So Damaged is my epic my version of the show because it’s clear the TPTB don’t understand how to write a soap opera. I have changed ALOT about the period 2009-2014, but here the most important changes to understand this preview.

1. Jake did not die, so his background during the 2011-14 will be mostly filled in in this preview and in later episodes.

2. Starr never left the show, so she and Michael are still together. Just place Kiki during AJ’s death with Starr. Morgan never aged, so he and Ava are not an issue. Ava and Julian’s other storylines remain basically unchanged. Franco never came back and Silas doesn’t exist. John McBain left on assignment, Todd left for his daughter. Neither have returned. Since there is no Silas, there’s no Madeline, Nina, Delia, Nathan bullshit to deal with.

3. Lauren Frank does exist (but is not Kiki), but she turned out not to be a Q, which set AJ’s spiral and Connie’s murder into motion. Who she is will be dealt with later.

4. Britt and Nikolas’s engagement party happened the way it did on the show, but because I work in the confines of the law and reality, Obrecht didn’t kidnap Ben because Lulu and Dante don’t have the right to just take the baby, since Britt gave birth to him, and is legally his mother. She took her baby and left.

This episode begins on April 1, 2014. The show stopped for me after AJ was shot. I’ve killed AJ off several days earlier, so that his service can be on the show’s anniversary. I think all other changes are explained in this episode.

Song: Fall Away (The Fray)

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April 1, 2014

Quartermaine Estate: Family Room

You swear you recall nothing at all

Tracy Quartermaine stopped just inside the entrance to the family room and watched her sister-in-law standing at the terrace doors. Today, Monica would bury her fourth child, the third in a span of just over six years. Dawn had been gone so long that few remembered she had even been around, Emily’s life had been stolen from her by a lunatic, Jason had succumbed to the dangers of his own life…and AJ had been murdered.

With the knowledge that both her boys were safe and on their way home to her, Tracy was not sure how Monica had found the strength to get out of bed that morning and come downstairs, much less dress herself and look presentable for the day ahead. Once, she wondered what Alan had seen in this woman, and now she understood. Monica Bard Quartermaine possessed an inner strength that put others to shame.

“Monica,” she said, quietly but firmly. “Is there anything I can do? Something that needs to be done for the service.”

Monica turned, and Tracy saw that she was holding the last family photograph of the family before Jason Quartermaine had had his brains scrambled. And Tracy remembered that, in many ways, Monica had buried a fifth child.

That could make you come back down

“No.” Monica sighed and looked down at it once more, smoothing her thumb over AJ’s face. “No. I was just…looking at this photo and realizing that Ned and I are all that’s left.” She looked up, and Tracy saw the anguish Monica had kept at bay for the last few days. “It’s just you and me in this old house, and Ned and Dillon.” And then she looked at the shelf of photos and smiled briefly. “And Jake. Brooke Lynn.”

“That’s right.” Tracy approached her and put a hand on her arm. “You have two grandsons. And I remember Jason as a child, Jake’s the spitting image. I have my boys. And…” she paused. “We have each other.”

“I just…” Monica closed her eyes. “Losing Dawn was difficult, but I hadn’t raised her. Losing Emily nearly broke me…but I lost both my boys twice.” She took a deep breath. “And that doesn’t seem very fair.”

“No.” Tracy smoothed her hand down Monica’s arm. “But we’ll make a new beginning, Monica. I made…mistakes with AJ. I never gave him a chance to show he was different. I wish he could have said goodbye to Daddy, that he and I could have made ELQ work together. With hindsight, I realize I contributed to all of this.” She breathed in a shaky breath. Regrets were not her thing, but she would make this effort. “We’ll bring this family back together, Monica. And instead of Mama and Daddy at the head, you and I will see that the Quartermaine family moves into the next generation. Even if the name doesn’t.”

Michael & Starr’s Apartment: Living Room

You made up your mind to leave it all behind

Starr Manning rolled over in bed and faced her boyfriend as he lay on his back, his hand behind his head, staring up at nothing. “Did you sleep?” she murmured.

