Jason & Liz #11  March 10 - June 10, 1998: 8 hour original edit

#11A  Elizabeth visited Jason in his hospital room. His hands were completely bandaged from the surgery. Elizabeth gave Jason a brief kiss, but she was unaware that Lucky stood outside. He overheard her tell Jason that she went to see Sam because she felt guilty and believed that she had hit Sam with her car. As Elizabeth and Jason discussed whether or not she had actually hit Sam, Lucky listened. When he heard Elizabeth say that she was driving to meet Jason so she could "lay in his arms," he left without confronting her. Jason told Elizabeth that they could not be sure of her guilt. He told her that it might also have been Monica, whose car was also damaged on the right front fender. Elizabeth agreed to wait before telling Sam. Shortly after she left to return to work, Spinelli dropped by to visit Jason. He and Jason discussed the gun oil found in Michael's backpack and Jason feared the worst. Spinelli showed Jason photos of all the known gun dealers who worked the docks and would sell to kids. A frustrated Jason told Spinelli to show the pictures to Mike to see if he recognized the boys he saw selling bullets to Michael.

When Sonny arrived at the hospital, he asked Jason when he would be able to get out and find Michael. Liz walked in and told Sonny that Jason severed tendons in both hands and would need rehab for several months. Jason gave his life for Sonny, so Sonny should allow Jason time to heal. Sonny told Liz she shouldn't get involved and she left when Jason agreed and told her he needed to talk business with Sonny. After Liz was gone, Sonny admitted to Jason he was frustrated by Jason's injury. He suggested Jason did it on purpose. Jason said Sonny would end up alone after running off or killing off everyone that he knew. Lucky overheard Liz telling Jason she may have been the one who hit Sam. Jason told Sonny he thought Michael might be the one responsible for shooting Kate. Sonny asked what kind of drugs Jason was on to think Michael shot Kate. Jason explained about the gun oil found in Michael's backpack. Sonny said he had talked to Michael about playing with guns and he felt like Michael wouldn't ever go around a gun. Jason asked to hear exactly what Sonny had told Michael and realized that Michael was scared after shooting Kate. That was why he ran away. Sonny said he wasn't Deke (Sonny's father) and his son wasn't scared of him. He told Jason to rest and get better. Before Sonny left, Jason told him to think before he made any decisions he might regret later.

While Sam and Liz talked, Sam noticed Spencer was about to get hit by a cart and yelled out to Lucky. He grabbed Spencer just in the nick of time. During a musical montage-Sonny went to see Kate, but she had already left. He read the note she left for him on the pillow. Claudia left the house and Trevor had his goons follow her. Lulu left Logan's hospital room and he moved his fingers. Johnny was moved to a new prison. Liz went to see Jason, who was asleep. She told him goodnight for Jake, and she said they both wanted to be with him. After she left, Jason opened his eyes.

Lucky went to see Jason to tell him he knew that Elizabeth could have hit Sam with her car, and knew that Jason was trying to cover it up to protect her. Jason asked Lucky not to tell Elizabeth that he knew the truth since they didn't know if she hit Sam with her car or not. Jason told him that there were others on the road that night who could have hit Sam with their cars, and he wanted to find out who it was before allowing Elizabeth to take the blame for something she may not have done. Lucky told Jason that he didn't want Elizabeth to get hurt either, but that he still needed to do his job and find out who hit Sam.

Patrick met with Jason to go over the results of his x-rays. He told Jason that he would have at least 90% use of his hands but that there was a surgeon in Seattle who was considered the best specialist for hand surgery and he suggested that Jason meet him and consider having more treatment to regain full use of his hands. Jason agreed to meet with the doctor in Seattle. Elizabeth told him he should meet with the doctor. Lucky made her nervous when he asked her if he could take the boys out somewhere and wanted to get their car seats from her car while he was at the hospital. Elizabeth jumped in and told him she would get the car seats out of the car for him. Epiphany approached her and told her that she had a patient to attend to immediately. Lucky told her he still had an extra key to her car and could get the car seats out of her car himself. Elizabeth had no choice but to let him when Epiphany barked at her to do her job. Elizabeth went back to see Jason in his room but it was too late, he was already headed to Seattle to see the specialist.

Liz walked into Jason's hospital room but was disappointed to find he had already gone to rehab in Seattle. Lucky found her leaving the room and said he knew she and Jason were hiding something from him. Lucky admitted he overheard Liz when she talked to Jason about her accident. He and Jason didn't want to believe Liz was the type of person to hit someone and leave them on the side of the road. Liz realized Lucky thought she hit Sam on purpose. Lucky said he didn't want to believe Liz did it, and Jason told him there were other leads. They talked about how it could have been Monica, although she claimed her car was stolen. Liz said maybe it wasn't Monica and maybe it was her. If Sam found out that Liz hit her, Liz would lose custody of the kids. Everyone would know about Jake's paternity. Everything they worked so hard for would be for nothing. Lucky tried to reason with Liz and reminded her there were extenuating circumstances. Liz apologized to Lucky. Sam walked to the doorway and listened as Lucky told Liz he was going to close Sam's case as unsolved.

An unconscious Carly dreamt about playing pool with Jason. Carly and Jason finished their game of pool and started to dance. He told her it was time to go back. She kissed him and walked out the door.  Lulu had a conversation with Elizabeth in the hospital waiting room after Elizabeth finished her shift. Elizabeth encouraged Lulu to go talk to Logan, who had recovered from his coma, but Lulu said she could not face Logan until she could tell him about Johnny. Lulu told Elizabeth that even though she had seen Johnny's dark side she was still attracted to him. Elizabeth agreed that she understood because she felt the same way about Jason. They parted company and Elizabeth went to her car. She found Lucky in the garage. He told her about his encounter with Sam, so Elizabeth prepared for the possibility that Sam would seek revenge.

Sam knocked on Elizabeth's door and gloated about having the power to put Elizabeth in jail and make her pay. She played on Elizabeth's guilt until Elizabeth realized that Sam was not remembering, but had overheard her conversation with Lucky earlier. When Sam threatened to lie on the stand and pretend that she remembered Elizabeth hitting her, Elizabeth turned the tables and threatened to have Sam brought up on charges for aiding and abetting in Jake's kidnapping if she did. Sam told Elizabeth she had no solid evidence to prove anything. Elizabeth told her that Jason and Amelia found out what Sam did when she let the woman kidnap Jake in the park and didn't try to stop her. Sam pointed out that if Jason and Amelia had to testify in court, the secret of Jake's paternity would have to come out. She asked Elizabeth if she would sacrifice her son's safety to save her own skin. Sam asked Elizabeth if she was even sorry for hitting her with the car. Elizabeth insisted that it was an accident. Elizabeth told her that she wanted Lucky to be happy but felt that Sam wasn't the woman who could make him happy. Sam wished that all of Elizabeth's secrets and lies caught up to her someday and said that she planned to celebrate when that happened.

Elizabeth ran into Lucky at the hospital. He told her he was there to question Carly about the explosion. Elizabeth told him that Carly was having some tests done but she would check to see if Carly was available to be questioned. She was about to tell him that Sam came over to her house to say she was going to press charges against Elizabeth, but Sam stepped off of the elevator and approached them. Elizabeth never finished what she was going to say to him. Sam apologized to them for interrupting their conversation. Sam told Lucky that she decided not to press charges against Elizabeth and that she felt it would be best for everyone if she kept quiet about it. Lucky thanked her and told her she was doing the right thing. Sam earned points with Lucky when she mentioned that she felt that everyone, including Jake, had suffered enough lately with everything that had happened.

Jason showed up to see Carly, found Claudia standing over Carlys's bed, and got suspicious. Kelly Lee entered the room and kicked Jason and Claudia out so she could examine Carly. Jason demanded to know why Claudia was in Carly's room? Claudia told him she wouldn't be to blame if Carly had a miscarriage. She told him she had come to ask Carly to persuade Sonny not to start a war with Claudia's family. She filled Jason in on what happened in Port Charles while he was out of town. She told him that Johnny saved Michael's life, even after Sonny had kidnapped Johnny and locked him up in some padded room. She told Jason that she didn't want to start a war with Sonny, but if he kept things going, she would have no choice but to start a war. Jason stayed with Carly and tried to get her to calm down so her blood pressure would go back to normal. She told Jason that she dreamed about them playing pool when she was unconscious in the water at the cannery after the explosion. Jax showed up, so Jason left the room.

