PH4

Jason: Surprised you how? Is everything ok?

Courtney: It's fine. I -- i didn't mean to make it sound --

michael: Daddy?

Jason: What? Hey, buddy. Your dad's out on business. He'll be back soon. What's wrong?

Michael: I had a bad dream.

Jason: You want me to go back upstairs with you till you fall asleep?

Michael: Uh-uh. I'm afraid.

Jason: All right. Sit down there for a second, all right? You're afraid, or you don't want to miss anything? Yeah, see, you were like that when you were a baby, too. You hated to go to sleep. You would fight until your eyes couldn't stay open anymore. You know what I'd do after that?

Michael: What?

Jason: I'd take you like this, I'd pick you up in the air. I'd bring you out here, and i'd talk to you.  [he carries him to the balcony]

Michael: About what?

Jason: Well, you know, anything that came to mind. Cool stuff like pyramids and ancient runes, seven wonders of the world, oceans, all the countries I wanted to visit someday.

Michael: Where were my mommy and daddy?

Jason: Um -- your mom was -- she was out of town, and your daddy was on the island. For a while, i took care of you all by myself. And I promised you when you were too young to remember that i'd always be someone you can depend on.

Michael: Almost like a father.

Jason: Yeah, almost like a father.

Later…

Courtney: Hey.

Jason: Hey. I think he's down for the night.

Courtney: Yeah, you knew exactly how to calm him down.

Jason: It's easy. The first year of his life, I either talked or i read him to sleep every night.

Courtney: Michael probably associates your voice with feeling loved and safe.

Jason: You know michael is the first baby i ever held? He was so tiny. When he was born, I could almost fit him in one hand. But he was strong, a fighter like carly. Even though the doctors thought he might die, michael was so determined to live.

Courtney: I can't even imagine carly leaving a newborn.

Jason: Yeah, it was a bad -- it was a bad time.

Courtney: Postpartum depression.

Jason: Carly couldn't even hold michael. So she decided that she would do more harm than good if she stuck around.

Courtney: That must've been so mind-blowing for you, suddenly being responsible for a baby all by yourself.

Jason: It was great. I love michael. I could watch that kid for hours. Even then, he was so smart. He was always looking around, checking things out. You know, he would get this surprised expression on his face whenever anything new happened. Like -- I remember the first time that he tasted bananas or the first time that he rolled over and the day that he took his first step. That was a fun day.

Courtney: So, what was his first word?

Jason: It was "daddy."

Courtney: So, do you ever miss those days?

Jason: You know, michael was -- was kind of on loan to me, and that helped us out a lot. Both of us kind of needed each other. But he was never really mine. He was meant to be with carly and sonny. And with everything that's happened since carly was taken, you know, I realize that i don't even have a right to be a father.

Inside…

Courtney: Why would you say that you have no right to be a father when you've already been such a wonderful one?

Jason: Is carly still out there? Then i'm going to do whatever it takes to bring her home. And that means things can go wrong. Right now, i'm free to take that risk. I wouldn't be if i had a child. What i mean -- what i learned from michael is that kids -- kids are wide open. They don't have defenses. You're their whole world. They love you unconditionally. They depend on you. And when a parent goes away and doesn't come back for whatever reason, something that started out pure gets wrecked. I mean, it happened to sonny. It happened to you. I won't do that to my kid. I won't stay here. I couldn't knowingly risk my life.

Courtney: So are you saying that you would stop working if we had a baby?

Jason: I'm just -- I'm just saying that we can't have one right now, at least not for a while. My job is to put myself on the line every day --

[door opens and Sonny comes in]

jason: So michael's father doesn't have to.

Sonny: Jase -- I put a tracking device on alcazar's yacht. We have his location. It's time to bring carly home.

Later…

Courtney: Michael still asleep?

Sonny: Why? Is there a problem?

Courtney: No, he just -- he had a nightmare, but jason calmed him down.

Sonny: Jason's great with michael.

Courtney: Do you ever feel like you took something from jason since he was michael's father first?

Sonny: Where's this coming from?

Courtney: I don't know. It's just sometimes it's like jason thinks that his life is less valuable than yours. And, sonny, I mean, it would never even occur to him not to put it on the line for you or carly.

Sonny: Ok, if you're asking me to leave him behind, I can't do that. I've got to get carly away from alcazar, and I need jason's help to do that.

Courtney: No -- I know, I know. I'm not trying to interfere. Look, I guess I'm just asking for you to please just show some caution for jason's sake since he won't do it for himself.

Sonny: I know this is hard for you to understand, but the reason jason's valuable to me is because he isn't cautious. He doesn't second-guess, you know? His work comes naturally to him, and he's not going to leave that behind. I'm telling you this because I know. The best thing for you to do is let him go tonight, have a smile on your face, so that way he doesn't have to worry about you, ok?

[Jason comes in]

Jason: Everything's ready.

Sonny: All right. All right.

Jason: I just -- I just realized that you didn't tell me about the surprise.

Courtney: It -- no, it can wait.

Jason: Ok. I'm going to bring carly home.

Courtney: Ok. I love you.  [She kisses him and he leaves]

Courtney: Hey, kiddo, I thought you'd gone to sleep.

Michael: I did, but then i thought I heard daddy, so i came down to check.

Courtney: Yeah, sonny was here, but he had to leave again with jason.

Michael: Can I sit with you?

Courtney: Yeah, you sure can. Come here. So, you want me to read to you? Jason said that used to help you sleep when you were little.

Michael: You think the new baby will like getting read to?

Courtney: I imagine so. I think everybody does.

Michael: Do you think he'll be lonely?

Courtney: No, never. Come on. Not with all of us here.

Michael: He might need a friend.

Courtney: What kind of friend?

Michael: Another baby.

Courtney: Well, one at a time, sweetie. I think you're going to have to wait for a second brother or sister.

Michael: Hey, you and jason could have a baby. Mommy wants you to.

Courtney: And what about you?

Michael: Yep.

Courtney: If jason and i had a baby, it would be your cousin. Would you like that?

Michael: It'd be great. So how soon can you have it?

Courtney: Um -- well, sometimes babies come as a surprise. One could be here sooner than you think.

The yacht

Jason: The crewmen were right. They told the truth. They're gone.

Sonny: Damn. Search the place. See if carly left some kind of clue. I'll tell you what -- we just got to hope that alcazar believes that ric's dead and they're headed to that compound.

Jason: Sonny --  

[Jason spots a bomb under the table]