostages. Jason said that he had heard shots while on the phone with Sam. Lisa pointed a gun at Spinelli and called him a moron. Gently, Spinelli begged her to put the gun down. He told her that the authorities would take her illness into consideration. Spinelli told her that he understood romantic disappointment. Spinelli said that revenge did not alleviate the pain. Lisa called Spinelli a pathetic loser. Maxie told Lisa that she could not talk to Spinelli like that. Maxie said that Lisa was the one who was pathetic. Maxie said that Lisa was a once-gifted surgeon who had become a certified whack job. Maxie said that Lisa was just a jilted one-night stand with a gun in her hand. Lisa said that she'd had enough of Maxie. As she aimed and fired at Maxie, Spinelli jumped in front of Maxie and took the bullet. 6/20 As Patrick, Robin, and Steve tried to save Spinelli, Lisa told Maxie that it was her fault. Lisa told the doctors to get away from Spinelli. Lisa said that the next time anyone disobeyed her orders, she would shoot Spinelli in the head. At the nurses' station, Lucky was on the phone with Mac, Ronnie, Jason, and Dante, who were gathered outside the front doors of the hospital. Lucky told them that Spinelli had entered the conference room and had been shot. Lucky said he had booted up the program that would override the lockdown, but he did not know the code. Dante spotted a helicopter and said that he and Jason would use it to get to the roof and inside the building from there. Ronnie objected because Jason was a mobster. Dante told Ronnie that saving people's live was more important than Ronnie's grudge. Lisa continued her cross-examination of Patrick. She asked if Robin was boring. When Patrick said, "No," Lisa said that the smart decision was to pacify the woman with the gun. Lisa finished with Patrick and then turned her attention to Steve. Lisa asked Steve if he thought that she was competent. Steve told Lisa that he thought that she was a brilliant surgeon. He said that he had made every effort to give Lisa the benefit of the doubt. Lisa said that his reason for keeping her at GH was that Steve had slept with Lisa and feared a sexual harassment lawsuit. Steve told Lisa that she was a gifted doctor. Steve said it was a shame that Lisa's career was over because of an obsession. Lisa told Steve that he did not get to judge her. Jason and Dante made it to the roof. Dante told Jason that he frequently told Jason to set a good example for Michael, but Michael was not there. Dante said that if Jason got a good shot at Lisa, Jason should take it. Dante shot the lock off the roof door, and they were able to gain access to GH. Down below, Ronnie complained to Mac about Jason partnering with Dante. Ronnie said that he thought that Mac had given orders that they were not to cooperate with the mob. Mac said that he made the rules, so he could ignore the rules. Mac said he would personally pin a medal on Jason if Jason succeeded in keeping whacko Lisa from hurting his family. Jason and Dante made their way to Lucky, who was still pondering the codes that Steve might have used on the lockout system. Jason suggested Jake's birthday. When Lucky tried it, the lockdown ended. Ronnie was all for sending in the S.W.A.T. team, but Mac said that they had to think of the hostages. Jason also wanted to charge in, but Dante insisted that they try negotiating first. Mac told Ronnie to evacuate the patients. Mac wondered how Lisa had gotten a gun and where she had been staying since her escape from custody. Elizabeth found Lucky with Dante and Jason. She told Lucky that Siobhan was out of surgery, but still unconscious. Dante told Lucky to go see Siobhan. Spinelli started choking on his own blood. Robin said that she would say anything Lisa wanted her to say if Lisa would let Spinelli get help. Lisa said that the trial would continue whether or not the witnesses were breathing. The phone rang. Lisa told Maxie to pick it up. Maxie did as she was told. As soon as she heard Dante's voice, she told him the situation with Spinelli. Dante asked what Lisa wanted. Lisa said that she would not make a deal. Lisa said that she had what she wanted because she was having her day in court. Lisa made Maxie hang up the phone. Lisa said that if there were any more interruptions, someone would die. Outside, Jason told Dante that they had tried it Dante's way, and now they would do it Jason's way. Lisa said that the court had reached a verdict. Lisa said that she found all of them guilty of scapegoating her and the penalty was death! At that moment, Jason and Dante burst through the door. Lisa shot Patrick in the arm and grabbed Robin as a shield. When Lisa said she would shoot Robin, Jason said Lisa would be dead before she could fire. Lisa pushed Robin aside and fled to the hall. Dante followed, tackled Lisa, and knocked her out. Steve said that Spinelli had to get to OR immediately. Jason and Dante hovered