Jason Orders Carly to Stand Down — and Chase and Brook Lynn Make Another Big Decision

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Soaps.com may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Jason drops by Carly’s, and in her kitchen, asks why she needed to see him. Carly responds, “Because I know.” She knows Jason has been protecting her. Jason asks who told her. Carly admits Sam told her, and Sam’s not happy. Jason asks how Sam found out? Carly says Sam and Spinelli hacked into the FBI files and found the recording of her at the meeting of the five families. Carly cries, “You sacrificed your freedom and your family for me. Why did you pick me?”

Jason says he never wanted her to know. Carly argues this is her life, and she could be charged. Jason states that if she knew, she’d confront the FBI and dare them to charge her. He admits he didn’t think it would go on as long as it did, but he never once considered bailing. Carly knows he always protects her, but she deserved to know and have a say in how this was handled, as she’s involved. She won’t let him throw his life away for her. Jason yells that he agreed to do a job, and that’s what he’s doing. Carly asks how he knows Cates will actually let him go when the job is done?

Jason admits he can’t be sure Cates will honor his word. Carly explains that is why she’s talked to Diane about her chances of acquittal. She admits Diane only gives her thirty percent, but it’s better than the odds that the FBI will give him his life back. Jason says if she goes to prison, then everything he did, everything he sacrificed, means nothing, so don’t throw it away! Jason says she’ll go away for twenty years, and Michael and Joss will have to take turns bringing Donna to visit her until she’s old enough to go on her own. He tells her to think about how will Donna feel knowing she abandoned her for him. Jason also says if she goes to prison, he will blame himself every day for the rest of his life.

Jason says if Carly doesn’t want her daughter to grow up without her, and for him to carry that guilt, to back off. Carly agrees to back down but adds, “But what If I  can’t stand it? What if I can’t live knowing I am the reason you haven’t had a day of freedom since November 2021?” Jason tells her that he’s the one that has to live with it. Carly changes her mind and can’t let him do this. Jason says she can’t change her mind, he chose to take the deal, so don’t get in the way of him and what he has to do.

More: An emotional farewell

Chase returns to the Quartermaine mansion and hugs Brook Lynn. He says Finn apologized for the lies, the things he said to all of them, and he’s taking responsibility. Brook Lynn says she lost it when Violet said she thought her dad died like grandpa. They sit in the living room, and Brook Lynn asks how the place was. Chase admits he didn’t go in, as Finn wanted to take that step on his own.

Brook Lynn tells Chase that Violet is in bed, and she had a long talk with her grandmother, who feels they should all move in here. She says Monica, Olivia, and Lois agree, which is like the seven seals of the apocalypse opening up. Brook Lynn says she didn’t make any promises. She and Chase discuss the alternatives. They can’t move back to Finn’s, and their place is too small. Chase brings up getting their own place, and Brook Lynn relays Tracy’s points about this place having kids, maternal energy, and Violet needing consistency right now.

More: Is that it for Finn?

Chase says Finn told him he was taking care of him now, and he thought about the fact that he had his dad to take care of him his whole life. Now, he’s the one taking care of a family. He says on the drive back he realized he can step up for his niece and give her the home she deserves.

Brook Lynn says she can tell Tracy they’ll find their own place, but he says he’s grateful for her family offering them help. Chase says he doesn’t have to do this alone as he has her, his wife, his teammate, and her entire family. She calls him kind, strong and gentle, and they kiss. Brook Lynn then asks, “So what do you think of Tracy’s idea?”

Chase says he’s realized when he married her, that her family came with the deal, and he’s not surprised they would welcome him and Violet into the fold. Brook Lynn jokes they probably like him and Violet more than her, and he’s stuck with all of them. Just then, Gio interrupts and says Violet heard him playing and came looking for what the sound was. He says she got lost, and he took her back to her room. He says he’s going to go outside and practice.

Brook Lynn again asks Chase what he thinks of the move. He says, “Hold that thought, I’m going to check on Violet.”

More: Wesley Eure’s touching goodbye to TV father

Later, Chase comes down and finds Brook Lynn asleep on the couch. She wakes up, and Chase says Violet is fast asleep, just like she was a second ago, and he realizes this is the perfect place for them. Chase says tomorrow they’ll start moving in.

Sonny meets Natalia for an evening at the Metro Court pool. Sonny orders two scotches, Natalia’s preferred. Natalia asks what has him up so late. He says he had to make a change in his living situation, and Ava’s moved out. Natalia is surprised, but Sonny says it was time for her to go. Natalia guesses what happened with Kristina’s mother clearly was bound to have repercussions. Natalia knows this is none of her business, but it doesn’t seem to her like Ava was the one who got away. Sonny jokes Ava can’t get far enough away.

Sonny explains there were some people he thought would never turn his back on him until his dying day, but now he knows he can’t count on them at all. They were closer to him than anyone, and he discovered they conspired against him. That’s when he let Ava in, which was a mistake because she is and always will be a treacherous viper.

