Jason & Courtney #3  February 5 - April 14, 2003 - 8 hr original edit

When Sonny and Carly arrive at the Speakeasy, Sonny asks Ric if Ric called Jason to handle the problem first, since Jason might be back from the Dominican Republic by now. When Ric admits that he knew that Jason was back but didn't call Jason because Ric figured Sonny would want to handle it himself, Sonny blasts Ric for breaking in on Sonny's quiet time with his wife. As Sonny angrily criticizes Ric's choices, a bristling Elizabeth angrily defends Ric to Sonny and lets slip that Jason left town again with Courtney. And, Liz adds, it looked to Liz like Jason and Courtney were eloping!

Ric tells Sonny that he hasn't found out where Jason and Courtney went but admits he does know where Courtney and Jason met secretly and gives him the address. Sonny takes off. Sonny goes to the secret apartment and finds a picture of Jason and Courtney that looks quite intimate as well as a sexy negligee in one of her dresser drawers. Meanwhile at the accident site, Jason tries to hide how seriously injured he is from Courtney. He coughs up blood and he admits that he has been coughing up blood since the accident happened. Courtney tries to leave the car and go run for help so he can get to a hospital immediately. Jason stops her and tells her that he needs her to stay and give him her body heat and to keep talking to him to keep him awake. Courtney tells him a fantasy story of them going away together some place romantic and sailing on a nice boat. Jason tries hard to stay awake and tells her he loves her. Courtney tells him that Sonny will probably be angry with them for being together. Jason tells her it doesn't matter how Sonny feels. Jason passes out and a desperate Courtney tries to wake him up and beeps the car horn to get attention from other drivers. She pleads with Jason not to leave her now and that they have so many plans to make to be together for her to lose him now. A driver hears her horn, and comes and helps them. Jason is rushed to GH. It is determined by Tony, Monica, and Alan that Jason needs emergency surgery. Courtney tries to go in and be with Jason but the doctors tell her she needs to get medical attention herself.

Carly tries to reach Sonny and get him to look at things from Courtney's point of view and that she isn't going to just give up Jason for him because he asks her to and he will only risk alienating her again like he did when she was with A. J. Sonny refuses to see Courtney being with Jason as a good idea and insists that with Jason comes danger and he doesn't want his sister involved with him because of it. Max comes back to tell Sonny and Carly that Courtney and Jason were in a car accident and Jason isn't doing too good but Courtney came out of it o.k. They head to the hospital. The doctors make them wait outside the OR and inform them he is going into emergency surgery and can't talk. Tony tells them that he is keeping Courtney overnight for observation and later tells them that Jason came out of surgery fine and is in recovery right now. Carly goes to see Courtney in her hospital room. Courtney tells her that they were driving up to see her and Sonny at their cabin to tell them about their relationship when Jason swerved to avoid hitting a deer and they crashed the car. Carly tells her it won't be as easy to tell Sonny as she thinks. Carly went to Courtney's hospital room and told her that Sonny had not taken the news of her relationship with Jason very well. A defiant Courtney told Carly that Sonny couldn't pick whom she goes with. Carly agreed but reminded Courtney that he was only trying to protect her.

Meanwhile, Sonny sits by Jason's hospital bed while he regains consciousness. Jason calls out Courtney's name. Sonny tells him she is doing fine. Jason tells him about his relationship with Courtney, not aware that Sonny already knows the truth. Sonny tells him he understands that he is concerned for Courtney but that as far as him being with Courtney in a relationship, it has to end now. Jason looks at him seriously in reaction. Sonny visited Jason in his hospital room. He told Jason that for Courtney's sake as well as Jason's he must stop their relationship. He pointed out to Jason that Courtney was still young and innocent despite all she had been through, and that she couldn't possibly comprehend Jason's full role in the organization. He told Jason that Courtney couldn't possibly love him if she knew all about his life. Sonny also described to Jason the horror of Lily's death and living with the guilt. He told Jason that not only did he not want to see Courtney in danger, but he also wouldn't want to see Jason go through what he had. Jason told Sonny that he loved Courtney enough to let her make her own decisions, but Sonny wouldn't back off from convincing Jason that ending it was the right thing to do.

Brenda then went to see Courtney. She told her she was glad she was okay. Courtney asked if Brenda minded her and Jason being together, and Brenda laughed it off. Brenda told Courtney that although Jason deserved to be happy, he lived a very dangerous life and that Courtney should re-consider being a part of it. She told Courtney that she reminded her of herself when she was with Sonny. Courtney insisted that she loved Jason more than Brenda had loved Sonny because she would never give up no matter what.

Tears in his eyes, Jason told Courtney that they couldn't be together anymore. She demanded that he not give in to Sonny's orders, but Jason insisted that Sonny was correct, that it was in her best interest and told her goodbye. Jason returned to the penthouse, devastated. Brenda was there, and she tried to get him to open up about what was wrong, but Jason just asked her what she wanted. She explained how Jax was pushing hard for the annulment and that he was scaring her. Jason told Brenda that she should tell Jax that. He also said that she was the only person standing in her way. Jax appeared at the door asking for Jason to sign the annulment. He began to say that he wasn't up to it, but a pensive Brenda agreed that she was standing in the way of her own happiness and that she was ready to take a chance on love. Jason signed the papers. Brenda asked Jax to wait outside for her. Brenda asked Jason if he had broken up with Courtney, if that was why he appeared so hu