over Spinelli as Matt and Steve wheeled Spinelli's gurney to the OR. 6/21 Spinelli was rushed into surgery. Maxie was in tears when Dante found her on the rooftop. She blamed herself for Spinelli getting shot, but Dante argued that Lisa had been unstable. Dante was curious what had transpired in the conference room, so Maxie told him about Lisa's "trial." Maxie admitted that she had provoked Lisa by yelling at her, so Lisa had decided to shoot Maxie. However, Spinelli had jumped into the path of the bullet at the last second, in an effort to save Maxie. Maxie told Dante about the moments following the shooting, when Lisa had refused to allow anyone to help Spinelli. Dante confessed that he had been furious with Spinelli trying to rescue the hostages because the police could have used Spinelli's expertise to access the computer code, which would have lifted the lockdown. Dante realized that Maxie would have died if Spinelli hadn't been there. Maxie confided that the entire time that she and Spinelli had been a couple, she had worried that Spinelli would get hurt, or worse, because he had been determined to prove to her that he was a man of action. She confessed that after the breakup, she had been comforted by the knowledge that Spinelli would be safe because he no longer had a reason to prove himself to her. However, she In the conference room, Lisa held a syringe, filled with drain cleaner, to Robin's neck. Lisa ordered Patrick to convince her not to kill his wife. Patrick doubted that Lisa wanted to kill Robin because he believed that Lisa would have done it already. Patrick suspected that Lisa simply wanted Patrick's attention, good or bad. He insisted that Lisa mattered to him, so he promised to help her if Lisa put down the syringe. All the while, Patrick moved closer to Lisa until he was within reach of her. Lisa was startled when Patrick suddenly lunged for the syringe to yank it out of her grasp. Robin managed to break free during the struggle, but Lisa refused to relinquish the syringe. Eventually, Patrick managed to gain the upper hand, but not before Lisa injected herself with the deadly chemical. Within seconds, Lisa collapsed as the drain cleaner entered her bloodstream. Mac asked Dante to go to the police station to write up a detailed report about Lisa's capture. However, Mac cautioned Dante to minimize Jason's role in everything because Mac didn't want to have to listen to Mayor Floyd complain. 6/22 At the Spencer house, Ronnie suspected that Dante knew more about the fire than Dante claimed. Moments later, Lulu walked up. "Oh, my God," Lulu said as she looked at the burned-out shell of the home that she had grown up in. Dante promised that he had done all that he could to save the house, but it hadn't been enough. Lulu admitted that perhaps it had been for the best that the house had been destroyed. Ronnie wondered why Lulu felt that way and then asked if there had been a big insurance policy on the house. Dante ordered Ronnie to knock it off. Ronnie decided to talk to the fire chief, but he instructed Lulu not to leave. After Ronnie walked away, Lulu admitted that she was certain that Lucky had torched the house. Dante suggested that Lulu discuss it with Lucky. Lulu confessed that she had wonderful memories of living in the house with her grandmother, Lesley. According to Lulu, Lucky did, too, but he had been determined to destroy all of that. Lulu was curious where Lucky was, so Dante told her about Siobhan. Lulu was stunned, so she quickly left. Moments later, Ronnie returned. Ronnie revealed that the fire had been a result of arson and that Lucky was the prime suspect. Ronnie didn't expect Dante to give Lucky up, but he warned Dante not to risk his badge to protect Lucky. At the Haunted Star, Tracy was working on some paperwork when Lulu entered. Lulu spotted the bottle of scotch on the bar. Tracy doubted that it belonged to Luke, even though it was Luke's favorite brand. Lulu suspected that Lucky had pulled the bottle off of the shelf because Siobhan had been injured in the fire on Charles Street. Tracy admitted that she had hoped that Luke had returned when she had heard about the fire. Lulu confessed that she feared that Lucky had relapsed because she had sent Lucky to find Luke, which had set Lucky up for Luke to unload on him. Tracy thought that it was tragic if Lucky had started to drink, but she insisted that it wasn't Lulu's responsibility to save Lucky. Tracy reminded Lulu that Lulu had turned herself inside out trying to help everyone. Lulu claimed that she was fine, but Tracy didn't believe her. According to Tracy, Luke and Lucky were wrapped up in their own dysfunction. Lulu didn't want to hear any criticism about her father and brother because she loved them. Tracy immediately backed down, but insisted that she loved Lulu, so she would be available if Lulu needed to talk. Later, Dante entered the casino and found a note on the bar. Tracy walked in moments later, looking for Lulu. Dante revealed that they had missed her; Lulu had gone looking for Luke. Dante decided to find Lulu, but Tracy warned him that Lulu would have told him where she was headed if she had wanted Dante to know. Dante didn't care, so Tracy warned him that Lulu was on a wild goose chase that would end in disaster. On a plane, Lulu looked at a map of Jacksonville, Florida, and then called Lucky. Lulu reached his voicemail, so she explained that she was going to be out of town for a few days. She realized that the timing was bad, but she promised that things would be better when she returned. 