Jason demanded to know if Carter had been the one to attack Michael. Michael would only tell Jason that Carter was trouble and not to be trusted. As short time later, Jason found Michael staring with longing beyond the cell bars. He reminded Jason that life was going on without them. Michael admitted that he could never be the person that he had once been. They were interrupted when a guard announced that Michael had a visitor. Dante was waiting for Michael when Jason entered the visitor's room. Dante demanded to know where Michael was. Jason answered, "You got me instead."

6/4 At Pentonville, Jason refused to let Dante visit Michael. Dante insisted that he was trying to get Michael out of prison, but Jason snapped that Dante would only be able to see Michael once Dante could actually free Michael. Dante didn't think Jason needed to protect Michael from Dante. Jason reminded Dante that Dante had betrayed Michael. Jason believed that Dante was only pretending to care about Michael to get close to Sonny again. Jason thought Dante still wanted to build a case against Sonny. Jason told Dante that he'd never trust Dante again.

Back in their cell, Jason informed Michael that Dante was still working on getting Michael released. Michael didn't believe that Dante actually cared about him. Jason assured the boy that Dante wouldn't visit again until Dante had the paperwork to release Michael. Michael was sure Dante was only acting nice to get closer to Sonny. Jason warned Michael that Sonny would always give Dante the benefit of the doubt. Michael wondered if Sonny felt closer to Dante because Dante was Sonny's biological son. Jason reminded Michael that Dante was a liar, but that fathers loved their children unconditionally.

In the visitor's room, Spinelli greeted Jason. As Spinelli babbled on, Jason studied his friend with concern. Jason revealed that Sam had also voiced that she was worried for Spinelli. Spinelli assured Jason that he was engaged in meaningful missions. Jason immediately suspected that Carly had dragged Spinelli into one of her crazy schemes. In the cell, Michael practiced some fighting moves. Carter arrived and warned Michael that his new moves wouldn't do Michael any good.

6/7 Spinelli visited Jason in prison. Jason wanted to know about Carly's plot for revenge against Dante. At first, Spinelli was reluctant to tell, but eventually he told Jason about Carly's plan to hurt Dante and break up his relationship with Lulu. Jason wanted to know why Spinelli would hurt Lulu, but Spinelli rationalized that Lulu would be better off once Dante was out of her life. While Jason was with Spinelli, Carter confronted Michael and told him not to get too comfortable because Jason might not always be around to protect him.

Carter approached Jason with a knife, but Jason got the upper hand and pinned Carter against a cell wall. Jason demanded that Carter tell him what he had done to Michael, but Carter ran away, leaving Jason with the knife. Back in their cell, Jason told Michael that Carter had tried to kill him. Jason told Michael he needed to know why. Michael said that he was very glad that Jason was there and that he did feel safer. Michael told Jason that Carter was responsible for his bruises.

6/8 Sam was not happy to see Kristina with Johnny. Kristina explained that Johnny had helped her out when some girls had been bullying her. Sam appreciated Johnny's help, but she followed him out to the porch to let him know that she would not stand by while he used Kristina to get back at Sonny. Johnny made it clear that he thought that Kristina was a sweet young girl, so he would never use her like that. Sam thought that it would be best if Johnny stayed away from Kristina until he reached some sort of truce with Sonny.

At Pentonville, Michael and Jason sat in their jail cell talking about Carter. Jason was curious when Carter had first attacked Michael and if there had been any additional incidents. Michael slowly revealed that Carter had initially befriended him when Frank, the guard, had targeted Michael. Michael explained that Carter had intervened before Frank could beat Michael with a nightstick. However, afterwards, Carter's attitude had changed when he insisted that Michael owed him. Michael confessed that Carter "was basically coming on to me." Jason was curious how Michael had handled the situation. Michael admitted that he had hit Carter and then ran to the yard, where he waited until lockdown. Carter had been gone when Michael returned to the jail cell.

After lockdown, Michael had thought that he was safe, but then Carter had returned. Michael's voice cracked with emotion as he revealed that Carter had been furious. Michael had tried to fight off Carter, but Carter had managed to get his arm around Michael's neck. Michael hadn't been able to breathe as Carter held him in a stranglehold. Michael couldn't continue with his heart-wrenching story. Jason assured Michael that it was okay and that he could tell Jason anything. Michael took a moment to gather himself and then revealed that he had been about to black out when they had heard voices approaching. Carter had fled moments before Jason entered the jail cell. Michael explained that it was the reason he had been so "out of it" when Jason had first seen him. Michael's eyes seemed empty as he looked away and then quietly admitted, "I guess I was still in shock." Jason's eyes filled with tears, but he didn't say anything.

Later, Sam arrived at Pentonville to visit Jason. As Jason entered the room, she asked how Michael was doing as soon. "Better," Jason admitted. He changed the subject to find out what was going on with Sam. Sam told Jason about Johnny driving Kristina home earlier that day. Jason didn't think that Johnny would drag Kristina into his war with Sonny, but he agreed that Sam should keep an eye on Johnny if she had a bad feeling. Sam wondered how Jason was faring. Jason quietly admitted that he might have to deal with a situation. If things went as he suspected, then she might not be able to visit him for a while. Sam was curious if his plans would add to his prison sentence. "Possibly," Jason confessed, but he didn't think that he had a choice. He apologized for hurting Sam; he realized that it wasn't fair to her. Sam assured him that she understood that he had to keep Michael safe. She promised to wait for Jason no matter how long it took.

6/9 In Pentonville, Jason and Michael practiced their self-defense moves in the exercise yard. Michael wanted Jason to get out of jail if he had an opportunity to do so. Jason refused to consider it. Michael was curious why Jason was pushing so hard for him to learn proper self-defense. Jason admitted that he might not be around. Michael couldn't understand where Jason would go, since he was already in prison. Understanding dawned when Michael realized that Jason intended to go after Carter. Michael feared that Jason could land in solitary confinement, with years added to his sentence, if anything happened to Carter. Jason insisted that Carter wouldn't stop unless Jason stopped him.

6/10 At Pentonville, Michael wanted to know what Jason planned to do to Carter. Michael worried that killing Carter would just make everything worse. Jason insisted that Carter had to answer for what he had done. Michael urged Jason to wait until Carter went after them, so that they could claim self-defense. Michael feared that if Jason were to go after Carter with deadly intent then Jason could end up in jail for the rest of his life. Jason made it clear that he was in Pentonville for one reason, to protect Michael.

Sonny went to visit Jason to find out what Carly was up to. Sonny's suspicions grew when Jason revealed that Carly had only visited once. Sonny was certain that Carly was plotting something because she was avoiding Jason. Jason assured Sonny that Carly wouldn't do anything to make matters worse for Michael. Sonny opened up about his confrontation with Carly earlier that day. It was clear that Sonny was hurt by Carly's accusations. Sonny insisted that he had done everything in his power to keep Michael out of jail.

Michael returned to his cell and told Jason about Kristina's visit. Michael was concerned about how angry Kristina was. Jason thought that it was useless to tell Kristina that she was wrong for what she was feeling. He advised Michael to offer Kristina support by listening; hopefully, Kristina would figure things out for herself. Michael realized that Jason was suggesting that Michael handle Kristina the same way that Jason handled Carly. "Pretty much," Jason confirmed. A guard suddenly appeared to inform Jason that the warden had sent for him. After Jason was led away, Carter strolled up to Michael's jail cell. Michael was unaware that Carter was watching him until Carter entered the cell. Carter grinned with evil intent as he informed Michael that the guard would keep Jason away while Carter dealt with Michael. As Carter prepared to attack Michael, the cell door opened. Carter stiffened when Jason loomed in the doorway, blocking Carter's exit. The guard was nowhere to be seen.

6/11 At Pentonville, Jason demanded that Carter leave the cell where Carter had corned Michael. Carter warned Jason that if Jason threatened him, Jason could end up dead. Carter proclaimed that Jason didn't have any friends in Pentonville, while Carter had many. After Carter left, Michael warned Jason that what Carter said was true. Michael asked Jason, "What if he wins?" Jason discovered that Carter was about to enter the shower alone and decided that would be the perfect moment to take Carter down. Michael insisted that there had to be another way to resolve the situation, but Jason believed that getting rid of Carter was the only way to protect Michael. Michael asked again if Jason had to kill Carter. Jason believed that all that mattered was making sure that Michael survived prison so that one day Michael would leave Pentonville and never look back. Jason left to take care of Carter. Jason entered the shower, ready to kill Carter. Carter surprised Jason from behind and the two of them fought. Jason took Carter's knife and stabbed him. As Carter lay bleeding on the ground, he told Jason, "Franco says hi."

6/14 Carter and Jason had it out in the shower and Jason killed Carter. Before he died, Carter told Jason that Franco was sending him a message. Michael walked in and saw the blood on Jason's hands. Jason sent Michael away and told him to get an alibi while he cleaned up. Jason told Michael to keep mum about what he had witnessed in the shower. Michael said that he had learned his lesson about telling the truth to the cops. Jason was pensive and Michael wanted to know what was bothering him. Jason said it was the same thing that always bothered him. He had promised Michael a good life when he was a baby, but instead had given him one filled with prison and violence. Michael told Jason that he had always wanted to be like him, but had begun to see something different. Michael said that before he thought that killing was glamorous, but finally he saw that it was about staying alive and that it sometimes came down to that choice.

Dante went to see Jason to show him the picture he had received. Jason refused to talk to Dante or open the envelope that Dante had with him. Dante took out the picture and told Jason that he believed it Franco had sent it. Before Jason could comment, the warden walked in, looked directly at Jason, and said, "I warned you what would happen if you brought trouble here."

6/15 In the visitor's room at Pentonville, the warden revealed that they had found Carter's body, so Jason was headed to solitary confinement. Dante demanded to know what was going on, but the warden informed Dante that it didn't concern him. Dante identified himself as a police officer, but the warden was unmoved. Dante tried to remind the warden that Jason was in Pentonville to protect Michael, but the warden insisted that Jason be taken away.

Michael was admitted to the visitor's room a short time later. Dante explained that the warden was questioning Jason about Carter's murder. Dante wanted to know who Carter was and why the warden suspected Jason of murdering him. Michael refused to discuss it, but Dante insisted that he was trying to help. Eventually, Michael admitted that Carter had attacked him just before Jason had arrived at Pentonville. However, Michael refused to elaborate beyond that.

Dante realized that Jason had good reason to go after Carter. Michael insisted that Jason couldn't have killed Carter because Jason had been with Michael at the time of Carter's murder. Dante suspected that Michael was lying; he urged Michael to reconsider because Michael could end up doing more time in jail if the authorities found out. Dante was frustrated when Michael refused to change his story.

In the warden's office, three prisoners were questioned about what they had witnessed during the minutes leading up to Carter's murder. All three prisoners denied having seen Jason near the showers at the time of the attack. The warden was frustrated because he was certain that they were lying. After the warden dismissed the prisoners, he admitted that he wasn't surprised that no one had stepped forward with the truth. The warden realized that Carter hadn't been a nice guy and therefore hadn't been liked by the prisoners. The warden remained determined to send Jason to solitary confinement while he investigated Carter's slaying. Jason promised that he didn't want to cause trouble. He begged the warden to reconsider because it meant that Michael would be left unprotected. The warden didn't like the idea of a brain-damaged kid being sent to Pentonville, so he agreed to let Jason return to his jail cell.

Later, Michael questioned Jason about what had happened in the warden's office. Jason was curious how Michael had heard about it. Michael revealed that Dante had told him. Jason warned Michael that they would have to keep a low profile, but he wondered what Michael had told Dante. Michael admitted that he had mentioned that Carter had attacked him before Jason's arrival. Michael realized that Dante had jumped to a bunch of conclusions and probably intended to share them with Sonny. Jason was upset when Michael confessed that he had given Jason an alibi for the time of Carter's murder. Michael explained that he didn't trust Dante with the truth because Dante was a master at "screwing people over" and then claiming that he hadn't meant any harm.

6/16 Michael received a visit from Sam. Sam admitted that she had hoped to see Jason, but Jason had been denied visitors. Michael explained that Jason had gotten into some trouble with the warden, so Jason wasn't allowed visitors. Sam was worried that Jason might be in solitary confinement, but Michael assured her that Jason remained in a cell with Michael. Sam was relieved; it was where Jason wanted to be.

6/17 In Judge Carroll's chambers, Dante pleaded his case for Michael's sentence to be reduced to time served. Dante argued that prison wasn't the place for Michael. Judge Carroll reminded Dante that Michael had confessed to killing a woman, so the sentence had been very lenient given the numerous laws that Michael had broken while trying to cover up the crime. Dante put all the blame on Sonny. Dante argued that Michael loved Sonny, so it had been impossible for Michael to go against Sonny's wishes.

Judge Carroll was unmoved; he insisted that Michael needed to learn that there were consequences for his actions. Dante urged the judge to show compassion because Michael had been attacked in jail. The judge pointed out that if he released Michael then Michael would just return to Sonny. "Where's the justice in that?" the judge wondered. Dante didn't think that it was too late to save Michael; he believed that Michael would learn a valuable lesson about the justice system if the judge showed mercy. Judge Carroll made it clear that there would be some conditions if he were to consider releasing Michael. "Anything," Dante promised.

Dante revealed that there were some stipulations for Michael's release from Pentonville. Dante had to take full responsibility for Michael, which meant that Michael would be moving in with him. Also, Dante had to make certain that Sonny and Jason were stayed away from Michael.

At Pentonville, Michael told Jason about Lulu's visit. Jason reminded Michael that it wasn't Michael's job to make Lulu and Dante feel better about what they had done to Michael. Michael revealed that Dante was considering leaving the police force. Michael was certain that it would make Sonny happy; however, it would also cut Michael and Jason out of the organization. Jason believed that Dante would always choose his badge over anyone else, including Michael.

