As John McBain and Jason prepared to deplane in New Orleans, each averred that he would be the first to reach Joe Scully, Jr. John got off to a quick start when security officials detained Jason and told him that he was on the watch list. It became obvious that McBain was responsible for putting Jason on the watch list as a way to slow Jason down when he told Jason that it would be two hours before Jason could clear security. John offered a smug, "Tough luck," as he departed the plane.

Back in Port Charles, Olivia burst into Sonny's home to give Kate a big hug and to congratulate her for avoiding jail time. Kate said that a condition of her release was that she needed to continue with therapy. Kate told Olivia that the good news was that Connie might be gone forever. Kate said that she had remembered the childhood trauma that had caused Connie to emerge. Kate went on to tell Olivia about being raped by Joe Scully, Jr., and about abandoning her baby in a boarding house.

Olivia wondered why Kate had not confided in her, but Kate said that Olivia had been pregnant herself at the time, and Kate had felt pressure from the family to be perfect, so she had dealt with her situation alone. Kate said that if she had not pushed the situation to the background, there might never have been a Connie, Starr's family would be alive, and she would have her son. Olivia said there was still a chance to reunite with her son, but Kate said that only her doctor and the parish priest knew about the child.

Kate had guilt over abandoning her child and said that she had to make amends. Sonny told Kate that nothing that had happened to her was her fault. Olivia agreed, but wanted to know what had happened to Joe, Jr. Sonny said that Joe, Jr. had been sent to Atlantic City to run a club, and Sonny had been sent to manage it and clean up Joe, Jr.'s messes. Sonny said that, at the time, he had not known that Joe, Jr., had raped Kate or what Joe, Jr., was really capable of doing.

Sonny said everything that had happened was really his fault because he had covered up for Joe, Jr., when Joe, Sr., had sent his son into hiding after Joe, Jr., murdered a girl in Atlantic City. Sonny left the women alone as he made a phone call. A vengeful Olivia said that she agreed with Sonny and if it were up to her, she would send Jason to find and deal with Joe, Jr. Olivia tried to get Kate to take time off and relax, but Kate showed Olivia the door and said that she really wanted to get to work on her magazine, Crimson.

Sonny phoned Jason and, upon learning about Jason's detention, said he should not have told McBain that Joe, Jr., was in New Orleans. Jason told Sonny that Alexis had cleared him with security, and he was free to leave the plane. Sonny told Jason that it was important for Jason to present Joe, Jr., to Sonny so that Sonny could finish the business that Joe, Jr., had started.

Kate asked Sonny whom he was talking to, but he just told her that it was business. Sonny asked about Olivia. Kate said that Olivia was very supportive, and Kate felt lucky to have Olivia as family. Kate said that she was also grateful to Sonny for standing by her when he could have turned his back. Sonny said that all he wanted was for Kate to heal. Kate mentioned that Olivia had said that she would not put it past Sonny to find Joe, Jr., and kill him. Sonny sidestepped and said that he would be there for Kate no matter how long it took for her to recover and that he would never let anyone hurt her again.

On the Haunted Star, Kristina tried to convince Trey to hang out and decompress. Trey said he wanted to focus on work and wondered why Kristina wanted to "hang out." Kristina said that Trey did not talk very much about himself, and she wanted to know more. A phone call interrupted their talk; Trey took the call. It was Trey's father, who asked after the show. Trey said it was tougher than he thought, and he was having some trouble with the supporting cast. Trey said that he did not want his father to be disappointed in him.

Trey's father said that he could never be disappointed because he loved Trey, and that was why he was bankrolling Trey's project. A bell sounded at Trey's father's shop. It was a customer walking through the door, so Trey's father said that he had to get back to work. Once off the phone, Trey told Kristina that his dad was his biggest fan. When Kristina mentioned Trey's mother, Trey barked that he did not have a mother. Kristina apologized for prying, and Trey apologized for snapping.

Trey told Kristina that his mom had dumped both his dad and himself and had taken off when Trey was an infant. He said that his mom had not wanted his dad and did not want him. Kristina said that maybe his mom did miss him but had realized it too late. When Trey asked why, Kristina said that Trey would be hard not to miss and kissed him. Trey pulled away and said that kissing was not a good idea.

Trey said that a set side romance was a distraction that could sink the show. Trey said that his dad had gone out on a financial limb for him, and Trey did not want to fail his dad. Kristina said that the show was important to her also. Trey was glad to know that they were on the same page. Kristina asked if the show was the only reason that Trey had stopped kissing her or if he would rather be kissing Starr Manning instead. Trey said that getting involved with a roommate would cause even more complications than getting involved with a coworker.

Kristina seemed mollified, but still wanted to know what might have happened if they were both successful and had met elsewhere. Kristina asked if Trey would have noticed her. Trey said that he would have fought his way through her horde of admirers to get to know her. Kristina chortled, "Good answer," as she sailed off the Haunted Star.

Michael walked Starr back to her apartment, all the while enthusing over Starr's forgiving attitude toward Kate. Starr said it was not about forgiveness because Kate was sick, and Starr could not hold a mentally ill woman responsible for her actions. Starr invited Michael in for ice cream, but was seriously unhappy to find that Trey had left the apartment a mess and had eaten all the ice cream.

Michael offered to go out for more ice cream, but Starr wanted to get some revenge first. Michael agreed. They started by cleaning the apartment and ended by throwing the clothes that Trey had left tossed around on the living room furniture out the window. They laughed while citing Trey's many faults.

