Skye: I've been thinking about the memorial.
Edward: You all know that Skye has agreed to speak?
Emily: That's fine.
Tracy: No, it's not.
Skye: I loved A.J. I considered him to be my brother. But I didn't grow up with him, and I knew him for such a short time of his life, I was thinking that -- well, Alan and Monica should do the tribute.
Alan: We have no right to speak well of A.J. now that he's dead, since we failed him so miserably when he was alive.
Alan: Hey, look at us -- the Quartermaines, all gathered together, a united front, a family ready to say goodbye to one of its own. What a farce. We shut A.J. out of this family the day he was born.
Edward: The boy had every opportunity --
Alan: Don't you dare belittle or criticize him. Not today.
Monica: Could we just get through this memorial, please?
Tracy: Alan, I agree.
Alan: If not for the people in this room, A.J. would be safe living here in Port Charles, running a company, raising his son.
Ned: Alan, A.J.'s death is a terrible tragedy. But the way he lived his life was his own choice. Now, there's no question that we were too hard on him, but he was equally hard on us.
Alan: Why did you always call him "Junior," "the Vice President in Charge of Paper Clips"? Do you realize how much you hurt him?
Ned: And would you like me to give you a list of all the ways he undermined me?
Alan: No, don't bother doing that. You see, kicking A.J. around was the one sport that this family totally agreed on. I mean, after all, we knew that A.J. was a loser, a whiner, a waste of time. That is, everybody except Emily, who always saw the best in him.
Emily: So did you.
Monica: Could we please not do this?
Alan: He wanted my best when he asked me to help him get Michael back. I failed him. We all failed him. We let Sonny Corinthos come into this house and just take Michael away. We didn't present the united front. We didn't do anything. For God's sake, Sonny Corinthos is a career criminal. He wasn't related to Michael. He had no rights to him whatsoever. But what the hell did we care? This was A.J. Who's going to bother with his son?
Monica: That isn't fair.
Lois: Alan, Brookie couldn't be with Ned because I didn't want her spending her earlier years here either.
Alan: Ned didn't lose custody. A.J. did. We didn't care. You see, for all of A.J.'s sins, the one fault that he could never overcome was the fact that he wasn't Jason. And that cost him his son, his family, and eventually his life.
Monica: Damn it, Alan, I don't need this!
Emily: Dad, go after her.
Alan: No. She'll settle down in time for the memorial. We all will, because we're Quartermaines and we can take it. And if we can't, you could always lay down on the floor of a hotel room and bleed to death!
Emily: I'm going after her. I'll meet you at the church.
Edward: I'm only glad Lila wasn't here for this.
Tracy: If I could bully him in that door, I would.
Alan: I know you would, but you can’t. He's not coming home again.
Tracy: I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
Jason: Hmm.
Sam: Easy.
Jason: Oh. I'm starting to feel a little better.
Sam: Oh, yeah? You look like you're about to collapse to me.
Emily: Oh, Jase. You're up and around. That's great.
Sam: He's not supposed to be.
Emily: Well, I'm glad you are. Has mom been here?
Jason: No. Did something happen?
Emily: A.J.'s memorial is today. Dad lost it at the house. Mom practically ran out. I thought that she might be here.
Jason: I haven't seen her.
Emily: Everybody's blaming themselves for what happened to A.J. It's really bad.
Sam: I'm going to go on a coffee run.
Emily: No, Sam, you don't have to leave.
Sam: Please make sure he sits. He shouldn't be standing.
Emily: Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to barge in like that. How are you doing?
Jason: A little better.
Emily: Mom told me that -- that you had a serious infection after you got shot. And, Jase, you have to be more careful. I don't know what I would do if I lost you on top of everything else, and I know that that sounds really selfish and whiney, but right now I don't care. I need to know that one person I love is going to be okay.
Jason: I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I scared you.
Emily: Listen to me, yelling at you. I'm a mess.
Jason: You're taking care of everyone except for yourself, as usual.
Emily: Oh, God. I'm going to be okay after -- after A.J.'s memorial. But when I think of him lying alone on that floor, bleeding, he must have known what happened, right Jase, and who attacked him. Do you think he fought back?
Jason: I don't know.
Emily: I hope he did. I guess it doesn't matter anyway. He just ended up alone and terrified and powerless.
Jason: Are you okay?
Emily: Yeah. Listen, I've got to get going, but I hope that you're feeling better.
Sam: Hey.
Emily: Hey.
Sam: Is she all right?
Jason: I'm not sure. But I need your help with something.
Organ plays.
Alan: I knew Monica would be here.
Tracy: Be nice to her.
Lois: Did you remember your heart medication, Mr. Q?