Michael wondered why Dante would lie to protect Sonny about the shooting if Dante were only interested in his badge. Jason speculated that Dante had been trying to safeguard the case that Dante had built against Sonny for killing Claudia. Jason conceded that Sonny was extremely loyal and that family was very important to him, so Jason was certain that Sonny loved Dante. Michael suggested that Sonny had groomed Dante to take over the mob and that there was a strong connection between Sonny and Dante. It bothered Michael that Sonny saw Dante as a man, while Sonny still considered Michael to be a child.

Michael revealed that Sonny wanted Michael to take some correspondence classes, so that Michael would be able to attend college after he was released from Pentonville. Jason agreed that it was a great idea. Michael argued that it was pointless because he doubted that any college would accept a convicted killer. Besides, Michael added, he intended to join Sonny's organization after prison. Jason couldn't understand why Michael would want to do that. Michael explained that it was all that he knew because he had grown up in that world. Jason made it clear that he and Sonny wanted more for Michael. Michael pointed out that he wasn't a kid, so it wasn't up to them. Jason acknowledged that he had agreed to work for Sonny when he was Michael's age. However, Jason admitted that he hadn't realized that he had been giving up family, peace, and security. Jason understood that those things didn't mean much to Michael at that point in his life, but it might one day. Jason didn't want Michael to have any regrets. Their heads turned when a guard announced that they both had visitors.

Jason was surprised to discover that Claire wanted to talk to him. Claire got straight to the point. She explained that Dante had received a photograph from Franco the previous day. Claire had been able to confirm that the picture had been taken at an actual crime scene in Chicago just before the police had arrived. It was clear that only the killer could have snapped the photograph. Claire was determined to arrest Franco, so she wanted Jason to tell her everything that he knew about the serial killer. "Why would I do that?" Jason wondered. Claire reminded Jason that she had helped him get into Pentonville to protect Michael, so she expected a favor in return. Jason agreed to help, but first he wanted Claire to secure Michael's release from prison.

6/18 At the Pentonville visiting room, Claire tried to understand why Jason would withhold information about a known serial killer. Jason insisted that Michael had to be released first. While sympathetic to his cause, Claire pointed out that people's lives were at stake while Jason wanted to punish the justice system for what it did to Michael. Claire believed that Michael would never want Jason to withhold information on Franco under any circumstances. Jason agreed that it was wrong of him to try to bargain for Michael's release that way. Jason opened up to Claire about his whole sordid history with Franco, including how Franco tried to force a death match between them. Jason revealed that Franco warned if Jason killed, Franco would also kill. Claire asked Jason if he had murdered anyone recently. Jason explained how Carter, another inmate, had been giving Michael trouble. Jason admitted that he killed Carter in self-defense after Carter went after him. Claire decided that she would trace the origins of Carter's connection to Franco. She agreed to update Jason if she found any information.

Back in the cell, Jason inquired how Carly was doing. Michael believed that he and his mother were both trying not to show how difficult the situation was for them. Michael commented on how miserable prison life was. Dante entered and told Michael that he was free to go home. Jason asked Dante how Michael was able to go free. Dante revealed how he begged Judge Carroll to release Michael. Dante stated the conditions: Michael would have to live with Dante, go to counseling, do community service, and wear an ankle monitor. Michael didn't want to leave Jason behind, but Jason insisted Michael take the chance at freedom. Michael hugged Jason goodbye and followed Dante. Alone in the cell, Jason faced his first night alone in prison without Michael.

6/21 At Jason's penthouse, Spinelli told Sam that Michael had been released from prison. He was still in a funk when he told her that Jason had not been so lucky. Spinelli bemoaned the failure of the justice system and decided to help Sam get in to see Jason. Sam told him not to do anything that would jeopardize Michael's release, and he assured her that he would not.

Maxie was waiting in the Pentonville prison visitor's room when Jason was shown in. She had a death picture sent by Franco. Jason told her to take it directly to the prosecutor, Claire. Maxie freaked out when she heard that Michael had been released, and accused Jason of being selfish. Maxie told Jason that Spinelli was in freefall and a serial killer was stalking her. She accused Jason of being selfish because Michael was gone, and Jason was still in prison when all his friends needed him.

Jason was surprised when a guard told him that he was getting a conjugal visit from his "wife" Brenda. He was even more surprised when the "wife" turned out to be Sam. They kissed and made love. Afterwards, Sam told Jason that Spinelli had found his old marriage certificate to Brenda and had altered it to make it appear that Sam was Brenda. Sam was happy to see that much of the stress was visibly gone from Jason since Michael's release. They agreed that even with Michael's release, he had done the right thing by getting himself admitted to prison so he could protect Michael. Sam told Jason that they could make it through the next two years as long as they could keep their conjugal visits. They fell in bed laughing.

6/23 Diane went to Pentonville to visit Jason and to let him know that she was working on getting him released from jail. Diane warned him that she didn't hold out much hope of succeeding, but she would try. Jason didn't regret giving up two years of his life to help Michael, even if it had only been for a month. Diane admitted that it was noble of Jason, but he was needed on the outside because things were falling apart quickly as the war between Sonny and Johnny heated up.

Carly went to see Jason to let him know how Michael was doing. She was disappointed that Jason remained locked up. Jason assured her that he didn't have any regrets. Carly had no idea how to thank Jason for everything that he had done for Michael. It infuriated her that everyone was treating Dante like a hero when Jason had been the one to make all of the sacrifices for Michael. Carly vowed that she would never forgive Dante for what he had done to Michael and Jason. Jason decided to focus on Michael. He urged her to give Michael some time to adjust. He realized that Michael had been in jail for short time, but it had been long enough to make an impact. Jason then let Carly know that Franco had resurfaced. He wanted Carly and Jax to keep a close eye on Josslyn. Jason didn't want to give Franco another opportunity to use Josslyn to get to him.

On the pier, Alexis admitted to Sam that something was going on between Johnny and Kristina, but she wasn't certain that they were actually sleeping together. Sam told Alexis that Johnny had once assured Sam that he would never take advantage of Kristina. "Well, he lied," Alexis insisted. Sam couldn't believe that Sonny seriously thought that Johnny and Kristina were having sex. Alexis explained that it had been Sonny's certainty that had prompted her to go to Johnny's penthouse to talk to Johnny. Alexis confessed that things had turned ugly when Kristina had shown up. Kristina had insisted that Alexis couldn't stop her from seeing Johnny and that Johnny had informed Alexis that Kristina could make her own choices, so he wouldn't turn her away. Sam refused to believe that Johnny would sleep with Kristina, but she conceded that he would use the situation to his advantage to push Sonny's buttons. Sam suggested that Jason should talk to Johnny. Alexis accused Sam of believing that Jason was the solution for everything, but Sam argued that Jason had saved Johnny's life, so Johnny was indebted to Jason.

Jason was surprised to see Alexis enter the visitor’s room at Pentonville. Alexis explained that she needed his help. Jason wondered if Kiefer's parents were continuing to harass Alexis. She admitted that they were, but the Bauers weren't the problem. Alexis revealed that Kristina had decided to drive Sonny crazy by dating Johnny and that Johnny wasn't doing anything to stop it. Alexis hoped that Jason would talk to Johnny.

6/24 At the police station, Dante tried to persuade Claire to petition to have Jason released from Pentonville, in order to lure Franco out of hiding. Claire feared that it would be the death of her career, but Dante disagreed. He insisted that apprehending and convicting a serial killer would be a tremendous boost to her reputation. Claire didn't want to risk putting a thug like Jason on the loose. Dante argued that Jason was their best hope of catching Franco, but Claire wasn't swayed. She reminded Dante that he was supposed to be building a case against Sonny; she suggested that perhaps he was using Franco as an excuse not to bust Sonny. Claire understood that Franco was trying to get Jason's attention. Carly was curious what Claire planned to do about it. Dante revealed that he had a plan, but they needed Claire to go along with it. Claire spoke up before Dante could elaborate; she promised to review everything with her superiors. Claire quickly thanked Jax and Carly for calling them and then left. Dante assured Carly and Jax that they had done the right thing and then followed Claire out.

At Pentonville, Alexis admitted to Jason that Kristina would be more determined to be with Johnny if Alexis were to order her daughter to stay away from him. Alexis knew that Jason had saved Johnny's life, so Johnny owed Jason; she thought that it might be enough to persuade Johnny to back down. Alexis realized that Kristina was channeling all of her anger, guilt, and frustration over Kiefer at Sonny. Jason agreed; he acknowledged that Johnny blamed Sonny for Claudia's death, so Johnny was likely using Kristina to get to Sonny. Alexis insisted that it was a train wreck waiting to happen. Jason wanted to help Alexis, but he didn't think that he could do anything about it, even if he weren't stuck in jail. Alexis pleaded with Jason to talk to Sonny. She feared that if things weren't resolved then Sonny would confirm every horrible thing that Kristina believed about her father. Jason insisted that Kristina was a good kid, so he advised Alexis to continue trying to talk to her.

Alexis admitted that Jason had made some good points. Before she left, she confessed that she admired Jason for making such a huge sacrifice to protect Michael. However, she warned him that he hadn't been the only person who had paid a high price. Alexis let him know that Jason's incarceration had been very hard on Sam.

On the pier, Sam ordered Johnny to stay away from Kristina. Kristina resented her sister's interference. Kristina hated that Sam treated her like a kid. "I'm seventeen," Kristina argued. Kristina made it clear that it wasn't up to Sam whom Kristina dated. Sam wondered if it had ever occurred to Kristina that Johnny might get killed because of his relationship with Kristina. Johnny refused to allow Sam to put it all on Kristina. He insisted that he wanted Sonny to go after him. Sam was curious if Kristina were paying attention to what Johnny had said. Sam explained that Johnny was not only a mobster, but an older man; that was like waving a red flag under Sonny's nose. Sam urged her sister not to make decisions based on how she thought that Sonny would react. "Don't give anyone that much power," Sam pleaded. All heads turned when Sonny suddenly appeared. Sonny demanded that Kristina leave with him, but Kristina refused. Sonny explained that they needed to talk, so Kristina invited him to speak his mind in front of Johnny and Sam. Sam didn't appreciate Kristina's rudeness. "He's rude to me," Kristina shot back.

Sam suggested that Kristina act like an adult if she wanted to be treated like one. Sam persuaded Kristina to leave with Sonny. Once she was alone with Johnny, Sam admitted that she couldn't believe that Johnny was willing to involve Kristina in his vendetta. Johnny claimed that Kristina had a mind of her own. Sam didn't think that Johnny was being fair. She reminded Johnny that Jason had saved his life out of respect. Sam thought that Jason was a good judge of character, but she conceded that perhaps she had been wrong.

Johnny went to Pentonville to talk to Jason. Jason admitted that he knew about Johnny and Kristina. He let Johnny know that a lot of people were upset about the relationship. However, Jason was certain that Johnny wasn't actually sleeping with Kristina. Johnny confessed that Jason was the only person who had given him the benefit of the doubt. Jason warned Johnny that, despite Johnny's intentions, Kristina would be hurt. Johnny explained that Kristina had a real hatred for Sonny. Jason argued that Sonny loved his children, which prompted Johnny to point out that Anthony also claimed to love his children. Jason didn't appreciate Johnny comparing Sonny to Anthony. Johnny didn't apologize; he was more than happy to facilitate Kristina getting out from under Sonny's thumb. Jason suggested that if Johnny was successful in killing Sonny then Kristina might never get over the guilt of feeling responsible for her father's death.

Sam was taking a bubble bath when Jason called her. Sam let Jason know that she was naked and thinking of him. Jason glanced behind him to see a line of prisoners waiting to use the phone. Sam realized that Jason wasn't alone when she heard a guard warn Jason that he only had five minutes to speak on the phone. Jason let her know that he missed her. Sam missed him too; she wanted him to promise that they would disappear together once he was released from jail. Jason readily agreed.

At the police station, Claire informed Dante that she had talked to her supervisors about how to proceed with Franco. They had agreed to release Jason into Dante's custody. Dante was pleased, but Claire warned him that there was a condition: if Jason ran then Dante would be charged with aiding and abetting as well as obstruction of justice. Claire made it clear that Dante might end up in prison if Jason wasn't returned to Pentonville after Franco's capture.

6/25 In Pentonville, Jason continued his sexy phone call with Sam as they talked about where they were planning to run off to after Jason was released from prison. Sam playfully suggested that they pretend they won the lottery and could go anywhere in the world. Jason admitted that he'd like to see the Mediterranean. As Sam dreamed about their big trip, Jason gently reminded Sam that he didn't know when he'd get out of prison. Sam told Jason he couldn't stop her from dreaming.

Sonny visited Jason in Pentonville. He told Jason that he was going to kill Johnny and asked Jason to take out Anthony. Jason told Sonny that Anthony was not circulating in the general prison population. Jason also said that he'd be at risk for life imprisonment if he got caught killing Anthony. Jason cautioned Sonny to leave Johnny alone. Sonny refused and left.

At the police station, Dante absorbed the idea being Jason's watchdog if Jason were to be released from prison to bait Franco. Claire confirmed that Dante would be sent to prison if Jason ran while under his custody. Dante replied, "Screw that." Dante went to the police station and approached Claire. He said that he'd agree to take Jason into his custody. Claire wondered what had changed Dante's mind. Dante admitted that he couldn't live with the idea of Franco killing again.

At Pentonville, Dante revealed to Jason that Jason was being temporarily released to be bait for Franco. Dante said that Jason would be under Dante's custody, and if Jason ran, Dante would end up in Pentonville. He warned Jason that if Jason ran, he'd shoot Jason to stop him.

6/28 Dante went to Pentonville to tell Jason that he was being released into Dante's custody to act as bait to catch Franco. Jason wanted a gun, but Dante said that it would make it too easy for Jason to run. Dante said he was not willing to risk being put in prison if Jason got away. Jason told him, "No gun, no deal."

