Alan and A.J. wait around in the Q living room. A.J. is throwing the doll up and down over his head to kill time.

Alan: Will you stop doing that!

A.J: Can you sit down? You're driving me nuts.

Edward walks in.

Edward: Hey, hey, hey! Any sign of Monica?

A.J: No. Where could she be?

Alan: Let's hope to god she hasn't gone to the police to report us to Mac about our conspiracy to commit arson and fraud.

Edward: Oh -- you know, Monica would have never been able to figure things out if you hadn't been playing with that doll and left it lying around.

Skye walks in and heads for the bar.

Skye: Really, grandfather. (Pours herself a drink) All the times you've been bested by women, you still give us so little credit.

A.J: What are you doing here, Skye?

Edward: You know, just what we needed -- mm-hmm -- the family barracuda.

Skye: I've come to watch the three of you be squeezed till you squeal. And to show you what a big person I am, I'm going to refrain from using one of the hundreds of pig analogies that are screaming through my brain.

Edward: You know what, dear? Why don't you just -- why don't you just turn around and leave the way you came in, because, you see, we're having a family meeting, and it doesn't include you.

Monica walks in.

Monica: It does if I invite her.

Edward: So Skye is here at your invitation, huh?

Monica: That's right.

Skye: Monica, I was so flattered you called I didn't even mind that you were using me as a weapon.

Edward: So who shall we expect next? Alexis? Ned? Who?

Skye: Maybe the police?

Monica: That's a possibility.

A.J: You -- you can't call the police, mom.

Monica: Oh, and why is that?

A.J: For one thing, I'd go to jail.

Skye: Well, maybe it's about time. Arson can turn into such a nasty little habit, and this is, what, your third time, I believe?

Edward: Oh, to hell with A.J.

A.J: Thank you, grandfather.

Monica: What did you expect, A.J.?

Edward: Look, I just want you to concentrate on that precious little girl, huh? Now, if you go to the police, little Kristina is going to go to foster care.

Monica: Well, then, Edward, I suggest you influence another judge to give her a loving home, because the child is not staying here.

Alan: The child was court-ordered here, Monica. Judge Farmer thinks this is the best place for her.

Monica: A decision based on fraud.

Alan: We are her family. This is a good home.

Skye: Lucky kid! Instead of some sweet, loving foster couple, she gets a family full of addicts, arsonists, and baby sellers.

Edward: No, just be quiet. Now, just be -- this is a bluff. If either of you were going to the authorities, they would be here by now.

Monica: You know, Edward, there -- there is a little part of me that would like to settle this in the family.

Alan: Here comes the blackmail.

Monica: And I decided that I'd better speak a language that all three of you would understand.

Skye: Well, it certainly holds true to family tradition.

Edward: All right, Monica, you've got us. What do you want for your silence?

Monica: What are you prepared to give me?

Jax walks in through the French doors.

Jax: Oh, good. You're all here. I'll only have to say this once.

Edward: How dare you come bursting in here just spouting your groundless accusations. Do you have some proof to back it up?

Jax: Oh, I'll get some. See, Ned and Alexis are my friends, so there's no way I'm going to let you get away with stealing their baby girl. And I know damn well that you set fire to that gatehouse, Edward, and I'll prove
it.

Alan: Kristina is our family.

A.J: And you know what? I risked my life to save that little girl, Jax.

Skye: Well, Jax, I'll admit your arson theory does make sense. But as grandfather so self-servingly pointed out, there doesn't seem to be any proof.

Jax: I'll get some.

Monica: Well, not right here, you won't, Jax. I appreciate the fact that you are upset. But this is my house, this is my family, and you're disrupting our routine. So I'm going to ask you once nicely to leave of your own accord.

Jax: Of course. My apologies. This isn't over.

Jax leaves.

A.J: You could have blown us out of the water and you didn't. Thank you, mother.

Edward: Mm-mm-hmm. I knew that Monica would pull through. Oh, you are such a Quartermaine! So, now that we're back on the same page --

Monica: Whatever gave you that idea?

At the hospital, Alexis toward the elevator, coat in hand. Cameron is following her.

Cameron: Alexis, you can't just leave. We haven't finished our session.

Alexis: Cameron, I've had all the prodding and the psychobabble that I can handle for one day.

Cameron: Look, I shouldn't have to remind you this, but your therapy isn't about whether you're in the mood for it or not. It's mandatory. Now, if you walk out on it, I'll have no choice but to notify judge farmer. She'll turn the case over to another therapist, who will need time to get up to speed. That, in turn, will extend your time you're not allowed access to your daughter.

Alexis: You would do that to me?