“No.” Michael Corinthos swallowed hard. “I think I dozed a bit. But I kept waking up and…” He looked at her. “I kept remembering all the years AJ and I didn’t have together, that we’ll never have.”

‘But you had this year,” Starr reminded him with a hesitant smile. “And I know how happy he was every time you called him Dad. And that you stuck by him when his life fell apart. You were his bright spot.”

“Yeah. But…” Michael exhaled slowly. “I made choices in his medical care that led to this—”

“Someone shot him,” Starr cut in. “AJ died as a result of those injuries. Patrick Drake told you that the choices were both dangerous. He probably would have died from the medicine. You know AJ would never blame you.”

Michael sighed and sat up, twisting his body to put his feet on the floor. “I blame me. Because I know in my heart that my father…that Sonny…he did this.” He peered over his shoulder at her, and the devastation in his eyes made Starr wish she had killed Sonny Corinthos two years ago when she’d had the chance. “I know he has an alibi, but…”

Now you’re forced to fight it out

Starr crawled behind him, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her face to his bare shoulder. “But you don’t believe it.”

“I looked into his eyes after AJ flatlined,” Michael murmured. “And I saw the truth. I don’t want to believe it, and most of the time, I don’t. But I know, in that split second before he looked away…I saw what he had done.”

“What are you going to do about it?”she asked.

“What can I do?” Michael dipped his head and kissed her forearm, before tugging her arms to release him. He stood and crossed to the bathroom. He faced her, his hand on the doorknob. “As long as Duke Lavery alibis him, Anna can’t do anything. And I will not…” His face hardened. “I will not be like the man who raised me. I will not retaliate in anger or hatred. I will be better than him.”

“You are better than him,” Starr said fervently. “You will always be better.”

“I’m going to get a shower. We should be with my grandmother. She’ll need us.” Michael pulled open the door and disappeared into the bathroom. Starr sighed and pushed her hair out of her eyes. Somehow, she’d get Michael to the other side of this.

Greystone Manor: Living Room

You fall away from your past

Carly Jacks had never really considered herself a good person. Good people told the truth, they did nice things on purpose and often. What she had always prided herself on, what she hoped was true about herself, was that she was a decent mother. She had missed much of Michael’s first year, parts of Morgan’s first year, but she had fixed all of that with Jocelyn. Her little Joss had been by her side since the day she was born, almost four years ago, and Carly told herself that her children were everything. That they were the reason for her existence.

But standing in this room, across from her ex-husband, she doubted herself. A good mother did not watch her oldest son bury his biological father and withhold the truth as to why this was happening to him. Carly knew. And she’d let Sonny talk her out of coming forward.

“AJ deserved it,” Sonny Corinthos repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. “He’s been nothing but a plague to me since the day I met him!” Despite the hour of the day, he tossed back a shot of whiskey.

Carly rolled her eyes and looked away, because the statement was so ridiculous it didn’t deserve to be acknowledged. Sonny had never felt one way or another about AJ until the moron had burned down the Corinthos-Morgan warehouse.

“He killed our son,” Sonny spat. “He faked Michael’s death.”

“You keep saying these things,” Carly said slowly, “as if I could possibly forget them. As if I need reminding. Did I say I mourned him? Did I?” she challenged when he said nothing. “No. And if he’d been hit by a car, fallen out a window, I’d be the first one opening a glass of champagne. But that’s not the case, is it?”

Sonny said nothing.

“You shot him. You shot him in cold blood,” Carly hissed. “And then you sat there while Michael agonized over his death bed, facing choices no son should have deal with. He thinks he’s responsible for AJ’s death because of the surgery—”

“AJ never should have put him in that position!” Sonny slashed the air with his hand.

“Oh, yeah?” Carly raised her chin. “Whose your power of attorney? Your medical proxy? Is it me?” She paused for effect. “Or is it Dante? Maybe it’s even Michael.”

But it’s following you

Sonny looked away and Carly nodded. “Exactly. I may not like it, but AJ was Michael’s biological father. I tried to fight it. For years, I did whatever I could to keep Michael away from him, but you know what? I’m standing here, in front of you, and I’m trying to remember why—”

“AJ was a murderer!”

