Brenda Returns #12 April 27 - September 9, 2011: 12 hour original edit

Dvd #12A At Greystone Manor, Brenda invited Robin into the parlor. Brenda bragged about how smart and funny Lucian was, but Robin sensed that her friend was troubled. Brenda admitted that she'd had an ugly confrontation with Carly because Brenda had decided to take some time to let Lucian settle in before meeting his new siblings. Brenda feared that Sonny was buying into Carly's claims that Brenda was an "evil stepmother" who was determined to keep Sonny's children away from him. Brenda confessed that Sonny had been distant from Lucian, so she was concerned that Sonny might not be able to love Lucian as much as Brenda did.

 Robin admitted that Carly had a way of making them doubt themselves, but advised Brenda not to buy into it. Brenda admitted that a part of her worried that Carly might be trying to force Sonny to choose between the two families. Robin assured Brenda that Sonny would never do that. Brenda had doubts because Sonny had ordered Diane to keep Brenda out of the loop in regards to Michael. Robin was curious if Brenda had talked to Sonny about it. Brenda revealed that Sonny had brushed things off by assuring her that everything had been handled.

 Brenda revealed that Sonny had explained that Carly was volatile, so Brenda should stay out of Michael's problems to keep from upsetting Carly. Robin suggested that it sounded as if Sonny wanted to please everyone, but Brenda didn't buy it. Brenda reminded Robin that Michael wasn't Sonny's biological son any more than Lucian was. Brenda didn't understand why Sonny had a soft spot for Michael, but he was closed off to Lucian. Robin didn't think that it was a matter of Sonny choosing Carly's children over Brenda's son. According to Robin, Sonny was cautious by nature, and Suzanne wasn't a trustworthy person.

 Brenda argued that Suzanne could have easily taken off with Lucian instead of returning him to Brenda. Robin was curious what Sonny thought about the situation. Brenda confessed that Sonny wanted Lucian to have a DNA test to confirm Suzanne's story. Robin assured Brenda that it was easy to do, and it might be the perfect way to help Sonny get past his reservations. Brenda was certain, in her heart and soul, that Lucian was her son, so she didn't need a test to tell her what she already knew. Robin appreciated that, but she pointed out to Brenda that Sonny wasn't in the same place, so Brenda should meet Sonny halfway by having a simple blood test.

 Brenda feared that nothing would change, even if a DNA test confirmed that Lucian was her son. Robin was confident that Sonny would accept Lucian because Brenda was the love of Sonny's life and his wife. Brenda agreed, so she decided to have the test. Shortly after Robin left, Suzanne arrived for a visit. Suzanne thanked Brenda for the invitation to bake cookies with Lucian. Brenda assured Suzanne that Lucian was excited.

 Brenda then apologized for Sonny's skepticism and hostility. Suzanne wasn't offended because she knew that Sonny fiercely loved Brenda and therefore was protective of his wife. Suzanne realized that Sonny assumed that Suzanne had hated Brenda as much as Theo had; however, she was confident that in time, Sonny would realize that Suzanne and Theo had gone their separate ways. Suzanne's smile faded when Brenda announced her intention to have a DNA test on Lucian.

 4/28 At one of Sonny's warehouses, Luke slowly woke up to the sound of his friends and loved ones talking in hushed tones around him. Luke looked down to discover that he had been duct-tapped to a chair. A man suddenly entered the room and then explained that those close to Luke had gathered for an intervention. The man assured Luke that Luke's family and friends loved Luke. "Well, love me less," Luke snapped.

 Luke demanded to know how he had ended up strapped to a chair. The question became moot when Luke recalled drinking with Ethan at Jake's, suddenly, everything fell into place for Luke. Lucky offered to untie Luke if Luke agreed to hear them out. Luke made it clear that he didn't have any intention of cooperating, so he was left secured to the chair. Luke's eyes drifted around the room to see Carly, Sonny, Tracy, Nikolas, Lulu, Lucky, and Ethan take their seats in a circle around him. Luke was curious if they thought that there was safety in numbers.

 Luke was disappointed that each of the people gathered hadn't respected him enough to talk to him individually. Tracy spoke for everyone when she assured Luke that they had tried, to no avail. Luke demanded to know who the "clown" was leading the intervention. Calvin Blaine introduced himself and then revealed that he was an interventionist. Calvin explained that the family had asked Calvin to guide them through the intervention. Luke insisted that Calvin was wasting everyone's time because Luke refused to be "interventioned." Luke ordered Calvin to take his tough love and enlightenment and "stuff it." Calvin ignored Luke's hostility as he explained that Luke merely had to listen to what everyone had to say. Luke glared accusingly at Lucky. Calvin told Luke that the family was concerned about Luke's drinking, so they would each read a letter that they had written to Luke. Luke angrily accused everyone of blaming alcohol for Jake's death, but he vehemently denied that he was an alcoholic.

Ethan spoke of how it had felt to meet Luke for the first time and then to learn that Luke was his father. Ethan admitted that he had never considered Luke's drinking to be a problem until recently, when it had become clear to Ethan that the alcohol controlled Luke, not the other way around. Luke angrily accused Ethan of conning everyone and then began to berate Ethan until Sonny spoke up. Sonny realized that it wasn't his turn to speak, but he couldn't understand how someone like Luke, who would do anything to save a person, couldn't save himself. Sonny considered Luke a close friend, whom he deeply respected.

 The room transformed, so that Luke and Sonny were seated at a table as if they were in Pozzulo's, chatting like two old friends over a cup of coffee. Sonny confessed that he had always admired Luke because Luke had managed to balance fatherhood and friendship. Luke saw his camping trip with Lucky and Sonny play out on the wall. Luke smiled as he watched Sonny hand him a bag of ice to numb Lucky's ear before Luke pierced it with a fishhook. Sonny admitted that seeing Luke and Lucky had made Sonny want to be a father. Sonny considered Luke to be a man of principal and integrity, so he pleaded with Luke not to let the disease get the best of him. Sonny got up and walked out.

 Calvin explained that everyone had expressed their concerns for Luke, and their desire for Luke to seek treatment. Calvin revealed that the family had made arrangements for Luke to immediately enter a facility, so Lucky, Ethan, and Lulu were prepared to drive Luke to Shadybrook for inpatient treatment. Luke was stunned that his family wanted to put him in a "rubber room." Luke was adamant that he refused to go. Ethan stepped forward to remove the duct tape. Luke announced that there was a bottle with his name on it and then excused himself. Everyone appeared sad as they watched Luke walk out of the warehouse. In the alley, Luke took a moment to compose.

 4/29 When Sonny got home to the mansion, he found Brenda having a cozy chat about motherhood with Suzanne, whom he was not happy to see. Before Sonny could ask Suzanne to leave, Brenda announced that she had decided to have a DNA test for Lucian, so she could give Sonny proof that the boy was her son and not just take Suzanne's word for it. Suzanne said it was a good idea. Sonny said that Suzanne had not protected Brenda from Theo, and he was right to be suspicious. Suzanne said that she understood. Suzanne told the newlyweds that she would stay in Port Charles until the results of the DNA test confirmed Lucian's paternity. After that, she said that she needed to get back on the road for her charity, ASEC. She pretended to leave, but instead lurked outside and listened to Sonny and Brenda converse. Sonny said that he would not apologize for wanting to keep Brenda safe.

 Brenda was convinced that she was in no danger from Suzanne, but said that for Sonny's peace of mind, she was getting the DNA test right away. Then she told Sonny that she was taking Lucian out for an ice cream treat and asked him to go along. Sonny declined and said that he had to take care of a situation with Michael. Brenda started crying and said that she was afraid that Sonny would never care for Lucian.

 Robin met up with Brenda and Lucian at Kelly's. Brenda was full of stories about her adventures with Lucian, who was playing near the front door. When Brenda looked again, Lucian had disappeared.

 Sonny called Dante to the house and found out that they agreed that Michael should stop seeing Abby until the real murderer was found. Sonny also called Michael to the house. Michael told Sonny how much Abby appreciated his help. Sonny told Michael to stop seeing Abby and not to do anything stupid, like making a false confession.

 5/2 Both Sonny and Dante cautioned Michael about continuing to see Abby. Sonny said it was common sense to steer clear. Michael retorted that common sense was to help Abby. Sonny said he was not going to let Michael go back to prison. He said that lots of people had put themselves on the line for Michael and would be hurt if his parole were revoked. Sonny told Michael that many people, including Abby needed him. He asked why Michael was willing to risk Pentonville. Sonny's phone rang. When he answered it, Robin was on the other end with word that Lucian had disappeared. Sonny told Michael that their conversation was not finished before he left with Dante.

 At Kelly's, Brenda was hysterical as she and Robin searched for Lucian. She called Suzanne in hopes that Lucian had merely wandered away and gone to Suzanne. Patrick found Robin and, after hearing Brenda's story, joined the search. When Sonny and Dante arrived, Brenda's hysteria had reached fever pitch. She was sure that one of Sonny's competitors was responsible for Lucian's disappearance.

 Dante asked Sonny if Brenda could be right. Sonny said Johnny had been too busy framing Abby. He said that a more likely candidate was Suzanne and gave Dante the details. Sonny tried to comfort Brenda, but she was racked by guilt and blamed herself for briefly looking away. When Suzanne arrived, she blamed Sonny's lifestyle and demanded to know what was being done to find Lucian. Brenda told Robin and Patrick to go home and spend time with Emma. Sonny tried to comfort Brenda's hysteria, without success.

 Once back at the mansion Brenda became increasingly hysterical and irrational. She blamed Sonny for Lucian's disappearance. She wanted to make an announcement and offer a huge reward. Sonny kept telling her to calm down and let the authorities do their job. She asked if he suddenly had faith in the cops. He said that he had faith in his son. Brenda started screaming and telling Sonny that she would handle everything herself. When Sonny made calls and found no trace of Lucian, Brenda wanted him to do more. He told her that he would do anything she wanted. He asked her what she wanted him to do next. Brenda started crying when she realized that she did not know what to do either. Sonny hugged her and promised to find Lucian.

 5/3 At Greystone Manor, Sonny promised to do everything in his power to find Lucian. He urged Brenda not to give in to her fear. Brenda suggested that Sonny couldn't appreciate how she felt, but Sonny admitted that Michael, Morgan, and Kristina had been kidnapped when they were small children, so he knew what it was like. Brenda was not comforted by the knowledge that three of his children had been kidnapped because it just underscored her fear that one of Sonny's enemies had taken Lucian. Brenda regretted not listening to everyone's warning about the dangers of Sonny's life, but Sonny insisted that his enemies weren't responsible for Lucian's disappearance because none of them had known about Lucian.

 At the police station, Dante speculated that Suzanne had changed her mind about Brenda raising Lucian because Suzanne wanted her grandson to herself. Suzanne accused Dante of trying to pin Lucian's disappearance on her because she was an easy target. Suzanne admitted that she regretted giving Lucian to Brenda because Lucian had been abducted after just a few days in Brenda's custody. Suzanne urged Dante to continue to search for Lucian instead of trying to shift the blame on her. Dante decided to verify Suzanne's alibi, which quickly checked out. Suzanne smiled with satisfaction.

 Dante confessed that something about Suzanne had never added up. Dante questioned why a woman who had lost her son would befriend the person she believed was responsible for her son's death. Dante suspected that Suzanne had returned Lucian to Brenda because she wanted Brenda to experience what it felt like to lose a child. "Oh, how Machiavellian of me," Suzanne replied. Dante insisted that it made sense, but Suzanne accused Dante of being Sonny's puppet.

 Sonny arrived at the police station a short time later. Sonny admitted that Brenda suspected that a mob rival had kidnapped Lucian. Dante explained that he had called Sonny because Suzanne had been questioned. Dante shared the details of his interview with Suzanne and then admitted that he suspected that Suzanne was behind the kidnapping. Dante pointed out that if Suzanne had taken Lucian then at least they knew that Lucian was safe. Sonny worried that his marriage would be over if it a rival mobster had snatched Lucian.

 At Greystone Manor, Brenda admitted that she was going out of her mind, worrying about Lucian, and that she would do anything to protect her child. Jax was certain that Lucian knew that. Brenda wanted to post a reward, but Jax feared that it might be counterproductive because greedy people might invent false leads, which would send the police in the wrong direction. Jax suggested they wait twenty-four hours before going down that route. Brenda confessed that she felt responsible because she had been distracted while she had been talking to Robin, and insisted that the guard wait in the car. Jax reminded Brenda that she couldn't have known what would happen. Brenda disagreed because she was married to Sonny.

 Brenda realized that she had been wrong to get mad at Jax when he had warned her about the dangers of Sonny's life. Jax insisted that it was human nature to try to see the best in loved ones, so it wasn't Brenda's fault for believing that Sonny could keep Lucian safe. Sonny entered the parlor moments later. Brenda told Sonny about her idea to post a reward, but Sonny urged her to wait because it might draw out the wrong kind of people. Jax explained that he had told Brenda the same thing. Sonny revealed that Lucian's abduction didn't appear to be mob related, but Brenda refused to believe him. Jax reminded Brenda that they had to consider every possibility, so she should keep an open mind. Brenda insisted that Lucian was the most important thing in the world to her, and all that mattered.

 At an airport, Suzanne handed Lucian a bag of treats as she praised him for being a good boy. Suzanne realized that Lucian was confused, but she explained that he had made it possible for her to be with her grandson without anyone taking him away from her.

 5/6 Dante and Sonny discussed Brandon's murder and reaffirmed the need for Michael to stay away from Abby until the investigation was complete. Sonny shared his exasperation over Lucian's kidnapping and worried that Brenda might be pushed over the edge unless the boy was found soon. Lucky lamented that Brenda had bonded with her son. Dante suggested that Suzanne was his top suspect. Sonny questioned why Suzanne would have given custody to Brenda so easily. He also wondered if it was a coincidence that Lucian had disappeared just before they'd been able to do a DNA test.

 After Dante left, Brenda walked into the room and announced that Jax would match any amount Sonny would put up for a reward. Sonny maintained that he couldn't give the police a list of his business associates. Brenda emotionlessly accepted that reality. Sonny suggested that Suzanne could have been involved in the kidnapping. Brenda accused Sonny of not caring about Lucian because he wasn't Sonny's child.

 Later, Sonny left a voice message for Jax, stating that offering a reward would be a big mistake. Dante walked in and reported that a woman matching Suzanne's description had been seen boarding a plane to Phoenix the night Lucian had disappeared. With her was a little boy.

 5/9 Dante and Sonny were in the living room of Sonny's mansion as they talked about Suzanne and a plan to flush her out. Sonny called one of his criminal friends who said he would find her and report back to Sonny. Dante was not sure that he should be working with a criminal, but Sonny said that Suzanne had criminal connections and they had to have equality with her. Sonny asked Dante to get the surveillance footage from the airport where Suzanne had landed. Sonny was convinced that Suzanne could be lured back to Port Charles as long as she did not know that they suspected her and they did not tip their hand. Sonny told Dante that he had to get Brenda's child back for her and that the only way was to find Suzanne, lure her out of hiding, and get the child while she was in Port Charles.

 Jax consoled Brenda in his office at the Metro Court. She was mystified because Sonny would not consider that Lucian had been kidnapped by one of his enemies. Jax defended Sonny and gave him a backhanded compliment when he said that Sonny cared in his own selfish, controlling way. He told Brenda that it was really too soon to tell who had taken Lucian. Carly opened the door and told Jax that they needed to talk about Josslyn. Brenda took immediate offense and said that Josslyn was safe at General Hospital while her son was missing. She begged Carly not to rush her out. Then Brenda did a turnaround and apologized for being insensitive. Jax said that they were planning a strategy for going public with the kidnapping. Carly was kind and said she could talk to Jax another time because she really did understand what Brenda was going through.

 After Carly left, Brenda listened to Jax explain why Suzanne might have orchestrated Lucian's kidnapping. After he was finished, she was convinced that Suzanne was indeed the culprit. She told Jax that his explanation made more sense to her than Sonny's had. Brenda told Jax that she was determined to go to the media and offer a five million dollar reward. She said that she would appeal to Suzanne directly, and hopefully the reward would result in clues to Suzanne and Lucian's whereabouts.

 Dante and Sonny watched Brenda's televised appeal. She showed pictures of Suzanne and Lucian and accused Suzanne of kidnapping. She offered a five million dollar reward and begged Suzanne to return Lucian to her. Sonny and Dante were appalled that they no longer had the element of surprise on their side. Both expressed doubt about ever seeing Suzanne or Lucian again after Brenda made the kidnapping and suspected kidnapper public knowledge.

 5/12 At Greystone Manor, Spinelli started to update Sonny and Dante about the progress that he had made in the search for Suzanne when Brenda entered the parlor. Brenda immediately sensed that they had information about Lucian's whereabouts, but Sonny refused to tell Brenda anything. Brenda resented being left in the dark about the search for her son; she suspected that they were mad at her for making a public appeal for information, and offering a reward. Dante explained that the press conference had alerted the police that Lucian had been taken by his grandmother, which meant that it was no longer a priority. Brenda was outraged.

 Brenda decided to ask Jax to help her find her son, but Sonny reminded Brenda that Jax had already given her poor advice by suggesting the news conference, which had tipped Suzanne off. Brenda insisted that she would find a way to track down Suzanne and then confront her about abducting Lucian. Sonny advised Brenda against it because Suzanne always played Brenda "like a piano." Brenda didn't care what anyone said because she would do whatever was necessary to get her son back. After Brenda stormed out, Sonny turned to Spinelli to make certain that Spinelli understood that Brenda was not to be involved in Lucian's rescue. Sonny explained that Brenda was too emotional, so she would do more harm than good.

 Sonny was determined to find Lucian as soon as possible because he realized that his marriage was on the line. Later, Spinelli revealed that he had managed to locate a car that had been purchased in San Antonio with money from one of Theo's secret accounts. Sonny and Dante decided to fly to San Antonio, but Dante revealed that normally the police would have a social worker present during the recovery of a kidnapped child to help take care of the traumatized child. Sonny considered it for a moment and then revealed that he knew who to ask.

 Later at GH, Sonny walked up to ask for a private word with Carly. Sonny revealed that they had tracked Suzanne to San Antonio, so he needed Carly to accompany him to help take care of Lucian when Sonny and Dante rescued Lucian. Carly insisted that it was a bad time, but Sonny explained that he needed someone whom he could trust. Carly revealed that Josslyn was scheduled for discharge from the hospital, so he had to find someone else.

Sonny pleaded with Carly to reconsider, but Carly insisted that she couldn't risk leaving town when Jax was threatening to take custody of Josslyn. Sonny promised to help Carly in any way that he could when they returned, but he was confident that Carly wouldn't have a problem persuading the judge to see things her way. Carly agreed to go, provided that the trip was brief. Sonny updated Spinelli and then asked Spinelli to hold down the fort. "You can count on me," Spinelli assured Sonny, but Sonny had already disconnected the call.

 Dante was stunned to find Carly sitting in Sonny's private jet. Dante warned Sonny that Brenda would be furious when she discovered that Carly had joined the rescue party. Sonny reminded Dante that Brenda was emotionally unstable, so she would have been a liability on the trip. Dante confessed that he had been under the impression that Sonny and Carly were on the outs. Sonny clarified that no matter how much he and Carly fought, they always had each other's backs. Dante nodded and then confessed that he had a good feeling about San Antonio. Sonny warned Dante that they would have to improvise the rescue once they landed. Dante was certain that Suzanne wouldn't want Lucian traumatized, but Sonny insisted that they would have to be prepared for Suzanne to put up a fight.

 In Jax's office, Brenda revealed that she was furious enough to scream. Jax promised Brenda that they would find Lucian, but she should take comfort in knowing that Suzanne loved Lucian. Brenda relaxed as she thanked Jax for reminding her of that. Brenda then began to rant about Sonny's decision to shut her out of the investigation. Jax didn't think that what Sonny did mattered because the police were looking for Lucian. Brenda told Jax about Dante's claim that Lucian's kidnapping wasn't a priority because Suzanne was Lucian's grandmother. Jax assured Brenda that he had made some calls to friends in high places, so Jax was confident that they would find Lucian. Brenda almost believed Jax. Jax vowed that he wouldn't let Brenda down.

Later, Brenda returned to Greystone Manor to find Spinelli working in the parlor. She immediately apologized for her earlier outburst and then explained that she wasn't mad at him. Spinelli promised that apologies weren't necessary. Brenda begged Spinelli to tell her what was going on, but Spinelli insisted that he had been instructed not to say anything; however, he admitted that she might have reason to rejoice soon.

 Brenda was stunned that Sonny and Dante had a lead on Lucian, so she demanded to know what had happened. Spinelli began to ramble, and eventually revealed that Carly had joined the rescue party. Brenda was livid that Sonny had trusted Carly to help, but not Lucian's own mother. Brenda was desperate for answers, but Spinelli fled before he revealed anything else. Shortly afterwards, Jax arrived. Brenda informed Jax that Sonny had left on his private jet and that Carly had been with Sonny. Jax doubted that Carly would leave town, but Brenda insisted that Spinelli had no reason to lie.

 In San Antonio, an African-American woman named Betty warmly greeted Suzanne. Betty confessed that she had been worried about Suzanne, and that it would have been a shame if something had gone wrong after all they had been through. Suzanne assured Betty that they were home free, but Suzanne had to first make certain that no one could trace her back to Betty. Suzanne revealed that she had planned to return to Port Charles to play the stricken grandmother, and tie things up, but Sonny had figured everything out. Suzanne suspected that it was because Sonny had never liked nor trusted her.

 Suzanne was grateful that Brenda had gone public with Lucian's disappearance because it had given Suzanne the opportunity to have Suzanne Stanwyck drop off of the radar. Suzanne was delighted that she was finally free to live her life as Sherry Scott, and enjoy raising her grandson without fear of Brenda ever finding him. However, Suzanne was sad that she and Betty would have to part ways. Betty confessed that it had been a joy to work for Suzanne, and that she dearly loved both Suzanne and her grandson. Suzanne assured Betty that the feeling was mutual.

 Later, Suzanne reunited with her grandson, Alec. Suzanne assured Alec that her business trips were over, and that they would always be together. Suzanne gushed how Alec looked like his father. Suzanne couldn't protect Aleksander, but she was determined to make certain that Alec had the life that Aleksander hadn't. Suzanne then revealed that she and Alec would go for a ride in the car and then fly on a plane. Suzanne insisted that everything that she had done was to make certain that Alec grew up safe and away from the bad guys. Alec smiled at his grandmother as she promised him that they would have a good life. "I love you, Grandma," Alec told Suzanne. Suzanne assured Alec that she loved him too, and then dropped her car keys in her purse.

 5/13 Jax tried to use Carly's choice to leave town with Sonny as leverage to have Josslyn released from the hospital into his custody. Brenda railed against Sonny's having chosen Carly over the safety of Lucian. She asked Jax to track down Sonny's plane, but Jax refused. He worried that it would tip off Suzanne, who might disappear with Lucian for good. Jax suggested that Sonny had done the right thing by not sharing Suzanne's whereabouts with the authorities. Jax also stated that, no matter how much of a bond that he and Carly, or Brenda and Sonny had with each other, Carly and Sonny would always turn to each other when the going got rough.

 On Sonny's plane, Sonny, Carly, and Dante strategized to find Suzanne and Lucian. Sonny lamented his track record with regard to keeping his children safe. Carly assured Sonny that he was a good father. Carly and Dante rehashed their mutual animosity over Dante's decision to reveal Michael as Claudia's killer. Sonny stood up for Dante.

 Dante moved to another area in the plane, leaving Carly and Sonny to apologize to each other for the mistakes they'd made raising their kids. As the plane prepared to land, Dante urged Sonny to involve local authorities. Sonny declined, because the red tape they'd have to go through would only hinder their mission. Carly worried that Suzanne would have myriad places to hide, due to her many ASEC contacts.

 Referring to the little boy she was with as Alec, Suzanne prepared for their trip to Switzerland, promising him a wonderful life with her. After making plans for their arrival in Lucerne, Suzanne and the boy left the house. Not long after, Sonny, Carly, and Dante showed up. Dante called Spinelli and asked him to track Suzanne's car.

 Spinelli reported that Suzanne was heading away from the airport. He used his hacking skills to disable Suzanne's car's engine. Carly found a photo of a little boy, but it was not Lucian. Sonny wondered whether the boy they knew as Lucian was a decoy. They hypothesized that Suzanne might have spent years arranging the kidnapping to distract Brenda, while Suzanne and her grandson made a life far away.

 Brenda barged into the penthouse and demanded that Spinelli tell her where Sonny had found Suzanne. Spinelli explained that Sonny was doing everything in his power to save her son. Brenda begged for information on the whereabouts of her son.

 At a playground near where their car had broken down, Suzanne pushed Alec on a swing. She pocketed the knife she'd been carrying in her purse. While Suzanne tied the boy's shoes, Dante, Carly, and Sonny arrived. Sonny accused Suzanne of having arranged for Brenda to bond with a boy who was not Brenda's son. Suzanne admitted that the name of the boy with her was Alec and that he was her grandson.

Carly suggested that Alec stay in the car so that he would be protected. A tearful Suzanne allowed Carly to take the boy away. After they walked away, Suzanne explained that she'd done everything she had to protect her grandson from the violence of Sonny's world. She then pulled a knife on Sonny. Dante aimed his gun at her. In the car, Carly told Alec about her kids and the horses they had. As he told her the name of his toy horse, they heard a shot ring out.

 5/16 A shot rang out as Carly waited in Sonny's limo with Brenda's son, Alec. Carly distracted him by pretending that it was a firecracker and discussing the dangers. In the park nearby, Dante had fired a warning shot at Suzanne, who held a knife to Sonny's throat. When Sonny and Dante started bickering about whether or not Sonny trusted Jason to take the shot more than he did Dante Suzanne was distracted and Sonny was able to subdue her and take the knife.

 Dante arrested Suzanne, who pleaded with him not to let Alec see her in handcuffs. Dante was unsympathetic to Suzanne because she had stolen Brenda's unborn child. Sonny said that he did not want Suzanne on the plane with him or Alec. Dante told Sonny to take Alec back to Brenda. He said that he would take Suzanne back to Port Charles. Suzanne begged Dante to keep Alec away from the mob.

