Mayor Floyd: This city has more mobsters than rats in a landfill, and your big bust tonight is Nikolas Cassadine? Take those handcuffs off please.


Mac: What's the charge?


Officer: Solicitation.


Nadine: There's been a misunderstanding.


Mayor Floyd: I'll say there has. This man is the single biggest taxpayer in port Charles. He generates millions for the local economy.


Mac: So the law doesn't apply?


Nadine: Look, it's my fault, ok? I talked him into it.


Nikolas: There's no use saying anything until the attorney gets here.


Nadine: Why not? They have nothing -


Officer: Because there's a prostitution ring being run out of that building. We've been staking it out for weeks.

Nadine: We didn't have sex.


Officer: They were rolling around on the floor.


Nadine: Because I fell, ok? Will you just explain?


Nikolas: Because it's a waste of time.


Mayor Floyd: Oh, great. This genius has visions of Eliot Spitzer dancing around in his head.


Mac: Look, uh, just take a seat.


Leyla: You have no right to treat him this way. He's completely innocent.


Officer: He punched a guy in the face.


Leyla: Yeah, you should be giving him a medal.


Claudia: So we each have our own bedroom and we don't have to share a bathroom, which is good because I'm a very messy girl, John, very.


Johnny: It's a good space.


Claudia: Yeah, and it will be a lot better than living with daddy and wondering if he poured arsenic in my coffee on any given morning.


Johnny: I'm not going to let him hurt you.


Claudia: Thank you. What about Lulu?


Johnny: What about her?


Claudia: Come on, she was awful to me, John.


Johnny: You weren't exactly innocent, Claudia.


Claudia: Of course not, but I'm the only one who's looking out for you.


Johnny: Lulu and I are going to be together and you have to respect that. I ask the same thing of her, ok? That she respect you and understand that at the end of the day,you're the only family I've got.


Claudia: Come here. I can live with that, roomie.


Johnny: All right.


Diane: The only thing in my mind is representing you to the best of my ability.


Sonny: Even though Jason, your other client, had competing interests?


Diane: I went over the terms meticulously with you, Sonny.

Sonny: Yeah, you -


Diane: I would never have allowed you to go forward with this decision -- and make no mistake, this was your decision, Sonny. Nobody forced you to do this. I would not have allowed you to sign away your parental rights to those boys if you had not understood that the decision was irrevocable.


Sonny: Ok, what if I -- what I know now is different?


Diane: Then you put me in an untenable position -- not only professionally, but personally. Because I happen to think that you made the right decision, that Morgan is safer away from you. I'm sorry.


Sonny: No, that's ok, Diane. You know, you feel what you feel. So how's Jason? Is he doing good with the business?

Diane: Well, from what I understand, the transition has been relatively smooth.


Sonny: Yeah?


Diane: Certainly there are no legal problems so far. Bernie indicates that Jason has managed to reassure the South American associates. All in all, I would say it is going far better than expected. If you're worried that you've left Jason with too much to handle, it's not the case, so just relax. Enjoy your new life.


Jax: Alexis is scared for her daughter's life. She was talking out of fear.


Carly: She was trashing our marriage because I said I couldn't help her.


Jax: Come on, Carly, give me some credit. I'm not sitting around here waiting for the other shoe to drop, for you to go running back to Sonny.
Alexis was out of line.


Carly: Thank you.


Jax: The way she treated you, but not what she was asking. It doesn't make sense that sonny would protect Morgan and not his daughter, and you're the only one who can make him see that.


Carly: Hey, what about Kate, you know, the new love of his life?


Jax: The two of you share two children together. I hate to admit it, but you still have a lot more influence over sonny than you know.


Carly: Ok, fine, I'll go talk to him. You know, I'm doing it for you, and I'm doing it for Kristina. You know that song? "Time in a bottle"?


Lulu: I don't care if you have to throw yourself under the wheels of that plane to keep it from taking off, make sure my package is on it.


Maxie: I would be really upset, too, if my boyfriend bailed on me with that lame excuse -- had to go look at an apartment.


Lulu: His house burned down. My whole filing system is out of order. Why can't you just stay away from my desk?

Maxie: Because you only show up to work when you feel like it, and I am getting kind of sick of covering for you. Why do you even bother?


Lulu: Because I'm starting to think it's pretty cool. And I especially like the fact that it means so much to you now that your future is tied to me. So every time that you hit on

Johnny, I guess I'll just have to work a little bit harder to make sure your dream is crushed.


[Phone rings]


Lulu: Kate Howard's office. Johnny! Oh, what perfect timing.


Johnny: I can see you right now. I'm calling you from my new place.


Lulu: You can see the office from your new apartment?


Leyla: Mr. Spinelli was defending my honor.


Officer: Yeah, we have another name for it -- assault.