Claire went to see Jason and told him that he absolutely could not have a gun because it would kill her career if he escaped. Jason said he had no desire to run. He wanted to serve his sentence and be released back to his home and his life. He told Claire that he did not stand a chance again Franco and that if he were not able to defend himself, he would end up dead. Claire did not budge. She told Jason that they would protect him and that Franco would not get near him.

Sonny visited Jason at Pentonville and asked Jason to promise that he would not run when he was released. Jason told Sonny that he hated Dante and that he would like to see Dante in prison. Jason said that it seemed that Sonny was making everything and everyone secondary to Dante, even Michael. Sonny told Jason to calm down and think about what would happen to Michael if Dante were sent to prison. Sonny said that if Dante were incarcerated, it was likely that Michael would be sent back to prison also.

6/30 Sam entered the penthouse to find it empty. She carried a bag into the living room and then pulled out some candles. Sam's mind began to drift as she imagined Jason walking through the door and then instructing her to pack some things because he planned to whisk her out of the country. Overjoyed, Sam threw herself into Jason's waiting arms as he leaned down to kiss her.

Sam's romantic fantasy abruptly ended when Spinelli arrived home with groceries. Spinelli babbled excitedly about his plans to cook Jason dinner. He assured Sam that she was welcome to join them. Sam appreciated his enthusiasm, but she wondered if he had considered that Jason might want to spend some time alone with her. "Of course," Spinelli admitted. He explained that he had invited her to dinner for that very reason. Spinelli appeared completely oblivious to Sam's exasperation.

Later, Spinelli envisioned Jason's return home. In the daydream, Spinelli armed himself with a gun moments before Jason walked through the door. Spinelli offered to toast Jason's return home with an orange soda, but Jason declined. Jason explained that he needed Spinelli's help to track down Franco. Spinelli snapped out of his fantasy when Sam entered the room to ask if Spinelli had heard from Jason. Spinelli jumped when someone knocked. Thinking that it was Jason, he raced to the door, but his joy turned to confusion when he found someone else standing in the doorstep.

On the street, Diane encountered a homeless person holding a sign that read, "Will entertain for money." The man's face was hidden in the shadows of his hooded coat. He wondered if Diane could spare some change, but she confessed that she had left her purse at home. When he asked for a cigarette, she revealed that she didn't smoke. "Just as well," the man told her, "it's a filthy habit." He offered to entertain her despite her lack of money. Diane was surprised when he opened his jack to reveal a small toy monkey with cymbals.

Diane smiled indulgently as the toy monkey performed for her. Diane admitted that it was cute, but also "very weird." The vagrant confessed that he had been thinking of getting a real monkey. "Well, with that, a couple of clowns and an elephant you'll have yourself a circus," Diane suggested as she pulled out twenty dollars from her briefcase. She handed the man the money and a stick of cinnamon gum and then wished him "good luck." Diane chuckled as she corrected herself, "or should I say 'break a leg'?" "Why stop there?" the man wondered. Diane smiled nervously and then walked away. The homeless man spit the gum into a dumpster and then walked over to a crate, which he spray-painted with the tag, C077X.

At Pentonville, Jason was fitted with an ankle monitor and then handcuffed before Dante led him away. Jason was certain that Dante was enjoying Jason's discomfort. Dante didn't deny it. At the police station, Diane arrived as Claire prepared to hold a press conference. Diane took full advantage of the situation by making certain that she stood next to Claire while the prosecutor made a brief statement to the reporters. Claire announced that Jason had been released from Pentonville on a technicality, which she vowed to resolve. Diane insisted that her client was an innocent man who had been wrongfully accused. All heads turned when Dante and Jason entered the squad room. Reporters immediately demanded to know if Dante had made a mistake. Dante denied that he had done anything wrong. Claire supported Dante's claim and then ended the press conference.

Dante, Claire, Diane, and Jason entered a nearby interrogation room for some privacy. Claire hoped that Franco watched television because she hated to think that she had gone through the painful exercise in humiliation for nothing. Diane reminded Claire and Dante that Franco's capture depended on Jason's cooperation, so Diane expected Claire to reduce Jason's sentence as a show of appreciation. Claire balked at the suggestion, but Diane ignored her. After Diane stepped out of the room, Claire warned Jason not to kill Franco. Claire explained that she intended to prosecute the serial killer, which she couldn't do if he was dead. Dante wondered when the police had stopped using deadly force when it was necessary. Claire insisted that those were her terms and then left. Jason wanted the handcuffs removed, so that he could defend himself against Franco; he refused to risk his life for the police. Dante ignored the request, so Jason asked to speak to Diane.

As soon as Diane returned to the interrogation room, Jason asked her what would happen to Michael if Jason were to take off. Jason wanted to know if Michael would be sent back to prison. Later, Jason and Dante entered the Harbor View Towers. The vagrant that Diane had met on the street lurked outside of the high-rise building. When the doorman spotted the vagrant, he tried to shoo the man away. The homeless man refused to move along; instead, he asked some questions about Jason, but the doorman refused to reveal anything. When the vagrant looked up at Jason's penthouse, the hood of his jacket fell back to reveal Franco's face.

Jason and Dante entered the penthouse, but stopped short when they took in the scene that met their eyes. Police officers were scattered throughout the penthouse. Ronnie informed them that they were Jason's welcome committee. According to Ronnie, they were assigned to monitor Jason's every move.

7/1 On the street, the Harbor View Towers doorman threatened to call the police if Franco didn't leave. After the doorman stepped away to make the call, Maxie walked up. Maxie froze when she spotted Franco's reflection in the building's window. Maxie turned around, but Franco was gone. Carly approached Maxie moments later. Carly was thrilled that Jason was out of jail. Maxie reminded her that it was only temporary. However, Maxie confessed that she was relieved that Jason was around. Maxie admitted that she was so rattled about Franco, that she was seeing things.

In the penthouse, Jason warned Ronnie that Franco would kill again if the police remained a presence around Jason. Ronnie refused to give Jason the opportunity to skip out of town. Jason argued that Ronnie didn't know how Franco operated. "Actually, I do," Ronnie informed Jason. Dante had a strong incentive to keep a close eye on Jason, so he suggested that Ronnie leave it to him to guard Jason. Jason was certain that Franco would be "pissed" if the police didn't leave. Ronnie thought perhaps Franco might get sloppy if he were upset, which would make it easy to catch him. Dante was certain that Franco had been watching, so he advised Ronnie to check the building. Carly and Maxie arrived moments later. Maxie wondered why there were so many police officers in Jason's penthouse. Dante explained that Ronnie and the other police officers were there to make certain that Jason didn't escape. Maxie glared at Ronnie as she explained that she was a nervous wreck about Franco, so she would personally whack Jason over the head if he tried to leave town before Franco were caught. Ronnie seemed satisfied, so he led the officers out of the penthouse to run surveillance. Spinelli was impressed with Maxie's performance.

Maxie turned to Dante to demand to know why he was still there. She suggested that Jason and Sam might want to have some time alone to reconnect. Dante explained that Jason had not been released to make a "booty call." Dante also pointed out that Carly, Maxie, and Spinelli were in the penthouse, so Jason and Sam wouldn't exactly be alone. Dante invited Jason and Sam to go to Jason's room if they wanted some privacy, but he refused to leave. Sam hugged Jason and then let him know that she had to leave for a short time because Alexis had planned an important family dinner. Sam promised to return as soon as she could. After Sam left, Dante commented that it appeared that Sonny had found a way to spend some time with Michael. Carly didn't see why it was a problem; she reminded Dante that Michael loved his father.

Dante pointed out that the judge had ordered Michael to have limited contact with Sonny. Carly was certain that the judge would consider an occasional family dinner limited. "Especially if he never has to find out," Dante muttered. Carly stepped out onto the terrace with Jason. Jason closed the door behind him as Carly thanked Jason for all he had done, "unlike that backstabbing, two-faced pig" she added, referring to Dante. Jason advised Carly to calm down. Jason realized that Carly blamed Dante for what had happened to Michael, but Michael was free. He suggested that she could stop her plans for revenge, but Carly refused. Jason implored her to reconsider because he needed Dante to help catch Franco. Carly disagreed; she was confident that Jason could handle it alone. However, she was curious what would happen afterwards.

Carly worried that Jason would take off with Sam. Jason wondered if she wanted him to return to Pentonville. Carly insisted that she didn't, but she wanted to have access to him. Jason didn't want her to jump ahead of herself; first they had to capture Franco. Inside, Dante saw Spinelli hovering over the laptop. Dante sensed that Spinelli was eager to hack into something. He was curious how many federal laws Spinelli broke each time he got online. "Leave him alone," Jason ordered as he returned to the living room. After Carly left, Jason explained that Spinelli could help locate Franco. Dante decided to leave Spinelli and Jason to do their work while he dashed to the loft. After Dante left, Spinelli expressed his joy over Jason's release from prison. Jason appreciated Spinelli's enthusiasm, but he needed to know what Spinelli had found. Spinelli was confident that he knew where Franco was.

As Dante left the lobby, he spotted a familiar-looking vagrant. Dante drew his gun and then aimed it at the homeless person with orders to "Freeze."

Michael arrived at Alexis’ and Sam was right behind him with the news that Jason was home. Michael pulled Sam aside to warn her not to let Jason return to Pentonville. Michael wanted Sam to promise that she and Jason would run away together once Franco was caught. Alexis stepped out of the kitchen to greet Michael and Sam and then announce that dinner was almost ready. Sonny arrived moments later.

7/2 Kristina had not returned home by the time Sam returned, Molly tried to cover for Kristina, but Sam saw right through her fib. Sam admitted that she'd gone to the class and that no one had been there. Alexis demanded the truth from Molly, who revealed that Kristina had gone to see Johnny. Sonny erupted and launched toward the door, and Alexis and Michael tried unsuccessfully to stop him from leaving.

At Jason's penthouse, Spinelli told Jason that he'd located the mother of Robert Frank, a.k.a. Franco, online. She and Franco used to live in Bensonhurst, but she'd changed her name to Karen Anderson and moved to Woodstock. Spinelli could not find that there had been any recent contact between mother and son. He reported that the woman seemed not to be living an extravagant lifestyle. But Spinelli pointed out that Woodstock was close enough to Port Charles that Franco could have been using it as a base of operations and commuted. Jason began to rush off but Spinelli remind him that they had to share the new information with "Dante the Betrayer."

Outside the Harborview Towers, Dante attempted to question a hooded man, but the man ran. Dante followed. He caught up to the stranger and removed the hood. The man was not Franco. Dante demanded to know why the man had run. The stranger, obviously shaken, begged Dante not to hurt him. Realizing he'd made a mistake, Dante let the man go. Dante reconnected with Ronnie, who cast doubt as to whether Jason was really working with them to nab Franco. Ronnie suggested letting Jason leave the country in the hopes that Franco would follow and they'd both kill each other. Dante derisively pointed out that it would remove any connection that Ronnie had had with Franco.

Dante joined Jason and Spinelli in the Penthouse and told them about the man he'd encountered. Spinelli checked the security footage from the camera at the front of the building. Jason informed Dante of the presence of Franco's mother in Woodstock. He declared that he was going to Woodstock to confront Karen Anderson, and Dante followed him. Later, Dante and Jason arrived at a house, presumably belonging to Franco's mother, and Dante knocked on the door. A kindly older woman answered and politely explained that she didn't entertain solicitors. When Dante told her that they wanted to question her about her son, she replied that she didn't have a son.

At Crimson, Franco delivered a dozen roses to Maxie from an anonymous admirer. Maxie assumed that Matt had sent them. Lulu asked if they might have come from Spinelli. As Maxie explained all the reasons she knew the flowers weren't from Spinelli, James returned with another dozen roses. Lulu noticed that Maxie seemed pleased to think that Matt was sending her gifts, and worried that Maxie was falling for him. At that moment, Matt arrived. When questioned, he admitted that he had not sent the flowers she'd just received. Lulu reminded them that the roses could have been from Maxie's actual boyfriend and then took her leave. Maxie accepted Matt's word that he hadn't been her mysterious fan and hoped it meant that Spinelli had emerged from his funk. Matt acknowledged that his relationship with Maxie had been a ruse to trick Spinelli but asked whether she was sure that she didn't want more. Maxie made it very clear that she was still in love with Spinelli. Matt predicted the end of her relationship as James delivered another batch of roses. Matt left frustrated, and Maxie worried about what he'd said. Maxie continued to work in the office alone as another delivery arrived. But this time, it wasn't James who delivered the flowers, it was Franco.

7/6 At Crimson, Franco delivered six red roses, which were in addition to the five dozen red roses that he had sent to Maxie throughout the day. Maxie was rattled, but put on a brave front as Franco confessed that he was fond of the number sixty-six because it sounded dirty to him. Maxie wondered why he had sent her the roses. Franco smiled as he reminded her that they had shared some "special" time together. He added that he hoped that she hadn't forgotten. "No, I haven't," she nervously rushed to assure him. Franco appreciated that she wanted to be loyal to her boyfriend. He explained that the roses were an apology in case he had caused her any trouble. Franco knew that she was in love with "that computer genius," so he began to ask Maxie questions about her relationship with Spinelli. Maxie insisted that she only saw Spinelli "off and on." Franco shifted gears when he noticed Maxie reaching for the phone.

He wondered if she were planning on calling the police. Maxie returned the phone to its cradle and then explained that she had been about to make reservations for her boss. Franco warned her not to lie to him and then he questioned why she didn't trust him. Maxie turned the tables on Franco by demanding to know why he had sent her the crime scene photograph of a blonde corpse. Franco's smile returned as he informed her that the photograph had been valuable. Maxie argued that the picture had been of a real crime scene. Franco didn't seem concerned, but he was curious if it had changed her response to the picture. He suggested that she open her mind and stop thinking. According to Franco, what was real and what she imagined to be real were the same thing. He insisted that she made him what he was. Maxie disagreed; he was much more than she could have imagined. "That's right," Franco agreed. Maxie was shaken when he leaned down, kissed her hand, asked her to say hi to Jason, and then left.