 Back in Port Charles, Brenda was hysterical as she complained to Spinelli that she, not Carly should have been the one to go get her son. Spinelli was kind when he tried to say that Brenda might have been too emotionally involved to handle the situation. An overwrought Brenda denied that she was hysterical as she continued to lash out at Sonny for involving Carly. When Brenda said that she should be there because she knew Suzanne better than anyone, Spinelli gently pointed out that Suzanne had fooled Brenda for years.

 Spinelli defended both Carly and Sonny and told Brenda that while Sonny might have old- fashioned ideas, he always acted out of love and was a good father to his children. Brenda told Spinelli that Jax had told her that her child would never be safe with Sonny. Spinelli said that safety was a relative term and that Sonny would do his best to make sure that her son had a happy and healthy life.

 On the plane, Sonny looked on as Carly engaged Alec in a drawing activity. Sonny told her that she was good with the boy. Carly said that Alec was very sweet and it was easy to like him. Sonny said that he and Dante could not have gotten Alec out of the dangerous situation they were in without her.

 Later, while Carly put Alec down for a nap, Sonny called Brenda to tell her that he had her son and would be home soon. Brenda kept interrupting and demanding to speak to Lucian, but eventually Sonny was able to calm her down enough to tell her that Alec, not Lucian, was her son. When Carly rejoined him she wanted to know how Brenda had taken the news. Sonny said that it was a lot to process. Carly said that Brenda needed to grow up and be an adult. She said Brenda needed to think of her son and not herself.

 Sonny said that everything would be fine and that Brenda would fall in love with Alec just as she had with Lucian. Carly said she hoped Sonny was prepared for an insanely jealous wife. Sonny asked playfully if she meant herself or Brenda. When Carly denied that she was the jealous type Sonny scoffed. Carly told Sonny that Brenda would be mad at him. She cautioned Sonny not to tell the truth, that she was more competent than Brenda in every way. Sonny worried about Jax and his reaction. He thanked Carly for helping him and said he owed her. When Sonny said he owed her two, Carly said okay.

 Sonny took Alec home to Brenda. Brenda was smiling and calm as Sonny introduced her to her child and they greeted each other. Later, after Brenda put Alec to bed, Sonny said that he would give her all the details. Sonny told Brenda that he had managed to keep Alec away from the violence. Brenda told Sonny that she wished that he had taken her with him. She said that she did not know how to forgive him for taking Carly along instead of her.

 5/17 At Greystone Manor, Brenda was curious why Sonny had enlisted Carly's help with Alec. Sonny explained that he had needed someone who was objective. Brenda wondered if Sonny's true motivation had been to punish Brenda for turning to Jax, but Sonny insisted that he had simply needed someone who could calm Alec. Brenda couldn't understand why Sonny hadn't thought of Brenda, Alec's mother. Sonny defended his decision, but Brenda wasn't satisfied. She questioned if Sonny would have taken Brenda along for the rescue if Carly's children had been kidnapped.

 Sonny's lack of response confirmed Brenda's suspicions that he was angry at her for turning to Jax for help. Brenda resented that Alec knew Carly better than his own mother because of Sonny's decision to enlist Carly's help. Sonny suggested that Brenda focus on having her son back. Brenda assured Sonny that she was grateful for Alec's rescue, but she was curious if Sonny had slept with Carly afterwards. Sonny was surprised by the question, so Brenda admitted that Jax had warned her that Carly and Sonny had a habit of sleeping with each other during an emotional crisis. Sonny didn't dispute his history with Carly, but he assured his wife that he had not had sex with Carly.

 Sonny reminded Brenda that they trusted each other, but Brenda argued that Sonny would have included her in on the rescue mission if that were true. Sonny refused to apologize for his decision because he believed that he had done the right thing; Alec's rescue was proof of that. Brenda explained that she felt disrespected. It hurt Brenda when Sonny didn't respond, but she decided to change the subject by asking for details about Alec's rescue. Sonny explained that Alec had a caretaker, but Suzanne had been the only constant in Alec's life.

 Brenda disputed that because Suzanne had spent most of her time with Brenda, not Alec, over the years. Sonny began to sing Carly's praises as he told Brenda about the moments after they had found Suzanne, but Brenda wasn't interested in hearing about what a great "surrogate mother" Carly was. Brenda wanted to focus on what had happened with Suzanne. She was stunned to learn that Suzanne had been taken to the Port Charles police station. Brenda decided to pay her old friend a visit, so Sonny offered to go with her. Brenda declined because she wanted Sonny to be there when Alec woke up.

 At the police station, Brenda warned Dante that she wanted to talk to him about his decision to exclude her from Alec's rescue, but first she insisted on talking to Suzanne. Dante went to see what he could do for Brenda, so Lulu decided to seize the opportunity to suggest that Brenda could show some gratitude instead of sulking because she hadn't been included in the rescue mission. Lulu reminded Brenda that Dante had risked his badge to save Brenda's son. Brenda explained that she felt that she should have been there for her son. Lulu reminded Brenda that at least Alec was alive, so Brenda should be happy that she wasn't in Elizabeth's shoes.

 Dante returned to escort Brenda to the interrogation room, where Suzanne was handcuffed to the table. Dante assured Brenda that the guards were outside the door and then left Brenda alone with Suzanne. Brenda immediately blasted Suzanne for lying about everything, but Suzanne showed no remorse for trying to protect Alec. Suzanne suggested that Brenda would do the same if Brenda were any kind of a mother. Brenda wasn't interested in hearing Suzanne's excuses because she had heard them all before.

 Brenda was certain that Suzanne's true motivation to keep Alec from Brenda had been revenge for Brenda's role in Aleksander's death. Brenda accepted that Suzanne hated her. Suzanne claimed that what she hated was the life that Alec would live with Sonny. Suzanne reminded Brenda of all of the times that Sonny's children had suffered because of Sonny's lifestyle. Suzanne warned Brenda that Alec would be exposed to the same environment and danger unless Brenda did something. Suzanne urged Brenda to pack up Alec and then get him as far away from Sonny as she could.

 Jax warmly greeted Brenda when she showed up at his door and congratulated her on her son's rescue. Brenda was agitated because she wasn't even certain that Alec was her son. Jax was stunned when Brenda told him about Suzanne's switch with Lucian, who had been reunited with his real parents. Brenda was annoyed because everyone expected her to be grateful for what they had done, even though she had been left out of her son's rescue. Brenda was also frustrated because Suzanne had no regrets over trying to keep Alec from Brenda. Brenda confided that Suzanne insisted that Brenda wouldn't be a good mother unless Brenda packed up Alec and then left Sonny.

 Jax confessed that he couldn't be objective, so he asked how Alec was doing. Brenda admitted that she had instantly connected with Lucian, but she couldn't do the same with Alec. Brenda found it difficult to look at Alec because he was a constant reminder that she'd had a child with a man that she had despised. Brenda had no idea what to do, so Jax suggested that Alec was young enough for her to change his name. Brenda refused to consider that because Alec's entire life had been ravaged. Jax smiled as he pointed out that Brenda already sounded like Alec's mother.

 Brenda confessed that she felt bad for Alec, but she didn't have the instant feelings of love that she had felt for Lucian. Jax admitted that he'd been through something similar with Morgan, but that he and Morgan had eventually bonded. Jax explained that part of the reason that the divorce was painful was because he didn't have any legal claim to Morgan. Jax urged Brenda to give herself some time to get to know Alec because he was confident that Brenda would be a wonderful mother. Brenda smiled as Jax hugged her.

 At Greystone Manor, Carly was chatting with Alec about the big tree in Sonny's backyard, while Sonny watched them. Carly promised to stop by with her sons, so that Alec could meet them, and then revealed that the neighbor had horses. Carly decided to take Alec to see the horses, so she led him to the kitchen to fetch apples. Sonny smiled as he watched them walk away hand-in-hand. Later, Carly returned to the parlor after Alec had been put to bed for a nap. Sonny was surprised at how easily Alec had fallen asleep, but Carly explained that Alec had been exhausted after everything that had transpired. Carly revealed that Alec had asked to see her again. Sonny doubted that Brenda would appreciate that, but Carly suggested that Brenda would just have to deal with it until Alec got to know Brenda. Carly explained that, like it or not, Carly was a familiar face to Alec. "Sorry," Carly added and then chuckled. Sonny thanked Carly for her help. Carly assured him that it hadn't been a problem, but she wished that it hadn't complicated things with Josslyn. Sonny was stunned when Carly told him that Jax intended to seek primary custody of Josslyn. Sonny accused Jax of taking advantage of the situation and then suggested that Jax was using Josslyn to control Carly. Sonny promised that he would do everything in his power to help Carly secure custody of Josslyn.

 5/20 Brenda entered Sonny's office and let Sonny know she'd hired a nanny, based on Jax's recommendation. Brenda was upset that Alec had asked for Carly the night before. Brenda was still angry that Sonny hadn't told her about his plan to rescue Lucian from Suzanne. Brenda was especially annoyed that Carly had been a part of that strategy. Brenda expressed her fears, because she and Sonny were falling into their old patterns, keeping things from each other. Sonny assured Brenda that Alec would warm up to her.

 Later, Jason stopped by to update Sonny on Brandon's murder investigation. Jason reported that Jax was pressing for full custody of Josslyn. Sonny told Jason that Brenda was upset because Sonny had kept her out of the decisions he'd made with regard to rescuing Alec. Sonny reiterated that he didn't want a child. He asked Jason whether, if given the opportunity, Jason would do things differently with regard to Jake. Jason expressed his regrets and said he would never have forced his mob life on Elizabeth. Sonny had made a similar decision when he'd left Brenda at the altar years before. He worried that he couldn't keep Alec safe and might have to divorce Brenda, for her and Alec's safety.

 Brenda went to see Jax at his office. She said she wanted to be a good mother. It had been so easy with Lucian, she said, but she was feeling overly cautious with Alec. She mentioned that Alec had more of a bond with Carly than with her. Brenda and Jax both admitted that marriage was much more difficult than they'd ever thought. Brenda declared that some things would have to change in her marriage to Sonny. She was feeling insecure, she admitted. Carly walked in and curtly asked Jax to have his lawyer call hers. Brenda thanked Carly for the role she'd played in rescuing Alec. Carly looked Jax in the eye as she stated that every child belonged with its mother.

 5/23 In Jax' office, Brenda sincerely thanked Carly for helping Alec and making sure that he got home safely to Brenda. She said that she had been angry and upset and had not properly thanked Carly. Carly said that if Brenda really wanted to help, she could get Jax to relent on the custody issue concerning Josslyn. Brenda said that she did not feel comfortable getting involved. Carly sniped that Brenda's gratitude only went so far. Brenda quickly exited the office without responding.

 Jason met with Sonny at the restaurant. Sonny was grateful to see Jason. He shared his fears that he could not keep Brenda and Alec safe. He thought that perhaps they would be better off without him. Jason said that Sonny could not make a decision of that magnitude by himself. Sonny said it was not fair to drag Jason into his problems while Jason was coping with problems of his own. Sonny asked about Sam and told Jason that he was glad that Jason still confided in him. Jason said that no decision had been made about having a child, and he was glad that Sonny was not pressuring him, like many of his other friends were doing. Jason said that losing Jake had made him realize that there were no guarantees and that things happened. He said that he understood that a loved one could be taken away in an instant.

 Later after Jason left, Sonny was on the phone with Bernie when Brenda arrived. She wanted to know if she was interrupting, but Sonny said he always had time for her. She told him about thanking Carly. She told Sonny that she had been so upset and angry that she had not thanked him for saving her son. Sonny said it was okay. Brenda wanted to know if he was upset that she had been with Jax. Sonny said it was not up to him to decide who her friends should be, even if he did not like them. Brenda said that her only reason for visiting Jax had been to thank him for the nanny referral. Brenda acknowledged that she was still uncomfortable around Alec. Sonny assured her that Alec would love her, and she would be the best mother in the world. That made Brenda happy. Sonny said that he wanted to be a better person and show Brenda that he could be truthful with her.

 Brenda asked how safe she and Alec would be. Sonny said that most of his enemies knew that family was untouchable. When Brenda questioned "most," Sonny said that was why they had 24-hour guards. Sonny said that he could not make guarantees, but that he would do everything in his power to keep Brenda On the phone, Anthony told a confederate that he had flexed his muscles, but that no response had been forthcoming. He asked what could be expected from a Bensonhurst punk. He said Sonny needed to pay for his arrogance and that something bad had to happen to Sonny's lovely wife, Brenda.

 5/24 At Pozzulo's, Sonny explained that he needed to deal with something, to keep the peace in Port Charles, but he couldn't go into detail about it. Brenda tried not to let Sonny's secrecy bother her, so she invited him to wake her up when he got home. Sonny smiled as he revealed that he had a case of her favorite champagne delivered to the house. Brenda laughed as she confessed that it sounded as if he intended to get her drunk. "Maybe," Sonny replied with a devilish smile. After Brenda left, Sonny called Bernie to make certain that all the men were in place and that they knew what to do to stay a step ahead of Anthony.

 Dante went to see his father at Sonny's office. Sonny was on the phone, speaking Spanish, when Dante entered the office. After Sonny ended the call, Dante wondered if Sonny had been talking to one of the Escobars. Sonny reminded Dante that he had many business associates who spoke Spanish and then changed the subject to find out why Dante was there. Dante explained that Luke was in bad shape, so Dante wondered if Sonny would talk to Luke again. Dante revealed that Lulu was trying to fix things, but nothing was working.

 Luke poured himself a drink as Sonny entered the casino. Luke offered to get Sonny a drink, but then suggested that intervention protocol prohibited it. Sonny assured Luke that he didn't want a drink. Luke imagined that Dante had talked to Sonny. Sonny explained that Lulu wasn't taking proper care of herself because she was so worried about Luke. Luke insisted that he was fine, but Sonny could see that was a lie. Luke admitted that Lulu had tried to clean up the shattered glass in the casino, which had been reminiscent of Luke's mother's attempts to clean up after Luke's father. Luke explained that Tim Spencer had been a dock worker who drank too much, and viciously abused Luke's mother.

Luke had learned at an early age how to cover up the abuse until his mother had died on the floor of their tenement apartment because she had been afraid to go to the hospital with a ruptured appendix. Luke suspected that was the reason that he had always been drawn to damsels in distress. Luke admitted that he had always feared that he would turn into his father. Luke acknowledged that he had crossed the line once, to his eternal shame, with Laura. Luke then quietly admitted that he had almost done it again earlier when Lulu had tried to clean up the broken glass. Luke acknowledged that he had frightened his daughter, which made him realize that he had behaved just like Tim: a drunk and a coward. "Luke, you know what has to be done, right?" Sonny quietly asked. "Yeah, I guess I do. I guess, I do," Luke answered.

 Brenda was pleasantly surprised when Kristina stopped by Greystone Manor. Kristina apologized for intruding, but Brenda insisted that Kristina, Molly, Morgan, and Michael were welcome any time because it was their home. Brenda sensed that Kristina was nervous, so Kristina admitted that she needed some fashion advice on how to dress in a more sophisticated manner. Brenda and Kristina sat down to flip through a fashion magazine, as Brenda gently questioned Kristina's sudden interest in a new look.

Kristina confessed that she wanted to look different because of Ethan. Kristina and Brenda were unaware that Sonny had arrived home. Meanwhile, Kristina assured Brenda that Ethan was just a friend. However, Kristina wanted more than friendship, so she hoped to update her wardrobe, so that Ethan would see that Kristina was old enough to be with him. Brenda suddenly glanced up when she heard Sonny enter the parlor.

 5/25 At Greystone Manor, Kristina informed Sonny that she and Brenda were having a private conversation. Sonny reminded his daughter that they were in his home and that he knew that Kristina and Brenda had been talking about Ethan. Kristina admitted that she had been seeking Brenda's advice about Ethan because Kristina wanted Ethan to think that she was hot. Sonny took a moment to compose himself and then suggested that Kristina might want to remember that it wasn't a good idea to say something like that to her father.

Kristina was unapologetic, so Brenda stepped in to defuse the situation by explaining that Sonny was just being a protective father. Kristina revealed that she had always had feelings for Ethan, so she had finally decided to accept the inevitable. Sonny reminded Kristina that Ethan was a married man, and too old for Kristina. Kristina suggested that Sonny not get "morally judgmental" because it looked ridiculous on him. Brenda advised Kristina not to accuse Sonny of looking ridiculous, but Kristina ignored Brenda. Kristina insisted that Ethan's marriage was a business arrangement and that Kristina was eighteen, so she was free to date whomever she liked, including Milo.

 Sonny argued that Kristina couldn't date Ethan. He reminded Kristina of what had happened with Johnny. Kristina blamed Sonny for the fiasco because Sonny had planted a bomb in Johnny's car. Kristina warned Sonny that she intended to be with Ethan, but Sonny put his foot down. Brenda quietly advised Sonny against forbidding Kristina to see Ethan because it would just push Kristina into Ethan's arms. Sonny suggested that Brenda stay out of it, but Brenda reminded him that Kristina had involved her.

 Brenda was curious how much older Ethan was. "Five years. Maybe six," Kristina replied. "Ha! Six?" Sonny shot back. Brenda conceded that it was a big age gap for someone who was eighteen, but she was certain that Ethan would be careful with Kristina's heart because of Luke and Sonny's friendship. Brenda warned Sonny that a person couldn't tell another person whom they could and couldn't like. Kristina felt vindicated, but Brenda didn't appreciate Kristina's tone or attitude toward Sonny.

 Brenda insisted that Kristina was lucky to have a father who cared enough about Kristina to be worried, so Kristina should show her father some respect. Kristina didn't think that respecting Sonny meant that Sonny had the right to order her around when she was an adult. Sonny argued that Kristina didn't pay her own bills, so she couldn't claim to be an adult. Kristina invited Sonny to cut her off financially because Kristina didn't care. After Kristina stormed out, Sonny marched off to take care of something.

 Ethan arrived at Greystone Manor at Sonny's request. Sonny explained that Kristina had the impression that she and Ethan were close. Ethan explained that Kristina had been under tremendous stress, so she had needed a friend. Sonny feared that Kristina might see something between her and Ethan that wasn't there, so he wanted Ethan to stay away from Kristina. Sonny argued that Ethan was too old and a married man, so it wasn't appropriate for Ethan to be around Kristina. Ethan understood Sonny's concerns, but Kristina was a "sweet kid," so Ethan refused to cut off all ties with her.

 Sonny appreciated all that Ethan had done for Kristina, especially after Sonny's wedding to Brenda when the limousine had exploded. However, Sonny insisted that Kristina was emotional and fragile, so she was looking for a hero. Sonny believed that it would be wrong for Ethan to take advantage of that. Ethan had no idea what Sonny thought was going on between Ethan and Kristina, but Ethan assured Sonny that they just talked. Sonny didn't mind Ethan and Kristina talking, as long as it never went beyond that. Ethan promised that he knew where Sonny stood.

 Brenda watched from the second floor landing as Ethan left. She descended the stairs to join Sonny at the wet bar. She confessed that she feared that Sonny had handled things wrong with Kristina because the more that Sonny tried to push Kristina and Ethan apart, the more Kristina would want to be with Ethan. Sonny assured his wife that he knew what he was doing, so he asked her not to interfere. "Fine," Brenda agreed.

 5/31 On the pier, Brenda confessed that she was delighted to be spending the day with Sonny. Sonny was curious if Brenda regretted marrying him. "Never," Brenda insisted. Brenda revealed that she had felt dead without Sonny. Sonny tried to talk to her about the necessity of the guards, but Brenda was determined to remain independent unless Alec was with her. Sonny decided to kiss his wife, instead of argue.

 Seconds later, Kristina walked up. Sonny was horrified by Kristina's sexy blue dress. "What the hell are you wearing?" Sonny demanded. Kristina defiantly raised an eyebrow as Sonny complained that the dress was too short, there was too much hanging out, and that Kristina had on way too much makeup. Brenda immediately tried to intercede before the argument escalated, but Sonny and Kristina ignored Brenda. Sonny wondered if Alexis knew how Kristina was dressed.

 Kristina resented her father's implication that she was dressed like a "tramp." Sonny denied that he had used the word, but he insisted that the outfit was inappropriate. Kristina argued that she wasn't dressed any differently than others her age, and then made a point of reminding Sonny that she was almost nineteen. Sonny insisted that Kristina had dressed to attract Ethan's attention. Sonny warned Kristina that she couldn't date Ethan, but Kristina argued that she was an adult.

 Sonny claimed that Ethan was a married man, and too old for Kristina. Sonny and Kristina proceeded to scream at each other until Brenda finally stepped in to ask Sonny to take a walk, while she had a private talk with Kristina. Frustrated, Sonny left. Kristina insisted that she looked fine, but Brenda suggested that Kristina was a bit "over-accessorized." However, Brenda gently explained that Kristina's outfit was not the issue. Brenda suggested that Sonny might be right about Ethan.

 Kristina was hurt because she had thought that Brenda had understood. Brenda acknowledged that she didn't know Ethan, but he was a married man. Brenda insisted that no girl with self-respect would go after a man who had any kind of commitment to another woman. Kristina revealed that Ethan hadn't seen Maya for a month and that the marriage a business arrangement. Brenda advised Kristina to put her plans for Ethan on hold until Ethan and Maya had divorced, but Kristina claimed that she had waited long enough.

Brenda recalled feeling the same way about Sonny, when she had been Kristina's age, until Sonny had married Lily. Kristina argued that Ethan had never loved Maya. Kristina was curious if Brenda had let anyone stop Brenda from going after Sonny. "No," Brenda admitted. Brenda wanted Kristina to learn from Brenda's mistakes, but Kristina pointed out that Brenda was married to Sonny. Kristina insisted that what she felt for Ethan wasn't some "silly schoolgirl crush." Kristina claimed that she was in love with Ethan.

 Brenda conceded that first love was intense, but it could also be incredibly fleeting. "Not this one," Kristina argued. Kristina explained that she had connected with Ethan on a level that was difficult to explain. Brenda was stunned when Kristina revealed that Ethan had discovered that some herbal supplements, which someone had given to Kristina, had actually been powerful narcotics. Kristina credited Ethan with keeping Kristina from becoming an addict because Ethan had paid attention to Kristina when no one else had, and that it hadn't been the first time that Ethan had saved her. Brenda was at a loss for words, but Kristina suggested that they weren't necessary because Kristina had already made up her mind.

 Sonny arrived home to find Jason waiting. Jason started to tell Sonny about his encounter with Anthony in jail, but Sonny was too upset about Kristina. Jason offered to play devil's advocate, but Sonny insisted that he needed a friend to hear him out about Kristina's infatuation with Ethan. Sonny explained that he had been trying to be responsible by leading Kristina down the right path, but Brenda constantly contradicted him, and undermined his authority. Jason suggested that Brenda might be trying to help, but Sonny argued that Kristina needed a firm hand. Sonny worried about the kind of chaos that Ethan would invite into Kristina's life.

 Jason was curious if Sonny had tried to talk to Brenda about his concerns. "Yes," Sonny replied before complaining that Brenda was trying to be Kristina's "fairy godmother." Sonny was frustrated because he had tried to warn Ethan to stay away from Kristina, but Ethan had refused. Jason wondered if Ethan and Kristina were "a couple." Sonny revealed that Ethan claimed that Kristina was just a friend, but Sonny didn't think it was right for Ethan to continue a friendship with someone as young as Kristina. Jason warned Sonny not to push Kristina too hard because ultimatums never worked. Sonny suggested that Jason's approach hadn't worked with Michael, and that Kristina needed boundaries.

Later, Brenda returned home to find Sonny brooding in the parlor. She thanked him for giving her the opportunity to talk to Kristina, but Sonny insisted that he wanted Brenda to stay out of his children's lives because she didn't know them. Sonny argued that Brenda hadn't seen what Kiefer's abuse had done to Kristina. Sonny assured Brenda that he loved Brenda to death, but he didn't want her to interfere in his role as a parent. Brenda was hurt because she felt that they weren't true partners if she couldn't be a part of his children's lives. Sonny assured Brenda that she could love his children, but he wanted her to leave the parenting to him and the mothers of his children. Brenda warned Sonny that she didn't want a marriage like that.

 6/1 At Greystone Manor, Brenda resented Sonny trying to keep her from having anything more meaningful than a superficial role in his children's lives. Sonny assured her that he hadn't meant it that way, but Brenda wondered what else Sonny intended to exclude her from. The heated argument ceased abruptly when Dante entered the parlor with news about Michael. Brenda quickly agreed to shelved her discussion with Sonny until later, but bristled when she sensed that Sonny and Dante wanted privacy. She was curious if she should leave, but Sonny assured her that she was welcome to hear whatever Dante had to say.

Brenda relaxed as Dante revealed that they had arrested a suspect in Brandon's murder, so Abby would be cleared of the charges. Sonny was curious if the hit woman had named her employer. Dante confirmed that Sonny's suspicions had been correct, but carefully avoided mentioning Anthony's name. Sonny thanked Dante for the update. Dante advised Sonny and Brenda to be nice to each other and then left. Brenda thanked Sonny for including her. She believed that it was important that she know more about his life if they were to build a real relationship.

 Later, Brenda joined Sonny on the back patio to suggest that they take a walk. Sonny assured Brenda that he wanted her in his life, so Brenda wondered what that meant to Sonny. Sonny acknowledged that they each had a right to their opinions, and that they wouldn't always agree, so he wanted to compromise. Sonny suggested that Brenda talk to him privately about her thoughts regarding the children, so that they could show the children that they were a united front at all times. Brenda agreed that it made perfect sense. She apologized for her earlier outburst and then admitted that it was hard for her not to speak up when she felt shut out from Sonny's life.

 Sonny warned Brenda that there would be times that he couldn't discuss business with her. Brenda was curious if Carly were privy to Sonny's business dealings, so Sonny clarified that he only discussed the children with Carly. Brenda confessed that it felt as if Sonny didn't trust her. Sonny promised that he trusted Brenda with his life, but he wanted Brenda to have plausible deniability if the police ever tried to question her. Brenda assured Sonny that she didn't mind lying for him, so he could share everything with her. Sonny vowed that he was committed to making their marriage work, no matter what it took.

