Jason was sitting on the couch in his penthouse with a picture of Michael when he was a baby. It had been a couple of days since his talk with Robin and he still could think of nothing else but Michael and the pain he'd caused the boy by bringing him into this life. He tried to forget about it, as there wasn't much he could do now, but he just couldn't get it out of his head. He once again thought about every single decision he made for Michael, including the one to lie to AJ. That moment had shaped Michael's entire life and eventually led to him getting shot.

Jason had always tried not to play the 'what if' game, but at this point he couldn't help it. He couldn't help but wonder how Michael's life would've been altered if he'd been raised at least partly by AJ. He wouldn't have grown up around guns and danger. He wouldn't have had to look over his shoulder. He wouldn't have had to hear news of his father's arrest every other week. And he wouldn't have been shot.

Jason sighed. Things weren't supposed to be like this. Michael was supposed to be better off with Sonny and Carly. That was what he told himself. He told himself that the Quartermaines would ruin his life and Sonny and Carly would love him and keep him safe. He was wrong. The Quartermaines were far from perfect, but Michael would be safe with them and he wouldn't have to worry about getting shot or feel like he had to protect his family from getting hurt

Jason soon heard his door bust open. He turned to see Carly there. "Carly, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the hospital?"

Carly closed the door. "Yeah. So should you. Michael's been asking about you. He's wondering why you haven't come to see him."

"Tell him I'll be there as soon as I can," Jason said before standing up. He went over to the mantle and put the picture of Michael back up there.

"Jason, why do you look so upset? You should be happy," Carly said.

Jason turned to look at her. "What should I be happy about, Carly? Michael getting shot because of me and Sonny?"

"Jason, Michael's fine. He's awake and laughing like nothing happened," Carly said.

"Yeah," Jason said unsettled. The fact that Michael was so unaffected by nearly dying added to his distress. No kid should be able to be shot and move on a few days later like it never happened. Michael was so used to being in harm's way that it didn't affect him at all. "Well, I can't pretend it never happened and you shouldn't either. Your son nearly died, Carly."

Carly's eyes hardened. "I'm aware of that, Jason. I was there. I got the call that my son had been shot and I was at the hospital scared to death while he was in surgery."

"Yet a few days after he wakes up, it's like you've completely moved on," Jason said.

"Because it's over," Carly said.

Jason looked at her like she'd grown a second head. He couldn't believe she really thought that this was over. He couldn't believe she could move on from this and pretend that the danger to her son no longer existed. Actually, on second thought, he could believe it. It was all any of them had done for years. Once an incident passed, they all moved on and pretended it never happened. They never wanted to accept that the life they all lived end so tragically for the children they forced into it, so they denied it. But Jason couldn't live in denial anymore, not after Michael was shot. "You're wrong. It's not over, it's only prolonged. It's prolonged until the next thing happens. Until Michael gets shot again, or maybe instead it'll be a bomb or…"

"Stop!" Carly yelled. She did not want or need to hear talk about her son getting shot again or blown up. "Look, I get that you're upset about what happened to Michael. All of us are upset about it, but talking about it happening again isn't helpful. It won't happen again."

"Unless you take action to get Michael and Morgan out of this life it will," Jason said.

Carly looked shocked for a minute, but she recovered quickly. "You don't want that. That's the fear and Elizabeth talking."

"Elizabeth? What the hell does she have to do with this?" Jason asked. That had come out of left field. Elizabeth had nothing to do with Michael or this situation.

"She's convinced you that your son can't be a part of your life because you're too dangerous and now that has you thinking the same thing about Michael. You can't listen to her. You can protect Jake and Sonny can protect Michael, Morgan, and Kristina," Carly assured him.

Jason immediately shook his head. "No. My son will never be a part of this world. If he has to live his life never even knowing my name, so be it. I love him enough to stay out of his life to make sure he has one." He said before rushing past Carly. He grabbed his keys from the desk, his jacket from the hook, and then walked out the door.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Jason had gone for a ride on his bike. Before he knew it, he was at the Quartermaine Mansion. He entered through the back and into the living room. He wasn't sure why he'd gone there. Maybe because this whole thing all started when he took Michael from the Quartermaines.