“But not when I got pregnant,” Carly hissed. “Back then, he was just a screw-up trying to be better. You know what’s happened to Michael because of you? He was shot in the head and then he had to watch his father die because his other father murdered him. AJ wasn’t perfect, but I’ll be damned if I let you stand here and pretend that you are.”

“What about all the things—”

“I hated AJ!” Carly dragged her hands through her hair. “I can’t deny that, but that doesn’t mean I wanted to see Michael go through this. If for no other reason, you should have held back for him.”

“Are you going to Anna?” Sonny demanded. “Are you going to tell the truth?”

“No.” Carly took a deep breath. “Because of Morgan. And Dante. But you stay away from this service today. No one is expecting you and I don’t want you put Monica and Michael through it. That’s what I came here to say.” She spun on her heel and stomped out into the entryway, and then out of the house.

Sonny followed her and slammed the door behind her. Behind him, he heard the click of heels as someone emerged from the back of the house.

“She’s going to be a problem,” Ava Jerome murmured.

Quartermaine Estate: Family Room

You left something undone, it’s now your rerun

“Monica is in the family room,” Alice murmured as Elizabeth Webber handed the maid her thin spring jacket. “She’ll be glad to see you.”

Elizabeth nodded and started down the short hallway to the room Alice had indicated. In the past fifteen months, she’d become a frequent visitor to the mansion, having brought Jake for the first time shortly after Jason disappeared into the harbor. For most of Jake’s life, it had been Jason’s decision not to tell anyone, particularly after Lucky had learned the truth, but after his death, Elizabeth couldn’t see why Monica shouldn’t know her grandson.

“Monica?” she asked, stepping into the room. She found Monica sitting at the breakfast table by the terrace doors, her plate bare. “Hey.”

“Elizabeth.” Monica got to her feet and crossed the room. “I’m so…I’m glad you’re here.”

“I came early,” Elizabeth said, embracing her son’s grandmother. “I wasn’t sure how many people would be in and out, and I know Tracy mentioned Ned and Dillon were coming in, so I thought she might be busy with them.”

“She is. They’re in the parlor. Michael and Starr will be here soon.” Monica led Elizabeth over to the sofa and they each took a seat. “But I hoped to have a few minutes with you.”

“I know today is difficult,” Elizabeth said, taking Monica’s hands in her own. “And if there is anything my grandmother and I can do for you…”

“I want you to let me publicly acknowledge Jake as Jason’s son,” Monica said, her grip tightening on Elizabeth. “And my grandson.”

It’s the one you can’t erase

Elizabeth blinked and tilted her head. “Monica, it’s not a state secret. There are more people who know the truth than who don’t.”

“That’s true, but Michael doesn’t. And AJ never…did.” Monica sighed. “I just…I want to keep my family close. I want Jake to always feel comfortable in this house. I want you to start bringing your other boys with them. Cameron and Aidan are Jake’s brothers, so that makes them part of my family, as well.”

Elizabeth took a deep breath. “It shouldn’t feel like a hard decision. It’s the reason I brought Jake to you last year, that I wanted you to know him. I guess I just…” She looked away. “Jason never wanted to tell the truth. First, it was too dangerous.” She huffed. “It was always too dangerous, according to him. Even when Jake was in that car accident, and I had Carly in my ear about donating his kidneys. I wanted Jason to help me prevent Lucky from taking Jake off the machines, because I just knew my little boy would be all right.” She closed her eyes, still remembering the pain. “Jason thought that might be a good idea, that we shouldn’t let Jake be in pain.”

“Oh, Elizabeth…”

“And then even after he recovered, when Sam had that surgery and he was going to marry her—I thought if he could have a family with her, it couldn’t be too dangerous. But then, it just wasn’t the right time.” Elizabeth dipped her head. “It was never the right time. First, Sam was pregnant, and then she’d lost her baby. There always seemed to be a reason for him not to come forward.”

“And you feel as though you’d be going against his own wishes now?” Monica murmured.

“Which is silly, I suppose.” Elizabeth took a deep breath. “It’s just hard, because for those last few years, it was so hard to see the man I had loved in him, even when I tried to find him again before he died.” She nodded. “But you’re right. It’s time Jake knew his family, and that Port Charles knew it, as well. Jason Morgan never gave a damn what I thought, so why should I let him have the final say, even in death?”