 Sonny suggested that they try to focus on the things that they did agree on because he thought that it would be better for Alec. Brenda loved the idea, and then admitted that she felt that Sonny was better with Alec than she was. Sonny thought that Brenda and Alec just needed time together to form a bond, so he proposed taking Alec to the ferry the following day. Brenda smiled with delight when Sonny offered to join them, so they agreed to meet in Sonny's office after his meeting.

 At Sonny's office at Pozzulo's, Anthony directed two thugs to carefully place the dead hit woman in Sonny's chair behind the desk.

 6/2 At Pozzulo's, Brenda and Alec entered Sonny's office, but froze in the doorway when they saw a dead woman staring blankly at them from Sonny's chair. Brenda screamed in horror and then quickly hustled Alec away. Seconds later, Sonny entered the restaurant to find a traumatized Brenda comforting a frightened Alec. Sonny looked in the office and then joined Brenda to reassure Alec that everything would be okay.

A short time later, Dante arrived after receiving a call from Sonny. Brenda decided to take Alec home, so Sonny followed Dante to the office, but Dante stopped his father in the doorway. Dante reminded Sonny that it was a crime scene, so he advised Sonny not to touch anything. Dante realized that the dead woman was the hit woman who had killed Abby's ex-boyfriend, Brandon. Sonny was certain that Anthony was responsible for the corpse in his office, but Dante had his doubts.

Sonny insisted that he wouldn't have had someone "whacked" and then left the person in his office for Brenda and Alec to find. Sonny was offended when Dante suggested that it would be a perfect way to throw off suspicion. Dante decided to call the police to report the crime, but discovered that someone had already called in a tip. Sonny immediately accused Anthony of placing the call to the police. Dante was curious what Anthony stood to gain by killing the hit woman. Sonny didn't have an answer, but he was certain that Anthony had something big planned. "Like what?" Dante wondered.

 Sonny arrived home a short time later to find Brenda waiting for him in the parlor. Sonny was concerned about Alec's reaction to the grisly discovery. Brenda admitted that Alec had been scared. Sonny assured Brenda that something like that had never happened before, and he promised that it wouldn't happen again. Brenda was curious how Sonny could be so certain. She had no doubt that the dead woman had been a message sent from one of Sonny's enemies. Brenda feared that Sonny's rivals would eventually target her and Alec. Sonny revealed that he was working with the police to find the killer, but Brenda wanted to know whom Sonny suspected of the murder. Brenda wasn't surprised when Sonny confessed that he didn't want to involve her, so she warned Sonny that things would have to change.

 6/3 At Sonny's restaurant, Dante completed the police investigation into the hit woman's death. Jason arrived, and Dante asked him not to retaliate against Anthony. Dante explained his theory that Anthony had hired the woman to implicate Abby in Brandon's death. Anthony had then had her killed and had the body stashed in Sonny's office so that Sonny would break the truce. Dante asked Jason for help to prove that Anthony had been behind the murder by discussing what Jason and Anthony had talked about at the police station. Jason responded that Anthony had admitted to incriminating Abby to cause tension between the Corinthos and Zacchara families. Dante worried that, since Michael had become indebted to the Zacchara family, Jason and Sonny would strike back at Anthony. Dante pleaded with Jason to let the police handle the situation.

 Brenda objected to Sonny's security plan for Alec. She didn't want her son to feel like a prisoner. Sonny said that he was doing what he could to shield the boy and mentioned that Brenda had known what she was getting into when they agreed to marry. Brenda tearfully replied that she'd not expected to walk into Sonny's office with Alec to find a woman's dead body. Brenda felt that she was a bad mother because she'd taken her son away from the only family he'd known and given him a new life that would give him nightmares. Sonny was sorry that Alec had seen the dead woman and promised nothing like that would ever happen again.

 Brenda said that she'd always wanted to be with Sonny and that she'd chosen to risk the dangers of marrying into the mob. However, since she was a mother, her desires were secondary to her son's safety. She asked Sonny if he would change the way he'd raised his kids, had he known what was in store for them. Sonny responded that he would have made a lot of different choices but that he could do a better job keeping Alec safe. Sonny suggested that Brenda not take Alec to any of Sonny's places of business for the time being. Brenda wanted to know how Sonny would deal with the questions Alec would eventually ask: why is my dad in the news, why can't I go out without guards, questions like that.

 At that moment, Michael and Kristina entered the room. Sonny apologized to Kristina for the way their last interaction had gone. Kristina advocated for more autonomy with regard to how she dressed and whom she dated. Michael suggested he and his sister should go, as it was obviously not a good time for that discussion. Brenda asked them to stay and to have a family meeting. She wanted to hear from Sonny's children how his business had affected their childhood. Kristina said that she hadn't had much contact with her father until she was older but she'd always known, deep inside, that Sonny wasn't an ordinary businessman.

Michael tried to convince Brenda that their childhoods hadn't been bad, just different than most kids'. Kristina said that her biggest regret was that she hadn't gotten to spend more time with her dad while she was growing up. Michael stated that Sonny was the best father there was. After Kristina made Sonny promise to discuss letting her make her own decisions, she and Michael left. Brenda told Sonny that Alec would love Sonny, but she hoped that love would be enough.

 Later, Jason arrived. The restaurant was open, and Diane didn't believe any charges would be filed against them, he reported. Sonny stated that the damage had already been done, as Alec had seen the woman's body. Sonny worried that Anthony was becoming increasingly unpredictable. Brenda walked downstairs with a brilliant idea: Sonny could retire, and Jason could take over the business.

 6/6 Sonny's jaw dropped when Brenda enthusiastically urged Jason to take over the mob for Sonny. She told both men that if Sonny gave the mob to Jason that it would be a second chance for herself, Sonny and Alec to have a family. Brenda blathered on about she and Alec had found a dead woman in Sonny's office and the only way to keep it from happening again was for Sonny to get out of the business. When Brenda stopped ranting, Jason told Sonny that he would do whatever Sonny asked of him and then left. Alone, Sonny asked Brenda if she knew that the last time he had left the business Michael had been shot. He told her that his enemies had arranged an assassination because they knew that he had no bodyguards and a ricochet had hit Michael.

Brenda said that the situations were not the same. Sonny said that he could not retire and stay in Port Charles. He said that the truth was that he could not leave his children and if even he wanted out of the mob, he could not get out. He told Brenda that he was in the business for life. Sonny told Brenda that Port Charles would always be a Mecca for crime because of its favorable location and routes to the Canadian border as well as its ports and waterways. Sonny asked Brenda to think of what kind of person would control Port Charles if it were not he. Sonny said that some one else would allow drugs crimes that profited off the poor and weak.

 Brenda admitted that Sonny was the lesser of two evils. Brenda told Sonny that deep down she knew that he could never get out of the mob and would always be in danger. Sonny wanted to know where that left them. Brenda said that she would handle it and learn to deal with it. Brenda said that her concerns were caused because a child was involved. Sonny said that he was telling her, for what felt like the millionth time, that he would do everything in his power to protect both Brenda and Alec. Brenda embracing Sonny and said that of course she believed him because she loved him. They had their arms around each other and were smiling as they headed upstairs.

 After making love, Brenda and Sonny talked in bed. Brenda asked Sonny what he would want if he lived in a perfect world. Sonny said there was no such thing as a perfect world. Sonny told Brenda that he had made peace with who he was and what he did. Brenda said that with Alec in her life she suspected that she would be seeing life from a different perspective. Sonny asked if Brenda wanted to know a secret. Brenda was delighted that Sonny wanted to share himself with her. Sonny told Brenda that often, in the past, he had carried the secret wish in the back of his mind that he would see her and they would be together again. Sonny told Brenda that as long as they were together, nothing else mattered to him and his world was perfect. Brenda was very happy with Sonny's words and seemed to feel safe and content as she snuggled in Sonny's arms.

Dvd #12B

6/8 At the Zacchara penthouse, Johnny gave his word that he would put a rush on a shipment. Anthony chuckled as Johnny ended the call. Anthony suspected that the Trujillos were unhappy because Jason had torched the Trujillos' shipment and then burned down the Zacchara warehouse. Johnny was curious what Anthony had expected when Anthony had provoked Sonny. Anthony advised Johnny to relax because it was all part of Anthony's master plan, but Johnny warned that he didn't want a war with Sonny.

 Anthony made it clear that he wasn't interested in peace because Sonny was weakening. Johnny wondered what had given Anthony that idea, so Anthony pointed out that Sonny had married a woman with a child and that Sonny appeared to be more interested in donating to charities than being a mobster. Anthony urged his son to seize the opportunity to take control of the territory, but Johnny dismissed the idea. Anthony accused Johnny of being a coward and then suggested that Johnny get with the program. Anthony realized that he was an old man with limited time, but he was determined to have "a hell of a lot of fun," while he could.

 6/9 At Pozzulo's, Carly entered Sonny's office. She was concerned that he had asked to see her because something had happened to Michael, but Sonny assured her that he simply wanted to discuss Michael's graduation party. Carly warned Sonny that he might have to talk Michael into going. Alexis arrived moments later. Sonny revealed that he had wanted both of them there for a reason. "Why?" Alexis and Carly asked in unison.

 Sonny explained that he wanted to throw a big party to celebrate Michael and Kristina's graduations. Carly feared that Michael would not even attend the ceremony, but Alexis revealed that Kristina had persuaded Michael to go. Sonny smiled with satisfaction because it meant that he could proceed with his plans. Alexis argued that she had already made plans to host a party at her house for Kristina, while Carly warned Sonny that her head would explode if she had to watch Brenda play hostess at Greystone Manor.

Carly admitted that she preferred having the party at Alexis' place. Alexis had no objections, so she assured them that she would be in touch with the details, and then left. Sonny asked Carly to stay a moment because he had another matter to discuss with her. Sonny poured himself a cup of coffee and then asked how things were going with Josslyn. Carly explained that Jax hadn't changed his mind about seeking primary custody of Josslyn, so she reminded Sonny of his promise to help her if she needed it.

Sonny assured her that he intended to keep his word, so she just had to let him know what she wanted. Sonny then shifted gears to explain that he had asked her to stay because he wanted to thank her for pushing Michael to get good grades and to finish school. He doubted that anyone else could have pulled it off. Carly admitted that their son was an amazing young man. Sonny agreed and then confessed that he was very proud of the man that Michael had become. He realized that they had screwed up a lot, but they had done right by Michael. Carly heartily agreed.

 Alexis went to Pozzulo's to talk to Sonny. Alexis explained that they had a "situation" on their hands, so she needed to know how fast Sonny could get his plane ready. Sonny wanted to know why, so Alexis made Sonny promise to remain calm. Before Sonny could respond, Alexis blurted out that Kristina had run off to the Dominican Republic with Ethan to get married.

 6/10 Alexis blabbered as Sonny's plane waited out weather conditions that prevented it from taking off. Both believed that Kristina and Ethan were in the Dominican Republic to get married. Sonny said he would kill Ethan. Alexis said no, that she would kill Ethan. Sonny said that he did not need a gun to make Ethan suffer. Alexis blamed herself, but Sonny told Alexis that she was a good mother. Alexis pointed out her poor choices in men, including Sonny, his brother Ric, and the notorious Jerry Jax, who, Alexis said, was charming and a good dancer. Sonny said Jerry was a hostage-taking psychopath.

 Alexis told Sonny that if he killed Ethan, he would lose Luke as a friend. Sonny said that Ethan had disrespected him. Sonny said that he had invited Ethan to his house and told him to stay away from Kristina, and Ethan had not heeded Sonny's warning. Alexis said she did not care if Ethan did not respect Sonny, but she did care if he disrespected Kristina. Alexis told Sonny that he did not need to kill Ethan because she was a lawyer and would get the marriage annulled.

 Sonny and Alexis arrived just in time to hear Ethan say, "I do." Alexis said loudly, "No, you don't." She demanded that the proceeding be rescinded. Ethan asked why Alexis and Sonny would want to stop his divorce from Maya.

 Brenda met Robin on the docks. They were talking when a car backfired. Brenda screamed and jumped up. When she realized it was not gunfire, she felt foolish and said so to Robin, who said she could understand why Brenda was jumpy. Brenda said that even before she became Sonny's wife, she had been a target. Brenda said that Jax had said that Alec was in danger. Robin said that Jax was hardly objective. Brenda wondered if she was a bad mom because she was with Sonny.

 6/13 In the Dominican Republic, Alexis and Sonny were shocked to find out that Ethan and Kristina were not married. Alexis immediately pounced on Ethan, but Kristina stepped in and told both Sonny and Alexis that she had followed Ethan to the plane without his knowledge or approval, and furthermore, she was an adult who did not have to check in with her parents. Alexis accused Ethan of using Kristina, and Sonny chimed in that Kristina's behavior with Ethan had proved that she was not capable of making good decisions.

 Kristina shot back that Sonny was a mobster and accused murderer who did not always make good decisions either. The judge became impatient and tried to move the divorce along, but Alexis tried to stop it. Ethan pointed out that Alexis had neither a reason nor the authority to stop him from divorcing Maya. Alexis stepped aside. Ethan signed the decree and wanted to leave. When Sonny and Alexis tried to drag Kristina away with them, she resisted and said she would fly home with Ethan.

 On board Sonny's plane, Alexis and Sonny continued to grill Ethan and chastise Kristina. Alexis wanted to know where they had slept the previous evening. Ethan explained that he had not invited Kristina, so had only booked a single room. When Sonny got hot, Ethan said that he had slept on the couch. Alexis and Sonny were not mollified. They both insinuated and insisted that Ethan was taking advantage of Kristina.

 Sonny accused Ethan of being a coward. Ethan stood up to Sonny and said that he was not a coward. Ethan said that he was not taking advantage of Kristina and never would. Ethan said that he had done everything in his power to keep Kristina safe. Ethan told a stunned Sonny and Alexis that he would continue to see Kristina as long as Kristina wanted to see him.

 Anthony met Brenda on the docks. At first Anthony sounded kindly and pretended to recognize Brenda as a model. Anthony's tone grew more menacing when he told her that Sonny had used Claudia to steal Anthony's territory. Anthony said that Sonny had thrown Claudia away when he no longer needed her. Anthony became more threatening when he asked Brenda why she had no guards. Anthony said that it showed a shocking lack of judgment on Sonny's part. Anthony said that he sure hoped Brenda did not end up like Claudia. Brenda stared open-mouthed as Anthony walked away.

 6/14 At Greystone Manor, Max and Milo unceremoniously forced Ethan into Sonny's parlor. Sonny sat behind his desk like a king, as he ordered Max and Milo to release Ethan, so Max and Milo quickly retreated to the door to stand guard. With a saccharine smile, Sonny confessed that he "appreciated" Ethan stopping by. Ethan returned the smile as he admitted that he couldn't refuse such a "pleasant invitation." Sonny explained that he had decided that it was time for them to get to know each other.

 Sonny invited Ethan to take a seat, while Sonny poured a cup of coffee and then handed it to Ethan. At the door, Max and Milo had a debate about the Pine Barrens. Milo thought that the Pine Barrens were getting "too full," but Max argued that there would always be room for "one more." Ethan tried to ignore Max and Milo as Sonny asked about Luke and then questioned Ethan about Ethan's job prospects, beyond working for Johnny Zacchara. Sonny thought that it would be a shame if Ethan ended up killed in crossfire. Ethan assured Sonny that he had won big in Las Vegas, so he was set for a while.

 Sonny decided to get to the point. According to Sonny, Ethan had two options: Ethan could accept a payoff from Sonny to stay away from Kristina, or Max and Milo could take Ethan to the Pine Barrens. Ethan refused to stay away from Kristina, so Sonny ordered Max and Milo to escort Ethan to the Pine Barrens. Ethan tried to break free of Max and Milo's tight grip, but was unsuccessful. Ethan decided to try to reason with Sonny by explaining that making him disappear on Kristina's graduation day would scar Kristina for life. Ethan insisted that he was merely a "passing fancy" to Kristina.

 Ethan was confident that Kristina would find a decent young man when she started college. Max stayed behind as Milo dragged Ethan out of the parlor. "What will it be, boss: backseat or trunk?" Max wondered. "Let him go," Sonny quietly replied. Shortly after Max, Milo, and Ethan left, Sonny called out to Brenda to let her know that it was time to leave for Kristina and Michael's graduation ceremony. Brenda informed Sonny that she intended to stay home to avoid upsetting Carly. "Absolutely not," Sonny argued. Sonny insisted that Brenda was his wife, so she and Carly needed to find a way to get along. Brenda agreed, but she refused to risk ruining Kristina and Michael's special day. Sonny reluctantly accepted Brenda's decision.

Later, Brenda called out to Max and Milo to help her move some things around in Alec's bedroom. Max and Milo grew tense when Jax entered the parlor. Max warned Brenda that Jax was trying to take Josslyn away from Carly, so Jax wasn't a friend of the family. Jax argued that his custody battle with Carly was none of Max's business. Brenda quickly dismissed Max and Milo. Jax revealed that he had stopped by to let Sonny know that Alexis had invited him to the graduation ceremony. Brenda told Jax that Sonny had already left. Jax was surprised that Brenda had decided to stay home, so he invited her to go with him. Brenda chuckled because she doubted that Sonny would appreciate seeing his wife show up at the graduation with Jax. Jax argued that they were all adults, so he didn't see a problem with it.

 6/15 At Greystone Manor, Brenda wondered where her son was. Max assured Brenda that Alec was safe at the boathouse with Milo and the nanny. According to Max, Milo had decided to teach Alec some karate moves. Max assured Brenda that Milo was a skilled fighter who knew how to snap a man's neck. Brenda was horrified, so she warned Max that she didn't want her son to learn how to inflict bodily harm on another human being. Seconds later, Diane sailed into the parlor.

 Brenda informed Diane that she wanted to discuss a few legal matters, but Diane explained that she was there for personal reasons. Diane warmly greeted Max to illustrate her point. Brenda was unfazed as she wondered if Diane had checked into the matter that Brenda had spoken to Diane about. Frustrated, Diane insisted that she couldn't be expected to work every second of the day. Brenda argued that the request was important, but Milo entered the parlor before Diane could reply. Milo cheerfully assured Brenda that Alec would be ready for nun-chucks soon.

 Brenda informed Max and Milo that they would have to sit down to discuss some rules, but at a later date. Brenda was more concerned about the paperwork to establish her legal claim to Alec. Diane assured Brenda that all the proper documents had been filed with the court, but it would take several months before everything was finalized. Brenda wondered how long she would have to wait, so Diane told her it would be "two or three months." Brenda was relieved because she wanted to start the paperwork for Sonny to adopt Alec. Diane admitted that it would be inadvisable for Sonny to adopt Alec. Brenda was curious why Diane always seemed to undermine her.

 Brenda suspected that Diane might be jealous, or she preferred Sonny's previous wife. Diane denied that she had a problem with Brenda, but she insisted that Sonny was a terrible candidate as an adoptive father because it was not safe to be around Sonny. Brenda argued that Diane just wanted to make Brenda unhappy. Diane wondered why "in God's name" she would want that. "Exactly," Brenda replied and then left.

Max feared that Sonny would fire Diane for the heated exchange with Brenda, so he urged her to apologize. Diane explained that she had principals and then reminded Max of the night that Michael had been shot. Diane confessed that she had always felt responsible for her role in helping Sonny retain custody of Michael because it had put Michael in the path of the bullet. Diane insisted that she couldn't, in good conscience, say that Sonny was a safe haven for children. Brenda overheard Diane's remark as she returned to the parlor. Diane promised to find another attorney to handle the paperwork if Brenda decided to move forward with her plans for Sonny to adopt Alec. Brenda thanked Diane and then admitted that Diane had given Brenda "many things" to discuss with Sonny.

 At Madison Preparatory School, Sonny lounged in a chair after everyone had left following the graduation ceremony. Sonny called out to Mayor Floyd as the mayor passed by. Mayor Floyd insisted that he didn't have time to talk. Sonny didn't care; he demanded to know how the mayor intended to address the wrong that had been done to Michael. Sonny was furious that one of Michael's classmates had been allowed to provoke Michael without anyone stepping in to stop the harassment. Mayor Floyd confessed that he was surprised that Michael had even been permitted to attend the prestigious school because of Sonny's unsavory reputation.

 Mayor Floyd admitted that he had heard that Michael had been involved in several altercations during his years at Madison Prep. Sonny was unapologetic about Michael's conduct as he insisted that Michael should never have been banned from the graduation ceremony. Mayor Floyd argued that he had to consider the safety of the rest of the graduating class. Sonny ignored the remark as he demanded that Mayor Floyd hand over Michael's diploma. The mayor explained that Michael had graduated, so the diploma had merely been a formality. Sonny threatened to give the mayor a "first-hand" demonstration of how Sonny had earned his reputation if Mayor Floyd didn't produce the diploma immediately.

 Sonny arrived and then revealed that he had Michael's diploma. Carly was happy to have the diploma in hand, but she suspected that Sonny had threatened to mayor to get it. Sonny was curious where Michael was, so Alexis admitted that no one had seen him. Sonny regretted that Michael had ruined Kristina's special day, but Kristina blamed Bryce. Kristina shared the details about what Bryce had said to provoke Michael. Kristina insisted that it wouldn't be a party without Michael, so she decided to find her brother. Kristina claimed to know where Michael had gone, so she promised to return shortly.

After Kristina left, Molly and Morgan admitted that they would have done the same thing as Michael had in the same situation. Alexis was disappointed because she thought that Michael should have handled things without resorting to violence. Sonny argued that sometimes it was the only way to get a point across. Alexis thought it interesting that Sonny would say that after the abuse that Kristina had suffered. Alexis reminded everyone that Michael was on parole, so being denied a diploma might have taught Michael a valuable lesson. Alexis assured them that Michael would have eventually received the diploma, but Sonny refused to apologize for strong-arming the mayor.

Alexis found it baffling that Sonny could question why Michael would resort to violence when Sonny went around bullying and intimidating people. Carly quickly stepped in to defend Michael and Sonny. Sonny reminded Alexis that Kristina wasn't any better than Michael because Kristina had run off to get married. Sam finally interceded by reminding everyone that Michael and Kristina were adults, so they were free to make their own decisions and live with the consequences of their choices. Sam assured Alexis, Sonny, and Carly that they had done a wonderful job raising Michael and Kristina, so it was time for the parents to let the kids go.

 At the lake house, everyone was delighted when Michael arrived. Shortly afterwards, Kristina and Ethan walked in. Michael and Kristina exchanged a hug before Michael apologized for ruining Kristina's graduation. Kristina assured her brother that Bryce had instigated the fight, so Michael wasn't to blame. "Kristina? Can you explain to me how you went looking for Michael and you brought back him?" Sonny wondered as he indicated Ethan.

 Kristina was spared from having to answer her father's question when Alexis announced that they should celebrate the special day by saying something nice about the graduates. Alexis confessed that being Sam, Kristina, and Molly's mother was her crowning achievement. Carly told Michael that she was proud of his accomplishments. Sonny admitted that he was impressed with Michael and Kristina and proud to be their father.

Max and Milo were in the foyer as Max admitted that he was worried that Diane would be fired because of what she had said to Brenda. Max feared that Diane would end up moving away. Sonny walked in moments later. Sonny sensed the tension between the brothers, but he was in a good mood, so he didn't want to know what was going on. Max nervously watched Sonny enter the parlor and then close the door.

 In the parlor, Brenda welcomed her husband home. Sonny was curious if anything had happened while he was gone, but Brenda assured him that it had been an uneventful day. In the foyer, Max eavesdropped on Brenda and Sonny's conversation. He was relieved that Brenda hadn't complained about Diane. "This time," Milo replied.

 6/22 At Kelly's, Brenda and Alec talked about their trip to the aquarium. Alec admitted that his favorite fish had been the butterfly fish. Brenda was startled when Anthony entered the diner and then sat down at their table. Anthony immediately struck up a conversation with Alec by mentioning the trip to the aquarium. Anthony confessed that he enjoyed the flower gardens more than the aquarium, so he suggested that he and Alec go sometime. The conversation took an ominous turn when Anthony advised Alec to be careful never to wander off.

 Brenda quickly informed Anthony that Alec always held her hand. Anthony smiled as he confessed that he knew that because his "friend" had been watching Brenda and Alec at the aquarium. Brenda warned Anthony that her bodyguard had done the same. Anthony admitted that he hadn't seen a bodyguard. "That's the point," Brenda replied as she hoisted her son onto her lap. Anthony confided to Alec that people watched Sonny all of the time, and then asked Alec to say hello to Sonny for him. Brenda appeared rattled as she watched Anthony leave.

 At Greystone Manor, Sonny demanded to know why he hadn't been given clearances for his project. Diane reminded Sonny that it would take weeks for the city to approve the renovation on the piers. She warned him that it could take longer because he was Port Charles' leading crime boss. Diane was surprised that she had to explain that to Sonny because they had been dealing with the city for years. Sonny was clearly frustrated, so Diane suggested that Sonny had two choices: he could let her do her job or he could call Mayor Floyd to see how fast the mayor denied his request. Max immediately stepped forward to defuse the tension in the room, but failed.

 Diane accused Sonny of being annoyed with her because she had refused to make him a father, yet again. Sonny was curious what Diane had to do with him becoming a father. Diane told Sonny about Brenda's request for Diane to arrange for Sonny to adopt Alec, and Diane's refusal to do it. Sonny demanded to know what Diane had said to Brenda. Diane admitted that, in light of what had happened to Sonny's children, she couldn't, in good conscience, arrange for Sonny to adopt Alec. Max begged Sonny not to fire Diane because Max feared that he would lose Diane. Diane assured Max that she didn't have any plans to end their relationship. Sonny promised Max that he didn't intend to fire Diane, but Sonny expected her to work on her people skills because it wasn't her job to discuss Sonny's private matters with Brenda. Sonny warned Diane that if she didn't stay out of his business then he would let her go.

Shortly after Diane left, Brenda arrived home with Alec. Sonny asked about their day at the aquarium. Alec told him that they had fun and then passed along Anthony's message. After Alec left the room with Max, Brenda told Sonny about her encounter with Anthony. Sonny promised to handle Anthony. "Like you did before?" Brenda wondered. Sonny had no idea what Brenda was talking about, so she revealed that Anthony had approached her on the pier. Sonny wondered why she hadn't mentioned it sooner. Brenda explained that Sonny had been busy with Kristina and the graduation, so she had been reluctant to upset him. Sonny insisted that Brenda and the children were his life. He promised that he would never pick one over the other. Sonny assured Brenda that he loved her, and wanted to take care of her.

