[A flashback to 2004, just after the season 2 premiere. Michael repeatedly said throughout this episode that he was going to jail if he didn't get bail money, but we never see him get the money. The "on the next Arrested Development" scene shows that the corporate checkbook is empty, and yet Michael doesn't go to jail until the end of the season, for a different reason.]

At first the Bluth family were stunned when they realized that George Sr. had disguised himself as Oscar and had stolen the briefcase containing the signed contract with Saddam Hussein.

Gob told Michael, "You've made a huge mistake," but of course he was deflecting from his own guilt. Gob had handed over the briefcase himself, while distracted about Tobias.

They didn't know what to do at first, until Lucille suggested finding the police to tell them about seeing George. (She hoped that they could catch him this time, for she did not trust her husband; he might rat her out for her crimes if he wasn't in her control.)

Oscar asked her to wait so he could hide, in case the police mistook him for George again.

"Don't worry," she said. "Just stand with me when I tell them, and I'll explain that it's not you. Which way did those policemen go? If only I had my rape horn." She left the hallway with Oscar.

Meanwhile, Michael was skeptical about whether Dad would be caught in time, and he worried that he would have to go to jail tonight, so he asked if Lindsay would take care of George Michael, and drive him back to the model home.

However, the thought of Michael going to jail, and possibly getting sent to Orange County Prison like Dad was, made Gob upset. He couldn't let Michael get shivved or worse.

"Wait, wait, Michael. We can still get your bail money, right?" Earlier, Michael had mentioned the corporate checkbook, as well as needing bail by 8 o'clock.

Michael asked, "Well, do you know where Mom put the corporate checkbook? If I can get to it in time, then I'll be okay."

Gob shook his head. "No, she didn't tell me where she stashed it." Though Mom had appointed Gob the company president, she did not trust him with the corporate checkbook after the first check he wrote himself. "Just ask her when she gets back. I mean, she was ready to let you use that Saddam contract, right? So she probably won't withhold it from you."

"Okay." Michael checked his watch and cheered up a little. But he saw that Maeby and Lindsay were looking miserable, so he said, "Let's go see Tobias since we're here."

"Yeah," Lindsay said, still reeling because that awful doctor had recently made her think that her husband was dead.

So everyone went in to visit Tobias, who was covered in blue paint, but alive. He explained that he had been going to a Blue Man Group audition when a car hit him. "It was Barry!"

"Our lawyer Barry?"

Lindsay sat close and started trying to clean the paint off him, at least in places where it didn't hurt him. She still loved Tobias, even if they were trying to have an open marriage now.

After a while, Lucille returned with Oscar. The police were looking for George, but he might have got away already. Michael reminded her that he needed the corporate checkbook, and she at first asked what was the rush? "Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

Michael explained that he needed bail money tonight by 8 o'clock, according to Barry.

"Oh." So Lucille agreed to go get the checkbook for him; it wasn't like she wanted to visit Tobias for long, anyway. First she would take Oscar, Buster, and Annyong home, then she would meet Michael at the Bluth Company.

Annyong spoke up that he needed a new Uncle Sam wig and to go to the late election rally, while Buster got jealous and said that the rally wasn't important anymore. Lucille sighed and left with them and Oscar.

Lindsay wanted to stay at the hospital with Tobias, so Michael asked Gob to take George Michael and Maeby back to the model home.

He gave Gob the car keys and hugged him. "Thanks."

"Sure, Michael." He kissed his cheek and then left.

Michael called Barry to talk to him about the bail money, but Barry was being detained by the police about the car accident with Tobias.

"Don't worry, I can handle your case too. Just need to get a lawyer of my own."

Michael checked his watch and took a cab to the Bluth Company to wait for Mom to bring him the corporate checkbook.

She called to say that she was running late because of Buster fighting with Annyong. However, she said there might be an old checkbook at the office, which still had blank checks in it.

Michael looked for it, as well as searching for his old desk. Gob had indeed moved it to the break room to become a massage table.

At last Michael found the corporate checkbook, only to see that the last few checks had been torn out in the past day by Mom and his siblings, who each wanted some cash the moment that Michael left for Phoenix and couldn't stop them.

Michael called Mom again, saying it was empty, and he needed the new checkbook.

"All right, I'll bring it over."