Jason met with Diane in his office. She told him that Michael was the one who shot Kate accidentally and that there were options for them on how to handle it. She said that the police wanted to question Sonny and Jason about the explosion on the waterfront. Jason told her that he and Sonny had nothing to do with it and asked her to stall the police somehow. She also told Jason that Sonny kidnapped Johnny when he thought Johnny had kidnapped Michael. Jason met with Sonny and told him that Diane had brought him up to speed on what happened while he was gone. Sonny asked him how the surgery went in Seattle? Jason told him that it went fine and he planned on having full use of his hands soon. Sonny told Jason that Johnny beat him up at the hospital and that he may have no other choice but to kill Johnny before Johnny killed him first. Jason told him he couldn't do that.

Sam told Liz the only reason why she did not press charges against Liz for the hit-and-run was because Sam had grown up without a mother and she didn't want the same for Liz's children. Sam also told Lucky he was a good father and she did not want him to lose custody of the boys. Liz and Lucky both thanked Sam before she left for therapy. Liz talked to Lucky about how relieved they were when Monica walked over and demanded to know why a patient was moved. Liz informed her the patient was discharged yesterday.

Jason tried to convince Sonny to stay out of a potential mob war. He listed all the people who could get hurt. Sonny thought more guards would protect the people he cared about, but Jason pointed out they are already short on guards. They could not go to war now, because Sonny was too vulnerable. They continued to talk about the Zacchara family and the past wars Sonny and Jason had gone through together. Later, Liz went to see Jason and they talked about his surgery and recovery. He told her Spinelli was working on getting her cleared from Sam's hit-and-run case. Jason confided Monica was drunk that night when she was behind the wheel. Liz felt she should go to the police station to confess. She was afraid because Sam would not need proof to convict her. Jason tried to convince her (again) not to go to the police station and confess. After Liz left, Spinelli came to talk to Jason. He kept asking questions about Jason's hands and asked if Jason would be interested in trying yoga. Spinelli kept dodging the questions Jason was asking, until finally Spinelli handed over a piece of paper with evidence of the hit-and-run driver.

Jason entered the Quartermaine mansion through the patio doors and confronted Monica, who had just poured herself a stiff drink, with proof that she ran down Sam. Monica accused Jason of being the source of her distress, but quickly admitted the truth of her actions when he told her that film from security cameras in the area clearly showed that she hit Sam with her car. He questioned Monica about her drinking. She admitted that she'd had a blackout. She bitterly told Jason that she had good reason to drink. She accused him of putting Sonny and his business above his family. She blamed him for Emily's death, because Diego had killed Emily in retaliation for the death of his father, Lorenzo Alcazar, at Jason's hands. Jason took it all in and calmly told Monica that it was okay for her to hate him, but he wanted her to get help.

Jason went back to Sonny's office and met with Sam. Jason told her that Monica was the one who had hit her. Sam responded by snidely accusing Jason of fabricating evidence to clear Elizabeth. Jason rationally pointed out that if he had wanted to fake evidence, he would have picked someone other than his mother to blame. Sam realized that he was telling the truth. As she was leaving she said that she would not turn Monica in. She told Jason that she had no desire to hurt Monica and that she would leave that to him. Jason also called Elizabeth over to Sonny's coffeehouse and told her that she was not the driver who hit Sam. The kissed. Then they talked about Monica. Jason felt guilty and wished that he could tell Monica that Jake was her grandson. Lucky showed up at Sam's to take her to dinner. She told him that Monica, not Elizabeth, had run her down. Now, she said, he did not have to romance her to keep her from turning Elizabeth in. Lucky looked stunned. Monica crashed her car.

Liz talked to Jason about how she wanted him to be a part of Jake's life. Jason told her that knowing she was raising their son was good enough. They were interrupted when Epiphany called to tell Jason his mother had an accident. Jason went to his mother's bedside immediately. She was distraught and talked about how alone she felt because Alan and Emily were both gone. She said she should be honoring their memories, but instead she was wasting her life. Monica told Jason she loved him, despite the previous things that were said in moments of anger. The moment clearly affected Jason, because when he turned away he had tears in his eyes. Jason walked out of the hospital room and found Claudia outside. He asked her how long she had been there, but she reassured him she was not there to hurt his mother. She wanted Jason's help in killing Trevor. Diane met Jason in Sonny's office. He hired her to defend Monica. Alexis came by to ask questions about Sam's hit-and-run, but Diane refused to allow Jason to say anything, thus frustrating Alexis' quest to gain information from Jason.

Nadine went to Elizabeth with her concerns about Nikolas' condition. She wondered why Elizabeth and none of Lucky's family seemed concerned about Nikolas' health and the fact that he was dying. Elizabeth told her that Nikolas was very stubborn and sometimes it was better if they didn't push him too much. Elizabeth asked Robin and Patrick when they had last seen Nikolas as a patient. Patrick told her that they hadn't talked to Nikolas since they tried to operate on him and he freaked out and refused to let them touch him. Elizabeth pointed out that Nikolas didn't look like someone whose condition was deteriorating at all and seemed to look in good health. Patrick told Elizabeth and Robin that Nikolas could be in remission. Nikolas approached them and overheard them talking about him. He told them that he didn't appreciate them talking about his condition without his permission. Nikolas pulled Nadine aside and told her off for talking to Patrick and everyone about him. He told her to mind her own business.

Jason went to Carly's house to see her. He found her crying and tried to comfort her. He told her he was sorry for her loss. He also apologized to her for not telling her sooner about Michael's interest in buying a gun. Carly asked Jason why he stopped trusting her and started keeping secrets from her. Jason told her he was worried about how she would react to the news that Jake was his son and was afraid she would do something impulsive and get in trouble. Carly accused Jason of thinking about her as an obligation instead of as her best friend. Jason told her that he was sorry for the time he interrogated her about Sam's hit-and-run. He explained that he was worried that Elizabeth could have done it and wondered if Carly did it and was lying about it. Carly told him that if she had hit Sam with her car, she would have come to him and told him, so he could have helped cover it up for her. Jason asked her if she would have turned Elizabeth over to the police if he had told her what was going on. Carly told him that she might have but she didn't know for sure if she would.

They ended up arguing over Elizabeth. Jason told her he wished she would learn to trust him and accept the choices he made. He told her that he wanted her to accept that he loved Elizabeth and that she was the mother of his child. Carly agreed not to say another bad word about Elizabeth to him as long as he agreed never to lie to her again. They talked about the time they first met at Jake's. She told Jason that she dreamed about the time she met him while she was unconscious after the explosion and suggested they could be soul mates if he also dreamed about that time while he was under anesthesia from his hand surgery. Jax came home when they were laughing. Jason told Jax he was sorry for Jax's loss and apologized for not telling Carly and him about Michael buying a gun. Jax told him that he should have apologized for all the violence he brought around his family. Jason left them alone to talk.

Spinelli arrived at home and told Jason about how Monica came forward and admitted she was drunk the night she hit Sam with her car and that she was entering rehab for alcoholism. Claudia showed up at the penthouse to see Jason. She was charmed by Spinelli and started flirting with him. Spinelli got very flustered around her and tried to resist her compliments. Jason told Claudia to leave Spinelli alone and had Spinelli leave the room. Claudia told Jason that she went to see Kate and that Sonny showed up and they had quite a lot to talk about. Jason cut to the chase and asked her what she wanted. She put down a large metal briefcase and opened it and told him she brought him the gun she wanted him to use to take out Trevor with. She told Jason that if he got rid of Trevor for her, it would go a long way toward honoring the truce between Sonny and her family.  Jason rejects Claudia's proposal that he kill Trevor.