6/24 Lulu found the bordello where Luke had been staying. She approached Lupe and tried to get information about Luke. Lulu pretended that she had a job for Luke. Lupe was unconvinced, especially when Lulu seemed shocked to see a young girl lead a customer up the stairs. When Lupe asked why Lulu was staring, Lulu fretted that the girl looked like a high school kid. Lupe said that they had not asked for ID when the girl had been hired. Lupe told Lulu to leave, but Lulu persisted and wanted to see the owner. Lupe said Javier was a dangerous man, and Lulu should stop asking questions. When Lupe sensed that Lulu had a personal reason to find Luke, she demanded to know what it was. Lulu lied and said the real reason she was there was because her boyfriend had been on a job with Luke and had not returned from it. Lupe told Lulu that her man was gone and to go away. Lulu would not leave and wanted to know where Luke was hiding. Javier intervened because Lulu was making a scene. Javier wanted to know what business Lulu had with Luke. Dante met Tracy at Kelly's to tell her that Lulu had gone searching for Luke and to find out if Tracy knew where Lulu had gone. Tracy said that she had tried to help Lulu, but Lulu had refused to see Luke realistically. Tracy told Dante that it would be better for Lulu to confront Luke and let Luke tell her that he no longer wanted to have a relationship with his family. Dante wanted to support Lulu but Tracy told him to stay out of it and let Lulu find out the truth on her own. Dante went to Sonny's to ask about Luke. Sonny thought that Dante was there about Michael and rushed to explain that Michael's job was strictly legitimate. Dante said that it was good that Michael was working for Sonny because Johnny was circling around. Dante asked if Sonny knew where Luke had gone because Lulu had gone after him. Sonny said that Luke had probably gone back to Florida to the whorehouse where he had grown up. Sonny said that he doubted that Luke would return and that it was best if Luke stayed gone. Dante said that Luke had a drinking problem and was causing his family a lot of pain. Sonny said that Dante could not understand Luke's pain unless he walked a mile in Luke's shoes. Dante could not understand why Luke would leave his family to hide out in a whorehouse. Sonny said that Dante would find it difficult to understand because he had grown up in a large, loving supportive family, which was the opposite of what Sonny and Luke had known. Luke and Sonny had grown up with abusive fathers who had slapped them around and had made them feel like dirt. Even though they had climbed out of the gutter, both felt that they had gotten lucky, and no matter how successful they were, they knew deep down that the gutter was waiting for them to fall. Sonny said that Luke was not in his right mind, so Luke had gone back to a place where he fit in, and the bordello in Florida was where Luke felt he fit. Sonny added that it was not a place where Lulu should be poking around. 6/27 Sonny and Dante continued their conversation about Luke. Sonny said that being in a bordello was less dangerous for Lulu than finding Luke. Sonny explained that when someone like him or Luke was overwhelmed with pain, they thought they were doing their kids a favor by leaving them. Sonny said that because they had been abused as children, they felt powerless. Sonny said that they had two choices. They could become victims or they could get up off the floor and become a person that others respected. When Dante wanted to know why power was so important, Sonny said that he could never again be that powerless little boy who had been locked in a closet. Dante said that it did not explain Luke. Sonny said it did. Sonny said that Luke had possessed everything until he hit a four-year old boy who was his son's kid. Sonny said that for Luke, that was "game over." He said that Luke had to go to someplace that defined him, and that was why he had gone to the whorehouse. At the Florida bordello, Lulu told Javier that she was not there to cause trouble. Javier told Lulu to leave before someone took a liking to her. Lulu said that she would leave after finding Luke. When Javier tried to find out more, Lulu said that she was looking for her boyfriend, Dominic, who had worked with Luke and