Alcazar talked to Diego before he was shipped off to Pentonville. Alcazar said he would talk to the judge and tell him what Diego had done to save Maxie to see if it could get him out early. Diego told him not to do that. He wanted to pay for what he'd done and who he'd hurt.
Emily asked Liz to stop trying to get her and Nikolas back together. Liz said she would stop trying, but she still thought they were meant to be. Emily said she had moved out of Sonny's house, and Liz seemed surprised. She tried to convince Liz that she was happy to be back to her studies, but Liz wasn't convinced. She told Emily that when people protested that much, they were lying.
Courtney and Nikolas found out that Jax really was the father of her baby. Nikolas told her that didn't change anything; he was still going to be there for her and the baby.
Patrick was furious with Robin. Robin tried to convince Patrick that patience was the key to her brain medication. Patrick couldn't believe she'd canceled his surgery, and Robin seemed surprised. Noah stepped in and explained that he was the one who had canceled the surgery. He felt the patient didn't need the surgery, either, and thought his son just wanted to be the hero. They all went to consult when Manny was wheeled in. Patrick asked for a CT scan but sarcastically verified it with his dad.
Sonny explained to Michael that Emily had needed to get back to her life, so she had moved out. After he got done explaining it to Michael, Sonny ended up explaining it all over again to Alexis when she stopped to drop off some books for Emily to read to Kristina. Alexis wasn't very happy that Emily had left because she had felt more secure with her there. Just then, Sonny got a call from Sam telling her about Manny. He asked Alexis if she could watch the kids while he went to the hospital. Alexis agreed but didn't realize what she was in for.
Alexis finally got Morgan to sleep, but then Michael wouldn't turn down the video games he was playing with the bodyguards. She called Jax to help her take the kids to Kelly's. They ran into Courtney and Nikolas there. Courtney walked over and attempted to apologize to Jax, but he didn't want to hear it. He was furious that she would risk their baby for another paternity test just so she could be with her prince.
Nikolas walked over and tried to break up the argument as it grew increasingly loud. Even Max commented that there were children there, and they needed to lower their voices. He threatened her and told her she would pay the price if she didn't stop risking their child's life. Michael finally stood on a table and told them to take it outside. When they left, Jax told Nikolas that Courtney was his wife, and she was pregnant with his baby, so he needed to butt out.
Emily overheard Carly talking to Jason about how Sonny and she were in love. Carly welcomed her in and told her to tell her brother how she was in love with Sonny. Fortunately, Lainey walked in and told Carly it was time to go back to Rose Lawn. Emily was relieved and told Jason that she had moved out of Sonny's house. She told Jason he was right. She could fall in love with Sonny, and she thought she had already started.
Emily explained to Jason that Sonny didn't need her and vice versa. With Nikolas, he was always there to save her. She'd been there for Sonny just as much as he had been there for her. Jason told her that Sonny wouldn't change. There was no way she wouldn't get hurt. He asked her to walk away from Sonny.
Lucky was surprised to see Liz at the hospital when he escorted Manny there. Liz explained that she had been called back in. Lucky didn't want her there while Manny was there. It was too dangerous. She told him she didn't complain about the danger in his job, so he shouldn't complain about her job. She went to help patch up Dillon with Georgie watching. He made a joke about dodging a bullet, and both Georgie and Liz groaned.
Dillon was very unhappy when he learned he would have to stay in the hospital overnight. Georgie told him to stop making jokes and mentioned how grateful he should be that Diego had saved their lives. Dillon was surprised that she would continue to side with Diego because he was the reason why they were in the hospital. Georgie erupted at him and told him she couldn't believe he could have so little compassion.
Carly called to check on the boys and found out that Sonny had asked Emily to leave. She found Sonny at the hospital and verified the information. She was confident it was a sign that he really was falling in love with Emily. He pulled her into the chapel. He asked her, "What isn't there to fall in love with about Emily?" She was compassionate and didn't lie to his face every time he turned around. Little did he know, Emily was at the door, listening.