"Hurry, or I'll go to jail at 8 o'clock. Or maybe you can write out a personal check, since the money's in your account now. You didn't spend it all in one day, did you?"

Lucille was annoyed and did not want to admit anything about when and where she had squirreled away money. "Just wait, Michael." She hung up.

Michael was worried that she was delaying too much, so he called Gob and asked him if he had spent all his corporate check money on the pool table and stuff.

Gob said, "Nah, I put that stuff on the company credit card. I was going to use that check for an illusion, actually, but I can postpone it for you. I'm making plenty of money as the President now. Hang on and I'll come over." He had just dropped off the kids at the model home, and George Michael was busy unpacking now.

So Gob arrived to pick up Michael, and they left for the courthouse together. Since Barry couldn't come, Michael represented himself, relying on his knowledge from his one year of law school. Gob signed over his check for bail money, and Michael was released without having to wait for Mom or Barry to show up.

As the brothers left, Michael was still unnerved about the serious charges he would be facing until the police could capture Dad, and he looked depressed as they got in the car.

Gob asked if Michael wanted to stop at a bar to get drunk. "We don't have to go home yet." He caressed Michael's face. "Or we could go to my place." His wife's place, actually, where they had so much sex.

Michael blinked and met Gob's eyes hopefully. "You mean it? You're not mad at me?"

Gob shrugged. "Did you listen to that message I sent you, about Kitty?"

Michael nodded. He had finally checked his messages before going to ask Gob at the Bluth Company for the corporate checkbook, but Gob had been mad at him, and not in the mood to make up anymore.

Michael said, "I'm sorry I didn't understand, but you were threatening me."

"I wasn't. Mom was there at the penthouse, and I had to put on a show for why I was taking over your job from you. And now I've done it, see. Now you're free. Maybe you can go back to law school and finish that degree now, huh?"

Michael shrugged. "You sure you wanna work for Mom? She can be just as bad as Dad."

"I know. And this Iraq stuff is only gonna get worse if Dad destroys that contract before the police catch him. Then you'll have to bail me out, huh?"

Michael didn't want Gob to be in danger of jail, or prison, or getting shivved again. "I don't wanna go. I wanna be with you." He moved closer and hugged him, which was the closest thing he could get to kissing Gob in public. "I'm sorry I said all that crap at Mom's. You know I get upset and say things I don't mean."

Gob nodded and ran fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry for being mean at the office, too. I do need you, Michael. I was just upset about you running off to Phoenix so many times, without a word about you and me."

"I'm sorry, Gob."

"I forgive you." He kissed Michael's cheek and nuzzled his ear. 'So you wanna stay for me, huh?"

"Yeah." Michael closed his eyes and sighed against him. They clung to each other in the car, and he whispered, "Can we have makeup sex?"

"God yes." Gob broke away and started the car. They drove to Gob's wife's apartment and then hurried inside. They locked the door and kissed hungrily against the walls.

They were so eager that they didn't make it to the bedroom this time, and they landed on the living room couch. They were undressing when Michael asked Gob to get the condoms.

"Fuck! Wait a minute." He got up. "Actually, get naked." He hurried back to the bedroom to get the condoms and lube.

Michael finished undressing and positioned himself in as alluring a manner as possible.

Gob came back and looked very pleased. "Mikey, you're so hot."

Soon Gob got naked too, and Michael was very enthusiastic. Gob was pleased and even tried singing the Bryan Adams song to him. However, Gob got rather breathless while they fucked, so it spoiled the song a little. One of these days he needed to make a mix CD for Michael, so they could play it whenever they had sex. Then Gob could save his voice for grunting and moaning.

Soon Gob stopped singing to focus on thrusting harder and faster, while Michael stroked himself. It was so hot wrong, and Gob got off on the intense look in Michael's eyes. Then Michael finished messily, and Gob slipped out.

Worn out and sweaty, they collapsed against the couch. Michael snuggled against Gob's shoulder, while Gob caught his breath.

Michael cried a little at the thought that he ever tried to run away from this, to just abandon Gob and shun him again for a stupid misunderstanding. He was not going to make that mistake anymore. He loved Gob.

Gob was confused by his brother's tears. "You okay?"

Michael nodded and kissed him. "I'm sorry."