was missing. Javier accused her of being a liar. He asked Lulu why she was nervous. Lulu told Javier that he was creeping her out. Lupe joined them and supported Lulu's story about Dominic working for Luke. Javier told Lulu that he might answer her questions if she proved useful. Javier told Lulu to meet him upstairs in half an hour or to leave and never return. After Javier left, Lulu asked Lupe why she had covered. Lupe said that Luke was good to her. She told Lulu that Luke was a decent guy whose mind was clouded by booze. Lupe said that Luke had been through something awful. Lupe encouraged Lulu to leave. Lulu said she would as soon as she had a face-to-face with Luke. Lupe said that Lulu had learned all she could. Lupe said that what Javier wanted from Lulu upstairs was nothing that Lulu wanted to experience. Dante went to the Florida bordello and met Lupe. He said he was new in town. He tried to get information about Luke and Lulu, but Lupe stuck to business. When Dante said he would pay, Lupe held out a hand and invited Dante to her room. Lulu knocked on Javier's door and entered. Lulu wanted to know where to find Luke. Javier said he would tell her if she proved useful. Javier welcomed Lulu to her audition and told Lulu that he looked forward to being impressed. 6/28 In a private room at the brothel, Lulu ordered Javier to tell her where Luke was, but Javier wanted Lulu to show him what she could do. Lulu clarified that she wasn't a hooker, so she refused to sleep with him. Javier was curious why Lulu had assumed that he was interested in having sex with her. He explained that he needed a cocktail waitress. Lulu wasn't interested in working for Javier, so she once again demanded to know where Luke was. Javier explained that Luke drifted in and out of the brothel, but he conceded that he and Luke were working on a lucrative deal. Javier assured Lulu that she was welcome to wait for Luke to return, but Javier expected Lulu to make it worth his while. Lulu informed Javier that she could wait elsewhere while someone kept an eye on the place for her. Javier chuckled as he admitted that he was glad that she had friends whom she could trust. He threatened to warn Luke that someone had been asking questions if Lulu were to leave. Lulu wondered why she should trust Javier not to say anything to Luke if she agreed to take the job. Javier assured her that she was welcome to leave if she didn't like his terms. Lulu was curious about the deal that Javier and Luke were working on, but Javier was through talking. Lulu realized that she had few options, so she agreed to take the job, provided that she wouldn't be expected to sleep with any of the customers. Javier made it clear that he expected Lulu to be pleasant and to accept customers stuffing bills in her "panties" with a smile on her face. Lulu had little choice but to accept Javier's terms. Meanwhile, Lupe invited Dante upstairs to one of the rooms, but he politely declined and then explained that he simply wanted to talk. "Not another one," Lupe grumbled. However, she picked up her drink and then led him to a nearby table. Dante revealed that he had a girlfriend, whom he was committed to, so he didn't want to mess things up by sleeping with another woman. Lupe was curious why he wasn't with his girlfriend instead of trying to track down a "friend of a friend." Dante assured Lupe that he was willing to pay her for any information that she could provide, but Lupe insisted that it was too dangerous. Dante realized that she couldn't answer his questions, even if she had the information he was looking for, so he decided to seek her advice about his girlfriend. He admitted that he had been trying to reach out to his girlfriend, but she hadn't been receptive. Lupe suggested that his girlfriend was a fool if she were cheating on Dante. Dante quickly assured Lupe that infidelity wasn't the problem. According to Dante, his girlfriend was looking for something that wasn't there. Without mentioning names, Dante told Lupe about Lulu's decision to borrow money from Nikolas to fix up the Haunted Star, and Lulu's refusal to go to Paris with him. Lupe wondered how certain Dante was that his girlfriend wasn't cheating, so Dante explained that Lulu was searching for something that he feared would break her heart. Lupe glanced up to see Javier standing at the bottom of the staircase. Javier called Lupe over and then gave her some instructions. A short time later, Lupe folded Lulu's clothes as Lulu studied her reflection in the mirror. Lulu feared that no one would believe that she was just a cocktail waitress in the skimpy teddy that Lupe had lent her. Lupe assured Lulu that Javier wouldn't let anyone touch Lulu because Javier wanted Lulu for himself. Javier returned to the room. Javier seemed disappointed by the choice of teddy that Lulu wore, but he dismissed Lupe. Javier warned Lulu that she couldn't go out onto the floor until she smiled. Lulu