Courtney's hospital room

carly: Sonny is -- he's not very happy about you and jason.

Courtney: Well, he doesn't get to choose who I'm with. And, yeah, ok, it'd be great if he approved. But if he doesn't, who cares what sonny thinks?

Carly: Jason cares.

Jason's hospital room

Jason: I should've told you when i -- when i started to feel for courtney.

Sonny: When was that?

Jason: It was sometime after the stalking. You know, I was guarding her and I liked her. Then i realized it was more. I should've told you.

Sonny: Yeah, you should've told me. It's not like you to keep secrets.

Jason: Yeah, I know, sonny. I was just waiting for the right time. You know, things kept happening. Brenda and i were supposed to get that annulment, and then alcazar was killed and we had to stay together for the trial. And then courtney and I just thought it'd be better to keep it quiet, and she didn't want anyone to know. She didn't want to fight with a.J. Any more than she had to, or mike, or you, I guess. I really didn't know this would be a problem for you.

Sonny: You rented a place for her?

Jason: Yeah, so -- so we could meet and no one would know.

[Jason groans]

sonny: You want to call a doctor?

Jason: No, no, no. God, i'm sorry i didn't tell you right away. I didn't mean it as a betrayal.

Sonny: I know you'd never betray me, jason, and I'm not -- I'm not doing this to punish you. I just -- I just wish you would've told me from the beginning. That way i -- I could've explained why you can't be with courtney before you fall in love with her. That's what happened, right? You -- you -- you love her?

Jason: Yes, i do.

Sonny: Well, I'm sorry.

Jason: Sonny, i'm not.

Sonny: You're my enforcer. You take lives and you risk your own. There's nothing you can give courtney, nothing that will last. You know this has to end.

Jason: I love courtney. And she loves me, and I don't want that to end.

Sonny: Courtney said she loved you?

Jason: Yeah.

Sonny: She know -- she know what you do?

Jason: I guarded her for months.

Sonny: Well, you're not a guard, jason. Does she understand your real work?

Jason: I told her that I do jobs for you that I can't talk about. And she's heard A.J. And the cops call me a hit man, and she knows what that means. I don't think courtney really understands.

Sonny: She couldn't. Courtney has seen you be gentle and kind. She's probably seen you angry. It's not pretty, but she can accept it. A guy with a temper who gives into it occasionally, who has no problem fighting for what matters. She will -- courtney probably will think that's a noble thing. She's not wrong. But she has not seen your real work, and you have not told her, have you, jason? How, on my orders, you take a gun, you go to my enemies, you pull the trigger, and you end their lives? You don't hate these people. You don't even care about them one way or the other. They're targets, obstacles i want removed. Isn't that right?

Jason: Yes.

Sonny: Does my sister understand that?

Jason: No.

Sonny: Ok, that means she doesn't love you, she loves the man you would've been if you never met me. She loves the part of you that's stilclean inside. But if she knew who you really are and what you really do, at best she would be afraid. At worst you will disgust her. Unless you think courtney's the type of girl who would be comfortable with a killer.

Jason: No.

Sonny: Ok, you can go ahead and say it. I made this life for you. You were as innocent as michael. I made you my enforcer. I use you to keep me in power. Now, that is the reason why you can't be with my sister.

Jason: I chose what i wanted.

Sonny: You're going to have to pay the price. Set courtney free.

Courtney's hospital room

Courtney: How could sonny object to my being with jason?

Carly: He thinks jason's wrong for you.

Courtney: Ok, but he's loyal and honest and brave. Sonny knows that. Sonny loves jason like a brother.

Carly: Courtney, he's worried about your safety. Jason can be a very dangerous person to be around.

Courtney: Yeah, so is he. He's a gangster, carly. That didn't stop him from marrying you and adopting michael.

Carly: He has got double standards.

Courtney: Yeah, and it's ridiculous. Sonny should be thrilled that i'm with jason, I mean, especially after a.J.

Carly: I'm not saying it makes sense or that I agree with it.

Courtney: Well, did you tell sonny that he's being unfair?

Carly: I tried, but you know how he is once he makes up his mind.

Courtney: You know what? Sonny can think what he wants. It doesn't matter.

Carly: I know you think that he's being hardheaded --

courtney: No, no, I think that he's being a controlling jerk.

Carly: Well, he's had a lot of losses in his life and he's trying to protect the people he cares about.

Courtney: Ok, fine. Sonny's entitled to his feelings, but so am I. I love jason, ok? I am not giving up on him.

Carly: Yeah. He is a special person. And I understand why you want to fight for him.

Courtney: Jason would fight for me, too. We're going to be together. Sonny doesn't get a vote.

Carly: Well, I hope it works out.

Courtney: It will. I know it.

Later…

brenda: Hey. Uh -- you up for visitors?

Courtney: Yeah, I was -- i'm sorry, i was just hoping you'd be my doctor giving me permission to see jason.

Brenda: Oh, yeah. Well, I'm waiting to see him, too. How you feeling?

Courtney: Well, kind of silly sitting here in this hospital bed when nothing's wrong with me.

Brenda: What happened?

Courtney: It's kind of a long story for now, but short version is, a snowstorm is a really bad time to be driving on country roads.

Brenda: So you guys crashed?

Courtney: Yeah. Jason was injured when he slammed against the steering wheel.

Brenda: Wow. Well, I'm glad you guys are ok.

Courtney: Thanks.

Brenda: All right.

Courtney: Um, can I ask you something?

Brenda: Yes.