Michael and Starr accidentally bumped heads. They shared a moment and almost kissed, but Starr pulled away and tried to change the subject. Michael asked if he had done anything wrong. Starr worried that a kiss would complicate their friendship and feared that she would feel guilty or disloyal to Cole if she kissed Michael and started something with him. Michael understood because he still felt the loss of Abby, even though he still felt that wanting to kiss Starr was right. Starr said that she liked Michael a lot but that she was afraid to start something that might lead to them getting hurt.

Starr said that all she could offer was friendship. Michael said that it worked for him. Then he told Starr that it was time for him to leave. As he reached the door, Michael told Starr to give Trey his best. Michael looked thoughtful as he closed the door and paused momentarily in the hall outside Starr's apartment.

Heather sat outside Kelly's, putting the finishing touches on the gossip column she had blackmailed Todd Manning into letting her write. Heather was lost in thought as she recalled the various crimes that she had successfully committed since her recent return to Port Charles. As she gloated about the as yet undiscovered kidnapping of Luke, Heather plotted ways to take vengeance on Olivia and separate her from Steve.

Heather was still scheming when Steve approached. Heather quickly shut her laptop and said that she was having trouble writing. Steve wanted to know why. Heather manipulated Steve into dragging it out of her, and she finally admitted that she could not write because someone was following her and spying on her. She quickly added that at first she had thought that it was her meds, but she had monitored them carefully, and it was not the meds.

Heather then confessed that she had confronted the person following her and that he had admitted that Heather was right. Steve was astounded when Heather said that Spinelli was following her and that Olivia was paying Spinelli to do the job. Steve defended Olivia, but Heather said that under mild questioning, Spinelli had spilled his guts and admitted that Olivia had hired him.

Moments later, when Olivia arrived at Kelly's, Steve confronted her about hiring Spinelli. Olivia admitted it, told Steve that Heather had not been truthful and that Steve was enabling Heather. Olivia said that Heather had not been where she'd said she had been during the storm. Olivia said that Spinelli had talked to an officer who had stopped Heather driving around with a male passenger, whom Heather had identified as her husband, in Olivia's car.

Heather was momentarily stunned but recovered quickly and voiced a plausible explanation for Steve. Heather said that because of her background, she had had to resort to finding a man online. Heather referred to herself as a loser and said that she was ashamed, and that was why she had not told. She said that she had met the gentleman at the Rendezvous Motel and that they were driving around when the officer stopped them. Heather pleaded embarrassment and said that she was humiliated to admit that she was not married, so she had lied.

Steve believed everything Heather said, but Olivia was not taken in. Steve took Olivia aside and asked if Olivia wanted Heather to have a setback. Steve supported and defended Heather and begged Olivia to give Heather the benefit of the doubt. When Steve returned and hugged Heather, Heather smirked as Olivia walked away and returned to work.

Trey's father recommended an antique to a customer, who turned out to be John McBain. John pulled the blinds, locked the door, pointed his gun, and called Trey's father, "Joe." Joe told McBain to take what he wanted, but McBain said he was there for Joe, the family screw-up. McBain cuffed Joe Scully, who continued to insist that John had the wrong guy. Scully flinched when John said that Sonny Corinthos would disagree, convincing John that he had the right guy. John told Scully that he was going back to Atlantic City to stand trial for murder.

While John talked, one of Scully's men sneaked up on John and knocked him out. When John woke up, he was tied up, and Scully was standing over him. Scully told John that he should not have gone to New Orleans. Joe taunted McBain and told John that his problem was with Sonny, not Scully. Scully said that he was not running. He told John that John was the one going away and that John would soon be reunited with his beloved Theresa. Scully ordered his henchmen to put McBain in the van.

Before they could do so, Jason burst in and shot them. He got the drop on Scully. McBain taunted Scully. John told Joe that he would not be going to Atlantic City, but to Port Charles, because Jason was not a cop, but Sonny's number two. McBain then thanked Jason for the save and told Jason to let him take Scully to Atlantic City to stand trial.

Jason said that Scully would figure some legal way out and would not pay for his crimes. Jason would not let that happen. As Jason started walking Scully towards the door, McBain asked Jason to untie him. Jason shrugged and said, "Tough luck," as he marched Scully out the door.

At Kelly's, T.J.'s phone rang. It was Molly. T.J. didn't want Shawn to know who it was, so T.J. went outside on the pretext of cleaning up some garbage. Outside, T.J. told Molly that he missed her. Molly revealed that everyone had made plans, so she would be home alone later that afternoon. T.J. promised to get away to see her, and then ended the call when Shawn stepped outside to check on T.J. T.J. claimed that he had been talking to his friend, José, who had invited T.J. over to swim and play video games.

Shawn was reluctant to give T.J. his permission to go, because of the party at Molly's house months earlier. T.J. assured Shawn that everything would be fine, so Shawn gave T.J. the rest of the day off.

On lake house's porch, Sam was reading the Sun when she sensed that someone was standing behind her. She glared when she realized that it was a cameraman. Sam threatened to break the camera over the man's head if he didn't stop filming her. Moments later, Kristina walked out. Kristina tactfully suggested that the cameraman shoot something else, so the cameraman decided to change the battery on his camera. Kristina apologized to her sister, as the man walked away. Sam explained that she was going to work, so it was fine.

Kristina was surprised that Sam wasn't spending the Fourth of July with Jason. Sam insisted that the holiday was the perfect time to get some work done, so Kristina wondered if Sam would ever be able to get past what Jason had done. "You still love him, right?" Kristina asked. Sam appreciated that Kristina was concerned, but Sam didn't want to discuss it. Kristina wished that she could wave a magic wand to make all of Sam's problems go away. Sam smiled, hugged her sister, and then left.

