curlyqgrl's tapes- PC Hotel fire

I have done an edit of the Port Charles Hotel Fire storyline with all the complete episodes, no commercials from all of the fire episodes. In addition, I edited scenes from Feb 2-5th to start the tape and included Zander escaping from GH, hiding out in the basement, taking Maxie hostage, Edward finding out about the faulty wiring. I included pretty much all of the hotel action from 2/5 including the auction, the treasure stealing, and the confrontation between Nik & Zander. From the 2/6-2/19 episodes I included the entire episodes (minus commercials), in the aftermath of the fire, I added Nik returning from the presumed dead and reuniting with Emily, Ric and Luke watching Scott's farewell tape, and finally Ric announces Zander is dead and then arrests Nik for his murder.

Fire Storyline Feb 2-23, 2004 7 hrs 20 mins - Original episodes

2/2 edited Zander escapes GH
2/3 edited Zander hides out in basement of Port Charles hotel, Edward is told about faulty wiring
2/4 edited Zander takes Maxie hostage
2/5 edited auction, Luke steals treasure, then Sam steals it, Nik finds and confronts Zander
2/6 -2/19 - 10 complete episodes of all fire action (no commercials)
2/20 edited Nik's return from the dead
2/23 Scott's farewell tape, Rick announces Zander is dead

As Ric is alerted to a problem in Brian's room, he runs off in time for Zander to make it to the elevator in an attempt to escape from GH. Maxie jumps in with him, but he tells her that she's already risked enough to help him. He denies shooting Brian again, but tells Maxie to leave him alone and not risk more. Maxie refuses to go, and back up on the hospital floor, Lucky realizes that the elevator has stopped and that Zander is in it. The police get the elevator moving again, and when the doors open, they see Maxie. She again denies helping Zander, and although suspicious, Lucky finally believes her and leaves without seeing Zander's blood dripping from the elevator shaft.

Maxie rushes a disguised Zander through the hotel lobby, and takes him down to the boiler room. It's clear that he is severely wounded and in great pain, and Maxie doesn't want to leave him alone. Zander asks her to get him some pain medication to take the edge off, but she refuses to leave without him. He begs her to do this last favor for him, and promises to stay put and rest until she returns. Maxie finally agrees and goes to the hospital to steal pain medication for him, but once she's gone, Zander collapses. At the hospital, Maxie steals pain pills, but is caught by Cameron. He accompanies her back to Zander, and as Zander tries to get away from him, he collapses, and Cameron operates on his leg to remove the bullet fragment. Suddenly they all hear a noise and hide behind a generator when Edward walks in with a maintenance man. They overhear the man tell Edward his electrical system is dangerously outdated and in need of an upgrade. Edward promises to have it fixed as soon as he has a cash flow again.

As Zander recovers in the Boiler Room of the Port Charles Hotel, the electricity continues to malfunction. Zander fantasizes that he sees Emily and that Emily pleads with Zander to reconcile with her and allow her to go with him to Canada ~ just as they had planned to go years before. Meanwhile, Georgie spots Maxie headed to the Hotel with a big bag of carry out food. When Georgie questions her sister, Maxie claims she has a sick friend. When Maxie later arrives at the Hotel with her bag of carry out, Ric spots her and questions her about the bag of food. But Cameron suddenly shows up and tells Ric that Maxie brought the food for a conference of doctors, which Cameron is hosting in one of the rooms upstairs. Later, when Maxie takes the food to Zander, they once again hide when a technician arrives to add the new security system to the Hotel's electrical system. The security technician finds Edward and reports that the new security system, put in place just for the auction of the pirate treasure, will overload the electrical grid and the hotel could go up in smoke the next time someone turns on a hair dryer. Edward informs the Electrical Technician that nothing can be done about the electrical system for at least another 24 hours. After that time, Edward assures the technician, the Quartermaine family will have enough money to update the Hotel's electrical system with ALL of the latest technology. At the same time, as Maxie and Zander chow down on Maxie's Take Out, Zander fills Maxie in on his plan to head for Canada as soon as he can slip out of town unnoticed. Zander and Maxie panic when Cameron and Alexis suddenly show up. Holding a gun aimed at Maxie, Zander declares that he will shoot Maxie if Cameron and Alexis plan to turn him over to the Police. In the meantime, Cassandra Kanelos, Chief Electrician for the Port Charles Hotel, tracks ADA Ric Lansing down and alerts Ric to the dangerous overload posed by the new security system. Ric promises to check into the matter.

The Quartermaines gather in the hotel for the auctioning off of the treasure. The proceeds from the auction will be split evenly by the Quartermaines and the Cassadines. Tracy has Coleman meet her there. He is carrying a gun under his tuxedo jacket and hangs around waiting for a moment when Tracy can distract the guards and he can make his move to steal the treasure from the families. Nikolas tells Emily that he doesn't trust Tracy or Helena not to try and steal the treasure during the auction and gets more security to help him. Tracy announces she wants to make a toast and makes a big spectacle of herself to get the guards' attention. Coleman waits until he sees a guard watching Tracy intently and moves his hand to the guard's gun as if to take it from him but Nikolas surprises him by coming up behind him and grabbing him by the arms and knocking him backwards. The security guard sees what is going on and helps Nikolas subdue Coleman. Nikolas orders the guards to escort Coleman from the hotel premises and make sure he leaves. Helena warns Tracy that if she tries to steal the treasure she will not live to see it. Lucky shows up with Brian at the hotel after hearing about how the treasure was almost stolen and try to offer more security. Luke plots with Sam to steal the treasure but she isn't too happy to be just his assistant but agrees to be partners with him.

Luke makes a spectacle to draw attention on himself and pretends to be drunk so Sam can help him steal the treasure. Luke manages to case the place out by pretending to be drunk and disorderly so he can see where the treasure is being kept. He steals the treasure while Sam is upstairs with Sonny. She sneaks out of Sonny's room when she thinks he is asleep. He tells her he wishes her luck in getting the treasure back and hopes she gets all of it since she deserves it. She gets back downstairs and meets with Luke in their hiding place. Luke is putting the treasure into pillow cases to take out of the hotel. Sam asks him if he was planning to steal the treasure without her and just take off. He tells her that he did all of the work and deserves the treasure. He offers her a diamond bracelet as her share. She tells him that she deserves more than just one piece of jewelry. Luke concedes and gives her some more jewels. While his back is turned, Sam takes out a taser switch and shocks Luke in the neck to knock him out. She steals the treasure herself and leaves Luke there. The auction is a success when one man gives a huge bid on most of the jewelry. Edward goes over to thank him for bidding and asks him if he is bidding for himself or someone else. Alcazar comes in and tells them that he is the man behind the bid. Edward goes over to look at the treasure and is shocked to find it missing. He announces to everyone that the treasure has been stolen.

Alexis and Cameron try to talk Zander into giving them the gun he has pointing at Maxie. Zander tells Cameron that he doesn't know if he can trust him to suddenly look out for him when he didn't most of his life. Cameron apologizes to Zander for being a lousy father to him and pleads with him to give him the gun and let him help him. Cameron starts to cry and tells Zander he can't stand to lose another child and that he has no one left in his life but him. Alexis offers to help get Ric to back off the case concerning Brian's shooting and to help him. She tells Zander he will need to turn himself in to the police with her help and his father's. Zander gives him the gun and lets Maxie go. Alexis tells them they need to get going to the police station. Zander refuses to go with them and Maxie confirms that they set up the whole gun scenario to get their help and that Zander had no intention of shooting Maxie. Alexis warns Maxie that she could be in big trouble by helping Zander. They let them stay there for now but Alexis tells him they will be back after they get Ric to back off the case.

Cameron and Alexis find Ric at the hotel. Cameron puts pressure on Alexis to help Zander and get her to persuade Ric to back off so that Zander has a chance to clear his name of the shooting. Alexis and Cameron talk to Ric. Ric refuses to drop the charge against Zander because a cop was shot. Alexis points out to Ric that if he doesn't back out of the case himself and let someone else prosecute the case, she will make sure a judge knows that he is biased against Zander because he is the father of Ric's wife's baby and he has reason to want him behind bars. Ric agrees to take himself off the case. Lucky tells Nikolas that he almost had Zander at the hospital but that he got away and he suspects that Maxie knows more than she is saying to them about Zander. Nikolas takes a walk and sees Maxie exiting a door marked for the lower basement room. Maxie had tried to talk Zander out of leaving the country and agreed to help him with one last favor, which is to drive him to Canada by some back roads. She leaves to go make arrangements to get a car. Nikolas enters the stairwell that leads to the basement. He goes inside the electrical room and finds Zander. Zander has a metal pipe in his hand and threatens Nikolas with it. He also informs Nikolas that as soon as he takes care of him he is going to grab Emily and leave the country forever. He hits Nikolas in the stomach with the metal pipe. Nikolas ducks for the next blow and manages to kick Zander in the head and knock him out on the floor. He checks his pulse and sees he is still alive and breathing and leaves the room. He locks the room up from the outside so Zander can't escape. He calls the police and informs him that he found Zander and locked him in the electrical room in the hotel. An electrical unit blows a fuse and a fire starts and surrounds Zander's unconscious body.