Oh, he was still apologetic about Phoenix. Gob caressed him and murmured, "My hermano."

"My hermano."

Suddenly they were startled by a phone ringing, which seemed to be Michael's cell phone. Michael was still a little overcome and didn't want to get up.

But the phone still rang, so Gob stood up and discarded the used condom, then he rummaged through their clothes.

It was Mom on the phone, and he was going to ignore it, but then Michael realized, "It's past 8, isn't it? She's calling about the bail."

"Oh." Gob handed him the phone, then left to go into the bedroom.

Michael sat up and tried to speak normally. He told Mom that he was fine now, no thanks to her. Gob bailed him out. Michael almost wanted to let his mask slip off, to be defiant and teach her a lesson. He wanted to just say that he loved Gob, but then maybe she'd fire Gob or something. Disown them both maybe, and frame them for Dad's crimes.

Mom claimed that she was sorry for being late, but at least everything worked out. She said Michael could come pick up the corporate checkbook now, as long as he agreed to be in charge of the company again.

Michael asked, "What about Gob?"

Gob came back wearing his short robe and bringing another one to Michael, and he became curious at the mention of his name.

Michael caught his eye and switched on the speakerphone for him.

Mom said, "Well he can't handle the company now, especially if they catch your father with the contract. He wouldn't last a minute under real pressure."

Michael said, "Gob saved me, didn't he? He's still smart, even after all the drugs..."

Gob caressed him fondly and handed him the robe, while he picked up the phone and switched the speaker off. "Mom, let me stay in charge. I'll protect Michael. I always will."

Lucille was annoyed. "Gob, what are you doing there?" Though she didn't actually know where "there" was. She probably didn't even know where Gob was living now. Nobody ever cared enough to ask where he moved to after blowing up the yacht.

Gob told Mom, "I bailed him out, and we went to get a drink together."

She hated the thought of her sons colluding, so she started criticizing Gob and telling him that he couldn't be President anymore. He needed to go back to his magic or something.

Meanwhile, Michael put on the robe and sat back down on the couch, waiting patiently. Gob walked near to caress him, and Michael kissed his hand with total trust and faith. Being lovers had restored some of their old dynamic, where he adored his big brother. If only he could move in here with Gob, and be with him 100% of every day. He didn't want to wear his mask for longer than he had to. He wanted to be real and human with Gob.

Gob kept talking to Mom. "Look, I could make Michael the Vice President."

"Vice President?" She was surprised.

The Bluth Company had briefly had a Vice President once, a non-family member that George fired to make way for Michael to take over his duties in 1992. But Dad had not given Michael the title. He made him Manager instead, and had not given him a new parking spot or a company car. He held back these privileges in order to keep Michael constantly striving for his approval. When Michael became President in 2003, there had still been no Vice President, for he did not like to relinquish any of the power to another employee; it was bad enough that Kitty was so insolent to him, acting as if Dad were still in control.

On the phone, Gob said, "Yeah, and he could work under me." He looked at Michael as he said it, smiling.

Michael had to stifle a laugh. He liked being naughty with Gob.

Mom said, "All right, I suppose that will fool the board. He can do all the real work, and you can be the figurehead."

Gob shrugged. That had been Kitty's plan as well, to make him a figurehead, but maybe he and Michael could negotiate something better in private. "So I'll announce it tomorrow to the board and get him an office. Bye, Mom."

"Goodbye."

He hung up and Michael desperately pulled him near for a kiss.

"Mikey." Gob sat close and told him about making him Vice President. "Then you won't be out of work, and it'll look better to the judge that you're not a flight risk about the bail."

Michael agreed, and even if it was technically a demotion, he felt that Gob was making it up to him for Dad denying him the title and privileges before. Michael also liked the idea of spending a lot of time together at work. "Can I move into your office?"

"I don't know. Mom might get suspicious, and there wouldn't be any room with my pool table. What happened to your old Manager's office?"

"It became a storage room."

"Okay, we can put your desk and stuff back in there. And sometimes we can lock the door and have private meetings, you know?"

Michael laughed.

Then Michael's phone rang again, and it was George Michael this time. Michael didn't like spending time with his son lately, since he reminded him too much of Tracey. He reluctantly answered, "Hi buddy. No, I'm all right. Gob bailed me out in time. Listen, I'm gonna stay late at the office with him tonight. We've got stuff to discuss because he's going to make me Vice President."