After Sam left, Kristina called Trey to invite him over to the lake house. Trey promised to be there after he picked up some breakfast.

Later, T.J. arrived at the lake house. Molly invited him in, and then kissed him. "Oh, my God. Looks like Molly's got a boyfriend," Kristina loudly said, as she, and the cameraman, entered the living room. T.J. and Molly immediately jumped apart. Molly begged Kristina to stop taping, because Molly didn't want Alexis to find out about T.J.

Kristina told the cameraman to stop filming. The cameraman grumbled that Trey wouldn't like it, but Kristina stood firm. Kristina then demanded to know why Alexis would object to Molly's boyfriend. Molly and T.J. filled Kristina in on what had happened at the party when Molly had accidentally gotten drunk. T.J. assured Kristina that he would never put Molly in a dangerous situation like that again. Kristina agreed to erase the footage of Molly and T.J.

Later, T.J. admitted that Kristina was cool. He hoped that Kristina would let him be a part of the show. Molly was horrified, because it meant that Shawn and Alexis might find out that Molly and T.J. had been sneaking around behind Shawn and Alexis' backs. T.J. agreed that Molly had a point. Molly smiled and suggested that they change into their swimsuits to go swimming.

Kate stopped short when she entered the reception area of Crimson, because she noticed that the decor had changed. She looked up and saw a sign that read "Manning Enterprises," so she went to her office. Kate demanded to know what Todd was doing in her office. Todd explained that Kate had missed a few things while she had been locked up for what she had done to his daughter. Kate made a couple of phone calls to have some people review her contract, which had guaranteed that Kate would retain editing control of Crimson. Todd patiently waited until she finished her phone calls, and then revealed that he had purchased a company named Lexcorp, which had been the parent company of a few magazines, including Crimson.

Todd had decided that he liked the Crimson offices enough to make them his new headquarters for Manning Enterprises. Kate was curious what Todd intended to do with her fashion magazine. Todd admitted that he wasn't sure, because the magazine hadn't been turning a profit since Kate's personal problems had started. Kate assured Todd that she could get the magazine back on track, but Todd remained reluctant to give her any assurances about the fate of Crimson. Kate feared that Todd didn't want to save Crimson, because he had a personal vendetta against her, but Todd surprised Kate by admitting that he thought that Kate was a good person. However, Connie deserved to be locked up for life.

Todd explained that he was familiar with dissociative identity disorder, because his sister, Viki, had suffered from it. Kate recalled reading the unauthorized biography about Viki's and Jessica's struggles with the mental illness. Todd quickly clarified that the book had been written by a hack, and that it hadn't adequately captured the reality of DID. Todd insisted that alter personalities never truly went away; they remained in the background, waiting for an opportunity to reemerge.

Kate assured Todd that she knew what had caused her DID, so she was well on the road to recovery, which meant that Connie was gone. Todd invited Kate to tell him what had caused her DID, so that he could determine for himself if Kate would be a liability to Manning Enterprises. Kate refused to share any details, but she insisted that she had remembered almost everything that Connie had done.

Todd smirked, because Kate "conveniently" didn't recall causing Hope and Cole's deaths. Todd reiterated that he hadn't made a decision about what to do with Crimson, so he suggested that Kate enjoy the holiday, and her own newfound independence.

Sam was on the phone with Spinelli when she entered the offices of Manning Enterprises. She revealed that the offices appeared closed, so she intended to search for evidence that would connect Heather to Todd. After Sam ended the call, she picked up some papers from Todd's desk. Sam was looking through the papers when Todd appeared in the doorway. He wondered if she had found what she was looking for. Sam was surprised to see Todd, and assumed he never took time off from work.

Todd wondered why she wasn't off somewhere, enjoying the fireworks. Sam explained that the idea of kids and hotdogs in the park was not appealing to her "at the moment." Todd realized that Sam was thinking about her son, so he handed her a file and put her to work. He wanted Sam to review the charts and graphs on Crimson to help him decide if the magazine was worth saving. Sam didn't think that it was her place to make that decision, since Todd would be the one who would have to work with the woman who had caused his granddaughter's death. Todd claimed that he had never been one to let personal feelings get in the way of turning a profit.

Sam confided that she wouldn't be able to spend every day, side-by-side, with the person who had taken away a child that she loved. Todd hid his discomfort, as Sam explained that she had taken the job with Todd to get away from her old life, and what she had lost. Todd confessed that he had read the papers, so he empathized with Jason. Todd knew what it was like to suddenly find out that he had a "psycho" twin brother. He had read that Franco had been a rapist, so he suggested that perhaps Sam had been better off not having had Franco's child.

Sam was offended and immediately turned to leave. Todd called out to her, in an attempt to apologize. Sam admitted that she had read the papers, too, so she was curious if Todd thought that his own children would have been better off dead, because Todd had raped someone. Todd shifted uncomfortably, as he asked Sam not to leave. He reminded her that she was young and beautiful, so she would have another opportunity to have a baby. Sam confided that she had lost a baby a few years before, so her little boy had been her last chance at motherhood.

Sam explained that it would be too terrifying for her to go through another pregnancy after she had lost two children. Todd told Sam how deeply sorry he was for what she had gone through. Sam thanked him, but insisted that it wasn't his fault, so Todd confessed that he needed to tell her something.

