Jason & Sam #20  February 13 - May 26, 2009 - 8 hour original edit

DVD #20A  Jason brought Claudia to where Kate was waiting and left the two women there to be rescued. Jason met up with Patrick in one of the hallways, and Patrick asked where Spinelli was. Patrick had found Spinelli's laptop and was worried, thinking Spinelli would never leave his laptop behind. Jason said it was possibly Spinelli was doing something risky and stupid, trying to save someone's life. The two men left in opposite directions.

Sam and Trevor stood on the roof where Sam tried to talk Trevor into giving over the toxin. Trevor couldn't be convinced as he felt the toxin was his insurance policy. Sam pulled a gun out, but Trevor told her not to underestimate him like everyone else has done. Sam and Trevor watched the helicopter as it flew away, and Trevor became enraged. He took the toxin out of the bottle and said he would throw it on the ground. Then Sam would be responsible for killing all the innocent men, women, and children down below. Trevor planned to tell the officials he had rescued the toxin from whatever mobster died in General Hospital. Just as Trevor started to throw it over the ledge, Sam made a leap for it. Trevor flew over the edge of the rooftop, and Sam followed.

Jason rushed out to the rooftop and saw no one, so he started to go back inside. He heard Sam grunting, and he quickly turned around. Sam was barely holding on to the edge of the rooftop, but she had managed to grab the ball of toxin and held it gingerly in her hand. Jason looked around and it wasn't long before he found Sam hanging over the edge. He grabbed her arms, saved her from fallilng and pulled her to safety and to pull her to safety. Just as Sam made it back over the edge, she dropped the toxin. Jason managed to grab it.

Sam and Jason left the roof to search for Spinelli and to dispose of the poison. The found a raging blaze and tossed the vial into it. As Jason and Sam looked for Spinelli, she remembered that he was trying to get a better Internet connection before he disappeared. They stated looking for the utility closet. When they located it, the surrounding corridor was engulfed in flames.

Sam and Jason searched the hospital for Spinelli. They found a supply room with a locked door. Both Sam and Jason were sure Spinelli would be in it, but when Jason busted the door open, Spinelli was nowhere to be found. Sam noticed a grate off one of the air vents was off, and Jason helped Sam climb into the ventilation system to search for Spinelli. Sam crawled through the ducts and called out for Spinelli, but was unable to find him. Sam got down from the air ducts and she and Jason continued searching the hospital halls for Spinelli.

They heard something from above and discovered Spinelli had been in a different section of air ducts.  Jason and Sam talked to Spinelli as he made his way through an air duct to a utility room. Spinelli crawled through the ducts into another supply closet but was horrified to find oxygen tanks lining the walls. When he dropped into the room, Jason went to get something to help break the door down so that Spinelli could get out. Spinelli realized he was in a room with heat-sensitive canisters. Sam and Jason approached the door to rescue Spinelli, but suddenly an explosion rocked the hospital.

Jason and Sam were momentarily knocked to the floor as the door blew off. When they brushed themselves off, they realized that the room Spinelli had been in was on fire. Jason told Sam to stay put while he went to rescue Spinelli. Sam tried to help, but Jason made her promise to wait two minutes. If he was not back with Spinelli after two minutes, then Jason wanted Sam to find a way out of the hospital.

Luckily, Jason found Spinelli, but he was unconscious. Jason carried him to temporary safety where Sam managed to resuscitate Spinelli. As soon as Spinelli was on his feet, the three made their way to the stairwell so that they could go down to the lobby. As they reached the bottom floor, smoke filled the stairwell. Jason decided that their best chance for survival was to hold hands and stick together. Jason held Sam's hand while Spinelli held Sam's other hand. Before they left the stairwell, Jason instructed both to keep moving forward no matter what happened.

Sam stood outside of General Hospital, looking at the burned out remnants of the lobby, when Agent Rayner and Winnifred walked up. Rayner told Sam that surviving the crisis had been the easy part; their work was not done. Sam pointed out that the toxin had been destroyed. Rayner made it clear that he wasn't referring to the poison. He reminded Sam that Anthony Zacchara remained missing. Rayner questioned Sam about when she had last seen Anthony. When he determined that she had not witnessed Anthony's demise, Sam rushed to assure him that there was a strong probability that he had perished in the fire. Rayner suggested that she should hope that Anthony had survived for Spinelli's sake.

Alexis came along as Rayner spelled out to Sam and Winnifred the importance of finding Anthony. Rayner was intent on arresting Anthony or someone of similar rank in the criminal organization. If he couldn't have a mob boss, Rayner told them he would be content with sending Spinelli away for the rest of his life. Alexis pulled Sam aside and talked about the crisis at the hospital. Alexis wanted Sam to know that she would have been waiting when Sam had finally managed to escape the hospital. Unfortunately, Alexis had been called away at the last moment. Sam understood and told her mother not to worry about it.

They then began talking about Spinelli. Alexis was worried about Sam involving herself in a federal case. Sam appreciated Alexis' concern, but she was determined to help Spinelli. Alexis started to walk away, but after a few steps she turned back to Sam. Alexis told Sam that she was concerned because she was Sam's mother. Alexis then warned Sam that federal judges were appointed, not elected. For that reason, the judges tended to be brutal when it came to sentencing. Alexis cautioned Sam that federal judges usually handed out maximum penalties without parole. Sam assured her mother that she understood the consequences; she promised she would keep Alexis' warning in mind.

Winnifred came to see Jason at his apartment because she was worried about Spinelli. She tried to convince Jason to obtain information against Sonny in case Anthony couldn't be found. Jason assured Winnifred he would make sure Spinelli stayed out of jail. They were interrupted when Diane knocked on the door and Jason let her in. Diane was upset to see an FBI agent in Jason's apartment. Winnifred and Jason both agreed that she was on her way out. Once Winnifred was gone, Diane drank a beer and played a game of pool while explaining her recent fight with Max. Jason decided to change the subject and discuss his legal dilemmas with Diane. He told Diane that he had promised Anthony Zacchara in exchange for Spinelli. The problem was that Anthony had disappeared in the hospital fire. Jason needed to know what would happen if Jason couldn't find Anthony. Diane said that Jason had two options, to step up his efforts to find Anthony, or give the Feds someone else.

Sam and Lucky met up and talked about what they wanted for their future. They both admitted there were other things in their lives that were more important than a relationship. Both Sam and Lucky decided mutually to dissolve their relationship.

Spinelli explained to Jason the difficult situation he had been put in. Spinelli left the decision of Maxie or Lulu attending the gala up to chance. He flipped a coin. Johnny would be escorting Maxie that evening. Spinelli was very upset and worried that Johnny would steal Maxie away from him. He decided to hack into the building where the gala was being held and make the sprinklers go off, causing the gala to be canceled. Jason said Spinelli would be doing no hacking, though. Spinelli agreed that he really shouldn't be hacking at all, especially with his ongoing problems with the FBI.

Sonny knocked on the door and interrupted Spinelli and Jason's conversation. Spinelli let Sonny in, but Sonny wasn't very nice to Spinelli. Sonny asked Spinelli if he knew what Jason was going through to keep Spinelli out of jail. Sonny also felt Spinelli needed to learn when to make himself scarce. Spinelli looked to Jason, but Jason seemed to agree that Sonny and Jason needed to talk privately. Once Spinelli was gone, Sonny and Jason talked about Anthony and where he could be. Sonny asked if Jason was interested in working together with him in order to find Anthony.

Jason and Sonny agreed to work together to get Anthony and save Spinelli. Jason told Sonny that once Spinelli was safe, he preferred to be number two. Jason and Sonny patched up their differences and agreed that Sonny would take back the organization. Sonny got a call with Anthony's location, so Jason packed a bag. After Sonny left, Jason called Sam and asked her to help him apprehend Anthony. Sam agreed. Jason and Sam arrived somewhere tropical. They pretended it was for romance, but as soon as the bellhop left, they started scouring the beach in search of Anthony.

In Florida, Jason woke up after spending the night sleeping in a chair. Sam had slept in the bed. When room service knocked, Sam went to answer the door while Jason hid with his gun poised and ready to shoot. Luckily, it was just a maid pushing a breakfast cart for the "honeymooners." Jason put the gun away before the woman saw it. After the maid left, Sam and Jason decided to lure Anthony out of hiding. They suspected that he was hanging out at the pool. Sam hoped her red bikini would do the trick. Jason thought the whole idea was dangerous. He feared that innocent people might get caught in the crossfire.

When the maid returned to pick up the breakfast cart, Sam asked Jason to play along. Before the maid left with the cart, Sam showed her a picture of Anthony. She asked if the maid had seen the man in the picture. When the maid said that she had not seen him, Sam pretended to be upset with Jason. Sam accused Jason of paying off the maid, then turned to the maid and told her that Anthony was Sam's father. Sam went on to explain that they had a falling-out before her wedding. As a result, Sam was heartbroken because her father had not walked her down the aisle. Due to the rift, Sam had hoped to find her father at the hotel, a place he frequented, so that they could work things out.

The maid took pity on Sam. She looked at the picture again and confirmed that Anthony could be found in cabana three. Sam smiled, then asked for another favor. A short time later, Sam came out of the bathroom wearing a maid's uniform. After Jason loaded his gun, Sam and Jason went over some last-minute plans, then headed to the pool. Unfortunately, Anthony had given them the slip and left the hotel.

Sonny ordered Spinelli to track Anthony's offshore accounts. Spinelli hesitated to comply. He told Sonny that he couldn't hack into anything without Jason's permission. Spinelli explained that Jason was in enough trouble because of Spinelli's cyber-crimes; he didn't want to add to Jason's trouble by hacking into bank accounts. Sonny didn't seem concerned. Claudia took a different tactic. She told Spinelli that Jason and Sam had followed Anthony to Florida. Claudia assured Spinelli that Jason and Sonny were working together. Therefore, Jason would want Spinelli to help Sonny. Claudia offered to give Spinelli the account numbers that he needed to do Sonny's bidding. Spinelli reluctantly capitulated.