Elizabeth came into the hospital with Jake and Cameron and asked Robin if she would watch the boys while she ran a quick errand. Robin agreed and soon found herself trying to bribe Cameron to get her stethoscope back after he took it from her. Robin begged Epiphany and Patrick to help but both just looked on and enjoyed the scene. Elizabeth soon returned and saved Robin from any further agony. Later, Elizabeth went to check on Monica and give her some support before the trial. Monica admitted she let her life go and tried to hide to pain with alcohol after Alan and Emily died. Elizabeth tried to comfort her and told her Emily would have supported her if she were still alive. They hugged before Monica left to go to the trial. Elizabeth went back to work and Robin soon came over to her and complimented her on how she dealt with life as a single parent to two boys. Elizabeth admitted she sometimes felt like she was barely holding on, but it was worth it. Robin asked about the difference between raising two boys alone and when she was still married to Lucky. Elizabeth said it was definitely different, but she and Lucky were over. She couln't go back. Robin thought Elizabeth should think about a relationship with Jason. Elizabeth was shocked at Robin's suggestion, but Robin said she knew they had a brief relationship and Elizabeth wasn't the type of person to enter into something without feelings. Robin knew how good Jason was with Michael when he helped to raise him, and she felt Jason would be good with Elizabeth's kids, also. GH 45th Anniversary Montage included.

At the nurse's station, Elizabeth found a notation that Emily had made on a patient's chart. Nurse Nadine was nearby and they discussed Emily. As Elizabeth was telling her how Emily and Nikolas had met while Emily was still a teenager, Nikolas walked in with the news of Monica's sentence. Elizabeth was surprised to hear of Sam's spirited defense. Nadine gave a glowing report of Nikolas' impassioned plea.  Jason returned home from Seattle after his second hand surgery. He was surprised when he came home to find Elizabeth there waiting for him. The couple embraced and kissed. He told her that the surgery went well and with some more physical therapy he should recover soon. Elizabeth showed him a recent picture of Jake on her cell-phone. Jason couldn't get over how much he had grown since he saw him last. He tried to tell her that he had thought about Jake a lot on his trip and came to a decision about his son. However, Elizabeth got called into work at the
hospital and wasn't able to find out what he wanted to tell her.

Elizabeth was deeply moved by the loving concern of a father at the hospital who was anxiously trying to find out about his son's condition after the little boy was hit by a car while riding his new bike. Elizabeth offered to go check on his son in the O.R. and let his son know that his father was waiting for him to come out of surgery. The boy recovered nicely from surgery and got a good prognosis from the doctor. Elizabeth realized how much of a difference the father made in his son's life and thought about Jason and their own son, Jake. She talked to Robin about how important a father was to a child's life. Robin voiced her doubts about how good of a father Patrick would be to their child someday. Elizabeth told her that no father was perfect and that the only thing that mattered was how committed the father was in doing what was best for his child. Jason thanked Spinelli for telling Elizabeth what time he was expected home from his trip so that she could be there when he arrived home. Jason talked to Spinelli about his son Jake. He told Spinelli that he had already missed enough of Jake's life and didn't want to miss anymore time away from him. Spinelli asked Jason if he meant that he wanted to claim Jake as his son now.

Sonny cancelled all of his protection at the warehouse as he didn't want Michael to see all these men around him with guns. Jason thought Sonny should have some protection around him at the warehouse but Sonny wanted to show Michael that he could do business without violence around him and that the truce he made with the Zaccharas would help him achieve that.

Spinelli tried to get Jason to think about what a life with Elizabeth would be like. Jason told Spinelli he would never be able to leave the business completely. He'd already tried twice before. It was possible to change things around, though. Robin told Liz she was an inspiration for raising two kids on her own. They talked about Jason and what a good father he was to Michael. Robin said she knew Jason lost Michael because she told AJ he was Michael's father. She always hoped Jason would get the chance to be a father again, though. Liz admitted she would have been with Jason a long time earlier if she didn't have kids. Robin talked about Patrick and how he didn't know what he wanted. They changed the subject back to Jason and the violence of his life. Robin reminded Liz that she had grown up with parents with dangerous lives, and the most important thing she remembered was the love they all shared.

When Carly got home, she was upset to learn that Michael had been picked up by Kate to meet with Sonny. She started to storm out of the house to go get him, when Jason stopped her. After hearing what was going on, Jason agreed that Sonny should have asked Carly before taking Michael to the warehouse, but Sonny was just trying to make things easier for Michael. Jason said Carly should let them stay together for the night, and argue with Sonny later, in a neutral area where the kids couldn't hear them fighting. They were interrupted when Carly got a phone call from the hotel manager, telling her Claudia Zacchara was being difficult. Carly said she would be right there.

When Jason got home, he was surprised to see Liz there sitting on his couch. He rushed over and kissed her. Liz told him she knew the sacrifices he made and how much he cared for Jake. She admitted that she had asked him to make too big of a sacrifice. She didn't think anyone's life was perfect. The best thing they could do was to love their children. It wasn't fair to keep sneaking around. She loved him and wanted to be with him, and asked him if he still wanted that. Jason said that was all he ever wanted.

Sonny was at the warehouse to meet the Customs agent and see the new shipment arrive. Michael and Sonny talked about the coffee and how it was legitimate. Michael started to walk away, and as Sonny turned he caught the glint of the sniper rifle. He rushed to Kate and they both hit the ground as the rifle went off and the bullet ricocheted against a pipe. Sonny realized both he and Kate were okay, but suddenly the warehouse workers were yelling that Michael was bleeding.

At Jason's place, Jason and Elizabeth kissed. He told her that he wanted to share a life with her. He told her their relationship could be whatever she wanted. She wanted to know what he wanted and he told Elizabeth that he wanted to get married. She told him that she wanted to marry also. Their happiness was short-lived as both received emergency calls. Elizabeth was called to the OR and Carly called Jason to tell him about the shooting, they rushed out to the hospital.

Carly and Jason arrived at the hospital just before the ambulance bearing Michael did. As Sonny and the EMTs rolled Michael in, Carly grabbed Robin and told her to save Michael. As he was wheeled to the ER, Carly told Michael how much she loved him. Both she and Sonny were prevented from entering the sterile area. While the doctors worked to save Michael, Carly wanted to know what happened. Sonny told her that he had Michael come to the warehouse to participate in the legitimate business. Sonny told her they were laughing and happy one minute and the next second he noticed a flash of light and then shots rang out. Sonny kept saying that everything would be okay and that Michael would survive but Carly was not comforted.

Patrick tells Carly that Michael needs surgery. Jason comforted an inconsolable Carly.  Robin joins Jason in the waiting area and they shared memories of the time that they had cared for Michael. Robin remembered how Jason had read travel books to Michael and the calming effect that reading had. A distraught Carly took comfort in a hug from Jason, but cast narrowed eyes on Kate and Sonny. Lulu and Spinelli also arrived. Jason and Spinelli immediately started making plans to scan surveillance video for a clue to the shooter. Sonny erupts and blames Michael's shooting on Jason as if he had been doing his job that Michael wouldn't have been shot. Carly steps in to defend Jason and points out that Michael was with Sonny and it was on him to protect his son, that this is not Jason's fault but Sonny's!

While Patrick, Robin, Epiphany, and Liz operated on Michael, his anxious parents waited outside the OR. Jason tried to calm Carly down, Carly was mad at Sonny and Kate for putting Michael in danger. Kate told Carly she wasn't being fair, but Jason sided with Carly and told the group that Carly was a worried mother and was entitled to her opinion. Jason and Carly suggested Kate leave, but Sonny said he needed her to stay with him. Once the surgery was finished, Patrick and Robin came out to tell the family that Michael would live. He said little else, and Carly waited anxiously to be able to be with Michael. Later, Patrick tried to tell Carly that although Michael survived the surgery, they did not know the extent of the damage yet. Carly didn't want to hear any bad news and said Michael would be fine.

Elizabeth saw the closeness between Carly and Jason as they sat by Michael's bedside. Carly thought Michael was improving. When Robin and Patrick came in to check on Michael, Carly asked when he would wake up? Patrick evaded answering by telling Carly that they needed to run more tests. The doctors departed and Jason went for coffee. Later, Elizabeth overheard Patrick tell Robin that Michael would never wake up. After a conversation in the lobby with Sam, who offered him her deepest and sincere best wishes, Jason rejoined Carly in Michael's room. She convinced him to talk to Michael about Africa, like he used to do when Michael was a baby, while they waited for Patrick to return with the test results. Jason made a heartfelt plea to Michael imploring him to wake up. Elizabeth watched from the doorway. Sonny's absence was noticeable, but Carly did not want him around Michael, and he acceded to her wishes. Carly treated Jason like Michael's father as she reminisced about the events they had shared together. Patrick and Robin arrived with the test results. Carly was stunned when Patrick told her that he did not expect Michael to ever recover from the coma.