Sonny told Carly she needed a hobby and should take up knitting. Emily got fed up listening to the arguments and left. Sonny then told Carly she needed to get back to Rose Lawn, and he left. As Carly and Lainey got into the elevator, they saw Emily. Lainey got off, let Emily get on the elevator, and told Carly to deal with a real-life problem with a real-life person. Emily asked Carly why she cared if she loved Sonny, since Carly was supposed to be over him. Carly stopped the elevator.
Sam vented to Jason about the doctors trying to save Manny. He wondered how they could save him just so he could be put to death. Noah interrupted and walked in to argue with Sam and Jason about his recovery. He was not taking it easy enough, and if he didn't start, his problems would return. He told Jason he could either take a sedative or be strapped down again. Before he left, he took some of their Chinese dinner and gave Jason the pills.
Sam decided to go find Manny in the operating room. He was getting ready for surgery, and she walked in wearing scrubs. She told him she was going to get him back for everything he'd ever done to her. She grabbed a blanket and prepared to suffocate him. Jason walked in before she could kill him, though. Meanwhile, Sonny went into the prep room and attempted to bribe Patrick into killing Manny. Patrick told him he couldn't be bought, and Robin entered and agreed.
Maxie found Georgie outside Kelly's and apologized for her behavior toward Diego. He had saved Georgie's life, and maybe even hers. She forgot how special her sister was. They hugged and made up.
Sonny made an offer to Patrick for something to happen to Manny while he was on the operating table. Robin stepped in and told Sonny that they were in the business of savings lives, not taking them. Sonny tried to excuse her, but she wouldn't leave. She told Sonny that she believed Manny should be punished -- but by the justice system. After Sonny left, Patrick told her she'd wasted her breath because he never would have blemished his record with a murder.
Jax and Nikolas took their argument outside Kelly's. Jax wanted Nikolas to leave his pregnant wife alone, but Nikolas pointed out that the wife part was just a technicality of Jax not signing the papers. Alexis asked Max and his sidekicks to help out and split up the fight outside between the two men. Max started to protest that they were just there to protect the kids, but Michael stepped up and told him to do what Alexis said. They went outside and separated the two men. While they were busy, though, Michael convinced the waitress to take back the vegetables she'd served him and return with French fries.
Alexis and Jax went back inside, and Alexis tried to straighten out Jax. He was still upset that Courtney would take risks with his child by putting the baby through another unnecessary DNA test. Meanwhile, Nikolas was asking Courtney if Jax was succeeding in bullying her into going back to him.
While stuck in the elevator, Carly told Emily that by falling in love with Sonny, she would hurt her brother. She asked how she could make him choose between his best friend and his little sister. Emily was appalled that she would involve Jason after he was recovering from brain surgery. Carly pointed out that Jason would only be caught in the middle. She asked Emily if she was that selfish to put Jason in that situation. Emily was fed up, but before Carly restarted the elevator, she told Emily to make the right decision because she always had in the past.
Jason stopped Sam from killing Manny. Manny yelled out that he should allow Sam to do what he was too weak to do. When they got outside the operating room, Jason explained that Sam would be caught if she killed him there in the hospital. Manny would succeed in taking her away from him if she was arrested for murdering him. They got back to Jason's room and met Sonny there. Sonny told them how he'd tried to arrange with Patrick for Manny to die, but Robin had ridden in on her high horse and wouldn't let any deal take place.
Max interrupted Sonny, calling to say Sonny was needed to help wrangle the boys at Kelly's. As he was waiting for the elevator, Carly and Emily got off another elevator. Carly realized that Sonny was going to see the boys. Carly thought something was wrong, so she told Lainey she was going to see her boys, no matter what. In the elevator, Carly mentioned how furious she was that Sonny would leave the boys with Alexis. Sonny pointed out that he had no one else, and if she wanted to point the finger at anyone, it should be at herself. Lainey was fed up with Carly's lack of treatment, but Emily told her that was as sane as Carly got.
Meanwhile, Lucky was visiting Jason and Sam in Jason's hospital room. He was there to tell Jason that Durant was going to arrest Jason if Manny died during surgery. Sam was furious that he thought Jason could have anything to do with a brain surgery, but Lucky reminded them both that Jason could have anyone dead whenever he wanted if he just called the right people. Lucky told them that he thought Manny deserved whatever punishment he got, and he didn't particularly care for Durant, either. He was going to leave, but Jason could make other arrangements. Jason made a point of telling him that he had no plans.
