Being a dad in the Quartermaine family isn't easy. Just ask Alan Quartermaine - actually, you should have asked him before he died.
Alan's Children
Something tumultuous that involves yelling is always going on in the Q mansion, and it was no different while Alan was alive. He had two sons, A.J. and Jason, an adopted daughter, Emily, and an illegitimate daughter, Skye. When his sister Tracy informed him that he was not Skye's father, Alan told Skye that it didn't matter; he would always think of her as his daughter. Such was the measure of the man.
Alan's Fatal Flaw - A.J.
Alan had a lot of heartbreak as a result of his children. Alan repeatedly stood by A.J. and helped him with his battle with alcohol. He and Monica came to blows over his loyalty to A.J. After all, it was A.J.'s fault that caused Jason to have brain damage. But Alan remembered Edward's constant verbal battering of him, and he worked hard to protect A.J. Both Alan and Monica were devastated when A.J. nearly died of alcohol poisoning and had to be admitted into detox.
While A.J. was seeing Courtney, Sonny's sister, to get back at Sonny, he told Alan he was in love with Courtney, and Alan believed him. Alan, in fact, helped them get away from Sonny. What A.J. really wanted was access to his biological son, Michael, who was living with Sonny and Carly.
It was a mistake for Alan to continually turn a blind spot to A.J. As thanks for all the love and support Alan had given him, A.J. cleaned out the ELQ bank accounts, leaving the family broke, and took off for parts unknown.
A.J.'s machinations weren't over. It was bad enough when Justus Ward, his nephew, announced to the family that A.J. was dead, as was Michael Corinthos, who had been kidnapped by Faith Rosco. It was worse to find out that A.J. was, in fact, alive! A.J. returned to Port Charles with Michael, and Alan hid them. His thanks for that was his own son shooting him in the back. A.J. was murdered at General Hospital.
The Light in Alan's Life - Emily
Alan shared a special closeness with Emily, who was sweet and appreciative. He tried to keep Emily away from Zander Smith, who had previously kidnapped her, though he and Monica eventually relented and let the relationship run its course. When Emily developed breast cancer, Alan and Monica were there for her, encouraging her to seek treatment. However, Emily did not respond. For a time, it looked as if she would die from the disease. Emily survived, only to be murdered later by the Text Message Killer. This left a terrible void in their lives.
Jason
Nothing could prepare Alan and Monica for their pain over Jason. First of all, he rejected the family totally, even changing his last name to Morgan. Alan had so admired Jason's brilliance and determination to become a dcotor - now Jason was a mob hit man.
Alan's big secret at last emerged: A.J. had tried to kill Jason while Jason was hospitalized after the tragic accident that left him with brain damage. Monica was ready to leave Alan for the umpteenth time, even though Alan had saved his life that night. When an experimental drug gave Jason amnesia, Alan saw this as a chance to get Jason to come back home. It didn't work; he soon learned the truth about himself from Monica.
For Alan Quartermaine, fatherhood was filled with sadness and disappointment. Skye and Emily were the bright spots in his life. But make no mistake - when Alan died, Jason mourned him, too.