Patrick and Robin told Carly and Jason that Michael was in a permanent coma and wasn't expected to ever wake up. Carly refused to accept their prognosis for Michael and told them that she knew her son was doing better. Carly dismissed Robin after she told Carly that the reason that Michael's coloring was better was because his blood pressure was higher, not because he was coming out of his coma. Carly told Patrick that if he didn't believe Michael would get better she would find another doctor who did. Carly told Jason that he shouldn't believe Patrick and Robin because doctors were wrong all the time, and that they had been wrong about Jason's head injury many years ago. Carly blamed herself for what happened to Michael because of the choices she made as a mother by allowing Michael to grow up as Sonny's son. Jason told her that he helped her make some of the decisions that concerned Michael. Mike showed up to see Michael and thought Sonny was at the hospital. Carly told him that Sonny hadn't been around since the night of Michael's shooting. Jason went to the rehab facility where Monica was staying to tell her about Michael's shooting. Monica was very upset to hear the news and she and Jason tried to comfort each other.

Jason continued to blame himself for Michael's injury, but Monica made amends with Jason and tried to comfort him. She told him she forgave him, and she hoped he could forgive himself. They were interrupted when Liz called and told Jason that Carly needed him right away. When Jason got to the hospital, Carly told him about Sonny seeing the rifle. He knew the shot was coming, and he allowed Michael to stand there unprotected. Carly felt she was ultimately responsible for Michael being in the warehouse, because she married Sonny and brought her children into his destructive world-it was all her fault. Carly said she would do anything if it could change things and her son would be all right. Jason had a sudden realization and told her he needed to go take care of something. Liz and the boys arrived home, and Cameron started to rush off to play. Liz pulled him back towards her and kissed him. She told him she loved him and she thanked God every day for being his mom. Jason showed up at their door and told Liz they couldn't be together. He saw what happened to Carly and her grief over Michael. He wouldn't allow himself to put Liz and the boys in that kind of danger.

Jason was devastated after Michael's shooting and blamed himself for failing to keep Michael safe. He told Elizabeth that he could no longer promise that she and her children would be safe around him. Elizabeth asked if he was choosing his violent way of life over her and the kids. He told her that choice had been made long before they met. She responded by telling him how much she loved him, but she agreed with him that it was not safe for them to be together in the open. She wanted to continue their secret relationship, but Jason worried that he would still bring danger to Elizabeth. Both Elizabeth and Jason had tears in their eyes as they shared a tender kiss and a bittersweet parting.

Carly was glad to see Jason arrive back at GH and told him how much Michael needed him and how much she needed him. When Jax asked when Michael would wake up, Jason realized that Carly had not shared Patrick's dismal prognosis with Jax. When Jason questioned her privately, she clung to the belief that Michael was getting better. Back in Michael's room with Jax, Carly told Michael that Jason had come back to read him a story. Jason offered to leave Jax and Carly with Michael, but Jax said he had errands to run and insisted that Jason stay. He watched through the door as Carly put her arm around Jason who read stories about Spain to Michael. Carly tried to get Jason to agree to her fantasy that when Michael recovered they would take him on a trip to the places that Jason read to him about. When Sonny arrived to look in on Michael and offer his support, Carly told him that he would never be allowed in Michael's life again.

Jax asked Liz if Carly was hiding anything from him. He wanted to know what he could do for Michael. Liz tried to explain to him that nothing could be done. Michael's coma was permanent and he would never wake up again. Jax realized his wife was in denial with her certainty that Michael would wake up again. Jax didn't know how to help his wife grieve, but Liz said Carly couldn't handle the truth right away. If Carly needed to cling to hope for a little longer, then what was the harm? Liz said Jax should just hang on and support Carly when she needed it most. Jax thanked Liz for her generosity and kindness, even though Carly hadn't always been nice to her. Liz understood Carly's situation, and thanked God she hadn't made the same mistake.

Jason convinced Carly and Sonny to take their argument outside of Michael's room. Once in the hallway, Carly told Sonny he was no longer Michael's father. Sonny said Carly could be as mad as she wanted, but he wouldn't leave his son. Michael would want him there, and Jason agreed. Michael needed them, and that had to come first. Jason begged them to be parents and get along. Carly said she knew Michael loved Sonny and he was Michael's hero. She told him he could go in there and tell Michael to fight, but he should not think he deserved to be with him. Carly stormed off and found Jax who was just coming back to the hospital. She vented to her husband about Sonny and how he promised to take care of their children. He failed them. Jax agreed with Jason and said Carly and Sonny must try to get along because that was the best thing for Michael.

Jason ran into Claudia at the docks. She asked him if he was the one riding down the alley on his motorcycle going 90 miles an hour. He said it was and asked if she was the one speeding down the alley going the wrong direction. Claudia admitted that she was that driver with the need for speed. They couldn't call the cops on each other, though, so maybe it was a standoff. They talked about Michael, and Claudia said she was with Carly at the hotel when she got the call. She didn't think people in their line of work should procreate. It wasn't fair to the kids. Claudia took Jason's silence as if he was agreeing with her.

A very disheartened Jason returned to his apartment. While he sat dazed on the couch, Spinelli came in carrying groceries, but Jason was not interested in food. He told Spinelli to focus so that he could help Jason find the person who shot Michael. Jason blamed himself for what happened. Spinelli tried to tell him that he was not at fault, but all Jason wanted to think about was finding the person responsible. Spinelli's canvas of the warehouse security cameras did not turn up anything. When Claudia Zacchara stopped in, he went back to his computer to widen the search. She sounded very sincere when she told Jason that Johnny had nothing to do with the shooting. She blamed an unknown third party. She told Jason that Johnny was planning to go to Sonny and tell him that they were innocent. She asked Jason to guarantee Johnny's safety. Jason made it clear that neither he nor Sonny would act until they had proof, but once they did, he said that nothing on earth would stop them from going after the shooter. After Claudia's departure, Jason and Spinelli widened the search area and found a camera they had not checked. When they viewed the footage, they spotted a car with M.D. plates. Jason wondered what a doctor was doing in the warehouse area at that time of night.

Sam was upset to find that Lucky had brought Elizabeth to the Haunted Star reopening. She admitted that it had hurt. She felt that Lucky could have had enough consideration for her feelings to give her a warning so that she could have been prepared to see Lucky with his ex-wife. Lucky was desperate to explain things and led Sam away from the busy tables so that he could speak privately with her. At the penthouse, Jason and Spinelli tried to track the medical plates of the car that they spotted in the surveillance video. They hoped to trace it to a doctor at General Hospital. It was a tedious process with long periods of waiting. While Spinelli worked his magic on the computer, Jason began opening up about Michael's past. Spinelli was surprised to learn that Michael's real father was AJ Quartermaine. He listened as Jason revealed that he, Sonny, and Carly had all decided that AJ wasn't fit to be Michael's father, and yet they were the ones who were ultimately responsible for Michael having been shot. Spinelli saw his friend's pain and tried to shift the discussion to safer ground. He asked Jason how he ended up being the one to name Michael. Jason told him the story of how he became responsibility of naming a newborn. He told Spinelli that he had decided to name the baby after the person that Jason most respected. That person was Sonny. Talk of Sonny led Spinelli to ask if Jason held Sonny responsible for Michael's shooting. Jason admitted that he felt that Sonny had just made a terrible mistake. When the computer alerted them to a completed search, Jason and Spinelli returned their focus to finding the shooter. They were able to trace the medical plates back to a car registered to Dr. Ian Devlin.

Spinelli didn't think Dr. Devlin could be capable of shooting Michael. Jason said Dr. Devlin sounded like an arrogant man who thought he could get away with murder. Spinelli found out Dr. Devlin graduated right behind Dr. Drake in medical school and then suddenly disappeared. Jason found that interesting and told Spinelli to find out what had happened to Dr. Drake. They were interrupted when Sonny entered the penthouse. Spinelli offered his well wishes for Michael and then left when Sonny said he needed privacy with Jason. Sonny told Jason he had sent his guards away, and Jason asked if he had a death wish. Sonny explained he was trying to draw out the shooter. Jason should follow his lead, and Sonny would follow his own leads. Sonny warned Jason that after a visit with Anthony, he realized the man was not the pathetic madman he wanted everyone to believe he was. After Sonny left, Spinelli rushed downstairs with news about Dr. Devlin. Jason called Nikolas over and asked why he paid Ian Devlin ten million dollars.