Robin and Patrick entered the operating room, where Patrick explained what was wrong with Manny. He told Manny he thought he could fix it, though. Manny was upset that Robin would be in the operating room because he didn't trust her. She wanted him dead just like everyone else. Patrick said he was wrong, because she was the only person besides him who felt his life should be saved.
Patrick and Robin began the surgery, and Robin had a suggestion to make Manny's recovery easier. Patrick didn't take it, though, and Manny's blood pressure started to fall. Robin kept telling Patrick to hurry up, but he was able to complete the surgery in its entirety. After the surgery, Robin went to tell Jason and Sam that Manny's surgery was over. They would have to wait to see what the results were until he woke up. Jason warned Robin that if she went in to check on him, she should make sure she had someone with her. Manny was known for preying on women who were alone.
Ric stopped in the hospital and chatted briefly with Liz. She asked how fatherhood was, and he explained how his life had changed since having Molly. He talked to her about how a few months earlier, he and Alexis had split up because of their disagreement over Sonny. The train wreck changed all that, though. He apologized for the way he behaved at her wedding and told her she was a beautiful bride. Liz thanked him and told him she would always cherish their relationship and the memories they had together.
Ric left and went to talk to Jason. He was finishing up his work for Sonny and needed Jason's signatures on a few agreements. Jason took a look and told Ric he would have to have Justice look over them first. He wouldn't sign anything without reading it first, especially if Ric gave it to him. Ric attempted to apologize for his past behavior, but Jason said when he saw Ric, all he saw was Carly chained to a wall. Ric gave up and left.
Back at Kelly's, Jax told Courtney he would get a court order to prevent her from doing any more frivolous tests. Courtney couldn't believe Jax thought those tests were frivolous, and she told him she would never jeopardize her baby. Alexis tried to step in again, but Jax and Nikolas both jumped on her with her treatment of Sonny in regards to his fatherhood to Kristina. Unfortunately, Carly walked in just as Alexis was defending Jax as being a legitimate businessman. She said that Sonny, on the other hand, was a mobster who kept breaking up and getting back together with a lunatic. Carly, in turn, called Alexis a split personality nut case.
Jax decided it was time to leave, while Nikolas walked Courtney home. Alexis asked to speak with Sonny outside and asked him to please keep Kristina away from Carly. Carly also overheard that and told Alexis that she was getting better, and Alexis shouldn't worry. Alexis was familiar with the way Carly had been before she'd lost her mind and wasn't that impressed. Alexis then went on to tell both Sonny and Carly that Michael and Morgan were both overindulged children, while Carly told Alexis that Kristina was so overprotected, she couldn't breathe without asking permission. Sonny noticed the children were watching, so they all stopped the arguing and went inside to comfort the kids.
Michael tried to get Carly to go home with them, but Sonny stepped in and said that Carly had to go back to Rose Lawn. Max went to take her back, and Carly attempted to bribe him into taking her to the Metro Court. Max wasn't deterred and just told the driver to speed it up.
When Sonny and the boys returned home, he told Michael and Morgan to start cleaning up. Michael backtalked and told Sonny how upset he was that he kept Carly at Rose Lawn when she hated it there. He'd made Carly leave then he'd kicked Emily out. Emily stepped in and told Michael that she'd left because she'd needed to get back to her own life. She told Michael that he owed his father an apology. She might not live there anymore, but she'd still be around, like she was that day, to see them.
The boys went up to bed, and Sonny explained that Carly would be getting the boys for Christmas. He'd be all alone for Christmas. Emily decided it was time to leave.
Back at Rose Lawn, Lainey attempted to step down from being Carly's therapist. The doctor didn't allow it, though. Carly had trust in Lainey, and while some things might change, Lainey's therapy would not. When Carly returned, she learned that her privileges to the outside world had been cut off. The staff had packed up her computer so she could focus on getting better. She wouldn't be allowed to go home for Christmas, either.