Later, Sonny and Max were waiting for Anthony when Anthony arrived home. Sonny informed Anthony that he had received Anthony's message. Sonny warned Anthony that he could get to Anthony anytime and anywhere. "Duly noted," Anthony replied. Sonny vowed that if Anthony ever used one of Sonny's family members to relay a message then Sonny would do the same with the only family member that Anthony had left. Sonny promised that Anthony wouldn't like the message. Anthony remained silent as he glared at Sonny.

 6/23 At Greystone Manor, Sonny and Michael discussed Michael's new job at the warehouse. Sonny wanted Michael to take an office position, but Michael insisted on starting at an entry-level job. Sonny wondered if Michael intended to work for Johnny if Sonny didn't agree. He admitted that it felt as if Michael were hanging the threat over his head. Michael explained that he simply didn't want Sonny to pave his way at the warehouse because Michael wanted to work his way up the ranks like any other employee. Sonny admitted that he had always vowed that his children would do better than him.

 Michael clarified that he wanted to get things on his own merit, as Sonny had. Sonny confessed that he would have accepted help from his father if it had been offered, but Michael didn't believe Sonny. Moments later, Brenda entered the parlor, so Sonny asked Brenda to tell Michael about her encounter with Anthony at Kelly's. Brenda reluctantly told Michael about the veiled threat, which Sonny used as an excuse to warn Michael to stay away from the Zaccharas. After Michael left, Brenda was curious why Sonny had asked her to tell Michael about the incident with Anthony.

 Sonny explained that Johnny and Anthony had been courting Michael for quite some time, so Sonny wanted Michael to understand that Anthony had overplayed his hand by threatening her. Sonny then changed the subject by suggesting that Brenda take advantage of the beautiful day by taking Alec to feed the ducks. Brenda wanted to spend the day with Sonny and Alec on the speedboat. Sonny confessed that he would love to, but he expected Alexis to arrive, so that they could discuss setting boundaries for Kristina. Brenda advised Sonny to listen to Alexis because Alexis might have a more realistic view of things. Sonny argued that Alexis had been too accepting of Ethan.

 Brenda promised to stay out of it, but she warned him that no father in history had ever won the battle when a teenage girl believed that she was in love. She reminded Sonny that she had been eighteen when she had fallen in love with him, and that he had been much more unsuitable than Ethan. However, no one could have changed her mind about Sonny. Sonny conceded, "Unfortunately, you love who you love." Moments later, Alexis arrived, so Brenda excused herself.

 After Brenda left, Sonny explained that he wanted to make certain that he and Alexis were on the same page in regards to Kristina. Sonny insisted that he didn't want Kristina to see Ethan anymore. Alexis assured Sonny that she had handled it by canceling Kristina's trips to Cancun and Manhattan, and giving Kristina a curfew. Sonny thought that it was a good start, but he wanted Alexis to forbid Kristina from seeing Ethan. Alexis warned Sonny that they would force Kristina to defy them if they took a stance like that with their daughter. Sonny argued that Kristina would obey them if they were a united front.

 Alexis burst out laughing. She accused Sonny of being a Neanderthal and then asked him to join her in the twenty-first century. Alexis suggested that Sonny should have some faith in their daughter, but Sonny reminded Alexis that the last time they had done that, Kristina had ended up in an abusive relationship with Kiefer. Alexis argued that Ethan wasn't Kiefer, but Sonny couldn't understand her sudden turnaround. He reminded Alexis that she had been terrified that Kristina had eloped with Ethan.

 Sonny insisted that Ethan was a con artist, so he expected Alexis to show more concern about Kristina's relationship with Ethan. Alexis accused Sonny of being a hypocrite because Michael was living with an ex-stripper, which Sonny didn't seem to mind. Sonny argued that it was a different situation because Michael was a boy. Alexis was too disgusted to respond, so she left.

 Jason went to see Sonny to tell Sonny about Edward's offer. Jason admitted that it would be a great way to keep Michael safe. Sonny reminded Jason that Jason had left the family fold because the Quartermaines had nearly destroyed Jason. Sonny didn't want the same thing to happen to Michael.

 6/24 At Sonny's home, Jason outlined the internship at ELQ that Edward wanted to give to Michael. Sonny preferred that Michael continue working at the warehouse where he would be close. Jason argued that the job at ELQ might be better for Michael because it would get him completely out of the mob business and might even whet Michael's appetite for college. Sonny feared that Michael would succumb to Edward's controlling ways and end up like AJ. Jason said that Michael was stronger and more self-assured than AJ and did not care whether or not the Quartermaines liked him. On reflection, Sonny said that Michael was better off with Edward than with the mob.

 Brenda visited with Jax and Josslyn because she had learned from Alexis that she would be called as a witness in the custody case between Jax and Carly. Brenda said that she was not comfortable testifying that Carly was unfit as a mother. Jax said he did not want Brenda to testify that Carly was unfit; he wanted Brenda to testify that it was dangerous to be around Sonny. Brenda said that Jax was reaching. She said that she would not testify against Sonny. Jax introduced Brenda to Josslyn and continued pressing Brenda to confirm on the witness stand that Sonny posed a danger to Josslyn.

 Dante went to Sonny's to ask about Luke. Sonny thought that Dante was there about Michael and rushed to explain that Michael's job was strictly legitimate. Dante said that it was good that Michael was working for Sonny because Johnny was circling around. Dante asked if Sonny knew where Luke had gone because Lulu had gone after him. Sonny said that Luke had probably gone back to Florida to the whorehouse where he had grown up. Sonny said that he doubted that Luke would return.

 Sonny said that it was best if Luke stayed gone. Dante said that Luke had a drinking problem and was causing his family a lot of pain. Sonny said that Dante could not understand Luke's pain unless he walked a mile in Luke's shoes. Dante could not understand why Luke would leave his family to hide out in a whorehouse. Sonny said that Dante would find it difficult to understand because he had grown up in a large, loving supportive family, which was the opposite of what Sonny and Luke had known.

 Luke and Sonny had grown up with abusive fathers who had slapped them around and had made them feel like dirt. Even though they had climbed out of the gutter, both felt that they had gotten lucky, and no matter how successful they were, they knew deep down that the gutter was waiting for them to fall. Sonny said that Luke was not in his right mind, so Luke had gone back to a place where he fit in, and the bordello in Florida was where Luke felt he fit. Sonny added that it was not a place where Lulu should be poking around.

 6/27 Brenda shared playtime with Josslyn and Jax in his hotel suite. Carly arrived to pick up Josslyn. She looked daggers at Brenda but remained outwardly calm. Her voice remained warm and friendly as she gathered Josslyn's thing and took her out of the room to the waiting nanny. When Carly left, Jax told Brenda that he needed her help. Brenda said that she was bonding with her son, and she would fight anyone who tried to take him away, so she could understand Carly's feelings.

 Carly returned without Josslyn. She told Brenda that Brenda was a pawn. She said that Jax had deliberately invited Brenda into Josslyn's orbit so that Carly would screw up and start making a scene because of Brenda's presence. When the nanny returned with Josslyn, Carly was again warm and loving as she told Josslyn to say goodbye to her dad, and to Brenda, who she would never see again. When Brenda asked, Jax told her that it was not a setup. He said that he had not known the exact time that Carly would arrive. Brenda said that Jax was too good for Carly. Jax said that Carly had some good qualities. Jax said that Sonny was the real problem. Jax begged Brenda to testify that Sonny's work was dangerous to children. Brenda left without agreeing to testify as Jax wished.

 Sonny and Dante continued their conversation about Luke. Sonny said that being in a bordello was less dangerous for Lulu than finding Luke. Sonny explained that when someone like him or Luke was overwhelmed with pain, they thought they were doing their kids a favor by leaving them. Sonny said that because they had been abused as children, they felt powerless. Sonny said that they had two choices. They could become victims or they could get up off the floor and become a person that others respected.

When Dante wanted to know why power was so important, Sonny said that he could never again be that powerless little boy who had been locked in a closet. Dante said that it did not explain Luke. Sonny said it did. Sonny said that Luke had possessed everything until he hit a four-year old boy who was his son's kid. Sonny said that for Luke, that was "game over." He said that Luke had to go to someplace that defined him, and that was why he had gone to the whorehouse.

 6/29 In Sonny's office at Pozzulo's, Carly revealed that Edward had once set up accounts for Michael at ELQ in her name, which meant that she still had access to the accounts. Sonny was curious why Carly would need to touch that money. Carly explained that she didn't; however, it would give her an excuse to go to ELQ. Sonny advised Carly to leave Michael alone on his first day at ELQ, but Carly thought that was a bad idea.

Sonny admitted that he wanted to protect Michael from Edward too, but he feared that they might push Michael away if they interfered. Carly reminded Sonny that Edward could inflict serious damage if Edward decided to trash them. Sonny cautioned Carly not to jump the gun because she might play right into Edward's hands. Carly argued that Edward had a lot of dirt on her, so she was afraid that Edward would try to turn Michael against them.

Sonny advised Carly to have faith in Michael and to keep the lines of communication open, so that Michael would feel comfortable talking to them about whatever Edward might say. Sonny was surprised when Carly admitted that Jax had offered to help. Sonny wondered what Jax had to do with Michael taking a job at ELQ, so Carly told him about Jax's offer to hire Michael. Sonny warned Carly that Jax would use Michael as a pawn to gain leverage over her in court during the custody hearing.

Carly assured Sonny that she had turned Jax down; however, she admitted that she was concerned that Jax might win custody of Josslyn. Sonny promised Carly that it wouldn't happen. He vowed to keep an eye on Michael, and to take care of Jax. Carly reminded Sonny that she wanted Jax to remain a part of Josslyn's life because Jax was Josslyn's father, so Sonny agreed to play fair as long as Jax did.

 At Greystone Manor, Jax sensed that Brenda wasn't happy to see him. Brenda admitted that she suspected that he might have set her up the previous day, when Carly had walked in on her holding Josslyn. Jax denied it, but Brenda didn't believe him. Jax shifted gears by explaining that he had stopped by to tell Brenda that she would be called as a witness in the custody hearing. Brenda warned Jax that it was a bad idea because she refused to testify against her husband. Jax argued that Sonny had nothing at stake in the custody hearing, so she wouldn't be going against Sonny.

Brenda disagreed and then informed Jax that she didn't want any part of his never-ending battle with Sonny. Jax insisted that it was about keeping his daughter safe, but Brenda argued that Carly's house wasn't as dangerous as Sonny's home. Brenda pointed out that testifying against Sonny could backfire on her because she was raising Alec with him. Brenda refused to sacrifice her marriage to help Jax. Jax denied that he expected Brenda to jeopardize her marriage, but Brenda was certain that Jax would be thrilled if she and Sonny were to split up.

Jax conceded that there had been a time that he would have welcomed the news, but his priorities had changed because he simply wanted to keep his daughter safe. Brenda explained that she loved Sonny, so she refused to go against him for Jax. Jax refused to take Brenda off of the witness list, so she warned him that she would not say anything against her husband. Jax hoped that Brenda would decide to tell the truth when she testified.

Later, Brenda was on the phone when Sonny arrived home. Sonny revealed that he needed a favor. He told her about Michael's new job at ELQ and then explained that he feared that Edward would try to undercut him to Michael. Sonny wanted Brenda to talk to Edward about Michael, to make certain that Edward didn't say anything that Sonny might object to. However, Sonny didn't want Edward to know that he was behind the visit. Brenda realized that Sonny wanted to use her friendship with Edward to spy on the elderly Quartermaine. Sonny accused Edward of being controlling. Brenda argued that Edward was a sweet old man, who didn't have anything evil planned. Brenda was certain that Edward simply wanted to spend time with Michael.

Sonny realized that Edward had Brenda wrapped around his finger, so he explained that, to him, Edward was an angry old man who was a master manipulator. Brenda suggested that it took one to know one. Sonny seemed surprised, so Brenda clarified that Sonny was the king of manipulators; however, she confessed that she thought that it was "hot." Sonny smiled as he threatened to manipulate Brenda. Moments later, they kissed. Brenda started to pull off Sonny's jacket, but Sonny's attention was snagged by an envelope on his desk. Sonny was stunned when he discovered a subpoena for Brenda to testify at Jax's custody hearing. Brenda grumbled that she had asked Jax not to "do it." Sonny seemed shocked to realize that Brenda had known about Jax's plans.

 6/30 At Greystone Manor, Sonny was furious when he realized that Jax had sent a subpoena to the house. Brenda explained that Jax was worried about Josslyn because he believed that Sonny and Jason were dangerous. Sonny was curious why, if that were true, Jax had asked Jason to be Josslyn's godfather. Brenda didn't have an answer, but she suggested that perhaps Jax was concerned because Sonny was always around Carly.

Sonny reminded Brenda that he and Carly had children together, but Brenda argued that it didn't mean that Sonny had to be with Carly every single day. Sonny's temper flared when he realized that the subpoena was for Brenda, not him. Sonny suspected that Brenda had already known that. Brenda quickly explained that she had warned Jax that she wouldn't testify against Sonny, but Sonny was certain that Jax's reasons for subpoenaing Brenda had more to do with Sonny than Josslyn.

Brenda admitted that she had suggested the same thing to Jax. Sonny made it clear that he expected Brenda to testify that Carly was a good mother, but Brenda refused to lie. According to Brenda, Carly had always used her children to manipulate men. Sonny argued that Carly wanted Jax to be a part of Josslyn's life, but Jax had made it a fight by trying to take Josslyn away from Carly.

Brenda was livid that Sonny continued to defend Carly. Sonny was equally enraged that Brenda had defended Jax. Brenda reminded Sonny that she had to testify because she had been subpoenaed, so she expected Sonny to support her, not Carly. Brenda screamed at Sonny to make a choice: her or Carly. Brenda insisted that she had done the best that she could to be kind to Carly, but Brenda had to tell the truth in court. Brenda didn't believe that Carly was a good mother. Sonny disagreed because Carly had never given up on Michael while Michael had been in a coma. Sonny insisted that Carly loved her children, so Jax didn't have the right to take Josslyn away from Carly.

Brenda argued that Jax had the right to fight for Josslyn if he feared for her safety. Sonny was curious if Brenda believed that he was a danger to children. Brenda's eyes filled with tears as she replied, "No." Sonny warned Brenda that Jax expected her to say otherwise in court. Brenda reminded Sonny that she was raising her son with him, so she trusted Sonny to honor his promise to keep Alec safe. Brenda explained that she would say that on the witness stand. Later, Sonny went to Jason's penthouse to talk to him about Jax's decision to call Brenda as a witness. Sonny was furious that Jax was determined to take Josslyn away from Carly, and to wreck Sonny's marriage in the process.

According to Sonny, Jax had been planting seeds of doubt ever since Alec had arrived. Jason argued that Sonny had taken measures to keep Brenda and Alec safe, but Sonny confessed that he feared that Brenda would eventually decide that she didn't want Alec to grow up in his world. Sonny was certain that it would please Jax if Brenda walked away. Jason fetched two beers and then handed one to Sonny as they talked about the past. Jason reminded Sonny that Brenda had resented Sonny walking away from her to keep her safe because Sonny hadn't given Brenda any say in the matter. Jason was confident that Brenda would balk at Jax's attempt to manipulate her.

Sonny worried that Brenda would get on the witness stand, look at Carly, and then remember everything that Carly had pulled. Sonny didn't blame Brenda for despising Carly, so he expected Brenda to trash Carly on the witness stand. Sonny feared that Brenda would forget to edit herself, which would lead to Brenda admitting that Sonny was a danger to Josslyn. Jason pointed out that they couldn't stop Brenda from testifying, but Sonny suggested that they could make certain that Carly kept Josslyn. Jason warned Sonny that Carly would pay the price if something were to happen to Jax. Sonny revealed that he had promised to shut Jax down if things started to tip in Jax's favor.

 Sonny was on the phone with Bernie, demanding to know what had happened to the twenty million dollars in off-shore accounts. Sonny was livid that no one had told him about the missing money sooner. Bernie advised Sonny to call Jason, but Sonny decided to talk to Spinelli.

Moments later, Jackal answered Sonny's call. "Get your ass over here now," Sonny barked into the phone. Jackal was curious what Sonny wanted, but Sonny wasn't in the mood for games. Jackal explained that his services weren't cheap, but Sonny warned Jackal that he would be sorry if Sonny had to send someone to fetch him. After Sonny ended the call, Jackal glanced at a gun lying on the desk.

 A short time later, Jackal entered Sonny's parlor. "Nice digs," Jackal remarked as he looked around. Sonny demanded to know where his money was. Jackal warned Sonny that it would cost him. "No, my friend, it's going to cost you," Sonny replied in a dangerous tone.

 7/1 Sonny was incensed when Spinelli, in his Jackal P.I. persona, pulled a gun, then fumbled it. Sonny thought it was some kind of joke, but Jackal insisted that the computer geek, Spinelli, was gone for good. Sonny said that he did not care which freak Spinelli wanted to be, as long as the freak produced the missing 20 million dollars that the computer geek, Spinelli, had hidden in cyberspace. Jackal said that he was at Sonny's service as long as the service did not involve computers. Jackal said that the money was gone for good. Sonny said that he would go against his true nature and try to understand Spinelli.

Sonny spoke slowly and looked Jackal in the eyes and said, "Listen up, your name is Damian Spinelli, and you are living a fantasy." Jackal was undaunted. Jackal said that taking a bullet for the beautiful blonde had freed his true self. Sonny said that it did not matter which persona Spinelli chose to be as long as one of them got Sonny's money back. Sonny was almost ballistic by the time Jason arrived. Jason picked up Spinelli's gun and hustled him away from Sonny as Sonny yelled after them, demanding that Spinelli recover the missing 20 million.

 Sonny was on the phone, screaming at Bernie about the missing 20 million, when Maxie burst in. She said that she was there to plead for Spinelli. She begged for Sonny's promise not to hurt Spinelli. Sonny asked why. Maxie said that Sonny owed her for all the things she had done for him that he did not know about. When Sonny wanted specifics, Maxie said that she had helped him when he was with Kate. Sonny said Maxie's job was to help Kate. Maxie said she could have hurt him but did not. Maxie said that the big favor she had done for Sonny was lying on the stand under oath when Maxie testified that Sonny had not been wearing a bloody shirt on the night that Claudia had been killed and Maxie had seen him at the gate with Michael.

Sonny said that he would like to hurt Spinelli, but he would not. Sonny told Maxie that if she were concerned about Spinelli's well-being, she would get Sonny's money back. Maxie said that she did not know anything about computers and could not help. Sonny said that she could help by spending time with Spinelli and talking to him until he remembered what he had done with the money. Maxie got huffy when she thought that Sonny was suggesting that Maxie sleep with Spinelli. Maxie told Sonny that she was in a committed relationship with Matt. Maxie said that she was not a hooker.

 Sonny told Maxie that she had better think of something to refresh Spinelli's memory because Sonny needed that money immediately. Maxie was distracted when she noticed that Sonny's shirt collar was bunched up. Maxie moved closer to Sonny so that she could straighten it. Spinelli, a.k.a. Jackal P.I., was lurking outside. From his perspective, it looked like Sonny and Maxie were embracing.

 7/5 At Greystone Manor, Jackal burst through the patio door and then demanded that Sonny get his "mitts" off of Maxie. Maxie tried to explain that she had been adjusting Sonny's shirt collar, but Jackal ignored her. Meanwhile, Sonny insisted that Jackal return the missing twenty million dollars from Sonny's off-shore accounts. Jackal claimed that Maxie was his woman, so Maxie pointed out that she was in a committed relationship with Matt. Sonny was furious when Jackal accused him of being a low-life, so he threatened to call Max. Maxie tried to defuse the situation, but Sonny had grown tried of Jackal's histrionics; he ordered Maxie and Jackal to leave.

 Brenda entered the parlor moments later to ask everyone to keep their voices down. Jackal was surprised that Sonny would stray when he was married to someone as beautiful as Brenda. Brenda was curious what had happened to Spinelli when she realized that he sounded like an old-fashioned gumshoe. Maxie demanded that Brenda show some compassion towards Spinelli, since he had treated Brenda quite well during her stay at the penthouse. Sonny ordered Maxie and Jackal to leave, so Maxie grabbed Jackal's arm and then dragged him out.

 Later, Alexis stopped by at Sonny's request. Sonny explained that he wanted Alexis to resign as Jax's legal counsel. Alexis explained that it would be pointless, since Jax would simply find another attorney to represent him during the custody hearing. Sonny accused Jax of being vindictive, so Alexis reminded Sonny that Sonny had no room to judge anyone. She revealed that she had been trying to get Jax to find some common ground with Carly, in the hopes of working out an amicable custody agreement before the case went to court. Sonny pointed out that her efforts were in vain because Jax only cared about what Jax wanted.

 After Alexis left, Sonny opened a bottle of champagne while Brenda watched with delight. The romantic mood was shattered when Carly stormed into the parlor, demanding to see Sonny. Furious, Brenda ordered Carly to leave, but Carly refused to budge. Carly explained that Jax had decided to call Michael and Morgan as witnesses in the custody hearing. Sonny vowed that Jax would not be allowed to get away with using the boys against Carly. Brenda wondered what Sonny planned to do, but all he would say was that "your good buddy is a lousy son of a bitch."

 On the sidewalk, Anthony was surprised to find Kristina wandering around Port Charles alone. Kristina tried to walk away, but Anthony stopped her. He accused her of being a "lying little piece of jailbait" who had run Claudia off of the road before Kristina had been old enough to drive. Anthony also blamed Kristina for nearly getting Johnny blown up. Anthony then reminded her that Michael had killed Claudia. Anthony admitted that Kristina's family had cost him a great deal, so he was curious what she thought he should do about that.

 Kristina pushed Anthony's hand away as Anthony began to chuckle. He assured her that he wouldn't harm her because he would be more subtle when he decided to make her disappear. Seconds later, Ethan walked up. Ethan immediately warned Anthony to leave Kristina alone. Anthony wasn't intimidated by Ethan because he considered Ethan to be a "wannabe" and "a drunk." Kristina quickly defended Ethan, which made Anthony smile. Anthony was impressed when Kristina threatened to have Alexis send Anthony back to jail; he hadn't realized that the "kitten had claws." Ethan vowed to kill Anthony if Anthony went near Kristina again. Anthony didn't appreciate being threatened by Johnny's "lackey," so he promised Ethan that it would be addressed.

7/7 At the Zacchara penthouse, Johnny accused Anthony of being reckless and careless. Anthony claimed that he was "unconventional and unpredictable." Johnny admitted that going after Sonny was a great idea, but Johnny didn't want Anthony to target women and children. "It's all or nothing, John," Anthony replied. Anthony explained that it was how he had built his organization, so he refused to let it crumble because Johnny was too polite to do what was necessary. According to Anthony, "brats and wives" were Sonny's weakness. Johnny suggested that Anthony was too impatient. Johnny claimed that they were making progress with Sonny, but Anthony disagreed. Johnny insisted that he had a code, so women and children were off-limits.

Anthony switched tactics by arguing that Sonny had targeted women. Anthony reminded Johnny that Sonny had gone after Claudia, but Johnny shot back that Anthony had pushed Claudia in Sonny's direction. Anthony tried to play on Johnny's emotions by asking what Johnny had done to avenge his sister's murder. Johnny warned Anthony not to go there with him because Anthony had been the first one to use Claudia. Johnny demanded that Anthony allow Claudia to rest in peace, or Johnny would make certain that Anthony joined Claudia. After Johnny stormed out of the penthouse, Anthony made a phone call. He instructed the person on the other end to carry out the plans exactly as they had discussed.

 In Jax's office, Carly resented Grace Yang, the court-appointed mediator, implying that Michael was too dangerous to be around Josslyn. Carly demanded to know why Jax hadn't told the truth about Michael. The question became moot when Sonny barged into the office and then accused Jax of being a "miserable dirt-bag." Sonny promised to kick Jax's "self-righteous ass" and then leave Jax begging for mercy. Jax told Grace who Sonny was, but Sonny ignored Grace as he continued to rant at Jax. Sonny accused Jax of trying to wreck his marriage to Brenda, and causing everyone a lot of unnecessary pain.

 Carly desperately tried to get Sonny to calm down. Sonny finally noticed Grace sitting in the room. Sonny wondered who she was, so Grace explained that she was the court mediator. Sonny tried to dismiss Grace by explaining that he needed to have a private conversation with Jax, but Jax insisted that Grace could stay because Jax had nothing to hide. Grace assured everyone that she had heard more than enough and then left. Sonny was certain that Grace was in Jax's back pocket, but Jax merely smiled.

 Jax was confident that Sonny's "tantrum" had secured Jax custody of Josslyn. Carly told Jax that she hated him and then left. Jax smiled as he informed Sonny that Sonny had done more damage to Carly's case than Jax could have ever done. Sonny vowed that Jax would be the one to lose everything. Sonny hoped that Jax remembered their conversation, so that Jax would know that he could have prevented what would happen. Jax smiled as he watched Sonny leave.

 At Greystone Manor, Brenda talked to Alec about their plans to watch the fireworks in the park. Moments later, Alexis entered the parlor, so Brenda sent Alec to find Max and Milo. Alexis explained that she had stopped by to warn Brenda that she would be expected to testify as to whether or not Sonny was a danger to children. Brenda insisted that her name be taken off of the witness list because Brenda refused to testify that her husband shouldn't be near children. Brenda thought that Carly had been hostile enough, so she didn't want to give Carly more reason to hate her. Brenda admitted that she thought that Jax was only interested in her testimony because it was a way to get back at Sonny.

 Alexis doubted that Jax's motives were sinister. Brenda realized that Jax thought that he was protecting Josslyn, and even Alec, from Sonny, but Brenda was certain that there was more behind Jax's determination to have her testify against Sonny. Alexis conceded that Jax would probably be happy if Brenda left Sonny, but she insisted that he wanted to ensure Josslyn's safety. Brenda suggested that Alexis testify at the custody hearing, since Alexis shared a child with Sonny. Alexis explained that she couldn't because she was representing Jax; however, Alexis wanted to do the right thing for everyone concerned, even though she had no idea what that was anymore.