plastered on a fake smile, which pleased Javier. Meanwhile, Dante was waiting for Lupe at the bar when she returned. Dante wondered if she'd had other customers like him, who had only been interested in talking. Lupe admitted that she had a special client who showed up a few times a year to throw around some money, and talk about his grand adventures. Dante's interest was piqued because he suspected that she had been referring to Luke. Lupe revealed that her client had been in a bad place because of family problems the last time that she had seen him. According to Lupe, the man had lost all hope. Dante was curious if the man had a name, but Lupe warned Dante that she never shared that information with anyone. Dante assured her that he understood, but he was curious what kind of adventures the man had talked about. Lupe feared that she had revealed too much already, so she refused to tell Dante anything else. Dante quickly changed the subject to ask for more relationship advice. Lupe suggested that if he had to chase after a girl who didn't appreciate what she had then he had already lost the girl. Lupe warned Dante that he couldn't take away his girlfriend's pain any more than his girlfriend could fix her family. Dante wondered what he should do, so Lupe advised him to go home. Dante was surprised because he had expected her to tell him what he had wanted to hear. Lupe confided that every time her special client had left, she had never asked where he was going or when he would return because she didn't want to hear him make promises that he couldn't keep. She admitted that she worried about the client, but the man had to find his own way, just like Dante's girlfriend had to. According to Lupe, they all had to work through their own pain. Dante promised to keep that in mind. Lupe announced that she had another customer, so Dante left. Dante was unaware that Lulu stood at the top of the staircase, watching him. 7/1 Dante picked the lock on Lulu's motel room. When Dante entered, Lulu thought he was an intruder and bashed him on the head. Lulu was dressed in a skimpy outfit and was ready to leave for her job at the bordello. She told Dante to go away. Dante observed that Lulu was obviously going undercover at a whorehouse to look for her father. Dante told Lulu that he loved her. Dante told Lulu that she could not control the situation. Lulu said that if her dad had survived his childhood in a brothel, then she could serve a few drinks. Dante asked Lulu what she would do if Luke showed up and did not want to go back to Port Charles. Lulu said that Luke was her dad, and if she wanted to live the rest of her life in a brothel with her father, she could. Lulu told Dante that she did not have time for conversation because she had to leave. Lulu threw a trench coat over her revealing pink costume and left a puzzled Dante alone. When Lulu arrived at the brothel, Lupe said that she was late. Lupe told Lulu to do herself a big favor and leave before Javier latched on to her. Javier moved in on Lulu and told her that she was late and would have to make up the time. He told her to put a smile on her face and start serving drinks. Dante arrived shortly after Lulu. He told Lupe that he wanted to spend more time with her and would pay. Javier greeted Dante and shook hands. Dante and Lupe went to a table and started talking. Lupe told Dante that Javier got nervous when strangers wanted talk instead of action. Javier found Lulu and told her to take an order from Lupe's table and find out what Dante and Lupe were talking about. Lulu pretended not to know Dante when she asked for his drink order. In a sexy voice Dante said it depended on what Lulu was offering. Dante said that he would like to pay for Lulu's time. Javier appeared at the table and wanted to know if there was a problem. Dante said that he had a thing for blondes and would pay double for Lulu 7/5 At the brothel, Dante offered to pay Javier double if Javier agreed to let Dante take Lulu to one of the rooms upstairs. Javier insisted that Lulu didn't sleep with the customers, so he offered Dante the pick of one of the other blondes. Lulu was stunned when Dante accepted. Lulu surprised everyone when she agreed to take Dante upstairs. Javier reminded Lulu that she had been hired to serve drinks, but Lulu refused to back down. In the room, Lulu was livid because she realized that Javier would expect her to sleep with customers. Dante insisted that Lulu didn't belong there. He also expressed concern about the way that Javier had looked at her. Lulu refused to leave until she had news about Luke, but Dante argued that it could be months before Luke surfaced. Dante warned her that even if Luke were to walk through the door, she might not be able to persuade Luke to return to Port Charles. Dante feared that things would end badly for Lulu. Lulu confessed that she hadn't realized, until she had worked at the brothel, just how difficult