Spinelli went to Bernie's office. Bernie didn't want Spinelli touching anything in his office for fear he would get into more trouble with the FBI. Spinelli confessed that he had frozen Anthony Zacchara's accounts. Bernie rushed to close his office door. Once they had complete privacy, Bernie asked Spinelli to elaborate. Spinelli explained that Sonny had pressured him into cooperating. Spinelli was worried that he had betrayed Jason by hacking into the offshore accounts. Bernie asked a series of questions. When he determined that Spinelli had not compromised Jason's business interests, Bernie assured Spinelli that he had not caused Jason any harm. Bernie warned Spinelli that in the future he should wait until he had authorization from Jason before he followed Sonny's orders.

Sonny sauntered into Bernie's office to demand that Bernie put him in touch with Jason. Bernie made it clear the he worked for Jason, not Sonny. Bernie went on to tell Sonny that the men were happy working for Jason and that they wouldn't be eager to welcome Sonny back with open arms.

In Florida, Sam devised a plan to figure out where Anthony had fled. While Jason waited by the pool, Sam went to find the chambermaid who had confirmed Anthony's stay at the hotel. Later, with the maid in tow, Sam returned to the cabana where Jason was waiting. Sam pretended to be distraught when she realized that Anthony was not there. She turned to the maid to plead with her for assistance. Sam asked the woman if she could ask around to find out if Anthony had mentioned where he was headed. Not long after, the maid returned to tell Sam and Jason that Anthony had been overheard talking about Port Charles as he got into a taxi.

In Bernie's office, Sonny dropped the bombshell that he had reached an agreement with Jason. Sonny would head the organization and Jason would resume his position as Sonny's right-hand man. Bernie's reaction was less than enthusiastic, which prompted Sonny to question Bernie's loyalty. Bernie didn't pull any punches. He asked Sonny how he could expect the men in the organization to be loyal to Sonny when he had not shown them any loyalty in return. Bernie admitted that he couldn't possibly understand the hardships that Sonny suffered, but he knew the difference between a failing business and a thriving business. During the last months of Sonny's reign, the organization had suffered.

Sonny didn't deny the charge. Sonny said he had made mistakes, but ultimately he had dismantled the Zacchara organization. Bernie was stunned by the implication. He asked Sonny if he was suggesting that everything that had happened had been planned. Sonny clarified himself; he had managed to salvage a bad situation. The way Sonny saw it, that was what a successful businessman did. They were interrupted when Sonny's cell phone rang. It was Jason calling to update Sonny on Anthony's whereabouts. When Sonny learned that Anthony could be in Port Charles, he assured Jason that he would take care of the situation. Jason reminded Sonny that they needed Anthony alive. To Jason's frustration, Sonny didn't make any promises. Sonny warned Jason that if Anthony pushed him, he would kill Anthony.

Later, as Bernie updated Sonny on the security arrangements that had been put into place to protect those close to Jason and Sonny, Sonny realized that the only person not accounted for was Claudia. Seconds later, Claudia called Sonny. She told him that Anthony had kidnapped her. Anthony wanted enough money so that he could flee the country and go into hiding. Anthony jerked the phone out of Claudia's hand to make certain that Sonny understood the situation. Anthony warned that if Sonny did not comply with his demands, Claudia would die. Anthony gave Sonny two hours to come up with the money, then disconnected the call.

Jason arrived at Bernie's office shortly after his plane from Florida landed. After Bernie gave Jason an update, Jason said that he expected Bernie to follow Sonny's orders. Bernie walked away, grumbling. Bernie warned Jason that the men under Jason did not trust Sonny. Bernie said that eventually Jason and Sonny were going to have to deal with it. After Bernie left the office, Jason asked Sonny if he thought Claudia could be in cahoots with Anthony. Sonny didn't believe it was possible. Jason then asked Sonny if he thought Anthony would follow through with his threat to kill Claudia. Sonny insisted that Anthony wouldn't hesitate to slay his own daughter.

Rebecca started her first shift at Kelly's. Sam walked in just as Lucky prepared to leave. She introduced herself to Rebecca, then talked to Lucky for a few minutes. When Lucky asked where Sam had disappeared to, Sam explained that she had been working on a case. She told him that she wasn't an official private investigator, since she didn't have a license, but she realized that she was on the right career path. Lucky was happy for her. After the two said their goodbyes, Sam sat down at a table. Rebecca walked up and apologized before she asked Sam if she was involved with Lucky. Sam smiled as if sensing Rebecca's interest in Lucky. Sam assured Rebecca, "not anymore."

Sonny and Jason were preparing the ransom money for Claudia. Although Jason admitted he thought the price was too much for Claudia, Jason was willing to spend any amount to save Spinelli. They were interrupted when Anthony allowed Claudia to make a phone call. Claudia told Sonny where to drop the money off before Anthony grabbed the phone back.

Once Jason and Sonny arrived at the meeting place, Sonny wouldn't let Jason enter the building with him. Jason wanted Sonny's assurance that he wouldn't shoot Anthony, but Sonny couldn't give that to him. Sonny said if it were between Anthony or Claudia being shot, Sonny would shoot Anthony. When Sonny entered the building, Anthony came out from around the corner and asked if the money was in the two gym bags. Sonny wanted to know where Claudia was, and he assured Anthony that the money was all there. Anthony knew that Sonny intended to grab him and save Claudia. Anthony told Sonny he could only save one of them, as Claudia sat in a chair rigged with a bomb on the roof.

Agent Rayner called Jason and told him that Spinelli was in custody and was about to be transported to a federal prison. Jason, who was standing outside a warehouse where Sonny had taken the ransom to Anthony, said that he needed a little more time. Rayner gave him an hour. Agent Rayner told Spinelli that he was in custody because Jason was not acting fast enough to corral Anthony. Jason put a gun to Anthony's head, as he was about to make a clean getaway. Anthony was smug and tried to talk his way out. Jason did not waver.

Sonny found Claudia on a snow-covered roof. She was gagged, strapped to a bomb, and bound to a chair with duct tape. As soon as Sonny removed the gag, Claudia told him to save himself and get away from her. Sonny refused, and instead called Jason for tech support with the bomb. Anthony chattered and tried to interrupt Jason's concentration, so Jason decked him. Then Jason helped Sonny defuse the bomb and save Claudia, who was amazed that Sonny had cared enough to stay by her side. Jason called Rayner and told him where to pick up Anthony. Jason called Carly to tell her that the crisis had passed.

Jason and Rayner met near the warehouse. Rayner said that Jason's evidence against Anthony was solid and that Spinelli had been set free. When Jason tried to walk away, Rayner told him that his job was not done. He demanded that Jason next deliver evidence against Sonny.

Jason arrived home to find Sam waiting at his door. She was there for the party Spinelli and Maxie were throwing to honor Jason. They were very grateful for Jason helping save Spinelli from prison. Jason was upset and said Spinelli still wasn't off the hook. Even though Anthony had been delivered to the Feds, they wanted Sonny.

Sam and Jason tried to enjoy themselves while Maxie and Spinelli played pool and toasted to Stone Cold. When Spinelli and Maxie offered a piece of cake to Jason, he couldn't take the celebration any further. Jason asked Maxie and Sam to leave so he could speak with Spinelli privately. Maxie wasn't happy with Jason, but Sam helped usher the girl out the door. Once they were alone, Jason told Spinelli that the deal with the FBI wasn't over yet. As much as Jason tried to explain, Spinelli didn't fully understand the situation.

At Winnifred's request, Sam met the FBI agent outside of Kelly's. Winnifred told Sam that Agent Rayner had gone back on his agreement with Jason. Rayner had decided that he wanted both Sonny and Anthony's arrests and convictions in exchange for Spinelli's freedom. Winnifred begged Sam to talk to Jason and Spinelli in order to warn them that their situation was dire. According to Winnifred, Rayner would follow through with his threat to send Spinelli to jail for life. Sam agreed to do what she could to help Spinelli.

Spinelli had a picture of himself on his laptop. He was in the process of adding a beard and mustache to the image when Jason walked into the penthouse. Jason was curious when he saw what Spinelli was working on. Spinelli explained that he needed to alter his appearance if he hoped to compete against Johnny for Maxie's affection. Jason told Spinelli that he shouldn't have to change in order to impress Maxie. Spinelli dismissed Jason's advice. Spinelli pointed out that Jason probably never had to worry about feeling inadequate. Rather than argue with Spinelli, Jason tried to change the subject. Unfortunately, Spinelli cut Jason off, claiming that he was late for an appointment with Maxie. Spinelli dashed out of the door before Jason could stop him.

Sam stopped by the penthouse to talk to Jason. Jason was in a foul mood because of the situation with Rayner. Sam told Jason about Winnifred's warning. Sam suggested that they use Winnifred's help to get Spinelli out of his predicament. Jason refused to consider it. He insisted that it was his fault that Spinelli was in the mess that he was in. Jason felt it was his responsibility alone to get Spinelli out of the FBI's clutches. Sam disagreed with Jason. She told Jason that there had to be a better way to help Spinelli than to send him into permanent hiding.

Spinelli returned to the penthouse to pack his belongings. Before he walked out of the apartment, Spinelli took a moment to write Jason a note. He left the note, along with the door key, on Jason's desk.Jason found Spinelli's note when he arrived home. The note explained that Spinelli couldn't put Jason in a position of choosing between friends. Spinelli had decided to take matters into his own hands by leaving town, never to return. Spinelli sat down on a plane, headed to parts unknown.

Jason explained to Sam that Spinelli had run away after overhearing Jason as he talked about hiding his friend outside of the country. Jason was lost without Spinelli and didn't even know where to look. Sam offered to help and rushed out the door, thinking she might have a lead. Sonny came to visit Jason about business, but Jason was still preoccupied with finding Spinelli. Jason explained the situation to Sonny, who wasn't very sympathetic. Sonny admitted that Spinelli annoyed him, and Sonny would be happy if Spinelli wasn't around to sidetrack Jason. Sonny also pointed out that Jason would be tying Spinelli to the mob permanently if he tracked him down. Jason admitted defeat and went to find Sam to tell her the news.