More: Big changes at General Hospital

Natalia says she’ll keep her guard up around Ava from now on, but she doesn’t scare easily. Sonny warns her not to underestimate Ava. They move on from Ava and end up talking about betrayal again. She knows the pain of betrayal, and forgiveness is hard. She says she doesn’t forget, but she moves on. She adds that the Lord wants her to forgive, so she tries. She asks Sonny, “What about you?” Sonny says with family he forgives, as that is what family does. He’s been thinking about the people who turned from him, and they all have one thing in common, him!

Natalia asks him if he has trouble sleeping often. He says not usually. She admits sometimes she can’t sleep and thinks about the ghosts swarming around her, and he had the right idea to reach out to a friend and have a drink. Sonny toasts, “To finding our friends in the darkness.”

Laura drops by Ava’s room, and Ava thanks her for coming by. Laura asks if she’s heard from Nikolas. Ava hasn’t, but that isn’t what this is about. Laura didn’t know she was staying at the Metro Court. Ava responds, “As of this morning, it turns out I’m safer here than under the same roof as Sonny.”  Laura is confused as she thought they had come to a new understanding. Ava thought so too, and now she’s living in a hotel. Laura asks what happened. Ava wishes she knew and says Sonny has been so erratic lately and is lashing out at everyone. Ava claims that even if she knew what she did, it was not like she could convince Sonny that it wasn’t a capital offense. Laura has been there with Sonny and his issues with loyalty. Ava says Sonny picked a fight with her based on almost nothing, and she had no choice but to leave. Laura says she has had her eyes opened to Sonny, who is giving in to his worst impulses lately. She asks Ava what she’s really afraid of.

Ava admits Kristina made a petty accusation against her, which Ava doesn’t go into detail about, and naturally Sonny sided with his princess. She fears the person who will suffer the most by moving out is Sonny. She’s tried to be a stabilizing influence on Sonny, especially after what happened at the wedding. Laura is in the dark, so Ava tells her how Sonny beat a man within an inch of his life, and naturally, no charges were filed because this is Sonny. Laura asks who the victim is. Ava says she tried to find out, but Sonny was distraught as Kristina witnessed the whole thing. It caused issues, but now Kristina and Sonny are thick as thieves again.

Ava states again this isn’t why she asked Laura here. Ava says she’s afraid Sonny’s become so unhinged that he will go for full custody of Avery, and she can’t let that happen. Laura realizes Ava wants her help in a custody battle, and she shouldn’t get involved. Ava reminds Laura that she said they were family, and Laura says she meant it. Laura knows Nikolas still loves her, and Ava admits she loves him too. Ava says that other than Avery, she and Trina are the closest things she has to a family. Laura tells Ava not to work her, and if she wants something, just ask her. Ava says she spoke to Scott, and if Sonny tries to smear her in court, then it could work. She can’t let Sonny have Avery as he can barely care for himself. She thinks the best defense is a good offense and needs character witnesses. Ava asks if she could give her name to Scott as someone who would appear in court on her behalf.  Laura agrees she can give her name to Scott, but not to make her regret this. Ava thanks her and says Scott will likely be contacting her. Ava promises that if she hears from Nikolas, she’ll let her know, and she only wants the best for him.

More: Jonathan Jackson returns as Lucky Spencer!

Later, Ava steps out on the balcony with a martini in hand and toasts to new beginnings.

More: Kristina Wagner shares her new tribute tattoo

At Kristina’s place, she and Blaze are going over the resumes of candidates to run the center. Blaze asks how her stepping back is what is best for the center. Kristina admits to coming up with a powerful idea in creating the center, but there are others more qualified to make her vision come true. Plus, it would be weird to open the center and take off on maternity leave. Blaze asks, “Maternity leave?” Blaze is confused, as maternity or family leave is for getting acclimated to raising a child, so why does she need that?

Kristina admits she doesn’t know what is going to happen down the road, TJ and Molly could break up, and Molly has no legal claim to this child. Blaze asks if she’s saying she’d try and get custody from Molly? Kristina says she just wants to know her options. Blaze asks, “Options to keep the baby in the family for Molly, or for herself?” Kristina admits she talked to her mother about her options, and she drafted up a petition to use to file for custody. She knows if that happens, she will have to raise this child. She wonders how Blaze would feel like co-parenting. Blaze thinks someday she may want kids, but right now, with her career on the upswing, it’s not a good time for her to be a mom.

Blaze hopes Kristina isn’t disappointed. Kristina isn’t, as it’s not the right time for her to be a mom either. She says in a perfect world, Molly and TJ will raise this baby on rock-steady ground. However, she has to be prepared if things goes badly, and TJ wants custody. Then, she has to make sure her sister has access to this baby. The only way is to sue TJ for custody.

On the next General Hospital: Drew and Alexis high-five as Drew tells her, “That was the most fun I’ve had all week.” Ava asks Trina if she’s heard something she can use. At Deception, Natalia holds a contract and says, “This is not what we agreed to!” Lucy asks Lois, “What is more important than your job?” Joss informs Sonny that she won’t make the same mistake twice. Kristina cries that she can’t stop thinking about what will happen to her.