At Starr and Trey's apartment, Starr was munching on a bowl of cereal when Trey entered the living room to ask if Starr knew where his underwear were. Starr admitted that she had thrown them out of the window the previous night. Trey was outraged, because he didn't have anything to wear under his jeans. Starr told him that it was his problem, so Trey decided to teach her a lesson by dropping his towel. Starr was shocked when she realized that Trey was standing in the living room naked. Trey insisted that it was Starr's fault, as he slid on a pair of jeans.

Trey's eyes narrowed when he realized that Starr was eating his cereal, which had been a special brand that had been difficult to find. Starr thought that it was only fair, since Trey had eaten her ice cream. Starr had been annoyed, because she had intended to share the ice cream with Michael. Trey wondered what was going on between Starr and Michael, but Starr made it clear that it was none of Trey's business; Starr and Trey were only roommates. Trey seemed miffed, so he announced that he had to go to work.

Starr accused Trey of exploiting people, but Trey defended his show by explaining that he had to produce 13 hours of compelling television. Starr shrugged, unimpressed.

After Trey left, Michael stopped by to invite Starr to attend the Fourth of July barbeque at the Quartermaine mansion. Michael explained that the Quartermaines were his family, but he hadn't grown up with them in his life, so he wanted a friend at his side. He added that they could swim and watch the fireworks from the boathouse. Starr agreed to go with Michael as friends, so Michael warned Starr that the Quartermaines were "unique." Starr welcomed Michael to the club.

After Starr fetched her tennis racket and swimsuit, Michael asked how things were going with Trey. Starr told Michael about Trey's reaction to them tossing Trey's underwear out of the window. Michael wondered if it were okay, as a friend, for him to be angry at Trey for being naked in front of Starr. Starr assured Michael that, as a friend, Michael could punch Trey in the face.

At Kelly's, Trey called his father while he waited for his breakfast order. The call went to voicemail, so Trey disconnected the call, grabbed the bag and coffee, and then turned to leave. Trey nearly collided with Kate. He apologized and then seized the opportunity to ask her to sign a release form, so that she could be part of the show. Kate made it clear that she wasn't interested, but Trey reminded her that she had given him a different impression at the courthouse. Kate clarified that her attorney had advised Kate against being part of Trey's show, so Kate decided to follow her attorney's advice.

Trey broached the subject of Sonny. Kate's temper flared, as she insisted that he didn't know the first thing about Sonny. Trey offered Kate the opportunity to tell him all about Sonny, with a camera crew present. Kate refused to be a part of Trey's reality show, but she decided to offer him some advice. She revealed that she had been in the fashion industry since she had graduated from college. She had also been the editor of two A-list publications.

Kate knew the difference between a visionary and a cheap hustler. Kate warned Trey that slick packaging couldn't hide what was underneath. Kate was certain that Trey had seen the resentment between Kristina and Sonny, so he had decided to exploit it. Trey insisted that he simply wanted to document the truth, but Kate argued that the truth was that Sonny loved Kristina. However, she doubted that would garner ratings, so Trey needed to fuel the discord between Kristina and Sonny to provoke a confrontation.

Kate accused Trey of using Kristina's trust for profit, so Trey was a despicable person in Kate's eyes. Trey promised not to bother Kate again about being on the show, but he thought that she was pretty judgmental for someone who had killed two innocent people while trying to murder an old man. Kate was clearly rattled by what Trey had said. After Trey left, Shawn approached Kate. He admitted that he had overheard what Trey had said, and then advised her not to pay attention to Trey, because Trey was a jerk.

A short time later, Trey arrived at the lake house. The cameraman complained that Kristina had ordered him to erase footage of Molly. Kristina defended her decision, so Trey reminded the cameraman that Kristina was the star of the show, not Molly. Trey suggested that Kristina call Sonny, because Sonny had promised to give them a tour of the warehouse.

At the warehouse, Sonny was on the phone, talking to someone about Kate. Sonny revealed that Kate had gone to work, but Sonny wanted to do something for Kate. Sonny turned to look at Joe Scully Jr., who had been strapped to a chair and gagged. Sonny ended the call, and then ripped the duct tape off of Joe's mouth. Sonny demanded to know what Joe had to say for himself, so Joe wondered if that were any way to treat an "old friend." Sonny made it clear that he and Joe had never been friends, especially after what Joe had done to Kate. Joe had no idea who Kate was, so Sonny clarified that Kate had once been known as Connie Falconeri.

Sonny wanted Joe to pay for raping Kate, but Joe denied that he had raped Kate. According to Joe, Connie had always had big dreams and expensive tastes, so she had been on the hunt for deep pockets. Joe claimed that Connie had invited him over on the night that she had claimed that she had been raped, and that the sex had been consensual. Sonny was so infuriated by Joe's claims that he wrapped his arms around Joe's throat in a chokehold. Sonny demanded that Joe tell the truth, so that Joe could die with a clear conscience, but Joe stuck to his story. Sonny argued that Kate had been a virgin when Joe had raped her, but Joe denied it.

Sonny reminded Joe that even Joe's father had known that Joe was garbage, so Joe Sr. had shipped Joe Jr. off to Atlantic City. Joe claimed that he had asked to be sent to Atlantic City, because Joe hadn't been able to stand to be around Sonny. Sonny balled his hand into a fist, but became distracted by Joe's phone when it rang. Sonny warned Joe that the time for talking was over. Joe wondered if Sonny intended to kill him, the way that Sonny had killed Joe Sr. Sonny conceded that Joe Sr.'s death hadn't been pretty, but Joe Sr. had died like a man, unlike Joe Jr., who would die like a dog.

