04x06 - Fortune Be Not Crost

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Empire...

Angelo is here as my attorney.

- I am suing for sole custody of Bella.
- I need your word

you're not gonna try to take
my baby away from me again.

Any more twisted relationships
between your two families?

I've been bringing Bella to
you for the last five months

every Tuesday and I still don't
know what you want from me.

- I can't lose Bella, Mom.
- And I can't lose you.

- I did some things.
- I don't care what you did, Hakeem.

I'm leaving Empire.
I negotiated for you

- to come with me.
- Who asked you to do that?

- Lucious is gone. It's Dwight.
- No, my name is Lucious.

My office will send you a check.
You may leave now.

I'm back.

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Ain't nobody ♪

♪ No business ♪

♪ If I'm hooked on you ♪

- ♪ And keep comin' back ♪
- ♪ No ♪

♪ No, nicotine ♪

♪ In cigarettes ♪

♪ Ain't got nothin' on you ♪

♪ You help me relax ♪

♪ It's unbelievable ♪

♪ How good you make me feel ♪

♪ Damn ♪

♪ You should be illegal ♪

♪ Baby, my lips are sealed ♪

♪ I know it's real ♪

♪ I know the deal, 'cause love... ♪

- That's amazing. Come on in.
- All right. (CHUCKLES)

♪ Uh, uh, uh, uh ♪

♪ He got a voice, the boy can sing ♪

Come on, singer.

You sure? Come on,
you know I usually warm up

- a lot more than that.
- TONY: Nah, listen,

you sound great, man. It's just
a scratch vocal, anyway.

And all of the horrendous parts,
we're just gonna

put some Auto-Tune on them.

Come on. Everybody ain't Jamal.

(LAUGHS)

But seriously, why don't you...

just do the duet? Be on the track.

'Cause I'm not an artist;
I'm an amateur,

and you need a real
artist on this song.

I think homeboy just scared.

He about to fall up
in this-this music life.

- He's gonna leave everything behind.
- All right,

- Dr. Freud.
- Don't-don't matter.

- Don't-don't get wrapped up.
Wait, hold up. - (PHONE CHIMES)

Y'all stay at it, all right?
That's my mom.

I got to go to Hakeem's
custody hearing, all right?

- All right, baby.
- All right, man.

DR. LAMBERT: I know
patients are often reticent

with new therapists,

but... I can't help you
if you're holding back.

(SIGHS)

Um...

I, uh...

I started seeing somebody.

A woman. Her name is, um...

Pamela.

That's wonderful.

Yeah, it's wonderful.
She's wonderful, doc.

Only, uh, she's a cop.

NYPD, and my family

has a pretty dicey relationship
with folks in law enforcement,

so that's probably not gonna
work out so well, right?

Do you mistrust her? You-you
think she's working an angle?

I don't, I don't know.

I don't know. I just, I just...

I just know I can't stop
thinking about her.

I can't stop thinking about her.
(LAUGHS)

And-and, Dr. Lambert,

I-I want to call her.

I want to call her.

Yeah, I want to... I want to call her.

I want to talk to her.
I need to talk to her, and I...

I don't know if that makes me foolish.

I don't know if that
makes me crazy. (LAUGHS)

- I don't... I'm spinning.
- Andre, slow down.

You're moving a mile a minute.

And now I have to cut this short
because I have to get to...

get downtown to my brother's
kid's custody hearing, so...

All right, wait.

I'm going to renew your prescription,

and you can get this filled
on your way to the courthouse.

Thank you, doc.

This way.

(SIGHS)

Y'all realize that's an original
Klimt and not a print, right?

Please be careful.

- Little better.
- Okay, thank you, gentlemen.

We got to go to court, okay?
But it's good to see the house

- getting back to itself.
- Yeah.

- Y'all look perfect. Come on.
- He seems...

- Yeah, back to normal.
- So he's back.

- COOKIE: I really hope so.
- Yes, I'm back,

so stop talking about me
like I'm not here.

JUANITA: Mr. Hakeem?

I'm praying for you.

Thank you, Juanita.

Come on. Out of the way, people.
Come on, back up.

- Stand back. Move out of the way.
- Let these people breathe.