 Later, Brenda handed Alec earphones, so that he could listen to some music while they rode in the car. Gunfire erupted seconds after Brenda and Alec got into the limousine. Brenda screamed as she threw herself over Alec. Brenda and Alec were quickly whisked to Greystone Manor, where Sonny was waiting. Sonny handed Brenda a drink to calm her down, but Brenda was too concerned about Alec. Sonny assured her that Alec was fine, but Brenda doubted it. Brenda decided to see for herself when Jason arrived.

After Brenda left the room, Jason revealed that the shooter hadn't intended to hit Brenda or Alec. According to Jason, the gun had been aimed away from the windows, so it appeared that the shooter had simply wanted to scare Brenda. Sonny realized that it been a message, and he was certain that they both knew who had sent it. Sonny explained that they would have to send a message back. After Jason left, Brenda returned to the parlor.

 Brenda admitted that the shooting had been reminiscent of the time that gunmen had stormed Sonny's apartment while she had been in the shower. Sonny reminded her that it had happened a long time before, but Brenda insisted that the memory had felt fresh because of what had happened in the limousine. Brenda revealed that it had been terrifying when she had thrown herself over Alec to protect him. Sonny felt terrible, but he assured her that she hadn't been in any real danger from the gunman. Brenda wondered if that were supposed to comfort her, because it didn't.

Brenda reminded Sonny that the bullets had been real, so Alec could have been accidentally shot if they had tried to flee the limousine during the shooting. Sonny explained that it had been a message. Brenda agreed; according to Brenda, the message had been that Sonny's enemies could get to Sonny's family anytime that they wanted. Sonny promised Brenda that it wouldn't happen again, but Brenda didn't know if she were willing to bet her child's life on that. Brenda mentioned Jax's warnings, but Sonny told her to forget about Jax. Brenda didn't know how that was possible when she had to testify the following day at the custody hearing. Sonny vowed that he would take care of everything, so he pleaded with Brenda not to mention the shooting when she took the stand.

 Johnny returned home to find his father in a celebratory mood. Johnny realized that something had happened, so he demanded to know what Anthony had done. Anthony reminded Johnny that they had the same goal in regards to Sonny, but Anthony admitted that he had wanted to take things a step further by making Sonny suffer before his downfall. Anthony explained that he had pointed out Sonny's vulnerabilities and then revealed the details about the shooting.

Johnny was livid because he had expressly warned his father not to target women and children, but Anthony clarified that Johnny had forbidden him to kill women and children. Johnny was certain that Sonny would be arriving with a small army at any moment to retaliate. Anthony chuckled and then suggested that Johnny try to keep up with current events. Anthony explained that Sonny couldn't make a move against them because Carly was in the middle of a bitter custody battle, so it had been the perfect time to strike.

 7/8 At Greystone Manor, Sonny saw Brenda heading to the front door, so he called out to her. Brenda stopped in the doorway of the parlor as he wondered if she were trying to avoid him. Brenda smiled awkwardly as she suggested that it was romantic to be summoned to court on the same day. Brenda then admitted that she had been awake all night, worrying about what she would say at the custody hearing. Sonny reminded her that Jax had known from the beginning that Sonny would be a part of their lives because Sonny and Carly shared children.

Brenda suggested that Jax might have been okay with that until Josslyn had been born. Sonny and Brenda then began to argue about Carly. Sonny insisted that Carly tried to keep her children safe, but Brenda suggested that he save it for the hearing. Sonny was curious what Brenda intended to say when she testified. Brenda admitted that she had no idea. Sonny realized that she was still upset about the shooting the night before, so he assured her that he had guards watching the courthouse closely. Brenda reminded him that she had someone else's safety to consider: Alec. Brenda had no idea how the shooting had affected her son. Brenda confessed that she'd lie to protect Sonny, but she insisted that Jax had a right to safeguard his daughter.

Sonny didn't think that Carly should lose Josslyn, but Brenda disagreed. Brenda argued that Carly was unstable and needed to grow up. Sonny reminded Brenda that Carly loved her children. He wondered how Brenda would feel if someone decided to take Alec away from her because she had married him. Sonny hugged his wife and then admitted that he was confident that she would do the right thing.

 Brenda arrived at Josselyn’s custody hearing. Jax explained that Alexis had resigned, so the hearing would be held in the judge's chambers and that there wouldn't be any attorneys present. Brenda relaxed; she admitted that she had been nervous about testifying. Jax urged Brenda to stick to the truth. Moments later, Sonny joined them. Carly was pleased to note that everyone was acting civilly towards each other, because it would make a good impression on the judge. Jax promptly took the opportunity to needle Sonny and Carly by pointing out that Brenda stood next to him, while Sonny and Carly had gravitated towards each other.

After Jax and Carly were called into the judge's chambers, Sonny suggested that Jax's remark had been an attempt to rattle Brenda. According to Sonny, Carly had been trying to keep her distance from Sonny. Brenda found it interesting that Sonny always seemed to have an answer for everything when it concerned Carly. Brenda was curious why it was okay for Sonny to help Carly, but Sonny always accused Jax of manipulating Brenda when she tried to help Jax. Sonny insisted that Jax's main goal was to take Josslyn. However, if Jax could cause problems between Sonny and Brenda then Jax might end up walking away with Josslyn and Brenda.

 In the judge's chambers, Grace Yang testified that she found Carly to be a volatile person who had been unable to provide a safe home for Josslyn. Carly argued that Grace hadn't even been in her home, so the judge assured Carly that they could arrange for a home visit before he rendered a decision. The judge then invited Grace to continue with her evaluation. Grace proceeded to repeat all of the arguments that Jax had made about why Josslyn shouldn't be with Carly. Grace concluded with her recommendation that Jax be awarded sole custody of Josslyn.

 Sonny sat alone in the hallway after Brenda entered the judge's chambers to testify. He was startled when Kristina walked up. Kristina explained that she was there to testify that Sonny was a wonderful, although over-protective father, who loved his children dearly. Sonny appreciated Kristina's support, but he pointed out that it might not be a good idea for her to testify because Jax might want to question her about the car explosion the previous summer.

Sonny didn't want Kristina to have to lie on the stand, nor did he think it would be a good idea for her to admit that he had been responsible for the car bomb. Kristina agreed to leave, so she hugged her father and then walked away. However, Sonny quickly called out that nothing had changed; she still couldn't date Ethan. Kristina chuckled and then replied, "Okay dad."

 In the judge's chambers, Brenda told the judge that Sonny loved his children. Brenda also revealed that Jax and Sonny had never liked each other, but both men were devoted fathers. The judge was curious how much contact Carly had with Sonny, so Brenda admitted that it seemed like Carly ran to Sonny with every little thing. The judge wondered if Sonny were a danger to children, but Brenda became evasive.

Brenda admitted that she knew for certain that Jax would grant Carly full access to Josslyn if Jax were granted custody of his daughter. According to Brenda, Jax was a man who kept his word. The judge demanded to know if Brenda had witnessed or been exposed to any violence since she had married Sonny. Brenda tried to avoid the question, but the judge pushed for an answer. Finally, Brenda admitted that she and her son had been shot at the night before as they left the park.

 7/11 Jason and Sonny waited outside the courtroom where Josslyn's custody hearing was being held. Sonny ragged on Jax to Jason, accusing Jax of trying to cause trouble between Sonny and Brenda. Sonny said that he trusted Brenda to say the right things to the judge. Jason said that the danger around Sonny was real. Sonny thought Jason was being pessimistic, but Jason said he was being realistic about the danger. Sonny said that Jax was a selfish jerk trying to get his own way.

 Sonny said that Jax was trying to get to Brenda by working on Brenda's fears, especially since Brenda had learned that her child was alive. Sonny said that Jax was counting on Brenda to break down. Sonny said that Jax's plan would backfire because Brenda would be strong and stand by Sonny. Sonny trusted Brenda not to mention the shooting the previous evening at their home because the incident had not been reported to the police.

 Inside the judge's office, Brenda blurted out that no one had been harmed in the shooting the previous evening, and no one had been in any actual danger. When the judge wanted to look at the police report, Brenda admitted that no police report had been filed. Brenda tried to get back on point by telling the judge that Sonny was a loving father who was fiercely protective of his children. Brenda said that Sonny did not spend enough time with Carly to pose a danger to Josslyn. Jax gloated, and Carly looked distraught.

Jason and Brenda waited while Sonny testified. Brenda told Jason what she had said inside. Jason wanted to know why she had mentioned the shooting when there was no record and the shooting could not be proved. Brenda said that she had needed to tell the truth. Jason wanted to know if Brenda had told the truth or if Brenda was trying to get back at Carly.

 The judge started Sonny's questioning by asking if Carly had taken Josslyn to court when Sonny was on trial for murder. Sonny said that no child had been harmed as a result of his actions. Sonny began to squirm when the judge inquired about the shooting on his property and followed up by asking if any of Sonny's children had been shot. Carly jumped up and shouted, "Stop." She apologized for her outburst, and then said that horrible, awful things had happened, but that Sonny loved his kids and was a good father.

Carly said that Jax had known Carly's history when he married her. Carly said that Jax had been aware of that history when they conceived Josslyn. Carly said that she would do everything in her power to keep Josslyn safe. Carly plaintively told the judge that all she was asking for was shared custody with Jax. Jax stood up and said that he could produce proof that Carly's life was surrounded with violence. At that point, the judge said that he had heard enough to make his decision and dismissed Jax, Carly, and Sonny from his office. He said that he would notify them when his decision was made.

In the hallway, Carly told Jax that his actions would hurt Josslyn. Jax scoffed at that before leaving Carly with Sonny and Jason. Sonny said that the judge had done his homework. Carly said that it was more than the judge. Carly said that the mediator, Grace, had crucified her long before Brenda or Sonny had testified. Carly said that Grace had only interviewed her once and knew way too much. Carly said that Jax had paid Grace off because there was no way that the Grace could have made an objective decision without visiting Carly's home at least once. Sonny had a brainstorm and told Jason to take Carly home. Sonny implored Carly to trust him. Sonny told Carly that he would make everything right.

 Brenda caught up with Jax in his Metro Court suite. Jax told Brenda that the hearing was over and that the judge was in the process of making a ruling. Brenda said that she and Sonny were going to have a huge argument. Jax said that Sonny would try to blame Jax for manipulating Brenda. Jax assumed that Brenda would be terrified of Sonny, but Brenda said no. Brenda said that she had told the truth, and she could handle Sonny. Jax told Brenda that he was grateful for her testimony, and as a result of Brenda's testimony, Jax expected to get full custody of Josslyn.

 Brenda told Jax that Carly was unstable and not the greatest mother, but that she was still Josslyn's mother. Brenda reminded Jax that Brenda had grown up without a mother, and it had caused, and still caused, Brenda emotional anguish. Jax said his goal was not to take Josslyn from Carly, but to get Josslyn out of danger. Jax said he wished he could take Brenda and her son, Alec, out of danger, too.

 Outside Grace's office, Sonny thanked Bernie for getting information for him so quickly. Sonny disconnected from Bernie and stopped Grace when she walked by. Grace said that she was on her way to a meeting. Sonny wanted to know if she was busy separating a child from its mother or busy cashing Jax's check. Grace tried to bluff her way out by threatening to call the police, but Sonny called her bluff when he said that Grace was good at doctoring her court reports but not good at hiding her money.

Sonny said that he knew that Grace had taken 300,000 dollars from Jax. Sonny was menacing as he moved closer and spoke softly. Sonny said that if he reported Grace, she could lose her license and her career, and might even go to prison. Grace quickly realized that she had been caught, and capitulated. Grace asked Sonny what he wanted her to do. Sonny answered enigmatically, "I want you to do exactly what I want you to do."

 7/14 Brenda went to Metro Court to see Jax. Jax thanked her for telling the truth during the custody hearing and then wondered how Sonny had reacted. Brenda confessed that Sonny hadn't gone home after the hearing. She admitted that she had been trying to reach Sonny, to no avail. Jax suggested that Sonny might need some time to cool off, but Brenda admitted that she wished that Jax hadn't involved her in the custody battle. Jax assured Brenda that she had helped to protect Josslyn, and she had spared others from having to testify.

 Brenda feared that Sonny was deeply hurt, but Jax argued that Sonny tended to get upset when he was confronted with the truth. Jax insisted that Sonny's line of work was dangerous. Jax admitted that he had done everything in his power to keep Josslyn safe, so he hoped that Brenda found the courage to do the same for Alec. Shortly after Brenda left, Alexis arrived. Alexis admitted that Carly had asked Alexis to make one last appeal to Jax. Jax warned Alexis that he wouldn't change his mind, but he agreed to hear Alexis out.

 At Pozzulo's, Sonny ushered Olivia into his office. He asked her about Steve, but Olivia knew that he had something else on his mind, so she invited him to get to the point. Sonny explained that he needed a favor from her. He wanted her to help him ensure that Carly didn't lose custody of Josslyn. Olivia felt terrible for Carly, but she refused to get in the middle of Jax and Carly's custody battle. Sonny insisted that Olivia was a kind and empathetic person, so he thought that she would be able to understand Carly's situation. Olivia admitted that she knew that Sonny had something up his sleeve, but she made it clear that she didn't want to know what he was planning. Sonny respected Olivia's decision.

As Olivia turned to leave, Grace arrived to meet with Sonny. The two women glanced at each other as Sonny invited Grace into his office. After Olivia left, Sonny reminded Grace of their agreement. Grace complained that she had to cooperate because Sonny hadn't given her a choice. Sonny reminded her that she could help him and then walk away, or she could go to jail.

 In Sonny's office, Carly paced the floor as she warned Sonny that the judge would hand down his decision soon. Sonny reminded Carly that it could take time, but Carly disagreed. She warned him that whatever he was planning had to happen before the judge made a decision. Sonny assured Carly that he was handling everything, so Carly wanted to know what Sonny intended to do. Sonny asked her to trust him, but he refused to share any details because he didn't want her to get involved.

 Carly was frustrated because she felt that everything seemed to be going Jax's way. She feared that whatever Sonny intended to do would be too little too late because Jax had momentum on his side. Moments later, Brenda walked in. Brenda stopped in the doorway when she saw Carly. Carly reminded Brenda that she had helped find Alec because Carly believed that children belonged with their mothers. Carly wondered why Brenda hadn't told the judge about that.

 Brenda argued that the judge hadn't asked her about that. Carly was disgusted; she hoped that Brenda never had to deal with losing her child because of Sonny. After Carly left, Brenda looked at Sonny. "You're mad at me?" she asked when she noticed Sonny's closed expression. Sonny confessed that he wished that she had kept quiet about the shooting, but Brenda argued that she had feared that the judge had known about the incident. Sonny assured Brenda that he blamed Jax for everything, so Brenda asked why Sonny hadn't gone home the previous night.

 Sonny revealed that he had been working late, so he had decided to stay in his downtown apartment. Brenda was stunned because she hadn't realized that he had an apartment. Her eyes filled with tears as she asked him why he hadn't returned her calls. Brenda sensed that something was going on with Sonny, so she begged him to talk to her. Sonny evaded the question by changing the subject. He suggested that they would be playing into Jax's hands if they continued to fight.

Brenda wondered why Carly had been in his office. Sonny explained that Carly was worried about the outcome of the custody hearing. According to Sonny, Carly was a devastated mother, but she was not his wife. Sonny pulled Brenda close and then looked deep into her eyes as he apologized for not going home. Brenda softened as Sonny kissed her.

 In Jax's room, Jax thanked Grace for her recommendation to the judge. Grace admitted that she had done what she had thought was right. Jax suggested that they have some coffee, so Grace quickly offered to pour it. Grace seized the opportunity to slip some powder into Jax's coffee before she handed it to Jax. Jax drank the coffee, but he soon realized that she had put something it. Jax stumbled to the coffee table to pick up his cell phone. He demanded to know why she had drugged him, so Grace explained that he was about to find out.

Grace began to rip her clothes and then screamed for help. Jax was stunned. He yelled at her to tell him what she had drugged him with, but Grace ran to the bathroom and then locked herself inside. Jax realized that he had been set up, so he pounded on the bathroom door warning her that he would not allow her to use the incident to take Josslyn away from him. Grace called the police and then made certain that they heard Jax threatening her as he continued to bang on the bathroom door.

 7/15 Brenda and Sonny chatted amiably in his restaurant office. Sonny told Brenda that he was not mad at her for telling the truth at the custody hearing. Sonny said that he was mad at Jax because Jax had put Brenda in the position of having to testify. Jason arrived and wanted to talk business. Jason was not happy with Brenda and her testimony. Sonny defended Brenda, who wanted to hear the business Jason was there for, but Sonny sent Brenda away.

Jason wondered why Sonny was not angry about what Jax had done. Sonny said that there was no need to get mad when you could get even. Sonny told Jason that Carly had been right, that Jax had paid off the mediator. Sonny told Jason that after that day, Jax would not be able to get custody of a gerbil. Jason pointed out that making Jax look bad was going to cause Sonny trouble with Brenda. Sonny said he would handle it. Sonny said that Jax had been playing Brenda. Jason got a call from Carly, who said that she needed immediate help.

 Sonny was on the phone, gloating with Bernie about the success of his plot to destroy Jax, when Kristina walked in. Kristina said that she was not there to complain. She said that she wanted to plan a father-daughter trip to New York with Sonny. Kristina said that she wanted to stay in a hotel, eat in nice restaurants, and see some shows, even the ballet if Sonny was interested. Sonny was flattered and said that he had a business trip in late July, but could make plans for August. Kristina said she looked forward to it. When she asked Sonny for cash to buy some clothes for the trip, he gave her $300.

 Jax found himself handcuffed to a table in the Port Charles Police Department interrogation room. Jax declared his innocence to Ronnie, who did not believe him. Ronnie told Jax that he was under arrest. Jax did not remember anything. He insisted that Sonny had drugged him and set him up. Ronnie said that Sonny had been nowhere near Jax's suite. Ronnie said that there were several witnesses who had heard the mediator, Grace Yang, calling for help. Ronnie said that Grace had called 9-1-1, and that drugs had been found in the suite.

 When Ronnie noticed Grace standing outside the interrogation room, wearing torn clothing, he told Jax that he had to talk to the victim. Jax said he was the victim. Jax begged Grace to tell the truth. Jax declared his innocence and pleaded with Ronnie, who was not sympathetic. Jax had tears in his eyes when Ronnie shut the door and left to interview Grace. Grace told Ronnie that she had gone to see Jax to get some last-minute details worked out. She said that Jax was acting strangely and that when she tried to leave, he attacked her. Grace was very convincing as she told her story and signed a complaint against Jax.

 After Grace was gone, Brenda arrived in answer to Jax's phone call. Brenda asked Ronnie to take the handcuffs off Jax but Ronnie refused. Ronnie said that the PCPD had a sworn statement that Jax had attacked the mediator, Grace. Brenda said that Jax needed a lawyer. Ronnie said that Jax had been violent and incoherent when the police had arrived at Jax's suite. Ronnie said that they had found both cocaine and ecstasy in Jax's suite. Jax insisted that Sonny had set him up.

Jax said there was no way that he would go on a drug binge in the middle of a custody battle. Ronnie said that he had no love for Sonny. Ronnie said more power to Jax's lawyer if the lawyer could prove in court that Jax had been set up. After Ronnie was gone, Brenda was convinced that Sonny had set Jax up. Brenda acknowledged that Sonny had done it for Carly. Brenda told Jax not to worry. Brenda said that she would make sure that Sonny made things right. Jax thanked her.

 Brenda went to Sonny and demanded to know if he had set Jax up. Sonny wanted to know how Brenda had learned of Jax's plight. Brenda said she had spoken to Jax at the police station. Brenda said that if Sonny had implicated Jax, Sonny needed to make it right. Sonny was calm when he told Brenda that if Jax was in trouble, it was because Jax deserved it.

 7/18 At Sonny's home, Brenda said that she was moving to a hotel. Sonny wanted to know why. Brenda said that she was leaving Sonny. Brenda asked Sonny if Sonny had thought about what Sonny was doing to Jax. Brenda asked how taking Josslyn's father out of Josslyn's life was any different that taking Josslyn's mother out of Josslyn's life. Sonny told Brenda that it was not fair to convict him when there was no evidence. Brenda was livid and accused Sonny of lying to her face. Brenda said that Sonny had been lying for 20 years. Brenda said that Jax did not do drugs. Brenda told Sonny to stop treating her like a stupid ex-wife. Brenda said that she had lived with Jax and almost married him, and in all that time, she had never seen Jax do any drugs.

Sonny shrugged and said that people could change. Sonny said that maybe Jax had changed. Brenda said that Sonny was the one who had changed. Then Brenda said that maybe the problem was that Sonny had not changed. Sonny said that he loved Brenda, and he had always loved her. Brenda said that in the past, Sonny had had boundaries. Brenda said that after Stone died (because Stone had contracted AIDS after having unprotected sex with a former drug addict), Sonny had promised Brenda that he would never get involved with drugs. Brenda said that Sonny had once stood for something, but not any more. Brenda said that the truth was that Sonny had given up everything for "that bitch." Angrily, Brenda said that she was never going to listen to Sonny defend Carly again.

 Brenda said that Carly was a woman who had no qualms about saying that she hated Brenda. Brenda wondered why Sonny let Carly barge in whenever Carly felt like it. Sonny said it was because Carly was the mother of his children. Brenda said that it was because Brenda was second choice to Carly. Brenda said that Sonny did not care that he was ruining another man's life as long as Carly was happy. Sonny told Brenda that he loved her. Sonny said he was committed to Brenda, and nothing had changed. Sonny wanted to know what he could do to fix the situation with Brenda.

 Brenda said that Sonny's relationship with Carly was completely inappropriate. Brenda said that Jax had tried to warn her, but Brenda had not listened. Sonny said that he felt the same way about Brenda's relationship with Jax. Brenda said that Brenda's relationship with Jax was not the same thing as Sonny's relationship to Carly. Brenda said that that bottom line was that she did not want her son around Sonny. Brenda said that she did not want her little boy to grow up thinking it was all right to hurt people or to kill people. Brenda said that Sonny wanted Brenda to be silent and accepting. Brenda said that she could not do that. Sonny tried to reach out, but a tearful Brenda told Sonny not to touch her and ran upstairs.

 Brenda walked downstairs with a bag. She told Sonny that Alec and his nanny were already in the car. Sonny asked Brenda to stay and work out their problems. Brenda said that staying would not solve anything. Brenda told Sonny that she could never forgive Sonny for what Sonny had done to Jax. Brenda said that she did not like Sonny anymore. Sonny guessed that Brenda was going to the Metro Court. Sonny asked Brenda not to run to Jax. Brenda said that she was not running to Jax, but walking away from Sonny. Brenda kissed Sonny on the cheek and then left the room without looking back.

 7/19 Jax was on the phone when Brenda entered his office. Jax instructed the person on the other end of the phone to find a way to prove that Sonny had been responsible for the incident in Jax's hotel room. After Jax ended the call, Brenda urged Jax not to pay attention to the newspapers, but Jax worried that the judge would be influenced by the arrest. Brenda was certain that no one who knew Jax would believe the allegations. Jax feared that the charges would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Jax was certain that Sonny had set him up as payback for all the years that Jax had accused Sonny of being a bad father. Brenda advised Jax to focus on Josslyn, but Jax insisted that he needed Brenda's help. Jax wanted Brenda to tell the judge that Sonny had framed him. Brenda pointed out that her suspicions about Sonny weren't proof of any wrongdoing. Jax was confident that Brenda's testimony would carry weight because Brenda was married to Sonny.

 At Carly's house, Carly admitted that she didn't appreciate what Sonny had done to Jax. She reminded Sonny that Jax could go to jail because of the drugs, but Sonny was confident that Jax's attorney could plead the charges down to a misdemeanor. Carly argued that the charges could hurt Jax's career, so Sonny pointed out that Jerry's crimes hadn't hurt Jax's business. According to Sonny, Jax was a liar who had thrown down the gauntlet by playing dirty. He reminded Carly that she had her daughter back, so it had been worth it.

 "Is it going to be worth it if you lose Brenda over this?" Carly wondered. Carly admitted that she knew that Sonny and Brenda were having problems because she had heard that Brenda and Alec had checked into Metro Court for an indefinite stay. Sonny doubted that Carly was worried about his marriage to Brenda because he knew that Carly disliked Brenda. Carly didn't deny it, but she insisted that she didn't want to see Sonny hurt. Sonny assured Carly that he would be able to work things out with Brenda.

 Later, Sonny and Carly arrived at the courthouse. Carly confided that she was nervous about seeing Jax because of what had happened. Sonny argued that Jax had started it by trying to take Josslyn away from Carly. Carly clarified that Jax hadn't been trying to keep her from seeing Josslyn, but Sonny argued that Carly would have had to gain Jax's permission whenever she wanted to visit her daughter. Sonny insisted that little girls needed their mothers, which was why he had taken a step back when Alexis had decided to raise Kristina on her own. Sonny believed that Jax should have respected Carly's role in Josslyn's life.

 When Jax and Brenda arrived, Jax wasn't surprised to see Sonny and Carly together, so he snidely wondered if they were congratulating themselves on a job well done. Brenda was equally accusatory as she asked if Carly thought it was okay to ask Sonny to destroy Jax's life. Sonny was curious why Brenda was taking Jax's word for everything. Brenda argued that Jax didn't do drugs, so Sonny informed her that Jax had paid off the mediator, and had used Josslyn to get at Sonny.

 Jax demanded to know why Sonny hadn't faced him like a "real man," instead of hiding behind the "skirt-hem" of the mediator. Jax accused Sonny of bribing the mediator, and having the drugs planted. According to Jax, he had always known that Sonny was a coward. Jax smiled as he suggested, "Now everyone knows." Sonny theorized that Jax had decided to get high to celebrate his victory in court, and then made an unwanted pass at the mediator, which had gotten out of hand. Sonny claimed that Jax was trying to deflect attention by blaming Sonny for everything that had gone wrong.

 Jax insisted that Sonny was a thug. Jax claimed that Carly had overplayed her hand because he was confident that the judge would see through her desperate attempt to frame him. Moments later, the judge emerged from his chambers to announce that he was ready to see Jax and Carly. Everyone followed the judge into his office, but the judge objected. According to the judge, it was a closed hearing, so only Jax and Carly were permitted to stay.