Georgie shows up at the Port Charles hotel with "Tom." He isn't very cooperative with her until she reminds him she is paying him to pretend to be her boyfriend. He hands her his term paper assignment on the Civil War to do for him in exchange for his cooperation. She tells him to go pay for their room. They get over to the front desk to check in. Georgie is dismayed to overhear Sage and Dillon talking right behind her. He tells Sage that he booked them a suite since she is so spoiled and wouldn't settle for less. Dillon notices Georgie and "Tom" and isn't happy to see that they rented a room also. The front desk clerk apologizes to them about their rooms not being available due to remodeling and the auction going on there this evening. Sage tells the clerk that any room with a bed will do just fine and looks at Georgie with a knowing gleam in her eye. Georgie glares at her. Both young couples are shown their rooms and aren't happy when they find out their rooms are conjoining ones. They insist on making sure their rooms are locked from each other. Georgie works on "Tom's" term paper while he watches sports and listens to it on headphones. He makes noises to make Dillon think they are having sex. Dillon is moping around the room, jealous about what is going on in the other room. Georgie tells "Tom" to be quiet and stop making so much noise. Dillon thinks they are having sex so he allows Sage to seduce him into having sex. Georgie can hear them in the other room which "Tom" points out to her they are having sex. Georgie tells him she thinks he was right about it not being so great to stay there at the hotel after all and tells him they should leave right now. She opens her door and sees smoke in the hallway. She rushes over and bangs on Sage and Dillon's door and tells them that there is a fire in the hotel and they need to get out.

A fire spreads throughout the basement as Zander lays unconscious o the floor. Nikolas calls the police and requests them to come to the hotel and they will find Zander locked up in the utility room in the basement. He doesn't tell Emily what happened with Zander when she asks him where he went. He tells her he was just in the lobby. Ric learns from Lucky that the treasure was stolen from the auction. He tells everyone present that he will be questioning everyone as quickly as possible and that some of them may have to go to the police station to sign a report. Edward gets a call from the hotel manager. He tells them that there is a fire in the hotel and that they all must evacuate immediately. Mac and a uniformed cop show up at the hotel after getting Nikolas' call. They ask the hotel clerk at the front desk about the utility room and where it is and announce that the fugitive Zander Smith has been hiding down there and is locked inside right now.

Mac and the cop draw their weapons as they approach the door. Mac calls out a warning to Smith that they are going inside and to cooperate. They get no answer from Zander. Mac orders the cop to open the door gently and have his weapon ready in case Zander is armed with a gun and tells him he can be dangerous when provoked. The cop opens the door slowly. The fire inside the basement causes a back draft when the door opens and Mac and the cop are blown from the blast of fire. The fire department shows up. Maxie walks into the hotel and sees all the commotion. She becomes alarmed when she sees two paramedics transporting a severely wounded patient toward the doors to the ambulance. Maxie fears it is Zander and approaches the paramedics. She is shaken up when she recognizes the patient as Mac and tells the paramedics that he is her father. She tells them to tell Mac she is o.k. if he wakes up. Maxie approaches one of the firefighters and asks about the fire. He tells her that the fire seems to have originated from the basement. She tells him that someone is down in the basement and they have to get him out. They inform her that if someone is down in the basement, they most likely didn't survive the fire, which has gone out of control. Maxie is devastated by the news.

Cameron puts pressure on Alexis to help Zander as quickly as possible before his son ends up killed. She tells him she is doing everything she can right now but that she has to wait until things get processed and that Ric has already agreed to step of the case. Meanwhile, The Cassadines and the Quartermaines accuse each other of stealing the treasure. Edward orders Justus to go interrogate the Cassadines until one of them confesses to stealing the treasure. Justus refuses to do anything for Edward. Lucky questions Skye about why she was at the auction when she isn't really a Quartermaine anymore. She tells him she came to support Nikolas and Emily tonight. He makes a remark to her that she seems to have been getting close to his father, who he doesn't trust right now when it comes to the treasure and his behavior earlier. Skye tells him she had nothing to do with the treasure being stolen and walks off. Lucky doesn't totally believe she doesn't know anything.

In another part of the hotel, Luke wakes up from being knocked unconscious from Sam. He starts coughing and uses some sharp utensils he finds in the storage room he is locked up in to try and pick the lock. He works at long enough to pop the lock and open the door. He stumbles out of the room and tries to find a place to hide out. Skye finds him and tries to get him to let her help him walk with him to the stairs. Luke refuses to go with her until she gets stubborn on him and refuses to leave without him. He reluctantly agrees to lean on her as they walk to the stairs. Luke starts to collapse on the floor unconscious from too much smoke inhalation. Skye calls for help. Faith shows up and asks Skye why she should help her and tells her she isn't going to help her and she could drop dead for all she cared. Sam gets stuck in one of the elevators, due to the fire and the power outages that keep happening. She crosses the wires inside the elevator unit. She gets the elevator to move but it won't go down like she wants it to. She has the treasure inside a big laundry cart and she manages to get onto one of the floors even with smoke pouring out of the floor. She drags the laundry cart out with her. Later she is found by some mysterious man who checks her pulse and picks her up and carries her away. The man turns out to be Jax who takes her to his penthouse and lays her on his couch. Later, the Quartermaines are informed that the fire is spreading quickly to all the floors and that it is reaching the stairwells too. Nikolas finds out that the fire seems to have started somewhere in the basement. Nikolas starts to feel guilty for locking Zander up down in the basement. He ends up telling Emily what he did and worries that he may have inadvertently put Zander in grave danger. Monica and Emily urge Alan to go downstairs in the freight elevator, which is still working and go downstairs and help make sure everyone gets some medical attention.

Carly shows Sonny the papers she had a judge sign, giving her temporary custody of Michael and Morgan, and that the restraining order he had placed against her has been rescinded. Sonny tells her that she has temporary custody and that he will fight her in court and prove she is an unfit mother. Carly asks him how it has come to this and why he is trying to keep her from seeing her children. Sonny tells her that as long as she is with Alcazar, he wants his children away from her, since Alcazar is a known drug lord. Carly points out to Sonny that he kills people and isn't any better. Sonny tells her he will not let her win this custody battle and he will do everything that is necessary to stop her. He tells her that he will take the children and himself and leave the country for good and she will never see her children again. Carly tells him he wouldn't do that since it will hurt the children not to see her ever again. Sonny tells her he would do it if it would keep them away from Alcazar.

Alcazar shows up after talking to Ric about the auction and his interest in obtaining the treasure as a type of investment. He shows up and tells Carly he knew she would probably be up there with Sonny. Sonny tells Alcazar to take Carly away and calls her a derogatory name. Carly spits out that he is a bastard and leaves in tears. Alcazar tries to reassure her that Sonny won't be able to take the children out of the country since he has men following him everywhere in town and that they won't let him go anywhere without notifying him. Carly hugs and kisses Alcazar and tells him she trusts him. Sonny comes out of the room and sees them embracing. Later, Carly gets in same elevator as Alexis. Carly and Alexis aren't too pleased to be in the same elevator together. The elevator makes a jolting movement which startles them. The elevator stops and the lights flicker inside. Alexis asks what is going on. In another part of the hotel, Jason finds Brian and follows him down the hallway of one of the floors. Jason tries to get a clean shot of Brian so he can shoot him. Brian manages to go inside one of the other hallways and Jason can't shoot him. Jason continues to follow him. There is smoke in the next hallway. Jason gets a clear shot of Brian as they come face to face. Brian asks him if he is going to kill him. Jason starts to aim his gun at Brian but a little girl comes out of one of the rooms with her little brother to ask for help. Jason puts his gun away. Brian introduces himself to the children and tells them he is a cop and shows them his badge. The little girl informs them that their parents were at the auction upstairs and told her to call them if there was a problem but she tells them the phone in her room doesn't work and that there is smoke in the hallway and in her room. Brian and Jason realize they have to work together to help get the children to safety. Jason tells Brian that they have to get them out of the hotel as quickly as possible. Brian brings them downstairs toward the lobby but Jason disagrees with him and thinks they should head upstairs toward the roof where a helicopter can come and rescue them.

As they head upstairs, Jason realizes that the stairwells heading up toward the roof are getting more smoky and it may not be safe after all to head upstairs. Brian disagrees with him but Jason points out that they need to get the children out of the hotel before the fire spreads even more. Courtney hears the news about the fire at the hotel while watching TV. and caring for Morgan. She has Leticia watch the children while she goes to the hotel. Leticia tells her the authorities asked that all civilians stay away from downtown. Courtney tells her that she is going to the hotel because Sonny and Carly are there and that her husband may be there as well. Courtney arrives and Alan tells her that Jason was at the auction earlier and may still be in the hotel. She also learns that Brian was there as well. Courtney argues with the firefighters who try to keep her out of the hotel. She tells them that her husband is in the hotel and she needs to find him. Alcazar corners Sonny on the stairs. He tells Sonny he will not allow him to hurt Carly anymore and that he won't let him get custody of her children, even if it means he makes her a widow. Sonny dares him to try. Alcazar attacks Sonny on the stairs and tries to push him off of them and kill him. Sonny fights back and the two wrestle and fight. A backdraft hits the door to the stairwell open and knocks Sonny and Alcazar unconscious.

Skye and Faith drag an unconscious Luke out of the smoke-filled hallway and into safety. Once there, Skye begins to administer CPR. Luke wakes up and moves to get them out of the hotel until Skye begins to panic and refuses to leave the room. Luke won't leave without her, and although she continues to hesitate, she's persuaded to leave the room when she sees Luke's devotion to her.

