Disclaimer: Anything remotely recognizable as being a part of the cannon General Hospital.

Claiming any artistic creativity thought up by yours truly. Copy Writers be fore shamed.

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If It Makes You Happy
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Chapter One:
Misery Loves Company

Standing in front of a ceiling to floor mirror wall, Elizabeth Spencer stares at her reflection, finally able to catch her breath after a whirlwind photo shoot. She knew the peace and quiet won't last, even though she always wishes it would.

The life of a super model isn't one that provides with much personal time or peace and quiet. Soon enough, an army of people will rush in here, setting up their different stations as another army prepares her photo shoot in the next room.

This is the last one for the day, her husband having promised her that much, and she hopes he doesn't snowball her into another photo shoot that will last into the night like the last time. She could already hear his voice as she stood there.

As if he was in the room, standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders, coaxing her into photo shoot after photo shoot. To think, this all started with a small town magazine and a new label as the Face of Deception. Boy did that name fit her well.

She's been deceiving her husband from the moment he suggested she become his mother's new face at her magazine. Elizabeth hates modelling, she hates being the center of attention, and - most of all - she hates being in front of a camera.

After that one frightful night, she never wanted to be anywhere near something like this, yet there she was. All because she loves her husband just a little too much. Always wanting to please him. To keep him happy. To keep his love.

The slamming open of the ballroom doors signal the start of the chaos known as her career. The army of people start filing in, setting up their stations, just like she predicted. A few of them, better known as the assistants, crowd around her, asking if she needs anything, if they can get her anything. One pulls up a chair for her to sit, not that she wanted to see, but she was given no choice in the matter.

Looking down, she notices its a chair on wheels, which meant that she would be transferred from station to station on that chair. Something she truly hated. Every time they were in a rush and they made her sit in that chair, suffice to say that she felt completely sick by the time she finally made it to the photo shoot.

"Tea, Mrs. Spencer?" one assistant asked her, holding up a hot cup of tea.

"Or maybe you'd like hot cocoa, Mrs. Spencer?" the second assistant asks, holding up the mug of cocoa.

"Or what about coffee, Mrs. Spencer?" the last one spoke, holding up her cup of coffee. "Anything you want, we'll get it for you."

"I don't want anything!" she snaps, rising to her feet. "Just go help the others set up!"

"Yes, ma'am, Mrs. Spencer." the three say in unison before walking off, setting her beverages on the table beside her. Like she was supposed to drink each cup of whatever they made.

Sitting back down on the chair, she lets out a weary sigh, knowing that the crew will be done soon and then she'll be passed from station to station soon enough. For now, she swears she'll do her best to just relax, hoping and praying this was the last photo shoot for the night.

"Jason? Baby, are you home?" Sam Morgan calls out to her husband, walking through the penthouse in search of him. "Jason?"

"In here." he finally speaks up, causing her to walk into the guest bedroom.

"What are you doing in here?" Sam looks at him confusedly. "You never want to come in here."

"Yeah, well...I'm here." Jason says plainly, shutting the closet door. "You were looking for me?"

"Um, yeah." Sam shakes her head. "Sonny told me that things went badly at your meeting. He thought you might want to talk to me about it."

"I don't." Jason says plainly, suddenly reminded about the fact that he had nearly been shot. Fortunately it was only a little deeper than a graze and the bullet didn't actually hit him. "I just want a beer."

"Are you sure?" Sam looks at him curiously. "He said that you were..."

"I said I don't want to talk about it." he states, walking out of the room, heading for the kitchen and that bottle of beer that's practically shouting his name.

"Jason, please don't shut me out." Sam insists, placing soft hands on his back. "Sonny said its okay if you talk to me about it."

Sonny, Sonny, Sonny. God, his best friend's name on her lips was just too much to bear. Yes, he knows that it was his choice to fall in love with her, to provide for her and want to help her, but it didn't stop him from wanting her and Sonny as far apart as possible. Ever since they got married, Sonny has done whatever he could to keep him and Sam together.

The moment Sonny told him that it was okay to talk to Sam about business, Jason knew something was definitely off with them. It was like Sonny was trying his hardest to keep them together so he wouldn't fall back into familiar patterns with Sam. With that doubt planted in Jason's mind, more began to grow and now he just wanted it all to stop.

"I don't want to talk about it." Jason states again, shoving the beer back into the fridge before walking out of the kitchen. He needs something stronger. A lot stronger.

"Jason, hey, man." Sonny walks into the penthouse, causing Jason to swallow back a groan. It seemed like Jason had to knock before entering Sonny's penthouse, but his was a free for all. "We need to talk."

"Sam's here." Jason says plainly as his wife walks into the living room.

"Hey, Sonny." Sam greets him, standing by Jason's side.

"That's okay." Sonny shrugs, taking his seat on the club chair. "This won't take long."

Sitting there, Jason tries his best to listen to Sonny talking about business, but it was just too hard with his wife sitting right there. Instead of focusing on the words coming out of his best friend's mouth, he was too busy focusing on the body language passed between his best friend and his wife. From what he was seeing, Jason didn't like it one bit. He felt like he was drowning, he had to get out of there. He just had to break free. If only for tonight.

"I have to go." Jason states abruptly, shooting up to his feet. "Don't wait up."

As both of them called out his name, Jason simply walked out of the penthouse, slamming the door shut behind him. Sam and Sonny both looked at each other, confused by what had just happened, wondering what it was all about. Jason didn't care about what they were thinking, not now, he just wanted to get away. Straddling his bike, he speeds off into the night.

"Elizabeth?" Lucky calls her name, smirking when her eyes meet his. "I said sexy, honey, give me sexy."

Flashing lights, demands spewing from her husband's mouth, it was all too much. Everyone's staring, they're all staring, drowning her in all their attention. Its all too much. Way too much. She couldn't take it. Not right now. Right now she needs to break free. She had to get out of there. She had to. If only for tonight.

She didn't care that she was in the middle of a photo shoot, currently getting her picture taken, Elizabeth ripped off the jewelry and ran out of the building. She had to get out of there. She had to. She didn't even turn around at the sound of her husband shouting her name. She had to get away. She had to.

"Give me a bottle of your best tequila!" Both Jason and Elizabeth demand of the bartender in Jake's at the same time.

"Unfortunately, I only have one bottle left." Coleman, the bartender, holds it up, looking between the two. "Care to share?"

Jason and Elizabeth look at each other, sizing each other up, before turning to the bartender. "Two shot glasses." they demand, Jason taking the bottle while she takes the shot glasses. They both didn't care that they didn't know each other, all they cared about was getting blind drunk.

"Elizabeth Spencer." she says as he pours her a shot of tequila.

"Jason Morgan." he says before taking his shot.

"Nice to meet you." she says, downing her second shot, holding out her glass for her next one.

"You, too." he says, refilling her glass and his. "Now, shut up and drink."

"Don't mind if I do."

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