 Jax explained that Brenda wanted to make a statement about what had happened in Jax's room with the mediator, but the judge informed Jax that he had already made his decision, so Brenda's testimony wasn't necessary. Sonny and Brenda left the judge's chambers. Sonny was curious what Brenda had intended to tell the judge, so she admitted that she had planned to explain that Jax had been set up. Sonny reminded Brenda that she didn't have any proof of that. "Wow, you'll do anything for that girl won't you?" Brenda wondered.

 In the judge's chambers, the judge explained that they considered a case "high conflict" when one or both parties refused to compromise. "In this case, the conflict came from you, Mr. Jacks," the judge clarified.

Dvd #12C 7/19 Jax immediately defended his decision to seek sole custody of Josslyn, but the judge pointed out that he had already heard Jax's arguments. The judge revealed that the courts were predisposed towards shared custody, but there were other factors to consider in Josslyn's case. The judge commended Carly for cooperating fully with the court, and for trying to find some common ground with Jax.

 Carly appreciated the praise, but she assured the judge that she thought that it was in Josslyn's best interest for Jax and Carly to share custody. "Not if it could get her killed," Jax snapped. The judge blasted Jax for being out of order. According to the judge, Jax had made several unsubstantiated claims about Carly being a danger to Josslyn throughout the proceedings. The judge insisted that they dealt in facts, and that the fact was that Jax had been intoxicated the previous evening when he had physically threatened a court-appointed mediator. The judge also knew about the drugs that had been found in Jax's suite, so the judge had determined that Jax was a danger to Josslyn.

 Later, Carly left the judge's chambers. Sonny was curious what had happened, so Carly revealed that the judge had granted her sole custody of Josslyn and then had ordered Jax to undergo drug testing before he could have contact with Josslyn. Carly was saddened because she hadn't wanted things to turn out like that. Sonny reminded Carly that she would be in a position of power with Jax, so she should be happy. Carly suspected that Brenda would be furious when she learned that Jax had lost custody of Josslyn because of Sonny.

 Sonny went to see Brenda at the hotel. Brenda asked Sonny to keep his voice down because Alec was sleeping. Sonny wanted to talk, but Brenda insisted that Sonny needed to hear her out. She blamed Carly for Jax's trouble, so Sonny assured Brenda that Carly didn't want to exclude Jax from Josslyn's life. Sonny was confident that Jax would eventually realize that it had been for the best that Carly had been granted custody of Josslyn. Sonny then explained that Carly would no longer need his help because Carly would be able to call all of the shots with Josslyn. Sonny asked Brenda to go home with him, but Brenda tearfully admitted that she no longer had a home with him because he had taken it away from her.

 7/20 In Brenda's hotel room, Sonny tried to persuade Brenda to go home with him, but Brenda argued that her home was no longer with Sonny. Brenda resented what Sonny had done to Jax, so she didn't want Alec to grow up in a world where that was acceptable. Sonny warned Brenda not to make a rash decision about their marriage, but Brenda assured him that she knew what she was doing for the first time in her life. Sonny suggested that they both knew where things would end; Brenda would forgive him and then they would work things out. Brenda reminded Sonny that in the past, he had always left her. However, this time would be different because she had decided to walk out on Sonny.

 Brenda began to cry as she explained that she was leaving Sonny for the right reasons. Sonny's strong veneer cracked as he confessed that he loved her more than anything in the world. Sonny had never intended to hurt her, so he hated knowing that he had caused her so much pain that she'd want to leave him. Brenda assured Sonny that she didn't want to end their marriage, but she had to do it for her son's sake. Brenda was furious that Sonny had taken a man's family, career, and reputation from him. Sonny insisted that he and Jax had history, but Brenda argued that Sonny had destroyed Jax's life for Carly.

 Brenda reminded him that Carly also wanted to "hurt your wife." "So this is about you and Carly?" Sonny wondered. Brenda smiled bitterly as she clarified that it was about Sonny and Carly because Sonny continued to allow Carly to be a part of their lives. Sonny argued that he and Carly shared children and then demanded to know what Brenda's excuse was for keeping Jax around. Brenda claimed that she had barely seen Jax, but he was a decent human being.

 Sonny didn't want to argue about Carly and Jax because he wanted to focus on his relationship with Brenda. Sonny insisted that he didn't want to give up on their marriage, but Brenda warned him that he would have to. Sonny refused to let Brenda go because she had always accepted him for who he was. Brenda reminded him that she had to think about her son. Sonny promised her that he could keep Brenda and Alec safe, but Brenda didn't believe him because he hadn't been able to keep Lily safe.

 Brenda explained that Sonny had to be willing to change to keep them safe, but she knew that he would never leave the mob, even for her. She also accepted that he would never leave Port Charles. Sonny pointed out that his children were in Port Charles, so he couldn't leave. Brenda explained that she felt the same love for her Alec that he felt for his children, so she had to put her son first. Sonny refused to give up hope that Brenda would forgive him, but Brenda assured him that she had learned her lesson. Sonny didn't want it to end like that for them, so he pulled her close and then hugged her. Brenda wept in his arms until he pulled away. Sonny told her that he would see her the following day and then left. Brenda watched the door close and then fell to the floor sobbing.

 Carly went to Brenda's room, but Brenda refused to open the door. Carly decided to let herself in with a master key. Brenda was furious, but Carly didn't care. Carly explained that she was there to do something "unselfish." Carly offered to give Brenda a window of opportunity to go back to Sonny, or Carly would take Sonny for herself. Brenda chuckled and then informed Carly that Carly could have Sonny because Brenda was through with him.

 Carly admitted that she had heard that before, so she didn't believe that Brenda was ready to walk out on her marriage. Brenda explained that she was doing it for Alec. Carly was curious what had happened to the woman who had claimed that she was the only person who could understand Sonny and that what Carly had with Sonny couldn't compare to the deep connection that Brenda and Sonny had shared. Brenda didn't answer, so Carly accused Brenda of being pathetic. Carly insisted that Sonny needed a real woman. Brenda argued that Sonny didn't want Carly, so Carly suggested that Sonny was better off without Brenda and then left.

 Later, Carly was waiting when Sonny arrived home. Sonny told her that Brenda had walked out on him, but Carly assured him that Brenda would be back. Carly was grateful that Sonny had helped her keep Josslyn, so she had decided to return the favor. Sonny was stunned when Carly told him about her talk with Brenda. Carly quickly assured Sonny that she hadn't meant the threat because she believed that she and Sonny were better off as exes, but she confided that Brenda didn't need to know that. Sonny smiled and then admitted that Brenda would always have a piece of his heart. Sonny confessed that his heart had told him that he had lost Brenda forever, but Carly argued that hearts lied. She encouraged Sonny to have faith that Brenda would be back. Moments later, Brenda walked in. Brenda stopped short when she saw Carly and Sonny together.

 7/21 At Greystone Manor, Brenda started to leave, but Carly insisted that Brenda stay to work things out with Sonny. Sonny appreciated Carly's support, but he explained that it was pointless because it was clear that Brenda was there to say goodbye to him. Sonny wanted to be alone with Brenda, so Carly left. Brenda reminded Sonny that she had warned him a long time before that Carly would destroy him. "And she has," Brenda added. Brenda wanted to know if Sonny were sorry for what he had done to Jax.

 Sonny argued that it wasn't about Carly or Jax; it was about Brenda seeing who he was for the first time. Sonny realized that it had scared Brenda. Brenda demanded that Sonny apologize for hurting Jax. Sonny wondered if she would stay if he did. He was curious if turning over the business to Jason and then moving with her and Alec to California would make Brenda change her mind about leaving him. Brenda's eyes swam with unshed tears as she asked him if he meant it.

 Sonny confessed that he had regretted selling the house in the woods because it would have been the perfect home for them. He admitted that he could have commuted from the house in the woods to Port Charles. Brenda thought that would have been perfect. Sonny's eyes filled with tears as he told her that the house would have been real, but the rest would have been a lie because his power base was in Port Charles. Sonny explained that she had never understood that he craved power so much that it scared him. He admitted that he wanted power more than he wanted clean hands or a clear conscience.

 "More than love?" Brenda wondered. Sonny insisted that love didn't last; it was taken, or it died, or it left. Sonny claimed that power was something that he could understand, keep, and hold onto. He refused to give it up for anyone. "Not even me," Brenda realized. Sonny admitted that he was too selfish to give her the kind of love that she needed. However, he promised her that on their wedding day, he had let himself believe that their love could last.

 Brenda wondered if he would let her leave. Sonny confessed that she had never changed; she wanted him to fight for her, and love her enough not to let her go. Brenda didn't deny it; she wanted Sonny to be the man that she had carried in her heart her entire life. Sonny revealed that man had never existed. According to Sonny, it had been a role that Sonny had played, so that he could have Brenda. Sonny apologized, but Brenda was glad that he had showed her who he really was.

 Brenda was relieved that she would get out in time to protect her son. Sonny assured her that she had made the right choice. Brenda took off her three wedding rings and then handed them to Sonny. "Diamonds at the start...diamonds at the end," she tearfully reminded him. Sonny hoped that Brenda and Alec would be happy, and that Brenda would meet a man who could give her what she needed. Sonny's voice cracked with emotion as he confessed that he would always love her, no matter where she was in the world. After Brenda left, Sonny sat down in a chair and then wept.

Carly returned shortly afterwards. She was stunned when Sonny explained that Brenda had ended their marriage. Carly couldn't believe that Brenda would leave Sonny because of what had happened to Jax. Sonny revealed that the incident with Jax had only been a part of it. He admitted that Brenda had resented Carly being a part of their lives, but mostly Brenda had felt that Sonny's lifestyle was too dangerous for Alec.

 Carly wondered if Brenda would have stayed if it hadn't been for Alec. Sonny confessed that he wanted to believe that she would have, but he wasn't certain because he had seen the disillusionment in Brenda's eyes when she had realized that he wasn't the man that she had thought he was. Carly argued that it didn't make sense because Brenda had known Sonny for years. Sonny explained that he hadn't been able to make the promises that Brenda had needed. Carly felt bad that Sonny's marriage had fallen apart, but Sonny reminded her that she had never liked Brenda. Carly didn't deny it, but she insisted that Sonny had deserved some happiness.

 Carly was reluctant to leave Sonny alone, so she invited him to her house. She offered to call Alexis and the girls to join them, but Sonny wasn't ready to tell the family that Brenda had left him. Carly complained that it was unfair that Sonny had lost Brenda simply because he had helped Carly. Sonny assured Carly that it had only been a matter of time before Brenda had walked out on him. Sonny explained that Brenda had changed when she had been reunited with Alec, but he had been proud of the kind of mother that she was. Carly hated Brenda for hurting Sonny. Sonny revealed that he loved Brenda, but he didn't regret helping Carly.

 In Brenda's suite, Brenda told Robin that she intended to go to Rome with Alec. Robin was curious if Sonny would be joining them, so Brenda revealed that she had left Sonny. Brenda explained that she didn't want Alec to be raised in an environment where violence and crime were okay. Robin conceded that Sonny justified every single thing that he did, so she understood Brenda's concerns. Brenda begged Robin to promise to visit, so Robin promised that she would. Brenda and Robin hugged and then Brenda handed Robin an envelope addressed to Sonny. Brenda explained that she wanted Robin to give it to Sonny when Robin felt that the time was right.

After Robin left, Jax stopped by to say goodbye to Brenda. Jax explained that he needed to get away for a while to clear his head. Brenda revealed that she had also decided to leave town. Jax realized that Brenda had left Sonny, so he admitted that he was happy for her. Jax was curious if she had made any travel arrangements. Brenda confessed that she hadn't, so Jax offered to be her "white knight" one last time.

Later, Brenda, Alec, and Jax were seated on Jax's private jet bound for Rome. Brenda and Jax promised Alec that he would love Rome. Alec smiled when his mother offered to teach him some Italian and then started talking about all the places that she wanted to show him.

 At Greystone Manor, Sonny looked at Brenda's wedding rings and then placed a call to someone. He was furious when he was told that Brenda and Alec had left on Jax's private jet with Jax. Sonny ordered that his jet be prepared for flight and then ended the call.

 7/27 In Paris, Jax spoke to Brenda on the phone. Jax explained that he wouldn't be able to visit Brenda and Alec in Rome for a while because he had to do some "damage control." Jax then confessed that it bothered him that Josslyn was tucked in her crib, thinking that everything was right with her world when it wasn't.

After Jax ended the call he picked up a picture of himself, Carly, and Josslyn during happier times. Jax gripped the photograph so tightly that the glass shattered. His tears quickly gave way to rage as he looked up. Moments later, Jax called to order that his jet be readied. Afterwards, he picked up his things, including the picture, and then left the room. A torn piece of the family picture, with Carly's image, had been discarded on the floor.

 7/29 Sonny sat on the steps of a graffiti-covered building for a long time before going inside. When he exited, he was holding keys. Sonny removed a "For Sale" sign from the door.

 8/2 On Sonny's private island, Michael was disappointed to discover that his father wasn't there. Michael explained that Sonny usually went to the island when Sonny was upset. Michael suspected that the islanders might have lied to protect Sonny because they were loyal to his father. Abby was skeptical, so she suggested that perhaps Sonny just wanted to be alone where no one could find him. Michael remained determined to find his father because he was concerned about Sonny's reaction to Brenda's decision to end the marriage. Abby confessed that she had been in Sonny's shoes, so she knew what it was like to have her heart broken.

Abby reminded Michael that Sonny was a proud man, so Michael might want to show Sonny some respect by giving his father space. Michael argued that Abby didn't know Sonny, so she couldn't appreciate what the end of his marriage could do to Sonny. Michael explained that Sonny and Brenda had a history of splitting up and then getting back together again, but things were different this time because Brenda had left Sonny, and then taken off with Jax. According to Michael, Brenda had broken Sonny's trust, which meant everything to Sonny. Abby wondered if perhaps Michael wanted to find Sonny to prove to his father that he could be trusted to take care of things for Sonny while Sonny was away.

Michael conceded that he wanted to help Sonny, but he insisted that his motives for finding his father weren't self-serving. Abby quickly assured Michael that she hadn't meant to imply otherwise. However, she reminded Michael that Michael's relationship with Sonny was shifting. Abby then steered the conversation away from Michael by asking if Jason had done anything to find Sonny. Michael admitted that Jason had put everyone on alert, but it hadn't been enough as far as Michael was concerned. Moments later, Enrique, the casino manager, knocked on Michael's door. Enrique confided that he had made some phone calls, so he had learned that Sonny had returned to Port Charles. Michael was stunned when Enrique also revealed that Sonny had recently spent some time in New York City.

At Greystone Manor, Sonny entered the bedroom, looked around, and then began to trash it. He threw his wedding picture across the room and then pulled out all of Brenda's clothes from the drawers. Later, Robin found Sonny sitting on the floor, in the midst of the strewn items, brooding. Robin revealed that she had a letter from Brenda for Sonny, but Sonny wasn't interested in reading what it had to say. Robin explained that Brenda's decision to leave Sonny had been difficult, but the main reason that Brenda had walked out had been because Sonny had sided with Carly.

"Carly's kid," Sonny angrily clarified. Sonny suggested that Brenda should have thought about the vows that she had made to him on their wedding day, but instead she had decided to spit in his face. Robin urged Sonny to read Brenda's letter, but Sonny threatened to destroy it. Robin assured Sonny that Brenda had loved Sonny, but she hadn't been able to deal with his life. Sonny didn't buy that because Brenda had known what she was getting into when she had agreed to marry him. Sonny assured Robin that he had protected Brenda and Alec, but Robin argued that Sonny had shut Brenda out of his life.

Sonny explained that Brenda had understood that he couldn't discuss his business with her, but Robin revealed that Brenda had been hurt because Sonny had gone after one of Brenda's best friends. Robin admitted that Jax had also been one of her best friends. Sonny belligerently wondered if that meant that Robin and Sonny were no longer friends. "Sonny, of course we're friends," Robin replied. Sonny argued that it didn't work that way, so he demanded that she choose between him and Jax. Robin didn't think that Sonny was serious, but he assured her, "Yes, I am."

Robin avoided making the choice by insisting that Sonny couldn't continue to isolate himself from the people who cared about him. Moments later, she spotted his prescription bottle. Sonny ordered her to leave it alone just as Robin reached for it. Robin noticed that the prescription had been filled three months before, but the bottle was still full. Sonny snatched the bottle out of Robin's hand as he explained that he occasionally forgot to take the medication to treat his bipolar disorder.

Robin admitted that it might work for some people, but from what she saw around her, it was clear that it wasn't a good idea for Sonny. Robin feared that if he continued down the road that he was on, then it wouldn't end well. Sonny ordered Robin to leave, but she argued that she was concerned about him because he needed to take his medication. Robin admitted that she felt terrible for Sonny's situation because she had been responsible for Sonny and Brenda finding their way back to each other. Sonny didn't respond, so Robin walked to the door, dropped the letter on the nightstand, and then left. The episode featured, Dreaming With A Broken Heart by John Mayer.

8/3 At Greystone Manor, Jason found Sonny sitting amid the ruins of his bedroom. Jason explained that he was there to give Sonny an update, so Sonny made it clear that he would discuss business, but not "that bitch, Brenda." Jason started to clean up the mess, but Sonny told Jason to leave it. Sonny wondered if Jason ever got tired of taking care of him. Jason avoided the question by explaining that the peace treaty with the Trujillo family was holding. Sonny scoffed as he suggested that Trujillo was waiting for Sonny and Anthony to go to war, so that the Trujillos could pick up the pieces. Jason reminded Sonny that Anthony had been quiet, but Sonny accused the elder Zacchara of plotting something.

Sonny exploded with rage when Jason tentatively broached the subject of Brenda. Jason pointed out that they couldn't avoid talking about Brenda because she had been a big part of Sonny's life. Jason agreed that Anthony was up to something, so Sonny needed to get his head clear if they were going to beat Anthony. Jason insisted that Sonny needed to talk about what had happened, and then bury it.

Moments later, Jason spotted the letter that Brenda had written to Sonny. Sonny invited Jason to read it, and then give Sonny the condensed version. Jason didn't feel comfortable reading the letter. Sonny admitted that he already knew the gist of it; his life had been too dangerous for Brenda. Sonny ranted about Brenda's insecurities because Sonny had helped Carly, and then Sonny started in about Jax taking advantage of Sonny and Brenda's rift by manipulating Brenda into leaving with him. Sonny confessed that his life was meaningless without Brenda.

Sonny's voice cracked with emotion as he confided that Brenda leaving him made him feel as if he didn't deserve anything good. Jason reminded Sonny of the children, but Sonny accused Jason of sounding like he had when Sonny had preached to Luke. Sonny argued that it was his life, so he didn't understand why he couldn't burn it down. "You'll be letting Jax win," Jason replied. Jason then turned the conversation to Sonny's bipolar disorder when he spotted the pill bottle.

Sonny wondered if Jason would be eager to take a pill that could "fix" his brain, even if it meant that Jason would be dependant on the pill that controlled who he was. Jason quietly reminded Sonny that there wasn't a pill that could fix Jason's brain. However, Jason feared that Sonny's attitude would give Anthony the opening that Anthony sought. Sonny ordered Jason to kill Anthony, but Jason explained that he couldn't do that while Sonny was in a precarious state. Sonny didn't think that Jason could understand the pain that Sonny was feeling because Jason had never loved anyone the way that Sonny had loved Brenda.

Jason revealed that Sonny might not like what Jason was about to tell him, but Jason thought that Sonny should know that Brenda hadn't left with Jax. "She just left," Jason said. The anger leeched out of Sonny as he conceded that he could have avoided his heartbreak if he had just let Jason take Brenda back to Rome. Jason suggested that Brenda had done Sonny a favor by walking out on him, because in the past Sonny had always felt guilty about leaving Brenda. Jason insisted that it was time for Sonny to focus on other things. Sonny gave Jason some orders about how to safeguard their organization. After Jason left, Sonny ripped up Brenda's letter, dropped it into the trashcan, and then picked up a bottle of water, and his medication.

Meanwhile, at an undisclosed motel, Jax opened his backpack, glanced at the picture of him and Josslyn, and then looked up with a determined expression.

8/4 On the waterfront, Johnny rolled his eyes when Max and Milo stepped forward to block his path. Sonny stepped out of the shadows from behind Johnny, effectively blocking Johnny on the staircase. "What, nobody's going to welcome me home?" Sonny asked sarcastically. Johnny suggested that if Sonny had wanted to reach out and touch him, then Sonny should have called. Sonny ignored the comment as he demanded to know if Johnny was in cahoots with Anthony and the Trujillos, who were moving drugs through the territory. Sonny threatened Anthony's life, but Johnny made it clear that he didn't "give a damn" about Anthony. Johnny explained that with Claudia gone, Johnny had nothing to lose. However, Sonny couldn't say the same thing because even though Brenda had left town with her son, Sonny still had "plenty of little Sonnys running around town."

Max and Milo closed in on Johnny as Sonny demanded to know if Johnny were threatening Sonny's children. "Are you stupid enough to actually do something about it?" Johnny shot back. Johnny reminded Sonny that they had been down the same road before with Kristina. Johnny was frustrated because Sonny was continually wrong about him, so he suggested that Sonny stop blaming Johnny for everything. Johnny warned Sonny that it would be Sonny's downfall. "And yours is going to be your daddy," Sonny replied.

Sonny advised Johnny to put a leash on Anthony if Johnny truly wanted a truce. Johnny argued that he had already done that, but Sonny reminded Johnny of the drug trafficking. Johnny explained that it was his understanding that the drugs were legitimate prescriptions crossing the borders, so Johnny didn't see anything wrong with a "little redistribution." Sonny fired back that the drugs eventually found their way into the hands of young people.

Johnny laughed as he shouted for all to hear that "the high and mighty Sonny Corinthos has spoken." Johnny asked for a reminder of exactly how Sonny's "squeaky clean empire" had gotten its start. Johnny recalled that Sonny had started out with strip clubs, where the young people had been high on the drugs that Sonny had supplied. Sonny yelled that it had been ages before, and then pointed out that Johnny also owned bars. Johnny argued that he didn't try to be something that he wasn't, and then accused Sonny of trying to rewrite history.

Johnny realized that Sonny feared that the drugs moving through the territory would find their way into Sonny's children's hands. Sonny's temper flared, but Johnny ignored him. Johnny admitted that he knew what it was like for Sonny's children, especially Michael, which was why Johnny was determined to hold up his end of the truce. Max and Milo grabbed Johnny on Sonny's orders and then shoved Johnny against the railing. Sonny warned Johnny that Johnny was the keeper of nothing, but Johnny insisted that if anything happened to him then anarchy would reign because the five families would go after Sonny and Sonny's children. "We'll see about that. We'll see about a lot of things," Sonny warned Johnny.

"Yeah, how many?" Johnny defiantly yelled as Sonny walked away. "Yeah, a lot," Sonny barked. "What? Like five?" Johnny pushed. "That's not a lot. Eight," Sonny answered. "As long as it ain't nine," Johnny grumbled.

In the restaurant, Carly greeted Sonny when he approached the bar. She immediately sensed that he was tense, so Sonny explained that it was a tense time. Carly wondered if Sonny had gone after Brenda, but Sonny explained that he and Brenda were over. However, he assured Carly that he in no way blamed her for Brenda leaving with Jax because Sonny knew that Carly had given Jax every opportunity to do the right thing. Sonny realized that Jax wouldn't have been satisfied unless Carly had cut Sonny out of her life. Carly admitted that she didn't know how to do that.

Sonny reminded Carly that she understood him, so he hoped that she realized why he had done what he had to Jax. Sonny knew that she hadn't approved of his methods, but he refused to let Jax use his money and connections to take Josslyn away from Carly. Carly confessed that she couldn't thank Sonny enough for helping her to keep Josslyn. Sonny wished that more people would see it that way. Carly realized that he had someone specific in mind, so Sonny told her about his talk with Robin. Carly wasn't surprised that Robin had taken Brenda's side.

Sonny made it clear that he was through apologizing for his actions, but Carly confessed that it didn't appear that way to her. Carly sensed that Sonny was at war, so she urged him to let it be over, so that no one, including Sonny, got hurt. Sonny assured Carly that he could take care of himself. Carly disagreed, but she explained that she didn't have time to go over all the reasons that he was wrong because she had to get home to Josslyn. However, she was sorry that Robin had turned out to be such a lousy friend to Sonny. Sonny explained that Robin had bought into Jax's "noble act," so Sonny hoped that Jax wasn't stupid enough to cross his path.

At an undisclosed motel, Jax had changed into dark clothing, donned a black baseball cap over his close-cropped hair, tucked the picture of him and Josslyn in his pocket, and then left. Later, in an alley, Jax called to arrange for his jet to be fueled, and readied for an extra passenger. He was unaware that Skye lurked nearby, eavesdropping.

8/5 Skye spotted Jax in an alley, but she did not overhear his phone conversion. Jax told his pilot to have the plane ready for takeoff as soon as Jax got there. Jax, who was dressed in black paramilitary gear, did not see Skye. Jax moved on before she called out to him.

At the Metro Court, Olivia spotted Sonny having a drink and confronted him. Olivia said that she could tell that Sonny was in pain. Olivia asked Sonny not use his pain as an excuse to cause trouble. Sonny said that he was not a punk kid who would trash the place. Olivia said that she had been a witness to Sonny's behavior when he had no place to put his pain.

Sonny changed the subject and told Olivia that she looked nice. Olivia said that Sonny was trying to avoid telling her what was wrong, and that was the reason for his compliments. Olivia said that Sonny would take anything offered to him as a diversion from his pain. Sonny said that he was just looking and that it was okay to look. Olivia said that if Sonny was looking in her direction, he was looking in the wrong direction.

Carly arrived at the fundraiser and saw Skye. Carly wanted to know what Skye was doing in Port Charles. Skye said that Jax had invited her. When Carly said that Jax was not in town, Skye said that she had seen Jax twenty minutes before. Carly became concerned and left the fundraiser. Sonny wanted to know where Carly had gone. Olivia said that she did not know, but was covering for her. Olivia continued trying to get Sonny to talk about his split from Brenda so that he could vent and not do something destructive.