Cameron: Yeah. But it would be your choice, Alexis, and make it knowing one thing -- I have gone as far out on a limb for as I'm going to. Now, you can either start cooperating with your court-ordered therapy -- which is no picnic for me, by the way -- or consider yourself on your own.

Alexis: I'm not on my own. I have a daughter who needs me. And I can't wait six months to get her back.

Monica: The only thing Jax did by interrupting was to provide a distraction. I'm still dying to know what you three are going to offer me for my silence.

Edward: (To Alan) She's your wife. Can't you do something about her?

Alan: Can you?

A.J: Well, maybe, mother, you could give us a clue as to what you think is fair.

Monica: Well, the problem is there isn't anything that I could ask for that I could trust you to deliver. So, therefore, I have taken steps to remove an innocent child from the den of rotten influences.

Alan: You can't do that!

Monica: I already have! Judge Farmer is on her way over. When she gets here, I'm going to give her an earful! So when she leaves, she'll be leaving with Kristina.

A.J. and Edward are still in the living room.

A.J: This is a disaster. The second mom tells judge farmer I set the fire -- you know what? You have to do something, ok? Going to prison was not part of our deal.

Edward: Well, why am I the one who always has to come up with the ideas?

Alan walks in.

A.J: Because you --

Alan: All right, Skye's gone home.

Edward: All right, what about Monica?

Alan: Monica's waiting for the judge. Let's go.

Edward: Hmm?

A.J: Where?

Alan: Outside.

Edward: Why?

Alan: Trust me.

Edward: Well, I don't want to go outside. It's cold out here. What are you -

Alan, Edward and A.J. go out the French doors and look through the window.

Monica walks in and sits on the couch. A moment later Big Alice walks in holding Kristina by the head and butt.

Monica: Oh.

Alice: Oh, sorry, Dr. Q. I didn't realize anyone was in here.

Monica: Is something wrong?

Alice: Well, yeah. With all the yelling going on, it woke up the baby, and now I can't get her back to sleep.

Monica: Well, no wonder the way you're holding her. Here. Give here to me. (Monica takes the baby) Hi, sweetie.

Alice: Well, I'm more used to wrangling the men in this house than carrying little children around.

Monica: Yes.

(Camera switches to the terrace)

Edward: You are smarter than you look.

Alan: Thank you.

Edward: Mm-hmm.

(Camera switches to the living room)

Alice: I hear we might be losing her already.

Monica: Yeah.

Alice: Well -- well, where will she go?

Monica: I -- I don't know. A foster home, I guess.

Alice: Foster home? I've heard stories about those places. But it's none of my business. I'm going to go warm a bottle.

Alice leaves and Monica gets a worried look on her face.

Monica: (Looks down at Kristina) Hello, you pretty thing.

Judge Farmer walks in.

Judge Farmer: You wanted to see me, Dr. Quartermaine?

Alexis and Cameron go sit in the lounge.

Alexis: Cameron, you haven't been in town long enough to know how extremely dysfunctional the Quartermaines are.

Cameron: Well, aren't we all.

Alexis: Let me put it to you this way -- they make me look normal. They're treacherous, they're back-stabbing, substance abusing, they're chronically unfaithful, they're pathological liars.

Cameron: That may well be, Alexis, but at the moment, none of them have been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder or confessed to murder.

Alexis: I hope this is not your way of showing compassion.

Cameron: It's a fact, Alexis. Look, I know it's not what you want to hear, I know it's painful, but living her first six months without won't do irreparable harm to Kristina.

Alexis: How on earth can you say something like that? (She stands up) Are you basing your experience, your vast experience, as a missing father?

Cameron: We can stand here and hurl slings and arrows all night, but it won't change the facts, Alexis. You can't have contact with Kristina, and you have to go through therapy with me no matter how tedious you find it. It's court ordered, and it's infinitely preferable to prison, a psych ward, or permanent loss of custody.

Alexis: There are always ways around court orders.

Cameron: Look, you stay focused and do what you have to do, six months will go by very quickly.

Alexis: I am going to do what I have to do. If you won't help me get Kristina back, I need to find somebody who will.

She gets up and starts to walk away.

Cameron: Where are you going?

Alexis: I'm going to see Kristina's father. And if you feel a need to report me for insubordination, then you do what you need to do.

She walks off angrily.

The judge sits down by Monica.

Monica: I'm sorry to drag you away so late.

Judge Farmer: Oh, I'm glad you did. I was concerned to hear it was about the child. It's such a tragic case. The only bright spot is the little angel wound up here instead of foster care.

(Camera switches to the terrace)

Ned walks up behind Alan, Edward and A.J.

Edward: I can't hear a damn thing. Can anyone read lips?

Ned: Well, well. If it isn't the baby thieves.