Joe wondered why Connie had thrown her child away, like garbage, if she had been so innocent. Sonny was stunned. He demanded to know how Joe had known about the pregnancy. Joe claimed that he had heard it from someone, but Sonny revealed that no one had known. Sonny pulled a gun out of a desk drawer, and then aimed it at Joe Jr., as he asked once again how Joe had known about the pregnancy. Joe blamed it on the neighborhood gossips, but Sonny didn't believe him.

Sonny suspected that Joe had been watching Kate, because Joe had been afraid that Kate would accuse Joe of raping her. Joe argued that he had never raped Kate. Joe accused Kate of having his kid, and then taking off and leaving the baby for dead. Joe insisted that if anyone had been a victim, it had been Joe. Sonny accused Joe of being a piece of dirt, but Joe pointed out that it was Joe's word against Kate's. Joe claimed that Kate shouldn't be trusted. Sonny decided that Joe should die the way that Joe had lived, like a worthless coward.

Joe's eyes rounded and he began to beg for his life, as Sonny cocked the gun.

Due to the Independence Day holiday, no new episode of General Hospital airted today. This scheduling change was anticipated, and there will be no "lost" episodes as a result.

Regular programming will resume on Thursday, July 5, and pick up where the Tuesday, July 3 episode concluded.

At Manning Enterprises, Sam admitted that her son had been her last chance to be a mother. Todd expressed how sorry he was, but Sam reminded him that he was not to blame. Todd confessed that he needed to tell her something about her baby. However, Heather walked in before he could elaborate. Heather was surprised to see Sam, so Todd explained that he and Sam were working. Todd was curious why Heather was there.

Heather showed him her column, and then revealed that it had taken longer to write than anticipated, because a "rat" named Spinelli had been following her. Heather was certain that Sam knew all about it, but Sam insisted that Sam and Spinelli were no longer partners. Sam suggested that Heather take it up with Spinelli if Heather wanted to know why Spinelli had been tailing Heather. Heather was curious what Todd and Sam had been talking about when Heather had walked in, so Sam revealed that Todd had been about to tell Sam something about Sam's baby. Heather was stunned, so she demanded to speak to Todd privately. Todd refused, but Heather told Sam to order some lunch and then dragged Todd into his office.

Heather couldn't believe that Todd had been about to tell Sam about the baby switch. Heather warned Todd that Sam was only there to dig up dirt on Todd, so Todd shouldn't trust Sam. Todd explained that he wanted to help Sam, because of what he had done to Sam. "Excuse me for having a heart," Todd added. "Which seems to come and go like the wind," Heather replied. Todd insisted that Heather didn't know anything about his heart, so Heather reminded Todd that he had killed his twin brother, Victor.

Todd argued that Victor had been a miserable human being who had deserved to die. Heather claimed that Téa didn't agree with Todd's assessment. Todd resented Heather presuming to know what Téa would think. Todd insisted that Téa was a "principled" woman who wouldn't want Sam to suffer. Heather claimed that Sam didn't deserve Todd's sympathy or feelings of guilt, but Todd disagreed, because Sam was grieving for a baby who hadn't really died.

Meanwhile, Robert Yi arrived to deliver lunch. Robert was pleasantly surprised to see Sam and admitted that his grandparents still talked about Jason and Sam's wedding. Robert imagined that Jason and Sam's love had grown since their wedding day. Sam smiled politely but refrained from telling him that her marriage was on the rocks. Robert suggested that Sam remind her boss that it was a holiday so that Jason and Sam could celebrate. Sam asked Robert to pass along her greetings to his grandparents and then watched him leave.

In Todd's office, Todd regretted the pain and grief that he had caused Sam, but Heather warned him that it couldn't be undone. Todd disagreed; he could tell Sam the truth. Heather suggested that Todd be prepared to go to jail, so Todd reminded Heather that she would also go to jail, because he wouldn't hesitate to let the police know that she had been carting Anthony around in a wheelbarrow. Heather insisted that she had been helping a friend, but Todd didn't care. He insisted that Heather had pushed him to switch babies by lying about Sam. Desperate, Heather reminded him that Téa and Starr would be hurt if Todd were to reveal the truth about the baby switch.

Heather wanted Todd to promise that he wouldn't breathe a word to Sam about where Sam's son was, but Todd refused. Heather warned Todd that Sam's husband, Jason, would kill Todd if the truth were ever revealed. Moments later, Sam knocked on the door to announce that lunch had been delivered. Sam insisted on knowing what Todd had intended to tell her about her baby. Heather seized the opportunity to cover for Todd. Heather claimed that Todd had wanted to tell Sam that Jason had sent some men after John McBain on the night of the baby's birth, so Sam's baby had died because Jason had kept John from returning to the motel room.

Sam was shocked; she was curious how Heather and Todd had found out. Heather explained that it was Heather's job, as a gossip columnist, to keep a pulse on the community, even the dark side. Heather offered her condolences, but Sam questioned if Heather were truly sorry for Sam's loss. "Of course I am," Heather replied. Heather then decided to fetch a BLT at Kelly's instead of staying for lunch.

After Heather left, Todd claimed that he had been uncertain if the details about what Jason had done would give Sam closure, or cause her more pain. However, he was sorry for what Sam had gone through. Sam explained that no truth could ever give her baby back to her. Todd remained troubled as he tried to eat his lunch. He didn't have much of an appetite, so he decided to break open his fortune cookie.

"Like the worm in the apple, the truth will eventually be found," Todd read. Meanwhile, Sam opened her fortune cookie, which stated, "You may yet hold happiness again."