Luke's childhood had been. She finally understood what her father had been carrying around all of his life, so she refused to leave until she talked to Luke. Lulu wanted Luke to know how much she loved him, but Dante argued that Luke already knew that. Dante suspected that Lulu was trying to punish herself for failing to save Luke. Dante reminded her that it hadn't been her job. Lulu claimed that she knew that, but she needed her father. Dante warned Lulu that Luke could be gone for years. He was curious if she were willing to destroy herself to prove how much she loved Luke. Dante begged her to leave with him, but Lulu insisted that she felt as if something were about to break. Dante reminded her that he had to return to his job in Port Charles, so he pleaded with her to promise him that she would go home with him at the end of her shift if she hadn't received any new information about Luke. Lulu reluctantly agreed. In the parlor, Javier questioned Lupe about Dante. Lupe admitted that she and Dante had simply talked and that all she knew was that Dante liked blondes. Moments later, Javier received a phone call from Luke. Lupe listened as Javier made arrangements to meet Luke. After Javier ended the call, Dante and Lulu returned to the parlor. Javier grumbled that Dante had gone over the allotted time, so Dante had to pay extra. Dante handed over the money and then Javier instructed Lupe to walk Dante to the door. Lulu went to fetch her purse, but Javier insisted that she stay. Lulu reminded him that her shift was over, but Javier argued that Lulu had arrived late for work, so she couldn't leave until he told her that she could. After Javier walked away, Lupe checked to see how Lulu was doing because Lupe knew that the first time could be difficult. Lulu asked Lupe to keep Javier distracted, but Lupe suggested that Lulu might want to stay. Lulu was stunned when Lupe revealed that Luke had called Javier. 7/12 In Jacksonville, Lulu was looking at some papers, and a picture of her father, when someone knocked on her door. She tucked everything away and then answered the door. It was Javier. Javier instructed Lulu to grab her things, so that he could take her to breakfast before she started her shift. Lulu wasn't interested, but Javier refused to take no for an answer. He pushed his way into her room and then gave her a choice: Lulu could have the best Huevos Rancheros that she'd ever had or Javier could warn Luke that someone was looking for him. Lulu made it clear that she wasn't interested in dating Javier, but she reluctantly agreed to leave with him. Lulu followed Javier out of the room, while Dante hid around a corner in the hallway. Later, Dante entered the bordello. Lupe welcomed Dante back, but she warned him that Javier hadn't been happy with him. Dante seemed unconcerned. Moments later, Javier called Lupe over to help him with an unruly customer. Dante seized the opportunity to talk to Lulu, who had been working at the bar. Dante revealed that he had seen her leave with Javier, but he didn't have a chance to question her about it because the obnoxious customer decided that he wanted to take Lulu to one of the rooms. Things quickly escalated when Lulu slapped the customer after he grabbed her arm. Dante quickly stepped in to throw the customer onto a table. Dante pulled out his gun and then aimed at the man's head. Javier, who had been knocked to the ground by the customer, watched as Dante tossed the unruly customer out of the bordello. After Dante tucked his gun back into his waistband, Javier commented that Dante handled himself like a professional. Dante quickly explained that he had been a bouncer. Javier easily believed the lie, so he offered Dante a job. Dante followed Javier to the bar to discuss the terms of employment while Lupe checked on Lulu. Lulu asked Lupe to convince Javier not to hire Dante. Lupe was curious why, so Lulu explained that Dante would be too distracting to have around while she was searching for Luke. Lupe reminded Lulu that Luke might return soon and then revealed that they actually needed a bouncer. Meanwhile, at the bar, Javier reminded Dante that Dante had to keep his hands off of Lulu. Dante agreed, so Javier went to check on Lulu. Lupe was startled when she saw Dante take off his jacket and then quickly tuck his police badge out of sight. 