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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ONE AND THE SAME
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Marriage. In any other part of the world, its best known as a sacred bond between two people who truly, deeply love each other. In Port Charles? Well, suffice to say that not all marriages are based off of love or even mutual respect for one another.

A success story for that town is best known in the form of Carly and Sonny Corinthos, who didn't get married out of love, but grew to love each other over time. If only all marriages in the town ended up that way.

Unfortunately for Jason Morgan and Elizabeth Webber, neither are fortunate enough to find love in their marriages. For how can one find love in a marriage when their hearts are with one another and not the one that they have pledged undying love to?

Sitting in her small makeshift studio, her old studio being too painful to enter, Elizabeth stares at the painting that she has been creating for over two weeks now. Its her first art piece that's actually intended to be sold. Sure, the buyer is Lila, but a client's a client. Even if its someone you know and love. In a way its better than a stranger, knowing its for Lila, she has pushed herself a lot harder than usual to make it perfect.

"Knock, knock." the sound of her husband's voice pulls her from her artistic focus. "Hey."

"Hey." she replies, rising to her feet, wiping her hands on her art apron. "Is it that time already?"

"Yeah." he smiles slightly, opening his arms for her when she gets to him, softly wrapping his arms around her. "You got lost in your art again, didn't you?"

"Guilty as charged." she says apologetically, stepping out of his embrace. "I'm sorry I lost track of time."

"Its okay." he assures her, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I can drive myself to the airport. You should focus on your painting."

"I can take you." she insists, glancing over at her painting before looking at him. "I can just finish it up later."

"I know that look in your eyes." he counters, shaking his head firmly. "You stay...I'll just see you when I get back."

"Are you sure?" she looks at him, wondering if he could really read her as well as he thinks he can, shaking her head at the thought. If he could read her mind, she doubts he'd still be married to her by now.

"Yeah." he says lovingly. "I'm sure."

"Okay...be safe."

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth wraps her arms around him, allowing him to hold her, to kiss her, before watching him pick up his bags and walk out the door. For a long moment, all she did was stand there, staring at the door that he had walked out of, wondering if he could see how she truly felt about him leaving town for the next few days.

If he could, he'd see just how relieved she was to be on her own. To be without him. As bad as that sounds, its worse because she knows its wrong, but she couldn't help it. Turning away from the door, Elizabeth returns to the painting for Lila, picking up her paint brush as she sits back down. The only constant thing in her life is her art and its the only thing she could stand to focus on now.

"Jase..." his wife's voice pulls him out of his work mode, prompting him to look up at her.

"Yeah?" he answers, knowing she needed him to respond before she'd continue. The simple fact that she had gained his attention wouldn't do.

"That was Carly." she says carefully, smiling at him sweetly. "She wants to go shopping and..."

"And?" he questions, arching his eyebrow, even if he already knows the answer.

"Well...can I go?" she asks him seriously, staring at him intently.

"Up to you." he says before turning his attention back to his files. "You know where we have a standing credit stream, right?"

"Of course." she exclaims happily, wrapping her arms around him from behind, kissing his neck fondly. "Thank you, thank you!"

Without a moment to waste, he listens as his wife gathers her things and breezes out the door without another word spoken. It was like that almost every day, whenever his best friend calls, his wife was out the door like a swift breeze, only coming back when she couldn't think of anything else to buy. If he actually cared to have her around, he would be upset with their shopping sprees, but he really didn't. Marrying her had been the sensible thing to do.

Regardless of his presence in her life, she'd still be a part of the life and therefore a target. Being married to him did nothing either way for her safety, not to mention she fit comfortably into his life, never asking for anything he couldn't give and always giving him anything he needed. She was the sensible choice. The right choice for his life.

A part of him was sure that she knows how he feels about their marriage, but he could be mistaken. She tells him she loves him almost all the time that he's grown used to hearing it by now, but he never utters it back. In no shape or form. If she minded it, she has yet to say anything to him, just the way he liked it.

Living in opposite parts of town, the two grow sick of the four walls that surround them, needing some fresh air. Elizabeth grabs her coat, making her way into town on foot, knowing that it would be the only way she was going to get anywhere while Zander was gone. Her car is down and he needed his to go to the airport.

Jason, well, he walks into the parking garage of his building, glancing at his motorcycle that has been sitting off to the side for little over two years now, covered in a couple layers of dust. Every time he has tried to ride it, memories would flood him that he just couldn't handle or cope with, forcing him to take alternative means of transportation.

Knowing the weather predictions for that day, he decides that its as good a time as any to get in a little simple exercise, prompting him to walk out into the town and head to the local diner. Food sounded pretty good right about then.

Arriving at the diner, the two come face to face, both frozen to the spot as they come into view. It was just her luck, she thought, while he thought the same about himself. Of all the people to run into, in all the places in the world, it had to be each other, it had to be there.

"Jason." she says first, staring into his eyes.

"Elizabeth." he replies in the same tone she used.

But not another word spoken, like every time before, and on their heels they spin, walking back from whence they came. Him, back to his penthouse and the piles of work that awaited him. Her, back to her small makeshift studio and the painting that she should be finished with in a matter of days. Neither allowing the memories to overcome them. Simply locking it away in the back of their minds, ignoring the pain and heartache, staying in the present.

"Zander, I know you're on a plane right now, but I just wanted to say that I missed you." she says, leaving a message on her husband's voicemail. "Hurry home...I love you."

"Courtney, I know you won't get this until you and Carly are waiting for your orders at whatever restaurant you decide to eat at." he says carefully, leaving a message on his wife's voicemail. "Hurry home. I'll be waiting."

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