In Woodstock, New York, Dante and Jason questioned Karen Anderson about Franco. Karen sweetly denied that she had any children or knew anyone named Franco. Dante wondered if she had once lived in Bensonhurst as Karen Frank with a son named Robert, but Karen reiterated that they had the wrong person. As Dante talked about Franco's art, Karen admitted that she had heard of the artist, but she insisted that he was too old to be her son. Dante wondered if they could continue their conversation inside her home. Karen invited Dante and Jason in and then offered them some tea. Jason declined, but Dante accepted the tea. Jason explained that it was urgent that they find her son, but Karen continued to insist that she didn't have a son. Dante took over; he explained that they knew that she had cashed out her pension in Bensonhurst, changed her last name to Anderson, and then moved to Woodstock. Dante promised that they weren't interested in disrupting her life, but it was important that they find Franco. Karen stuck to her story, but added that she hoped everything was okay with Franco.

Dante revealed that Franco was in trouble and then told her a bit about Franco's state of mind. Karen suggested that perhaps Franco was misunderstood. Dante and Jason realized that they weren't going to make any headway with Karen, so they apologized for disturbing her and then left. However, they stopped on the porch because they realized that Karen was hovering near the window, eavesdropping. Jason and Dante made sure that Karen thought that they had believed her story and that they had decided to return to Port Charles. After they left, Karen looked troubled. A short time later, Karen was placing some figurines on a mantle when Franco entered. "Hi, mom," he greeted his mother as he held out a bag that contained her favorite dessert. Karen hugged her son and then asked, "Bobby, what have you done now?"

Jason and Dante went to the penthouse upon their return to Port Charles. Spinelli couldn't believe that Karen had lied about being Franco's mother. Jason suspected that Franco was in Port Charles. Maxie confirmed Jason's suspicions when she announced that she had seen Franco. Spinelli was stunned.

At the lake house, Alexis joined Sam, Molly, and Michael in the living room. Molly thought that the situation between Sonny and Kristina had all the elements of a classic confrontation. Sam feared that it was a disaster in the making, so she urged Alexis to find Sonny and Kristina. Alexis admitted that she was tempted, but she wanted Sonny and Kristina to work things out for themselves. Michael thought that Sonny's expectations for the family dinner had been too high. Sam agreed. Alexis wondered if Michael knew why Kristina had turned so fiercely against Sonny. Michael claimed that he only knew what everyone else knew: Kristina thought that Sonny was violent and abusive to women. Alexis couldn't understand why Kristina would choose to be with Johnny, who was equally violent. Molly insisted that Johnny treated Kristina well. No one seemed surprised when Molly went on to reveal that Kristina's relationship with Johnny had been merely for show.

Sam explained to Alexis that Kristina wanted to hurt Sonny and that Johnny had gone along with it. Michael added that Kristina thought that she was safe with Johnny, but she didn't appreciate that she was in the middle of a war. Molly argued that Kristina was seventeen and therefore old enough to make her own decisions. Sam and Michael warned Molly that it had been wrong for her to cover for Kristina. Moments later, Epiphany called. Alexis was horrified when Epiphany informed her that Kristina had been rushed to the hospital. Alexis, Sam, Molly, and Michael arrived at GH. Patrick updated Alexis, and the rest of the family on Kristina's condition. Johnny joined them a short time later. Steve assured Kristina's family that Kristina was fine. Michael quietly slipped away, as did Johnny. Alexis asked Sam to keep an eye on Molly and then walked off with a promise to be right back.

7/7 Alexis returned to the hospital. Molly wondered where Alexis had been. Alexis ignored the question to inquire after Kristina. Sam assured Alexis that Kristina was fine. Molly refused to allow Alexis to avoid her question, so Alexis explained that she had gone to the police station to see if there had been any arrests in the bombing.

Kristina joined her family moments later. Kristina was in a wheelchair, but she didn't appear to have any injuries. Molly hugged Kristina and then announced that she would never keep another secret. Kristina smiled weakly as she returned her sister's hug. Mac walked up shortly afterwards; he wanted to ask Kristina some questions. Sam thought it should wait, but Kristina assured Sam that she was up to it.

Dvd #25B Mac wondered what Kristina had been doing with Johnny. Kristina explained that she couldn't handle the idea of sitting through a dinner with Sonny, so she had gone to see Johnny. Mac was curious where she and Johnny had been headed when the bomb had detonated. Kristina admitted that Johnny had planned to take her home. Alexis objected when Mac began to ask Kristina if she were familiar with any of Johnny's business associates. Kristina clarified that the only person she knew who wanted Johnny dead was her father. Mac was curious why Kristina would make such an accusation. Kristina explained that Sonny hated the idea of her dating Johnny, so he had threatened Johnny's life. Sam worried that Kristina might need an attorney, but Mac assured Sam that it wasn't necessary. Mac asked Kristina to walk him through the accident. Kristina insisted that it hadn't been an accident. "The explosion," Mac corrected himself. Kristina recalled walking to the car. She thought that she had heard someone scream, but she wasn't certain. After the blast had knocked her to the ground, things were fuzzy, but Kristina's first recollection was of Sonny leaning over her. After Kristina gave her statement, Alexis took Kristina, Molly, and Sam back to the lake house. Kristina was frustrated because no one seemed upset that Sonny had tried to kill Johnny. Molly reminded Kristina that Alexis didn't think that Sonny had been responsible for the explosion.

In Woodstock, New York, Franco assured his mother that he hadn't done anything wrong. Karen told her son that the police had been at her house to ask questions about him, but she had denied knowing him. "Keep it that way," Franco gently advised his trusting mother. Karen confessed that she had heard terrible things about Franco, even though she had avoided watching the news and listening to gossip. "They are true, aren't they?" she asked with trepidation.

Later, Karen returned to the living room with a snack for Franco. Franco apologized for upsetting his mother. As Karen talked about the police officers who had questioned her, Franco realized that it had been Jason and Dante. Karen revealed that the men had accused him of killing people and being obsessed with death. Franco readily admitted that he was obsessed with death; it was the subject of his work. However, he added, "Art, as of now, isn't a crime in this country." Karen wished that he would be more careful because she worried about him. Franco reminded his mother that he was in the public eye and under constant scrutiny. It was the reason that he had a film crew follow him around. "It's proof," Franco explained. Karen was relieved that the camera crew hadn't accompanied him on the visit because she hadn't had a chance to fix her hair. Franco smiled indulgently as he assured his mother that she looked fine.

Franco admitted that he didn't think that the police officers would return. Karen promised her son that she would know what to say if they did. Franco confessed that everything would be over soon. "What do you mean?" she asked with concern. Franco revealed that they were finally there, "the culmination of everything I've been working for," he clarified. "That's good, right?" Karen asked innocently. "A dream come true," Franco confirmed. Karen regretted that she hadn't paid more attention to him when he had been a child. She admitted that she had been more consumed with pursuing her own interests rather than giving her son what he had needed. Franco smiled lovingly at his mother as he assured her that he didn't hold it against her. They started talking about the path he had taken to become a world-renowned artist. She teased Franco that he hadn't called graffiti art until he had been caught. Franco chuckled at the idea that all it took was him insisting it was art to be art. If he had known it had been that easy then he wouldn't gone through so much trouble. The comment troubled Karen, so Franco hugged his mother and then assured her that he loved her. "I love you too," she told him as she returned the affectionate embrace.

At the penthouse, Jason, Dante, and Spinelli questioned Maxie about her encounter with Franco. Spinelli wondered why she hadn't told him about it. "I came right here," Maxie explained. She revealed that Franco had sent her dozens of roses. "What do you think he wants?" she nervously asked. Jason wondered if Franco had threatened her. Maxie shook her head, but she explained that Franco had a way of making her skin crawl. She then passed along Franco's message to Jason. Spinelli was upset because he realized that Maxie could have been killed. Spinelli insisted that it would have been his fault.

Dante continued to question Maxie about Franco, including her connection to the artist. Spinelli felt as if his inadequacies had led Franco to Maxie. Jason reminded Spinelli that Maxie had just been a means to an end; Franco could have used anyone to get to Jason. Jason insisted that he was the reason that Franco was in their lives, so it was up to him to stop Franco. Spinelli decided to check nearby florists, in the hopes of getting a lead on Franco. Jason was curious what the significance of sixty-six was, so Dante tried to review everything that Franco had said to Maxie to see if they had missed anything. Spinelli perked up when Maxie revealed that Franco had asked her about her relationship with Spinelli. Spinelli was curious why she hadn't mentioned it sooner. Maxie reminded Spinelli that she had a five minute conversation with a serial killer, all the while wondering where her body would be found, so she had been a bit rattled. Dante decided to take Maxie home. After Maxie left, Spinelli admitted that he had hurt Maxie. "It has to stop," he decided. Jason and Spinelli resumed trying to find Franco. They were frustrated when surveillance footage near Metro Court, around the time of Franco's visit, didn't yield anything. Jason was certain that there had to be a clue somewhere because Franco always left one for Jason to find.

At the Metro Court Restaurant, Carly turned off the lights and then headed to the elevator. She stopped short when Franco called out to her. Carly demanded to know what Franco wanted. Franco revealed that he wanted to apologize to her. When he mentioned Josslyn's name, Carly stiffened. She warned Franco that she would kill him with her bare hands if he touched her family. Franco assured Carly that he would never harm Josslyn because he felt connected to her and to her brother, Michael. "What about him?" Carly wanted to know. "It seems that your oldest was quite the prize in prison," Franco revealed. As tears filled Carly's eyes, Franco added that thankfully Michael was out of jail and home safe.

7/9 Dante and Jason returned to Jason's penthouse after surveilling Franco's mother's house. Spinelli sat mindlessly plunking away on his computer. Dante got a report from forensics on the 66 roses sent to Maxie, but there was nothing conclusive. An angry Spinelli lashed out at Dante and lamented the futility of life. Dante left, and Spinelli told Jason that he and Maxie had broken up. He explained that he had walked into Maxie's apartment to find her in a liplock with "the heinous doctor Matt Hunter." Maxie's plan had been to make Spinelli jealous, but he had simply walked away disgusted. Jason reasoned that maybe it was Maxie's way of showing that she loved him. Spinelli replied that he believed Maxie didn't have the guts to tell him that she had lost interest in him and that her plan would force him to break up with her. He stated that he was through with romantic delusion and that he would throw himself into the investigation.

Jason told Spinelli to follow the money to see where the profit from the sales of Franco's artwork was going. Carly showed up, and Jason invited her in. He asked her to tell him exactly what had happened when Franco showed up at the Metro Court the prior night. She said that Franco had acted calm and sane and that she hadn't felt threatened. She reported that Franco had apologized for causing her family grief. Franco had promised that he'd never harm Josslyn and that Jason, Carly, Josslyn, and Michael were all connected. He'd said that Michael had been quite the prize in prison. Carly wanted to know what that meant. Jason pretended not to have any idea what Franco had been referring to. Dante returned and asked for an update on Franco. Jason replied that Franco was all about riddles and games, that he dropped clues so subtle that they couldn't see them.

Franco broke into the dilapidated old Laughlin Mansion and uncovered the furniture before he relaxed on a sofa. He wound up a toy bear, which clapped cymbals between it's paws. Franco watched and smiled. He then tagged the wall above the fireplace with "C077X." Franco got an expected call from someone and told the person to get there right away.

Later, Wilhelm von Schlegel arrived at the mansion. Franco welcomed him, and the man acknowledged he was a big fan of Franco's work. Franco explained that he was interested in an art show that von Schlegel had curated years before for an artist named Maria Anisari, who compulsively painted portraits of her nine dead siblings, all of whom had died under mysterious circumstances. The man stated that the show had been very profitable, as was Franco's work since charges had been leveled against him. Franco explained that he was putting the finishing touches on a new exhibit and that it would be shown at the mansion. He referred to the toy monkey as his associate and told Mr. Von Schlegel that it was art and that there would be a lot more to come. After Mr. Von Schlegel left, Franco sat with his monkey, Leonardo, and pored over photos of Carly, Maxie, and Lulu, while musing "so many women, so little time."

Jax handed Lulu her goddaughter while Franco watched from a distance. Jax asked how Dante's search for Franco was going. Lulu responded that she had faith in Dante but that he was worried Franco would go after her again. She said farewell and continued on her way. As soon as Lulu was gone, Franco revealed himself to Jax.

7/12 In the park, Franco made a fuss over Josslyn. Jax asked him to leave, but Franco said that he was there to entertain Josslyn. Franco took a small brass monkey out of his pocket, wound it, and set it before Josslyn. Josslyn was delighted when the monkey began to clap. Franco did not make any overt threats, but his knowledge of the Jacks family's movements and his knowledge of their whereabouts was menacing. When Jax called the police, Franco walked away, but not before telling Josslyn that he looked forward to their next meeting.

Sam knocked on the penthouse door and wanted to speak to Jason, who was following up leads on Franco with Dante and Spinelli. Sam wanted to speak to Jason alone. Dante wanted the details, so Sam told them it was about the bomb that had been planted in Johnny's car. Dante and Spinelli continued the computer search while Sam and Jason talked on the terrace. She told him that even though Sonny had said that he was not responsible for bombing Johnny's car, she was not completely convinced. She shared her worries about Kristina as Jason held her close and hugged her. Inside, Dante got an urgent phone call and left the apartment. Dante and Ronnie met Jax in the park and questioned him about his encounter with Franco. A shaken Jax admitted that Franco had not made any direct threats. Ronnie left to coordinate a search effort while Dante and Jax discussed their loved ones who were being targeted by Franco.