Courtney rushes up the hotel stairwell in order to find Jason. She's chased by a fireman who warns her to get out before she gets trapped, but she breaks loose from him and goes in search of her husband. She continues to run up the stairs until she encounters an old woman with a dog. The woman can't make it down the stairwell while carrying her dog, so despite her search for Jason, Courtney agrees to take the dog and help them out. Jason and Brian are trapped in a stairwell with two children. They argue on how to get out, but try to keep it together for the sake of the kids. They finally find a door that isn't hot, and leave the stairwell into the hallway. The usher the kids into a room and give them water and fresh air from the window. Suddenly, they look up and the girl tells them that her brother left to go and help the firefighters, and Jason runs out into the hallway to search for him.

Sonny and Alcazar fight on the stairs and stumble down a flight. They begin to tussle more until a huge burst of flames knocks both out. When they wake up, they've been blown into the hall, and Sonny gets up to find his way out, but Alcazar is trapped under a beam. Sonny goes out into the hall and discovers they are alone on the floor. He grabs an ax from the wall and breaks the board that's trapping Alcazar. Apparently a second explosion occurs that changes the tables, with Alcazar free and Sonny unconscious. Despite a moment's hesitation, Alcazar grabs Sonny and drags him with him to safety in the hallway, where they later split up to search for a way out.

Georgie and Tom realize there's smoke and rush to alert Dillon. He grows alarmed, but Sage tells Georgie that she's lame for trying to break them up while they are in a hotel room together. Dillon sees the smoke himself and they all realize they are in danger. Sensing that it could be the end, Georgie admits to Dillon that she's been lying and he's the only person she's ever loved. Before Dillon can respond, Sage begins to freak out. He tries to comfort her, but her uncle bursts into the room and is able to do it instead when he promises that they will all get out.

Back in the auction room, everyone begins to bicker about the emergency situation. Helena and Tracy hope that Nikolas and Emily will not stay together, and Monica warns them to leave Emily and Nikolas alone. Nikolas is distraught to realize he could be partially to blame if Zander dies. He tells Emily that he knocked Zander out and locked him in the furnace room where the fire began. Emily tries to comfort him and tell him that he's not to blame. Edward admits to Justus that it's his responsibility to keep the building up to code, and Lucky informs everyone that propane tanks from construction on the floor below have burst and that the only way out is the roof. Everyone rushes out to the balcony to wave down the helicopter, but it turns away. They all begin screaming, and Lucky tells them that the winds are too high for the helicopter to land and rescue them.

Outside, a devastated Maxie realizes that the burned body that was just pulled from the hotel is probably Zander. Ric comes upon her and tries to assure her that Mac is going to be fine, and that he will take her to him at the hospital, but Maxie breaks down and tells him that Zander is dead. She's escorted away, and the next person on the scene is a frantic Liz, in search of her husband. She finds him and he tells her to go home where it's safe, but she refuses to leave until her friends are out of the hotel. Ric breaks the news to her that Zander is likely dead, and they are then approached by a fireman who tells them that the helicopter can't land on the roof to rescue people.

Carly and Alexis remain trapped in the elevator. Alexis tells Carly to stay calm and wait to be rescued, but having no interest in dying, Carly does the opposite and pries the elevator doors open with her shoe. Unfortunately, the two women are between floors and their exit is blocked by a wall. Carly then pulls off the top of the elevator and looks into the shaft to discover that the cables have frayed and are beginning to break. She and Alexis attempt to connect wires in the panel in order to get the elevator to move to a floor, but suddenly they scream as the elevator begins to fall. They abruptly stop as the emergency brake kicks in, but know that their time is short. They try to distract each other by bonding as mothers, but after Carly admits that despite her problems with Sonny he is a great father, Alexis begins to cry. Carly tries to comfort her by pointing out that Ned will be there for Kristina, but Alexis tearfully admits that Sonny is Kristina's real father.

In the auction room, chaos continues and people begin to worry if they will be rescued. Helena keeps on Nikolas to try and get out on his own because he's more important than the others, and Edward feels guilt for his part in the fire. Tracy tries to bond with Edward, but he tells her that she frightens him because she reminds him of everything that's bad in himself. Nikolas and Emily decide that Helena may have a point, and they decide to go to the stairwell to investigate a possible alternative to the helicopter rescue. Nikolas tries to get Lucky to go with them, but he says he has to take care of the people waiting to be rescued. As Emily crosses the room after kissing Monica, the ceiling and chandelier begin to collapse. Nikolas runs to push her out of the way, but it falls on both of them. Nikolas escapes unharmed, but Emily gets a cut on her leg that hits her artery. Monica wraps the cut and puts a tourniquet on her, but informs Nikolas that she has to get the wound stitched soon or Emily could bleed to death. While Emily rests and Monica tends to other people, Helena takes the opportunity to loosen Emily's dressing so that she will die and free Nikolas.

A rescued Sam awakens in Jax's penthouse and remembers that the hotel is on fire. She rushes to prepare for them to try and escape, but Jax tells her that they are safer staying there and waiting to be rescued. She thanks him for helping her, and wonders why he bothered. He tells her that he doesn't hate her, he only hates the choices that she makes. Jax tries to be brave for Sam, but she overhears his phone conversation and realizes that their odds of getting out alive are poor. She asks Jax to hold her, and he comforts her as they wait to die.

Maxie breaks down in Mac's hospital room, and begs him to live. She guiltily confesses that she helped Zander, so it is her fault that Mac could die. Maxie walks out into the hospital hallway, where she encounters Cameron. He tries to comfort her, and she breaks the news to him that Zander is dead.

Courtney continues to help the frightened old woman and her dog down the stairwell. When the woman grows too weak to walk alone, Courtney ties the dog to the rail and walks her down with the intention of going back for the dog. Once they get outside the hotel, the woman thanks Courtney and calls her an angel. Courtney tells her she's going back into the hotel to get the dog, and if the woman should find Jason to tell him that Courtney loves him. Elsewhere in the stairwell, Jason finds the lost boy, and then he and Brian take the kids to the roof for rescue. Once they get in the auction room, Jason discovers from the police report that the old woman gave, that Courtney is in the hotel. The two men run out in search of her. As they are looking, they hear the dog barking and find Courtney in a hotel room full of smoke. She rushes into Jason's arms, and ignores Brian completely.

Skye, Luke, and Faith walk down the stairwell, but Luke is distressed from his earlier smoke inhalation. He decides to go into the hallway and try to find an alternate route, and Skye sticks with him when Faith proceeds down the stairs. Faith goes down another flight and runs into Sonny who is looking for Sam in her room. She tries to set up business ties with him, but he's not interested. She then begins to taunt him about Carly and Alcazar, and Sonny leaves her in the room. Back in the hallway, Luke and Skye find the security room, where they can watch the monitors for the clear exits. Just as they see a stairwell free of fire, Luke notices the Sam's abandoned laundry cart containing the treasure. He makes Skye accompany him to get the treasure, and then they make their way down the clear stairwell. As they descend the flights, they pass Cameron who is heading upward. They ask him if he's lost, and he informs them that he has nothing left to lose.

Alexis confesses to Carly that Sonny is Kristina's real father, and a disbelieving Carly angrily calls Alexis a lying bitch. Alexis presses that it's the truth and explains she lied because she didn't want Kristina around the danger that killed her namesake. Carly counters that Alexis just couldn't bear to share her daughter with anyone, and Alexis asks her if she blames her when Sonny is trying to keep Carly away from her own two sons. As Alexis continues to ramble on about her impending demise, Carly's irritation grows and she decides to do something to get them out of the elevator. Alexis panics at her movement, but Carly tells her to move her butt and help her pry the door open. They manage to open the door and jump down to the hotel hall in the small space that's open. Once out of the elevator, Alexis immediately regrets her admission regarding Kristina's paternity, but Carly assures her they are far from being safe from death. They continue to make it down the hall when Carly thinks she sees someone and turns back to look. An explosion rips through the room, and knocks Carly unconscious and blocks Alexis from her. Alexis makes it out of the hotel and tells the police where Carly is trapped and hurt. Meanwhile, Sonny appears back in the auction room and demands that Lucky find out if Carly has been evacuated. When no one outside can account for her, Sonny forces Lucky to take him to the security room where he can see areas on camera. Fearing the worst, Sonny heads to an area where the camera has been destroyed, in hopes of finding his wife.

On the Twelfth Floor, flames continue to burn perilously close to Carly. At the same time, Lucky and Sonny make their way to the surveillance room to see if any of the cameras on the Twelfth Floor are still functioning. Meanwhile, in Jax's Penthouse, Jax and Samantha head for the bed. After they hit the sheets, Jax wonders if it might have been possible for them to get out of the fire if they had spent less time arguing. At that moment, Sonny arrives and demands that Jax open the door. Sam scrambles to cover up and hide out of sight. Sonny informs Jax that he is headed to the Twelfth Floor to look for Carly. Jax offers to accompany Sonny, but Sonny rushes away, after informing Jax that the last explosion cleared a stairwell down to the street and that Jax will be able to escape if Jax leaves immediately. Jax is surprised when Sam later blasts Jax for allowing Sonny to rush off into the fire alone. Jax sarcastically suggests that maybe Sam should run after Sonny while Sonny runs after his wife! Sam insists that she only wants to be with Jax. However, when Jax and Sam make their way to the stairwell, they find their way blocked again and return to Jax's Penthouse.