Gob kissed his neck and pulled Michael into his lap. He could still hear George Michael talking over the phone. It was exciting to be naughty like this.

Michael said hurriedly, "Yeah, we're really staying this time. No more Phoenix. So don't wait up for me tonight. Bye."

He hung up, and Gob kissed him passionately. "You're so beautiful." He was glad that Michael had chosen to stay with him. They belonged together.

Michael clung to him and said, "I love you."

Gob nuzzled him and sang the song again, now that he wasn't out of breath. Michael was happy, and slid a hand into Gob's robe.

Gob grinned, then he picked up the lube before getting up. Michael followed and grabbed the box of condoms. They headed to the bedroom together and made love again in the soft pink sheets.

In the morning they announced Michael's new job and began to set up his office. Gob said there was nowhere to move all the stuff in the storage room, and leaving all the extra shelves and such might muffle the sounds if they had sex in that room. Michael accepted that and arranged to get the walls repaired in Gob's office.

Gob didn't really want the responsibility of running the company, but he still wanted to feel useful and needed. So he told Michael that many of the employees were stressed out from not just Dad's crimes, but also Michael's strict management style. They needed some relaxation, such as a real massage table or a magic show or a hooker.

Michael disagreed, saying that work must always be serious and professional, as if he were a humorless robot like Wayne Jarvis.

Then Gob suggested that Michael should spread out some of the duties of the Vice Presidency among other employees, so that Michael himself would not be stressed out. His brother was not comfortable with that, either, and he couldn't let go of the power.

Michael said that Gob had never been really taught how the business worked, and he couldn't work the phones either, so he should just sit back and learn from watching Michael run the company. He also suggested that Gob's charm would be better suited for public relations work and schmoozing with investors.

Gob was disappointed that Michael also wanted him to be a figurehead. He was a lot like Mom that way, controlling everyone and hoarding power.

So Gob tried to keep busy doing fun things, and he met Starla at a boat show. After being forced to buy the boat, he ended up hiring her to work at the company. It was all an accident, but he thought he could impress Michael at the office with his new "business model" and slogan. That was PR work, right? Plus, Gob thought that Starla could be their new beard, and he could prove that he was not gay by making out with her a little. Unfortunately, this led to arguments with Michael about lying and cheating. He was always so ungrateful.

Then they fought over the fake house, and Dad in Mexico. It was like they could never move on from the Boyfights, and the balance of power could never be equal. At least the makeup sex was good, and Michael did dig him out when the coffin illusion failed.

Still, Michael became more irritable lately because he was jealous of George Michael's girlfriend. Gob tried to talk to him about that, but then he got distracted by Gary at the office, and Michael kept thinking he was gay again.

When Wayne Jarvis grilled Gob about the Iraq stuff, he got very nervous that he might let slip about the briefcase with the signed Saddam contract, but Gob managed to convince him that he knew absolutely nothing about the business, not even all the shady side jobs that Dad made him do over the years. Still, the interrogation was close, and in a moment of panic, Gob tried to hang himself from the new doorway. (While having the office walls fixed, Gob had decided to put in a second door to make it easier to sneak out to Michael's office/storage room without Starla seeing from her desk.)

Gob soon gave up on the hanging, but Michael seemed very concerned afterward. Gob claimed with bravado that he was only pretending to hang himself, and then he spent time with Buster to avoid the office for a while. Even when the balls stuff blew over, Michael still shielded Gob from stuff at work, and Gob increasingly got the sense that Michael was lying to him about something else. At the softball game, it turned out that Michael had been talking to Dad, who wasn't in Mexico after all, but Michael insisted that Dad wouldn't come back again.

All these betrayals and lies were disappointing, but Gob knew that he shouldn't be surprised; they were both Bluths after all, and were trying in their fucked up way to protect each other. If only they could get away from the company and escape their family for good. But all they could have was that time at Christmas when Buster dropped Gob from a crane, and Michael moved in to take care of him for a couple of weeks. They couldn't have sex because of Gob's injuries, but at least they could be close, and Michael could stop being a nagging wife. They did really care about each other, even if they didn't know how to show it.