Nervous to the bone, pacing back and forth in her small bedroom, Elizabeth Webber contemplates one of the most important conversations she'll ever have with her grandmother thus far. For the last ten years, her grandmother has been her rock, the only source of family support that she has ever been blessed with, to have this conversation with her now...there was just no way of knowing what the fallout would be.

"Gram?" she voices tentatively, inching her way into the living room, successfully gaining the elder woman's attention.

"Elizabeth, dear, come sit." Audrey Hardy motions for her to sit beside her. "There's something I've been wanting to share with you."

"That's funny because I've been wanting to share something with you, too." Elizabeth replies, making her venture to the couch a slow, careful one. "Its something that's really important to me."

"Which I'm certain I'd love to hear about." Audrey smiles that soft, grandmother smile, patting the spot beside her. "But age before beauty, sweetheart."

Obeying her grandmother, she takes the offered seat and patiently sits by as her grandmother shows her a stethoscope that looked older than she was. The moment the item came into view, Elizabeth knew she was in for another lecture on their family's connection to the medical field that spanned generations and how she will soon take her rightful place along side the rest of her family.

"Gram..." she tries, desperately needing to say what she needed to say before she lost all traces of courage that she possessed.

"I've spoken to Mr. Cassadine and he's so glad to have you join the candy strippers." her gram boasts, the bright smile gracing her delicate face.

"Gram." she says with more weight, gaining her grandmother's condition. "Can I have the floor now?"

"Sure, my dear." Audrey sets the stethoscope down, turning to look at Elizabeth, showing that her granddaughter had her full attention. "I am all ears."

"Okay...well, you know how I love to paint and sketch, right?" Elizabeth takes a deep breath before handing her grandmother a pamphlet. "Well, there's a new art school opening up and there's an early enrollment scheduled for next week. I spoke to the owner and he thinks I'm a shoe in for a spot on their roster."

"Elizabeth, sweetheart, I know that art is a great hobby, but its just that...a hobby." Audrey hands her the pamphlet back. "You have to stay focused if you want your dreams to come true."

"But, Gram..."

"No buts." Audrey shakes her head. "I know it can be tempting to want to stray and take your hobbies to another level, but you have to be more realistic than that. Your future is in the medical field, like we have discussed on more than one occasion. Trust me, sweetheart, you'll thank me one day for this."

"I really want to do this, Gram."

"I know you feel that way now, but I'm looking at the big picture." Audrey rises to her feet. "Now enough about this trivial idea. I have to be heading to the hospital. Will you be having dinner at the Quartermaines tonight?"

"Yes, Gram." Elizabeth concedes, smiling slightly. "Emily says I can sleep over if you have to stay late."

"That's awfully nice of her." Audrey smiles, shaking her head, believing that the topic has been successfully dropped. "You can stay with them if you want and I will see you first thing in the morning."

"Yes, Gram." Elizabeth rises to her feet to hug her grandmother goodbye.

"I love you, sweetheart." Audrey places a soft kiss upon her forehead. "Be safe."

Watching her grandmother walk out of the room, she listens for the opening and closing of the front door before plopping down onto the couch, unable to believe how unbelievable horrible that went. If only her grandmother could see how important her art was to her. That it wasn't just a mere hobby, but her entire passion in life. Her dream.

"She just shot you down?" Emily looks at her in disbelief. "Did she even give you a chance to explain the great things about this school?"

"No." Elizabeth sighs, laying on her stomach, flipping through a magazine. "She didn't give me a chance to explain anything...she was all about me being a doctor."

"That sucks." Emily shakes her head. "So...does that mean you aren't applying?"

"I don't know." she admits, looking at her best friend. "On the one hand, all my dreams will begin if I enroll, but - on the other hand - it'll break my gram's heart if I do."

"That's a tough call."

"You're telling me." Elizabeth rolls over onto her back, taking a deep breath. "What am I supposed to do now?"