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 Seven:
Let the Heart Grow Fonder

Packing up her stuff, Elizabeth takes a deep breath before zipping up her luggage and rolling it out to the front door. When she had asked her husband for a weekend off, the following weekend to be exact, she had not expected him to agree to it so easily.

She had, at the very least, expected him to complain about photo shoot scheduling and press gigs that he had set up for her. She didn't expect for him to approve her weekend off with the condition that she went on a week long tour. He didn't even ask her why she wanted the weekend off. She wonders if he even cares.

"Where you going?" Lucky calls out to her when she slips into her coat. "We have to be heading to the airport soon."

"Just heading to the diner to say goodbye to Emily." she says simply, grabbing her keys. "I'll be back soon. Promise."

"Well...just hurry." Lucky zips up his camera bag. "I don't want to be late for our flight."

"Of course not." she smiles slightly. "I'll be back with lots of time to spare."

"Why are you still standing here?" he says seriously. "Get going. The faster you go, the faster we can get to the airport."

"Right." she shakes her head, pulling open the door. "Why don't I just meet you there?"

"Sure, sure." Lucky says waving her off. "Our flight's in two hours. Make sure you're there by boarding call...which is in an hour and a half."

"I'll be there."

Walking out of the house, Elizabeth could have sworn that he must be a magician or something because he wasn't there the last time she looked out the window, yet there he was. Smiling slightly, she walks over to Johnny, who's standing by his car.

"Johnny." she says with curious eyes.

"Need a ride?" he smiles slightly, opening the door for her.

"Sure." she laughs softly, shaking her head. "I definitely need a ride."

"Good...slide on in."

Getting in, she waits for him to close her door for her before getting into the driver's side and driving her to the diner. She looked at him curiously when he opened her door, wondering how he knew she wanted to go to the diner, but she doesn't question it. She simply smiles at him before walking into the diner to check in with Emily.

"Hey, you." Emily greets her as she sets down a plate for a customer. "You look fancy...where you headed?"

"Out of town." she admits, slipping out of her coat. "Just wanted to stop by before I head to the airport."

"How long you gonna be gone?" Emily questions, pouring her a cup of coffee.

"A week at most." she assures her, smiling slightly as she plops down on a stool. "Lucky has a full tour planned. I'll be busy all week, but I don't mind."

"Sure you don't." Emily sighs, shaking her head. "Promise you'll call and send me postcards from every place you land?"

"I promise." she says wholeheartedly, taking her hand in his. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Uh-huh." Emily laughs softly, giving her hand a squeeze before releasing it. "So...have you told him?"

"Him who?" Elizabeth feigns ignorance.

"You know who." Emily says seriously, rolling her eyes when Elizabeth just smiles. "Have you told him?"

"Not yet." she concedes, taking a sip of her coffee. "I was gonna call him after I checked in with you."

"Go on." Emily shakes her head. "Go do stuff with my brother that you don't want me knowing about."

"I love you." she says softly, paying for the cup of coffee. "I'll see you when I get back."

"Love you, too." Emily walks around the counter to hug her goodbye. "Now get going."

"Okay."

A few streets over, Jason pinches his nose, growing more and more frustrated with the files sitting in front of him. How was he supposed to balance books when Sonny was just so damn careless with the numbers? Once again it falls on him to fix the mess and make it airtight for the tax people.

"Jason?" his wife says on a hushed tone before knocking softly on his office door. "Are you busy?"

"Yes." he answers honestly, setting down his pen. "What do you need?"

"Well, since you asked..." Sam walks further into his office, plopping down on one of the chairs. "I kind of need help with this case I've taken on."

"What kind of case is it?"

"Domestic abuse." Sam says carefully. "The husband's a cop."

"Sam..."

"I know, I know." she sighs, shaking her head. "I just can't let him get away with this, Jason. Its not right."

"I can't take on a cop right now."

"She's an innocent woman, Jason." Sam says seriously. "Isn't she the kind of people you help? The innocent?"

"Why doesn't she just leave him?"

"You think I haven't thought of that?" Sam counters. "He won't let her go. I'm running out of options...which leaves you."

"Fine." Jason sighs. "Leave the file and I'll look it over."

"Thank you." Sam gets up, walking over to kiss him softly. "See you at home."

"Yeah." he shakes his head. "Sure."

"I love you!"

Watching her walk out of the office, Jason leans back against his chair, rifling through the file to see what he was getting himself into. Just as he was about to flip the first page, his cellphone rings that certain tune, making him smile slightly as he shuts the file.

"Hey." he answers, tossing the file onto his desk. "You okay?"

"Yeah...you busy?"

"Don't worry about it." he says softly. "What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping we could meet somewhere." she admits, sitting in the backseat of Johnny's car. "Do you think you can?"

"Sure." he says as he rises to his feet. "How about your studio?"

"I'll meet you there."

"Okay. I'm on my way."

Leaving his office at the same time she leaves the diner, the two meet up at her door, wrapping their arms around each other in greeting. Pulling away, Elizabeth unlocks her studio door before letting him in, locking the door behind them. He could tell that she needed to tell him something, but he'll let her be the one to bring it up.

"I'm leaving town." she says carefully after a long moment. "For a week."

"Why?"

"A short tour." she shrugs, walking over to sit on the couch. "It was the only way he'd give me our weekend off."

"Oh." he utters, walking over to sit next to her. "So...a week?"

"Yeah." she shakes her head. "A week."

"That sucks."

"I know." she takes his hand in hers. "I guess, its just my turn to leave."

"I guess."

"At least we'll get to spend an entire weekend by ourselves." she reminds him, smiling slightly when his features relax. "I seriously can't wait to go away with you."

"Me either." he smiles slightly. "How long do you have?"

"Little over an hour."

"Okay." he takes a deep breath. "Maybe we should make the most of it."

"Yeah." she smirks. "Maybe we should."

Framing her face in his hands, Jason claims her lips swiftly, leaning her back against the couch as his body lays against hers. For the next hour, the two of them make love to each other like nothing else mattered in the world but them. It wasn't how he wanted their next time together to be, but he just couldn't let her leave without showing her how much she meant to him.

"I should get going." she says as she nestles into his side, closing her eyes.

"Yeah...I guess you should."

"When I get back..." she says softly, moving to look him in the eyes. "I'll be all yours for the weekend."

"Can't wait."

"I know." she smiles slightly. "Will you drive me to the airport?"

"Sure." he kisses her forehead softly. "Lets get dressed and I'll take you."

"Okay."

Getting dressed, the two of them walk out of her studio, hand in hand, before straddling his bike and heading to the airport. She's certain that her husband would have her luggage checked in by now and would be waiting by the boarding gate for her. Making showing up at the airport with Jason go undetected by him. As if he'd even care either way.

"See you when I get back." she says with a slight smile.

"Yeah." he leans in, kissing her softly. "See you then."

"Think of it this way..." she says simply. "Maybe this time away will let our hearts grow fonder."

"Yeah...maybe." he says before watching her walk into the airport, waving slightly before the door closes behind her. "If that's even possible."


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