Luke: Has Scott Baldwin notified you of his asinine petition he filed to try and get guardianship of Laura?
Lainey: This morning -- right after he saw Laura.
Luke: Okay, well, I want him barred from any contact with her. He doesn't visit, he doesn't call in for updates -- nada.
Lainey: This is a legal matter, and until it's resolved, Shadybrook can't limit his access.
Luke: Well, he has no legal grounds to be in contact with Laura.
Lainey: I'm sorry, Mr. Spencer, but neither do you.
Nikolas: So the paperwork on your new Visa can't be completed until you establish residency in France. I suggest you go to Paris yourself and apply in person if you'd like to expedite the process.
James: And leave you to fend for yourself? That hardly seems fair, doesn't it?
Nikolas: I'll survive. Just leave me with an adequate supply of the counteragent, thank you.
James: Oh, so Dr. Scorpio could try and reverse-engineer it while I'm gone?
Nikolas: You said that wasn't possible.
James: It's not.
Nikolas: Well, then I don't see the problem. Why would she waste her time if that wasn't actually possible?
James: Oh, hello.
Alexis: Hi. Is this a bad time?
James: No, no, no, we were discussing some tedious but necessary details about our business deal. Actually, it's time for me to take a break. Enjoy your visit with your aunt.
Alexis: Actually, I'm here to see you.
James: Oh, really?
Alexis: I wanted to thank you for your help.
Nikolas: What -- what help?
James: Oh, did I fail to mention that I saved your aunt's life?
Lainey: When Laura committed herself, she named Nikolas as her legal guardian.
Luke: I thought Baldwin was lying.
Lainey: It's clearly indicated on her patient form, written in her own handwriting.
Luke: I didn't pay attention to what she was writing. I just assumed that she would want me to make any decisions for her.
Lainey: Maybe she was trying to spare you.
Luke: What about Lucky and Lulu?
Lainey: Laura's three children were named joint custodians the first time she was admitted as a patient, but when she returned in November, she indicated that Nikolas should be solely responsible for her care.
Luke: No, no -- she was already starting to slip away again. She had no idea what she was signing here.
Lainey: Laura made a conscious choice to exclude not only you, but also Lucky and Lulu from her guardianship. Laura wanted Nikolas and no one else to make decisions for her, and the hospital has to honor those wishes.
A small piece of dialogue is missing from Patrick assessing Sonny and Robin walking in.
Sonny: What -- what was that about?
Robin: Um -- Patrick and I broke up. He's having a hard time realizing that it's really over.
Sonny: You sure that it is?
Robin: Yeah, I'm -- uh -- I'm with Nikolas now. There's nothing that Patrick can say or do to change that, and I wish he would just accept it.
Sonny: You're with Nikolas now? Hmm. Well, sometimes it's a lot harder than you think.
Jax: We need to talk.
Sonny: What about?
Jax: Your divorce from Carly.
Alexis: Mr. Brosnan is exaggerating -- he didn't actually save my life. It's -- it's --
James: Well, your aunt was suffering from dehydration. Had I not taken her to the hospital, it's very likely she would've passed out or something much more serious.
Alexis: That's a bit over the top, don't you think?
James: No.
Alexis: Well, no point in debating a hypothetical. I just really want to thank you for putting Kristina at ease while I was with Dr. Trent.
James: Oh, yes, I taught Kristina a card game to pass the time, you know.
Nikolas: Oh.
Alexis: Chemin de Fer. Kristina was very impressed. She didn't know what she liked more -- his ability to deal with the cards, or his ability to use all these different voices. What an unusual talent.
James: Well, you know, I was trying to take Kristina's mind off your illness.
Alexis: You did a wonderful job --
James: Thank you.
Alexis: And apparently you think so, too. I do, though. I appreciate it. I appreciate everything that you did to put Kristina at ease.
James: And how is her mother feeling?
Nikolas: Better, obviously, but -- but no need to push. So why don't you go home and rest while he and I finish up, and I'll come by later.
Scott: Well, put on your best suit, Nikolas. I'm taking you to court to get guardianship of your mother.
Tracy: The best thing that Luke can do is let Laura go and move on with his life, or at the very least, let Nikolas be the one to fight it out in court with Scott.
Alan: That would be a sensible choice, but I have never known Luke to be particularly sensible, especially when it comes to Laura.
Tracy: Sometimes I wonder why I bother.
Alan: Why? Because you love the guy. You've been waiting for him your entire life. I mean, he's the one guy who can give you a run for your money. With all his faults, Tracy, you're never going to leave him. And when I think of all the times you criticized me for staying with Monica --
Tracy: Oh, please! Don't compare Monica to Luke.
Alan: Really? He cheats on you, she cheated on me. He steals your money, she threw me out of the house that I gave he rocks your world, Tracy, just like Monica rocked mine. It's poetic justice.
Tracy: Bad day?
Luke: When Laura readmitted herself to Shadybrook, she didn't want me as her guardian. She named Nikolas.
Tracy: I know.
Luke: How long have you known that Laura chose Nikolas over me as her guardian?
Tracy: When she relapsed and you took off, I went up to Shadybrook to make sure all the necessary arrangements had been made, and I was told by the staff that anything regarding Laura's care would have to be run through Nikolas, as she had appointed him her guardian.
Luke: And you didn't think I might be interested in this information?
Tracy: Well, it was a nonissue until Scott Baldwin showed up.
Luke: I don't get it. Why would she do this? We were so close before she slipped away. Why would she choose Nikolas over me?
Tracy: Because she wanted to leave you with the memories of who she was as a woman, not the patient you were going to have to take care of.
Luke: How do you know?