- Come on, back up.
- SHEPHERD: How you doing, Cookie?

- Hey.
- Ignore all this, and pay attention.

It's gonna get ugly in there.
Don't let it get to you.

I'm telling you, calm and
cool is the way to win this.

Exactly. Today,
we are the royal family,

so everybody,
get your feelings in check.

- Let's go in here and win this for Bella.
- Strictly business.

What's today mean for you, Hakeem?

Everything.

Come on, boy.

WOMAN: You got this, Hakeem!

ANGELO: Okay, why don't
you step over here?

- I'll catch up with you.
- COOKIE: Angelo.

(SIGHS)

Your mother and I have put
our differences aside.

I think its time for us to put
an end to this petty feud.

Cookie Lyon.

Peace advocate.

Nice try.

But I'm not my mother.

- Good luck.
- Mm.

Yeah, well, you sure do
have bitch tendencies.

Very classy.

Always.

(SIGHS)

BAILIFF: All rise.

District Three family court
is in session.

Honorable Judge Lydia Barnes presiding.

Please be seated.

All cameras gone. Now.

- (CROWD PROTESTS)
- (GAVEL BANGING)

Cameras out, please.

All right, buddy.

And if anybody brought a sign in
here, I don't want to see it.

First person to give me
a lecture on freedom of speech

can have a free stay in my
"contempt of court" jail cell.

These proceedings are
about the fate of a baby.

Anything less is frivolous.

Preach!

I do not speak hood.

(SCATTERED LAUGHTER)

No class.

JUDGE BARNES: Enough.

I've presided over
thousands of custody cases,

and in my practiced opinion,

very few parents impress me
as being remotely worthy

of raising a child.

Let's let today change that opinion.

Free Bella Lyon!

You, out.

- All right, you, let's go.
- Hey.

Hey, yo. Get off me, man.

Hey. Let go!

It appears this circus
has lost one clown,

so let's get on with it.

Petitioner?

Mr. Dubois.

My regards to your mother.

- What?
- ANGELO: Yes, thank you, Your Honor.

She's, uh, currently
in Gstaad for the week.

With the Carsons, actually.

Please, proceed, Mr. Dubois.

Your Honor, my client, Anika Calhoun,

is the natural mother of Bella Lyon.

She comes from a-a stable
and law-abiding family,

and she's supported
by a very educated,

and a, uh, a loving community.

Now, the baby's father,

Hakeem Lyon,

is an aspiring hip-hop playboy.

B-level, at best.

He's immature, unstable,

hedonistic,

sexually licentious

and is an avid drug abuser.

- (WHISPERS): Lies.
- When is he gonna object?

It's his opening statement.
He can say whatever he wants.

Objections only happen
during testimony.

Now, the Lyons, as a family,

are a group of opportunistic
no-collar criminals masquerading

as a music company,

with Lucious and Cookie Lyon

as the violent, lawless kingpins.

I like to call them
"hip-hop's Bonnie and Clyde."

I think that's cute.

Your Honor,
it is my client's belief that,

left under Hakeem Lyon's custody,

this child will either end up injured,

damaged or dead.

- (GALLERY MURMURING)
- Thank you.

Bring out the blades, b*tches,

'cause he coming for blood.

ANIKA: Yes, it is true that
I did not expect a pregnancy,

but when it happened, I...

I realized it was something I wanted

more than anything in this world.

Except for Lucious's money,
and Hakeem's ding-a-ling.

When Anika had Bella,
all she did was complain

Bella was cramping her style.

Then she went to jail.

Now Bella don't even know her.

I'm who Bella knows.

Unfortunately, Hakeem does not
know good parenting,

because he's never had it himself.

Bitch.

Mistakes? Yeah, I made some.

But I never lost her,

dropped her or abandoned her.

You've spent half
of Bella's life in jail.

For what charge?

m*rder. (CLEARS THROAT)

- (GALLERY MURMURING)
- But it was self-defense,

and the charges were dropped.

You had sex with the son of
the man you were married to.

Your-your own stepson.

ANIKA: We were not married.

Yet.

And I was just...

- Sleeping together?
- Objection.

- Sustained.
- It is not what it sounds like.