Quartermaine Estate: Parlor

You should have made it right, so you wouldn’t have to fight

Ned Ashton embraced his mother, and held her tight. “Mother. How is Monica holding up?”

Tracy held him just a little longer, no longer taking his solid presence for granted. When she released him, she turned to her youngest son and held him just as fiercely. “She’s holding her own. She’s in with Elizabeth, now.”

“Elizabeth?” Dillon Quartermaine hesitated and shook his head. “Elizabeth Webber? I didn’t realize she was close with with the family, not after…” He hesitated and looked away. “Not after Emily.”

“She wasn’t, but…” Tracy paused, knowing Monica intended the world to know anyway. “Her son, Jake, was Jason’s biological son, and for some moronic reasons, Jason didn’t want the truth to be known. After he died, Elizabeth brought him to see Monica. And she started to see AJ until…” she pursed her lips. “Until AJ started to spiral out of control.”

“Wow.” Ned blinked and exchanged looks with his brother. “I thought Jason had a son with Sam McCall—”

“We don’t speak of that street urchin in this family.” Tracy lifted her chin. “She doesn’t bring Danny around, so we don’t acknowledge him either.” She sighed. “But today isn’t about that.”

To put a smile back on your face

“It just seems so surreal,” Dillon murmured. “That he was dead one moment, alive the next, and now he’s really gone.” He rubbed his brow. “And I’m tired of only coming home for funerals.”

“I know,” Tracy sighed. She smoothed his still slightly wild hair over his forehead. “I’m tired of having them. It’s just been an endless line of losing those we love. Mama. Alan. Emily. Daddy. Even Jason. Now AJ. I don’t know how Monica can keep her head up.”

“I suppose you’re going to keep her together,” Ned said, with an almost sardonic smile. “You never liked her, but—”

“She’s family,” Tracy huffed. “Since when do you have to like family?”

Greystone Manor: Entry Way

You fall away from your past

“How did you get in here?” Sonny demanded. He turned his back on Ava and stormed back into the other room. Ava arched an eyebrow. How Sonny Corinthos had lasted so long in this business when he was stupid enough to turn his back on an enemy, she’d never understand.

“I have my ways,” Ava murmured, stepping into the room and closing the doors. “She’s going to crack, Sonny. What do we do then?”

But it’s following you

“Why do you care?” Sonny poured another whiskey. Alcohol. She wrinkled her nose. One day, she was going to put a bullet between his eyes and save Port Charles the cost of a trial.

But that day was not this day and she had to be careful not to upset the apple cart too soon.

You fall away from your past

“I can handle Carly,” Sonny growled. He pointed at her. “You don’t go near her or I’ll do what I did to AJ to you.”

Ava very nearly snorted at this empty threat, but kept her face even. She had so many irons in the fire at the moment, she had to tread very lightly.

You fall away

The day would come when Sonny Corinthos and Julian Jerome would fall, and she would emerge from the shadows, like a phoenix. She would take her rightful position as the head of this territory and they would bow down to Ava Jerome.

As soon as her silent partner gave her the go ahead, Ava would start the destruction. She could hardly wait.

You fall away

“Then handle her, Sonny,” Ava purred. “Or you won’t like what I do next.”

Queen of Angels Church

Something I’ve done that I can’t outrun

Monica stepped up to the podium, and looked out over the sea of faces. She knew they were there for her more than her son, and in that moment, she couldn’t bring herself to care. She saw Tracy with Ned and Dillon in the front pew. Behind them, what was left of the Spencer family—Bobbie, Lucas and Lulu. She saw Lulu’s husband, Dante, and only sighed at the sight of Sonny Corinthos’s son. Dante was better than his father.

And in the other front pew, she saw Michael and Starr, looking up at her. Michael had one arm around Starr, and his other hand was clutched in Elizabeth’s. And she remembered all she had to live for.