Ric entered Kelly's and tried to calm down Alexis. She was all in a tizzy because Michael had given Kristina a video game that Alexis didn't approve of. Ric was finally able to get Alexis to realize she was overreacting a bit. Just as Alexis saw the light, Kristina said, "Bang, bang," after playing her video game.
Sam and Jason watched Patrick speak in a television news conference about Manny's surgery. Patrick said that Manny's aggression had been caused by the brain problems that Patrick had just operated on, and he was no longer a danger to society. Meanwhile, Robin and Lucky went in to check on Manny. She asked if he remembered the surgery, and he said he did remember. He also apologized to her.
At General Hospital, Manny seemed truly remorseful for his crimes, but Dara wanted him transferred to the infirmary posthaste. Patrick and Robin both felt he didn't belong in prison; his crimes had been due to his tumor, but Dara was not at all moved.
Ric arrived home, where his wife, with long hair, sporting tight blue jeans and a fiery red turtleneck sweater, was anxious to go chop down a Christmas tree. Ric was still against continuing the "tradition," but Alexis insisted and even promised not to whine or complain. Just then, Dara arrived with bad news -- Alexis had been appointed to represent Manny. The stunned attorney mentioned the conflict of interest involved, but according to Dara, both John and a judge -- whom Alexis had once called a "fossilized blowhard" -- thought she could be objective.
Alexis made tracks to GH, where she lit into Manny in an attempt to get him to drop her as his counsel. But he wouldn't. After listening to him, Alexis learned from the doctors that it was the tumor that had made Ruiz the violent man he was -- and she decided to fight for him.
At Kelly's, Jax apologized to Courtney and Nikolas for his part in the fight. Nikolas accepted, warily. Minutes later, Nikolas got a call that he was needed in Europe immediately to handle a business matter; he reluctantly agreed to go. Jax overheard the discussion from the counter and seemed intrigued.
At Rose Lawn, Carly forcefully declared to Lainey and Dr. Kim that she would be spending Christmas with her sons, and they could not stop her. Kim said that while he couldn't stop her from leaving, he would put out a restraining order to keep her away from Sonny's if she did. As an incensed Carly followed him out, she accidentally knocked down a Christmas tree, which only supported Kim and Lainey's beliefs that she was not fully healed and still had emotional issues to resolve.
Still very, very angry, Carly first informed Sonny of the news, then Courtney when she stopped by to visit. Carly asked her friend to fill in for her on Christmas Day, but Courtney had plans with Nikolas. Carly and Lainey argued some more, neither woman changing the other's position whatsoever. When Lainey mentioned Emily's name, Carly went off in a bitter, jealous rant, laying out all the reasons her kids would want Emily as a mother over herself -- "Emily can sew!" among others.
Justus stopped by Sonny's to get a couple of signatures. He complimented all the dressings, which gave Sonny a chance to inquire about Emily as he credited her work. The conversation turned to Justus, who practically blushed when Sonny asked if he "likes" Lainey. The two men shook hands and wished each other a happy holiday; they had come a long way from the whole Faith/gunpoint-in-a-cave debacle.
At the Quartermaine home, Tracy berated Lulu for having the audacity to touch the family cars. Emily stepped up to her step-cousin's rescue and suggested Tracy try a kinder approach when dealing with her. Just then, Dillon stormed in, and he was not at all happy -- it seemed his college fees had gone unpaid, and he'd been evicted from the dorm. Tracy admitted she had deliberately cut him off because he was needed at home to corral Lulu. Dillon's protests fell upon deaf ears -- he was stuck at the asylum, at least for the interim.
A little while later, Nikolas arrived to drop off his sister's Christmas gift, since he was going out of town. The two shared loving words about their ill mother as a touched Emily looked on. Opening the box early, Lulu found it was a diamond necklace; she was especially happy to receive the gift on Laura's birthday.
Michael soon learned from his father that Carly wasn't returning home, so he set off to pick up a "special present." With help from Max, the boy went to the Quartermaines' home, blowing right past his cousin Lulu without so much as a "hi" and beelining to Aunt Emily.