Jason returned home to his apartment and found Maxie there. She had packed a bag for him and, after giving him some grief about his lackluster wardrobe (jeans and black t-shirts), she insisted that he leave immediately and try to locate Spinelli. Jason said that he could not do that. Maxie apologized for reading Spinelli's letter to Jason and wondered why she had not noticed that Spinelli was subdued and needed her help. She told Jason that Spinelli was an innocent and believed the best about people. Maxie worried that unscrupulous people would take advantage of him. She told Jason that Spinelli needed them, Jason to be the brawn and her to be the light of Spinelli's life. Jason told Maxie again that he could not go looking for Spinelli because Spinelli was a grown man and had to make his own choices. Maxie pleaded with Jason to forget his manly code, but Jason was unmoved by her pleas to find Spinelli.

Carly went to see Jason. She wanted to get some feedback about the test she was contemplating for Michael. Jason said it was not his place, but Carly insisted. She said that she was holding back despite the fact that the doctors had assured her that Michael would feel no pain. Jason cautioned her about getting her hopes up, but Carly said that no matter how much she might hurt if the procedure did not work, she did not want to deny Michael any chance of recovery. Jason told Carly that she had her answer about what to do. She acknowledged what Jason had said and they shared a familial hug.

Maxie went to Sam for answers. She persuaded Sam to tell what she knew. Sam said that Spinelli had booked a ticket to Los Angeles. Sam went to Jason and told him that she was going after Spinelli. She said that Spinelli had the kind of skills that evil people would want to use and they would not care what happened to him. She asked Jason if he was coming with her or if she was going after Spinelli alone.

At the out of town diner, Winnifred, Maxie, and Sam anxiously awaited news from Jason. The ladies were disappointed when Jason returned to the diner without Spinelli. Winnifred decided to use her computer skills to learn Cassandra's identity, to no avail. Maxie was impatient with their lack of progress to locate Spinelli and Cassandra, so she asked Winnifred for a complete description of Cassandra, including what she had been wearing. Winnifred had no idea why it mattered, but she cooperated. As Winnifred described Cassandra's long coat, Maxie realized that it was a designer coat. After a quick call to a boutique, where the coat was sold exclusively, Maxie had the names of customers who had purchased the coat. Within a short time, they discovered that Cassandra was an art thief.

Spinelli is Cassandra's prisoner in a secret location. She needed Spinelli's expertise to crack a computerized safe. When he managed to hack into the museum she planned to steal from, Cassandra was delighted. She was even more pleased when Spinelli tried to use Sonny Corinthos' name to secure his freedom. Cassandra admitted that after the heist, she had planned to kill Spinelli. However, after learning that he was affiliated with Sonny, Cassandra changed her mind. She hoped to fence her stolen goods through Sonny in exchange for Spinelli's safe return. Thanks to Spinelli's quick thinking, by sending Winnifred random pop-up ads with clues, Jason, Sam, Maxie, and Winnifred deduced what Cassandra's plans were as well as where she planned to strike next.

Jason parked his car behind the museum that Cassandra intended to rob. Sam, Maxie, and Winnifred piled out of the car moments later. Maxie and Winnifred were engaged in their usual bickering until Jason was forced to call a halt to it by reminding the two ladies that they were there to rescue Spinelli. Winnifred believed that she should be in charge of the rescue mission, since she was a FBI agent, but Jason quickly vetoed that idea. When Jason and Sam checked their guns, Winnifred asked them if they had permits. Maxie pointed out that the men they would be up against didn't care if anyone had permits for the guns that they carried.  After they put a plan of action together, Jason, Sam, and Winnifred entered the building. Jason stopped Maxie from following them. He insisted that she remain with the car to await their return. Maxie was disappointed, but she complied with Jason's wishes.

Inside the museum, Cassandra gave Spinelli 20 minutes to open the safe; if he failed, then Spinelli would die. Spinelli managed to accomplish his task with only seconds to spare. After Cassandra left to fetch the painting, Spinelli tried to convince one of Cassandra's goons to release him. When the goon failed to give in to Spinelli's wishes, Spinelli took matters into his own hands. Spinelli jumped on the man's back in an effort to overpower him. The commotion alerted another goon, who burst through the door with his gun raised. Luckily, Jason, Sam, and Winnifred were seconds behind the man with deadly intentions. Jason subdued both criminals before Winnifred placed them under arrest.

As Maxie continued to wait inside the car, Cassandra and one of her goons emerged from the back door of the museum, carrying a stolen painting. Cassandra and her accomplice quickly loaded the painting in the back of a van, which was parked nearby. To keep Cassandra from leaving, Maxie decided to confront the art thief. Maxie wove a convincing story. Maxie told them that she was Brad Pitt's assistant who had been dispatched to retrieve the painting. Cassandra almost bought the story until Maxie made a slip by referring to Cassandra as "Miss Prescott." Cassandra demanded to know how Maxie knew her name. Unfortunately, Maxie couldn't come up with a plausible lie. Cassandra ordered her thug to throw Maxie into the back of their van, but before he could follow the order, Jason, Spinelli, Sam, and Winnifred came to Maxie's rescue.

In Los Angeles, Winnifred waited for the authorities to arrive to collect Cassandra and her accomplices. Jason suggested that Winnifred take full credit for the arrests, so that Spinelli's life on the run would not be traced back to her. Winnifred was reluctant to agree, but capitulated when Jason pointed out that Rayner would take Spinelli back into custody because he was a flight risk. Jason, Sam, Spinelli, and Maxie checked into a posh hotel of Maxie's choosing. Jason wasn't pleased with the arrangements, but Maxie argued that hiding in plain sight was a good idea. Jason explained that Spinelli needed to flee the country because the minute he stepped foot in Port Charles, Rayner would arrest Spinelli. Maxie was devastated when Spinelli supported Jason's plans.

Sam had an idea to protect Sonny and Spinelli. She asked Jason what if they had someone working on the inside of the FBI who could destroy the evidence that they had against Spinelli. Jason and Sam were in their hotel room trying to figure out a way to save Spinelli from prison when Winnifred arrived with news that she had been promoted. After she left to find Spinelli, Sam suggested that Winnifred might be in a position to make the evidence against Spinelli disappear.  Jason balked at the idea and told Sam that he did not want to do anything to hurt Spinelli or Winnifred like he had Michael. Sam wanted to know why Jason equated Winnifred and Spinelli with Michael. Jason said that he had failed Michael because time after time he had shown Michael that violence was the solution to every problem. He told Sam about the times that Michael had been kidnapped and even though Jason had saved him, it had always been with a gun.

Jason had tears in his eyes when he said that Spinelli and Winnifred were innocents, just like Michael, and he did not want to use Winnifred like he had Spinelli and potentially ruin her life as he had Michael's and Spinelli's.  Sonny called Jason and asked him to come home in time for the summit so that all the other mobsters would realize that Sonny was in charge and that Jason had willingly returned to the number two spot. Jason agreed. Spinelli and Maxie joined Jason and Sam and announced that Spinelli would not be leaving the country, but would be returning to Port Charles. Jason tried to talk him out of it, but both Maxie and Spinelli were insistent that he would return. 

Winnifred showed up and announced that she had been promoted and had security clearance high enough that she could make the evidence against Spinelli go away.  Jason tried to show Winnifred the dangers and pitfalls in her plan, but she was confident in her abilities and would not listen to any arguments to the contrary. Jason was outnumbered and gave in reluctantly as they agreed to return to Port Charles together.

Agent Rayner showed up at Jason's apartment as Jason and Sam talked about Spinelli's whereabouts. After showing them a search warrant, Agent Rayner's men started searching Jason's apartment, but they were unable to find Spinelli. Before the senior FBI agent left, he threatened to delay Sam's private investigator's license. He also put an APB out on Spinelli, calling him armed and dangerous. Spinelli would be shot if Jason didn't bring Sonny in.

After meeting with Nikolas, Sam went to Kelly's. She found Rebecca there and asked if Rebecca could be a little more sensitive when it came to Lucky and Nikolas. Rebecca said she didn't need to make any excuses for going out on one date with Lucky. Sam and Nikolas would just have to deal with it.

Alexis went to Jason's penthouse to tell him that she had caught Agent Winnifred Leeds huddled under Agent Rayner's desk. Alexis also let Jason know that Spinelli had been lurking in the FBI building disguised as a "Blues Brother."  Jason knocked on Winniefred’s door.  She answered it as Spinelli hid. Jason was furious as he barged into the apartment. He demanded that Spinelli show himself.  When Spinelli stepped out of hiding, Jason yelled at him. Jason told Spinelli that he had taken an unnecessary risk by sneaking into Rayner's office. Spinelli tried to justify what he had done, but Jason was more interested in the results. Spinelli admitted that they had been able to destroy the evidence on file. Unfortunately for Spinelli, they discovered that a backup file had been downloaded onto a flash drive. The flash drive remained hidden at an undisclosed location. Maxie walked into the apartment just as Jason warned Spinelli that if he continued to take risks then Jason would be forced to send Spinelli and Winnifred into hiding.

Claudia went to Jason's penthouse to make certain that Jason would attend the party at Greystone Manor. Jason was uneasy when he discovered that Claudia had planned the party, not Sonny. However, Jason did say that he would be at the party for Sonny's sake.  Rayner went to Jason's penthouse. The agent insisted that Jason wear a wire to Sonny's party.

At Jason's penthouse, Agent Rayner insisted that Jason wear a wire to Sonny's party. Jason refused to comply with Rayner's demands. Rayner reminded Jason what was at stake. He told Jason that he would have Spinelli arrested immediately if Jason did not cooperate. Rayner made it clear that he knew exactly where Spinelli was hiding out. Jason tried to dig in his heels, but Rayner would have none of it. He painted a bleak picture of Spinelli's future behind bars. Rayner then reminded Jason that Sonny was a career criminal.

