Cheap Shot

At the Metro Court pool deck, Cody smoothly told a server to put the drink Tracy had just ordered on his tab. Tracy explained that she was there for some solitude, as she needed a break from the many children at the Quartermaine mansion. She inquired as to what he was doing there and he reported that he had a date — with Ava Jerome.

Tracy was floored. “What are you thinking?” she barked, calling Ava a thug and referencing the woman’s scandalous criminal past. Cody protested that he could handle Ava and let it slip that he was only dating her for the money. “Ava is paying you for sex?” gasped Tracy. “No,” Cody replied sheepishly. “Someone else is.” He clarified that someone was paying him to distract Ava, not necessarily sleep with her. Tracy called him out on how uncomfortable he looked for someone who was just “supplying distraction” and made her disapproval clear.

Cody conceded that romancing a woman for money wasn’t a good look. “Cody, don’t you know you’re better than that?” wondered Tracy. “You are a better man than you know,” she insisted. She listed off Cody’s good qualities, including being a loyal friend and, on occasion, a hero (as when he saved James from drowning). “Please,” Tracy urged, “don’t sell yourself cheaply.” Before heading home, Tracy reminded Cody that he didn’t have to do this. “You only say that because you haven’t known me very long,” Cody responded ruefully. “Maybe that’s why I see who you are,” she shot back. “And not who you were.” Tracy voiced that she respected Cody — and wished he would learn to respect himself.

Save The Date?

Opposite this, Nina thanked Ava for meeting her at the Metro Court restaurant bar, as she was filled with angst over the state of her relationship with Willow. Ava shared that she had plans to meet someone, “but he can wait.” When Ava disclosed that her date wasn’t with Ric, Nina pressed her for details. Ava confirmed that she had dumped Ric. “But he doesn’t know it yet,” she added, noting that she had to take care of a few things before she could “break free” of her beau. Ava and Nina agreed that Ric’s only redeeming quality was his skill as a lawyer, and Ava sniffed that the man was far too preoccupied with Elizabeth and always would be, even though Liz didn’t reciprocate his interest. Ava seconded Nina’s conviction that Ava deserved a man’s full attention.

Nina was surprised to learn that Ava’s date for the evening was Cody. Ava praised Cody for being nice to be around and uncomplicated. She assured Nina she was not interested in a relationship with him; she was just having a little fun. Nina groused that the last time she had tried to have a little fun, it was with Drew, which backfired on her. Ava appreciated Nina’s concern, but was confident that she could handle Cody.

Later, Ava arrived on the pool deck and sauntered up to Cody. He complimented her appearance, but when she said she was ready for dinner if he was, he hedged. “I’m going to have to take a raincheck, actually,” Cody stammered, making up an excuse about why he needed to get back to the stables. They agreed to reschedule, and Ava sidled closer to Cody and kissed him. After they broke their tender embrace, she said she’d text him; he said he was looking forward to it.

Scout’s Honor

At the Haven coffee kiosk, Molly was working on her manuscript when Alexis approached. “Drew is taking Scout away from us,” Alexis lamented. She explained that Drew planned to move to Washington, D.C. full-time with Sam’s daughter. Molly felt the best strategic move would be to stay on good terms with Drew while trying to convince him not to relocate. Alexis was doubtful that Monica would be able to persuade Drew to stay in Port Charles and wanted to explore the possibility of suing Drew for custody of her granddaughter.

Together, mother and daughter drew up a list of pros and cons. Molly cautioned that it would be difficult to override Drew’s legal parental rights. “Sam would not be okay with this, and I have to fight for Scout because her mother is not here to do it,” Alexis declared. Molly agreed with Alexis that Scout needed the influence of the Davis girls in her life. However, given the likelihood that Drew would deny them access to Scout in retaliation if Alexis sought custody, she advised against doing so. Molly allowed that Scout moving away from her grandmother and aunts wasn’t what Sam would have wanted, but at least if they kept things as they were, they would be able to keep seeing Scout on vacations and holidays.