As Skye and Luke wrestle Samantha's abandoned treasure down the stairs, they meet Cameron, going upstairs! Luke tries to convince Cameron that he is headed in the wrong direction, but Cameron ignores Luke's advice. As Cameron informs Luke about Zander's death, Lucky notices that the surveillance cameras have recorded Luke and Skye in the stairwell. Lucky heads out to help Luke get out of the fire. As Cameron stubbornly continues to climb upstairs, Luke goes after him, asking Skye to stand guard over the treasure. As Skye waits on the stairwell with the treasure, a man, dressed in a firefighter's uniform, comes up behind Skye, hits her on the head, and takes the treasure. Meanwhile, Luke catches up with Cameron and again tries to persuade Cameron to leave the burning building with him. As the two men talk, Lucky arrives. At the same time, the floor above them collapses and Cameron is pinned under the falling debris after he pushes Lucky to safety. Cameron insists that Lucky and Luke should leave him behind and make it to safety themselves. Cameron urges Luke to learn a lesson from Cameron's regrets and to take better care of Lucky and LuLu. Cameron then passes out. When Luke finds no pulse, he informs Lucky that Cameron is dead. Lucky points out that Cameron died because he shoved Lucky away from the falling debris. As Luke and Lucky scramble to escape the flames, Luke suggests that Lucky try to take Cameron's body out of the building, while Luke returns to make sure Skye gets out OK. Luke rushes back to the stairwell, where he discovers Skye unconscious and the treasure gone.

Outside the burning hotel, on the street, as Ric tries to assist in evacuating the guests trapped in the Versailles Room, Capelli arrives and informs Ric that the coroner's office has declared that the body they discovered in the basement of the Hotel was not Zander! Capelli speculates that Zander either escaped or is somewhere in the building. Later, Capelli informs Ric that the body in the basement has been identified as Scott Baldwin. When Capelli implies that Scott may have been done in by one of his many enemies and that Scott was being investigated by Internal Affairs, Ric warns Capelli that Internal Affairs might be investigating Capelli as well. Capelli retorts that Andy is just as squeaky clean as Ric's flunky, Brian Beck. Maxie arrives at the fire scene and learns that the body in the basement is no longer thought to be Zander. Maxie implores Ric to continue looking for Zander. Ric reassures Maxie that his plan is to be able to rescue everyone inside the building including Maxie's sister, Georgie! Alexis returns to the scene of the fire just as Lucky brings Cameron's body out of the building, and Alexis breaks down. Lucky reports to Ric that he did not see Zander inside the building.

As Skippy the puppy succeeds in reviving Courtney with his constant yipping, Jason and Brian follow the little dog's cries and find Courtney. Courtney rushes in to Jason's arms, much to Brian's disgust. Jason and Brian both lecture Courtney about the foolhardiness of rushing back into the burning building. Jason advises Brian and Courtney that they should head for the roof, where helicopters are sure to rescue the trapped treasure hunters. But, at that moment, another explosion rips through the building. Falling debris separates Jason from Brian and Courtney. Jason orders Brian and Courtney to continue without him, assuring them that Jason will be able to find another way out of the fire. Brian finally convinces Courtney to follow him. Courtney is angry when Brian suddenly insists that they are closer to the lobby than to the roof and tries to persuade Courtney to go down with him rather than following Jason's orders to go up. As Courtney and Brian argue, Sonny suddenly shows up, with a drawn gun focused on Brian. Courtney is surprised when Brian accuses Sonny of sending Jason to kill him.

Jason finds himself on the twelfth floor and finds a woman's shoes and address book. Then Jason spots Carly in the midst of the flames. Meanwhile, in the stairwell, Courtney implores Sonny not to shoot Brian, but Sonny warns Courtney that Brian is still using Courtney to find a way to put Courtney's husband and brother behind bars. Sonny decides that he doesn't want to put Courtney in a position where she would have to lie to protect her brother and orders Brian to leave. After Brian leaves, Courtney blasts Sonny for ordering Jason to kill Brian and angrily declares that she is through with Sonny's way of life. At the same time, Jason succeeds in dragging Carly to safety. As Jason and Carly take refuge in one of the untouched rooms, Carly tries to tell Jason about being trapped in the elevator with Alexis. Jason shocks Carly by informing her that he believes that Alexis is dead because Jason found Alexis's identification in the rubble and Jason believes that Alexis is under the debris. As Carly wonders what will become of Kristina now that her mother is dead, Jason and Carly try to leave the room. However, they discover that their path is now blocked by flames and slam the door on the flames. Sonny blasts Courtney because she changed her mind mid-stream about being able to live with Jason's "business." Sonny warns Carly that, by allowing Brian to get close to her, Courtney has given the police officer all the ammunition he needs to take them all down! While Courtney and Sonny argue, Skippy the puppy makes his way, alone, out of the fire and is happily reunited with Louise. Later, as Brian tries to find his way out of the fire, he suddenly encounters a man with a gun, who shoots Brian point blank. The man walks away and leaves Brian for dead in the flames. Meanwhile, Carly tearfully confides to Jason that she believes they are doomed and confesses that Jason has always been her best friend. When Carly asks if there had ever been a possibility of a deeper relationship developing between them, Jason admits that he believes it was possible. Carly asks Jason to kiss her goodbye and Jason complies with her request. At the same time, Sonny and Courtney continue their argument, just as more debris from the ceiling falls between them, striking Sonny.

On the balcony outside the Versailles Room, Monica and Nikolas wait together for one of the helicopter pilots to drop a medical kit onto the roof so Monica can suture the wound in Emily's leg. Helena takes advantage of Monica's absence to remove the tourniquet from an unconscious Emily's leg. Cassandra Kanelos, the Hotel Electrician who warned Edward about the faulty wiring, arrives in the Versailles Room and collapses at Edward's feet. Pointing towards Edward, Cassandra dies. Later, Edward admits to Tracy that Cassandra had warned him about the faulty wiring in the Hotel, just before the guests began to gather to bid on the treasure. Tracy urges Edward to stay mum, but Justus advises Edward that choosing to remain quiet is the rong decision for Edward to make. When Monica and Nikolas return with the medical kit, a horrified Monica discovers that Emily is bleeding again and rushes to stop the bleeding.

Helena overhears Tracy, Justus and Edward arguing over the best way to deal with Quartermaine responsibility for the fire. Later, Edward sits beside Emily and prays for forgiveness for the shortcomings that precipitated the disaster at the Hotel. Lorenzo leads Sage, Dillon, Georgie and Travis up the stairwell, toward the roof. Lorenzo and the young people arrive in the Versailles Room, just as Faith also arrives, having lost Sonny in the smoke. Faith gets Lorenzo alone long enough to inform Lorenzo that Carly is lost somewhere in the Hotel and that Sonny has gone searching for Carly. Faith taunts Lorenzo for leaving Carly alone in the fire. Later, Justus and Faith trade insults but are interrupted when Sage approaches Faith and begs Faith to help Sage convince Lorenzo not to return to the fire to look for Carly. Faith coldly advises Sage not to try to come between Lorenzo and Carly. However, before Lorenzo can leave the Versailles Room, he collapses. Georgie rushes to assist Lorenzo and discovers that he has a bad cut and has lost a lot of blood.

As Sage runs to get bandages, Dillon asks Georgie if she meant it when she told him she loved him. They are interrupted when Sage and Travis return with bandages. Travis takes Dillon aside and warns Dillon that he would be a fool to let Georgie get away. In the meantime, Tracy orders Justus to stay out of family business, since Justus has disavowed his Quartermaine family connections. At the same time, Monica quietly informs Nikolas that Emily's bandage could NOT have just fallen off the way it did and that the bandage was probably removed deliberately. Nikolas immediately suspects Helena. However, before Nikolas can confront his grandmother, Emily opens her eyes and tells Nikolas that she loves him. Meanwhile, Helena quietly lets Tracy and Edward know that she is aware that the fire was caused by Quartermaine negligence and that she wants the Quartermaines to turn the treasure over to her to insure her silence. When Tracy reminds Helena that the treasure was stolen, Helena insists that when the treasure DOES resurface, the Quartermaines MUST give the treasure to Helena or Helena will blab about the Quartermaine family's responsibility for the fire.

An unknown person finds Brian in one of the rooms in the hotel and shoots him a few times. Brian falls down and lays there unconscious. The shooter is wearing a jacket with a hood. He/she drops the jacket to the floor to escape. Meanwhile, Luke runs downstairs in the stairwell to find Skye. Skye is lying on the floor unconscious. He shakes her and wakes her up. She asks about the treasure. He tells her it doesn't matter as long as she is o.k. Skye tells Luke that someone hit her over the head and must have stolen the treasure. Luke is glad she is o.k. and tries to persuade her to go back upstairs with him to join the others. Skye throws a fit and tells him they need to go find the person who knocked her out and get the treasure back since she needs to bring the treasure back to the Quartermaines so they will be in debt to her and treat her like one of the family again. Luke tells her that the treasure is his not the Quartermaines and she isn't giving it back to them. He gets Skye to go with him. Jason finds Brian sprawled out unconscious from being shot. He hears someone coming so he hides in the other room. Skye and Luke find Brian and realize he is still alive. Luke starts to pick Brian up to carry him. Skye reminds him that Brian is a cop and that she is surprised he would try and rescue him. Luke reminds her that Lucky is a cop and that he would hope that if his son was laying unconscious someone would pick him up and get him some help. Later, Luke and Skye find some fire extinguishers and use them to get through the fires. Jason picks up the jacket with the hood that the shooter left at the scene and used it to cover his face to keep the smoke out of his lungs.