Tracy was disappointed when Anna, not Luke, entered the Quartermaine boathouse. Anna explained that she was there on official police business. Tracy reminded Anna that the police had already searched the premises. Anna confessed that the mayor expected Anna to get to the bottom of Anthony's disappearance. Tracy insisted that Luke had killed Anthony, but Anna remained skeptical. Tracy realized that Anna suspected Tracy of murdering Anthony.

Anna admitted that the timing of Tracy's accusations against Luke was questionable, because Tracy was mad at Luke. "And you're not?" Tracy asked. Anna conceded that she hadn't heard from Luke. Tracy insisted that Luke had the attention span of a gnat. Anna was surprised that Tracy would talk that way about a man that Tracy claimed to love. Tracy reminded Anna that Tracy and Luke had a long history; therefore, Tracy was confident that Luke was with another woman.

Anna wanted to focus on Anthony, not Luke's possible whereabouts, so she asked Tracy to go over what had happened when Tracy had found Anthony's body in the boathouse. Tracy revealed that Tracy and Luke had argued, because Tracy had been certain that Luke had killed Anthony. Tracy then told Anna about Officer Padilla's arrival, which had prompted Tracy and Luke to drag Anthony's body to the veranda, where they had staged it to appear as if Anthony had passed out from drinking too much. Tracy suggested that Delores was not a good police officer, since Delores hadn't realized that Anthony was dead. Anna ignored Tracy's remark, as she continued to question Tracy.

Tracy revealed that Heather had shown up after Delores had left. Anna wondered if Heather might have taken Anthony's body. Tracy acknowledged that it was possible, but Tracy was curious why Heather would do that. Anna pointed out that Heather was unstable and obsessed with Luke.

Heather exited Kelly's with a bag of food. Heather hoped that Luke wasn't too hungry, because he became cranky when he skipped a meal. Heather checked the bag and then turned to leave, but she bumped into Anna. They exchanged stilted pleasantries. Heather asked Anna to tell Luke that Heather hoped that Luke had a happy Fourth of July. Anna appeared thoughtful as she watched Heather walk away.

On the porch of the lake house, Kristina tried to get Trey to take a day off from taping, so that they could spend some time together. Trey insisted that they needed to get to Sonny's warehouse, but Kristina thought that the camera crew would appreciate having a day off to relax. Trey stood firm, so Kristina was curious why Trey was so interested in Sonny's warehouse. Trey explained that he was certain that Sonny was doing more than running coffee through the warehouse, but Kristina doubted that Sonny would be careless enough to have anything incriminating lying around, knowing that the camera crew would be there. Trey explained that was the reason that they needed to make a surprise visit.

Kristina assured Trey that the warehouse wasn't going anywhere, and then shifted gears by trying to wrap her arms around Trey's neck. Trey peeled Kristina off of him, as he asked if Kristina had forgotten the goal of the project. He insisted that they keep their relationship professional, but Kristina wondered why he was trying to ignore how he had felt when he had kissed her. Kristina reminded him that they were consenting adults, Trey refused to be swayed. He threatened to use the footage of Molly and T.J., if Kristina refused to go to Sonny's warehouse.

Kristina became distracted by Alexis' arrival. Alexis explained that she wanted to spend the day with her daughters, so Alexis suggested that they go on a picnic and watch the fireworks. Kristina claimed that she had plans to go to Sonny's warehouse, so Alexis decided to fetch Molly. After Alexis entered the house, Kristina made it clear that she resented Trey threatening to use the footage of Molly if Kristina didn't cooperate. Kristina wanted it erased before they went to the warehouse. Kristina groaned when she suddenly recalled that T.J. was inside.

In Molly's bedroom, Molly invited T.J. to change into his swimsuit, while she fetched some snacks. T.J. kissed Molly, and then admitted that he had missed her. T.J. had hoped that they could spend more together during the summer, but Shawn had kept T.J. busy with extra shifts in an effort to keep T.J. out of trouble. Molly suggested that it was for the best that T.J. wouldn't appear on Kristina's show, because Shawn would realize that they had been sneaking around behind Shawn and Alexis' backs. T.J. hoped that Kristina didn't say anything to Alexis, but Molly assured him that they had nothing to worry about, because Kristina was too busy being mad at Alexis.

T.J. heard a car pull up, but Molly dismissed it. She explained that Alexis hated the cameras, so Alexis avoided them whenever possible. T.J. wanted to make the most of his time with Molly, so he kissed her. Afterwards, Molly told him to change into his swimsuit, and then left. T.J. shed his shirt, and then pulled off his pants, but the door suddenly opened. "Oh. My. God!" Alexis shrieked when she saw T.J., wearing only underwear, standing in Molly's room.

T.J. grabbed a nearby book to cover himself, while Alexis continued to scream in outrage. She ordered T.J. to get dressed, as Molly ran into the room. Molly and T.J. tried to explain that things were not as they appeared, but Alexis refused to let them talk. Alexis ordered Molly out of the room, and then reminded T.J. to get dressed. Meanwhile, Kristina and Trey entered the living room when they heard the commotion in Molly's room. Kristina blamed Trey for distracting her from warning her sister, but Trey accused Kristina of flirting with him, so it had been her own fault.

Moments later, Alexis and Molly entered the living room. Trey motioned for the cameraman to begin filming, as Alexis demanded to know what a half-naked boy had been doing in Molly's bedroom. Molly admitted that she liked T.J., which only fueled Alexis' anger, because Molly had been sneaking around and lying. Kristina snidely suggested that Molly had learned from the best, indicating Alexis. Molly smirked, while Kristina ripped into Alexis about the lies that Alexis and Sonny had told. Alexis was curious if Kristina was aware of the unsupervised party that Molly had hosted, when Molly had gotten drunk.

