GF actually pitched what happened to Laura during those two years she was gone? What if she had a secret child. And that's how we got Stefan and Nikolas Cassadine. A stroke of genius on her part. Seeing as how Jason was gone two years--they should have done something similar. He should have come back with a wife.
As much as I am not a fan of Sonny, I will admit that Clink, Boom was done extremely well. I remember someone taking Sonny back into the club and he was sprawled across the table--devastated and Laura came over to comfort him.