They reminisced about being kids in Bensonhurst. Sonny told Olivia that he had spent his whole life trying to put his pain in a box. He showed her a key, which he said was the key to the box. Sonny said the box was wide open, and he was trying to decide what to remove and what more to put in. When Sonny stood up to leave, he told Olivia that he'd meant it when he said that she had a nice neck. Olivia also stood and hugged Sonny. Olivia told him to be careful about where he dumped his pain.

Carly rushed into Jason’s and said she was sorry but that she could not wait. Carly told Sam and Jason that Jax was back in town, and she had just heard the news from Skye. Sam questioned whether or not Skye was being truthful or just messing with Carly. Carly was convinced that Jax was headed for Josslyn. Jason wanted to know why Carly had not called the police. Carly said that Jax was Josslyn's father and she did not want to hurt him or his relationship to Josslyn. Carly said she had not gone to Sonny because she did not want Sonny to destroy Jax. Carly's heartfelt plea convinced Jason to leave with her.

Jax snuck into Josslyn's room and picked her up. Jax told Josslyn that he would never leave her again. Jax said that he had hoped that they would be a family and that he would grow old with Carly. Jax told Josslyn that they would make new memories together. No one saw Jax as he left Josslyn's room. Jax got to the front door and opened it. Shawn was standing on the threshold.

Carly and Jason were driving through a heavy downpour. Carly was frantic because she could not reach Mercedes, and no one was answering the house phone. From the opposite direction, Elizabeth and Siobhan were driving through a heavy downpour. Elizabeth told Siobhan to stay awake. Elizabeth feared that Siobhan had a concussion. Siobhan accused Elizabeth of pushing her down the stairs. Elizabeth said it had been an accident. Siobhan said that Elizabeth wanted her dead and then passed out. Elizabeth took her eyes off the road as she tried to rouse Siobhan. Elizabeth veered into oncoming traffic. In Jason's car, Carly screamed for him to watch out as their vehicle was struck head-on.

8/8 A violent storm hit Port Charles causing brownouts and poor driving conditions. As the rain poured down, Elizabeth found Jason passed out in the driver's seat. Jason was unconscious and had a bleeding cut on his left temple. Elizabeth found Carly nearby. Carly quickly regained consciousness. Carly had a broken wrist and a possible concussion. Elizabeth told her not to move. Elizabeth found an unresponsive Siobhan just as Dante pulled up.

Elizabeth had not been able to get 9-1-1 because the cell towers were down in the storm. Dante used his police radio to get help. When the ambulances arrived, Elizabeth wanted to go look for Lucky. Dante said that she was in shock and had to go to the hospital before she could search for Lucky. Dante said that he would help her after a doctor checked her out. Carly grabbed Dante and told him to call and tell Olivia to meet Carly at the hospital. At GH, Carly told Olivia that Jax was in town.

8/9 In a nearby examination bay, Carly tried to leave to get to Josslyn, but Olivia stopped her. Olivia reminded Carly that Carly might have internal injuries. Carly explained that Skye had revealed that Jax was in town, and that he intended to kidnap Josslyn. Carly insisted that she needed to get to Jax and Josslyn before Sonny found out. Olivia guided Carly to the gurney and then ordered Carly to sit. Carly demanded to know what Olivia had told Sonny when Carly had left the restaurant.

Carly's spirits sank when Olivia admitted that she had told Sonny that Carly had an emergency, and that Sonny had left shortly afterwards. Carly realized that Sonny had probably figured things out, so he had gone to Carly's house. Carly made another attempt to leave, but Epiphany blocked Carly's exit. Epiphany explained that Carly had a broken wrist, and a possible concussion, so Carly needed to be checked out before she could leave. Carly started to refuse treatment, but Olivia promised to go to Carly's house to make certain that everything was okay.

Sonny became alarmed when he found Morgan's stuffed toy, Rufus, lying on the ground in the open doorway of Carly's house. He picked up the toy and then slowly made his way through the house, calling Carly's name. Sonny drew his gun when no one responded. Moments later, he heard someone pounding on a nearby door, so he went to investigate. Later, Mercedes returned from Josslyn's room to tearfully report that Josslyn wasn't in her crib where Mercedes had left her. Mercedes assured Sonny that she'd had the baby monitor with her, so she hadn't heard anything to indicate where Josslyn might be.

Seconds later, Olivia arrived. Olivia was stunned to realize that Carly had been right to be concerned about Josslyn. Sonny immediately demanded to know what Olivia knew, so Olivia told Sonny that Jax had taken Josslyn. Mercedes was distraught as she apologized profusely for not keeping Josslyn safe. Olivia calmed Mercedes down and then instructed Mercedes to keep trying to reach Jax on the cell pone. Afterwards, Sonny bellowed that he wanted answers.

Olivia explained that Skye had warned Carly about Jax having returned to town, so Carly had gone to Jason for help. Sonny was furious that Carly hadn't turned to him, but Olivia pointed out that Carly had been worried about Sonny's volatile reaction. Olivia listened to Sonny's rant about Jax and then calmly told Sonny about the accident. Olivia was astounded when Sonny shouted that he refused to allow Jax to take Josslyn.

Olivia couldn't believe that Sonny hadn't shown any concern for Jason. Sonny defended his reaction by insisting that he would not allow Jax to take what belonged to him and Carly. Olivia reminded Sonny that Brenda had never belonged to Sonny, but Sonny ignored her. Sonny warned Olivia that Jax would have to be stopped, so Olivia decided to call Dante. Olivia hoped that Dante would be able to stop Sonny from making a terrible mistake. Sonny refused to involve Dante, so Olivia decided to accompany Sonny on his mission to find Jax.

Sonny burst through the door at ELQ, with his gun raised, and then demanded to know where Skye's "kid-stealing boy-toy" was. Skye had no idea what Sonny was talking about, so Sonny revealed that Jax had stolen Josslyn. Skye reminded Sonny that Jax was Josslyn's father, so Jax had a right to see his daughter. "Not according to the court," Sonny argued. Edward was amused that Sonny would use the legal system to make an argument, especially after Sonny's smear campaign against Jax. Olivia demanded to know if Skye or Edward knew anything about Josslyn because Carly was frantic with worry. Skye scoffed that Carly was always upset about something. Olivia glared pointedly at Edward as she revealed that Carly and Jason had been in a car accident.

Jax was stranded on the side of the road. He realized that he had flooded the engine because he had been driving too fast through the puddles on his race to get to the airport. Jax quickly realized that his vehicle was useless, so he gathered up Josslyn and then started walking. Jax took shelter in an alley with Josslyn as the storm continued to rage. Meanwhile, Shawn struggled with a posttraumatic stress attack as he stumbled around Port Charles, looking for Jax and Josslyn. Eventually, Shawn found Jax's abandoned car, so he sat down in the backseat as the sounds of gunfire and the pleas of a young boy begging to be left alone haunted Shawn.

8/10 In Skye's hotel suite, Edward was eager to go to the hospital when Olivia told him about Jason's injury during the car accident. However, Sonny refused to let anyone leave until he found out where Jax had taken Josslyn. Skye invited Sonny to search suite, but she assured Sonny that she hadn't seen Jax except from a distance. Sonny didn't believe Skye, so he demanded to know why she was in town. Skye told Sonny about the fundraiser, but Sonny continued to have doubts. Skye pointed out that Sonny didn't have the right to detain them, so Olivia stepped in before the argument escalated. Olivia pointed out that Jax obviously wasn't in the suite, so she offered to continue to help Sonny search for Jax. Sonny ordered Olivia to go to the hospital to assure Carly that he would find Josslyn, and deal with Jax, so there wasn't anything to worry about.

Later, Sonny spotted Jax's abandoned car on the side of the road. He then made his way to Pozzulo's to call Alexis. Alexis explained that she was stranded at Jake's, so she hadn't see Jax. Sonny disconnected the call, threw his cell phone across the office, and then checked to make certain that his gun was loaded. Sonny tucked the lethal weapon into the back of his pants and then went to the airport.

At the airport, Sonny slipped onto Jax's private jet, but didn't find any sign of Jax or Josslyn. He quickly ducked out of sight when he heard a noise in the front of the plane. Sonny waited with deadly intent as someone walked towards the cabin. In the waiting area, Carly was devastated when Olivia revealed that Jax had taken Josslyn. Carly begged Olivia to stop Sonny because Carly feared that Sonny would kill Jax. Dante overheard their conversation, so he suggested that they call the police. Carly implored Dante to reconsider because Carly was confident that she could fix everything.

8/11 On Jax's private jet, Shawn slowly made his way into the cabin as Sonny lurked in the shadows with his gun raised. Sonny demanded to know what Shawn was doing on the plane. Shawn glanced at the gun and then realized that Sonny had been expecting Jax. Sonny made it clear that it wasn't any of Shawn's concern, since Shawn didn't work for Carly. Sonny assured Shawn that the situation was being "handled," so Shawn sarcastically remarked that it would explain the unconscious pilot Shawn had found.

Sonny invited Shawn to call 9-1-1, but Shawn was more interested in knowing what Sonny would have done if Jax had entered the cabin with Josslyn in his arms. "Start firing and hope you miss her?" Shawn wondered. Sonny insisted that how he dealt with Jax was his business, not Shawn's. Shawn pointed out that Jax would have been long gone if Shawn hadn't disabled Jax's car. Sonny was curious where Jax had been while Shawn had been tampering with the car. Shawn reluctantly admitted that Jax had been inside the house, taking Josslyn.

Shawn conceded that Jax had managed to flee with Josslyn because of Shawn, so Shawn was determined to capture Jax. Sonny suggested that Shawn had let Jax take Josslyn, so that Shawn could play hero by rescuing Josslyn and then returning her to Carly's grateful arms. Shawn bragged that he would be able to find Josslyn without using a gun, but Sonny wasn't impressed. Sonny insisted that Jax had to be stopped, so that Jax didn't take something else that belonged to Sonny. Shawn realized that Sonny was talking about Brenda. Shawn explained that the difference between him and Sonny was that Shawn was willing to die for Josslyn, while Sonny was willing to kill for her.

At Carly's house, Carly left Jax a voicemail message, pleading with him to return Josslyn. Carly assured Jax that they could talk things out, to avoid any further problems. After Carly ended the call, Dante appeared in the doorway. Carly resented Dante letting himself in, uninvited, but Dante informed her that the front door had been left wide open. Dante revealed that he knew that Sonny was looking for Jax because Jax had taken Josslyn. He warned Carly that nothing would stop Sonny, even if Jax were to return Josslyn.

Carly assured Dante that she hadn't talked to Sonny, so she didn't know where Sonny was or what Sonny intended to do. Dante suggested that people had illusions about Sonny when they told themselves that Sonny would have compassion for Jax, as a father, but Dante was confident that he and Carly knew better. Dante insisted that there was no reasoning with Sonny when Sonny was fixated on something. Carly was adamant that she didn't know where Sonny was, but Dante didn't believe her because he knew that Carly could lie with total conviction for Sonny. Dante accused Sonny of destroying Jax in retaliation for Jax taking Brenda away. Carly demanded to know what Brenda had to do with anything.

Dante explained that payback was all that mattered to Sonny. Dante suggested that Carly might feel the same way, so she wasn't concerned about Jax. Carly assured Dante that she didn't want anything to happen to Josslyn's father, so Dante reminded Carly that Sonny was also the father of her children, and others. Dante didn't want to see his father face a life sentence in jail because things had gotten out of control. Carly vowed to fly to Rome to "kick Brenda's ass," but Dante insisted that it wasn't Brenda's fault. Carly argued that Brenda had not only left Sonny, but she had twisted the knife by flying off with Jax.

Dante suggested that perhaps it had been Jax's idea. Carly insisted that Brenda could have said no, so Jax hadn't forced Brenda to leave with him. Carly complained that Brenda needed constant attention, so Brenda had wanted Jax and Sonny at each other's throats. Dante pointed out that Carly was admitting that Sonny's quest to find Jax was all about revenge. Carly argued that it was about finding Josslyn, but she had no idea where Sonny was. Dante asked Carly to help him figure out where Jax might be, but Carly claimed that she would have gone there if she had known.

Dante confessed that Carly was a cop's worst nightmare because it was impossible to tell if she were being truthful or not. Carly smiled, and then admitted that she would lie about almost anything except her child's safety. Dante ordered Carly to continue trying to reach Jax, to get him to return Josslyn, and then urge Jax to leave town before Sonny killed him, and "screws us all." Later, Carly plugged in the charger for her cell phone and then tried to unzip her gown. She ceased her efforts when she saw Shawn enter the living room. Shawn quietly turned Carly around and then unzipped the dress for her.

Dante found Sonny waiting for Jax in Jax's private jet. Dante was curious why Sonny was so intent on trying to destroy Jax. Sonny explained that Dante couldn't understand because Dante didn't know Sonny's history with Jax. Dante questioned Sonny's motives for wanting to find Jax. Dante was certain that Sonny wanted revenge for Jax taking Brenda out of Sonny's life. Sonny insisted that Jax had worked Brenda by telling her that she wouldn't be a good mother if she didn't leave Sonny.

Dante argued that Sonny was delusional; Brenda had left Sonny because Sonny had framed Jax for drugs and an attempted assault. Sonny angrily demanded to know if Brenda had told Dante that. Dante explained that he knew what it was like to be in Brenda's shoes because Dante had admired and respected Sonny until Sonny had shot Dante in the chest. Sonny thought that they had gotten past that.

Dante insisted that Brenda had left because Brenda didn't care enough for Sonny to risk her son's life. Dante claimed that it was on Sonny, so Sonny should "man up," and face it, instead of blaming Jax. Sonny believed that he could have stopped Brenda, but he had let her go because it had been for the best. However, Sonny had been infuriated when he had learned that Jax had been feeding Brenda lies. "Screw him," Sonny shouted.

Dante claimed that Brenda had always been the one thing that Sonny couldn't touch without breaking, so she had been out of Sonny's reach. Dante insisted that Sonny had broken Brenda. Dante confessed that he had been stunned when he had learned that Sonny had been Brenda's great love because Dante had known that Sonny was an emotional train wreck; Sonny always saw a betrayal where there wasn't one. Sonny disagreed, and then reminded Dante that the lies that Dante had told in the beginning, which had been a betrayal.

Sonny refused to let Jax think that Jax had won, so Sonny vowed to find Josslyn. Dante argued that it wasn't about Josslyn; Sonny just couldn't stand that Jax had been able to get one over on Sonny. Dante decided that he had to stop Sonny, so he asked Sonny to turn over the gun. Sonny refused, so Dante decided to arrest his father. Sonny refused to cooperate at first, but then placed the gun on the table. However, Dante lowered his guard, so Sonny seized the opportunity to sucker punch Dante, which knocked Dante out.

8/12 Sonny went to GH and found Sam. He wanted to know where Robin was, and she wanted to know why Sonny was not more concerned about Jason. Sonny continued his search for Robin without answering Sam.

Jax showed up at Robin's house. Jax told Robin that he had to save Josslyn. Jax blamed Carly for his predicament and demanded to borrow Robin's car. Robin refused. She told Jax that Josslyn was wet and cold and needed dry clothes. Robin reminded Jax that Josslyn had recently had a transplant. Robin told Jax to give Josslyn to her or to leave. Jax handed Josslyn over. As Robin dressed Josslyn in dry clothes, she asked Jax if he had considered how taking Josslyn would hurt Carly, Michael, and Morgan. Robin begged Jax to stop and think before the situation got out of hand. Shawn looked on through a window.

Matt made a call to Robin for a video conference. He told her that Patrick had used emotional blackmail to get her to sign off on Jason's biopsy. Robin did not agree, but was interrupted by Emma, who had awoken and found Josslyn. Josslyn started crying. Sonny was outside Matt's office and heard everything. Robin told Matt that she had to deal with Emma and would talk to him at another time. Jax got Emma back to bed. Robin asked if Jax really wanted to live life looking over his shoulder. Jax said that he would not leave his daughter in a place where she was in constant danger. Robin urged Jax to let Carly know that Josslyn was safe. Jax said that Carly had left messages asking him to return Josslyn home. Robin said that Carly was still reaching out and that Carly had not called the FBI, so there was still a chance to work things out. Jax said that Sonny was still a danger. Robin said that it was not about Sonny.

Shawn burst in and said that he was there to return Josslyn to her mother. Shawn said that he was not working for Sonny. He told Robin that Carly had nearly died in a car accident, trying to find Josslyn. Robin encouraged Jax to let Shawn take Josslyn back to Carly. Shawn returned Josslyn to Carly, who was tearful and grateful. Robin told Jax that he had done the right thing. Robin said that Jax and Carly could work things out. Robin said not to think for one minute that Sonny was done. Robin said that Sonny was mad because Brenda had left with Jax. Jax said he had dropped Brenda off in Rome and had no intention of being with her. Jax said that he would take some time and think about what Robin had said. As Jax prepared to leave, Robin's front door flew open, and Sonny loomed on the threshold.

8/15 Sonny stood in Robin's living room holding a gun on Jax. Robin said that Jax had sent Josslyn home with Shawn and that Sonny should put his gun down and leave. When Sonny did not relent, Jax said that Sonny was not after Josslyn; Sonny wanted revenge for Brenda. Sonny accused Jax of undermining Sonny and turning Brenda against him. Jax said that Brenda had been in denial and he had helped open her eyes. Robin said that the matter rested between Jax and Carly. Sonny said that it did not because Jax had dragged Brenda into court and would have dragged his sons there and that made it personal.

Jax said that Brenda left because after Sonny set Jax up Brenda finally saw the kind of man Sonny really was. Jax said that Sonny could not handle the truth. Sonny said that the truth was that he could not think of a way to let Jax live. As Sonny raised the gun, Robin told Sonny to leave her house; she said that Emma was asleep upstairs. Jax said that he had almost made a mistake and compromised with Carly. Jax said Sonny's behavior made him more convinced than ever not to compromise on Josslyn's safety. Sonny said the only one going down was Jax. Robin screamed, "No" and grabbed for the gun as Sonny fired. Her arm was grazed but the injury was not serious. Emma watched from the doorway.

Jax wanted to call an ambulance, but Robin said not to call. Robin told Jax to go. She said that Sonny would not shoot Jax in front of Emma. Jax left. Sonny asked if Robin was okay. She told him to get a towel so Emma would not see. Patrick arrived home. When he asked what happened, Emma told him that her mother had been shot. After Patrick got Emma back in bed and dressed Robin's wound, he ranted at Sonny and told him to get out.

After Sonny left, Patrick wanted to call the police but Robin protested that all was well. He told her about Jason and then wanted to know how she had managed to get in the middle between Jax and Sonny. She said Jax had shown up unexpectedly and Sonny had followed close behind. Robin acknowledged that Patrick was right; that she should not get involved. Robin said that Sonny had been out of control since Brenda left. Robin said that Sonny was off his meds. Patrick said Sonny needed a keeper, but not Robin.

Sonny met with Max at the restaurant office. Sonny said that Jax needed to be handled. Sonny told Max to find Jax and take him to Sonny's boat. Sonny said that they would take a trip out to sea and Jax would have an accident. Max told Sonny he would meet him at the boat and left. Dante arrived a moment later and told Sonny that they had unfinished business. Sonny said that there was no need for the police. Dante said that Sonny had assaulted a police officer. Sonny said it was a father-son disagreement. Dante said that Sonny was no better that Sonny's abusive stepfather. Sonny said Dante was not a little kid locked in a closet. As Sonny tried to exit the office, two uniformed officers detained him. Dante placed Sonny under arrest.

 Jax looked through the window as Carly held Josslyn on her lap and said that everything would be okay because things always looked better in the morning. Shawn repaired Josslyn's favorite toy and returned it to her. Jax snuck in the house and overheard Carly tell Shawn about the APB on Jax and that she did not want Jax to go to prison. Jax also overheard her fears that Sonny would kill him and Carly's hopes that Jax escaped out of town where he would be safe. Jax left the house as quietly as he had entered.

 8/16 At the police station, Dante escorted Sonny into the interrogation room, and then handcuffed Sonny to the table. Dante explained that Sonny would be charged with assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. Sonny downplayed the incident on the plane by insisting that it had just been an argument between a father and son. Dante was unmoved by the argument, so Sonny suggested that Dante's pride had been hurt. Dante argued that he was sick of Sonny always ignoring the law, so Dante thought that Jax would be safer with Sonny locked up. Sonny called Diane to leave a message, but Dante snatched the phone away from Sonny and then walked out of the interrogation room.

 Dante returned to the interrogation room to check on Sonny. Sonny demanded to be released, but Dante refused to consider it. Dante wanted to give Jax plenty of opportunity to get away. Sonny confidently informed Dante that Jax wouldn't be going anywhere, so Dante immediately demanded to know what Sonny had done. Sonny promised that Dante wouldn't get a confession out of him, so Dante warned Sonny that if anything happened to Jax then Sonny would be the prime suspect. Sonny argued that if he had done anything to Jax, he wouldn't have denied himself the pleasure of watching Jax die. Later, Max arrived to give Sonny an update. Max explained that the airport had been crawling with cops, so Max hadn't been able to get to Jax before Jax had taken off in the jet. Sonny insisted that Jax couldn't have left because Sonny had made certain of it.

 At the airport, Jax tried to start his private jet, but discovered that the wires had been cut. Jax worked furiously to repair the damage as he heard police sirens close in on the airport. Moments later, Jax donned a headset as he fired up the jet. The control tower warned Jax that Jax did not have permission to take off, but Jax ignored the warning. Later, Jax was in flight when his jet began to experience electrical problems.

 8/17 At the police station, Sonny paced in his jail cell after having spent the night in lockup. Dante paid his father a visit, but Sonny wanted to know if Diane had arrived. "Not yet," Dante replied with satisfaction. Sonny returned the smile as he advised Dante to release him before Diane filed a lawsuit against the police department. Dante assured Sonny that Sonny would not be going anywhere for a long time, but Sonny argued that Dante was violating his rights by questioning Sonny in the jail cell. Dante wondered if Sonny had truly expected Dante to look the other way while Sonny broke the law.

 Sonny was surprised when Dante suddenly changed the subject by demanding to know what Sonny had done to Jax's plane. Sonny claimed that he had no idea what Dante was talking about, but he was furious that Dante had let a kidnapper escape. Dante argued that Jax had returned Josslyn to Carly, and that Carly had decided not to press charges against Jax, so a crime hadn't been committed. Sonny didn't see the point in continuing the debate because Jax had left town. Dante revealed that Jax hadn't gotten far because Jax's plane had crashed into the harbor.

 Dante reminded Sonny that Sonny had bragged to him that Jax wouldn't be leaving town, and that Sonny had been on Jax's plane shortly before Jax had taken off in the jet. Sonny claimed that he had only been trying to get Josslyn back, but Dante argued that Sonny had been out to kill Jax because Jax had helped Brenda to leave. Sonny reminded Dante that Dante didn't have any proof of that. Dante suggested that a "diminished capacity" plea would be the way for Sonny to go because of Sonny's manic depression. Sonny's temper flared as he warned Dante not to go there, but Dante was curious if that was his father talking, or the mobster.

 Sonny accused Dante of being bitter because Sonny had not been the father that Dante had wanted him to be. Dante warned Sonny that Sonny had better hope that they found Jax alive, or Sonny would be facing murder charges. Shortly after Dante walked away, Sonny was sitting on his cot, with his head in his hands, when he heard someone approaching his jail cell. Sonny warned the person to go away if he weren't there to release him. "I'm not that easy to send on my way," Jax replied in a menacing tone.

Sonny jumped up when he saw Jax, bruised and battered, standing in front of the jail cell. Jax accused Sonny of almost getting away with murder. Jax was curious what Sonny's plan had been, but then decided that it wasn't important because Jax could see inside of Sonny's head. Jax warned Sonny that Sonny had always underestimated him because Sonny had just been a "two-bit thug from Bensonhurst" who'd had plenty of bad ideas. Sonny refused to be intimidated by Jax, but Jax shocked Sonny by wondering if it had ever occurred to Sonny that Brenda might have been on the plane when Sonny had pulled the wires.

Sonny denied that it was possible, but Jax insisted that Sonny had been wrong. Sonny was rattled when Jax revealed that Brenda had scrambled into Jax's arms, and then screamed in terror, when she had realized that the plane was about to crash. Sonny heard the echo of Brenda's cries as Jax painted a vivid picture of the horrifying moments before the jet had plunged into the icy dark harbor. According to Jax, he had tried to hold on to Brenda, but she had been ripped out of his arms as the jet had torn apart mid-air seconds before crashing.

Jax claimed that he had desperately tried to reach Brenda in the water, to no avail. Jax insisted that he would never forget the look on Brenda's face as she disappeared into the depths of the harbor. Jax wanted Sonny to know that Brenda had died hating Sonny. Sonny was certain that Jax had been lying, but Jax insisted that Brenda was dead. Jax opened the jail cell and then warned Sonny, "And now it's your turn." Seconds later, Sonny woke up from the nightmare.

Dante went to Carly's house to tell Carly about Jax's plane crash. Shawn explained that Carly wasn't home, so Dante revealed that it might be best if she heard the news from Shawn. Dante admitted that they hadn't recovered a body, but Dante was certain that Jax had perished because Sonny had sabotaged the jet. Dante needed a corroborating witness to put Sonny on the plane because Dante's testimony would be considered biased. Shawn confessed that he had seen Sonny on the jet earlier that evening.

 At the police station, Carly explained to the desk sergeant that she was there for news about her husband. Dante glanced up just as Sonny was led into the squad room in handcuffs. Dante snidely congratulated Sonny for making bail on the murder charges, and then removed Sonny's handcuffs. Carly was stunned when she heard Dante remark that Jax was dead because of Sonny. Carly marched up to Sonny, slapped him violently across the face, and then snarled, "You bastard!"

 8/18 At the police station, Carly was stunned when she heard Dante accuse Sonny of murdering Jax. Sonny admitted that he wouldn't cry if it were revealed that Jax had died. Furious, Carly marched up to Sonny, violently slapped him across the face, and then yelled, "You bastard!" Carly demanded that Sonny admit that he had killed Jax, but Sonny refused to discuss anything without his attorney present. Carly resented Sonny hiding behind Diane, so she insisted that Sonny look her in the eye, and tell her the truth. Sonny offered to talk to her in the car, so he reached for her arm to lead her away, but Carly jerked her arm out of Sonny's grasp. Dante told Carly that shortly after Jax had taken off in the jet, the plane had crashed into the harbor. According to Dante, the jet had broken apart upon impact.