It sounds like you a ho.

I had to take a paternity test to know

if Bella was my daughter,

my sister or community property.

- Clap that, bitch!
- JUDGE BARNES: Ms. Lyon,

I've put up with your murmurs
and your not-so sotto voce,

but one more transgression,

and you'll be under
this court, not in it.

Am I clear?

Yes, Your Honor. My apologies.

Accepted.

Five-minute recess.

JAMAL: Yeah, no.

I love what you did
with the bridge. Just, um,

send me the final mix.
I'll get you notes by tomorrow.

Look, I don't care what you got to do.

Get the mixes done
before I get back, all right?

I don't care what you have
to reschedule, Becky.

- Just get it done.
- I just got off with J Poppa.

He wants to re-sign with Empire,
if he can get a For slot.

That is brilliant. I'll have
Porsha set up the meeting.

Oh, no. I can take care of it, Ma.

Me and J Poppa go back
to Gutter Life days.

That's right.

BAILIFF: Court is reconvened.

Let's go.

Being a father made Hakeem
take life seriously.

I watched my little
brother become a man.

Anika is so kind and thoughtful.

I named my daughter after her.

She's everything
all of us wanted to be.

There's just been
a huge change in Hakeem.

You know, I see him
reading books like,

What to Expect
in the First Six Months.

You know, he's... he's very dedicated.

My daughter won the good
citizen award in high school.

We raised her right.

Keem's a superstar.

There are always women after him,

but the one girl that stole

his heart and mind
is little baby Bella.

He changed his whole life for her.

She's his everything.

- (GALLERY MURMURING)
- SHEPHERD: That's all.

Thank you.

ANGELO: Uh, how long

have you been living with Hakeem

in his Gramercy Park penthouse?

About five months.

Okay.

Ballpark figure... how many times

- have you had sexual threesomes in that...
- (GALLERY MURMURING)

...marble Jacuzzi that's right

in the middle of his living room?

- Objection.
- Uh, withdrawn. How many times

have you done dr*gs with him there?

- SHEPHERD: Objection.
- I never did dr*gs.

Was it Monday through Friday,
or was it just

- the weekends?
- SHEPHERD: Objection. Your Honor.

- And no.
- What kind of dr*gs did you do?

- Objection! - Was it cocaine?
- I never did dr*gs.

Was it cr*ck? Oh, come on, what?

- What is it?
- Objection!

- Kids are popping Molly these days.
- He's objecting.

Where was Bella when all
this was happening, huh?

JUDGE BARNES: Counselor Dubois!

- Where was Bella?
- I don't know!

- Was she asleep in her crib...
- (GAVEL BANGING)

- ...when you guys were having
silent sex parties? - Mr. Dubois.

Sniffing cocaine off of
each other's body parts?

- I don't know! I don't know!
- Mr. Dubois!

- Where was Bella? Where was...?
- Mr. Dubois!

- This is a witness, not a punching bag.
- (TIANA CRYING)

I'm sorry, Your Honor.

JUDGE BARNES: I just bet you are.

Court recessed until Thursday.

(GAVEL BANGS)

Somebody help this little
girl off the stand.

(TIANA CRYING, GALLERY CHATTERING)

That was awful.

- He just kept attacking me.
- Why didn't you

fight back instead of
crying like some punk?

Instead, I may lose Bella,

because you were too
weak to fight for her!

That's not fair.

I love Bella. Hakeem, you know that.

It's your fault why
I'm even up in here

in the first place instead of Cuba.

I should have dropped
your ass when you

snitched on me to Cookie.

You're stressed out of
your mind right now,

but I deserve better.

So when you get your brain back,

and you start looking for me...

don't.

I just want to make sure
I'm able to reach my whole

- core demographic.
- ANDRE: Yeah. To answer your question,

it's a...

Have a seat.

You remember J Poppa, don't you?

How you doin', Becky?

Welcome back.

ANDRE: Shine's gonna produce J Poppa's

first single for his For album.

What you know about Christian music?

I've been known to catch the
Holy Ghost from time to time.

ANDRE: Yeah, Cookie wants you

to, uh, find some other producers

for him to work with to mix it up.

Can you handle that?