Kristina argued that what Alexis and Sonny had done to Kristina had been worse, and that Alexis should accept that Kristina and Molly were no longer little children. Alexis' temper flared when Kristina apologized for not warning Molly. Alexis reminded Kristina that Molly was fifteen years old, so it was not okay for Molly and T.J. to have sex. Molly was horrified that her mother had jumped to that conclusion. Alexis pointed out that it had been a logical assumption to make when she had walked in on T.J. undressing. Molly quickly clarified that T.J. had been changing into his swimsuit, but Kristina wasn't surprised that Alexis had assumed the worst.

Alexis explained that she would treat Kristina like an adult when Kristina dropped her childish vendetta. Alexis claimed that the show was hurting the family, but Kristina argued that Alexis' lies had hurt the family. Alexis turned her attention back to Molly to find out how long Molly had been seeing T.J. Molly admitted that she had never stopped seeing him. The argument escalated when T.J. entered the living room to defend Molly. Heated words were exchanged, until Molly angrily informed Alexis that not everyone was like Alexis, who had gotten pregnant as a teenager.

After a tense moment of deafening silence, Alexis ordered T.J. to go home. T.J. admitted that he didn't have a ride home. Alexis didn't care. Kristina offered to drop T.J. off, so she suggested that Molly say goodbye, because there was no telling when "the warden" would let Molly see T.J. again. "See you soon," Molly told T.J. Alexis assured Molly that would not happen.

After everyone walked out, Alexis warned Molly that they weren't through talking. On the porch, Kristina asked T.J. to wait in the car, so that she could have a private word with Trey. Kristina didn't think that it was a good idea for them to go to the warehouse, but Trey insisted that they go.

At the warehouse, Sonny aimed a gun at Joe Scully Jr., who was tied to a chair. Joe insisted that Sonny was making a mistake, because a woman like Kate, who had abandoned her infant, couldn't be trusted. Sonny was about to fire the gun when John entered the warehouse. Sonny warned John that John had lousy timing, but Joe seized the opportunity to plead for John to stop Sonny from pulling the trigger. John wanted Sonny to turn Joe over to John, but Sonny refused. Sonny couldn't believe that John wanted to save the life of the man who had killed John's sister, Theresa.

Joe immediately blamed Sonny for Theresa's death, and pointed out that Sonny had been the one who had been found next to Theresa's body, with the murder weapon in Sonny's hand. Sonny's temper flared, but John calmly asked Sonny to put the gun down. Sonny explained that Theresa hadn't been the only woman that Joe had victimized, so Sonny intended to make certain that Joe didn't hurt anyone else. John urged Sonny to think of Sonny's children, and Kate, so Sonny revealed that Joe was responsible for Kate's illness.

John warned Sonny that if Sonny killed Joe, then it would be murder-one. Sonny demanded that Joe confess to killing Theresa. "Screw you, Corinthos. I'm not saying nothing." Joe growled. John suggested that it wasn't a good idea to antagonize a guy who had a gun in Joe's face. John warned Joe that Sonny might not kill Joe, but Sonny could hurt Joe. "A lot," John added.

Sonny liked the way that John thought, so he gave Joe three seconds to tell John what had really happened to Theresa. Joe warned John that John wouldn't like it. John ordered Joe to talk, so Joe confessed to killing Theresa, but blamed John for the murder. Joe explained that he had discovered that Theresa had been talking to a federal agent, which was not permitted in Joe's line of work. John was stunned, but Sonny reminded Joe that Sonny had been there, so Sonny knew what had happened. Sonny insisted that Theresa had fought off Joe's unwanted advances, so Joe had shot Theresa.

Sonny wanted John to look away so that Sonny could end Joe's life. However, the police burst through the door before Sonny could carry out the threat. John quickly identified himself as a police officer, and then explained that Joe was wanted for murder. John quickly arrested Joe, and then had the police take Joe away. One of the police officers wanted to know what to do with Sonny. "He's clean," John replied.

After Emma sustained a boo-boo, Patrick offered to heal it with a kiss, but Emma told him that, "Only Mommy could do that." Patrick took Emma to another room to put a bandage on her. Lulu stopped by to visit. She asked Maxie if she'd confronted Patrick about his pill use. Maxie reported that he'd replied that they were just acetaminophen.

Maxie confided to Lulu that she had kept one of the pills. A surly Patrick returned to the room, just as the hospital paged him. He asked Maxie and Lulu to watch Emma, while he went to the hospital. Outside, Patrick popped one of the pills as he headed to the car. Meanwhile, the girls decided to search online to identify the pill. A short time later, Patrick returned.

Patrick wondered what Maxie and Lulu were doing, so they claimed that they were looking at some fashions online. Lulu announced that she had to leave, so Maxie followed her friend outside. Maxie and Lulu realized that Patrick had lied about the pills, because their online search had revealed that the pills that Patrick had been taking were Dynexin, an amphetamine used to treat ADHD and obesity. Maxie wondered what they should do, so Lulu suggested that Maxie talk to Patrick about what they had discovered. Moments later, Patrick stepped out onto the porch.

Maxie and Lulu claimed that they were waiting for the fireworks show to begin, so Patrick decided to join them. Maxie gave Lulu a pointed look, so Lulu cleared her throat and told Patrick that they needed to talk to him about something.