Alexis mourns the loss of Cameron. She leans on Ned for comfort. Ned worries that his whole family will die up in the hotel. Alexis starts to regret all the times that she gave Cameron a hard time and that she wishes she had thanked him more for all that he did for her. Meanwhile, Maxie panics when she learns that Georgie is up in the hotel. She cries and tries to get Lucky to go rescue her sister. Lucky calls up to Nikolas on the police radio and asks him if Georgie is will the group. Nikolas confirms to him that Georgie is with the group and is o.k. Elizabeth wonders if Zander is really dead. Ric thinks he had to have died in the fire. The press interviews Ric about the fire and the death of Scott Baldwin. Ric tells the press that the body has been identified as belonging to Scott Baldwin. Ric also tells them that he has an investigation pending in the origin of the fire. Helena corners Edward and Tracy and blackmails them into giving her back the treasure. Tracy loses her temper and tells Helena that they don't have any treasure to give her and that they don't plan to give her anything. Helena tells them that she can make sure that everyone knows that the Quartermaines knew there was a problem in the electrical system of the hotel and that they purposely ignored the problem even after warnings. Edward and Tracy realize that Helena must have overheard their conversation with Justus. Justus and Faith talk about their past and their relationship. Justus doesn't deny that he wanted Faith but denies that he tanked the case against her lover on purpose so he would go to jail. He tells Faith she can't deny that she wanted him too even though she was with another man. Faith can't deny it but thinks that they have both moved on and should forget the past. Justus tells her he wishes he could forget the past but he can't.

Georgie tends to Alcazar's wound on his arm. Sage tells Dillon that she is worried that Alcazar will go after Carly if they don't keep him there. Alcazar wakes up and asks about Carly. They tell him they don't know where she is. Alcazar heads out to the stairwell to go look for her. Dillon thinks fast and hits Alcazar hard enough to knock him out. Sage asks him what he is doing. He apologizes for hitting Alcazar but that he could only think of knocking him out to keep him from going after Carly. Dillon decides to go out on the balcony to get some fresh air. He doesn't like to see Georgie hugging Tom for comfort just as Sage hugs him after an explosion goes off in part of the hotel and almost knocks out the power. Tom follows Dillon out to the balcony. Tom tells Dillon that Georgie is an amazing person and tries to tell Dillon that he is starting to fall for him for real but Dillon doesn't give him a chance and tells Tom that he should make sure that he does everything to keep Georgie and not be stupid and make the mistake of taking her for granted. Dillon tells Tom that Georgie seems to love him and that when he was with her before she was like having Christmas, the fourth of July and the Super Bowl on the same day. Tom tells him that he thought he was the stupid one. Georgie comes out to check on things. Dillon starts to notice that the wind seems to have died down a bit and maybe a helicopter could try landing on the roof. They go in to get Nikolas to call on the radio for a helicopter to land. Nikolas calls for Lucky on the radio. Lucky agrees to get a helicopter to fly up and land on the roof as soon as possible. Elizabeth panics when she overhears Ric make plans to go up to the roof on the helicopter and help with the rescue. Ric reassures her he will be very careful and that he should be back soon.

Jason and Carly talk. The ceiling in the room they are hanging around in gets weaker from the fire and Jason tells her they need to make an escape route out of the hotel somehow. Carly panics and suggests opening up a window. Jason tells her not to since the fire is right outside the corridor and the oxygen in the air outside will make the fire bigger. Carly tells him she doesn't want to die and gets angry with Jason for suggesting they stay calm. They get out of the room. Jason and Carly reach the stairwell safely. A mystery man in a fireman's outfit and an oxygen tank and mask is on the stairs above them, dragging a bag of jewels with him. He hears Jason and Carly come in the stairwell and hides the bag of jewels from the treasure in a corner near the stairs. He/she doesn't talk. Jason asks the fireman to help escort Carly upstairs to join the others. Carly is reluctant to let him leave and go off on his own. He asks her to stop arguing with him for once and just do what he asks. He gives her his leather jacket to wear to protect her from the heat. The "fireman" escorts her upstairs. Carly starts to feel out of breath going up the stairs after drawing all that smoke into her lungs. The "fireman" stops walking up the stairs in front of her and turns around. He gives her an oxygen mask to help her with her breathing so she can make it the rest of the way upstairs.

Carly makes it upstairs and joins the others near the roof. She finds Alcazar laying on the floor, waking up on his own. She goes to him. He is happy to see she is o.k. He is dismayed though when she starts to worry about Sonny since she doesn't see him or Jason upstairs. Alcazar tells her that Sonny will make it up o.k. and tells her about the fight they had on the stairwell earlier and how they each saved each other's lives so now they are even and can go back to hating each other again. Meanwhile, Courtney and Sonny argue in the hallway. Courtney tells Sonny that she can't live like him and that she can't be the sister that he wants her to be. Sonny grabs Courtney when the ceiling starts to cave in from the fire. He knocks her away from the ceiling and they are both o.k. Courtney thanks him for pulling her away from being killed. Sonny tells her she can't escape the life she has as his sister or as Jason's wife. He tries to get up but his knee gives in and he tells her that he can't walk on it on his own. Courtney uses pieces of wood from the ceiling that fell that aren't on fire and uses it to make a splint for his bad leg. She helps him climb up the stairs. Sonny tells Courtney about how he got involved with the mob and how he likes his lifestyle even if she doesn't and tells her that he loves her. She smiles at him and tells him she loves him too. They run into Jason later.

Luke and Skye make it upstairs as well with an injured Brian. Ric gets up on the roof by helicopter to help rescue everyone. He wonders how Capelli got upstairs so quickly since he wasn't with him in the helicopter. Capelli tells him he used the stairwells. Jason, Carly and Sonny arrive upstairs to join everyone. Ric asks Brian if he knows who shot him. Brian sees that Jason is wearing the same jacket that his shooter was wearing and points to him and tells Ric that Jason shot him. Nikolas confronts Helena about loosening the tourniquet on Emily's leg to kill her. Helena denies it. Nikolas warns her that if he finds out she had anything to do with trying to harm Emily, she will wish she died in this fire. Sam and Jax stay in the penthouse and watch the fire from the window. They hear a knock on the door. They go to open it and a man in a firefighter suit comes in and collapses on the floor. Jax goes over to check if he is alive and tells Sam that he is dead. As this is happening. A man in a similar firefighter suit walks by all the rescue personnel and other firefighters carrying a sack of what is probably the treasure and ignores everyone who calls out to him. The person in the firefighter suit opens up his mask to wipe his face of sweat and it is revealed to be none other than Scott Baldwin.

Luke is dismayed when he sees everyone pushing and shoving at each other to get up to the roof to get on the helicopter. He takes out a gun and points it at everyone to get them to listen to him. He tells everyone that no one's life is more important than another's and that everyone will draw a number and go in the order their number is called. Ric agrees to that as a solution and makes out pieces of paper with numbers on it. Nikolas tells Emily that he will give her his number if it comes up first before hers since she was injured. Emily doesn't want him to do that and tells him she is fine now. They both are pleased when they find out that their numbers are close together and they will be getting on the helicopter at the same time. Luke offers to give Skye his number which comes up before hers. Skye refuses to accept his offer but is touched by his gesture. Edward tells Justus that he can't go on the helicopter before everyone else since he is the owner of the hotel and that the fire is really his fault and that he doesn't feel right about it. Justus tells him that he has to take his number when it is called like he agreed to do and not to play the martyr now.

Capelli accuses Jason of shooting Brian, who is put on the helicopter first because of his gunshot wounds. Jason refuses to speak to him or Ric. Justus tells Ric that there is no probable cause to arrest Jason for Brian's shooting since no one was there to witness it and that Brian has a known bias against Jason. Ric is reluctant to arrest Jason at first. Sonny loses his temper at Ric. Ric has Jason arrested out of spite. Capelli tells Jason that he will not allow him to be on the helicopter and suggests he has to wait until the last helicopter comes. He then suggests that he take Jason down the stairs in handcuffs and bring him out that way. Ric is against this idea at first but Sonny's temper gets worse and he accuses Ric of murder if he allows Capelli to take Jason down the stairs and risk his life like that. He accuses Ric of getting someone to do his dirty work for him so his hands don't get dirty. Ric allows Capelli to take Jason down the stairs. Jason gives his number to Courtney to take and to get on the next helicopter instead of him. Courtney is reluctant to go on the next helicopter without him. She hugs him and kisses him and tells him she loves him.

