Elizabeth Spots Esme Right Before Nikolas Recaptures Her — and Joss Comes to Dex’s Rescue Again

Nina and Ava have a night out at the Port Charles Grill. They toast to being roommates, Ava’s freedom, and Nina finding love with Sonny. Nina admits she’s tested the limits with Sonny lately by butting into other people’s matters. Nina tells her about Willow and TJ always whispering with one another, and Ava knows she couldn’t wait to stir that pot with Michael.

Nina admits she maybe have gotten things wrong, so Ava suggests she go to Willow and apologize for misjudging her. Nina downs her martini and decides to do just that. Ava tells her good luck, and they high-five one another.

Outside, Nina passes Victor. She departs, and Victor looks in and sees Ava alone. He makes a call for an update on his son and Anna.

Victor heads inside and joins Ava at her table. He tells her just because she and Nikolas are divorcing, it doesn’t mean they have to be enemies. Ava thinks he should be searching for Lucy instead of meddling in her love life. He says he longs for Lucy but seeing her eases the pain.

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Joss calls Cam from Michael and Willow’s having just put Wiley to sleep. Cam tells her that once he’s done at Kelly’s he can head over to her and help her babysit. As Joss gets back to studying, someone lurks outside the window. Joss eventually hears something and thinks it may be Annabelle II, only to find Dex outside bleeding from the gunshot to his stomach.

Joss brings him inside and finds he’s been shot. She asks why she shouldn’t call the cops. He responds, “Because I’m asking you not to.” Joss gets a medical kit of Willow’s, but Dex insists he can sew himself up. She refuses to allow him to do that.

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Joss cuts off his shirt and warns him she’s never done this before. She needs him to stand to get a better angle and gets him a chair to lean on. She distracts him with discussion to keep him alert as she sews him up.

Dex rests, and Joss gets him one of Michael’s shirts and helps him dress. As she helps him slip into it they draw close, close enough to kiss. Dex pulls away and insists he can finish buttoning the shirt himself. She gathers the bloody rags to figure out what to do with them.

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At Kelly’s, Cam finds Heather in the dining area and tells her the kitchen is closed. He quickly recognizes her as Franco’s mom. Heather remembers him, and how he used to play with Emma and that obnoxious Spencer. She tells him that she would love one of Kelly’s famous BLTs.

Cam brings her a BLT and fries, and she digs in. She tells him how proud Franco was of him and his brothers. Cam asks what she’s doing here. She explains she is on a field trip. She asks for a soda, so he heads to the kitchen. Once there he calls Dante to tell him Heather is at Kelly’s.

On the pier, Liz waits for the launch when she hears a rustling sound. She calls out to whoever is there, and Esme comes out of hiding. Liz says she’s calling the police and does so, telling them that Esme Prince is on Pier 55.

Esme lunges for the phone, and Liz tumbles backward and hits her head on a crate. Her vision becomes blurry. Suddenly Nikolas appears and asks what Esme did to Liz. Esme swears that Liz just fell. Nikolas tells Liz to trust him before she passes out.

Nikolas brings Esme back to Wyndemere with the help of his man Demetrious. He imprisons her again, but Esme warns him that when Liz wakes up, he is in trouble. Nikolas says Liz won’t rat him out. Esme taunts him that Liz called the cops to report her, and they are bound to search here first. He realizes he has to move her, especially after she almost killed him with that hook. She swears she didn’t attack him, and she hasn’t killed anyone. He doesn’t believe her and warns her that he’ll be done with her once she gives birth. He leaves and Esme says, “We’ll see about that.”

At the scene of the van accident, Dante tells Jordan that they haven’t found a sign of Anna or Heather. Jordan considers that Valentin may have arranged this but notes it could also have been Dante’s father. Jordan gets a call and tells the person to send every unit in the area. Jordan informs Dante that Esme Prince was just spotted at the pier. Jordan takes off, and Dante gets Cam’s call.

Back at Kelly’s, Cam brings Heather her soda. She knows he called the cops on her. Dante appears with his gun drawn. She asks, “What took you so long?” Heather explains she was on her way home to Darkham, but found herself hungry and here with little Cameron. Dante asks if she knows what caused the van accident, but she doesn’t have a clue. Dante asks Cam to wrap up Heather’s sandwich so she can take it with her. Before Dante takes her away, she tells Cam not to be a stranger.

In Terry’s office at General Hospital, Michael assures Willow that he is with her and asks her to just be honest going forward. Willow has her own favor to ask and says she doesn’t want to tell anyone yet. She doesn’t want people to treat her differently, and only see her with leukemia. Michael understands.

Suddenly, they are interrupted by Nina. Nina tells Willow that he needs to apologize and knows she misinterpreted the situation with TJ. Michael snaps at her for only wanting to cause trouble. Nina tells Michael this isn’t about his endless grudge, and she is genuinely sorry. She wants to make amends and asks if there is anything she can do. Willow tells her to drop dead. Willow and Michael depart.

Liz is brought to the hospital with a mild concussion. Jordan enters her room and asks who did this to her. Liz explains she was on the way to Spoon Island, and then Esme happened to appear. She remembers Esme coming towards her, then she found herself on the ground. She says someone else was there to stop Esme but claims she can’t remember who.

Later, Jordan updates Liz that there have been no other sightings of Esme, but hopefully, she won’t get too far. She tells Liz she had a guardian angel looking out for her tonight. Liz recalls it was Nikolas.

Nina returns to the Grill to find Victor in her seat. Ava tells her that Victor was just leaving. Victor sees Johann outside, so he departs. Outside, Johann tells him there is no news about Anna or Valentin, but there is another matter of importance. Back inside, Nina tells Ava that if she ever thinks to reach out to Willow again, smack her upside her head. Victor interrupts and warns them that Esme has been spotted in Port Charles alive and well. Ava chokes on her Martini.

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Michael and Willow return home and find the sofa a bit jumbled. Michael calls out to Joss, who comes in from outside. She explains she was just checking on Annabelle. Michael inquires as to why there is a chair in the middle of the living room. She spots a bloody gauze on the floor near it and claims she sat in it because the couch was so cozy and was making her fall asleep. Joss is able to grab the gauze before leaving.

Outside, Joss sees some blood on the ground and realizes Dex is still bleeding

On the next General Hospital: Jordan scolds someone for barging into her office. Britt rants about the bomb in her brain. Laura visits Spencer and asks who is looking after him. Sonny worries that Dex could be anywhere. Cyrus notes if Anna is on the run it’s best she stays that way. Valentin and Anna cuddle on a couch when someone knocks at the door of where they are hiding.

Check out this gallery celebrating Robert Scorpio through the years on General Hospital

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