Jason met Sonny at the warehouse, and Sonny admitted he hadn't killed Joe Jr., because John had interfered. Sonny had confronted Joe about what had happened to Kate, but Joe had denied raping Kate. Sonny then explained that Joe had confessed to killing Theresa, but had blamed John for what had happened. Sonny conceded that it was possible that Joe had killed Theresa, because Theresa had been talking to a federal agent. Sonny thought that it had been a rookie mistake for John to approach Theresa the way that John had. Sonny was surprised when Jason refused to judge John, because Jason knew what it was like to make a mistake.

Jason blamed himself for the death of Sam's baby, but Sonny insisted that Jason couldn't have known. Sonny pointed out that Sam had been nine months pregnant, and that it had been her choice to stay in a motel room, rather than somewhere safer. Jason regretted that it had taken him so long to accept the baby. Sonny was certain that, in time, Sam would forgive Jason. Jason didn't agree, because he'd realized too late that he could have loved Sam's child. Jason doubted that Sam would ever believe that.

Sam was surprised when she spotted John sitting alone on the docks, drinking bourbon. She wondered why he hadn't returned to Llanview. John revealed that he'd learned that Sonny had taken the fall for Joe Scully Jr., who had killed Theresa. John then told her about Joe's claim that Theresa had been killed because she had been talking to John, a federal agent

John changed the subject by asking how Sam how was doing. She told him that she was concentrating on work to keep from thinking about her depressing life. John warned Sam that suppressing her emotions would make things worse in the long run. Sam complained that Heather had a knack for making her feel worse. She worried that Heather was obsessed with her.

Sam then mentioned that she had bumped into the man who had married her and Jason. She admitted that she hadn't had the courage to tell Robert about the failure of her marriage. Sam couldn't understand how she and Jason had ended up so far apart. Sam shook off the sad thoughts and stood up to leave, but John asked her to stay. Sam sat back down, and then rested her head on John's shoulder, as he wrapped his arm around her. Moments later, the fireworks display began.

Sam squealed with delight, because she loved fireworks. She admitted that it was the first time, in a long time, that she felt true joy. John smiled at Sam's enthusiasm, as he looked up at the color display in the sky. Moments later, things took a serious turn when John and Sam looked deep into each other's eyes. After several heartbeats, they leaned towards each other, and then kissed.

After a rousing game of tennis, Starr and Michel went to the boathouse to fetch something to drink. Starr teasingly accused Michael of flirting. Michael stammered charmingly, and then suggested that they go swimming. Starr became distracted by the smell of food cooking on the barbeque, so she confessed that she was starving. Later, Michael was amused as he watched Starr devour the barbequed ribs.

Starr waxed poetic about the spicy-hot sauce. Michael offered to take Starr for a ride on the boat, but Starr suggested that they play "rock-the-boat." Michael had no idea what that was, but he agreed. Later, Starr and Michael returned to the boathouse, drenched and laughing, because they had both ended up in the water. Starr's eyes rounded when Michael pulled off his wet shirt, and then offered to fetch Starr some dry clothes that she could change into.

Starr revealed that she had a change of clothes in her bag, so she pulled off her shirt. Michael drank in the sight of her in her bathing suit top, but he quickly excused himself before Starr noticed. After they had changed into dry clothes, Starr and Michael went to the beach to watch the fireworks show. Their friendly camaraderie turned to romance as Michael kissed Starr

Spinelli happened by as Anna dictated her thoughts about Heather Webber to a digital tape recorder. He was tickled that Anna was also looking into Heather's activities. Anna wanted to know what Spinelli knew about Heather, so he revealed that Olivia had hired him to investigate Heather. Spinelli explained that Heather had "borrowed" Olivia's car on the night of the big storm. Anna noted that it was the same night Anthony's body had disappeared. Spinelli told Anna about the patrol officer who had pulled Heather over on the night of the storm.

Anna was intrigued that Heather had been travelling with a man, so she called the police officer to find out if the officer recognized Anthony. The police officer told Anna that Anthony could have been the man that Heather had claimed was Heather's husband, but he wasn't certain. Anna decided to have Spinelli take her to the woods where Heather had caught Spinelli following Heather. Later, Anna looked around, as police officers and search dogs combed the wooded area.

At the shed, Heather, dressed as Lady Liberty, arrived with a Fourth of July picnic. Luke remained bound and gagged. She loosened the gag to speak with Luke, who made a comment alluding to Heather's propensity to drug people. Heather took offense and noted she hadn't drugged anyone in months, but her last victim had deserved it. However, Heather refused to go into detail.

Heather demanded that Luke forget all about Anna and told him Anna had moved on, because she'd thought that Luke had ditched Anna. Luke cautioned Heather that Anna was an excellent sleuth, so Anna would continue to search for Luke until he had been found. Heather bragged that she was an accomplished puppet master. "I just pull the strings, and everybody dances for me," she told him. Heather pulled out the original paternity test on Sam's baby, as she gleefully gloated that she had something that Sam would want. Luke tried to find out what it was, but Heather refused to tell him, because she didn't trust Luke.

Heather offered Luke the opportunity to prove that he could be trusted by ordering him to write Anna a letter, ending his relationship with the police commissioner. Luke agreed. Later, Heather read the letter, but became livid when she realized that it had been written in code. Heather pointed out that the beginning of each sentence started with a letter that spelled out the message, "Heather is holding me in the woods." Heather shoved the gag back into Luke's mouth, and then stormed out.

Later, Luke heard Anna and the search team near the cabin. He desperately cried out to Anna, but his words were muffled, because of the gag.