Jason went to Sonny's office to find out the truth about the car bomb. Instead of confronting Sonny, Jason congratulated him for using a method that would not be traced to him. Sonny was relieved to be able to share his fears with Jason. Jason supported Sonny and his decision. Sonny was shaken by how close Kristina had been to death. Sonny said that he had made the right decision as a businessman, but not as a father. Sonny said that he could not think like a businessman and a father at the same time. Sonny worried that he was a threat to his family and that he would not be able to protect them. Jason told Sonny that he was a great father and that Sonny was the person who had changed his life. Jason said Sonny had taught him how to make decisions and live with the consequences. Jason said that Sonny had been like a father to him after the accident that had left Jason suffering brain damage. Jason said that Sonny had done everything possible to protect his kids. Sonny wanted to know if that included Dante. Jason acknowledged that had he accidentally hurt Michael as Sonny had hurt Dante, he would not give up on trying to make it right. Jason told Sonny that although Dante was a cop and would probably never see Sonny's side, Jason understood why Sonny kept trying with Dante.

Jason warned Sonny about seeing too much of Claire. Sonny said that he knew she was playing him, but he was playing her right back. Sonny said if he could get Claire to sleep with him, she would be compromised and that would be good for business. Before Jason left, he confessed that he respected Sonny more than anyone else he knew and that would never change. Sonny playfully told Jason to get rid of Franco, and Jason said he was working on it.

Franco went back to the mansion on Road 66. He wound a large, felt monkey, which started clapping. He then spray-painted his tagger sign, "CO77X" on the mansion's doors, walls, and windows.

Back at the penthouse, Spinelli found a mansion on Road 66 that had been rented in the name of Franco's mother. Jason took a gun from the closet and tucked it in his pants. Before he could leave, Dante arrived and shared his information about Franco's meeting with Jax and Josslyn. Jason told Dante about Spinelli's clue. Together they left to pursue Franco. After they were gone, Spinelli gleefully told Sam that his plans for Dante's doom were almost completed and noted that karma could be "a bitch."

Dante and Jason arrived at Franco's. Dante was conflicted when Jason drew his gun but backed down when Jason asked if Dante was willing to confront Franco holding a pencil.

7/13 At the lake house, Alexis told Sam about the restrictions that Alexis and Sonny had put on Kristina. Sam agreed that setting limits was a good idea, but she reminded her mother that it was more important for Kristina to feel empowered. Sam explained that Kristina acted out because she was hurt. Sam insisted that it would take time for Kristina to heal from Kiefer's abuse. Kristina arrived home a few minutes later. Kristina wondered if Alexis would give her gas money for Mrs. Sparks, who had been chauffeuring Kristina around town. Alexis didn't mind, but she wanted Kristina to understand that it wouldn't change her decision to take the car away from Kristina.

Kristina hated all of the new rules, but she was determined to follow them. According to Kristina, it was the least that she could do to make up for all of the mistakes that she had made. Kristina acknowledged that she had screwed up, so she was prepared to face the consequences. However, Kristina was not thrilled with the idea of having dinner with Sonny every Tuesday. Alexis advised Kristina to work that out with Sonny. Sam admitted that she was proud of Kristina. Sam and Kristina shared an affectionate hug and then Sam announced that she had to leave because she had plans with Jason.

Carly was curious if Spinelli had made any progress with their project. Spinelli revealed that it wouldn't be long before he was able to siphon the money from the Cortez Cartel into Dante's accounts. Spinelli was confident that, once the police were tipped off, Dante would be charged with corruption and drug trafficking. Carly was pleased when Spinelli assured her that nothing would be traced back to them. Sam entered the penthouse moments later and immediately became suspicious when she noticed the expressions on Spinelli and Carly's faces. Sam warned Carly and Spinelli to stop plotting. Carly appreciated that Sam was Jason's girlfriend, but she made it clear that the relationship didn't give Sam the right to tell Carly what to do. Sam immediately apologized for overstepping; she attributed it to stress because she hadn't seen much of Jason since he had been released from jail. Sam explained that she just wanted to spend some time alone with Jason. Carly agreed to leave for Jason's sake because she realized that spending time alone with Sam would make Jason happy.

Sam looked expectantly at Spinelli, but he didn't seem to understand her unspoken request. Sam realized that Spinelli lived in the penthouse, but she wondered if he could spend the night at Maxie's place, so that Sam and Jason could have the penthouse to themselves. Spinelli decided to head to their office instead, since things weren't going well between him and Maxie. After Spinelli left, Sam set out a bottle of tequila, two shot glasses, and then ordered some dinner.

Jason kicked in the door to the mansion on Country Road 66 and then entered. Dante was right behind Jason. With guns drawn, Jason and Dante searched the mansion, but they didn't find any sign of Franco. While Dante called the police, Jason discovered a discarded flyer advertising a performance by Kalup Ishmael at Jake's. Later, as the crime scene team descended on the mansion, Jason showed Dante the flyer. Jason and Dante decided to head to Jake's to see if Franco had left behind another clue.

At Jake's, Franco ordered a glass of Absinthe. Coleman explained that the police didn't allow him to stock "The Green Fairy." However, Coleman offered to fetch Franco a bottle of fine scotch. Franco was satisfied to drink whatever the locals drank, so Coleman poured Franco some whiskey. Franco surprised Coleman by dropping a stack of money on the bar. Franco offered to pay Coleman $10,000 to book a performance artist for one night. Coleman introduced Kalup Ishmael.

At the penthouse, Sam grabbed some money when she went to answer a knock at the door. She was stunned when she found Franco standing on the doorstep. "I hope you ordered Moo shu pork," Franco told her as he held up a bag of food.

7/14 At Jake's, Kalup Ishmael entertained the crowd with his rendition of Route 66. Jason and Dante realized that the song was a clue from Franco, but they couldn't figure out what it signified. After the song ended, Kalup gathered his things and then prepared to leave. Jason and Dante tried to question Kalup about Franco, but Kalup couldn't provide them with any useful information. Next, Jason and Dante questioned Coleman about how Kalup had ended up singing in the bar. Coleman confessed that a stranger had entered the bar, ordered an Absinthe, and then paid Coleman to book Kalup for a one-night performance. Coleman admitted that he had no idea that Kalup would only perform one song. Jason suspected that Kalup had been some kind of diversion, but he didn't know why.

At Jason's penthouse, Sam pulled out a gun, which she aimed at Franco. Franco didn't seem concerned as he sat down on the sofa and then pulled out the containers of Chinese food from the bag that he had carried in. Franco explained that Chinese food wasn't good if it was served cold. Sam promised that Jason would kill Franco with his bare hands if he found Franco in the penthouse. Franco wondered why everyone seemed eager to kill him with their bare hands: first Carly, then Jax, and, according to Sam, Jason. Franco appreciated that Sam at least showed him some respect by threatening to kill him with a gun. Franco didn't blame Sam for being mad at him, but he pointed out that nothing had happened to her. Sam reminded Franco that he had locked her in a soundproof room with a bomb. Franco shrugged and then changed the subject to complain that he had once prepared cheese, crackers, and wine for Jason, but Jason hadn't thanked him for the effort. Sam continued to threaten Franco with the gun, but Franco wasn't concerned.

Franco pointed out that if she killed him then Jason would be sent back to prison. Franco didn't think that Sam would risk losing Jason. Sam ordered Franco to get out. Franco smiled as he stood up. He asked her to pass along a message to Jason. "I'll make it easy," Franco cryptically told her before he slipped out the door. Jason arrived home a short time later to find Sam sitting on the sofa holding the gun. Sam was rattled because she had let a serial killer go to buy herself some more time with Jason. Jason explained that Franco had just been trying to play head games with her, but Sam refused to allow Jason to brush it off. Sam insisted that it would be on her if Franco hurt someone. Jason held Sam until she calmed down. He then revealed that whatever Franco planned had to do with the number sixty-six.

Sam wondered if Jason should be out looking for Franco. Jason explained that the next move was Franco's, so he had to wait. Besides, Jason added, he'd rather spend some time with Sam. Sam passed along Franco's message. Jason suspected that Franco had something big planned, but he had no idea what it was.

Franco met up with Kalup in an alley. Franco thanked Kalup for his help, but he admitted that he needed one more favor. Kalup was happy to help; however, Kalup wanted select the next song himself. Franco agreed, but he explained that it would have to be a sad and haunting song. Franco intended to raise the dead.

7/15 At Jason's penthouse, Sam confessed that her night with Jason had been wonderful. Jason agreed. After they shared a tender kiss, Sam admitted that she hated the thought of Jason having to return to prison after Franco was captured. Jason pointed out that it hadn't happened yet, so he didn't want Sam to dwell on it. Sam and Jason went to the living room to have some breakfast, but Sam couldn't stop thinking about their future. Sam was curious what Jason planned to do after Franco's arrest. Jason revealed that he intended to return to Pentonville. Sam was disappointed; she reminded him that they had other options. Jason explained that Port Charles was Sam's home, so he didn't want her to have to leave it. Jason also wanted them to be free to live openly instead of in hiding. Sam agreed to respect his wishes, but she made it clear that she was ready to go on the run with him if he changed his mind. Sam decided to head to her office, since Jason didn't want her to help track down Franco. Jason explained that it would too dangerous, so he preferred that she not be involved. However, he insisted that she remain armed with a gun until Franco was found. After Sam left, Jason called Spinelli, but the call went to Spinelli's voicemail. He told Spinelli about Sam's encounter with Franco and then demanded that Spinelli return to the penthouse.

As Jason disconnected the call, someone knocked on the door. It was Maxie. Maxie was eager for Jason's advice on how to mend her relationship with Spinelli. Jason didn't want to be involved, but Maxie insisted that she was desperate. Maxie feared that she might make the wrong choice, which might lead to heartbreak for Spinelli or her. Jason reminded Maxie that it was a bad time. Maxie realized that Jason was trying to hunt down Franco, but she didn't think a few minutes would make a difference. Maxie was relieved when Jason finally agreed to hear her out. She began to ramble about how she became distracted by different men. She confessed that she didn't feel as if she were good enough for Spinelli. Jason suggested that it was up to Spinelli to make that decision. Maxie argued that Spinelli always saw the best in her because he was a good guy. Maxie didn't think she would ever find anyone as wonderful as Spinelli.

Maxie was surprised when Spinelli walked through the door. Spinelli took one look at Maxie and then offered to leave. Maxie rushed to explain that she wanted to ask him something. Maxie revealed that Matt had invited her to the opening of a Broadway show. She was curious how Spinelli would feel if she accepted. Spinelli insisted that it wasn't his decision to make. Maxie was stunned when Spinelli explained that his opinion was private. "Why would you say that?" Maxie asked in a hurt tone. She reminded Spinelli that they had always shared everything. Spinelli clarified that they had shared everything when they had been on the same path; however, that had changed. Maxie warned Spinelli that if he didn't object to her going with Matt to the opening then he was essentially admitting that she was a free woman. Spinelli suggested that Maxie had already made that decision. Maxie was sad as she and Spinelli officially broke up. After she left, Jason asked if Spinelli were okay. Spinelli focused on the laptop as he explained that they didn't have time for Spinelli's broken heart because they had a killer to catch. Jason respected Spinelli's wishes, so they started to review the clues that they had gathered.

A few minutes later, Carly knocked on the door. Carly apologized for interrupting them, but she needed a moment of Jason's time. Carly revealed that she had an opportunity to put her family back together, but she didn't know if she could forgive Jax for his role in sending Michael to jail. Spinelli thought that perhaps he was in a unique position to help Carly, since he had just lost the love of his life. Spinelli suggested that Jax would wait if Jax loved Carly. However, Spinelli urged Carly not to let Jax wait if she truly loved Jax. Carly smiled as she thanked Spinelli for the sage advice. Carly's good mood evaporated when Dante showed up. Spinelli noticed Carly's reaction before she left.

At the penthouse, Dante tucked his phone away as he explained that he had been concerned about Lulu. Dante couldn't forget that Franco had almost killed Lulu the last time that Franco had been in town. Jason reminded Dante that Maxie, not Lulu, had been Franco's intended target. Dante wasn't reassured, so he focused on trying to figure out the clues that they had gathered. Jason suspected that the crucial clue to help tie everything together wouldn't be revealed until Franco was ready.

Dante was undeterred as he continued to review what they had uncovered. Jason and Dante tried to determine how the people, who had received the crime scene pictures, were connected to the number sixty-six. Dante suggested that perhaps it wasn't important who had received the pictures, but rather where the pictures had been taken. Dante pointed out that Franco had rented a mansion on County Road 66 and that Kalup had performed the song, Route 66, which was about a man who had stopped in various towns along Route 66 during his road trip. Lulu was working alone when Franco suddenly stepped out of the shadows and then approached her desk. Her eyes widened with terror when she saw the serial killer smiling down at her.

7/16 Dante, Jason, and Spinelli were at Jason's penthouse. They discussed the number 66 that had become a common theme with regard to Franco. Dante theorized that the clue had to do with the song "Route 66." In the song, a traveler started in Chicago and headed west. They knew from the first crime scene photo that Franco had sent that the victim had been murdered in Chicago. Spinelli hypothesized that, since the second crime photo was of a victim in St. Louis, the next photo should be of a crime scene in Joplin, MO. But the third photo was from Flagstaff, AZ, a city mentioned after other cities in the song. Dante worried that they might be embarking on a wild goose chase, but Jason said that they had to pursue the clues Franco was leaving them. Dante called the police in each of the cities mentioned in the song and asked them to keep him in the loop with regard to any unsolved murders. Dante worried that Franco was setting up another situation in which Jason would be forced to make a hard choice. They all agreed that Franco was leading them to Los Angeles, where the traveler in the song terminated his journey. After Dante left, Jason directed Spinelli to search for a link between Franco and L.A., but Ronnie arrived and arrested Jason because he'd served his purpose, Franco had shown his hand.