Courtney arrived at her brother's to ask if she -- and Nikolas -- were welcome for Christmas, but the mob boss refused to have Nikolas in his house at all. Next, Michael returned with his present: Emily, who seemed absolutely elated to be there. As the Corinthoses and Emily set up their new tree, Courtney sadly slinked out, completely unnoticed by her family. She chatted briefly with Nikolas back at Kelly's, and they didn't see Jax outside, making a secret, expensive deal with someone over the phone.
Sonny, his sons, and Emily gathered around their new tree while the "replaced" Carly was alone, resigned to memories.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"I like the snow. I just don't like being cold." -- Alexis to Ric, who is reminding her of all the reasons they shouldn't chop down their own Christmas tree.
Georgie freaked out a little when she found Dillon hanging by a noose in the front atrium at the Quartermaine mansion. She told him that what he was doing was very dangerous. He assured her he was just doing it to drive his mother crazy so she would let him move back into his dorm at college. He showed her that he was attached to a harness and that he was not in any danger of strangling himself.
Georgie pointed out to Dillon that he was hanging near the mistletoe. She got up on a chair to kiss him while Lulu descended the stairs. She ignored them to leave. Georgie noticed her and said she had something for Lulu to wear for the General Hospital Christmas party, an elf costume. Lulu ran up to her room to escape Georgie.
Later, Tracy went downstairs and told Dillon that he could go to Georgie's house on Christmas Eve, but he would be spending Christmas Day at the house with his family. She totally ignored the fact that Dillon was hanging from a noose. Alan and Monica arrived at home and overheard Georgie and Tracy arguing with Lulu when she refused to put on the elf costume to help with the children at the hospital Christmas party.
Luke arrived at home, and Tracy told him that he was going to make Lulu wear the costume and help at the party, since the family always helped out at the Christmas party for the child patients. Luke told Lulu it was her choice. Lulu said no to wearing the costume. Skye was also there. Alan and Monica tried to shame Lulu into wearing the costume, but Lulu still refused to put it on. Georgie got upset with her, also, and said that she would have to return the costume to her Aunt Bobbie herself and explain to her why she wouldn't help with the children at the party.
Later, Skye talked to Luke about drinking too much again to try to numb the pain of Laura's birthday and Christmas. Luke told her he wasn't so sure he wanted to forget the memories he had. He told Skye about when he'd first met Laura. He told her that Laura had been dressed as an elf at the General Hospital Christmas party, and he had been there to visit his sister Bobbie and had seen Laura and thought she was beautiful. He said that Laura has always loved Christmas and would decorate anything she saw, even a rock.
While standing in the doorway, Lulu overheard Luke talking about memories of her mother. Later, Luke was surprised when Lulu entered the room, dressed as an elf for the Christmas party. He told her she reminded him of her mother.
Courtney took a Christmas present over to Kelly's for Mike. She told him she was delivering presents early and planned to spend Christmas with Nikolas once he got back from Europe.
Meanwhile, Jax made a mysterious call about wiring money to someone. Skye found him drinking early in the day in the front lobby of the hotel. She told him it was a little early for him to be drinking. Jax said he wished Courtney would realize that Nikolas wasn't right for her and that he would eventually go back to Emily; he thought that Courtney should be with him so they could raise their baby together. Skye pointed out to him that he had been acting like a jerk lately concerning Courtney and the baby. She suggested that he needed to be less controlling toward Courtney and remind her of what a nice man he really was and why she'd fallen in love with him to begin with.
Meanwhile, Courtney received a call from Nikolas that he wouldn't be able to be home in time for Christmas because there was something wrong with his private jet and he couldn't get a commercial flight back home because it was booked due to the holiday. Mike suggested she spend the holiday at Sonny's house then. Courtney told Mike that she and Sonny had been arguing about Nikolas lately, and she didn't feel comfortable going to Sonny's for Christmas when Emily would be there. Mike invited her to spend the holiday with him, and she accepted. Emily and Michael showed up to pick up a care package for Jason. Emily cringed a little when Courtney's cell phone went off and it was Nikolas calling her.