I'm right on top of that.

Good, and, um,

I hope that we can count
on you two to be professional.

Hope so.

- See you.
- Have a nice night.

J POPPA: So...

head of A&R.

Yeah, the job you said I'd never get.

Well... congratulations.

Mm-hmm.

I can tell you almost meant that.

I'll see you in the studio.

♪ Uh, all I need is a girl in my life ♪

♪ That ain't out of my league,
everything is just right ♪

♪ Thank the man in the sky ♪

♪ 'Cause He know what I need,
I need a lady with morals ♪

♪ And not someone in the streets ♪

♪ I need somebody that's sweet ♪

♪ Somebody to pray with me ♪

♪ No tricks up they sleeve ♪

♪ Just wantin' to play with me ♪

♪ I'm a changed man ♪

♪ I need a girl to respect that ♪

- ♪ Respect that ♪
- ♪ Somebody to check that ♪

♪ Around the block a few times I been ♪

♪ But now I'm trying to post up ♪

♪ On fresh new land,
and be a brand-new man... ♪

I'm usually not into this Jesus stuff,

but my man got something here.

- It's hot.
- ♪ No more slick talk 'bout gunplay ♪

- ♪ Now I got my hands raised
at church on Sundays ♪ - God.

♪ Poppa knows better,
and better is you ♪

♪ I've weathered a few storms
that had led me to you ♪

Can y'all cut it? Cut it. Cut it.

- ♪ Hey, man, I need a...
- (MUSIC STOPS)

- Let me hear it from the top.
- (CLICKS TONGUE) Becky,

if you don't mind, we almost done.

- We have...
- I do mind. I'm overseeing this album,

and I would like to hear
what y'all are working on.

(SIGHS)

Take two.

I'm-a playback.

♪ All I need is a girl in my life ♪

♪ That ain't out of my league,
everything is just right ♪

♪ Thank the man in the sky
'cause He know what I need ♪

♪ I need a lady with morals... ♪

- (MUSIC STOPS)
- Um...

it sounds a little too much
like your last album.

You mean my last platinum album?

Cute. No, I mean, we get it.
You love the Lord,

and you love a good Christian girl,

blah, blah, blah, but you're back

at Empire now, so I'm gonna need
you to break new ground.

Do you want a hit record,

or do you want
to continue your power trip?

(CHUCKLES)

Shine, clear the room?

You got to be kidding me.
Oh, hey, can I get you

- anything from the kitchen while I'm out?
- I'm good.

I'm just kidding.
Hurry up! I got work to do.

(DOOR CLOSES)

Come out here.
I'm not gonna talk to you

through the glass like a bank teller.

(J POPPA SIGHS)

(DOOR OPENS)

I'm so glad to have you back at Empire

making us hits and money,
but what you won't do

is talk to me like I'm one
of your little fans out here,

especially in front of Shine.
Is that clear?

Only thing that's clear
is your jealousy.

(LAUGHS)

Jealousy of what?

- I moved on.
- Oh.

I sold millions of records,
I traveled the world,

and then you... were still stuck here.

Stuck? Who's stuck? You the one
that gave me an ultimatum,

and when I didn't quit my job for you,

you dumped me,
and now I run this bitch.

- (CHUCKLES)
- What is so funny?

I forgot how cute you are
when you get mad.

- Ugh.
- Mmm.

Stop. S...

BECKY: Mmm. Mmm.

JUDGE BARNES: Ms. Lyon.

If your testimony is half as colorful

as your comments
I wasn't meant to hear,

you just might make my day.

Mr. Shepherd, your witness.

(MAN COUGHS)

Ms. Lyon.

What do you do for a living?

I am co-CEO of Empire Entertainment.

It's a multimillion dollar
music and entertainment company.

And have you always been in music?

Yes. Uh, just not at this high level.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Before I came
to this position in Empire,

I... I spent years in prison.

(GALLERY MURMURING)

Mm-mm.

Look, I made some mistakes

trying to make my dreams come true,

and I paid heavily for them.

I had to raise my kids from prison.

Especially Hakeem.

He was just a baby.

And I see him giving
his baby girl all the love

that I... wanted to give him,
but I couldn't.