7/13 At the brothel, Javier checked Lulu's injured arm, while Lupe made her way to the bar to talk to Dante. Lupe asked Dante about working as a bouncer in the past. Dante stuck to his cover story as he answered her questions. Lupe reminded him that he had told her that he was in Jacksonville to look for a friend of a friend, so she was curious if there might be another reason he was in town. Dante glanced at Lulu as he admitted that it might be worth his while to hang around. Lupe warned Dante that the "company policy" prohibited him from touching any of the girls. At the table, Javier was curious if Lulu had a problem with Dante working at the brothel. Lulu quickly assured Javier that Dante wouldn't be a distraction. Javier worried that she might have an issue with the new bouncer because she had turned a trick with Dante. Lulu reminded Javier that she was only working there until Luke showed up. Satisfied, Javier told her to take Dante's drink order. At the bar, Dante warned Lulu that she was in over her head, so he refused to let her out of his sight. Later, Javier reviewed the rules with Dante, including his dislike for cops. Javier was pleased when Dante admitted that he felt the same way about the law. Javier offered to send more work Dante's way if everything worked out. Dante assured Javier that he was agreeable to making more money, so Javier suggested that Dante could move some "product" from Colombia. Meanwhile, Lupe warned Lulu that she had seen Dante's police badge. Lulu advised Lupe not to say anything to Javier because he might turn violent with them. Lupe seemed uneasy, so Lulu promised to take care of it. Lupe wondered what Lulu could do, so Lulu suggested that a police officer might not want anyone to know that he had slept with a prostitute while on the job. Lulu explained that she intended to use the information to force Dante to leave town. Later, Lulu and Dante returned to Lulu's hotel room. Lulu warned Dante that Lupe had seen his badge. Lulu and Dante were unaware that Javier lurked in the hallway, eavesdropping on their conversation. 7/14 Dante tried to persuade Lulu to return to Port Charles with him, but Lulu refused to leave without her father. Dante argued that it wasn't a good idea to stick around, since Lupe knew that he was a police officer. Lulu was confident that Lupe trusted her to take care of Dante. Dante warned Lulu that people like Lupe and Javier didn't trust anyone, but Lulu argued that she had no reason to believe that Lupe would turn against her. Dante was curious what Lulu expected to happen when Luke showed up. "He'll understand how much I want him to come home," Lulu answered. Dante suggested that seeing Lulu in the brothel might remind Luke of when Bobbie had turned tricks for a living. Dante questioned why Lulu thought that she would succeed where Lucky had failed. Lulu explained that the intervention hadn't been her idea, so Luke would be more receptive to her. Dante had his doubts, but Lulu insisted that Luke was the only father that she had, so she refused to leave Jacksonville without him. At the brothel, Javier angrily demanded to know where Lulu was. Lupe nervously assured him that she would arrive shortly. Javier grabbed Lupe's face and then asked her why she hadn't told him that Dante was a cop. Lupe explained that she had wanted to, but Lulu had talked her out of it. Lupe revealed that she had been afraid that they would end up in jail if Javier killed a police officer. Lupe then confessed that Lulu had promised to get rid of Dante, but Javier reminded Lupe that Lulu had been lying from the beginning. Lupe promised Javier that she had been looking out for him, but Javier informed her that he could take care of himself. Later, Lulu arrived for her shift. Javier appeared seconds later to reveal that the brothel was closed because one of his best girls had died. Javier pulled out a switchblade and then played with it menacingly as he started to tell Lulu about the tragedy. Javier quickly tucked the knife away when Dante walked in. Dante apologized for being late and then asked where everyone was. Javier admitted that he was glad that Dante had showed up for work because they had unfinished business. Javier then revealed that Lupe had died. According to Javier, Lupe had been acting like a woman with a secret because she had been drinking heavily. Javier told them that Lupe had staggered to her room where she had slipped in the shower and then broken her neck. Lulu quickly recovered from her shock to ask about the funeral arrangements. Javier barked that everything had been taken care of and then ordered Lulu to take the rest of the day off; however, he wanted Dante to remain, so that Dante could turn away visitors, and help clean up. After Javier left the room, Lulu confessed that she didn't believe Javier's story. She confided that Javier had been waving around a knife before Dante's arrival, so she was certain that Javier had been responsible for Lupe's demise. Dante told Lulu to wait for him in her room and then walked her to the door. Javier lurked nearby, watching them. Later, Lulu returned to her room and found Javier waiting for her. Javier advised Lulu not to leave her passport lying around when she was using a false identity. Lulu started to explain, but Javier cut her off. He was curious why Lulu hadn't told him that she was Luke's daughter. 