Nikolas told Jason that he gave Dr. Devlin money because Devlin was providing him with illegal medication that was reducing his tumor and allowing him to hallucinate Emily. Jason understood and told Nikolas that if he could take a drug and see Emily, he might do the same thing. After Nikolas left, Jax dropped by and begged Jason to help Carly face Michael's situation realistically. At GH, Jason ran into Sam, who offered her support. Jason pumped her for information about Devlin. Jason talked to Sam about his concerns with Ian and his possible role in Michael's shooting. Sam didn't know much, but she did tell Jason that Ian was an awfully big flirt. They were interrupted when Spinelli called Jason for help. He was stuck in the closet at Ian's apartment, and Maxie was with Ian and could be in serious trouble. Maxie tried to make excuses for why she was in Ian's apartment, but Ian wasn't buying any of the excuses. Maxie tried telling him she was there to interview him for Kate Howard's new magazine, and she also tried flirting with Ian. Jason came to Maxie's rescue, though, and Ian warned Jason not to send a little girl to ask his questions. Jason and Maxie left but were worried about Spinelli. They shouldn't have feared for Spinelli, though, because Spinelli had made his escape while Ian was preoccupied with Jason and Maxie at the front door. Jason was less than thrilled with Spinelli and Maxie's involvement in the investigation. Once Maxie had left, Spinelli assured Jason he had learned his lesson and would not be making the same mistake again.

Robin almost hyperventilated and talked to Liz about her anxiety over her unborn child. Liz assured Robin she would be a good mother and advised her to do the best she could do. That was what a mother did for her child. Claudia and Johnny met up with Ian and told him to leave town. He responded that running would be the equivalent of suicide as Jason would know he was behind Michael's shooting and would come after him.  Ian told Claudia that he would reveal he was working for her if Jason came to kill him.

#11B  Carly and Jason sat by Michael's bedside. Elizabeth came in to take Michael's vitals. She and Jason exchanged longing glances before she left the room. Carly continued to believe in Michael's recovery. Jason tried to inject a note of reality, but Carly clung to her beliefs. Jason told her to take a step back and think. Jason reminded her about his brain surgery. Even though he recovered, he was not the same. He pointed out that Michael might be changed also. She promised to try to be objective. She told Jax the same thing when he arrived. Jason got a phone call from Claudia and left to meet her when she said that she had a clue about who shot Michael. Jason was waiting for Claudia near Shady Brook, when she called to say that she had been delayed talking to her father's doctors. As she neared Jason's location, her brakes failed and her car went off the road. At Shady Brook, Logan left for the day and one of Anthony's henchmen came in to tell him that the hit on Claudia had failed because Jason had pulled her from the wreckage. Anthony told his thug to have the sniper take out both Jason and Claudia. He did. Back at the accident site, Claudia and Jason were pinned down and ducking bullets from a sniper.

As Devlin and Sam flirted at the Nurse's Station, Elizabeth eavesdropped.  After work, Elizabeth dropped by Robin's apartment with baby clothes for her. They chatted and Elizabeth wanted to know how Robin had stopped loving Jason when they broke up. She told Robin that she had been seeing Jason in secret before Michael got shot, but since then they had realized that they had to break up because of the danger it put her and her children in. Robin said that she did not have much help to offer. She said that it took her a very long time. She had to move to Paris and ultimately it was falling in love with Patrick that did the trick. Elizabeth told her that Patrick was a great guy. Just then Patrick walked in and the ladies shared a big giggle.

As bullets rained down on them, Jason and Claudia took cover behind a huge boulder and tried to figure a way out of their precarious situation. Jason quickly became annoyed with Claudia, who proved to be of little help beyond working her agenda. While the sniper continued to fire at them, Claudia let Jason know that her father was behind the attempt on her life. She also tried to suggest that Anthony hired the man who shot Michael. Jason said little. He focused on devising an escape plan. Eventually he decided that their only chance of survival would be to make a run for it. As the sniper took aim, Jason and Claudia ran for their lives, literally. They managed to make it to a deserted cabin and temporary safety. Once they were out of the line of fire, Claudia asked Jason why he had saved her. Claudia tried to talk to Jason while they barricaded themselves and tried to prepare for the ensuing gunfight. She talked about her mother and how she was banished when Anthony fell in love with Maria. The first time Claudia saw Johnny, she was in love with him. Claudia swore she would protect her brother with her life. Claudia realized Jason only had five bullets and didn't know how he was going to defend them. Jason said he just wouldn't be able to miss when he fired his shots. They talked some more and Jason mentioned he would hunt down and kill whoever shot Michael. Claudia started to talk about what she would do if something happened to Johnny, but they were interrupted when shots were fired at them.

Jason and Claudia hunkered down in an abandoned cabin and dodged bullets. During a lull in the shooting, Claudia tried to convince Jason that her father was responsible for shooting Michael. Jason wanted to know if she had hard proof. She said she could get it. He asked if she meant to say "manufacture" it. Claudia tried another tack. She tried to drive a wedge between Sonny and Jason and hit a nerve when she asked Jason if Sonny had ever let him down. She accused Sonny of being selfish and putting his needs before everyone else's needs and not coming through for Jason on the one occasion he needed Sonny. Jason did not give anything away. He told her to stop talking or he would leave. Claudia kept skewering Sonny, and when she accused Sonny of letting Michael get hurt, Jason left the cabin. Claudia stayed put. Later, Claudia hid when she heard a noise. Her father's hit man entered the cabin, determined to complete the job. Claudia tried to get the drop on him, but he overpowered her. As the hit man was about to shoot Claudia, Jason entered the cabin and aimed his gun at Claudia's assailant, who threatened to drop Claudia if Jason did not drop his gun.

Claudia managed to get away from the gunman, and Jason took the opportunity to attack the man. Jason tried to question him, but Claudia shot him before anything could be answered. Jason was upset and thought Claudia might have shot the gunman to keep him from discovering who had hired the man. Claudia was upset and thought the man deserved to die, and the two discussed what to do with the dead man's body. Finally, they were ready to leave, and Claudia started to get on Jason's bike. He stopped her to look for any possible bombs before they took off. Claudia wanted Jason to go faster. She knew if something happened to him, though, Sonny would come after her. They decided if they were going to die, they would die together. They both got on the bike and took off.

A frazzled Liz shows up late for work and Ephiphany talks to her about her responsibilities of juggling work and family and perhaps she needs to make an adjustment. Lucky arrives and recognizes her stress and offers to give up going to a Yankee game this weekend and take the boys instead. Liz assures him she will be fine and is looking forward to having some quality time with the kids. She invites him to come by for dinner if he gets back in town. Sam overhears as Dr. Ford reams Liz for screwing up patient medications. She is sure that she did give the appropriate meds. He informs her that a post op patient had a seizure and his blood work shows no sign of him being given the meds and the patient could have died. He blusters he is even more concerned by her trying to cover up her mistake and he wonders how many other mistakes she has made that have endangered patient lives. He calls her incompetent and warns her that he will be keeping an eye on her.

Alexis questioned Claudia on the stand about Anthony and his threats to murder his daughter. Claudia denied that there had been any attempts on her life or threats made by her father. She insisted that Anthony loved her. When Alexis questioned Claudia about the last time she had visited her father, Claudia continued to lie. She went on to insinuate her short disappearance was because she had met someone for a date. She didn't mention Jason's name but she made a point of looking and smiling at Jason while she spoke. Jason sat in the back row of the gallery, stone-faced as he listened to her testimony. When Alexis failed to get Claudia to cooperate, Diane took over. Claudia remained steadfast in her insistence that her father had never attempted to kill her. After Claudia stepped down from the stand, the judge rendered his decision. He released Anthony from protective custody effective immediately.

While Carly waited for Michael's test results to come back, Liz came into Michael's room to check his vitals. Before Liz left, Carly said she needed to talk to her. Carly apologized for judging her when Liz and Jason decided to keep Jake's paternity a secret. She had come to understand why Liz had made that decision. Carly had been involved in Jason and Sonny's lives for a long time, and she always believed they would keep her children safe. Carly knew it was hard for Liz to take care of Michael, all the while knowing it could have been Jake who was shot.