He's a father now, and a good parent.

He is...

...better than, uh,
what I had a chance to be.

Your husband divorced you
while you were in jail

to marry Ms. Calhoun, correct?

Not exactly.
He was dating someone else.

Ms. Calhoun came later.

ANGELO: Okay, either way.

Weren't you upset

when you were kind of
kicked to the side

for a "younger, prettier woman"?

- (LAUGHS)
- ANGELO: Yeah?

Well, how about when

that younger, prettier woman

gave birth to your first grandchild?

Did that upset you?

Did you... (CHUCKLES)

Did you ever even consider

harming baby Bella just to
get back at Ms. Calhoun?

COOKIE: Uh, no.

Absolutely not.
Bella is my blood. Okay?

Nothing or no one
could make me harm my own...

But you are a violent woman,
because your prison dossier says

that you were involved
in numerous altercations,

and that you were sent to solitary

for... for "many violent incidents."

COOKIE: Yeah, it's prison.

You do what you got to do to survive.

Right. Have you ever
threatened Ms. Calhoun?

As I recall, we threatened each other.

I mean, but those are
just words. We're still here.

Is it true that
you slapped her, hit her,

pulled her hair
and threatened her life?

Yeah, we got into a fight.

It takes two to tango,
and that was before the baby.

Your point?

Oh, okay. So now that the baby's here,

you can physically abuse her?

Objection.

Sustained.
- Is that what you're saying?

- ANGELO: Wait.
- WOMAN: Why'd he say that?

WOMAN: That's not right.

Okay, look. (CHUCKLES)

Everyone in here knows

that Anika and I got
off to a rough start.

Okay? I get home from prison,
she's engaged to my husband,

living in my house, living my dream.

So you were upset?

We grew up.

Ah. Grew up.

I guess she didn't tell
you about the time

that I talked her down from the ledge

she was going to jump from?

With Bella in her belly?

- (CHUCKLES) I'm sorry?
- Mm?

Yeah, she didn't tell you that
when she feared for her life,

she came to me to ask
that I take care of Bella,

in case something happened to her.

Forgot to mention that
part to your lawyer, huh?

Why don't we just stick
to the question, 'cause...

- You didn't tell your lawyer that?
- The questions, like:

isn't it true that you
p*stol-whipped me?

- Mr. Dubois.
- Objection.

- Irrelevant.
- Answer the question.

Is it true that you had your thugs...

- What?
- b*at me to a bloody pulp? What about...

- Mr. Dubois.
- Y'all didn't know about that.

Is she fit to raise a child?

Mr. Dubois.

Do you want to p*stol-whip me now?

- Is that you want?
- Mm-hmm.

- Leave my mama alone!
- Hakeem.

It's your fault why we even
in this in the first place.

- Your Honor, please. Look at him.
- Hakeem, don't let

- him push your buttons.
- JUDGE BARNES: All right.

Stop the drama. Enough.

Or I'll have you living
in my jail cell

until Bella is of the age
to reject both of you.

Mr. Dubois.

Your fangs are showing.

(LAUGHS)

Please excuse me, Your Honor.

- (GAVEL BANGS)
- JUDGE BARNES: Ten minute recess.

All right, to hell with
all this BS, counselor.

- Put me on the stand.
- No, Lucious...

- What?
- Lucious, no.

No... No. What? I mean,

are you gonna let that man
just talk to her that way

- without a rebuttal?
- Lucious, I get it,

- but at the end of the day, we have to...
- ANDRE: Pop.

Pop, that's probably
not the best idea.

I... look, I... (CHUCKLES)

I know you think you're
back to being Lucious,

but that could be dangerous.

Angelo has a lot of information,
and he could use it against us.

JAMAL: Yeah, Mom's right, Dad.
And he knows exactly

- what he's doing.
- LUCIOUS: Yeah, well, I know what

I'm doing, too.
Y'all got to trust me on this.

Hakeem, what do you want to do, man?

It's your daughter.

I trust you, Dad.

Right on. Come on.

And this is the real Lucious
we're talking about, now?

I don't know.

Mr. Dubois, your witness.

ANGELO: Mr. Lyon. In ,

Rolling Stone magazine named you

"The Scariest Man in Music."