7/15 At Javier's Florida bordello, Dante questioned one of the sex workers who told him that the place was temporarily closed. Dante wanted to get details about Lupe's demise. The hooker was worried about Javier and told Dante that no one who crossed Javier lived to tell about it. Dante told the woman to take a long vacation as she left the bordello, dragging her suitcase behind. Meanwhile, Javier confronted Lulu in her motel room. Javier had found Lulu's passport and realized that Lulu was Luke's daughter. Lulu begged for Javier's help to locate Luke. Javier said that he knew that Lulu had been lying from the start. He said that he had watched and waited. Javier said that the watching had been enjoyable. He wondered out loud how a wreck of a man like Luke Spencer could have a daughter like Lulu. Javier told Lulu that Luke was unreliable. He told Lulu that he would help her locate Luke if Lulu compensated Javier. When Javier said that he would tell Lulu where Luke could be found if Lulu slept with Javier, Lulu said that she was not that desperate. Javier laughed and told Lulu that if she did not show up in his office by 5:00 p.m., he would call Luke and warn him that Lulu was looking for him. After Javier left Lulu, Dante went to Lulu's motel to tell her that Javier had killed Lupe. Lulu was undaunted. Lulu said that Javier had broken into her room and found her passport. Lulu said that Javier knew that she was Luke's daughter and had promised to help her if she slept with him. Dante was against that idea. Lulu said that she would not actually sleep with Javier. Lulu was convinced that she could get Luke's whereabouts out of Javier before she was forced to have sex with him. Dante wanted to leave town immediately, but Lulu said she was staying. Lulu convinced Dante that he could arrive at the bordello early and hide in Javier's closet. Lulu told Dante that he could listen from the closet and help out if Javier became too much for Lulu to handle. Lulu promised Dante that she would give up on trying to find Luke if her plan did not work. Dante reluctantly agreed and told Lulu to be careful. When Dante arrived back at the bordello, Javier and two thugs were waiting for him. They got the drop on Dante. Javier called Dante by name and let Dante know that Javier had found out that Dante was a cop. Javier said that he was going to kill Dante and leave his body in a nearby swamp, where it would never be found. Javier said that he would let Dante live long enough to let Dante hear Javier screw Lulu. Dante struggled against his two burly captors. Dante said he would kill Javier if Javier laid a finger on Lulu. After Javier left, Dante told the thugs that they would get in big trouble if they killed a cop. When Dante started yelling for Lulu, one of the thugs hit Dante in the mouth. Upstairs, Javier followed Lulu into his office. Lulu tried to get Luke's location from Javier, but he refused to give it to her. Instead he told her to relax. Javier told Lulu that she would find her time with him very pleasurable. Lulu asked how she could know that Javier would keep his end of the bargain. Javier told Lulu that first she should please him and then he would tell Lulu everything she wanted to know. Javier moved closer to Lulu, took her by the arms and kissed her. 7/18 Lulu broke the kiss and pushed Javier away. Lulu told Javier that nothing would happen until Javier told Lulu where Luke could be found. Javier glowered and looked threatening while Lulu looked expectantly at the closet where she believed Dante was hiding to watch. When Javier showed her the empty closet and said that Dante was tied up downstairs, Lulu tried to escape, but Javier grabbed her before she could get to the door. Downstairs, Dante pretended to be unconscious, which prompted his guard to kick Dante's foot and rip off the gag. Dante started talking to the guard about the consequences of killing a cop. Upstairs, Lulu told Javier that Luke would hunt Javier down and kill him if Javier hurt Lulu. Lulu told Javier that if he stopped, Lulu would walk away and pretend that nothing had happened. Javier said that Lulu had caused too much trouble for Javier to just walk away. Lulu continued to fight against Javier, who told Lulu that he liked women who fought. Javier pulled a knife and held it against Lulu's throat. Javier pushed Lulu down on the bed and jumped on top of her. Javier held the knife to her cheek and told Lulu that they could do it nice or rough. Dante managed to convince the guard to cut Dante loose and run away before the thug was arrested and sent to prison. Dante ran to Lulu and pulled Javier off her. Dante hit Javier in the face and knocked Javier to the floor. Dante pulled a gun on Javier as he lay flat on his back, and Dante reminded Javier that Dante had said he would kill Javier if Javier touched Lulu. Javier said that he had something that Lulu wanted. When prodded, Javier said that Luke was meeting a woman. Further question revealed that Luke was doing a deal with Helena Cassadine. Lulu was shocked. Lulu was crying when Dante escorted Javier downstairs.