Tracy: Because that's what I would do. Laura and I are nothing alike, but any woman would want to save herself the indignity of that and save the man she loves that pain.
Luke: Well, it doesn't matter what her intentions were, I'm the one that has to protect her from Baldwin.
Scott: As soon as you sign over guardianship of your mother, you can get back to talking to your aunt and -- who's he?
James: "He" is Mr. James Brosnan, a business associate of Mr. Cassadine'S. And since this is obviously a personal matter, I should be going.
Scott: No, don't bother. This won't take long, just a signature here.
Alexis: Put it away, he's not signing anything.
Scott: Well, fine, I'll see you two in court. I've already petitioned for guardianship.
Alexis: On what grounds?
Scott: On the -- he's not taking care of his mother.
Alexis: He has sent for specialists from all over the world to ensure his mother gets state-of-the-art treatment.
Scott: Well, that's -- it's all useless as long as Luke comes and goes whenever he wants.
Nikolas: Laura loves Luke, she trusts him, that's why.
Scott: He tricked her into this phony wedding and you didn't lift a finger to stop it. Obviously you don't have your mother's best interests at heart here.
Alexis: No judge is going to transfer Laura's guardianship from her son over to a man she was married to decades ago. It's absurd, you're absurd, and you're not going to win.
Scott: Sign it, or you're going to lose more than you bargained for here.
Robin: Listen, I don't expect or want you to leave town.
Patrick: No, you just want me to go on like nothing happened.
Robin: I just want you to act professional when we're at the hospital.
Patrick: Having the lab run a priority test for somebody who isn't a patient -- that's -- that's not professional.
Epiphany: If you two care so much about what happens to these patients in this hospital, why don't you both go back to work?
Patrick: That'll be a lot easier if Dr. Scorpio would stop questioning every decision I make.
Robin: Oh, please -- you and I both know there's no reason to keep sonny in the hospital. You're just doing it to get a rise out of me.
Epiphany: Look, I don't have time to be tripping all over your relationship drama. So, both of you, take it elsewhere. Now!
Robin: Fine. You're making this a lot more difficult than it has to be. Workplace relationships end all the time.
Patrick: This wasn't a "workplace relationship."
Robin sighs.
Patrick: This was "I love you forever" one day, and "I'm moving in with Nikolas" the next.
Robin: We've been over this. I shouldn't have to explain myself over and over again.
Patrick: You're not explaining anything, you're lying to me and I can see it. So why don't you cut the crap and tell me what's going on at Wyndemere?
James: I'm sympathetic to your family's difficulties, of course, but our business deal can't wait.
Alexis: Clearly, you've had your sensitive moment for the year -- when you stayed with my daughter.
Nikolas: Yeah, he -- he's right. We do need to get back to work, and you need your rest, so --
Alexis: Fine, I will go. But at some point, you and I are going to talk. And in the meantime, I will handle Scotty Baldwin.
Nikolas: Alexis, I can hire another attorney to protect the guardianship, okay?
Alexis: I'm perfectly capable of drafting a counter complaint.
Nikolas: Yeah, but more stress is all you need right now, so --
James: Maybe you should let your aunt argue the case. If she passes out during the middle of the proceedings, it may elicit sympathy from the judge.
Alexis: I was dehydrated, that's it.
Nikolas: Concentrate on getting well, I can handle Baldwin.
Alexis: Which is the least of your problems, because when Luke finds out that Laura made you her guardian and not him, that's not going to be pretty, and I would be happy to run interference, I always -- all right, fine.
Nikolas: I'll let you know. Thank you. What the hell were you thinking going to her house?
James: Why aren't you thanking me? I mean, can you imagine what would've happened if poor little Kristina had wandered in and found her mother lying face down on the floor?
Nikolas: Okay. This won't work for either one of us as long as you stay here.
James: Do you have an alternative?
Nikolas: I do. I have several accounts set up for your new identity. I'll have 60 million transferred by the end of the day. All you have to do is leave here for good.
Tracy: Don't even think of it.
Scott: What are you going to do, end our battle over Laura by smothering her with a pillow?
Tracy: No, actually I'm here to tell the staff you're not to come within 10 feet of her.
Scott: Why would you do that? You'd think this would make you happy, you'd be pleased that I'm taking Laura off of Luke's hands -- and yours.
Tracy: Let me explain this in terms simple enough for you to grasp. I am Mrs. Luke Spencer. If Luke doesn't want you near Laura, I don't want you near Laura.
Nikolas: Look, you're well on your way to having a new identity. You don't need me anymore to complete the arrangements. Just take the money and go.
James: And why would I want to do that?
Nikolas: I need to focus all my time and energy on this legal battle over my mother. I can't be distracted with some -- me vague business deal that could raise suspicion.
James: Very persuasive. But our current arrangements suit me fine.
Luke: We have to talk about your mother.
Phone rings.
Epiphany: Seventh-floor nurses' station? Well, you'll have to leave a message. Dr. Drake is in the middle of a very important consultation and he can't be disturbed right now.
Robin: God, has your ego gotten that out of control that you can't believe that I -- or any woman, for that matter -- wouldn't want to be with you?
Patrick: Twist this around any way you like, but I know you're not telling me the truth.
Robin: No, no, just stop with your conspiracy theories, okay? Because just because it's difficult for you to accept that Nikolas and I are together, it doesn't mean that it's not --
Patrick: Robin, this is not about me being jealous.
Robin: Of course it is.
Patrick: Okay, do I hate the thought of you sleeping with Nikolas? Absolutely. But you know what really kills me? I have to stand here and watch you lie to my face. I don't believe that after everything we've been through, you don't trust me enough to tell me the truth.
Robin: Do you think that I want it to be like this?