Why?

I don't know.

COOKIE: He knows exactly
what he's doing.

Let me refresh your memory.

It's because you are known
to have affiliations

with hardened criminals,

and anyone who ever disputed you

would either disappear,
or end up dead.

- Objection. Hearsay.
- JUDGE BARNES: Sustained.

I guess I used to be a scary person.

You guess?

Um, I might have... done some things,

and hurt a lot of people.

Somebody tried to blow me up.

I don't know why.

But since the accident, I don't
really remember everything.

Well, isn't that convenient?

Ever since the accident,

he doesn't remember all of the evil,

awful, terrible things that he did...

- Objection.
- JUDGE BARNES: Sustained.

It's all right, Your Honor.

He's... he's right.

You know? Uh... (EXHALES)

It's a terrible thing,
not to remember.

And Mr. Dubois, I mean, if you
know something about my past

that you would like
to share with me, um,

we could talk after the hearing,

but I thought this was about Bella.

- This is about Bella, yes. I'm...
- I remember Bella.

I know Bella.

And I know that my son, Hakeem Lyon,

is a wonderful parent,

because I've watched him care for her.

I've watched him love her,

and... and I love her.

I love her so much I don't know
what we'll do if we lose her.

I mean, that little girl, she's
given me so many new memories,

and, um...

given me a reason to want
to try and-and heal.

Are you okay, son?

- You have any more questions for me?
- I'm...

Uh...

Uh, no, uh, Your Honor.

No more questions.

JUDGE BARNES:
Mr. Lyon, you may step down.

Court is recessed for two hours.

COOKIE: Lucious, that was brilliant.

What do you think, Hakeem?

How we doing?

Well, your father gave
very moving testimony,

but it's hard to know
how the judge is leaning.

Hakeem, you're young.

Know you ain't about to tell me

I can just make some more babies.

Oh...

You know what? You fired, man.

Whoa. Just... let's just
not be hasty, okay?

- He doesn't really mean that.
- Yes, I do mean it.

- I'm-a represent myself, homie.
- Come on, man.

Hakeem, let's not be stupid.

I'm not stupid, Ma,
I'm a grown-ass man.

And I love my daughter more
than anything in the world.

So "it's hard to know"
ain't a good answer.

This is about more than love, Hakeem.

LUCIOUS: I had a strategy,
Hakeem. What's yours?

I got a legal strategy.

Is there any law that says
I can't fight for my baby?

Um, just the basic law
of human stupidity.

Don't do this.

It's my baby, it's my fight.

It's a very risky choice, young man.

I don't advise it,

but it is indeed your legal right.

Proceed.

I call Anika Calhoun
to the stand, Your Honor.

(GALLERY MURMURING)

It's like watching this boy
put a g*n to his damn head.

LUCIOUS: Just sit tight.

You don't remember Hakeem.

That boy ain't never
had no damn strategy.

Okay, Ms. Calhoun.

(CLEARS THROAT): Mm-hmm?

What's Bella's favorite color?

(LAUGHS)

Her favorite color?

She doesn't have one.

Yeah, she does.

What fruit makes her tummy hurt?

Uh, she was on formula
when I had to leave.

Okay, let's talk about
since you been around.

What's Bella's favorite stuffed toy?

I-I don't know.

When she's scared at night,
what song calms her down?

Look, she's my baby,

but I'm still trying to get
to know her, and it takes time.

Okay, then, what's your baby's
every night, on the dot bedtime?

What's her favorite picture book?

Three Little Pigs.

No.

That one scares her.

(GALLERY MURMURING)

I don't know.

What does she call her grandpa?

(SIGHS)

Hakeem, I just got back.

Okay? So I don't know
her as well as you do.

- Not yet. - Yeah, but I
wanted you to get to know her.

- I tried.
- I wanted you to share time with her.

I wanted you to get to
know everything about her.

My door's been open.

I would've never tried
to cut you out of her life.

But then, here you are,
trying to take my daughter away.

And you don't even know her.

Dooshus.

She calls him Dooshus.

Dooshus.

No more questions, Your Honor.

You may step down, Ms. Calhoun.

That was good.