Jason came into the penthouse and asked what Maxie was doing there. Maxie was upset at Jason for ignoring her, but he didn't seem to care. Maxie and Spinelli tried to explain they were searching for Kate's missing million dollars, but Jason was not interested in the information until Spinelli revealed that the money was wired to the Cayman Islands. Jason was annoyed when he turned around and saw Maxie had not left yet. She threatened to tell Mac what they were doing if they didn't help her return Kate's money. Maxie left, but stood outside the door to eavesdrop. Spinelli told Jason he had planted a tracking device down Dr. Devlin's pants, and Jason decided not to question how Spinelli accomplished that feat. Jason realized the million dollars Kate was missing was the same million dollars Dr. Devlin had now withdrawn in Canada. Jason and Spinelli left in the SUV, with Maxie hiding in the back. Spinelli tried to keep Jason calm while they drove, and Jason assured Spinelli that Dr. Devlin would be kept alive long enough to find out who paid him.

Jason and Spinelli were on their way to Canada to find Dr. Devlin. Unknown to them, Maxie was a stowaway in the SUV and heard them discuss Devlin's shooting of Michael, his illegal drug sales to Nikolas, and the transfer of money from the Crimson account to Devlin's. When Spinelli, who was driving, braked for a moose, Maxie was discovered. Jason took back the keys that she had used to get in the car, and left her at a bus stop. As he and Spinelli pulled away, she yelled at them that she would tell Mac about everything she heard if the money that went into Devlin's account was not returned to Crimson's within 24 hours. Back on the road, Spinelli admitted to Jason that he was in love with Maxie. Jason told him to be careful.

Jason tried to get Spinelli to focus on Ian and forget about Maxie's text message. Meanwhile, Ian threatened Maxie's life with a scalpel. He yelled out that her friends should come out of the shadows. Spinelli played along and entered the room at Ian's request, but Jason came out of the shadows shooting. Ian explained to Jason that he didn't want to shoot Sonny's workers when he was taking aim at Sonny that fateful night. Jason didn't care; he just wanted to know who paid Ian. Maxie managed to get away from Ian, and Jason took his shot and killed Ian. Maxie was upset at Jason for how long it took to shoot Ian, and she called Mac to tell him what had just occurred. Mac arrived at the scene where Maxie talked up Spinelli's actions and bravery. Mac decided to have Jason arrested and taken to the station.

Nikolas saw Elizabeth one last time in the Port Charles Park. They talked about the surgery. Nikolas said that he was not backing out, but he wanted to spend the last few moments with Emily, reminiscing about their life together before he went in for the procedure.  Alexis questioned Jason at the Port Charles PD. She tried to get him to tell her what Devlin said before he died, but Jason kept mum, even when Alexis said that Jason had been cleared in Devlin's shooting, because he had acted to save Maxie. Diane arrived as Alexis threatened Jason with prosecution if he took the law into his own hands and killed Devlin's, as yet unnamed, accomplice. Jason continued to be mute, and Alexis reluctantly released him.  At the nurses' station, Elizabeth told Epiphany that she was taking a half-day off for Jake's first birthday party. When Robin and Patrick stopped by, she invited them to the party.  Bobbie, Robin, Lulu, Elizabeth, and Cameron gathered in the park to celebrate Jake's birthday (there is a :30 second emergency notification where sound is lost, video is still good).

Jason surprised Claudia with an unexpected visit to her home. He wanted her to provide proof to back up her allegations that Anthony arranged the hit on Sonny. Claudia tried her best to convince Jason to trust her lies, but to no avail. Jason wanted definitive proof of Anthony ordering the hit on Sonny. Claudia was forced to admit that she didn't have any. Later, Claudia met Ric at the Metro Court. She was surprised when Ric offered to be her conduit to Anthony.

Jason paid Carly a visit. At first Carly suspected that Jason was there on Sonny's behalf. Jason assured her that he wasn't. Carly visibly relaxed. She told him about Morgan's visit with Michael earlier that day and Sonny's threat to file for emergency guardianship of Michael. Jason suggested that they should all do what was best for Michael. Carly insisted that being home with her and Morgan was what was best for Michael. Jason gently pointed out that Michael would not want his presence to hurt his mother or brother. Sadly, that was exactly what had been happening since Michael arrived home. He went on to tell Carly about his regrets over the decisions that they had made for Michael since he was an infant. He felt that he and Carly were ultimately responsible for Michael being in a coma because they had brought him into a life surrounded by violence. Carly didn't dispute him. She quietly listened as Jason pleaded with her to think of Morgan. He didn't need to grow up with a brother in the next room who could not move or talk. Jason sat down to visit with Michael. He poured his heart out, apologizing for all the mistakes that he made and for failing to protect Michael as he had promised. Jason vowed that he would not repeat the same mistakes with Jake.

Jason came in, also, and Sonny soon left to allow Jason time to say goodbye to Michael. Jason spoke very emotionally to Michael, saying he was most worried about Carly. He was sure the new place would be more comfortable for Michael, though. Jason met with Spinelli to discuss Kate's transfer of money to Devlin. Spinelli transferred the funds back before the cops could find it, but they were still confused as to why Kate was giving Devlin money. Jason decided to go see Kate, and he walked in her house and demanded to know why she paid Devlin.

Sonny overheard Jason confront Kate about the money she gave Devlin. Sonny immediately defended Kate. Kate interrupted Sonny's impassioned defense of her and asked Sonny to let Jason leave. When he was gone, Kate admitted that she had paid Ian Devlin one million dollars to leave town. Jason went to Michael's bedside at General Hospital. He blamed himself for not protecting Michael and apologized to Michael for what happened to him. Carly returned from the care facility. She commiserated with Jason about Michael. Carly told him about her breakdown and about how she trashed the room at the facility. They tearfully talked about the happy times they had shared with Michael.

Lucky, Sam, and Elizabeth visited Nikolas after he had a seizure, which should have been prevented by the medication that Epiphany had administered shortly before the attack. Both Sam and Elizabeth remembered that the same thing had happened to a patient of Elizabeth's. That time it had been thought to be negligence on Elizabeth's part, because the medication had not shown up in that patient's blood work-just as it had not show up in Nikolas' just completed blood work. Sam chimed in that her pain medication had also stopped working. Lucky, Elizabeth, and Sam wondered if Dr. Devlin had been counterfeiting medication along with his other crimes. Nikolas confirmed that Dr. Devlin could have been a drug counterfeiter. Lucky, Sam, and Elizabeth were shocked when Nikolas admitted that he had paid Dr. Devlin ten million dollars for a drug that allowed him to have hallucinations of Emily.

After Spinelli got advice on romance, he tried out his new skills unaware that he had picked a hooker to chat up. Coleman called Jason to help Spinelli get a clue. Spinelli was distraught when Jason and Coleman told him that he had been practicing his dating techniques on a "working girl." When Jason wanted to know what the problem was, Spinelli shared that he was worried that Maxie would forget about him while she was in New York hobnobbing with fashion designers.

Claudia asked her father to trust her. When Jason arrived, she pretended that she was meeting Jason because he was helping her find out who had cut her brakes lines and tried to kill her a few days before. She asked Anthony to stay, but when Logan rushed in with a gun to protect Anthony from Jason, Anthony hurried away to avoid being found out as the one who ordered the hit on Claudia. Claudia thanked Jason, who was really there to see Luke, for rescuing her from Anthony's clutches. She again tried to convince Jason that Anthony had ordered the hit on Sonny that had resulted in Michael's coma. Jason told her that he needed proof against Anthony before he would take any action that served Claudia's agenda.

Jason spent a few minutes at Michael's bedside before Michael's transfer to the private facility that would oversee his long-term care. When Elizabeth walked in to check Michael's vitals, Jason looked up with tears in his eyes. He was choked up as he admitted, "I don't know how to do this." Before Elizabeth could respond, Jason's cell phone rang. It was Sonny, demanding to see Jason immediately. After Jason left, Elizabeth took a moment to talk to Michael. She let him know that his tragedy made her and Jason realize what could happen to Cameron and Jake. Elizabeth went on to tell Michael that she hoped he was at peace and could sense the love that surrounded him.