Later, Jax showed up at Courtney's, appearing drunk. He told her he hadn't driven and had been wandering around the streets. She invited him inside her apartment. Jax told her that he still loved her, and he'd been stupid to let his pride get in the way of things and to let her leave him for Nikolas. Jax said he would be leaving, since Nikolas would probably be showing up soon to spend Christmas with her.
Courtney told Jax that Nikolas wouldn't be able to make it back in time for Christmas. Courtney allowed him to lie on the couch while she got him a blanket from the other room. While she went in the other room, he got his cell phone out and seemed disturbed by a message on it. Courtney entered the room and suspected he wasn't as drunk as he had let on. She confronted him about it.
Alexis and Ric argued about her promise to go out and cut a Christmas tree down them for in the forest. She was busy on her laptop and asked him to go out with Kristina while she worked on Manny's defense. Ric grumbled about it, since it was her idea. He told Kristina that they were doing it because the last year, when her Mommy and he had done the same thing, it had turned out they'd had a happy ending when they'd realized they were in love. He got out of the car and took Kristina out to find a tree. Alexis talked to someone on her cell phone about researching cases that were similar to the case concerning Manny.
Ric and Kristina returned with a little pine tree. Alexis commented on how small it was and reminded Kristina that she had asked for a big tree for their home. Alexis suggested donating the little tree to the children at the hospital and made Ric go out with Kristina to find a big tree for them while she changed and fed baby Molly. Ric and Kristina returned with a big tree. Ric told Alexis he was going to back the car up a little, and they would put the tree up on top of the car and tie it up. Ric went to turn the key to the ignition, and the car wouldn't start. Ric asked Alexis if she had used the laptop the whole time they'd been looking for a tree and also if she'd hooked her cell phone up to the car battery, as well. Alexis told him she had. He told her that she had just killed the car battery.
Alexis and Ric tied the tree to the car while they waited for a tow truck. A park ranger showed up, and they asked him to give their car a jumpstart. He asked them if they'd gotten the tree from the forest. They told him they had. The park ranger told them he was fining them $500 for chopping down the trees and that they were in a state forest, where it was illegal to chop down trees. Kristina told the park ranger that the tree was for the sick children at the hospital. The park ranger was charmed by the innocent look on Kristina's face; he agreed not to fine them for the trees and to jumpstart their car, as well.
Meanwhile, Sam found Jason getting restless in his hospital room. She told him she would just have to distract him by any means necessary to keep him in bed. She kissed him just as Robin walked in the room. Robin apologized for disturbing them, but she needed to ask Jason for his help. She explained to Sam and Jason about Manny's surgery and how he seemed like a totally different person after it. She said that when they'd been operating on him, they'd found that the problems he'd been having had been on the part of the brain that dealt with aggression.
Robin told Sam and Jason that a case could be made that Manny had not been responsible for the crimes he'd committed before the surgery. Sam didn't believe that Manny could be a different person than he had been before the surgery. Robin pointed out that Jason Quartermaine had been a totally different person before his accident. Sam pointed out that Jason had never been a psychotic and demented person out to hurt other people, including all of them, either. Robin asked him to consider seeing Manny in person for her to get a read on whether he was different or faking it.
Later, Emily showed up with Michael to deliver a box of cookies for Jason from Mike. Michael thought Jason would be released from the hospital in time for Christmas. Jason and Sam told him that Jason wouldn't be able to be home for Christmas that year because his doctors thought it was too soon and that he needed to stay there so nothing bad happened. Michael mentioned how disappointed he was because Carly couldn't go home for Christmas, either. Emily explained to them that Carly's doctors thought it was too soon for her to return home yet.
Jason told Michael that he needed to show Morgan he was having a good time, since he looked up to Michael as his big brother and asked him to help Morgan with his toys. Michael agreed to help Morgan, who didn't understand why Carly couldn't return home. Later, Emily showed up at Rose Lawn to speak to Carly's doctor. She told him that he needed to release Carly so she could spend Christmas with her boys and that she thought Carly was ready to do that.