Something I’ve done that I can’t outrun

“My son was not a perfect man,” she began, her voice calm and steady. “He made mistakes. He did terrible things when pushed against the wall. But I knew him. I knew his heart. I knew his soul, and there was so much love and generosity  inside of him.” She hesitated. “He began drinking at an early age to drown out the voices who always told him he wasn’t good enough, wasn’t smart enough, would never quite measure up to his little brother.”

She watched as Elizabeth looked away and swallowed hard. “One of those voices was mine. We didn’t do it to be cruel or belittling. We saw potential in AJ to be better than he was. We just…didn’t know how to make it happen.”

Maybe you should wait maybe you should run

“AJ’s life was troubled, filled with decisions most wouldn’t understand and some even I cannot fathom,” Monica admitted. “But he gave me a beautiful grandson, and Michael, I hope you can now understand what Alan and I saw all along—AJ loved you from the moment he knew you were his. He tried so hard to keep you in his life, but he ran into obstacles at every turn, as if the universe didn’t want him to succeed.”

Michael dipped his head and Starr pressed her cheek into his shoulder.

But there’s something you’ve said that can’t be undone

“But this last year, I saw that finally start to change. I watched him become the father I knew he could be.” She met Elizabeth’s eyes. “I watched him start to fall in love, maybe for the first time in his life. I watched him gain confidence in his career.”

“But he could never believe the best in himself, and when he started to falter, he crashed hard.” She hesitated. “He was accused of doing something so devastating, so cruel that he crawled back into a bottle to deal with it, but I don’t believe he was guilty.” She met Michael’s eyes. “He simply wasn’t capable of it. And before he could climb back up and find his strength again, someone took his life.”

And you fall away from your past

“Whoever that person is,” and now Monica’s voice dripped with sarcasm and anger, “I hope you feel righteous. I hope you feel as though you’ve done a service. I hope you can sleep at night. But I promise you, with all of the force and the might of the Quartermaines behind me, that I will find you. And you will pay for what you took from my son. You took his right to life, his opportunity to make himself better.”

But it’s following you

Monica closed her eyes. “My son wasn’t perfect, but he was a good man and I loved him more than words can express. Thank you.”

Cassadine Island, Greece

And you fall away from your past

Robin Scorpio-Drake sullenly followed Victor Cassadine down a hallway, annoyed that she’d been taken from her work in Syracause and brought to this place where she’d been held captive. “Where are we going? The frozen popsicles are several timezones to the west.”

“All in good time, my dear Dr. Scorpio-Drake.” Victor stopped in front of a door and punched in a code. “I lied when I told you your primary role in this little project.”

Robin narrowed her eyes, but she wasn’t really surprised. “A Cassadine lied. What a shock. What are we doing here?”

The door slid open and she followed him in.

And then she simply stopped. Because she didn’t understand what she was looking at.

But it’s following you

A hospital bed, with machines and IVs. And a person, with their eyes closed.

“I…” Her voice faltered and she looked up at Victor. “I don’t understand. How can…”

“I wanted you to revive Jason Morgan,” Victor murmured. “I thought you might like to finally see him.”

You fall away

“I…” Robin glanced behind her, as if her lab in Syracuse would actually be in the next room. “What…”

“This is where Jason Morgan has been since…” Victor tapped his chin, as if trying to remember. “Since January or February of 2009, I believe. It’s been so long, I can hardly remember.”

Robin just blinked up at him and then looked at the bed. “But…”

“It’s sad,” Victor murmured. “But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised the ruse worked so well. If you didn’t know Jason Morgan had a twin brother, how would you know you were looking at him?” He clucked his tongue. “But for almost three years, Preston St. James pulled it off. Amazing, really. Simply amazing. I had my doubts…” He shrugged. “I had planned to wait a bit longer to revive the real Jason, but my…associate is becoming more trouble than I care to deal with at the moment. Sometimes, it’s best to cut your losses.”

“So, in Syracause…” Robin took a deep breath. “That’s Jason’s twin brother. A twin who posed as him from February of 2009 until October 2012. How can that be possible? How can…” Her eyes blurred. “How can any of this be possible?”

“My dear,” Victor said kindly, “I’m a Cassadine. Did you really think I didn’t have an ulterior motive?”

It’s following you