overandout

Jason and Sam agree that while it will be hard to overlook Jason's liaison with Elizabeth, and Sam's one night stand with Ric, their love is worth the effort. But Sam wants Elizabeth to tell Lucky that the baby she's carrying may be Jason's. "Sam can feel for Lucky" reasons her portrayer Kelly Monaco. "Sam has this instinct to look out for herself and would prefer, to a great extent, to keep it that way. But she has a humane side. When Lucky finds out what's going on, he is going to be in just as much pain as Sam."

When Liz refuses to 'fess up, Sam takes matters into her own hands and visits Lucky in rehab. At the last minute, Sam can't bring herself to spill the beans. She also realizes it's going to be a struggle for their future if Jason turns out to be the father. "The possibility is too new and too fresh to deal with now" says Monaco. "If he is or if he isn't, we'll see. As time goes on, maybe the pain will lessen. But I don't think Elizabeth is going to be too happy with this little thug of a lady stalking her and her kid (laughs)"

Matters of the heart take a backseat for Jason as his war with dirty DA Ric escalates. After Ric discovers the secret of Elizabeth's child, he steps up his plan for revenge. Ric intentionally baits Jason into a vicious fistfight, then plans to file attempted murder charges.

"In regard to setting Jason up, you can see Ric is in a place of being so resolute in his hatred of this man that he's willing to put himself in harm's way in order to eliminate his enemy," notes Rick Hearst. "He's willing to do whatever it takes to get Jason out of commission, whether it's getting him put in jail or having him killed. It could be in that order or whatever comes first."

As far as Jason is concerned, the feeling is mutual. "He always wanted to kill Ric anyway," chuckles Steve Burton. "I'm surprised it has taken this long. Jason's walking with Elizabeth, minding his own business, and Ric starts pushing his buttons. "Stay away from Elizabeth, Sam's a whore", all that stuff. So, he gets what he wants. He was setting Jason up. Then he calls Sonny to come save him, but he takes a good beating (laughs)"

Sonny steps in to keep the boys apart, but it appears that this was just round one of a bigger battle. "Jason would kill Ric in a second if it wasn't for Sonny" elaborates Burton. "There wouldn't even be a second thought about it." "For all the stuff that character has done? If there was one killing that would be justified to do, it would be him. What about all the other poor bastards floating in the lake? They didn't do as much! He would have no problem, and Sonny and Jason are going to butt heads on that."

Sonny realizes that it's Jason's best interest to leave the country until he can play magician and make the charges disappear. "Jason's got to lay low until the heat dies down" add Burton. "Who knows how long he'll be gone? A few days? Maybe longer? It hasn't been the best week for Jason."