Later, Jason asked Diane to meet him at his penthouse. Jason explained his situation to Diane. Diane told Jason that Spinelli's case was difficult to defend. Her only hope would be to plead diminished capacity. Jason feared that it would crush Spinelli to be deemed mentally unfit. Diane warned that it would only be a temporary solution. Diane believed that the FBI had a very strong case against Spinelli; eventually Spinelli would be convicted of criminal wrongdoing. After Diane left, Jason called Rayner. Jason agreed to wear the wire. A short time later, Rayner gave Jason last-minute instructions as Jason was fitted with a listening device.

Sam went to Rayner's office to talk to the agent about her private investigator's license. Sam wanted to know what it would take for Rayner to approve her PI license. Rayner told her that when the situation with Spinelli was resolved, he would back down. Sam was furious; she accused Rayner of being a hypocrite. During her tirade, Sam ripped Rayner's identification card from his jacket. She flung it back at him as she stormed out of the office. When the door was closed, Sam opened her hand. It appeared that Sam had switched Rayner's identification card. Later, Jason arrived at Greystone Manor. When Max tried to search Jason, Jason pulled away. Luckily for Jason, Sonny intervened; he told Max that Jason didn't need to be searched.

Winnifred and Spinelli hid under the desk as Sam, disguised as an FBI agent, entered the office and quickly discovered them. She had gained access by using the credentials that she had stolen from Agent Rayner earlier. Sam impressed Winnifred and Spinelli with her boldness. Spinelli's repeated attempts to defy the FBI firewall and get Winnifred's security upgrade met with failure. Sam told him that she had a better chance of getting the flash drive than either Winnifred or Spinelli. Spinelli was reluctant to give up, and pleaded with Sam for a little more time to crack the system. Winnifred fretted that they were running out of time and Agent Rayner would soon be back.

As the Feds listen in on the bug Jason was wearing, he and Sonny shared chitchat and vague references to business. The party at Sonny's was in full swing when Claudia made her entrance in a standout, silver dress. Ric complimented her, but she brushed him off. Ric sidled over to Sonny and Jason. When he questioned Jason's integrity, Jason grabbed him. Ric spilled his drink on Jason and the wire Jason was wearing stopped sending a signal. Sonny called the party to order and discussed the business of the party. He announced that he had taken back the Corinthos organization and was consolidating. Jason voiced his full support for Sonny and Sonny acknowledged Jason as his number two. Johnny also announced his support for Sonny.

Jason received a phone call from a very angry Rayner. He ordered Jason to make his excuses and meet Rayner's in his office immediately. When Jason got to Rayner's office, Rayner played a tape for him of a conversation between Sonny and Jason that at first sounded like it was about drugs but turned out to be about coffee. Rayner accused Jason of giving Sonny a heads-up. Then he told Jason that he was widening the search for Spinelli and placing Jason under arrest. As Sam slid her stolen keycard through the electronic lock for the room that held the evidence against Spinelli, a guard stopped her and demanded to know who she was and what she was doing there.

Agent Rayner yelled at Jason for revealing the wire to Sonny. Although he had no proof of that, Rayner was sure Jason had tipped Sonny off, because only coffee had been discussed on the tapes. Diane burst into the office and demanded to see the evidence that Rayner claimed to have against Jason and Spinelli. Next, the FBI agents brought Spinelli into Rayner's office in handcuffs. When Jason and Diane saw Spinelli, they both appeared concerned.

Meanwhile, another FBI agent saw Sam in the hallway of the FBI office and wanted to see her security clearance. Winnifred pounced on the situation and told Agent Samuels, a.k.a. Sam, that she needed to get into Winnifred's office immediately. In an effort to distract the other agent, Winnifred asked him to obtain some documents from the PCPD. As soon as the coast was clear, Sam slipped into the evidence room and erased the flash drive, making sure not to leave any fingerprints.

Rayner asked an assistant to get the evidence against Spinelli and Jason, but the assistant came back with bad news. A computer worm had compromised the file. Rayner was sure Spinelli was behind the worm, but he just laughed at Spinelli's attempt to destroy the evidence. He said Spinelli's situation had gotten worse because of the worm. Rayner revealed that a backup had been made on a flash drive, but the assistant said the flash drive was blank. Rayner became enraged and asked for the badge ID of the person who most recently entered the evidence room. He was shocked to learn his ID was the most recent one to be used to enter that room. Jason and Spinelli were free to go.

At Kelly's, Sam and Spinelli celebrated Spinelli's freedom from his legal troubles. Spinelli confessed that he had been impressed by Sam's resourcefulness during his ordeal with the FBI. He proposed that he and Sam open a private investigation business. Sam reminded Spinelli that she didn't have her PI license. While Spinelli tried to persuade Sam to agree to the joint business venture, Winnifred walked into Kelly's. Winnifred was distraught because she had been fired; she was considered a security risk. Spinelli was outraged on Winnifred's behalf. Sam reminded Spinelli that Winnifred had helped Spinelli break into Rayner's office. Spinelli pointed out that Rayner didn't have any proof; he wondered if Alexis could intervene. Sam told Spinelli that she didn't want her mother to become involved in FBI personnel issues. Winnifred revealed that Alexis couldn't help even if she were inclined to do so. Rayner had warned Winnifred that if she tried to fight her termination, he would order a full-scale investigation into the disappearance of the evidence against Spinelli. Spinelli made a surprising offer. He invited Winnifred to work for him and Sam. Winnifred beamed with joy while Sam appeared resigned to her fate.

Jason was displeased when he found Ric standing on his doorstep. Ric strolled into Jason's penthouse with an air of confidence. Ric suggested that he and Jason put their personal differences aside in order to band together. Jason scoffed at the idea; he had no interest in working with Ric. Ric warned Jason that Sonny would see Jason's reluctance to work with Ric as a sign of disloyalty. Jason wasn't intimidated by the threat. Ric's smug attitude led Jason to believe that Ric had leverage on someone. Jason vowed that he would find out what Ric was hiding. He promised to use the information to destroy Ric once and for all. Jason also warned Ric that he would make certain that Sonny never trusted Ric again. Ric countered that he would plant doubt about Jason in Sonny's mind. Jason's response was to throw Ric out of the penthouse.

Ric went to Rayner's office to strike a deal with the FBI agent. Ric would help Rayner take down Sonny and Jason in exchange for Rayner's promise to turn a blind eye when Ric took over Sonny's organization.

Jason ran into Robin on the pier. Robin was upset after her meeting with Lainey; she ran into Jason's arms. Robin opened up to Jason about her recent troubles. She told Jason that she had left Emma, unattended, at Kelly's for several hours while Robin had dashed off to work. Robin also revealed that she had left town and pretended to be someone else in order to escape her life in Port Charles. Jason tried to offer words of encouragement; he reminded Robin that Carly had recovered from PPD. Robin believed that it was time for her to accept that she was a terrible mother. She believed that Emma would be better off without Robin. Jason asked Robin if she truly wanted to give up her daughter. Robin welled up with tears as she confessed that she wanted to get better for her daughter's sake.

Jason walked into Sonny's house and was surprised to see Ric and his brother actually getting along. Ric had saved his brother's life and proven they could trust each other again. Jason was shocked, but Sonny revealed the truth as soon as Ric left. Sonny told Jason he was going by the motto, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

Jason walked down to the docks and saw Robin just as she dropped everything she had been carrying. He asked if she was okay, but Robin admitted she was not okay. She was suffering from postpartum depression. Jason tried to counsel his friend, and he knew from first-hand experience that it was painful to love someone who was suffering from the disease. Jason assured Robin that Patrick loved her and was just trying to help.

Jason got home and found Spinelli moaning in pain. Spinelli was disappointed to see Jason and begged him to leave before Maxie arrived. When Jason did not immediately leave, Spinelli told him that he was faking sick to keep Maxie from going on a Crimson assignment with Johnny. Maxie opened the door and overheard his confession. She chastised Spinelli for faking sick and interfering with a work assignment. Spinelli shot back that he feared she might get involved with Johnny, and she explained that the only reason that would happen was if Spinelli left her. Maxie chattered on and Spinelli found himself agreeing with her before she breezed out of the penthouse. After Maxie left, Spinelli wondered what exactly had happened. "She just played you, Spinelli," was Jason's response.

Even though Jason had warned him in advance, Sonny wanted to know why Jason had worn a wire to the mob party. Jason told him about the bind the FBI had put him in. When Sonny wondered about his loyalty, Jason was adamant when he told Sonny that he would never give Sonny up and that he had only worn the wire to buy time. Then Jason told Sonny that if Sonny had trust issues, he should get rid of Claudia. Sonny defended Claudia and said that he had tried to go straight, but that had ended with Michael getting shot. He said that with Claudia, he had the life he deserved and the wife he deserved. Sonny was glad that Jason's plan had succeeded and all the evidence against Spinelli and Jason had been destroyed. Sonny was pleased that Spinelli had finally gotten something right, but told Jason not to get involved with Spinelli anymore, because Spinelli was a flake. Then Sonny said that he needed Jason and his undivided attention. Sonny told Jason to start investigating Ian Devlin, and bring proof that Ian had acted alone and that there were no other parties responsible for Michael's shooting. Sonny insisted that Jason leave no stone unturned.

Sam was thrilled to get a phone call from Jason, and she immediately went over to his penthouse. Jason understood that her new businesses needed money, so he was willing to provide Spinelli's half of the start-up costs. Sam was grateful, but it was evident that Jason was even more grateful to Sam for giving Spinelli a chance. Jason warned Sam about Spinelli's downfalls, such as not being good on a stakeout and the need to keep him far away from guns. Sam could tell how much Jason cared about Spinelli and thought it was endearing.

While Sam and Jason were talking, Carly called Jason's cell phone. Michael's hand had just twitched, and it was the first sign of movement since he had been shot. Carly was encouraged by that development, but Patrick was checking the monitors and charts to see if there was any change in brain activity. Since Carly was unable to get in contact with Sonny, she asked Jason to relay the information. Carly promised to keep Jason updated as Patrick had more information for her.