Sonny questioned Jason about the events leading up to Ian Devlin's shooting. Jason filled him in on the details including Ian's last words, "There's more." Sonny wondered what Ian had meant. Jason said that he had no idea because his investigation had not revealed an accomplice. Satisfied with Jason's report, Sonny switched gears a bit. He wanted Jason to admit that he blamed Sonny for Michael's shooting but Jason refused to cooperate. Sonny kept pushing until finally Jason yelled out that he considered all three of them-Carly, Sonny and Jason-responsible for putting Michael in the line of fire. At the facility where Michael would be staying, Jason gave the director a book about Africa and asked that it be read to Michael. Elizabeth found Cassius packing up Michael's things. She told him that it wasn't necessary for him to do it and then took over the sad task. Jason brought a book for Michael and turned to leave, but Carly told him he should say goodbye to Michael. Jason tearfully reminisced about raising Michael when he was a baby, and he couldn't believe this was what had become of that little boy. Jason left in tears.

Lucky came to see Liz at the hospital, and she asked if he could watch Jake that night. Cameron was going to a sleepover at his friend's house a few towns away. She didn't want to subject Jake to that long car ride if she didn't have to. Lucky had plans with Sam, but he offered to cancel. Sam would understand, and he wanted to spend more time with his son. Lucky left to pick up the boys and brought them back to Liz at the nurses' station. They went their separate ways with Liz driving out to Jackson's house to take Cameron to his sleepover.

A powerful thunderstorm hit the Port Charles area, affecting phones and electrical service.  Liz had to pull over on her way home because a tire was going flat. She got out to check the tire and ended up locked out of her car in the middle of a storm. Jason was out riding his motorcycle in the foul weather and found Elizabeth stranded beside her car, which had broken down. Jason tried to open her door for her, but his emotions got the best of him and Liz came over to comfort him. They found a nearby, unoccupied cabin where they could wait out the storm. A distraught Jason was devastated by the consequences of Michael's tragic shooting. Elizabeth covered Jason with a blanket and told him to let her take care of him for a change. Jason blamed himself for Michael's condition and for taking Michael away from his biological father. Elizabeth was very understanding and gave Jason back his own advice. She told him that he had done his best. What happened, happened, she said. She reiterated that it was better to look forward than back. Elizabeth told Jason to quit punishing himself. She told Jason that even though he had made the decision to stay away from their son, Jake, to protect him, Jake would always be glad to know that Jason had loved him, and so would Michael, she added. He had loved both boys. He had given them up to other fathers, even when it had broken his heart.

Elizabeth told him that Michael would want Jason to remember him with joy, not sadness, and Jake would have a happy and safe life because of Jason's unselfish decision to let Lucky and Elizabeth raise his son. Liz and Jason expressed their love for one another, but Jason was adamant they could not be a couple. He still felt responsible for Michael's injuries, despite anything Liz tried to tell him. He wouldn't know what to do if something happened to her, Cameron, or Jake. Although Liz was hurt, she told him she would never choose to go back and change the past. Before they parted, Jason reminded her to get a new tire, because she shouldn't be driving on a spare with the boys. They looked longingly at each other before Liz drove away.

Carly walked through the storm to Jason's apartment. She poured out her troubles, without actually telling Jason that she slept with Sonny on the limo ride home from the aftercare facility. She did tell him about trying to get Sonny to sign away his parental rights. Jason could see Sonny's side, but he could also see Carly's side and the need to keep Morgan safe. Jason told Carly that if she stayed calm and logical and kept talking to Sonny instead of getting her back up and demanding, it was likely that Sonny would see her point and would give up rights to Morgan as a way to keep him safe.  After Carly left, Robin dropped by Jason's place to give him a globe, which had been left behind in Michael's room, that she was sure had been purchased by Jason. Jason had real tears in his eyes as he told Robin that she had been right all those years ago when she and Monica had warned him about the possible results of his violent lifestyle. Robin comforted him and told him that he also gave Michael the two most important things a parent could give a child: a sense of self-worth and unconditional love. Before leaving, she told him that he had to balance the bad with the good. After Robin was gone, tears rolled down Jason's face and fell to the floor.

When Jason walked in, Carly told Sonny to explain to Jason what he was going to do to make everything better. Sonny told Jason he was signing everything over to Jason except the coffee business. Carly told Jason this would make him the target now. Sonny decided he wanted out of the mob business. It was the only way to keep Morgan safe. Carly left and Sonny asked Jason if he would help him. Carly had told Sonny it wouldn't work. He had been in the business for too long and wouldn't be able to walk away. Jason also tried to tell Sonny his enemies would still come after him, but Sonny didn't want to hear this from Jason. Sonny didn't want Kate to end up angry like Carly. Jason pointed out Carly was angry because Michael had been shot. Diane interrupted them when she came in with paperwork and asked if it was a bad time. Sonny said no, and revealed to Jason that he wanted him to sign the paperwork to take over the business. Diane warned them both that the transfer would cause more government scrutiny, and it would be almost impossible to reverse it once the process was started. Diane was both of their lawyers, and she wanted to make sure this was something both men wanted. Diane left, and Sonny told Jason he didn't know how to run a business of Jason couldn't trust him. Sonny asked what happened to the kid who never lied. Jason had changed. Jason said he helped put Michael in that bed. He wouldn't do that to another child. It was public record who Sonny's children were. Morgan would need protection and guards. They talked about how Michael should have had guards the night of the shooting. Jason said the boys would not be able to have a normal childhood because of the business they were in. Sonny told Jason they used to be friends and he asked Jason to take the business so Sonny would have a life.

Sonny couldn't believe Jason wouldn't help and take over the business. Sonny just wanted to live a good life with Kate and his children. Jason told Sonny he couldn't live his life and forget about Michael laying in the bed at the hospice center. Both Jason and Sonny would pay for what they did to Michael. Diane came in shortly after Jason left, and Sonny discussed his displeasure regarding Jason's unwillingness to take over the business. Diane told him Jason had good points, though. Sonny's enemies would find him, regardless of Sonny retiring. Sonny felt Jason would be good enough at running the business and their enemies would have no need to find Sonny.

Spinelli called Jason and told him of Carly's plans to leave and take Morgan with her. Jason promised to be over as soon as possible. Jason arrived, but Carly had realized all along Spinelli would call him. Carly told Jason he wouldn't be able to change her mind, so he either needed to leave or help her. Jason tried to reason with Carly, but she told him he had to protect her son. Jax had made the decision to leave, so Carly and Morgan were on their own. Jason reminded Carly if she and Morgan were to go into hiding, they would have to leave Michael behind. She could not visit Michael, because Sonny would have people watching his son and would track her down. Carly felt Michael would want her to protect Morgan, but Jason didn't think running was the best thing for Morgan or Carly. Jason asked Carly if she would stay if he could convince Sonny to give up Morgan.

At Sonny's office, Jason told Sonny that he would take over the organization if Sonny would give up Michael and Morgan. Sonny wanted to know when Jason's loyalty to Carly had become more important that his loyalty to Sonny. Jason said it was not about loyalty but about Morgan and his safety. When Jason told Sonny that Carly was ready to run away and take Morgan with her, Sonny called Diane. When she entered the office, he signed all the papers that transferred the illegal businesses to Jason and Jason signed over the legal one to Sonny. Sonny also signed the papers that terminated his parental rights. He asked Jason to let him deliver the papers to Carly, and Jason agreed. On the docks, Jason watched as Elizabeth, Jake, Cameron, and Lucky shared a family moment watching the boats, but did not reveal his presence.

Jason began his first day as the head of the mob organization in Port Charles. He made his intentions clear to his employees from the onset. He wanted to keep the violence to a minimum so that everyone in his organization could have a semblance of a normal life. He also intended to see to his own personal security. Much to Diane and Max's delight, he let them know that he didn't care what they did during their off hours. Carly went to see Jason. She was stunned when Jason told her that he had taken over Sonny's organization, which meant that he could no longer see Carly. Carly refused to consider breaking ties with Jason. She agreed that Jason needed to keep his distance from Morgan but said that she was a different matter. Carly insisted that she was an adult and the risk was hers to take. She told Jason that he had already given up his son and the woman that he loved; she would not leave Jason to live his life alone. Diane was advising Jason to draw up a new will when they were interrupted. It was Max, bearing news about a recent Morgan shipment. It had been attacked and the cargo was lost.  Jason informed Max that there would be consequences for striking against his organization.