Alexis appreciated Molly’s levelheaded perspective, and resolved to leave the option of petitioning for custody open as a last resort. “If you do decide to take Drew to court, I will be right there by your side,” Molly told her. Alexis spotted the horse-related books Molly had strewn about and assumed they were for a case she was working on. Molly, who had no plans to tell her mom about her return to romance novel-writing or the inspiration she was drawing from Cody, didn’t correct her.

A Rocco and a Hard Place

During the tense meeting between Laura, Lulu, Obrecht and Dante in Laura’s office, Laura tried to bring the temperature down and advised Dante to go take a walk. He obliged. Laura told Obrecht that it was clear to her that Obrecht could not put Rocco’s needs ahead of her own. Obrecht disagreed. Lulu snapped that Obrecht didn’t know Rocco well enough to know what was in his best interests. Liesl countered that she and Rocco had bonded, and he would be hurt if she pulled away.

Laura pointed out that unlike Obrecht, they had spent years with Rocco. “Lulu hasn’t,” Obrecht stated. Stung, Lulu accused her of throwing the years she had spent in a coma in her face. “It’s merely a fact,” Obrecht shrugged. Lulu shot back that it was also a fact that she would never willingly have missed out on time with her son. Obrecht reminded Lulu that she had left Rocco to go looking for Charlotte and maintained that “for a myriad of reasons,” Lulu had not been a mother to Rocco for years. In light of that, Liesl reasoned, Rocco’s curiosity about Britt, “the woman who brought him into the world,” made perfect sense.

“How dare you imply that my daughter is not a good mother?” fumed Laura. Laura understood that Obrecht would mourn Britt for the rest of her life but forbade her from speaking to Laura’s own daughter that way. Obrecht looked properly chastened as Laura told her that if she wanted to be part of Rocco’s life, she had to earn it by proving to them that she would be a positive influence on the teen. Dante returned in time to hear Laura warn Obrecht that if she failed to respect Dante and Lulu’s rules, she would be excluded from Rocco’s life. Obrecht acknowledged that she had been out of line in her comments to Lulu, and Dante offered that he wanted them all to get along for Rocco’s sake. Obrecht said Rocco was lucky to have a family who loved him and that it was okay with her if one of them was there for her next meet-up with the teen. “Fine,” Lulu said tersely.

After Liesl exited, Lulu, Laura and Dante debriefed. Lulu hoped they had done the right thing by calling a de facto truce with Obrecht. Laura said they needed to remain focused on Rocco, and showing him that they understood his desire to know more about Britt. “Whatever it takes,” Lulu nodded. “We’re not going to lose Rocco.” Lulu and Dante both wondered if they could manage to stay cordial with Obrecht, but they understood the importance of showing Rocco that he could be open with them. In the meantime, Laura said, she would keep an eye on Liesl.

Liesl joined Nina at the Metro Court bar and explained that she’d had to agree to adhere to Lulu and Dante’s rules if she wanted to keep seeing Rocco. “Things would be very different if Britta were here,” she added. She told Nina that if she heard from Rocco again, she would respond “the way Britta would want me to.”

Fun While It Lasts

Carly proposed a toast over drinks with Jack. Brennan told Carly there was something he needed to tell her. Carly braced herself when Jack said he hadn’t been honest with her. Nervously, he relayed that the WSB had opened a branch in Port Charles “with a specific target in mind” and that there was “a clear and present danger” in their midst. He warned that at some point, he may have to disappear on her.

Brennan was surprised by Carly’s reaction, which was to express relief. She explained that she’d feared he was going to tell her he had a wife and kids stashed somewhere, “something that affected me directly.” Brennan looked ashen, which Carly took to mean he was trying to tell her that Port Charles, specifically, was in danger. He reminded her that he was unable to discuss matters of national security. She assured him that she understood and trusted him to know what he could and could not tell her. Gazing at him fondly, Carly gushed that she admired Brennan for doing whatever was necessary “to protect us from harm.”

Brennan told Carly that this was the first time he’d been with someone he wanted to confide in and called her the most amazing woman he had ever met. She told him that as long as he was honest with her about the stuff he was at liberty to discuss, “I’m not going anywhere.” Jack took Carly in his arms and told her he was happy for whatever time he got to have with her. “As far as I’m concerned, we’ve got all the time in the world,” she cooed, kissing him. Brennan didn’t look quite so optimistic.