Dara Jensen showed up later to see Sam and Jason to go over their testimony at Manny's trial. She told them that Durant wanted to make sure their testimony was solid because Manny was being represented by Alexis, who would be a tough person to beat. Sam and Jason couldn't believe Alexis would defend Manny, since she'd almost lost her baby after the train wreck. Dara told them that Alexis saw it as a high-profile case that she wanted to win.
Sam confronted Alexis about defending Manny. Alexis explained to her that she hadn't asked to defend Manny; she had been appointed by the judge to do it. Sam pointed out that she would still be defending him and would want to get him off as proof that she could help get any guilty person off. Alexis didn't know what to tell her. Alexis met with Manny and told him that there had been cases similar to his and that she could get him a not guilty verdict; then, he would be free to start his life over again.
Robin walked with Jason to Manny's room. Robin told Jason that she didn't know whether to believe Manny was changed or not and needed him to see him for himself, since he was good at telling if someone was lying or not. Robin went into Manny's room and told him he had a visitor. Jason entered the room a little. Manny looked at Jason and seemed scared of him. He told Jason that he was sorry for what he'd done to Jason. Jason looked at him and wondered if he was for real or not.
At Rose Lawn, Carly took a stroll and happened upon none other than Emily conversing with Dr. Kim. Naturally assuming Emily was plotting against her, she was surprised to find that Emily was pleading Carly's case to the doctor. Emily explained how good a mother Carly was and how badly her kids needed her.
At General Hospital, Sam was livid to learn Alexis was representing Manny, the man who had shot Jason in the leg and was responsible for the crash that had nearly taken Molly's life before it began. Alexis' attempt to justify her acts by comparing Manny's situation to Jason's did nothing to cool Sam down.
At a restaurant, Justus spied on Lainey enjoying a meal with an older gentleman. When she stepped away, Justus confronted Lainey's "date," who revealed himself to be her father. When she returned, she was not happy that Justus had followed her and insisted he leave. As he left, he overheard Mr. Winters asking Lainey, "Who are you?" She eventually blasted Justus for following her and admitted her father suffered from Alzheimer's. She was about to blast him all over again when she dropped off her dad at his care home and found Justus waiting for her. But Justus just wanted to apologize, and Lainey opened up about the brilliant lawyer her father had once been.
Liz and Lucky enjoyed a peaceful night at home, despite Cameron's flu; Lucky eventually put his wife to sleep with a Christmas poem. At Courtney's loft, Jax continued to pledge his love to his wife -- until Nikolas called with love of his own for her, and a request that she open his gift early. But when Jax tried to "call a cab," Courtney insisted he stay put until he sobered up. Just then, her baby moved inside her, and she allowed Jax to feel for himself.
The Quartermaine, Scorpio, Lansing, and Corinthos clans gathered at General Hospital for holiday festivities, and Audrey, Edward, and Ned were there. Patrick wondered what Robin would look like in an elf costume. In full Santa gear, Noah appeared at the hospital to distribute gifts -- but not before getting sloshed in the elevator. Patrick informed Robin that that was how he'd celebrated every Christmas since Patrick's mother had died. Michael asked "Santa" to bring his mom home for Christmas -- and soon Carly appeared. Alan continued his annual Christmas reading, and received not-so-annual praise from Jason.
Patrick eventually asked his drunken father to leave; in private, the elder Drake let his son know how proud of him he was then listened ashamedly as Patrick recalled a not-so-jolly Christmas of yesteryear. Carly took the boys -- without Sonny -- to her new house, where Max delivered their Christmas tree. After the GH reading, Sonny returned home and received a hand-delivered present from Emily, fresh from visiting her "dysfunctional yet cheerful" family.
As the episode closed, there was a montage of Bobbie hugging Lucas, Brook Lynn hugging Ned, Skye hugging Alan, Liz and Lucky lost in each other's arms, and Ric and Alexis smooching. Edward and Audrey hung photos of their late loves, Lila and Steve.
Tracy tapped Monica on the shoulder. Monica was stunned to see Tracy handing her a gift. Saying nothing, and temporarily forgetting their history, the two smiled uneasily and began to embrace. Suddenly, they both snapped out of it before any physical contact was made and headed off in opposite directions.