Elizabeth tried get more medical information in order to find the right doctor to see him, but the man remained evasive about his condition. When Epiphany intervened, the man reluctantly revealed that he suffered from an erectile dysfunction. Unfortunately, the admission proved to be too embarrassing for the man. He walked away before a doctor could see him. Lucky was at the hospital to pick up an accident report and had overheard part of the exchange. He asked Elizabeth what the man's complaint had been. When she explained that it had been about faulty medication, Lucky realized that there might be a connection to the other recently reported cases. Elizabeth agreed that the hospital appeared to have a growing trend of faulty medication.

Jason walked into Sonny's old office at the coffee shop and found Spinelli hunched over his laptop at Sonny's desk. Spinelli was in pain from working out with Sam and thought the customers in the coffee shop wouldn't want to hear him groaning in agony with every move. Spinelli explained he was working out in an effort to impress Maxie in the hopes she would date him. He asked Jason to not tell Sonny he had been sitting at his desk. Jason took that opportunity to tell Spinelli it was actually Jason's desk. Sonny had turned over the business to Jason. Spinelli was shocked. He didn't think Jason had ever wanted to take over the business. They were interrupted when Diane came in and asked if Jason planned on retaliating against the Zacchara family after she heard one of Jason's shipments blew up in the harbor. Max also came in to see how Jason planned on retaliating. Jason shooed everyone away and said there would be no plan for retaliation. He left and went to the Zacchara house. Alone in Anthony's office, Jason set fire to the house. Anthony was looking for Logan when he realized the house was on fire. Trevor wheeled Anthony out of the house as the fire department arrived. Anthony sent Trevor to make sure the fire trucks didn't run over Maria's roses, and when Anthony was alone he spied Jason in the shadows of the blaze.

Anthony and Jason watched as the fire that Jason had started consumed Anthony's home. At first Anthony seemed to be mourning the loss of his cherished possessions and memories, but he started laughing and thanked Jason for helping him get rid of all his "junk." Before leaving the grounds, Jason responded curtly to Anthony and said, "Next time I retaliate I'm not going to be so nice." When Jason arrived at Sonny's house, Kate was outside the door to Sonny's study. She heard Sonny tell Jason how to handle the crisis. Jason responded that Sonny was no longer in charge and that Jason was making the decisions. Jason told Sonny that he did not take orders from Sonny anymore. Jason noted that Sonny had wanted Jason to be in charge and Jason was in charge, before stalking out of Sonny's house. Trevor was all for retaliation against Jason, but Anthony made it clear that they would follow Johnny's advice and keep the status quo for the time being. They would do their business and Jason would do his. Then, said an increasingly agitated Anthony, when Jason let down his guard, they would strike, because "Nothing," screamed an irate Anthony, "Will keep me from putting that guy in the ground."

Jason visited Monica in rehab. He told her that he was sorry for everything that had happened. Monica responded that she forgave him and did not fault him for anything. She said that she blamed Sonny for taking advantage of him when he was young. Jason defended Sonny and told her that Sonny had warned him about the business. Jason declared that he had made his own choices and was responsible for his own decisions. Before he could tell Monica that he had taken over for Sonny, she begged him to leave the mob. After Monica's impassioned plea, Jason confessed that he was in charge of the business. When he told her that Sonny had given up his rights to Morgan, Monica guessed that Jason had agreed to take Sonny's place to keep Morgan safe. When Jason said that he would understand if she did not want to see him again, Monica told him that no matter what he did or how wrong he was, he was her son and she loved him. Johnny was waiting in Sonny's former office when Jason returned from seeing Monica. He wanted a guarantee that Jason would not escalate the turf war. Jason told Johnny that a peace between them depended on Anthony. As long as Anthony did not strike out at Jason, Jason would not attack the Zaccharas. When Johnny suggested that Jason might die in an all-out war, Jason told Johnny that he had nothing to live for and he would not allow Anthony to harm anyone under his protection.

Spinelli, in crisis mode, broke up a meeting between Jason and Johnny. Spinelli was upset because of Maxie's reaction when they had walked in on Sonny and Kate, during an intimate moment. Spinelli felt certain that Maxie had been intrigued rather than shocked. To Spinelli, it indicated that Maxie was interested in dangerous men like Sonny, if not Sonny himself. Jason seemed at a loss for words. When Diane knocked on the door to announce Claudia Zacchara's arrival, Jason jumped at the opportunity to pawn Spinelli off on Diane. When they were alone, Claudia told Jason that he should not trust any peace offering extended by her father. Jason informed Claudia that Johnny had been by earlier with a peace offering. Claudia backpedaled and defended her brother's honor, then started pushing her agenda to have Jason kill Anthony. Jason didn't seem interested in what Claudia had to say and ordered her to leave his office. Lulu went to see Jason about Johnny. She didn't want any harm to come to Johnny in the mob war. Jason couldn't make any promises to Lulu. He reminded Lulu that Johnny had made his own choice about where he stood in his father's criminal empire.

Elizabeth stopped by Wyndemere to visit Nikolas. When she walked into his study and found him looking at a picture of Emily, she reminisced about when the picture had been taken. They both smiled as they talked about Emily. Soon the discussion turned serious. Nikolas worried that, in his grief, he would make self-destructive choices. He also wondered if being attracted to another woman, so soon after Emily's passing, could be considered as unfaithful to Emily. Elizabeth felt that Emily wouldn't want Nikolas to mourn her passing forever. Elizabeth was confident that Nikolas would know when the time was right for him to move forward with another relationship.

Sonny rushed to Jason's office and yelled at Spinelli, who was talking with Jason. Spinelli tried to talk to Sonny and apologize, but Sonny belittled and upset poor Spinelli. Once the boy was gone, Jason told Sonny his behavior towards Spinelli was uncalled for and Sonny didn't have the right to kick anyone out of Jason's office. Sonny seemed to forget the change in power and asked whose office it was, implying it was still Sonny's office. He told Jason to fire Spinelli and stop babysitting him so more work could get done. Sonny wanted Jason to retaliate against the loan shark who beat up Mike.

Liz was about to take her break at the hospital when Sam asked to speak with her. Sam apologized for her past behavior. She tried to explain her relationship with Jason and, more recently, Lucky. Sam wanted to spend more time with Lucky, but since Liz didn't allow Sam to be with the boys, their time was limited. The two women talked and seemed to come to a truce. Liz also apologized for her behavior. She said she would not be able to forget what Sam did to Jake, but she would try to forgive Sam. It was unhealthy for the two women to carry these grudges for so long. Liz decided they could start working on integrating Sam into Cameron and Jake's lives. Liz was concerned with doing anything too quickly and said she didn't want to confuse the boys. She suggested maybe Sam and Lucky could take the boys to the fair later in the summer. Sam was very pleased to hear this and thanked Liz. Both women agreed they were happy they had met and talked.

At the nurses' station Lucky stopped by to invite Elizabeth and the boys to a family dinner at Kelly's. In Jason's office, Sonny ordered Jason to take care of Mike's debt to a loan shark and protect Mike in the future. When Sonny tried to give orders, Jason told Sonny that he could not have it both ways. Either he was out of the mob or he was not. Jason told Sonny that he would kill those who hurt anyone under Jason's protection, which included Carly and her kids, and Alexis and Christina, but did not include Sonny's father, Mike, who chose to gamble and welsh on his debts because he knew that he could get by with it as long as Sonny was in charge. Sonny was not happy with Jason's answer and left in a huff. After he was gone, Jason ordered Max to run the loan shark out of town. Lucky stopped by ostensibly to interview Jason about the Zacchara fire. When Jason said no comment, Lucky agreed to let him stop by the station later with his lawyer. Lucky was really there to tell Jason that he felt privileged to be part of Jake's life and that he admired Jason for making the decision that kept Jake safe and let Lucky be the father of the boy. The two men shook hands. Lucky went to GH to pick up Elizabeth and the boys. Jason went to Kelly's to tell Mike that he had run the loan shark out of town. He made Mike aware that Sonny was trying to make a clean break. Jason told Mike to come to him if he needed money or got in trouble again. Mike said he would, but that he hoped that he had finally learned his lesson. As Jason left, Mike told him to isolate himself and not make the same mistakes as Sonny. Cameron ran into Jason as he, Lucky, Elizabeth, and Jake walked into Kelly's. Jason looked on sadly as the happy family shared time together.

**The End**