Carly goes over to speak to Sonny to find out why Jason is being led to the stairs instead of being allowed to get on the helicopter. Alcazar tries to follow her over to where Sonny is but Justus stops him and tells him to let Carly speak to her husband alone without interfering. Alcazar doesn't move but watches Carly and Sonny talk in private and isn't pleased. Sonny blames himself for losing his temper and that if he hadn't Ric may have let Jason go in the helicopter instead. He tells Carly that he has been doing a lot of things lately that he regrets. Suddenly the floor beneath them caves in from the fire. Sonny and Carly fall to the floor below them. Alcazar tries to go after them to help Carly. Justus pulls Alcazar back and tells him that it would be suicide to jump down there. Justus tells everyone that there is no way Sonny and Carly could have survived that kind of a fall. Alcazar refuses to get on the helicopter with Edward and them. He is determined to find Carly before he leaves the hotel.

Georgie tries to get Dillon to go to the hospital with her, Sage, and "Tom" to get checked for smoke inhalation. Dillon tells her he can't go to the hospital without first making sure his mother gets out of the hotel safely. Georgie gives him a look of disdain when he mentions his mother. He tells her he understands that his mother can be a rotten person to almost everyone but that she is still his mother and he loves her. Ned grabs Dillon and hugs him and Georgie when he sees them. Georgie takes off to the hospital in a van that is provided for them. Dillon sees Tracy get out of the helicopter and runs to her and hugs her. Ned finds Tracy and hugs her too. Tracy makes a joke about Dillon still loving her despite everything and she hugs both Dillon and Ned and tells them she loves them. Luke almost got on the helicopter when Skye ran to him on the roof of the hotel. He thinks that she changed her mind and decided to go on the helicopter and take his place. She tells him she hasn't changed her mind about that and surprises him by kissing him goodbye. Luke kisses her back passionately. Skye arrives from the helicopter later and reunites with Luke again. They play down their kiss but each of them realizes they don't really regret it that much. They discuss the treasure and who may have stolen it. Luke tells her he hasn't given up finding the treasure and who stole it. Most of the treasure is seen in a dumpster nearby. Jax manages to use mountain climbing gear to shimmy down to a room on one of the floors below them. Sam follows him by climbing down the side of the hotel that isn't on fire. They manage to get outside of the hotel.

Georgie arrives at the hospital along with "Tom" and Sage. She is grabbed by Bobbie who hugs her and is relieved that she came out of the hotel alive. She tells Georgie that Maxie has been worried sick about her and that she should go find her and let her know she is o.k. and has to rush over to treat Brian for his gunshot wounds. Maxie is relieved to find Georgie in the ER alive and well. She grabs her and hugs her. Georgie starts to tell her everything she did to help everyone including Alcazar. She asks Maxie if Mac is around so she can tell him what she did so he will be proud of her. Maxie interrupts her and Dillon enters the ER and overhears them talking. Maxie starts crying and tells Georgie that Mac got caught in a backdraft while trying to find Zander and arrest him and that he was burned severely and is in the hospital. Maxie starts to blame herself for what happened and admits to Georgie that she hid Zander out and that she is to blame for Mac being burned. Georgie is upset with the news but hugs Maxie and gives her comfort. Dillon feels bad for Georgie. Brian is still semi-conscious and asks Bobbie if Courtney made it out alive. Bobbie tells him that as far as she knows Courtney made it out alive but that she doesn't know about Jason, Carly, and Sonny yet. Courtney runs over to Mike to get comfort. He asks her about Sonny. Courtney overhears Ric talking to Elizabeth about Sonny and Carly. She notes a tension in Ric and asks him what is going on. He informs Mike and Courtney that Sonny and Carly fell through the floor that collapsed under them and that it looks like they are dead. Courtney and Mike are devastated. Courtney gets even more upset when she asks about Jason and is informed by Ric that Capelli arrested Jason for shooting Brian and is taking him through the stairwells to the front of the hotel instead of by helicopter. Courtney loses her temper and accuses Ric of purposely trying to get Jason killed. She starts punching Ric several times and accuses Elizabeth of being clueless about her husband. She tells Ric she hates him and that he should have died in the fire not Sonny and Carly.

Capelli follows Jason down the stairs. Jason is still in handcuffs. Capelli orders Jason to stop on the stair and points a gun at him and plans to kill Jason and make it look as if Jason tried to overpower him instead. Jason surprises Capelli by striking him with a kick instead and knocks Capelli's gun away. Capelli grabs Jason and throws him against the wall and knocks him out briefly and retrieves the gun. He handcuffs Jason to the stairwell and leaves him there. Jason asks him how he is going to explain the handcuffs being attached to the stairwell railing and Capelli tells him he will convince Ric that he had to handcuff him because he got violent with him and that he had to and that he planned on getting someone to help find him but it was too late. Capelli goes up on the roof and insists on getting on the last helicopter. Monica, Emily, and Nikolas ask him where Jason is. Capelli lies and tells them that Jason got too violent so he had to handcuff him to the stairwell until someone could find him and get him out. Monica and Emily yell at Capelli. Nikolas tells Emily to go on the helicopter and he will go back and help Jason. Emily tries to insist on going with him to help Jason but he refuses to let her and makes her go on the helicopter and get medical treatment there. Emily reluctantly gets on the helicopter. Nikolas heads into the hotel just as a big explosion rocks the hotel close to where Nikolas is. Emily screams and fears that Nikolas could have been killed in the blast. Sonny wakes up after being buried under some rubble and parts of the floor that he fell under. He calls out to Carly and looks for her. He finds her unconscious and cradles her in his arms. He tells her that he hates her as much as he loves her and tells her she can't die on him now and that he wants more than anything for her to take care of their boys and love them. Alcazar finds them and watches Sonny cradle her.

Edward collapses from a heart attack and is rushed to General Hospital. Tracy and Alan argue with one another in their state of despair, and Alan tells the family that Edward almost died in the ambulance ride to the hospital. He informs them that the only thing that can save him is surgery, and he is probably not strong enough to handle it. Justus sits with Edward and tells him that they have so much to work through, and that he can't leave now. Tracy then goes in and tells him that she loves him and wants to make him proud of her. Edward opens his eyes and looks at her, but asks for Justus. Justus helps Edward sign a legal document as an angry Tracy looks on from the hall. The doctors wheel Edward into surgery after an emotional goodbye from the Quartermaines, and then Tracy turns on Justus and demands to know what her father signed. Justus claims confidentiality, but Tracy grabs it from his hand and reads Edward's sworn statement that he, and not his family, is solely to blame for the fire.

Emily sobs as she says goodbye to Nikolas and boards the helicopter. He waves to her as she goes into the air, and she screams as the roof explodes in flames and collapses around him. Nikolas manages to live through it and finds his way to the stairwell where Jason has been handcuffed to the railing. Jason yells at Nikolas to leave him and get out, but Nikolas refuses. He walks away and quickly returns with an ax to break Jason's handcuff. As the men try to figure out a way to get out, they realize that a gas pipe is leaking and they run as it explodes. Back at the hospital, Monica rushes Emily into a room to get blood and be treated for her cut. Emily is out of it, but awakes after her transfusion in terror over Nikolas. Monica tries to comfort her, but Emily can't calm down. After Monica tells her to rest, and then leaves the room, Emily removes her IV and goes to find Nikolas herself.

Maxie tries to help a devastated Georgie remain calm for Mac's sake. Georgie fears she can't go in to see him without breaking down, so Dillon comforts her by offering to go with her and help her out. Georgie goes into Mac's room, and bravely keeps it together as she sits with him. Dillon comforts her after she leaves the room. Sam is distraught at the possibility of Sonny being dead. Jax accuses her of being in love with him, but she admits that she's unsure of her feelings and wants him alive to give her the opportunity to figure them out. Jax leaves her in the alley outside of the hotel. Luke and Skye continue to revel in their freedom outside of the fire. They go to the hospital to be looked at briefly, and then to Skye's place on the lake. As Skye and Luke toast each other with water and whiskey, respectively, a towel-clad Jax emerges from the bathroom and interrupts their near kiss. Skye demands that Jax leave her house immediately, and then she turns to Luke and tells him to go to. She explains she'd prefer to be alone after the fire rather than have all the male attention she usually craves, but they are all interrupted by a phone call from Ned that sends Skye rushing to the hospital to check on Edward.

Sonny cries over his unconscious wife, and tells her that he loves her. Carly finally begins to awake as Lorenzo comes upon the scene and interrupts them. He pulls Carly out of the pit where they are trapped, and Sonny tells them to go on without him. Carly screams that she will not leave him alone, and they work to get Sonny out as well. They make it out of the collapsed area and into a hallway, where Sonny walks into the elevator and hot-wires it to get them downstairs ahead of the fire. An enraged and hysterical Courtney beats against Ric's chest when she sees that he's escaped the fire but Sonny and Carly have not. She screams at him and Liz, and asks them if they are happy that they've gotten what they wanted. Ric defends himself as Sonny's brother who has lost someone too, but Courtney gets further enraged and Mike has to pull her away. Emily and Monica come upon Ric next and demand to know about Nikolas and Jason. Courtney breaks away from her dad and finds Capelli who tells her Jason isn't coming out of the hotel. Courtney can't believe her ears as Capelli makes up a story about Jason attacking him, and she begins to flip out. Her tirade brings Ric over, and she screams at him about Jason's situation. When a fireman tells her they've abandoned the search in Jason's area, she tries to run into the building herself, but is stopped by another officer. Courtney continues to struggle against the police, when Sonny, Carly, and Alcazar suddenly emerge from the building. She runs and throws herself into Carly's arms and tells them that Capelli handcuffed Jason to a pipe and left him in the building to die. Sonny yells at Ric that it will be on his head, but they all agree to believe that Jason can make it out alive.

