As Heather Plans Her Big Finale, Willow Is Ready to Risk Her Very Life

As we get into Port Charles Paris, Anna and Valentin lament their problems in finding Victor’s stronghold, only for him to comfort her with the thought that at least they’re together in Paris. They then run through what they know about the building and how to get inside. Anna, though, feels guilty about getting Lucy involved and is sorry Valentin wasn’t with Charlotte for Christmas. At least, Valentin says, they could get her a message for the holiday. Anna thinks Laura might be warming to him.

There’s a knock on the door and it’s Antoine, the kid of one of Victor’s bodyguards. He says that the woman his father is watching always says “Ciao” or “Ta,” but today she tried to brain him with a tray. Anna and Valentin look at each other and smile. “Lucy.” Valentin thanks Antoine, pays him and sends him off. Lucy is still alive and still fighting. And they won’t stop fighting for her. Anna gets struck by inspiration. They’ll go in through the catacombs.

Back in Port Charles, Michael reassures Willow that Wiley’s alright after seeing her collapse. Wiley will be thrilled to welcome a new sibling. But Willow doesn’t want to deliver the baby early. Michael tries telling her that she’s far enough in the pregnancy, but Willow knows preemie babies can have problems all their lives. Another week could make all the difference. Michael doesn’t want to risk the kids growing up without a mother or imagine life without her.

Chase and Sasha find a distraught Michael in the hall and want to know if anything happened with Willow. She’s stable, he says, but she’s the biggest danger to herself. Chase takes Michael for a walk around the hospital and Sasha goes to talk to Willow.

In her room, Willow vows to protect her baby as long as she can “and I will always, always put you first.” Sasha comes in and says Willow’s making a brave choice but isn’t sure why Michael doesn’t understand. She then tells Sasha about Nina and she’s horrified. Sasha tries softening that a bit, but Willow’s horrified. Wait, Sasha asks, is she thinking of refusing the transplant?

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Nina claims there are no strings attached, but Willow doesn’t believe her. If it works out, she’ll try to leverage that for time with her grandkids. Sasha is surprised that after all this, she’ll still be cut out from Willow’s family. She could be her best chance at survival. Willow won’t refuse the transplant, she just wants to wait until her baby has the best chance at survival too.

Elsewhere, Chase digests the Nina/Willow news with Michael. How bad do you have to be for Willow to hate you, Michael wonders. Chase wonders if Willow’s more willing to risk her life for the baby to prove she’s not like Nina.

Nina, meanwhile, is on the phone, desperately checking to see if she’s a bone marrow match for Willow, as Sonny walks in and tries to calm down her growing panic. She’s still reeling over the news about Willow and getting another chance to be a mother. She just got an amazing gift, but she could lose it just as quickly.

Sonny tells her that Willow’s just as thrown by the news as she is. Everyone is. Except Carly, Nina notes. This is the second time Carly’s kept her from her child. Sonny’s “mad as hell,” but she’s beyond that, Nina says through tears. Carly watched her and Nina turn their relationship toxic and said nothing. And now Willow still doesn’t want anything to do with her.

“Willow now has to figure out what’s going on,” Sonny says. But Nina’s horrified by the thought that her trying desperately to hold onto her grandson could make her lose another grandchild and Willow. He tells her she’s going to be a viable donor, the transplant will save Willow and when she’s better, she’ll realize Nina’s a good person. He talked to Michael last night, more than in a whole year and he saw the son that he thought he’d lost forever. “As long as there’s life, there’s always hope.”

Nina hated her mother, thinking of her as cruel and self-absorbed. What if Willow thinks of her that way too? Sonny tells her Madeline was a horrible person who hurt her. They’re nothing alike. He and Nina have hurt people because “We feel too much. We love too much. We fight too hard.” But they’re perfect for each other.

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Elsewhere at the hospital, Victor pays Esme a visit. “You can call me Uncle Victor,” he says when she wonders who he is. The cop tries to usher him out, but Esme asks for him to stay in the hopes he can help her remember who she is. “Well played, Esme.” She tells Victor she wasn’t playing and wonders if he’s her uncle. He tells her who he is and seems surprised that she still has no memory.

She only knows her name because someone told her. She’s not sure she even wants to know who she was even if it can prove she’s not the killer. He just wants to know her plans upon leaving the hospital. Martin comes in, annoyed to find Victor, and says he wants to strategize with Esme on arraignment. Victor thinks this should be easier than Martin is making it to get a pregnant woman with amnesia free.

Out in the hall, Martin demands to know what Victor wants. He wants to look after his family. “The last thing my client needs right now is to be seen with an unrepentant sociopath like yourself.” He then says he’s perhaps too worried over Lucy to do the best by his client. Victor plays dumb, and Martin threatens that if he can’t focus on Esme’s case, her baby could be born behind bars. “Sooner or later,” he tells Victor, “everybody’s luck runs out.”

Heather rushes into Ryan’s room and locks the door behind her, only to turn around and find him menacingly behind her. He’s annoyed that Esme’s still in police custody and that no one’s died since she’s been arrested. What’s Heather’s holdup? Her go-to security guard is gone, and she doesn’t have easy access in and out anymore to keep up the killing spree.

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Esme, Ryan says, needs to be free to help him reunite with Ava. Heather’s furious. She’s not doing it for Ava. She’s doing it for herself. “Then don’t blow it,” Ryan says. Heather’s waited her whole life to have a relationship with Esme. “No you haven’t,” a surprised Ryan says. Heather rants about the relationship she’s going to have with Esme, and as she’s back in “fantasy land,” as Ryan puts it, she vows to bust out.

Getting out is easy, getting back in is tricky. She shows him a shiv she’ll use to take a guard hostage and break out. She’ll kill Josslyn and go on the run with Esme. What about me? Ryan asks. They can leave today, she says, but he tells her that’s not a real plan. Ugh, whatever. She’ll do the hard work and send him a postcard she says as she runs out.

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In the show’s last few moments, Anna groans that the catacombs won’t work, but Valentin thinks there could still be one not mapped out that could. He knows someone who could find a way in. “Let’s go get Lucy out of there,” Anna says. Back in Port Charles, Victor talks to his men to double security. He can’t find Anna or Valentin; they could be headed their way.

Heather, meanwhile, is lurking around with her shiv, only to spot Esme being led away by a guard.

At the hospital, Michael comes back and Sasha leaves. Michael and Willow apologize to each other. She doesn’t want to die, she promises, and he says it’s up to her to delay the birth. She’ll do what the doctors recommend. Michael’s insanely relieved.

Nina gets the news that she’s a match and runs to the hospital to get a blood test. Sonny offers to go with her. “What would I do without you?”

On the next General Hospital: Heather comes under suspicion, Nina is anxious, Michael withholds his forgiveness, and Valentin and Anna clear the air.