Courtney: You and jason are married. Does it -- does it bother you that he's seeing me?

Brenda: Does it seem like it bothers me?

Courtney: No, not at all, which just feels kind of weird.

Brenda: Well, I think that you shouldn't feel weird because jason deserves to be happy. I do have to admit that i think you're a little crazy to be involved with him.

Courtney: Why would you say that? Jason's been great to you.

Brenda: Yes, he has. It's just I could never be involved with somebody like him again. He's very dangerous, you know. And in the end, he'd end up hurting me even though he wouldn't want to, just like he's going to hurt you.

Jason's hospital room

Jason: I won't tell courtney not to love me.

Sonny: Well, she doesn't have to stop loving you, she's just got to love you from a distance. You just got to make it clear that you're not going to see her. She'll hurt, but she'll get over it.

Jason: Why does it have to be this way? You have carly and michael, and I -- well -- you protect them. I can do that for courtney.

Sonny: Is that what you want for my sister, jason? The danger, the guards? You want to do things, you know, that she can't know about? Being told what to do when she hates it? You see what it does to carly. Carly sits on the fear until she can't take it anymore, and then she blows up and she does something crazy.

Jason: Courtney's not -- not like that.

Sonny: Yeah, she's not -- not now, she not, because courtney is soft, she's gentle. Even with the hell she's been through, she sees the good in people. She hopes everything is going to work out for the best. She still believes that the right person wins instead of the strongest. Carly's got steel in her. She doesn't care about anybody but herself -- only the people she loves. Everybody else can go to hell. Don't you want more for courtney?

Jason: I love her. I love courtney enough to let her make her own decision. If you want me to tell her the truth --

sonny: No, no, you know what, I don't want you to burden courtney with that knowledge. And even if you did, even if you told her, even if she saw you kill somebody with her own eyes and still wanted to be with you, I would not give my blessing. And not just for courtney, but for you. You cannot protect her, jason. There's no --

sonny: There's no worse hell than watching the woman you love die because of you.

Sonny: You're right about carly and chael. I keep them with me in spite of -- in spite of the danger. I keep telling myself they're safe, but I know i'm lying. You won't have to lie about courtney, jason.

Jason: You want me to save courtney by hurting her. I don't -- I don't understand.

Sonny: Well, can you understand it hurts worse to die? Huh? Lily could tell you if you could hear her, if she wasn't cold in the ground with the angels in heaven or wherever else i sent her when she walked across that parking lot with my child so she can --

sonny: So she can explode in a car bomb that was meant for me. It's never gone. It fades sometimes for days, weeks. Until michael's playing around, you know, when something falls and the sound is so loud you -- you think it's a gunshot. Or i'm laying next to carly late at night and I see lily's face, and there's a bright light and the sound of the car blowing apart, the sound of her life ending. If courtney dies because of you, you'll be carrying it forever. Don't take that chance. Walk away.

Courtney's hospital room

Courtney: You may be married to jason, but you obviously don't know anything about him.

Brenda: I know a lot about him, believe me.

Courtney: All right, fine. Then you would understand that i am safe and happy with him.

Brenda: I do understand all of that, but you realize that jason is a hit man. I mean, he's sonny's enforcer.

Courtney: Yeah, yeah, I know. That's his job, not who he is. Jason's good to me. He is -- he's sweet and thoughtful and kind. Yeah, he acts like he doesn't need anybody, but he does.

Brenda: I know. Deep down, he needs you. I know. I used to feel the same exact way about sonny. I used to be just like you. You know, just young and naive and -- and i didn't care about any of that because my heart was just -- I know it's the best feeling in the world.

Courtney: Ok, well, then you do understand.

Brenda: I do understand that i risked my life for him so many times, i can't even tell you. I had men come into my house and shoot at me with machine guns while i was taking a shower. I was run down by a car, I was kidnapped at gunpoint, and I still thought he was worth it.

Courtney: So what happened?

Brenda: I gave up everything to be with him, and he left me. And I had a nervous breakdown. I -- all I ever wanted was for him to love me, and that almost destroyed me.

Courtney: Why did you give up?

Brenda: Because I decided i didn't want that life anymore.

Courtney: Well, you -- you must not have loved sonny the way that i love jason because I would never give up.

PH4

Sonny: You want a drink?

Carly: No. I want to know what happened with jason. What did you say to him?

Sonny: Uh -- I told you, it's private.

Carly: Your business is private and jason's not. I love him as much as you do, and I deserve to know what happened.

Sonny: Ok, you want me to tell you --

carly: Yeah.

Sonny: What i said to him? I'll tell you. I told jason that he's dangerous and he's got nothing to offer my sister.

Carly: Did you bother to ask him if he loved courtney?

Sonny: He does.

Carly: And you still ordered him to give her up?

Sonny: Jason knows what's best.

Carly: Well, I really hope he refused because you are completely wrong.

Courtney's hospital room

[Jason comes in and Courtney gets out of bed]

Courtney: Hey. What are you doing here?  [hugs him]

Jason: I just -- I had to see you.

Courtney: Yeah, well, I was dying to see you, too, but i was just going to come to your room. I was so afraid you weren't going to make it. Don't ever scare me like that again.

Jason: I won'T.

Courtney: Look, I -- i think it's great that you're able to walk around, but maybe you should be resting.

Jason: No, you know what, I don't like hospitals. I'm going to check myself out.

Courtney: Ok, well, then we'll leave together, ok? Just give me a minute to get dressed. We'll go back to the loft and I'll --

jason: Courtney. You need to listen to me.