DVD #20B  Jason walked into Greystone Manor while Johnny was at Ric's throat. Claudia pleaded with Jason to help her pull Johnny off of Ric. Jason preferred to watch the fight rather than intervene. Eventually, Claudia managed to pry her brother away from Ric. Ric was furious as he invited Claudia to explain to Jason why Johnny had attacked him. Claudia remained silent. Johnny made another threatening move, to shake Ric up, then stormed out of the house.

Claudia suggested to Ric that Ric crawl back under his rock. Ric wasn't impressed by Claudia's act of bravado, but he did leave. Jason turned to Claudia; he demanded to know what Ric was blackmailing her with. Claudia tried to deny that Ric was holding anything over her head, but Jason didn't believe her. Jason warned Claudia that she could tell him or she could tell Sonny. Claudia insisted that she wasn't the enemy. She told Jason that Sonny respected her. She also admitted that she had feelings for her husband. Sonny overheard the tail end of the conversation as he walked into the living room. Sonny wanted to know why Claudia was discussing their marriage with Jason. Claudia confirmed Jason's suspicions; she revealed that Ric was blackmailing her. Sonny asked Jason to leave so that Sonny could have a private talk with his wife.

Jason went to Mercy Hospital at Patrick's request. Patrick was worried about Robin's continued absence; he had hoped that Jason knew where Robin was. Jason told Patrick that he had not heard from Robin. Patrick admitted that he knew Robin had turned to Jason about her recent troubles. Patrick asked Jason to tell him what Robin had told Jason. Jason refused to betray Robin's confidence. Jason became distracted when he saw Elizabeth approach Patrick.

Elizabeth seemed momentarily shaken when she saw Jason. She quickly pulled herself together to focus on her work. Elizabeth told Patrick that the husband of the young mother, involved in the accident, had revealed that his wife suffered from acute postpartum depression.

Down the hall, Patrick was yelling at Jason to tell him where Robin is. Jason wouldn't be intimidated, and said Robin had talked to him in confidence. Liz interrupted and tried convincing Patrick to allow Robin some space. Besides, there was a patient waiting for him who needed surgery after she had crashed her car in a suicide attempt. Patrick worried Robin was in a suicidal state, but Liz and Jason assured him that Robin would never take her own life.

Jason arrived home and found Maxie waiting for him. She was irritated that he had been late meeting her after he had asked her to come over. Jason said he needed a favor, and Maxie was instantly at a loss for words. Jason needed Maxie to tell him everything about the night he had killed Ian Devlin. As much as she didn't want to, Maxie retold the story of Ian's shooting. As Ian had lay on the floor dying, he whispered something to Jason. Maxie hadn't known what Ian said, though. Jason revealed that Ian said, "There's more."

Carly went to the warehouse where Michael had been shot, and she imagined the event as if she had been there. She had just started to cry when Jason walked in silently and hugged her. It had been a year, and Carly still couldn't understand why that had happened to Michael. The two best friends talked about the past year and all the questions they didn't have answers to. Carly had to make a decision whether or not to risk Michael's life by choosing the experimental surgery. She had recently found out that the surgery had killed two out of ten patients. While the surgery could bring Michael out of the coma, it could also kill him.

Carly wanted Jason's advice with Michael's surgery options. Jason didn't want to give that kind of advice, though. He felt that all his past advice had been wrong. Jason's advice to Carly about her relationship with Sonny had put Michael in a life full of danger. Carly persisted until Jason said he thought Michael would rather take the risk of having the surgery than to continue living in a coma.

Carly and Jason both showed up at the coffee warehouse to mark the anniversary of Michael's shooting there. Carly was there to think about the decision she had to make about permitting potentially life-ending experimental surgery on Michael. Jason went to the warehouse to see if there were any clues to Michael's shooting that he might have missed at the time of the shooting. He told Carly that he wanted to find out the truth and punish the perpetrator, if someone else besides the late Ian Devlin had been involved. They continued to talk, unaware of a lurking listener.

Carly pointed out that revenge would not make him feel better, but Jason said that the crime against Michael cried out for justice. Carly and Jason spoke of their love for Michael and their feelings of guilt about the tragedy. Carly told Jason that she was going to see Sonny. She wanted to tell him that there was a two in ten chance that Michael would not survive the surgery. Carly felt it was too big a decision to make alone. She wanted to get Sonny's input on whether or not to allow the procedure. Jason and Carly laughed as they walked to the exit. When the door shut behind them, Ric came out of hiding as was revealed as the lurker. Jason appeared suddenly and put a gun to his head.

Despite the fact that Jason had a gun to his head, Ric could not resist taunting Jason when he said, "Don't tell me you are going to shoot me for something I didn't do." Though Jason did not believe that Ric was in the warehouse because Michael was his beloved nephew, his bravado did convince Jason to put down his gun. Jason told Ric that he was going to find out if anyone else had acted with Ian Devlin. Jason warned Ric that if he found out that Ric had had anything to do with Michael's shooting, or if Ric had knowledge of anyone who had, Jason would find Ric and kill him with his bare hands. Ric was visibly shaken when Jason left the warehouse.

Maxie went to Jason's apartment and tried to convince him to visit Robin in the hospital before she was released. Maxie feared Robin wouldn't take her medication or go to therapy once she was out of the hospital. Jason said he couldn't talk to Robin and convince her that therapy and medication was the best thing for her. After his accident, he underwent therapy and hated it. Maxie told him to quit making excuses to do nothing, and her comments seemed to have an effect on Jason.

Jason was on the docks when Robin ran into him after having been released from the hospital. He told her he was still trying to decide whether or not to come visit her. Robin confided in him the truth about the previous night. She had actually seen a little girl named Emma who claimed her mother hadn't wanted her. Robin thought she had hallucinated, and Jason agreed that perhaps her mind had created the child to convince her to seek treatment. Robin asked him if he would take medication for depression, but Jason couldn't answer that question. He didn't have a child relying on him and his life wasn't falling apart. Robin knew that Jason just wanted her to do whatever was necessary to get better for herself and her daughter. They were hugging when Patrick stumbled upon them.

Sam went to Jason's apartment to tell him that she would not be going into business with Spinelli. Sam's application had been declined. Sam had passed the test, but she had lacked experience. Jason felt bad for Sam; he realized how disappointed she was. Bernie and Spinelli joined Sam and Jason. Spinelli admitted that he had gone online to find a solution to their dilemma. Sam feared that Spinelli had engaged in illegal activity again. Spinelli assured Sam that he had merely done some research. During his search, Spinelli had discovered that Bernie was a licensed private investigator. Jason and Sam were surprised by the news. Bernie confirmed that he had once been a PI.

Spinelli suggested that Bernie open the private investigation business for Spinelli and Sam. Bernie adamantly opposed the idea. Bernie's concern was Spinelli. Bernie worried that Spinelli, a lose cannon, would act impulsively. Sam assured Bernie that she would keep a close eye on Spinelli. Jason went a step further; he guaranteed that Spinelli would remain on his best behavior. Jason promised that there would be no risk to Bernie's reputation if Bernie agreed to open the agency. To Spinelli and Sam's delight, Bernie finally agreed to help them go into business. Jason thanked Bernie. After Spinelli and Sam left, Bernie revealed that he had news about another matter that Jason had asked Bernie to look into.

Jason went to Greystone Manor to talk to Sonny. Jason told Sonny that he had found proof that Ian Devlin had not acted alone. Sonny asked if Jason had found the people who had paid Ian. Claudia had approached the room, but she stopped in her tracks when she heard Sonny's question.

Claudia stood outside the den as Jason told Sonny that Bernie had discovered an offshore bank account of Ian Devlin's that had been accessed during the previous few weeks. Money had been deposited after Michael's shooting, and recently someone was trying to withdraw funds. Spinelli was trying to track down who was accessing the funds, but Jason had his suspicions that it was Ric. As Jason and Sonny talked, Claudia walked in and realized she was interrupting a serious conversation. She apologized and asked if she and Sonny would still be going out for dinner. Sonny agreed to whatever dinner plans she arranged, so Claudia went upstairs to get ready. Sonny told Jason that he was worried Jason was blaming Ric just because of their past. Sonny thought Jason was holding a grudge against Ric and blaming him for Michael's shooting while the real perpetrator was getting away. Sonny decided to call Ric and ask him to head over and explain himself.

At Sonny's house, Ric spilled the beans about Claudia's part in Michael's shooting to Jason and Sonny, but Jason did not believe him and Sonny wanted proof. Ric produced Jerry's distinctive DVD, which Sonny recognized. Ric told him that Jerry had hidden them in Sonny's house for Claudia to find as part of a sick game. When Sonny said it sounded far-fetched, Ric said that Jerry had been in business with Ian Devlin and both had some kind of deal with Claudia. Ric said that the hit on Sonny was strictly mob revenge gone horribly wrong.

Jason said that Ric was lying, and Ric said that Jason was jealous. Sonny said it was time to watch the video, just as Claudia entered the room. Sonny told her to stay for the show. When Sonny pushed the button, the DVD failed to load. Ric tried unsuccessfully to make it play. He accused Claudia of sabotage. Claudia remained cool and pretended ignorance about the DVD. She called Ric a liar. He responded by accusing her of wiping out the DVD. Jason took Claudia's side, but Sonny wanted more proof, and said that if either Ric or Claudia left town, he would take that as a sign of guilt.

Jason took Ric to the docks and put a gun to his head. Ric asked if Jason was going to kill him just because Jason hated him. Jason said no, that Sonny wanted proof, so Jason would wait until he got it, though he was convinced of Ric's guilt. Ric said that Jason was going to look like a fool, because Ric had a duplicate DVD and the truth would come out and vindicate him.