At Crimson, Franco showed himself to Lulu. He told her that he was disappointed in Dante and Jason, given that they hadn't seemed to provide much security for her. He pondered aloud, "Who do I have to kill to get some attention around here?" As he explained that he had been dropping in on all the people he'd met the last time he'd been in town, Lulu tried to send a text message. However, Franco caught on. He told her to get Dante on the phone so that he could hear her die. Lulu responded that she wanted to live. Franco promised to kill her as painlessly as possible but, if she insisted on staying alive, she needed to do him a favor. He gave her an envelope to give to Dante with the message that it was from Barstow. Franco left, and Lulu attempted to follow him.

Later, Lulu made her way to Baker Street, where she called Dante and told him to meet her right away. Soon thereafter, Dante met her there, and she explained to him that Franco had threatened her. Claire arrived, and Dante explained the situation to her. He shared the theory that Franco had been committing murders in all the towns mentioned in the song "Route 66." That prompted Lulu to give to Dante the envelope Franco had given her.

Jason was returned to his cell at Pentonville, where he found a photo of a mechanical toy monkey. Franco made arrangements on the phone to have a glass case transported somewhere. He told the party on the other end of the call that he thought Jason, in particular, would "get a kick out of it."

7/19 At the prison, the very large guard who took Jason to his cell was extremely hostile to Jason. When Jason found a picture from Franco among the items on his bed, he tried to get an appointment with the warden, but the guard told Jason that the warden was away and that he was the only authority that would hear Jason's appeals. When Jason asked to make a phone call, the guard refused. Franco watched a video that he had made of himself and Jason after Franco had kidnapped Lulu and Sam. Franco laughed as he watched a frustrated Jason manhandle him and demand Sam and Lulu's location.

Claire went to see Jason in prison. He showed her Franco's latest picture and told her that he thought Franco was heading for L.A. Claire thanked Jason and said that she did not need him anymore, since he had told all he knew. When Jason protested that Franco would not show himself if Jason did not appear, Claire asked why Jason had not overpowered Ronnie and escaped when he had the chance. Jason told Claire that he had not run because Franco was still out there killing people and that he would not do anything that would jeopardize capturing Franco. Claire liked his answer and called for the guard to release Jason.

At the penthouse, Spinelli told Sam about his visitors. He was convinced that Dante was responsible for Jason being sent back to Pentonville, despite what Dante and Lulu had told him. Spinelli was still bent on revenge and told Sam as much, obliquely in Spinelli-speak. Sam told Spinelli that she understood his anger, but she worried because she had never seen him so dark. Spinelli said that he accepted that he and Maxie would be friends not lovers. Spinelli told Sam that Lulu would soon learn the depths of Dante's betrayal. He was about to tell his revenge plot when Claire and Jason walked in, followed shortly by Lulu and Dante. When Jason told Spinelli to locate the place where Franco's photo had been taken. Claire encouraged him. She said the sooner he did, the sooner Franco would be caught and Jason could be returned to Pentonville for good. Dante declared it a "win-win" situation.

With his cameraman looking on, Franco viewed scenes of Jason that had been shot in Franco's Port Charles loft. The cameraman said the footage they were watching was all he had been able to record before Jason knocked the camera away. Franco said it would be fine for his purposes and would get his point across.

Jason and Dante got on a plane to L.A. Dante accused Jason of milking the situation to stay out of Pentonville. Jason said that going to prison had been worth it to keep Michael safe. Dante said that he wanted to apprehend Franco as soon as they got to L.A. Jason told Dante that Franco would not like it if Dante interfered in the game that Franco had planned for Jason. Dante said he was clear on the subject and understood that neither Franco nor Jason would think twice about killing him.

7/21 At the Museum Of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, Jason and Dante recognized some of Franco's exhibits. Wilhelm Von Schlegal introduced himself and then questioned why Jason and Dante were there. Dante wondered if Wilhelm realized that Franco was a serial killer. Wilhelm smiled as he explained that the speculation about Franco was an integral part of Franco's work. Wilhelm insisted that it wouldn't be inappropriate for him to comment on whether or not the rumors about Franco were true. Dante realized that Wilhelm subscribed to the philosophy that the bigger the mystery, the larger the paycheck. Wilhelm tried to deny it, but Jason and Dante didn't believe him. Jason decided to cut to the chase by introducing himself to Wilhelm and then asking if Franco had left a message for him.

Wilhelm was delighted to meet Jason. According to Wilhelm, Franco considered Jason to be a true artist. Wilhelm offered to represent Jason, but Dante didn't think that it would be a good idea. Dante cryptically explained that things could get messy if Jason and Franco were to try to outdo each other. Jason ignored Dante's comments to explain that he needed to know where the rest of Franco's exhibits had been stored. Wilhelm readily cooperated. A short time later, Jason and Dante entered a warehouse with their guns drawn. They lowered their guns when they spotted a replica of Josslyn's crib with "CO77X" spray-painted on it. "First Franco thinks you are an artist and now he thinks you are the art," Dante remarked as they looked at the various pieces of familiar furniture scattered around the warehouse. "Franco has put my whole life on display," Jason replied as he took everything in.

7/22 In Los Angeles, Jason and Dante made their way around the warehouse where Franco had stored various replicas of objects from his time in Port Charles. Jason recognized the dumpster, Josslyn's crib, and other items from settings of his encounters with Franco. Dante confessed that one almost had to respect a mind that was as twisted as Franco's. He wished Jason luck getting into Franco's head. "Franco thinks I'm already there," Jason revealed and then added, "Maybe he's right." Dante concluded that perhaps it took a psycho to catch a psycho. "Should be a fun trip," Dante mumbled under his breath. As they looked around the warehouse Jason approached a tarp that had been draped over some scaffolding. Jason was unaware that Franco lurked on the other side of the tarp. Jason moved away from where Franco was hiding when Dante called out to Jason.

Dante had found a desk from Franco's studio. A DVD player had been hooked up to a television, so Dante hit play. Dante and Jason watched as an image of Carter, in the visitors' room at Pentonville, appeared on the screen. Carter and Franco were discussing what Franco wanted Carter to do to Michael. Carter admitted that Michael seemed like a nice kid, so he was curious what Michael had done to Franco. Franco explained that Michael was merely a means to an end, just like Carter. Carter shrugged and then asked if Franco had any preferences on how Michael should be dealt with. Franco chuckled as he suggested that Carter be creative.

Franco only had one stipulation: he wanted Carter to make certain to tell Jason that Franco said "Hi" when Jason confronted Carter. Jason had heard enough; he picked up the television and then threw it across the room. Afterwards, he pulled out the DVD and then snapped it in half. "You done? What the hell was that?" Dante demanded. Dante was impressed that Franco had been able to mess with Jason's head; however, he was furious that Jason had destroyed valuable evidence that could have connected Franco to Carter and opened Franco up to conspiracy charges. Jason made it clear that no one would ever know that Franco had sicced Carter on Michael. Dante argued that Jason was only protecting Franco, not Michael. Jason grabbed Dante by his shirtfront and then shoved Dante back. Jason accused Dante of handing Franco the means to make Michael suffer. Jason wanted to kill Dante, but he didn't; he released him instead. Dante suggested that Franco wanted Jason to lose control. Jason confessed that it was exactly what had happened the last time he had faced Franco. Dante pointed out that Franco knew that Michael was Jason's weakness. Dante was certain that Franco was eager for Jason to make a fatal error. "Are you done?" Jason demanded; he complained that they were wasting time and then walked out.

At the hotel, Dante handed a gun to Jason. As Dante slipped a gun into his waistband, he explained that the weapons had been loaned to him by the Los Angeles Police Department. Jason reminded Dante that he was a flight risk, but he accepted the gun. Dante acknowledged that he and Jason hated each other; however, they had to do whatever was necessary to take down Franco.

At the Museum of Contemporary Art, Wilhelm was relieved when he found Franco inspecting one of the pieces of art. Franco was dressed in a tuxedo and ready for the opening. Wilhelm had some questions about the outdoor exhibit, including how many players there would be. Franco answered, "Two," but he wasn't forthcoming with additional details. Franco explained that he didn't want to ruin the spontaneity of the exhibit. Franco wondered if Wilhelm trusted him. Wilhelm readily assured Franco that he did, which made Franco laugh. Franco advised Wilhelm not to because "I'm a whack job." However, Franco promised that Wilhelm would be the toast of the art world after that evening's performance. Wilhelm was delighted.

Lucky and Nikolas checked the computer, they noticed a crib in one of the operating rooms. Lucky and Nikolas went to check it out. A few minutes later, they confirmed that it had been Aiden's, but the infant was nowhere to be found. Lucky and Nikolas were surprised when Franco's image suddenly appeared on all of the monitors. Franco welcomed everyone to "Franco's Funhouse."

In Los Angeles, outside of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Jason and Dante arrived at Franco's exhibit. The security guards recognized Jason, so they let Jason and Dante pass without searching them. Inside the exhibit, Jason realized that all of the scenes were recreations of his encounters with Franco. Franco's image suddenly appeared on a one of the brick walls. In a taped message, Franco said, "Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, saints and sinners, and especially you, Mr. Morgan, welcome to Francophrenia, the blurring of lines between illusion and reality. I will be your guide to the funhouse. But remember to keep your seat belts fastened, your hands outside of the car, and definitely talk to strangers. And what you see is most definitely not what you get. And one among us will not survive. Enjoy." Footage of Jason's final encounter with Franco in Franco's studio began to play. Franco stood on some scaffolding, looking down at the scene. He laughed as Jason and Dante desperately searched for him.

7/23 Careful preparations were made for Franco's art opening at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Jason and Dante arrived at the reception's security checkpoint. They assumed that they'd have to use Dante's authority as a cop to get in but were told that they had been expected. On a giant video screen, Franco's face appeared as he announced to the crowd that, "one among us will not survive." Footage of Dante and Jason's previous interactions with Franco flashed on the screen. Franco watched from above as he chuckled to himself.

Dante left with the man who organized the event to view security footage. Franco revealed himself by grabbing a woman and holding a gun to her head. Jason confronted Franco, who asked Jason if he wanted to watch Franco take a life or help save one. The woman he held was thrilled to be part of the game. Thinking is was performance art, she and others urged Franco to shoot her. Franco egged Jason on by encouraging Jason to shoot him in the head. Franco's hostage began to worry that it wasn't a game, after all, and told him to let her go, but he held on tighter and told her she wouldn't make it through the night. Franco taunted Jason by telling him that Carter, the man Jason killed because he'd raped Michael in prison, would live on through Franco's work. He pointed to the video monitor, which showed Carter holding up a photo of Michael.

When Jason turned to view the video, Franco pushed the woman into him and ran away. Jason gave chase but couldn't make it through the crowd in time to apprehend him. Franco met up with a videographer and spoke into the camera as a patron congratulated him on the performance. He told her to direct Jason, should she run into him. The videographer followed Franco into a stairwell where Franco strangled him to death.

Dante called Lucky, who updated him on the search for Aiden. Lucky told Dante that Jason shouldn't kill Franco because he might be the only one who knew where the baby was. Dante happened upon Lulu and demanded to know why she was there. She replied that she was there to protect him from Jason, who had it in for him. She explained that Jason wouldn't do anything to Dante if she were there because Jason wouldn't betray Carly.

Jason found his way to the stairwell, where he discovered Franco's latest victim's body. Franco called out from a flight above and apologized for not having had time to pose the body the way he'd wanted to. Jason shot at Franco, who ran up another flight. The two engaged in a shootout in between discussing Franco's obsession with Jason. Franco admitted that he'd begun to understand why Jason cared so much for Michael when he'd met Carly's daughter, Josslyn. Jason replied that Franco would never feel a connection like that.

During a performance on the main stage at the reception, Franco emerged from the stairwell onto a catwalk. He yelled at someone not to kill him and that he knew where the baby was, then he fell over the railing and onto a "Route 66" road sign painted on the stage. Jason got to the catwalk and saw Franco's body below.

Lucky and Nikolas watched Franco's transmission on a monitor in a hospital room. On the screen, Franco announced that everyone would have to play his game if they wanted to find the baby. Nikolas wanted to trace the feed, but Lucky said that the broadcast likely wasn't live. He explained that Franco had lured Jason and Dante to L.A. Nikolas wondered if Franco had actually sent Dante and Jason on a wild goose chase so that he could make his next move at the hospital. On the monitor, Franco began to speak about the number "66," and Nikolas realized that Aiden's hospital I.D. bracelet ended with that number. Elizabeth found Lucky and Nikolas as Franco announced that the next level of his strategy was called "Francophrenia." He stated that Aiden would be a big part of the plan.

7/26 While the music played at Franco's Los Angeles art exhibition, he led Jason on a chase through the museum. It culminated when a body, apparently that of Franco, fell from the rafters. Lulu and Dante were part of the crowd that looked up to see Jason peering over the railing at the fallen body.

Outside the museum, Los Angeles police had Jason handcuffed and under arrest. Dante argued that Jason belonged in his custody. He told the cops that Jason was in federal custody and there would be a lot of paperwork for all of them if they did not release Jason to Dante. The cops saw his point and released Jason. As soon as the police were gone, Jason pulled a gun on Dante. He spewed all his anger and hostility as he blamed Dante for Michael's predicament. Jason asked for a reason not to kill Dante. Dante said that if Jason killed a cop, he would have to be on the run for the rest of his life and would never be able to go back to Port Charles again. Jason said it would be worth it to have his revenge.

Dante said that if Jason killed him, Michael would blame himself, not only for Dante's death, but Claudia's also. Dante said that he understood Jason's hatred for him. Dante said he hated himself for what happened to Michael, "But," he said, "It's not about you and me; it's about Michael." Dante made a compelling argument when he asked Jason what would happen to Michael if Jason killed Dante and escaped. Dante asked if Jason's own satisfaction and need for revenge was more important that Michael's well-being. When Jason hesitated, Dante said, "If it isn't, then shoot me right now.”