Spinelli: The assault was on Miss Mir and her proud ancestry. She was bludgeoned with ignorance and demeaning stereotypes.


Leyla: Exactly. The man was a hateful bigot. He got what he deserved.


Nikolas: Well, good, good. I'm sure the citizens of Port Charles will now rest easy knowing that that dangerous criminal is off the streets.


Mayor Floyd: I want Mr. Cassadine released immediately.


Mac: If you'd let us do our jobs -


Leyla: You mean arresting the wrong people?


Nadine: Jumping to conclusions?


Leyla: This is absurd.


Nadine: Look, even if there had actually been a solicitation, why does he assume that Nikolas was the one paying for sex, huh? Why couldn't it have been the other way around?


Leyla: They think you are a hooker? That's ridiculous.


Nadine: It's not as bad as having some racial slur thrown at you by some ignorant jerk.


Leyla: Well, that ignorant jerk will think twice before he does it again. Spinelli knocked him out with one punch. Spinelli: Usually the jackal is somewhat inept, but this time I had right on my side.


Officer: It's still assault.


Nadine: You're not actually going to prosecute him?


Mac: You can't go around punching people, Spinelli.


Leyla: I'm the offended party here.


Mac: If the victim wants to press charges -


Leyla: Are you kidding me?


Alexis: What the hell is going on here?


Kate: Alexis paid me a visit earlier. She asked me to try to convince sonny to give up custody of Kristina.


Jax: She came to Carly, too.


Kate: Right, and Carly refused. Alexis already told me. She also told me that she believes that Carly never intended to keep the boys away from Sonny, that it was all part of their mutual dysfunction.


Jax: Oh, really? What else did she say?


Kate: Oh, that it is inevitable for Sonny and Carly to get back together.


Jax: Oh.


Kate: It's not the first time I've heard this, Jax. It's no secret that sonny and Carly have a unique attachment.


Jax: Well, unhealthy would be more accurate.


Kate: Right, the hardest kind to break. Jax, it's also no secret that you and Carly have been under a lot of stress and --

[Kate sighs]


Kate: Look, I'm asking you to be honest, for me and for yourself. If your marriage is in trouble and Carly is on her way back to sonny, we need to figure out together what we're going to do.


Carly: I thought I'd see you at the police station today.


Sonny: Yeah, I didn't pick up the message from Mac on time.


Carly: Well, in case you're wondering, the investigation into Michael's shooting has been officially closed -- Ian Devlin acted alone, Michael was hit by a ricochet bullet.


Sonny: Well, not that it matters to you, because, you know, you still think it's my fault that Michael got shot. That's why I'm not allowed to ever go anywhere near Michael or Morgan again. I don't even know why you came by to tell me that the cops closed the investigation since legally, Michael and Morgan are not my sons anymore. I signed them away, did exactly what you wanted.


Carly: Yeah, that was such a noble sacrifice.


Sonny: You don't know how hard it was for me to do that.


Carly: Oh, yeah, I know exactly what it cost you, sonny. It cost you a business that you don't want anymore. You couldn't give up Michael and Morgan for their own good. Jason had to buy their freedom by taking over when you didn't want to play mobster anymore.


Sonny: You wanted to share a life with me. You wanted me to adopt Michael. You wanted to have children together. Morgan wasn't an accident. We chose to have him. And I was a great father, for how long, how many years? You -- you were fine with it until Michael got hurt. Now I'm a monster for whatever reason.


Carly: Michael was shot.


Sonny: I know he was.


Carly: He was shot by someone who was trying to kill you. And if it didn't happen that night in the warehouse, it was going to happen another time. That's what I did Sonny. I loved you so much I ignored the danger.


Sonny: It's not love to take my children from me. It's not love to back me into a corner where I, you know, I can't have a life or a future unless I sign away my sons. What you did was -- you know what, that was one thing, but what Jason did is unforgivable. He backed you and gave you the power to take away my sons. That's unforgivable.


Carly: He did it because I was going to take Morgan and run.


Sonny: You know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking that you didn't want to run, you just lied to Jason to scare him into doing what you wanted.


Carly: Yeah -- I was walking out the door.


Sonny: What, so he could stop you? That's the same game you always play. But see, he's blind to you. I'm not. You will always lie. You will always screw with somebody's emotions to get what you want. And right now, what you want is revenge on me.


Carly: Right, because you're the victim. You always have been. You never wanted me, huh? You never married me? You never lied or tricked me or kept dragging me back? "It was all Carly's fault." Just like that ride back from New York. You didn't mean to have sex with me. You were in a vulnerable position and I took advantage of you, trying to take your kids from you.


Sonny: You knew exactly what you were doing.