(WHISPERS): Good job.

JUDGE BARNES:
This court is now in recess.

(GAVEL BANGS)

Ooh, she is salty.

You did good.

JAMAL: Man, Johnnie Cochran
over here, man.

- You k*lled it.
- I'm so proud of you, son.

What now, Thirsty?

- What now? Little big man
gets his baby back. - Yes!

Better stock up on them diapers,
too, 'cause she gonna need it.

(CHUCKLES)

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

JAMAL: I thought she was in Gstaad.

COOKIE: The hell is she doing here?

I got no idea.

BAILIFF:
Court is about to be in session.

Plaintiff calls a rebuttal witness.

- What?
- Come on.

She can't hurt you.
She doesn't know you.

Does she?

Good. We good, then.

I thought your mother was in Gstaad.

She was. She just returned last night.

Uh-huh.

(GALLERY MURMURING)

Is there anything we need to know?

No.

You sure?
Ain't nothing you ain't tell us?

I don't even know her like that.

Mother.

- (CLEARS THROAT)
- Excuse me.

Mrs. Dubois.

Do you know Hakeem Lyon?

Oh, I certainly do.

Hakeem, Bella and I have spent
every Tuesday afternoon together

for the past five months.

- (GALLERY MURMURING)
- JUDGE BARNES: Quiet.

He's a very, well, pleasant young man,

and I might add, an attentive father.

Pity to have been born into a family

of such unscrupulous people.

- Object. Make an objection.
- ANGELO: Wow. Well,

what would make you think that?

Oh, it's not what I think.

It's what Hakeem told me.

Objection!

Sustained. That's hearsay.

Your Honor, Mrs. Dubois has recorded

these visits with Hakeem.

Objection, she can't
show no videotapes.

She don't have my permission.

I didn't sign off on
no releases; don't she

- need my permission, Your Honor?
- Not in New York state.

In this state, only one of the
recorded parties needs consent.

And Mrs. Dubois gave that consent.

JUDGE BARNES:
That is, in fact, the law.

I assume you have the means
to screen these tapes?

Yes, I do.

JUDGE BARNES: Thank you.

What's on the tapes, Hakeem?

At least tell me
what's on the damn tapes.

Nothing.

She's a very beautiful baby.

Hmm.

DIANA (ON TAPE):
(LAUGHS) So precious. So...

- This was three months ago.
- Okay.

DIANA (ON TAPE):
How's your father, Hakeem?

(SIGHS) He'll live.

A lot of people try to
do bad things to my dad

'cause he's done bad things to people.

He's a monster.

So many people hate us.

I'm surprised that b*mb
didn't take us all out.

DIANA (ON TAPE):
Ooh, for heaven's sakes.

HAKEEM: I can't trust Bella
with either one of my brothers.

Jamal with his pills, and Andre,
he just straight-up crazy.

- (SCOFFS, CHUCKLES)
- It's not his fault.

He just loses it sometimes.

He almost had a kid of his own,
but it d*ed.

- Objection, stop!
- Probably for the better.

Counselor, how much longer
must we all bear this?

There's just a third tape, Your Honor.

But it... he just says he wishes
his mother was still in jail.

- Objection!
- (GALLERY MURMURING)

Overruled.

You believe this?

I rest my case. Thank you, Mother.

JUDGE BARNES:
Mrs. Dubois, you may step down.

You just lost your daughter, son.

She was after me.

She had Bella this whole time.

- I had to do what she said or...
- Look, boy,

you could have told us.

She played you. She played you
against your own family.

Look, I'm sorry.

Andre?

Jamal?

LUCIOUS: You better
start talking, Hakeem.

Look, I said those things...

Boy, you talked against
this family to people

who are against us.
How could you do that, Hakeem?

Y'all stay out of my sight.

The judge has made her decision.

Get your ass up.

All rise.

(SIGHS)

Please be seated.

I've reached my verdict.

Young man, you are courageous,

and I've seen how much
you love your daughter.

But, by your own words,
your family poses a thr*at

to her well-being that I cannot abide.

Miss Calhoun, while not perfect,

offers a safe and stable home
and an exemplary community.