7/28 Dante and Jason arrived at the penthouse to find Sam waiting. Sam was excited to see that Jason was safe. Dante revealed that Franco had been killed. Sam's happiness evaporated when she realized that Franco's death meant that Jason had to return to Pentonville. Dante explained that he needed to shower and then get some paperwork done, so he would return at 5:00pm. Sam thanked Dante. After Dante left, Sam walked into Jason's outstretched arms. Jason held Sam for a long moment and then they went to the living room. Jason quickly filled Sam in about the events that had led to Franco's death. He was bothered by the final encounter with Franco because he couldn't make sense of it. Sam didn't want to talk about Franco, so Jason dropped the subject. He reached out to kiss Sam, but Spinelli raced into the living room to announce that he had found the means to set Jason free.

Spinelli revealed that he had figured out a way to deactivate the ankle monitor, so that Jason could safely remove it without alerting the authorities. Sam was thrilled because it meant that she and Jason could go on the run. Spinelli provided Sam with passports, drivers' licenses, and social security cards that would allow Sam and Jason to assume new identities. Spinelli also revealed that he had booked several flights for them, so all they had to do was choose a destination and then head to an airport in New York City. Sam was impressed when Spinelli added that he had made arrangements to transfer enough money into an account that Sam and Jason could live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

Sam wondered what Spinelli intended to do if she and Jason went on the run. Spinelli sobered as he quietly admitted that he would stay in Port Charles. "No," Jason informed them. Jason appreciated everything that Spinelli had done, but he refused to run away. "Why not?" Sam demanded. Jason reminded her of all of the people that they would leave behind. Jason explained that he had made his choice, so he had to live with it. Sam asked to speak to Jason privately, so Spinelli left. Sam reminded Jason that she had backed him on every decision that he had made, but she couldn't support his decision to turn down a chance at freedom. She insisted that she loved him, but she refused to watch him go to prison. Jason loved Sam, too, but he was determined to do his time. Sam couldn't accept that because she wanted a life with him. She begged Jason to leave Port Charles with her.

7/29 At the penthouse, Sam begged Jason to leave the country with her. Jason argued that it wasn't an option because they would have to leave their loved ones behind. Sam realized that they would have to make some sacrifices, but she reminded Jason that they would be together and free to live their lives. She thought that was what Jason wanted. Jason assured her that he wanted those things, but not if they had to give up so much. Sam didn't care. Jason refused to change his mind. He wondered if she could forgive him for making the choice that he had. "Yes," Sam quietly answered. She was curious if Jason still wanted her to wait for him. Jason assured her that he did, but he made it clear that it had to be her choice. If she couldn't wait, then he would have to learn to accept her decision. Sam was adamant that she would take him however she could have him.

Later, Sam looked out the window with a sad expression as Jason entered the living room. Sam tearfully explained that she had been thinking of all the ways that she would miss Jason. Jason reached out for Sam as he promised her that they could do all the things she had been thinking about when he got out of jail. Sam intended to hold him to it. She changed the subject to find out what he wanted to do for the last few hours that they had left. Jason smiled suggestively, but Sam had other ideas. She challenged him to a game of dominos. Jason was surprised as Sam fetched the box of dominos. A smile spread across his face as he followed her into the living room. Later, Sam was in high spirits because she had beaten Jason at dominos. A knock at the door interrupted their bliss. It was Dante. Dante explained that he had received a report from the LAPD. According to DNA tests, the man who had fallen to his death at the Museum of Contemporary Art had not been Franco.

In Woodstock, New York, Karen Anderson packed up her belongings. A knock at the door interrupted her work. Karen was surprised to see her son, Franco, standing in the doorway holding an infant.

7/30 In the penthouse, Dante, Jason, and Sam discussed Franco's apparent death. The file Dante had proved Franco was not the man to have fallen off the roof at the art reception in Los Angeles. Jason explained that he had chased Franco up to the roof and that the man he'd thought was Franco had yelled that he knew where Aiden was. Sam got a call from Kristina who asked her to meet at Kelly's. Jason told Sam to go to her sister, and Dante said that Jason wouldn't go back to prison, as long as Franco was still alive.

Franco arrived at his mother's new house and presented his mother with Aiden. She asked "Bobby" where he'd gotten the baby, but Franco wouldn't answer. Franco's mom worried that the infant hadn't been eating enough. Franco left to shop for the baby. He returned with armfuls of baby items. Franco's mother told him that Aiden had eaten all of the formula Franco had brought with them, but Franco replied that he'd bought enough to last quite awhile. Franco' mom was concerned and felt that it wasn't right for her to keep the baby. Franco explained that he was giving her the opportunity to start anew with a child that would not prove as difficult to raise as he had been. He told her that he might not be around for awhile. Franco's mother demanded details on the baby, and Franco lied that he'd gotten the boy through a private adoption. He told her that, since she was living in a new house in a new town and had a brand new life, she could give the baby everything she wasn't able to give him.

After Dante and Sam left, Michael arrived at Jason's penthouse. Jason filled Michael in on the situation: that Franco was still alive and that Jason would not be going back to Pentonville. Michael told Jason why he had been at the hospital when Aiden was kidnapped and Mr. Bauer attempted to hit Kristina: because Michael had injured himself in a fight at his new job. He went on to explain that Mr. Bauer had returned with a gun and shot Mac and Ethan. Jason felt bad for adding to Michael's stress but told him about Franco's art exhibit in L.A., that there had been video footage of Carter which proved that Franco had sent Carter to harass Michael as a way to get to Jason. Jason apologized to a visibly shaken Michael, who was relieved to hear that, aside from his prison I.D. photo, he had not been a part of the exhibit. Jason urged Michael to find a way to move forward with his life and not to let his anger take over. Michael asked Jason to teach him how.

Sam met Kristina at Kelly's and comforted her sister over the incident with Kiefer's father at the hospital. Kristina complained that Sonny had lectured Michael after he had saved her from certain death at the hands of the unstable Mr. Bauer. Sam defended Sonny and explained to Kristina that he was just concerned for Michael. Kristina protested, and Sam told Kristina that she was beginning to sound more and more like her father. Sam urged Kristina not to repeat Sonny's mistakes: holding grudges, blaming others for the state of his life, and getting even with enemies.

Dante went to see Lucky at the police station to tell him that Franco was not dead. Dante explained that the man who had impersonated Franco and jumped to his death was a Stage 4 cancer patient. Lucky informed Dante that the nurse who'd likely been the last to see Aiden had been found dead. Dante hypothesized that luring him and Jason to L.A. had been a diversion and that Franco had wanted to kidnap the baby all along. Dante returned to Jason's penthouse with Lucky. The three of them went over everything that had happened since Aiden had been kidnapped, and Dante suggested they go to the one person connected to Franco: Franco's mother. He called the Woodstock Police Department and asked them to send a unit to Karen Anderson's house. They reported that the house had been abandoned. Jason feared that there would be no more clues because he believed that Franco wanted to keep Aiden for himself.

Alexis met Sam at Kelly's. Sam explained that Kristina still harbored a lot of resentment toward Sonny. Alexis explained that, because Kristina was unable to direct her anger at Kiefer, she was misdirecting it at Sonny. Both women agreed that Kristina and Sonny behaved just like each other.

8/2 Jason, Dante, and Lucky discussed Franco at Jason's penthouse. Jason was convinced that Franco had abducted Aiden because he thought that having a baby to bond with from birth would make him like Jason. Jason told Lucky and Dante that he had figured that out after replaying the conversation he had with Franco in the stairwell when he talked with Franco at the Los Angeles art exhibition. Jason said that taking the baby had been Franco's real goal and that everything else had been misdirection and a diversion. Jason thought that taking the baby was Franco's attempt to form a relationship with another human like the one that Jason had with Michael. Lucky suggested that they try to find Franco's mother, but Jason thought it was a waste of time. Lucky said that Franco's mother was the only lead they had, and he did not want to be the one who had to tell Elizabeth that her baby was not returning.

Even though he thought it might be a waste of time, Lucky left to check for clues in the home and town where Franco's mother had been living. Spinelli appeared and started searching the Internet for Franco's videos. He was able to locate the raw footage that had been taken at Franco's L.A. exhibition. Jason noted that Franco had killed the cameraman, but told Spinelli to go frame by frame on what they had, to see if anything had been overlooked the first time they watched it. As the threesome reviewed the footage, they reached a section where Franco angrily put his hand over the camera and told the crew to stop filming. Jason noticed that Franco was working on some papers. Jason said that those papers were probably what Franco was trying to hide and told Spinelli to try to get a closer look.

Franco took baby Aiden to his mom. He told her he wanted her to have a child who would not disappoint her. Franco's mom was charmed and said she would keep the baby. She said that she was thinking of naming the baby Pablo. Franco wanted to know if it was in honor of Picasso. His mom said that they could not have too many artists in the family. When Franco told his mom that he had to leave, she wanted to know if he was in trouble. Franco denied any problems and said that he had to take care of some business. After he left, she told baby Aiden that they would be very happy in their new home on the Oregon coast. Franco went to a private jet. As the plane prepared for takeoff, he made a phone call. He told the person on the other end that he wanted to book a very special model. In his lap was a magazine that was opened to a full-page picture of Brenda.

8/3 At the penthouse, Jason, Dante, and Spinelli watched video footage of Franco looking over some documents. In the video, Franco became angry when he noticed that the cameraman was filming him. Jason and Dante realized that Franco was trying to hide something. Dante wanted Spinelli to find out what the paperwork had been about, but Spinelli insisted that he couldn't work with Dante breathing down his neck. Dante warned Spinelli that Jason would have to go back to Pentonville if they didn't get a lead by 5:00 p.m. on the following day. Spinelli renewed his efforts. A short time later, Jason, Dante, and Spinelli were able to ascertain that the paperwork had been legal documents. Spinelli tried to find out why Franco had needed an attorney, but Dante's impatience proved to be too distracting. Dante decided to give Spinelli some space. After Dante left, Spinelli pleaded with Jason to reconsider going on the run. Jason insisted that he would find Franco and then go back to Pentonville.

Lulu went to Jake's to have a drink. Coleman was curious where Dante was. Lulu explained that Dante and Jason were working together to find Franco. Lulu confessed that she was concerned because she didn't think that Jason would return to Pentonville after Franco was found. She didn't understand why Dante didn't just cut his losses and send Jason back to jail. Lulu was unaware that Sam had entered the bar in time to overhear Lulu's complaint. Sam reminded Lulu that Jason had once saved Lulu's life. Lulu quickly apologized and then explained that she didn't want to seem insensitive, but she was worried about Dante. Sam realized that Lulu was scared, but she pointed out that Lulu had made some questionable choices in the name of love. Sam suggested that loving Dante didn't mean that Lulu should lose sight of who she was.

Sam arrived at the penthouse to find Spinelli and Jason hard at work. She advised them to get some rest, but Spinelli refused to stop working until Aiden was found. Jason agreed with Sam. Jason hoped that fresh eyes would help them to see things a bit clearer. After Spinelli left, Jason pulled Sam into an embrace and then kissed her.

8/4 At her new house, Franco's mother answered a call from "Bobbie" while she rocked a sleeping Aiden, whom she called Pablo. Franco reassured her that the adoption was legal. After the call, she talked to the baby about plans for the future and told him how thankful she was to her son for giving her another child.

Jason emerged from his bedroom to find Sam on the couch. She lamented that he would go back to prison unless they found evidence that would lead them to Franco and Aiden. Spinelli entered and reported that he'd had no luck finding any clues. Diane arrived and informed them that she'd found no legal loopholes that would allow Jason to stay out of prison. Spinelli explained that he was only able to decipher standard legal verbiage on the document Franco was holding in the video footage that Spinelli had been analyzing. Diane looked at the verbiage and told them that they were boilerplate verbiage, for adoption papers. Sam headed to the hospital to get information, such as blood type, DNA, etc., that would help identify Aiden. Diane was doubtful that the new revelation would be enough to keep Jason from returning to Pentonville.

8/5 At Jason's penthouse, Ronnie insisted on taking Jason back to Pentonville. Spinelli strongly objected while Dante explained that they had a promising lead on Franco. Ronnie argued that the longer Jason remained out of jail, the more opportunity Jason had to escape. Jason clarified that he didn't have any intention of going on the run, but Ronnie didn't believe him. Dante reminded Ronnie that a baby's life was on the line. Ronnie was adamant that Sonny's enforcer had to be returned to prison. Dante was exasperated; he insisted that it wasn't about Sonny. Ronnie argued that it was always about Sonny, so it worried Ronnie that Dante didn't see that. Dante couldn't believe that Ronnie would let an innocent baby die just to thwart Sonny. Ronnie suggested that Dante turn over all of the evidence to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, so that they could track down the missing infant. Sam walked in while Ronnie handcuffed Jason. She demanded to know what was going on as Ronnie carted Jason away. Sam was stunned when Dante and Spinelli explained that Ronnie was returning Jason to Pentonville.

At the police station, Ronnie led Jason to an interrogation room. Ronnie hoped that Jason rotted in Pentonville. Ronnie vowed that he would do everything in his power to make sure that Sonny eventually joined Jason in jail. Ronnie reminded Jason that Carter's murder remained unsolved, so he advised Jason to make friends in jail. Jason ignored Ronnie's attempts to rattle him. He suggested that Ronnie put his time to better use by searching for the baby. Ronnie assured Jason that they would find the baby and then informed Jason that the paperwork was ready, so Jason's transfer was imminent.

Ronnie strolled over to his desk to fetch the transfer papers, but didn't find them. Ronnie asked another police officer where the paperwork was. Dietrich assured Ronnie that he had left it on Ronnie's desk. Dante approached Ronnie to ask if he could help. Ronnie realized that Dante had hidden the transfer papers. As Dante walked away, Ronnie followed him, demanding to know what Dante had done with the paperwork. Dante pretended that he had no idea what Ronnie was talking about. Ronnie was furious as he ordered Dietrich to get Jason ready for the transfer. Meanwhile, Dante received a call instructing him to take care of another police matter. Dante passed Sam as he headed to the door. Dante explained that he had to leave, so Sam assured Dante that they were working on getting Jason released.