Front and Center

In the foyer of the Quartermaine mansion, Anna told Jason that she had come to believe that Britt may not have disappeared of her own volition, after all. Jason pulled her into the study and peppered her with questions. When Jason told Anna he was convinced that Britt was in Croatia at the Five Poppies, Anna said, “That’s a problem.” Jason wanted to know why. “Because I have just learned that this resort is under scrutiny from the WSB,” Anna revealed.

Anna briefed Jason on how one of Brennan’s men had grabbed her off the streets so that Brennan could fill her in on what he was investigating, only to then order her to back off and keep her mouth shut. “He believes this Five Poppies is a front for something else,” she divulged. “Something quite dangerous.” Jason surmised that Britt could also be in danger. Given Britt’s connections, blood and otherwise, Anna was certain that her presence at the spa was no coincidence. Anna asked the million-dollar question: “Is Britt there of her own free will or has she been coerced?”

Anna noted that while Cesar Faison, Britt’s father, was dead, “his work lives on,” and there was no telling whose hands it was in now. Because of how closely Britt had worked with the late villain when they were on the run together, Britt could be a valuable resource to someone, the pair recognized. Anna felt it would be on brand with Faison for the spa to be a front for a lab of some kind. She wasn’t sure precisely what the WSB thought was going on, but said that Faison had always been interested in weaponizable tech — tech which, if misused, “has the potential to destabilize entire countries.”

Jason was confident that Britt wouldn’t want anything to do with weapons development and confirmed to Anna that he planned to go to Dalmatia. “I have to make sure Britt’s okay,” frowned Jason. He thanked her for the information she’d supplied. Anna told Jason that if Brennan knew she had spilled to him, he would have her shipped off to Steinmauer, possibly for treason. Jason vowed not to tell a soul. As he showed her to the door, Jason reiterated his intent to stay silent. “I’ll protect you,” he said. “You have my word.” Anna responded, “I told you because I trust you. I just wanted to hear you say it.” She told him to take care of himself and wished him luck.

Newlywed Games

Britt slipped away from a menacing Pascal, unaware that Josslyn and Vaughn were standing nearby. Once she was gone, Pascal welcomed the pair to the Five Poppies. Joss and Vaughn, posing undercover as a married couple, explained that they were on their honeymoon. Pascal gave “Mr. and Mrs. Nash” a tour of the property before showing them to their bungalow. Pascal excused himself after Vaughn playfully tossed his “bride” onto the bed. Once he was gone, Vaughn and Joss dropped their lovebird act and began casing the space for surveillance devices, finding none. Next, they turned their attention to a map of the grounds, pointing out where they had seen security cameras and where the entrance to the sizable off-limits areas of the property were. Joss felt they had seen enough to think Brennan was right about the place being more than just a fancy resort.

Joss looked a bit hot and bothered when Vaughn peeled off his shirt. She changed into a nightie and assured Vaughn she was fine with them sharing a bed. They got under the covers and Joss switched off the bedstand light. After some awkward shuffling under the sheets, they each rolled over so that they weren’t facing one another. “Good night, Mr. Nash,” chirped Joss. He smiled to himself and bid “Mrs. Nash” a good night.

All Work And No Play

A frantic Britt sought out Pascal, upset because her medication wasn’t in her room. She reminded him that she can’t miss a dose. He told her it was waiting for her in the lab. “He expects me to work tonight?” she exclaimed. “You did take the entire day off,” Pascal replied. “I can’t believe he’s playing games like this,” fumed Britt. Pascal contended that it wasn’t a game — it was a reminder. “Your good health is reliant on his goodwill,” Pascal warned. “He’s expecting results in a timely manner or your medication may be withheld completely.”

A call came in on Pascal’s cell phone, and he answered it with a cheerful, “Good evening, Five Poppies Resort. How can I help you?” The caller was Jason, who identified himself as John Moore and said he would like to book a room. “Oh, certainly, Mr. Moore,” Pascal told him. “We’ll be happy to have you.”

Are you excited for Britt and Jason’s reunion? Should Alexis take Drew to court? Are you Team Obrecht or Team Lulu? Let us know what you think about today’s GH developments in the comments below!