Carly: Yeah, you know what? So did you. And that's what you are so mad about, that your brand new shiny love with Kate didn't stop you from wanting me. Guess what, Sonny? It never will.


Alexis: I want the charges against all of them dropped. Immediately, they are to be released.


Mac: If the D.A. Is satisfied, who am I to argue?


Leyla: Thank you, Ms. Davis, for bringing some common sense to bear.


Alexis: It's fear. They're scared of me.


Mayor Floyd: Mr. Cassadine, I would like to offer my apology for the actions of this overzealous officer.


Nikolas: She's the one you need to apologize to.


Mayor Floyd: Ms. Crowell, the very thought that anyone would pay to have sex with you is absolutely -- I'm sorry, what I really meant to say was that -


Nadine: All has been forgotten, Mr. Mayor.


Mayor Floyd: Thank you.


Nikolas: You're such a liar. You're actually offended that they didn't bust me for being a gigolo.


Nadine: No, I just -- it's just frustrating that some stereotypes just won't die.


Nikolas: Yeah, well I'm sure you're too busy campaigning for equal rights to help out with the clinic now, huh? Because you were right, that building was the perfect spot. It's too bad.


Nadine: And I am going to help you turn it into a huge success.


Nikolas: Ok, let's get out of here.


Spinelli: I'm sorry our lovely evening had such an unfavorable end.


Leyla: Are you kidding? I'll never forget what you did tonight. It was genuinely heroic.


Spinelli: That's a word rarely associated with the jackal, like, never.


Leyla: Well, it does now, Mr. Spinelli. You're my hero.


Claudia: Proximity breeds opportunity. There are all kinds of ways that I can put you near john. And I think you are just the woman to break the hold that lulu has on him.


Maxie: You know what? Lulu definitely deserves this.


Claudia: Mm-hmm.


Maxie: And I could use the money, so $10,000 if I sleep with Johnny and another 10 if lulu walks in?


Claudia: You've got a deal.


Maxie: This is going to be so much fun. Johnny: So?


Lulu: So it's, uh, big. It's gorgeous. It's got an amazing view, I mean, what's there not to like? Except for the fact that your sister lives here. Maybe she could, um, find her own apartment.


Johnny: Claudia and I need each other, lulu. It takes both of us to team up against our father. I know you don't like it, but its part of who I am. Besides, we have our own privacy. It's got to be better than that garden shed, huh?


Lulu: Oh, I don't know. I kind of liked the garden shed.


Jax: I know all too well about the push-pull between sonny and Carly, believe me, I've been in the middle of it. Carly's finally made a break, ok? She would never go back to Sonny.


Kate: And you want to believe that?


Jax: Well, she's my wife, I have to believe that. Otherwise, this marriage would already be over. Look, what happened to Michael broke whatever bond was left between them. I think it's a mistake to be with sonny, but you don't have to worry about Carly, ok? She's no longer in the way.


Sonny: Get out, Carly.


Carly: No, not until I say what I came here to say.


Sonny: Yeah?


Carly: Alexis wants you to give up Kristina, and I am here asking you to do that.


Sonny: Do me a favor -- tell Alexis that I'm not doing it, you know, I'm not going to sign over any rights or whatever -


Carly: Ok, so what if Kate asked you to? Because you know that's where this is going. And Kate brings out the best in you, right? A brand new Sonny. Kind, respectable,Sonny.


Sonny: Kate doesn't want me to give up my kids. She thinks I'm a good father.


Carly: You know, you used to be honest about yourself.


Sonny: Mm-hmm.


Carly: You used to see your flaws, your anger, your ambition. You could take a look at all the damage you did and you could hate yourself for it, but you'd stand up and own it but not now. You're hiding. You're hiding behind Kate because Kate will tell you that what happened to Michael wasn't your fault. And you know what it was? It was your fault and it was my fault.


Sonny: You finished?


Carly: You know what? I shouldn't care about what's happening in your life right now. I shouldn't care that you're living this fantasy world of coffee importer and dating Kate Howard. But for the sake of the boys, who loved you so much, this is all going to come crashing around you -


Sonny: Hold on, do me a favor -


Carly: And you're going to lose it.


Sonny: Do me a favor -- don't mention my boys, especially after you took them from me.


Carly: Oh, come on, you know, you know that I did the right thing. You know that I was protecting them, and even now, a part of you is happy that I am fighting for them.


Sonny: That is garbage. You are just lying to yourself all over the place.


Carly: No, there's only one liar here, and it's not me. I see right through you, Sonny, I always have. You're not the man you pretend to be with Kate. You're the man you are with me.


>> On the next "General Hospital" -


Spinelli: I want to be just like you.


Man: She dies, it's on you to raise the kid.


Carly: God, I'd like to make her pay and just stick it in her face.


Kate: You don't know sonny at all. Carly: Want to bet?