Sonny and Carly share a close moment while Alcazar is distracted by the paramedics. Carly asks him what he was saying to her when she awoke, but before he can answer, Sam rushes up to him, jumps in front of Carly, and throws her arms around him. With the moment ruined by Sam's interruption, Carly leaves them together and goes to comfort Courtney. Emily shows up, and together with Courtney, they worry as they wait for word on Nikolas and Jason. Ric kills their hope when he tells them that the building has become too unstable, and the rescue search has completely been called off. Emily begs Sonny to do something and make them continue looking when suddenly, Jason emerges from the building. Courtney runs to him, and he hugs her. Over his shoulder he looks at Emily, and she reads his eyes and knows that Nikolas isn't coming out with him.

Bobbie tells Luke that Scotty is dead. The police found his body, and she remembers him as the first man she ever loved. As Luke's disbelief turns into an attempt to comfort his sister, Scotty emerges from a fireman uniform back at the hotel and digs in vain into the garbage for the treasure that he hid earlier. Tracy reads aloud Edward's confession of fault for the fire, and announces that he's saved the family. Skye lunges at her and accuses her of caring nothing about Edward, but only about his bank account. Tracy attacks back and says she's the only one who really knows what her father is all about. Alan quietly agrees with her, and she walks off, but is obviously shaken over Edward's poor odds.

Courtney runs to Jason as he emerges from the building and hugs him. They exchange I love you's to each other, and then he walks over to Emily. He tells his sister that Nikolas survived the roof collapse, found him and saved his life, but unfortunately broke a gas pipe in the process. He recounts his memory of running into a hotel corridor with Nikolas when an explosion occurred, pinning them both under beams. Jason awoke and was able to get out, but he couldn't get to Nikolas. Emily begins to sob and refuses to believe that Nikolas is dead.

Back at the hospital, Dillon attempts to comfort his mother by telling her that she can love and be frightened for her father. Tracy tells Dillon that her and Edward are alike and don't need love, but rather respect. She tells him that she could handle not having the sentiment, but that she needs Dillon to stand up for himself. He's shaken by her lack of warmth, and realizes how much Edward has molded her. Bobby announces that Edward is out of surgery and asleep, and Tracy goes into his room to sit with him. He wakes up, and upon seeing his daughter, thinks he's in hell. Tracy smiles at him and reassures him she'll take care of the family's business problems just like he'd want her to. Jason and Courtney bring Emily back to the hospital to be checked out, but she can only call for people to find Nikolas. After they wheel her into a room, the police arrive to arrest Jason for the attempted murder of Brian. Courtney tries to follow him to the station, but he tells her to look after Emily. As Jason leaves, a nurse informs Courtney that Brian has been asking for her. She goes to his room and discovers he's been wheeled into emergency surgery and his prognosis is not good. Brian returns from surgery and has enough time to tell Courtney that while Ric did force him to use her, he did truly love her. He tells her that his wife and son are waiting for him, and he dies.

Emily refuses to stay at the hospital, even after Monica and Alan demand it. She tells them that either they drive her to the hotel or she'll walk over to find Nikolas. Liz walks into the room and offers to take her. As Emily dresses, Liz tells Alan that Emily has to deal with Nikolas in her own way, and they can't make her accept his death until she's ready. Back at the hotel, Liz blocks Ned from holding Emily back, and Emily begins to dig through the rubble to find Nikolas. When she can't find him, she calls out to him and then breaks down. Alan and Monica break the news to the rest of the Quartermaines that Nikolas has died, and Helena comes upon the family in the hospital corridor. She curses them for the loss of her grandson, and promises to spend the rest of her life making sure each and every Quartermaine pay for his death.

Sonny rents Sam a hotel room at another hotel, and she thanks him and tells him she's glad he made it out alive. He asks her how she got out, and she admits Jax helped her but gives him no details of her time with Jax in the penthouse, or of their lovemaking. Sonny goes home and Sam later finds Jax to thank him again for saving her life. Jax agrees to not tell Sonny that Sam slept with him during the fire, and he warns Sam to beware of a betrayed Sonny Corinthos. At the hospital, Carly thanks Alcazar for saving her life. He tells her that he'd do anything for her, but admits that Sonny helped save her as well. Carly hopes that Sonny will now compromise with her over the children, and then attempts to go to the station to help Jason. Alcazar stops her and tells her she needs to go home and rest, and when she tells him she no longer has a home, he asks her to come home with him. She accepts and goes to his place to clean up. Carly thanks him again for saving her life on more than one occasion, and let's him know that she needs time to figure things out with the boys before she can move in with him. He offers her his other house, and they kiss before being interrupted by a call from Sonny. Sonny tells Carly that Michael is upset and wants to see her, and that she needs to come over. She agrees, and he tells her to come over alone.

At the police station, Ric tries to get Jason to talk by telling him that he knows that Capelli is on Alcazar's payroll, and he also thinks that Jason is innocent. Jason refuses to speak without his attorney, and Justus shows up in time to hear Ric badger him and tell him that he'll be executed if Brian dies and he's convicted of it. Jason explains what happened to Justus, and that he did not kill Brian and was only identified by him because he was wearing a sweatshirt he found in the hallway. Ric returns and Justus tells him that Jason is the victim of mistaken identity. Ric begins to argue, and Jason screams at him that he didn't shoot Brian. Capelli tells Jason he's going down for Brian's murder, but Ric returns with ballistic reports that set Jason free.

Carly rushes into the penthouse and hugs Michael tightly. Sonny watches as she tells Michael that she loves him and thought about nothing but him and Morgan while she was in the fire. She tells him that it's late, and asks to tuck him in, but he wants her to stay the night and have their family back the way it used to be. Sonny and Carly join together to put their son to bed, but begin to fight immediately afterward when Carly says she'll pick the boys up the next day. Sonny tells her she can't take them, and she reminds him she has custody. He shoves her out of the apartment, and tells her she will not get his sons. Jason learns that Brian died and that Courtney took responsibility for burying him. Jason finds Courtney at Brian's gravesite. Courtney can no longer endure Jason's lifestyle and makes it clear they can't be together. Courtney is stunned when a man gives her a check for ten million dollars. Armed with a gun, Capelli ambushes Jason. Justus suggests that Edward should claim to be senile in order to avoid any lawsuits against the family. Tracy uses this to her advantage and starts to go after control of ELQ. Emily learns that Edward is responsible for the fire and blames him for Nikolas' death. Alexis stands up to Helena. Edward pretends to be out of touch with reality when Ric questions him. An angry Lucky accuses Luke of being happy that Nikolas died. Edward tells Skye that he named her as his heir, but insists they keep it their secret. Alexis and Luke pay their respects to Cameron. Skye questions Luke about the kiss they shared earlier.

Courtney is surprised when the older woman she helped rescue from the hotel fire shows up with her dog to thank her for saving her life and her dog's. Courtney hands the check for $10 million back to the woman and tells her she can't accept it since it is too much money. The woman asks her to accept it anyway as her thanks and tells Courtney that she reminds her of her late daughter who was her age when she died. Courtney doesn't know what to say and is still in shock. The woman recommends that she use the money as a way to have many choices to do what she wants with her life. She recommends that Courtney share the money with her husband. Courtney informs her that she and her husband aren't together anymore. The woman tells her she is sorry and insists she keep the money. She tells Courtney that money doesn't buy happiness but that it can be used to bring happiness to others who need it and it allows people to make choices they didn't have with money. Detective Capelli points a gun at Jason and tells him to give him his gun when he finds him at the remains of the hotel. Jason tells him that he will never get away with killing him since the cops will find a bullet in his back and that he is already in trouble for handcuffing him to the stairwell during the fire. Capelli tells him he will think of a way to convince the cops and Ric that he killed him in self-defense after he "retaliated" for the fire by trying to kill him first. Jason hands over his gun and while Capelli is distracted, Jason presses a button on his cell-phone to get Ric on the phone. Ric answers his cell-phone and overhears Jason and Capelli talking. He hears Capelli tell Jason that he is going to kill him like he should have done at the hotel. Jason gets Capelli to admit that he shot and killed Brian in the hotel and tried to set him up for the murder. Jason tells Capelli that he wanted Brian dead himself and isn't going to tell the police any of that. Capelli tells him that he doesn't believe him when he says he won't retaliate. Capelli is about to shoot and kill Jason and Jason tells him that if he kills him he will have Sonny out for him and that Sonny will find him anywhere he tries to hide. Ric and some uniformed police officers arrive at the scene.

While Capelli is distracted, Jason jumps him and tries to get the gun out of his hands. The two men struggle for the gun when it goes off and Capelli falls to the ground. Ric checks his pulse while the two uniformed cops restrain Jason. Ric tells them that Capelli is dead. The cops start to arrest Jason and place him in handcuffs. Ric stops them and tells them to release Jason. One of the cops questions Ric's orders since they see Jason being a cop killer. Ric informs them that Jason shot Capelli in self-defense and commends him for using his cell-phone to allow him to hear Capelli's confession. The cops are given their orders to get Capelli sent to the morgue. Ric asks Jason to come to the station and make a statement about what happened with him and Capelli at the fire and what just happened now with the shooting. Jason refuses to make a statement without his speaking to his lawyer first. Ric tells him that he isn't up to anything with him and is just trying to do his job. Jason tells him that he is a liar and that he wants something from him like a favor in return for his statement. Ric tells him that when he has him convicted it will be for doing something illegal and that when that happens he will make it stick. Jason tells him he should have arrested him when he had a chance and walks away.