Jason went to Greystone Manor to question Claudia about Ric's accusation that she had hired Ian Devlin. Claudia went on the offensive. She admitted that she thought Jason would be the last person to believe anything that Ric had said. Claudia accused Ric of trying to set her up. Claudia managed to dance around Jason's questions while spinning a web of lies about Ric. Claudia insisted that Ric was the one who had hired Ian, not her. Jason wasn't convinced of Claudia's version of the truth. Her desperation spoke volumes to Jason. Jason pointed out that, at the time of the shooting, Claudia had more reason to want Sonny dead than Ric did. Jason promised to uncover the truth. He warned Claudia that she would pay dearly if she had arranged the hit on Sonny.

Max revealed that the last time Carly had suffered fainting spells, she had been pregnant with Morgan. Max's comment confirmed Diane's suspicions; she was certain that Carly was pregnant. Diane jumped to the conclusion that Carly was trying to hide the pregnancy because Jax wasn't the baby's father. Max agreed that it was a possibility that Sonny was the father of Carly's baby. Diane rationalized that if Carly was pregnant with Sonny's child, then she'd reach out to Jason. As if on cue, Jason walked into the lobby. Diane and Max quickly learned that Carly had asked Jason to stop by. Max decided to pull Diane away before she said too much to Jason.  A short time later, Carly told Jason that she might be pregnant.

Jason went with Carly to her house. She wanted Jason to keep her company while she took the pregnancy test. Carly's behavior worried Jason; he feared that she was anxious about the pregnancy test because Sonny might be the father. Carly confessed that she was apprehensive about the test because Dr. Lee suspected that Carly might have a life-threatening disorder. Carly revealed that she had not had the test, which would confirm that she had the blood clotting disorder. Jason urged Carly to take the pregnancy test and to schedule an appointment with Dr. Lee. Jason was called away before Carly could take the pregnancy test.

When Jason arrived home, Spinelli told Jason that he had found proof that Jerry Jacks had withdrawn money from Ian Devlin's offshore account. A few minutes later, Sam arrived at the penthouse with news about her business venture with Spinelli. Sam had found an office, which she wanted Spinelli to see. While Spinelli dashed upstairs to fetch some things, Jason told Sam that Jerry Jacks had resurfaced. Jason wanted Sam to help keep Spinelli out of Jerry's way.

Spinelli returned to the living room carrying a box. When Jason checked the contents of the box, he discovered a gun inside. Jason reminded Spinelli that the last time that Spinelli held a gun, he had shot himself in the foot. Spinelli reluctantly agreed stay away from firearms. Jason confiscated the gun from Spinelli.

Sonny arrived at the penthouse a short time after Sam and Spinelli had left. Sonny was incensed when Jason told him that Jerry Jacks was alive. Sonny and Jason realized that the only way they would discover who was involved in Michael's shooting was to question Jerry Jacks.

Spinelli told Jason that he couldn't find any more information on Jerry Jax. Spinelli thought Jason should talk to Jax and Carly, but Jason was totally against that idea. Things were hard enough on Carly, and Jason didn't want to upset her unnecessarily. Sonny soon showed up at Jason's penthouse to talk about Claudia and Jerry. Jason asked what Sonny would do if they found out Claudia was responsible for Michael's shooting. Although Sonny had been surprised at how well his marriage was going with Claudia, he would deal with her like anyone else who hurt his child.

Before Sonny left, he told Jason that he didn't want to hurt Carly with information about Michael's shooting. Besides, the last time Sonny had seen Carly, she hadn't looked well. He asked if Jason knew anything, but Jason just assured him that Carly would tell Sonny if and when there was anything to tell.

Jason visited Carly at home, and she quickly told him that she needed his emotional support to take her pregnancy test. Carly explained that if she was pregnant and had the blood disorder the doctors suspected, she might have to terminate the pregnancy. Carly went into the bathroom to take the test, and Jason helped her back to the couch when she was done. She wanted Jason to read the test, but he didn't want to touch it. Carly pleaded, and Jason took the test from her and stared at it.

Jason read the pregnancy test results. Carly was ecstatic to find out she was pregnant. Jason wanted her to see a doctor and get tested for the potentially life-threatening blood disorder that Carly's obstetrician though she might have. Carly did not want to think pessimistically, but chose optimism instead. Jason encouraged her to wait until she was tested and she had talked to Jax, but Carly said she was determined to have the baby and she was sure that she could beat the 50-50 odds. Jason left after Carly agreed to talk to her doctor and have the test. She told him that she would not tell Jax until she had good news for him.

Maxie arrived at Jason's penthouse, much to Jason's despair. Maxie wanted Jason's help in winning Spinelli back. Jason wasn't very interested in helping Maxie, but he did tell her that she just needed to be honest. Maxie didn't get the message and continued talking about lying to Spinelli and how that might be the best option. Spinelli walked in, and when he saw her, he almost called her Maximista. Maxie rushed over when his tone changed and he greeted her as Maxie. She didn't want to be Maxie, the girl who wasn't Spinelli's best friend. Jason quickly made an excuse to leave. 

Jasosn headed over to Carly’s and Jax answered the door. Jax told him that Carly is pregnant and is at the doctor’s. Jax asked Jason to not upset Carly. Jason mentions that he probably shouldn’t tell her that Jerry was partially responsible for Michael being shot. Jason wants to know where Jerry is? He demands to know when the last time Jax saw Jerry was? Jason points out that it will be a lot easier to protect Carly if Jerry is out of the picture. Jax believes he is probably half way across the world and Jerry has no reason to return to Port Charles. Jason furiously asks if he doesn’t think Michael deserves justice? When Jason walked back into his penthouse, he was relieved to see Maxie had left. Spinelli, however, had found a renewed sense of commitment to finding Jerry. He had located Jerry, and, much to their surprise, Jerry was in Port Charles.

Sonny went to Jason's penthouse to check on Jason's progress locating Jerry. Jason assured Sonny that Spinelli was working on it. Spinelli admitted that he was having difficulty. Sonny reminded Spinelli of the importance of them finding Jerry; Jerry was responsible for Michael's shooting. Spinelli decided that his computer at his new office would speed the process of sifting through surveillance footage around Port Charles.

After Spinelli left, Sonny told Jason about Claudia's pregnancy. Sonny was determined to find out if Claudia had been responsible for Michael's shooting. Jason found the timing of Claudia's pregnancy suspicious. He asked Sonny if it was possible that Claudia was faking her pregnancy. Sonny admitted that he had overheard Claudia scheduling an appointment for an abortion. Sonny didn't think Claudia would have done that if she weren't pregnant.

Shortly after Sonny left, Sam stopped by to offer to help Jason find Jerry. Jason declined Sam's services. Jason insisted that he needed to deal with Jerry on his own. Jason intended to get answers from Jerry before he made Jerry pay for his role in Michael's shooting. Sam didn't understand the importance of questioning Jerry. Sam was certain that Ric had made up the story about Claudia's involvement in the shooting simply to torture Sonny. Jason told Sam about Claudia's pregnancy to explain why they needed to know the truth.

Jason sensed that the news of Claudia's pregnancy had hit Sam hard. She admitted that her first thought, upon hearing the news, had been of her own daughter. Sam realized that, had she lived, her daughter would be expecting a new sibling. Sam couldn't believe how easily Sonny impregnated women.

Spinelli interrupted when he called Jason with news that Jerry had been located at the 10th Street Garage. Jason cornered Jerry in the 10th Street Garage. Jason held Jerry at gunpoint while he ordered Jerry to hand over the car keys. Jason pressed the remote button to unlock the doors of Jerry's car. As the car exploded, a powerful blast threw both men backwards.

Jason and Jerry were unconscious following a violent explosion. Alexis arrived on the scene moments after Jerry's car went up in flames. She immediately called for an ambulance. A short time later, as Jason and Jerry were rushed to the hospital, Alexis called Jax to tell him that Jerry had been injured.

Jax met Alexis at the hospital. Alexis updated Jax on Jerry and Jason's conditions. Jax worried that the news of Jason's injury could be too upsetting for Carly. Jax worried that the shock could cause Carly to miscarry the baby. Patrick worked on Jason. Monica was on hand to assist. When Matt joined the team, Patrick confided to his brother that Jason might be in a coma. Carly raced to Jason's side. She was horrified when she saw Jason, unconscious, in a hospital bed. Jax walked in just as Carly collapsed.

In Jason's cubicle, Monica told an unconscious Jason that she loved him and worried about his head injury. Carly got there just in time to overhear the last part and fainted, but Jax was there to catch her. Maxie immediately rushed to Jason's cubicle, where Monica was examining him. When Monica left, Maxie told Jason that he had to wake up because Spinelli and a lot of other people depended on him. She slapped him, but when she raised her hand again, Jason's eye's popped open and he grabbed her wrist.

Monica and Matt examined Jason while Maxie watched. Monica was thrilled that Jason was awake and showed no signs of serious injury. Jason asked what had happened to Jerry. Matt told him that Jerry was gone, but the police were looking for him. Jason wanted to see Carly. When Matt told Jason that Carly had been admitted because she fainted, he insisted on getting out of bed and seeing her. Despite pleas from Monica and Maxie, Jason left the cubicle to find Carly. Spinelli rushed to the ER and found Maxie waiting. He was so relieved to find that Jason was okay that he hugged Maxie and called her "Maximista." 

Jason found Carly and they talked. She told him about her condition. He encouraged her to discuss the situation with Jax, but she insisted that she would have the baby despite the risk to her health. Neither was aware that Jax was listening to their conversation.

Sonny and Jason met up in the hospital. Jason told Sonny that the bomb had been meant for Jerry, who had disappeared. They also talked about Michael. When Sonny found out that Carly had been admitted to the hospital, he left to find her, and Jason went off to look for Jerry. Claudia was shocked when Jason showed up to talk to her about the bomb that had been meant for Jerry.

At Sonny's house, Jason asked Claudia what she knew about Jerry's car bombing. Claudia assumed Jason was asking if she was behind the bomb, so she instantly became defensive. Jason said he just wanted information, but suddenly Claudia doubled over in stomach pain. Jason asked if she was okay, and the pain seemed to subside. Claudia poured herself a glass of water and told Jason she was tired of his accusations. They were interrupted when Sonny arrived home and demanded Claudia leave.