Carly's eyes filled with tears as Dante assured her that they had dive teams searching for a body, but he didn't want to give Carly false hope because Jax had likely perished in the crash. Carly turned to Sonny for answers, but Sonny insisted that he would only speak to her privately. Dante suggested that Sonny simply wanted to get their cover stories straight. Carly vowed to think of a way to punish Sonny for what he had done.

 Sonny and Carly eventually went to the interrogation room to talk. Sonny explained that the plane shouldn't have been able to take off, so he had no idea how Jax had managed to get the jet into the air. Sonny insisted that he had only been trying to protect Josslyn, but Carly didn't believe Sonny. Carly accused Sonny of wanting to kill Jax because of what had happened with Brenda. Sonny begged Carly not to listen to Dante's lies because Dante wanted to pin the murder on him, but Carly refused to let Sonny play the victim. She was curious what Sonny's plan had been.

 Carly was certain that Sonny had intended to lure Jax out of the plane, put a bullet in Jax, and then dump the body at the Pine Barrens, along with Sonny's other victims. Sonny explained that Carly's comments were the reason that he had refused to discuss the matter with her in the squad room. Carly wondered if Sonny had considered how Jax's death would affect Morgan and Michael. She once again accused Sonny of wanting Jax gone because of Brenda. Carly admitted that she couldn't blame Brenda for leaving Sonny. Sonny's temper flared as he reminded Carly that she had sought him out for help with Josslyn.

 Carly insisted that Sonny had gone too far, but Sonny reminded her that Jax had been the one who had decided to kidnap Josslyn after Jax had gotten his feelings hurt by the judge's ruling. Sonny was certain that Carly would never have seen Josslyn again if he hadn't acted. Carly was confident that she could have reasoned with Jax, and then reminded Sonny that Shawn had managed to persuade Jax to change his mind about taking Josslyn, so it had been possible.

Carly accused Sonny of being hurt because Brenda had decided to leave him. Sonny admitted that all he had wanted was to take care of Brenda, but Jax had filled Brenda's head with lies. Carly insisted that Brenda had been right to leave Sonny because Sonny wasn't safe for children, or anyone. Sonny was stunned that Carly had turned against him, but Carly argued that Jason had let Lucky raise Jake for a reason. "Look how that turned out," Sonny replied.

Carly reminded Sonny that Michael had spent a year in a coma because of a bullet that had been meant for Sonny. Carly also pointed out that Sonny had invited Claudia, who had been an "unstable bitch," into their lives, which had resulted in Michael going to jail for killing her. Sonny insisted that he had been trying to keep the peace by marrying Claudia, so that everyone would be safe. Carly explained that no one would ever be safe around Sonny because there would always be someone after Sonny. Carly insisted that Jax had been a better parent than Sonny, and then suggested that Sonny was afraid to be alone, but he refused to put his children first.

Sonny warned Carly not to try to turn the children against him, but Carly assured him that she wouldn't have to because they would hate Sonny for what he had done to Jax. Carly made it clear that she was through with Sonny, but he didn't believe her because she would have cut ties with him long before. Carly admitted that she had always found a way to forgive him because she knew that he was capable of ripping his life apart, so she hadn't wanted to be responsible for that. "And now?" Sonny wondered. "I'm done," Carly replied. Carly claimed that she didn't "give a damn" about Sonny anymore. She made it clear that she wanted him to stay away from her, and the children. Sonny reminded her that Michael and Morgan were his children too. "Not anymore," Carly shot back and then stormed out.

Shortly afterwards, Dante entered the interrogation room to let Sonny know that Sonny was free to go. However, Dante suggested that Sonny not expect anyone to be waiting for Sonny at home. Sonny claimed that he was a big boy, so he could handle it, but Dante argued that inside, Sonny was a sad, angry kid from Bensonhurst, who had "come full circle." Dante advised Sonny to move to the private island where everyone was paid to pretend to like Sonny. After Dante left, Sonny picked up her personal effects, including the key to his home.

 8/22 At the nurses' station, Robin was updating Elizabeth about Jax when Sonny approached and asked about Jason. Robin was curt with Sonny and told him that Jason was in surgery. Sonny asked about Robin's arm. Robin told Sonny that her arm was the least of the damage that he had done the night before. Sonny said that everything was okay. Robin said that things were not okay. Sonny said that he just wanted to see Jason. Carly arrived and told Sonny that he would see Jason over her dead body. Carly wanted to know why Sonny had not checked on Jason the previous evening. Sonny said that he had been out of his head. Carly said that Sonny was too busy playing vigilante to check on the only person who took care of him when he became crazed.

 Robin said that she agreed with everything Carly was saying to Sonny. Carly said Sonny only thought of himself. Sonny said that he had disabled Jax's plane to help Carly. He said he had not intended to hurt Jax, just keep him from taking off. Carly asked what would have happened if Josslyn had been on board. Carly told Sonny to take responsibility and show a shred of remorse. Carly said that Sonny had not gotten involved to save Josslyn but to take revenge because Brenda had left Sonny. Carly said that Sonny had succeeded in getting Jax out of the picture. Carly asked if Sonny felt like a big winner or a little boy. Sonny told Carly to calm down. Carly said that she would not calm down. Sonny said they would get past the problem.

Carly said that they would not. Sonny said that he had done everything for her. Carly said that she would never get past what Sonny had done and that he had not taken action because of her but for his own selfish reasons. Carly said that she would not lose another person because of Sonny. Sonny said that he and Carly had a connection. Carly said that the connection was broken. Carly told Sonny that he was unbelievably self-centered. Carly said that the number of dead did not matter as long as Sonny got what he wanted. Carly told Sonny that she saw him clearly. She said that Sonny was no better than a street thug. Carly called Sonny a monster. Carly said that she and Sonny were done the moment he was willing to kill Jax without a thought to her little girl. Carly said that she despised Sonny. Sonny insisted that they had a connection. He told Carly to call him anything she wanted to call him. Carly started shouting "Murderer." Shawn arrived on the elevator and escorted Carly away from Sonny.

 Robin found Sonny in Jason's room. Sonny tried to reestablish his relationship to Robin, but she blasted him. Robin said that Sonny had entered her house with a gun and waved it around in front of her child. Robin said that Sonny wanted to kill Jax and did not care who got in the way. Robins said that Sonny wanted to hurt everyone around him. Robin said that enough was enough and she'd had enough of Sonny. Sonny asked Robin not to turn her back on him. Robin said that Sonny had done it to himself. Robin told Sonny to get back on his meds and find a shred of humanity before he lost every person he loved.

 Skye found Jax on the docks. He told her about his conflict with Sonny and how he had rewired the plane controls after Sonny had trashed them. Jax said the plane had stalled when he got it into the air. Jax said he had parachuted out before the plane crashed. Skye said that Jax could have died. Jax said that he was not the only one and said he was thankful that he had given Josslyn back to Carly before trying to leave Port Charles. Skye wanted to know how she could help. Jax said that he needed to get out of town and lay low. He said he needed clothes and cash. When Jax asked Skye about the Alcazar fortune he had recovered for her, she ruefully admitted that she had not been able to keep it.

 Jax said she should have called for help. Skye said that she had not wanted to bother him and besides, she was resourceful. She said she would get the money for him. Jax asked that Skye not tell anyone that he was alive, including Carly, because he feared that she would take Sonny's side. Skye said that Jax should not underestimate Carly's love. Jax made a phone call and told the person he had called to meet him at the border. Jax hid when he heard a noise. When he peeked out, Jax saw a tearful Carly staring at the water.

 Sonny knelt and lit a candle in the GH chapel. Instead of a rosary, Sonny had a key in his hand.

 8/23 Skye arrived with the clothes and money that Jax had requested. Jax told Skye that he would repay the loan with interest. Jax asked about Skye's relationship with Anthony Zacchara. Skye called Anthony a "minor complication." Jax warned her to be careful. She brushed his warning aside and said that she was doing it for her daughter. They hugged and said goodbye. Jax said that he preferred to remain "missing" for the time being. Skye agreed to keep his secret. When she asked about Josslyn, Jax said that he knew that Josslyn would be safe and well cared for.

 In the GH chapel, Sonny talked to God. Sonny admitted that it had been a long time since he had communed. Sonny quickly said that he was not there for himself, but to pray for Jason and all the people that Sonny had hurt. Sonny acknowledged that he had let anger get the best of him. He said that he had not been thinking of anyone else. Sonny confessed that he was not asking for forgiveness because he knew who he was and would not change. Sonny said that in the distant past he had given himself permission to do what he did and that his only regret was how he had hurt his children. Sonny told God that he had promised himself that he would never hurt his kids, but he had lied to himself, and the truth was that children were always the ones who suffer.

 As Sonny left the chapel, he ran into Abby and Michael, who was overjoyed to see him. Sonny filled Michael in on Jason's condition and added that Sonny was not welcome with the family. When Michael offered to fix things, Sonny herded Michael and Abby into the chapel and told them that there was a lot they did not know. Sonny told them that Jax's plane had crashed and that Carly blamed Sonny. Sonny asked to speak with Michael privately. Abby left, but eavesdropped on their conversation. Sonny began by saying that Michael would hear that the crash was Sonny's fault. Sonny said that Jax had grabbed Josslyn and that Sonny had disabled the plane to keep Jax from taking off. Sonny had no idea of how Jax had managed to get the plane off the ground. Sonny told Michael that Dante had reported to Carly that the accident had been 100 percent Sonny's fault. Michael immediately took Sonny's side and said that Jax was out of control and had to be stopped. Michael told Sonny that Sonny had had no choice but to take action. Michael noticed Abby listening.

When he called out to her, she walked away. Michael followed and asked what was wrong. Abby said she was feeling sick to her stomach. She wondered how Michael could be okay with what Sonny had said. She pointed out that Sonny had practically admitted to killing Jax. Michael said that Abby was jumping to conclusions and tarring his dad with the same brush as everyone else. Abby said Michael was in denial if he believed that Sonny was not capable of killing Jax or having someone else do it. Michael accused Abby of hating his dad. She said, "No."

Michael shot back that it was not right to assume Sonny was guilty because everything was not always black or white. Abby called Michael's attitude, "irresponsible." Michael stormed away after saying that Abby had been using that word frequently of late. Abby was crying quietly when Sonny walked up. She rebuffed his attempts to comfort her. Abby told Sonny that Michael would do anything to earn Sonny's respect. Sonny said that Michael already had his respect. Abby replied that it was time for Sonny to earn Michael's respect. Abby told Sonny to stop what he was doing, or he would destroy Michael. Michael was pacing nearby and overheard their conversation.

 8/24 On the waterfront, Dante demanded that the divers continue to search the water for evidence, but the lead diver explained that they had to suspend the operation until the morning. Olivia immediately sensed her son's frustration as she walked up. She was curious if Dante were looking for evidence that Jax were alive or if Dante's focus were to gather proof of Sonny's guilt. The diver walked away as Dante accused Sonny of murdering Jax. Olivia admitted that she wasn't ready to write Jax off because she believed that Jax was alive. Dante vowed that if Jax were dead then Sonny would pay for the crime.

Dante's temper flared when Olivia referred to Sonny as Dante's father. Olivia blamed herself for Dante's attitude because she had excluded Sonny from Dante's life. Dante reminded her that she'd had good reason for that, and then added that Sonny's other children had deserved better than someone like Sonny for a father. Dante refused to keep letting Sonny off the hook because Dante realized that it only encouraged Sonny to keep hurting people. Dante regretted that he had let Sonny get away with shooting him, so he refused to repeat the mistake.Olivia clarified that she would never ask Dante to compromise himself for Sonny, but she was certain that deep down inside, Dante knew Sonny better than Dante was willing to admit.

Dante agreed, which was a problem for him. Olivia reminded Dante that he had once confided that he had liked Sonny, in spite of the fact that Sonny was a criminal. Dante claimed that Sonny could be a different person when Sonny thought that someone was useful to him. Olivia suggested that Dante was trying to rewrite history, so she pointed out that Dante and Sonny had gotten along during their search for Alec. Dante argued that it had been because Dante had served a purpose. Olivia insisted that Dante had felt a connection to Sonny, but Dante argued that it didn't mean that he had to turn a blind eye to Sonny's wrongdoings. Dante's anger fizzled out when Olivia conceded that Dante had always tried to see the best in people, so she didn't want her son to beat himself up over the situation with Sonny. Moments later, the diver returned to notify Dante that they had found something.

 At the hospital, Michael eavesdropped as Abby begged Sonny not to involve Michael in the fiasco with Jax. Sonny reminded Abby that Michael was capable of making his own decisions, but Abby argued that Sonny sent mixed signals to Michael. Abby explained that Michael desperately wanted Sonny's respect, but Sonny argued that Abby might not trust Michael to be man enough to make his own choices. "Is that true?" Sonny pressed. Michael stepped forward, and then admitted that he would like an answer to that question as well. Abby reminded Michael that he had promised her that he would not blindly follow Sonny, even though Michael had had a glimpse of Sonny's life during their vacation. Michael wondered why Abby had gone to Sonny with her concerns. Abby suggested that Sonny was twisting the facts about what had happened with Jax to make Michael more sympathetic to Sonny's situation.

Michael assured Abby that Sonny always told him the truth, but Abby was frustrated because Michael hadn't questioned anything that Sonny had said. Michael resented that she had talked to Sonny, not him, about her concerns. Abby accused Michael of showing blind loyalty. She couldn't understand how Sonny could deny wanting Michael to be a part of the mob, when Sonny's actions clearly suggested otherwise. Michael didn't appreciate Abby's attitude toward Sonny, but Abby insisted that Sonny had double standards. Sonny finally spoke up by advising Abby to trust Michael to think for himself. Abby argued that Sonny had alienated everyone, so he had turned to Michael as an ally. Michael had clearly sided with Sonny, so Abby stormed off. Sonny invited Michael to go after Abby, but Michael knew that he wouldn't be able to change Abby's mind. Sonny admitted that, "when push comes to shove, we've got to know who we can count on." Michael explained that things had happened on the island, which had upset Abby, so he didn't want Sonny to be mad at her.

Sonny confessed that he had heard about the gossip that Abby had been hired by Sonny, so he was proud of how Michael had handled the situation because in "our business" a person couldn't afford to show weakness. Michael complained that Abby didn't understand that, but Sonny suspected that Abby understood quite a bit. Michael admitted that Abby was important to him, but Sonny confessed that it seemed like Abby treated Michael like a kid at times. Sonny realized that there was an age difference between Michael and Abby, so he assured his son that he wasn't trying to knock Abby. Michael explained that Abby had strong opinions, but Sonny resented how she had disrespected their family. The conversation then drifted to Jason's hospitalization, and how it would affect Sonny's business. Michael wanted to help, but Sonny made it clear that he would only let Michael do a limited number of things.

Moments later, Carly turned a corner, and then stopped short when she noticed her son and Sonny. Carly explained that she was there to pick up some cold medicine for Josslyn, but she was curious what Michael and Sonny had been talking about. Sonny made a snide remark about Jax being responsible for Josslyn's illness, which infuriated Carly. Carly accused Sonny of trying to bait her, but her anger quickly turned to shock when Michael agreed with his father. Carly suspected that Sonny had put Michael up to it, but Michael argued that Sonny had merely been trying to keep Carly and Josslyn safe from Jax, just like Michael had when Michael had killed Claudia. Carly insisted that the situations were nothing alike.

Michael assured his mother that he wanted Jax to be found alive, but Carly was curious how Michael would feel if Jax had been killed because of what Sonny had done. Carly was stunned when Michael responded that Jax "had it coming." According to Michael, Jax knew that Sonny would try to protect Carly and Josslyn. "Jax was a threat, and dad took care of him, like he always does," Michael said. Carly sputtered with outrage as Dante stepped forward to suggest that Michael's statement had sounded like a confession. Dante revealed that plane debris had been recovered, that indicated that the jet's instruments had been hotwired. Michael quickly concluded that Jax had been responsible for the crash into the harbor. "Case dismissed," Sonny added, and then walked away.

 8/26 In the General Hospital waiting area, Carly and Michael argued about Sonny. Michael said that Carly was looking for reasons to turn against Sonny. Carly replied that Sonny was using Michael. Carly cited Sonny's illness. Michael reminded Carly that she often got mad at Sonny and stayed mad until she was not mad at him anymore. Michael told Carly to stop blaming Sonny because Jax had kidnapped Josslyn. Michael said that Sonny had been trying to save Josslyn. Carly responded that Sonny had twisted the truth. Michael shot back that he believed in his father and then added sarcastically, "Isn't that what family is supposed to do?"

 8/30 At the hospital, Sam wept as she stared at Jason's empty bed. Sonny walked in a few minutes later, and then asked where Jason was. Sam explained that Jason had undergone surgery, but he remained unconscious, so they had no idea if the surgery had been a success. Sonny decided to increase the number of guards on everyone to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation, but Sam revealed that Jason had taken care of it before the surgery. Sam explained that Jason had been concerned about Sonny's state of mind just as Alexis entered the room. Alexis noted that Jason had been right to be worried about Sonny because Jax was missing, and might be dead. Sonny warned Alexis that he had already heard it from Carly and Robin, so Alexis could save her breath. Sam decided to check on Jason, rather than listen to Alexis and Sonny argue.

After Sam left, Alexis assured Sonny that she wasn't there to argue with him. Sonny assumed that Alexis intended to order him to stay away from Kristina, since that seemed to be everyone's trump card. Alexis reminded Sonny that she and Jax had been very close, but she had no intention of prohibiting Sonny from seeing Kristina. However, Alexis calmly advised Sonny to find a way to reign himself in because everyone had paid the price for Sonny's temper, except Sonny. Sonny insisted that he had everything under control, but Alexis laughed. She pointed out that within the twenty-four hours, Sonny had managed to make Jax disappear, shoot Robin, and then turn all of his children against him. Sonny argued that everything was fine, but Alexis wondered what it would take for Sonny to realize that he needed to change. Sonny was surprised that Alexis wasn't more upset, so Alexis explained that she had become numb because Sonny had hurt everyone she had ever cared about.

 Kristina was shocked when she walked in on Alexis screaming at Sonny to leave her alone as Sonny tried to comfort Alexis. Alexis immediately calmed down when she saw Kristina. Sonny assured Kristina that everything was fine, but Kristina's temper flared as she reminded her father that Jax was gone. Kristina demanded to know what Sonny had done, but then confessed that she already knew. Kristina cried that Jax had been a part of their family, so she couldn't understand how Sonny could hurt Jax. Kristina accused Sonny of only caring about himself, and then stormed out. Sonny wondered if Alexis intended to go after Kristina, but Alexis didn't see the point, since Kristina had been right about Sonny. Alexis pointed out that at least their daughter had used her words to express her anger. "No one had to die over that," Alexis added and then left.

 9/1 At the hospital, Patrick caught Anthony sneaking into Jason’s room. Anthony claimed that he had wanted to pay his respects to Jason, and to deliver an orchid to cheer Jason up, as Patrick unceremoniously dragged Anthony out of the room. Anthony was curious why he couldn't visit Jason, so Patrick explained that Anthony wasn't a family member. Anthony chuckled as he revealed that Patrick reminded him of a guard that Anthony had known in Pentonville; Anthony was curious how the guard's widow was doing. Patrick assured Anthony that Anthony's veiled threat didn't scare him. Anthony was certain that he knew what would frighten Patrick, but Patrick ignored the remark as Sonny walked up to ask if there was a problem.

 Anthony flashed a saccharine smile as he explained that he had stopped by to drop off an orchid for Jason, to honor the peace that Sonny had made with Johnny. Anthony rattled off the instructions on how to properly care for the orchid as he extended it to Sonny. Sonny refused to take it because he tended to kill things that required that much care. Anthony advised Sonny to be more careful about a lot of things, including Jason, because Jason had done more for Sonny than Sonny realized. Patrick grew weary of the exchange between the mobsters, so he ordered Anthony to leave. Anthony was curious how Jason was doing, but Patrick insisted that the information was restricted. Anthony offered the orchid to Patrick to give to Robin for her new office, but Patrick refused to accept the gift.

After Anthony left, Sonny advised Patrick not to get involved in something that didn't concern Patrick. Patrick was stunned; he pointed out that he had kept Anthony from whacking Jason. Moments later, Steve and Robin joined Patrick and Sonny in the hallway. Patrick was shocked when Steve revealed that Jason wasn't in the room. Steve explained that the person in Jason's bed was a decoy, intended to lure Anthony into making a move. Patrick demanded to know if Robin had known about the sting operation. Robin confessed that she had found out after she had discovered that a decoy had been placed in Jason's hospital room. Patrick was furious that Sonny had dragged the mob war into the hospital. Sonny explained that it had been out of his hands, and then left.

Later, Johnny was at the penthouse when Anthony walked in, carrying the orchid. Johnny was curious if Anthony had taken the orchid for a walk, so Anthony explained that the flower had listened to him better than Johnny or Claudia ever had. Johnny suggested that it was because the orchid didn't have legs to run away with, or a mouth to talk back with. Anthony changed the subject by warning Johnny that Sonny might be looking to retaliate. Johnny demanded to know what Anthony had done, but Anthony claimed to be as "innocent as a lamb."

Anthony accused Sonny of being the unstable one. "This coming from the guy who talks to plants," Johnny replied. Anthony argued that it was an orchid, and that Anthony had selected it especially for Jason because Anthony had thought that Jason's hospital room could use the beauty of the delicate bloom. Anthony grumbled that Patrick had stopped him at Jason's door, and then complained that Patrick thought that he was better than Anthony because Patrick wore a white coat. Johnny assured Anthony that Anthony would see plenty of people in white coats if Anthony kept talking to plants. Johnny and Anthony jumped when the front door suddenly flew open.

Seconds later, Sonny, flanked by Max and Milo, casually strolled in. Sonny warned Johnny that Anthony had made it difficult to keep the balance of peace, so Sonny was tempted to upset it, and then start over. Sonny was furious that Anthony had been lurking in Jason's room, so Sonny demanded to know how Johnny intended to keep Anthony in check. Anthony took the opportunity to goad Sonny by babbling about the orchid. Sonny's temper exploded as he threathened to do something about Anthony if Johnny didn't get control of the elder Zacchara.

After Sonny left, Anthony burst out laughing. Johnny calmly explained that everyone made money, and no one died, if both mob families left each other alone. Anthony warned Johnny that Sonny would break the peace if Sonny decided that it was in Sonny's best interest. Johnny accused Anthony of wanting to cause a mob war because Anthony thrived on chaos. Johnny knew that Anthony went out of his way to push Sonny's buttons. Anthony was curious if Johnny expected Anthony to apologize for sneaking past Sonny's goons, and getting close to Jason. Johnny reminded Anthony that he had the power to send Anthony back to jail with a phone call to the SEC.

"Good luck with that," Anthony smirked. Johnny wondered what that meant, so Anthony explained that people owed Anthony. Anthony accused Johnny of thinking that keeping the peace gave people power, but the true way to rule was through fear. Anthony was curious if Johnny wanted to know what crazy thing Anthony would do next. Johnny refused to answer the question, so Anthony smiled diabolically as he told his son, "It's good to wonder."

At Carly's house, Shawn arrived with news about Jax as Carly reviewed the divorce papers that Alexis had given to her. Shawn revealed that the search party had found evidence that Jax had parachuted out of the jet moments before it had crashed into the harbor. Carly wondered where Jax could be; she was certain that he would have been in touch with her, if he had survived, because of the children. Shawn suggested that Jax might be lying low to avoid Sonny, but Carly argued that Jax would never let Sonny win by staying away from the children. Carly wanted Jax to be okay because she didn't want to have to tell Josslyn that Jax was dead because of Carly. Shawn fetched Carly a glass of water, and then joined her on the sofa.

 Shawn received a call from the harbormaster, notifying Shawn that Carly's yacht was missing. Shawn ended the call, and then questioned Carly about it. They realized that Jax had taken the boat, which meant that Jax was alive. Carly was eager to tell Morgan, who was starting a new school, and a new life out of town, but Shawn advised her against it. Shawn suggested that it was too much of a burden to expect a child to keep such a big secret. Carly hated to let Morgan suffer by thinking that Jax had perished in the crash, but Shawn assured her that Jax would return when Jax was ready. Shawn thought that that the kindest thing that Carly could do was to keep Jax's secret, so Carly instructed Shawn to inform the harbormaster that the yacht had been sold.

Later, Carly was contemplating signing the papers when someone knocked on her front door. It was Sonny.

 9/2 Carly angrily told Sonny that she would not allow him to see Morgan. Sonny refused to be turned away and barged into the house. Carly berated Sonny for his part in Jax's "death." He deflected her defense of Jax by pointing out that Jax had taken Josslyn. Carly responded that Josslyn would have died on the plane had Jax not returned their daughter. Carly vowed that Morgan would remain safe, far from Sonny. Sonny made a thinly veiled threat that Carly would see how cold-blooded Sonny could be unless he was allowed access to Morgan. Carly revealed that Morgan had been enrolled in a military school. She reminded Sonny that he had ceded his rights as Morgan's father. She offered to allow Sonny to see their son, as long as Morgan was accompanied by her and an armed guard.

Carly also let Sonny know that, to protect their son, she'd enrolled him under the name Morgan Benson. Sonny accused her of doing that to punish Sonny. He said that he and Carly had always been the same people. Carly admitted she'd done some awful things in her youth to get where she was. She fretted over the course Michael was taking, that he was becoming like his father. Sonny noticed the divorce papers, signed only by Jax, on the coffee table, and accused Carly of "living in limbo with a ghost." Later, Carly tearfully placed the divorce papers in a drawer.

 Sonny arrived and shared the news that Carly had sent Morgan away to military school and changed his name so that he would be safe from Sonny. Michael offered to support Sonny any way he could and promised that Sonny would never lose Michael.

 9/9 Sonny asked Alexis to explain what had happened to Kristina. Alexis explained that Kristina had a bone fragment in her spine, which might have been the result of a previous trauma. Sonny angrily assumed that it was likely something that Kiefer had done to her. Alexis urged Sonny not to bring up any of that pain and to just to be there for their daughter. Sonny visited Kristina in her room. She berated him and accused him of being responsible for Jax's death. Sonny made it clear he wouldn't leave and offered to support her, no matter what.

**The End**

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