Ric questions Edward about the fire while he is at the hospital. Justus tries to keep Edward from giving himself away too much by demanding to know why Ric is badgering Edward when it is clear that he isn't of sound mind. Edward goes along with Justus' plan but after Ric leaves, Edward tells Justus that he will not do anything so crazy that he will lose his dignity. Justus advises him to act like he is senile if he wants to get out of being held liable for the hotel fire. Meanwhile, Tracy talks to the new female lawyer in town, Jan McNeal. Jan tells Tracy that by being power of attorney over ELQ by showing that Edward is not sane enough to run the company, she will be able to avoid any lawsuits. Tracy and Jan show up to visit Edward. Tracy holds a document giving her power of attorney over ELQ and shows it to Justus. She tells Edward that she is sorry to do this but she must do what is best for him and for the family and that she will now be able to prove to him that she can run the company without anyone's interference. Edward is livid but hides his anger at first for the benefit of Jan, Tracy's attorney. Justus tells Tracy she won't get away with this. Jan tells him that she already has gotten away with it. Edward tells Tracy that he won't be acting crazy anymore if it means letting her run ELQ. Tracy enjoys every minute of Edward's fit.

Later, Justus runs into Jan in the hallway while he is waiting to get into the elevator. Jan points out to him that she was #1 in their law class and he was #2 and that is why she won this round of sparring. Justus tells her that she was at the top of their legal class because she was having an affair with one of the big law professors at the time. Jan congratulates him on his ability to challenge her and that she has always had the impression that he never liked her much. Justus tells her one of the things he never liked about her was that she lacked creativity and tells her that she needs to watch her step since the unexpected may just happen and she may miss it. Justus leaves in the elevator. Meanwhile, at Wyndemere, Helena blasts Emily and blames her for Nikolas' death. She tries to kick Emily out of Wyndemere but Emily refuses to leave and points out that she bought Wyndemere back for Nikolas and that she can't make her leave. Helena continues to blame Emily for not allowing Nikolas to escape the fire when he could have and that she should have bled to death. Emily tells Helena that she is going to tell Monica that she was the one who loosened her tourniquet and tried to kill her.

Alexis walks in and hears Helena lighting into Emily cruelly and orders her to leave Emily alone. Helena turns around and tells Alexis to leave with Emily and that she has no right to be there. Alexis informs her that she is the executor of the estate and if there is anyone who isn't welcome at Wyndemere is herself. Helena tells her that Emily wasn't good enough for Nikolas and that she should have died instead of him. Alexis tells her that Nikolas loved Emily and that he wouldn't want her treating her like this. Helena vows revenge on Emily and leaves. Alexis talks with Emily about Nikolas. Alexis tells her that she was the one constant true love in Nikolas' life and that she should be proud of that. Emily takes comfort from Alexis, who informs her that Nikolas never changed his will before he "died" and that he left half of his estate for Leslie Lu and Kristina and that he set up trusts for them for college and made sure that Laura could still be able to live in the mental facility she is currently staying in. Emily asks Alexis if she can look through his desk and that there are some photos she would like to have of him. Alexis tells her to take what she wants. Emily looks at some recent photos taken of her and Nikolas. She looks at them and cries. She hears a voice calling her name and she looks up. An injured and weak Nikolas is in the doorway and having difficulty walking. Emily is in shock but runs to him and hugs him fiercely.

Alcazar shows up at Carly's new house and is pleased with her new hairdo which is a dark color instead of her usual blonde hair. She tells him that she needed a change and that it is fitting to have a new hairstyle to go with her new life. She shows him all the toys she bought Morgan and Michael when they come to live with her. Alcazar worries about her custody fight with Sonny. Meanwhile, Sam shows up at Sonny's penthouse to see him. He asks her if there is anything he can do for her and is a little uncomfortable seeing her in his home. She tells him she is getting all set up to live on her boat and came by to see how he was doing. She touches his cheek just as Michael comes down the stairs. He calls out to her and asks her who she is and why she is touching his father like that. Sonny explains to him that she is just a friend and came over to visit him. Michael isn't too thrilled with seeing this stranger in his home but relaxes and smiles at her once he sees she isn't a threat to them and goes back upstairs to do his homework. Sam tells Sonny that Michael didn't seem too pleased with her. Sonny tells her that Michael has been through a lot lately and that he will come around one day.

Carly shows up outside Sonny's penthouse with Alcazar and Lucky. She tells Alcazar that he should go and let her handle things alone with Sonny and assures him that Lucky will make sure Sonny abides by the law and gives her the children. She comes in with Lucky and is dismayed to see Sam there. She asks him what she is doing there when this is a family matter. Sonny points to Lucky and asks her why she brought a cop with her. She reminds him that Lucky is also her family and he understands what is going on with the custody situation. Sonny insists that Sam can stay. Carly asks to see Michael and Morgan and to take them home with her. Sonny tells her that she shouldn't take the children right now like this or she is going to confuse and frighten them more with Lucky being there in his uniform. Carly reminds him she was granted temporary custody and she wants to see the children now so she can explain what is going on and tell them she loves them. She tells Sonny that she doesn't want to fight with him about this and Sonny agrees with her. He tells her that he will talk to the children and bring them to her home later. Lucky tells Carly that she should bring the children with her right now but Carly trusts Sonny to honor his word and bring them to her home later. She leaves with Lucky. She goes to her new home with Lucky and Alcazar. She starts to worry what Sonny is going to do and Lucky tells her she should have maybe listened to him and taken the children right then. She asks Lucky to stay until Sonny brings the children to her and he tells her he can stay but has to call the station and check in. Alcazar tries to comfort her and asks her if she thinks Sonny will double-cross her. She tells him she doesn't think Sonny would do that but she looks doubtful.

A knock at the door interrupts their conversation. Carly answers the door. Sam is on the other side of the door. She had talked to Sonny after Carly had left the penthouse and questioned why Sonny would so willingly let her barge in to his home and demand his children and that he would so easily agree to let her have the children. Sonny asked her to do something for him before she left. Sam tells Carly that Sonny asked her to give her a message that he wouldn't be bringing the children over to live with her and is keeping them with him at his home. Carly looks at Lucky and tells him to arrest Sam for aiding and abetting Sonny and fears he is going to be leaving the country with them if they don't stop him. Sonny calls to Leticia after the luggage is gathered near the door. He orders her to bring Michael and Morgan downstairs and that they have to leave now. Leticia comes down the stairs holding Morgan and tells him Michael isn't in his room and asks if he is downstairs with him. Sonny is livid and asks Leticia if it has become too difficult for her to care for both Morgan and Michael and yells at her for not keeping a better eye on him. Courtney heads into Kelly's but sees Jason. She asks him if he came to Kelly's looking for her but he tells her he came to meet his lawyer there. Michael comes running over to them and asks him if he is going to the airport with them. Jason calls Sonny to let him know that Michael is with him. Sonny is relieved to know that Michael is safe with Jason. Sonny asks Jason to bring Michael to meet him and MorganÉ at the airport.

Nikolas tells Emily that his love for her kept him going in the hotel fire and it helped him get out of the building. Alexis hugs Nikolas hello and tells him Cameron and Scott Baldwin died in the fire and that Zander is missing. Nikolas thought Zander died because of him, but Alexis reassured him it wasn't his fault. Helena sees Nikolas and tells him he survived as he is the greatest Cassadine of all. Nikolas wanted to start over fresh with the family, but Helena asks Emily to leave Nikolas or their love with destroy her and ruin Nikolas.

Liz arrives at the police station to beg Ric to abandon his heavy workload and join her for dinner. He's about to agree, but they are interrupted by a rabid Luke who insists that Ric look at the videotape he has with him. They pop in the tape, and see Scott Baldwin on it, very much alive. Scott tells Luke that he used the fire to escape an Internal Affairs investigation of his wrong doings, and that he planned to make off with the treasure, but it was stolen. He promises to stop in to see Laura before he takes a tour of the world, angering Luke and prompting him to warn Ric that he'll kill Scott if Laura is disturbed. Ric reopens an autopsy on the body from the hotel, and prepares Liz again for it to be Zander.

At Kelly's Tom, Dillon, Sage, Georgie and Maxie watching a news bulletin with an update about the fire. Ric is holding a press conference and tells the public that Scott Baldwin is alive, and that Zander is the body that was found in the hotel. A devastated Maxie refuses to believe that Zander is dead. She races to the police station to get information, and happens upon Nikolas turning himself in for locking Zander in the furnace room. Nikolas makes it clear that he only detained Zander, so Ric has no problem with letting him go, and Maxie runs out of the station. As Nikolas and Emily begin to leave, however, Ric stops them and tells them the autopsy report has just come back with the information that Zander was killed by a blow to the head from a blunt object before the fire even began. Nikolas swears he didn't strike Zander with anything, but Ric arrests him for murder.

**The End**