Sam started to enter the interrogation room, but Ronnie stopped her. He explained that Jason wasn't allowed to have any visitors except for an attorney. Ronnie was confident that Sam wasn't Jason's legal aid. Sam argued that sending Jason to jail was a dumb move on Ronnie's part. She insisted that it might cost a baby's life. Jason was about to be transferred to Pentonville when Diane arrived at the police station with a writ ordering Jason's release. Ronnie scanned the paperwork that Diane handed to him. Ronnie was livid as he confirmed that Jason's return to Pentonville had been delayed.

In Astoria, on the front porch, Karen cooed to "Pablo" as she promised him that she would take good care of him. After Lucky landed in Oregon, he made his way to Astoria. Dante called Lucky to let him know that Jason was on his way back to Pentonville because Ronnie had decided it was more important to take a hard line against Sonny than to save a baby. Dante advised Lucky to call Spinelli for help. Lucky didn't think that Spinelli would cooperate with Jason in jail. Dante suggested that Lucky remind Spinelli that a baby's life was at stake.

Spinelli was hard at work on his laptop when Lucky called. Spinelli was upset because Lucky hadn't been around to stop Ronnie from taking Jason back to jail. Lucky promised that he wasn't the enemy, Franco was. He warned Spinelli that if something happened to Aiden then Spinelli wouldn't be able to live with himself. Spinelli acknowledged that Lucky had a point. Spinelli revealed that he had discovered that Franco had transferred some money to buy a house at 227 Larchmont Lane in Astoria. Spinelli explained that the title had been put in Karen Robertson's name.

Lucky realized that Franco's mother's name was Karen and that Franco's first name was Robert. Spinelli and Lucky agreed that Karen Robertson was likely Franco's mother, Karen Anderson. Lucky was indebted to Spinelli. Spinelli agreed that Lucky owed him one, so he wanted Lucky to find Aiden and then return the baby to his parents. A short time later, Lucky was at Karen's house, but Karen and the baby weren't there. As Lucky looked around the outside of the house, a young woman called out to him. She identified herself as Karen's neighbor and then asked if she could help Lucky. Lucky explained that he was the ex-boyfriend of Karen's daughter and the father of the baby. The neighbor smiled as she admitted that "Pablo" was cute. Lucky carefully hid his relief at her confirmation that Karen had Aiden. Later, Lucky was hiding in the bushes when Karen returned home with Aiden.

8/6 Lucky observed Karen take "Pablo" into her house. On the phone, Lucky talked to Spinelli, who sent him a photo of Franco's mother, which allowed Lucky to positively identify the woman. Lucky posed as a census taker to speak with the woman. At first, she resisted. But Lucky's Spencer charm won her over, and she invited him in. Once inside, Karen explained to Lucky that Pablo was adopted and named after Pablo Picasso. She admitted that she also had an adult son named Bobby, a successful artist, but that she didn't know where he was. Lucky pretended to have an interest in art and asked what her other son's name was. She declined to share that information because, she explained, one never knew who one's true friends were, when one was a celebrity. Lucky asked about the adoption, which made her suspicious. Karen threw him out. Lucky went away, briefly, but returned and admitted that he was a cop looking for a kidnapped baby. He laid it all on the line and told her the truth: that Pablo's name was really Aiden and that he'd been kidnapped from General Hospital in Port Charles. He claimed to know this because, he told her, he was Aiden's father.

At the police station, Ronnie was flustered by Diane's legal maneuver that allowed her to delay Jason's transfer to Pentonville, as a disheartened Sam sat speechless. A frustrated Ronnie retorted that it would only delay the process by hours. Diane worried aloud that without Jason's calming influence, Sonny would become more and more reckless. Dante arrived with Johnny and, due to space limitations, had to place him into the same interrogation room as Jason. Dante and Ronnie argued about whether Jason should help find missing Aiden or be sent back to prison. Dante asked Diane to see if there were grounds to release Jason into Dante's custody, and she replied that she'd have to search through the records once again, thereby delaying the process further. After going over each document with a fine-tooth comb, Diane announced to Ronnie that everything was in order. There was one catch. Because Jason had been released into Dante's custody, he would have to be returned in the same manner. Ronnie complained but did not object.

In the interrogation room, Johnny explained to Jason that the relationship Johnny had with the Lopez brothers was solid and that the profits resulting from the partnership diminished the likelihood that Santos would take Johnny out. Jason told Johnny that Johnny had made a mistake. Johnny replied that Jason could work for him, once Sonny was out of the picture. After Johnny was taken to another room, Dante allowed Sam to spend some time alone in the interrogation room with Jason. Sam told Jason that he made her proud. He apologized for the choices he's made that had negatively impacted her, but she wouldn't allow him to regret any of the decisions he'd made. Dante returned to transport Jason back to Pentonville. Sam and Jason said "I love you" to each other. After the men left, Sam began to cry.

8/9 In Astoria, Oregon, Lucky managed to get inside Karen's house. He showed his badge and told her that Pablo was actually his kidnapped son, Aiden. Lucky told Karen the story of his relationship to Elizabeth, including the affair with Nikolas, except that in Lucky's version, he, not Nikolas was Aiden's father. He stressed the heartache that Aiden's real mother was feeling when he asked Karen to put herself in Elizabeth's place. At first, Karen was reluctant to believe Lucky, but he was so sincere and non-threatening, that Karen relinquished the baby. Lucky walked in to Elizabeth’s and placed her baby in her arms as she cried in gratitude.

8/12 Michael went to Pentonville to visit Jason. As Michael made his way to the visitors' room, Carter's warning, that Pentonville was a place to survive, ran through his head. Jason was upset when he discovered Michael waiting for him. Jason didn't want Michael near Pentonville because he realized that Michael continued to struggle with what had happened in prison. Michael explained that Jason was serving a two-to-five year sentence because of him, so the least Michael could do was visit Jason. Jason wanted Michael to have a normal life that didn't include reliving what Michael had suffered in Pentonville. Michael explained that he couldn't hide from it. However, Michael was concerned about his mother because she was clearly up to something. Jason offered to talk to Carly, but Michael had more on his mind. He told Jason about Johnny's arrest. Jason insisted that Michael stay out of it, but Michael was worried about Sonny. Jason assured Michael that Sonny could take care of himself, but Michael insisted that Jason would be able to protect Sonny if it weren't for him.

Later, Carly paid Jason a visit. She was surprised to learn that Michael had seen Jason earlier. Jason explained that Michael was concerned because he suspected that Carly was trying to seek vengeance against Dante and Lulu. Carly defended her decision to break up Dante and Lulu. Jason urged Carly to reconsider, but she refused. Carly couldn't let it go because Lulu was always preaching to her about what a great guy Dante was and how everything had turned out for the best, even though Michael and Jason were still suffering. She blamed everything on Dante's decision to tell the judge the truth about Claudia's demise. Carly revealed that she had to nod and smile, while listening to Lulu's "sanctimonious crap." Carly vowed that she would make Dante and Lulu pay for what they had done.

After Carly left, Sam arrived to see Jason. Jason seemed unsure how to greet her. When they were alone, he confessed that he didn't know whether to call her Sam or Brenda. "Brenda," Sam insisted. She explained that it was Brenda's marriage certificate that had allowed them to have conjugal visits. Jason revealed that he might not get any conjugal visits for several more weeks, but Sam wasn't concerned. She didn't think that Jason would be in jail long enough for that to be necessary. Sam surprised Jason by confiding that she might have found a way for him to get out of jail. Sam explained that a judge could reduce Jason's sentence to time served. Jason didn't think that they would find a judge willing to do that. Sam confessed that Spinelli had found a judge with a fondness for strip clubs. She proposed setting up the judge, so that Spinelli could snap revealing pictures of her on the judge's lap. Sam thought that they could use the scandalous photos to blackmail the judge into signing the necessary papers.

8/13 Sam visited Jason in prison. Jason argued with her and told her not to blackmail the judge. He pleaded with her not to do anything that would endanger her or Spinelli but, as she left, Sam insisted that she'd do whatever it took to get Jason released. Some time after she left, Spinelli responded to Jason's summons. He proudly admitted the plan he and Sam had hatched to blackmail a judge. Jason told Spinelli that the plan was too dangerous but said that there was a better way Spinelli could help him. Jason asked Spinelli to keep Sam from doing anything foolish. It was obvious that she was becoming desperate and would likely make a fatal mistake. Spinelli promised to help Sam focus on something positive that wouldn't land her in prison, but he also alluded to desperate acts by Carly and Sonny, and stated that they needed Jason.

8/16 At Pentonville, Sonny gave Jason good news when he announced Jason's unconditional release from prison. Jason was astounded when Diane appeared with a release order making Jason's conviction null and void immediately. In the limo on the ride home, Jason wanted to know more about the loophole in his plea agreement. He said that it was not like Claire to make such a big mistake. Sonny said that she had left the loophole on purpose because of guilt over Michael's conviction. Sonny said that Claire was trying to play him and that releasing Jason was a show of her good faith. He told Jason that he was going to let Claire work him a little longer. Jason cautioned Sonny about getting burned. When Sonny said that he was going to eliminate Johnny, Jason said that he understood the necessity and told Sonny that he would take care of Johnny. Sonny said no, that he would handle Johnny alone so that when Johnny was dead, Jason would not be involved and could not be prosecuted. When Diane called with the news that Jason was out of Pentonville for good, both Carly and Spinelli were overjoyed. Carly immediately wanted to plan a welcome home party for Jason and rushed off, leaving Spinelli to decorate.

Jason arrived at the penthouse and was greeted by a very happy Spinelli. Jason immediately wanted to know why Spinelli and Carly were spending so much time together. He asked Spinelli what they were plotting against Dante and Lulu and if there was still time to stop it. Spinelli was saved from answering when Carly and Michael showed up. Both were happy to see Jason. Jason sent Spinelli and Michael out for party snacks. Jason and Carly hugged and she told him how glad she was that he was out of prison. He said he would do the same thing again to protect Michael. Jason told Carly that both he and Michael were home and safe. He told her that the ordeal was over and that there was no need to go after Lulu. He begged Carly to stop the vendetta she was planning against Lulu and Dante.

8/17 At the penthouse, Jason reminded Carly that he and Michael were out of jail, so there was no reason for her to go after Lulu and Dante anymore. Carly argued that Pentonville had changed Michael. She insisted that Michael was forever scarred because of what Dante and Lulu had done. Jason feared that Carly's plan would end up hurting Michael, but Carly refused to allow Dante and Lulu to get away with their betrayal. Carly was outraged when Jason warned her that Dante was untouchable while Michael was on parole. She insisted that she would get payback. Jason observed that her vengeance wasn't for Michael, but for herself. Carly loved Jason, but she refused to let Dante "screw" Michael over again.

Later, Jason stopped by the police station at Lucky's request. Lucky let Jason know about Michael's visit. Jason was surprised that Michael hadn't told him that he had been present when Santos' men had gone after Johnny. Lucky suggested that perhaps Michael had been reluctant to worry Jason. Jason was relieved when Lucky assured him that Michael's name had been left off of the report, so Michael wouldn't face any parole violations. However, Lucky wanted Jason to talk to Sonny because Lucky feared that it would soon turn into a bloodbath.

Jason returned home to find Sam waiting for him. She threw herself into his arms and then showered him with kisses. Jason thanked Sam for standing by him. Sam laughed as she admitted that it had been as natural as breathing to her because she loved him. Sam assured him that she would have gone to Pentonville every day for the rest of her life if she had to. Jason believed her, which was why he loved her. After a heated kiss, Sam let Jason know that they were alone. Jason wanted to take advantage of their solitude, but Sam insisted that he wait for her in the living room because she had a surprise for him. Jason sat on the sofa while Sam raced up the stairs. She returned to the living room a short time later wearing a sexy black and pink teddy, black stockings, and matching heels. Jason made it clear that he didn't want her wearing the outfit for anyone else, but him, and then picked her up to take her to the bedroom.

8/18 At the penthouse, Michael went to see Jason about the escalating war between Sonny and Johnny. Michael was embarrassed when Sam suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs, wearing nothing but a robe. Sam made her way to Jason's side as she explained that she hadn't heard anyone at the door. Michael offered to leave, but Sam assured him that he was welcome. She decided to make some calls to give Jason and Michael some time and privacy. Michael felt like an idiot because he always seemed to interrupt people while they were having sex. "Forget about it," Jason suggested and then changed the subject. Jason wondered how Michael's probation was going. Michael admitted that it was better than being in Pentonville.

Jason acknowledged that no one could understand what it had been like, unless they had spent time in jail. Michael confessed that it was always in the back of his mind. Michael recalled how Sonny and Jason had always fixed his problems; however, they couldn't fix what had happened to him in Pentonville. Jason suggested that Michael needed some time to heal. Michael revealed that he had read about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, so he was certain that he had PTSD. Jason promised that one day Michael would move past what had happened in Pentonville. Michael suggested that it was easier for Jason to move on because Jason had Sam. Jason agreed, but he assured Michael that Michael wasn't alone. Michael appreciated Jason's support, so he promised to call if he needed to talk. After Michael left, Sam asked if Michael were okay. "No," Jason answered.

Jason stopped by to let Sonny know that Michael had been with Johnny during the shootout. Sonny feared that Michael would face some consequences when the parole officer found out, but Jason assured Sonny that it wouldn't be a problem. Sonny wasn't thrilled to learn that Johnny had helped Dante cover for Michael. However, Sonny realized that it was time to make peace for the sake of his children. Sonny thought that it would be best if a third party brokered the truce, so that Johnny would be more receptive.