Once they were alone, Sonny told Jason about Carly's blood clotting disorder. Jason already knew, and Sonny seemed upset that Jason had not told him earlier about the condition. Sonny's main concern was making sure Carly terminated the pregnancy. Sonny wanted Jason to convince Carly to have an abortion. Jason says that he is also scared for Carly but she is the only one who can make that choice and they have to trust her.

Jason arrived home and called Diane over to give him some advice. He told her his suspicions about Ian Devlin having an accomplice when Michael had been shot. Diane knew Ric wasn't credible, so his claims about having Jerry's DVD didn't convince her of anything. However, Diane was convinced that there was something to the story after Jason said Jax had also admitted to having a DVD. Jason was sure Claudia had hired Jerry and Ian to kill Sonny, but he didn't have the proof. 

Diane agreed with his theory and knew they needed Jerry to tie up all the loose ends. Jason was sure Jerry had survived the car bomb, because Jerry was gone from the emergency room by the time Jason emerged from his unconscious state. Jason felt that Claudia had tried to kill Jerry to make sure he couldn't confirm Sonny's suspicions. If Claudia were behind Michael's shooting, Sonny would make her life hell. Claudia was crazy, though, and the child would be the one most affected by Sonny's rage.

At the penthouse, Jason was on the phone with Carly. Jason admitted to Carly that he was worried; he wanted Carly to take care of herself and the baby. When Jason ended the call, Maxie asked if Carly was okay. Jason answered, "No." He did not elaborate beyond that.

Jason asked Maxie why she was at the penthouse. Maxie explained that she needed Jason's help to win Spinelli back. Maxie wanted Jason to convince Spinelli to forgive her. Jason refused to talk to Spinelli on Maxie's behalf. He insisted that it was up to Maxie to work things out with Spinelli. Maxie prattled on about how hot, and probably good in bed, Johnny was. Jason suggested that Maxie refrain from talking about Johnny in front of Spinelli. Jason explained that Spinelli felt threatened by Johnny. It was one of the reasons Spinelli threw himself into harm's way. Maxie didn't think that Spinelli had to prove himself to her. Maxie hatched a plan; she decided that actions spoke louder than words. She quickly left the penthouse, determined to win Spinelli back.

Spinelli went to the penthouse. Spinelli wanted to carry a gun. Jason advised Spinelli against arming himself with a weapon. Jason explained that even a skilled marksman could make a mistake. Jason pointed to Michael's tragedy as an example of how things could go wrong when a gun was involved. Jason assured Spinelli that he was smart enough to do his job without a gun.

Jax went to Jason's penthouse. Jax asked Jason to postpone going after Jerry. Jax promised Jason that if he waited to kill Jerry until after the baby was born, Jax would not interfere.

At the office, Sam walked in and told Spinelli she had their first client. Spinelli corrected her and said Maxie had someone stalking her, so Maxie had hired Spinelli to nab the stalker. Sam told Spinelli about her client, Mr. Latham, who thought his wife was cheating on him. They each prepared to work on their separate cases, but before they left each other, Sam begged Spinelli to call her or Jason if he needed backup. Spinelli was determined to prove to everyone, including their clients, that he was strong and dangerous.

Sonny arrived at Jason's and was surprised to see Jax waiting for him. Jax wanted to make sure Sonny didn't tell Carly about Jerry's involvement in Michael's shooting. Sonny was more concerned about Carly carrying Jax's baby, though. Sonny felt Jax should have tried harder to convince Carly to terminate the pregnancy.

Jax told Jason and Sonny that his priority was to lessen Carly's stress. He wanted to wait until after the pregnancy to tell Carly about Jerry. Sonny explained that he to find Jerry so they could get the answers they needed about Michael's shooting. Jax told Sonny that he should just concentrate on Michael and the procedure that would be done, but Sonny was furious and felt that Jax was trying to tell him how to be a father.

After Jax left, Jason said there was no way they could hurt Jerry because of Carly's condition. He agreed with Jax, and he didn't want to upset Carly. Sonny still wanted answers from Jerry, but Jason asked what Sonny would do if Jerry confirmed that Claudia was behind Michael's shooting. Sonny wasn't sure what he was going to do. He couldn't kill a pregnant woman, and he couldn't kill a woman who had just given birth to his child. Sonny knew he also couldn't allow Claudia to get away with her role in Michael's shooting if they confirmed she had a role.

Sonny and Jason left the penthouse separately. Jason was just hanging up his cell phone when Sam called out to him. She was wearing a bikini and had been investigating a client's wife. Sam jumped into Jason's arms from a balcony above where he was standing and told him to run.

Once back in the offices of McCall & Jackal, wearing Jason's black leather jacket, she told him that she had been on a case and had followed a cheating wife into a spa. She had taken off her clothes and donned a robe to blend in. Eventually she found the wife with a female lover, who took offense when Sam snapped a photo of the twosome for the hubby. Sam lost her robe when she made a hasty exit through the bathroom window.

Her story made Jason smile, but Sam wanted to know about his latest injuries. He told her about Jerry's involvement in Michael's shooting. Jason said that he was sure that Claudia was also involved. Jason told Sam that he had captured Jerry earlier, but before he could learn anything, Jerry's car had exploded and Jerry had escaped from the hospital, where they had both been taken for treatment.

Sam wanted to know if Jason had any proof. Jason said that while he lacked proof, there were some very telling indicators. He said that a low-level Zacchara flunky named Fredo had dropped out of sight right after the bombing and that, coincidentally, his specialty was explosives. Sam agreed that it was likely that Claudia had ordered the bombing to keep Jerry quiet. She also pointed out that Jason could not tell Sonny that his pregnant wife was responsible for the shooting of his comatose son.

Jason went to visit Michael. Patrick entered the room a few minutes later. Jason and Patrick talked about Michael's prognosis. Patrick admitted that recent tests had revealed that it was critical for Michael to undergo surgery immediately. Jason reminded Patrick that Carly was out of town. Patrick insisted that time was of the essence; he needed someone to give consent for the surgery. Jason told Jax about his conversation with Patrick. Jax worried that the change in plans might add to Carly's stress.

Elizabeth was surprised when she walked into Michael's room to find Jason alone with Michael. She apologized for intruding. Jason was relieved when he learned that Elizabeth would be part of Michael's surgical team. Elizabeth and Jason began talking about Jake. Jason hoped that his choice to walk away from Jake had spared his son from a fate similar to Michael's. Elizabeth reminded Jason that he wasn't responsible for what had happened to Michael. She also told Jason that giving up Jake had been a selfless act on Jason's part.

Elizabeth asked Jason if he remembered what the significance of the following day was. Jason smiled in answer. Elizabeth thought it would be a wonderful miracle if Michael woke up on Jake's birthday.

Jax returned to Michael's room to talk to Jason. He told Jason that he had decided to postpone Michael's surgery. Jax was convinced that Patrick's desire to operate on Michael stemmed from guilt over not being able to spare Michael from a coma following the shooting. Jax also informed Jason that he did not want Carly to know about Patrick's desire to operate on Michael.

Carly walked into Michael's room. She thought Michael looked healthier since his arrival at General Hospital. Jason asked Carly how she was doing. Carly said that the doctors ran a battery of tests and checked her thoroughly. They had given her a mountain of information and instructions to follow. They assured her that, if she followed their guidelines, her risk for pregnancy complications would be reduced to less than 25 percent. Jason decided that Carly had a right to know about Patrick's diagnosis. Jason told her that Patrick was certain that they only had a small window of opportunity to operate. If they missed it, then Michael wouldn't emerge from his coma.

In Michael's room, Carly asked Jason what she should do about Michael's surgery. Jason explained the options, as he understood them. According to Jason, Patrick insisted that Michael didn't have the luxury of time. Carly was conflicted. She loved Jax, but she realized that Jax would err on the side of caution to avoid any risk to her pregnancy. However, Michael was Carly's child and her impulse was to do whatever she could for him.

Jason offered to find Sonny, so that Carly could talk things over with him. Carly declined because of Sonny's feelings about her pregnancy. She worried that Sonny would just add to her stress. Patrick walked into the room a moment later. He was relieved that Carly had returned. Patrick began to plead his case for Michael's surgery. When Jax joined them, Jax presented Dr. Hensen's position. Carly calmly listened to Patrick and Jax.

Jax realized that Carly had made her decision. Carly confirmed it; she gave Patrick her consent to operate on Michael. Jax attempted to persuade Carly to delay the surgery. Carly wasn't swayed. When he tried to enlist Jason's help, Jason supported Carly's decision. After Patrick left to prepare for the surgery, Sonny entered the room. Carly informed Sonny that she had given Patrick her approval to operate on Michael. Sonny asked to speak to Carly alone.

Outside of Michael's room, Claudia suggested to Jason that they work through their issues. Jason's response was to tell Claudia that she didn't have any right to be around Michael. Elizabeth and an orderly wheeled Michael out of his room. Carly kissed Michael before he was taken to surgery. Jason glared at Claudia.Epiphany showed Carly, Sonny, Jax, and Jason to a private waiting room. Claudia walked in moments later. Carly ignored Claudia. Sonny quietly suggested that Claudia leave, but she refused.

Carly and Jax waited with Sonny, Jason, and Claudia as Patrick began Michael's surgery. It was evident that Claudia was annoying everyone, so Sonny took his wife out in the hallway for a walk. He asked Claudia to go home after her appointment with Dr. Lee, but Claudia didn't think that was a good idea. She tried to get him to go to her appointment with her, but Sonny wanted to focus completely on Michael. Once Sonny and Claudia were gone, Jax left to check in with Olivia. Jason sat at Carly's side and tried to help her learn how to meditate. The doctors had told her it could help her blood pressure and give her a better chance of surviving the pregnancy.