When he got inside, he saw Monica sitting on the couch. She looked up at him. "Jason."

"Hi," Jason said quietly.

Monica stood up and guarded her son nervously. "Is everything alright? Did Michael take a turn for the worst? I heard he was gonna be okay."

"He's fine for now," Jason said.

"What do you mean for now?" Monica asked. Jason's words had not eased her mind at all. She'd discreetly looked at Michael's chart earlier and it said he was fine, but perhaps she'd missed something or there was a change in his condition. Gunshot wounds were unpredictable.

"I mean until the next thing happens," he said sadly.

Monica was taken by surprise, so much so that she wasn't sure how to respond. Normally she or someone else would bring up the danger aspect of his and Sonny's world and Jason would brush it off or leave. This was the first time her son had expressed to her concern over the danger. She did know he'd worried about it where Sam was concerned a while back, but never to her and never with Michael. Also, she'd never seen the pain and fear that were in his eyes now. Michael's shooting had truly spooked him.

"I know why you're not saying anything. It's because you agree that something else will happen and it's my fault," Jason said.

"Jason, no," Monica said immediately.

"It is," Jason said before walking past her and sitting down on the couch. "I brought Michael into this life. I told myself he would be okay and I was wrong."

Monica went and sat down beside her son. "You didn't know Michael would be shot."

"It doesn't matter. Choices have consequences and my choices led to this. I took it upon myself to make decisions for Michael and he's been hurt because of them. What's worse is that I didn't even have the right to make those choices. Despite what I let people believe, Michael was not my son," Jason said.

Monica was speechless once more. If she was hearing this right, Jason was expressing guilt and regret for lying to AJ about Michael. Could that be right?

"I keep thinking about what would've happened if I had told Carly no when she asked me to lie about being Michael's father. He wouldn't have been adopted by Sonny. He certainly wouldn't have been shot. I used to believe he wouldn't have been happy, but I don't really know that," Jason admitted. Now when he really thought about it open mindedly, he could never know how Michael truly would've grown up with the Quartermaines because it didn't happen. He did know that growing up with Sonny nearly got him killed though and it had him going off and buying a gun not too long ago.

"No, you don't. AJ loved Michael, Jason. He made some horrible choices, but only because he was desperate to know his son," Monica said.

Jason sighed. "I never saw AJ as loving Michael, especially after kidnapping him and telling him his family didn't love him."

"He shouldn't have done that. It was wrong for him to hurt Michael like that, but I believe he did it because he loved him and wanted to be a father to him. It was his choice and he's responsible for it, but he was driven to it," Monica said.

"You know, the other day, I found myself wishing he was here," Jason said.

"What?" Monica asked surprised.

"I was outside of Michael's room talking to Robin. I was telling her that I wished there was a way to fix this, to save Michael from anymore danger. I knew there wasn't anything I could do though. AJ, as Michael's father is the only one could've done something. But he's dead," Jason said.

Monica shifted uncomfortably. "Are you saying you'd want AJ to take Michael if he were here?"

"Robin asked something similar. It doesn't matter. He's not here and he never will be," Jason said.

"Please, Jason, what if he were?" Monica pushed.

Jason frowned. He wasn't sure why his mother was so interested in what he would do if AJ were alive. It wasn't like it would happen now. "I can't say for sure because he's not, but a large part of me feels that he'd be able to save Michael and that's what I want."

Monica wasn't sure what to do. For the first time in three years, she was considering revealing her secret, and to one of the last people she thought she'd ever tell. But Jason was right. AJ might be Michael's only hope. The problem was that she wasn't sure Jason was serious. It was easy to say something when you didn't think it was a possibility. If it came down to it, he might not follow through. On the other hand, Jason had always put Michael first no matter what.

"Monica, what's wrong?" Jason asked. He could tell something was bothering her.

Monica put her hand on top of her son's. "Jason, there may be a way to save Michal."

"How?" Jason asked.

Monica sighed and prepared herself. She really hoped she was doing the right thing. "You said you wished AJ were here. He's not here now, but he can be. Jason, AJ's alive."