For those reasons,

this court awards full custody
of Bella Lyon to her mother,

- Anika Calhoun.
- Yes! (LAUGHS)

- (GAVEL BANGS)

- Both: Yes!
- Court is adjourned.

We did it. Oh...

ANIKA: Oh, I'm so happy.

- Thank you. (LAUGHS)
- Thank you. Good job.

You did great. I'll give you a minute.

Oh, that's wonderful.

- Come on, let's go.
- Okay.

Yes!

(TOILET FLUSHES)

You filthy, treacherous bitch.

I'll take that as a compliment.

You fixed it so my son
could lose his child.

What kind of animal are you?

Oh, poor Cookie.

You can dish it out,
but you can't take it, can you?

I just want you
and your disgusting family

out of my life for good.

Oh, I should think
you're well on your way

to getting that wish.

Excuse me.

They don't have enough soap
in here for your dirty ass.

BECKY: So, let's make sure
that gets done on time.

Uh, message Julie
and find out when I can

expect the "Coagulation" demo.

- Oh, and V has a photo sh**t...
- Yo, Becky.

...that was pushed to : p.m.

Hey. So, V's photo sh**t
has been moved to : p.m.

Bruce has a conflict.
I'll meet you guys up there.

Hey, I didn't get a chance to listen

to the final mix of your song.

I've been slammed all day
'cause Cookie's been in court.

I'm not here for that.

I'm here to let you know I'm
happy that we had a chance to,

you know, hash out our issues.

(CHUCKLES)
Is that what we're calling it?

- And I was wondering if...
- Actually,

since you brought up
hashing out our issues,

I'm really glad we did, too.

You are?

Yeah.

'Cause now there's closure.

Closure?

I worked really hard
to get where I am,

and I want to give this job my all.

You understand that, right?

Yeah. Sure.

Great. So from here on out,

we'll just keep things professional.

I'm gonna listen to the mix,

and I'm gonna get back
to you with my notes.

(ALL LAUGHING)

Well, I want to
congratulate my son Angelo

on a spectacular takedown
of the littlest Lyon cub.

Why, thank you, Mother.

And Anika for finally
associating with people

who are worthy
of your stature, darling.

- Thank you, Diana.
- Hear, hear.

It feels good to finally be in a
place where I feel like I, um...

- like I belong.
- DIANA: Good.

So, a night of celebration, Montrachet.

But there is more work to be done.

Warren, my dear, you're up next.
I trust you're up to the task?

- Well...
- He ain't ready.

I don't think his head's
in the game. Are you ready?

Yeah. I'm ready.

DIANA: Good.

Lana, introduce us to your friend.

This is Simon Lambert.

He's a highly regarded
medicating physician

with a very exclusive patient list.

In fact, I saw one of
my favorite patients

just the other day.

I'm afraid I had to up his meds.

Ooh, let us drink to that.
Raise your glasses high.

Cheers.

- Hear, hear.
- (DIANA LAUGHING)

♪ The itsy-bitsy spider
went up the waterspout ♪

♪ Down came the rain... ♪

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

No strangers.

I got it. I got it.

(BELLA COOS)

I fed her already,
and she good till the morning.

Okay.

Her favorite stuffy is in her bag.

It's the pig. Also,
when she gets scared at night,

I need you to get her
dinosaur to protect her.

(BELLA CRIES)

Also, she eats with a
tennis ball in her hand.

I don't know why.

- Hakeem, I...
- She starts fading at : ,

and she's out by : .

Once she asleep,
she'll sleep through anything.

Her favorite song is "This Old Man."

She kind of likes "Drip Drop."

Anika?

Yellow. Her favorite color's yellow.

I'll remember that.

(BELLA CRIES)

(BELLA CRYING LOUDLY)

We lost her.
We had her and then we lost her.

We'll get her back.

How?

'Cause I can't sit
through another trial.

Me, either.

I swear to God that's the last time

I'll sit in a godforsaken trial.

A courtroom with people
deciding the fate

of what's gonna happen to my babies.

I really hope you're back,
Lucious, 'cause I need you.

I want blood.

I want blood to spill.

I want blood to pour like a river.

And I'm-a make that happen,

I promise you.

And this won't get in my way.