Claudia waltzed back into the waiting area and bragged about how great her pregnancy was going. Carly couldn't stand being around Claudia any longer, so she soon made her escape to the restroom. As soon as Carly left the room, Jax demanded Claudia leave. Jason agreed with him, and Sonny pointed out that they must know some evidence against Claudia, because they were becoming hostile against his wife. Sonny, Jax, and Jason immediately shut up when Carly walked back in the room. It was too late, though. Carly knew something was going on. Patrick and Matt began Michael's surgery. They were doing well until they began to implant the devices into Michael's brain. Suddenly, Michael started to crash.

Patrick, Matt, Elizabeth, and the Operating Room team were able to get Michael's heart restarted and continue with the brain surgery, while Carly, Jax, Jason, Sonny, and Claudia waited and worried in the family lounge. After Michael's heart stopped, Jax wanted to see Sonny outside the lounge. Jason stayed with Carly and Claudia went out to the lobby. Olivia arrived with fresh fruit for Carly and was upset to see Claudia. 

Jason tried to help Carly stay calm. He told her to think about something pleasant. Carly remembered the time that she, Michael, and Jason had gone to Florida and spent time on the beach. She reminisced and felt better.

While Jax comforted Carly, Jason went to the lobby and talked to Sonny, whom he urged to send Claudia home. Sonny said Carly was too upset by Michael's surgery to be bothered by Claudia. Sonny told Jason the same thing that he had told Olivia. Sonny said that he had his own reasons for keeping Claudia close.

Sonny, Claudia, Olivia, and Jason were in the lounge with Jax and Carly when Jax suggested to Carly that she ask Patrick to stop the surgery on Michael and wait for Dr. Hansen. Sonny agreed with him. Claudia put in her opinion, which upset not only Carly, but Olivia and Jason, as well. Carly was torn about what to do. Jason strongly advised her to let Patrick continue the surgery instead of stopping halfway through the procedure.

In the OR things were progressing smoothly. Michael had a bleeder, but Patrick quickly handled the problem and the team successfully implanted four of the electrodes necessary to stimulate Michael's brain and bring him to consciousness.

Sam was at GH working a case when she saw Jason and followed him to the roof. He was glad to see her and told her that he had advised Carly to continue the surgery mainly because he did not want Carly to blame herself if Michael did not wake up. He said this way, if anything happened to Michael, he would be at fault and he would have to live with it, not Carly.

Carly called Patrick in the OR. When she asked him what would happen if they stopped the surgery, he told her that Michael would be stabilized and in a permanent coma with no hope of recovery.

At the hospital, Jason and Sam walked to the roof so Jason could get a breath of fresh air and get away from Claudia. He still harbored guilt over Michael's shooting, and he hated not being able to tell Sonny and Carly about Claudia's role in the shooting. It would be especially devastating for Carly to learn that her husband knew Jerry had also been involved. If Jax had never stood up for Jerry after the Metro Court shooting, Jerry wouldn't have been free to collaborate with Claudia, and Michael might not have been shot. Sam reminded Jason that he just needed to focus on Michael and forget Claudia for the time being.

Jason sat at Michael's bedside when Monica walked into the hospital room. Jason asked Monica for her medical opinion about Michael's condition. Monica reluctantly admitted that she didn't think Michael would wake up. Carly entered the room in time to hear Monica's diagnosis. Monica immediately apologized. Monica told Carly that she hoped and prayed Michael woke up, apologized again, and then left.

Carly was furious. She told Jason that she wanted Michael surrounded by positive energy. Carly refused to have anyone who didn't have complete faith in Michael's recovery near her son. Jax walked in and was immediately concerned when he realized that Carly was upset. Carly reiterated that she didn't want any negative energy around Michael. Jax reminded Carly that she had another son and a baby on the way. Carly assured Jax that she and the baby were fine.

Jason stepped into the hallway to talk to Monica. Jason apologized to Monica for Carly's reaction. Monica assured Jason that he didn't need to apologize or explain on Carly's behalf. Monica had been in Carly's shoes following Jason's accident. Monica understood exactly what Carly was feeling. However, it was Monica's medical opinion that Michael would not recover. She admitted that she could be wrong, but if she wasn't then she wanted Jason to be prepared. Monica told Jason that, if the worst happened, Jason and Carly would need each other.

Jason approached Sonny as Claudia was leaving. Jason said nothing as he watched Claudia walk away. When Claudia was out of hearing range, Sonny asked Jason why Jason continually tried to drive Claudia away. Sonny explained that he was attempting to set Claudia up because he was desperate for proof of Claudia's involvement in Michael's shooting. Sonny revealed that Claudia's weakness was her desperation to be Sonny's wife and partner. Sonny intended to exploit Claudia's desire to be accepted by Sonny, so that she would drop her guard and eventually slip up.

Ric and Claudia continued to threaten each other while they argued about the baby. Their argument came to an abrupt halt when they heard a noise by the door. When Ric and Claudia turned, they discovered that Jason stood in the doorway.

Jason walked in and listened as Claudia and Ric argued back and forth. Jason wasn't sure why Ric was hanging around so much, so Jason asked if Ric and Claudia were working together. Ric, not able to take the heat from Jason, finally left. Once they were alone, Jason admitted to Claudia that he knew she was behind Michael's shooting. Sonny wouldn't kill her once he found out, because she was the mother of his child. Jason knew she shouldn't be alive, though, and shouldn't have even had the opportunity to become pregnant with Sonny's child. Sonny walked in as they argued, and asked what was going on.

Sonny entered his den and interrupted a heated discussion between Jason and Claudia. When he wanted to know what was going on, Claudia spun a yarn about Jason protecting her from Ric's harassment. As Claudia talked, Jason rolled his eyes. Sonny appeared to accept Claudia's story, but as soon as she went upstairs, Sonny wanted to know the true story from Jason. Before Jason could speak up, Sonny answered a call from Lulu, who told him that Michael was out of the coma. Both Sonny and Jason were ecstatic and rushed off to General Hospital.

Michael was asking questions of Patrick when Sonny and Jason walked in. Both men were tearful when they saw Michael and he recognized them. Jason said that he was off to get Carly. Michael wanted to know why she was not there. He also wanted to know what had happened to him. Instead of answering his questions, Sonny apologized and told Michael that what had happened to him was all Sonny's fault.

Jason arrived to tell Carly the news that Michael was awake. Carly had a wide smile and tears in her eyes as she told Michael how much she loved him and how glad she was that he was back with them. She took him in her arms and hugged him close, but Michael's reaction was passive and he did not appear to reciprocate Carly's enthusiasm for their reunion.

Sonny, Jason, Carly, and Jax gathered in Michael's room to talk to him. Everyone was thrilled he was awake. Jason left Michael's room temporarily to call the Quartermaines. Monica answered the phone and said she was busy at that moment. Jason stopped her and said Michael was awake. Monica didn't understand that comment at first and thought Jason simply meant that Michael had made a small movement. Jason corrected her and told her Michael's eyes were open and he was talking. Monica promised she would be on her way to the hospital immediately.

Jason was alone with Michael when Monica and Edward stopped by to visit. They were very happy to see the boy awake, but it was clear to everyone that Michael was hesitant and unsure of what had changed while he was unconscious. After the visitors left, Michael commented about his legs hurting. Jason told him that his legs had atrophied. Michael was shocked, because he knew a person had to be unconscious for quite a while for atrophy to set in. Jason realized he had slipped, so he admitted that Michael had been asleep for a long time. Jason promised that Michael would be told what had happened as soon as Carly and Sonny decided it was time.

Patrick reported the results were good. Once Patrick had left, Michael began to insist again on being told the truth about what had happened to him. Sonny and Carly disagreed over when Michael would be ready for the full story. Jason and Sonny left the increasingly tense situation, and outside, Jason tried to convince Sonny to give Michael some time before bombarding him.

Sam stopped by Jason's penthouse to drop off surveillance video for Spinelli. Sam asked Jason why he was sitting in the dark; she worried that something terrible had happened. Jason revealed that Michael had emerged from his coma. Sam got two bottles of beer out the refrigerator then invited Jason to speak his mind. Jason explained that Michael was awake and talking, but he had no memory of being shot.

Sam was happy that the surgery had been a success. She didn't understand why Jason seemed troubled. Jason explained that everyone who had visited Michael had been consumed by guilt for failing to protect Michael. Jason worried that the pressure of all that guilt was too much for Michael to handle. Sam agreed that it was a valid concern, but she was confident that therapy and support from Michael's loved ones would help Michael cope with everything.

Sam asked if there was a possibility that Michael could relapse into a coma. Jason wasn't certain, but he confided that Patrick had warned them to take it easy with Michael. Jason revealed that Michael was asking questions and Sonny wanted to tell Michael about the shooting. Jason was concerned that it was too soon for Michael to hear that his head injury had been the result of a sniper's bullet.

Sam reminded Jason that he wasn't Michael's father; it wasn't up to Jason to decide when Michael should be told about the shooting. Sam assured Jason that Michael would recover. She urged Jason to give Michael time to figure things out for himself. Sam was confident that Michael would grow to trust Jason the way that she did.

At the hospital, Carly eavesdropped as Michael confided in Lulu. He felt like the dead animal carcass in an animal documentary he had seen, and his parents were the hyenas who were attacking the carcass. Carly was the worst, though. Michael told his cousin that he wanted Carly to go back to her life with Jax and their new unborn baby.

After hearing Michael's words, Carly ran to the waiting area, where Jason saw her tears. He tried to comfort Carly and told her that Michael needed some time and space to sort out his feelings. Carly had a hard time understanding that and didn't think she could leave her son alone.

At General Hospital, everyone started yelling at each other after Michael said he wanted to live with his father. Sonny, Carly, and Edward were all desperate to keep Michael out of the other ones' care. Michael suddenly couldn't contain his frustration any longer and yelled at all of them. He was done being their pawn and wanted everyone to leave. Jason walked in and helped enforce Michael's decision. Jason walked back into Michael's room and asked if there was anything he could do to help the young boy. Michael couldn't believe how out of control his temper was. Jason had experienced a similar situation after his brain injury, and Michael was comforted to realize how much he and Jason had in common. Michael was worried about having a brain injury, but Jason told him not to jump to conclusions. No one had diagnosed any brain injuries with Michael yet.