Edward: I'm not going to keel over, if that's what you're thinking.
Ned: Junior would certainly love that if you did.
Lois: Ahem.
Edward: Did you hear anything Alan said at the house? Could you not call A.J. "Junior" just this once? Alan was right about one thing. He could have had a different life, a better life. He squandered his potential, cared too much about the wrong things, showed weakness at the wrong times. He was never one of us. Just never had the strength to walk away.
Ned: Until he embezzled most of our money and fled the country.
Edward: Well, you got to give him his due. He outmaneuvered all of us.
Ned: Yes, he did.
Lois: Who are you looking for?
Edward: Carly might bring young Michael.
Ned: No, she won't, Grandfather. Just put it out of your mind.
Monica: I just can't believe that this is happening.
Bobbie: Monica, I am so sorry. I know how painful this is for you, and the loss, it's just too huge for words.
Audrey: We're praying for A.J., and, really, for all of you.
Monica: Thank you.
Lesley: And if there's anything you need, if there's any way at all that I could help --
Monica: I'm just glad you're here. Thank you.
Alan: Are you okay?
Monica: Well, I'm doing my best. And if you can't do yours, if you can't hold it together through our son's memorial, I promise you I will never forgive you.
Alan: I'm sorry I'm not grieving in a manner you approve of, Monica.
Monica: Alan --
Alan: I don't believe it.
Skye: I -- I didn't expect to see you.
Courtney: Should I leave?
Alan: I want her out of here.
Tracy: Shh, shh, shh, shh. Take it easy.
Alan: I will not have A.J.’s killer weeping at my son's memorial.
Tracy: She's probably just trying to avert suspicion.
Courtney: They're all looking over here.
Jax: Yeah, well, maybe we should leave.
Courtney: No. You know what, Jax? I have nothing to hide. I haven't done anything wrong.
Skye: Nobody really thinks that you had anything to do with A.J.’s murder.
Organ plays.
Emily: I miss grandmother.
Monica: Oh, so do I.
Edward: Lila never gave up on A.J.
Felicia: Why do you think Courtney showed up?
Mac: I don't know, but I'm not sure I like it.
Emily: Thank you for doing this.
Music stops.
Minister: We are gathered here to pay last respects to Alan James Quartermaine Jr., A.J., a son, brother, cousin, father, and friend. We are stunned by his death, but find comfort in knowing that A.J. has moved on. He's in a better place now. On behalf of the family, Skye Quartermaine, A.J.'s adoptive sister, would now like to say a few words in memory of her beloved brother.
Skye: I spent a long time putting these words together. They're all about a wonderful man on the verge of a brilliant life. The only problem is he never existed. So, I'm about to tell you all about the real A.J. Quartermaine.
Skye: A.J. was complicated. He could be a real pain. He made some serious mistakes, as we all have. But I have to admit that he was a first-rate partner in crime, as I’m sure a lot of you here know, who are familiar with our various escapades. But despite all of that conniving, there were really only two things that A.J. wanted in this life -- to get his son back and to be a Quartermaine. He wanted your love, your respect, your approval. And who knows, had he lived, he might just have turned out to be that son that you all wanted. I know he never stopped trying. A.J. was a drunk. He certainly wasn't alone in that. Like a lot of members of this family, he struggled with the disease. Sometimes he won. Other days he drank. But he never, ever judged anyone for having the disease of addiction. In fact, the only person that A.J. ever seemed to criticize, and sometimes too harshly, was himself. A.J. just wanted to be a good son. And he wanted to bring his son home. He certainly never stopped scheming of ways to bring Michael back, partly to impress you, Edward, partly to carry on the Quartermaine name. But mostly, A.J. just wanted to be a good dad. I know that A.J. made some terrible choices in his life, and I think the choice that he probably regretted the most was that night that he drove drunk with his brother in the car. That was a terrible price that Jason paid, and A.J. just walked away without a scratch. But, you know, I really think A.J. never really walked away from that crash at all. I just -- I really pray and hope that he has now. Oh. One more thing. He loved you, despite all the mistakes made on both sides. He really loved you more than you could know. He'd really want me to tell you that.
Jason: Thank you for, you know, for what you said and being A.J.'s friend.
Skye: He really did love you, you know. Thank you for being here.
Jason: Yeah.
Skye: So, has there been any word on Kristina?
Jason: No, nothing, nothing definite.
Skye: Well, I'll keep her in my prayers.
Jason: Are you okay?
Emily: I'm better. Thank you for doing this.
Monica: Yeah, thank you, Jason. Now you've got to get back to the hospital, right now.
Sam: Come on, I’ll take you.
Monica: Thanks, Sam.
Sam: You're welcome.