...Unconditional...
For the last couple weeks, it has been one failed attempt after another as they try to search out the truth behind Elizabeth's kidnapping and Johnny was growing tired of the search. They've tracked down every last person that was present during the birth, from doctors to nurses and even the Giambetti seniors, but all for naught. Sure, the Giambetti seniors weren't pleased with Melody's pregnancy, but they were still Giambetti and they take care of their own. No exceptions.
"Where do you think you learned it from, Maximus," the father had said in a stern voice. "I would never cast out one of my own under any circumstances."
"You despised the other half of the child," Maximus had pushed, but even he could see he didn't have a leg to stand on. "Would you have honestly cared for the child knowing her father?"
"Our blood is thicker than any blood that may have helped bring that child into existence," the mother snapped at him. "A pregnancy in youth is never taken easily, but we would have supported that child regardless. How dare you accuse us otherwise."
With them obviously checked off the list, they have now turned their attention to Elizabeth's birth father, who just so happens to be locked up behind bars. Not for anything that'll keep him for long, of course, but Melody finds it more bearable to face the man under watchful eyes than to do so without witnesses.
The more the days drag on, the more Johnny just wants to go home, finding each step bringing them further and further from Elizabeth. He had been the one to put this whole thing in motion, but it has taken turns he had never thought it would take and he just doesn't know how much longer he can hold out for a truth that just doesn't seem to want to be found.
"John seems to be getting restless," Melody comments as she and Francis get ready for bed. "Will he be leaving us?"
"I can't say for sure," Francis admits, seeing the strain this search has been putting on his friend. "He worries for Elizabeth. After all she's been through, it's hard to be away from her, especially with all that's going on."
"I worry for her, too, but there's no way to turn back now," Melody points out. "With all the doors we've been knocking on, he's bound to hear about it sooner or later, something I'd prefer happened after I got answers."
"John understands your concerns and he'll stick with us as long as he can," Francis says as he takes her hands into his. "For now, lets just focus on what's ahead of us, okay?"
"You're starting to grow restless, as well, aren't you?" Melody questions, seeing the tired look in his eyes. "Do you think we're on the wrong path?"
"It's not for me to say," Francis reminds her. "This is a part of your past that I have no part in. If you believe this is the path we must take, I'm with you, you know that."
"Which means yes," Melody sighs. "But you're too sweet to say so."
"It means, I'm with you to whatever end, through whatever life throws us," Francis states firmly. "You are my wife and I will track down whatever answers you need. This is your past, yes, but this is our family. We will do whatever it takes to get the answers you need and reunite you with Elizabeth. Understand?"
"I understand," Melody whispers with a soft smile. "I love you, too."
Pulling her into a warm embrace, Francis lets out a soft sigh, knowing that he couldn't turn back now. Melody has suffered with the loss of her child for two decades and it's about time she got the answers she needs to move forward. From the look of things, Johnny will eventually makes his way back to Port Charles in the coming days, maybe a week or two from now, but Francis can't turn back.
As hard as it is, he needs to see this through and ensure the safety of all involved. In a way, having Johnny go back home would ease his worries as he's searching for answers, knowing at least one of them is there for Elizabeth through this. For now, however, he'll appreciate the help for as long as Johnny's willing to stick it out with him.
"I literally have no words," Emily voices as they wait for their orders at the Grille. "How could I miss so much in such a short time? Better yet, why didn't you call me?"
"You've been dealing with your family's stuff," Elizabeth shrugs. "I didn't want to put more on your shoulders."
"Um, you're family, which means you call me when stuff like that happens," Emily points out. "But the bigger shocker is you and Jason...I can't even put that into words."
"I know what you mean, it's honestly been surreal," Elizabeth admits with a soft smile. "I haven't even found the words for it either."
"Talk about your unlikely couple," Emily shakes her head. "But, hey, if you think about it, we'd be sisters for real if you guys get married."
"Yeah, let's not enter that talk just yet," Elizabeth laughs. "We've only just started dating."
"Eh, a girl can dream, right?" Emily smirks. "If you guys are happy, I'm happy for you, Liz."
"Thanks," Elizabeth replies. "Speaking of relationships...do I even want to ask how yours is going?"
"What relationship?" Emily counters with a roll of her eyes. "I fly solo these days."
"I take it the heart to heart didn't go well?"
"Irreconcilable differences," Emily says plainly. "That's what he has chalked it up to anyway."
"Huh," Elizabeth mulls that over for a moment. "Is that what he's calling Sarah now?"
That was all it took to make Emily break out in laughter, not at all expecting Elizabeth to counter her explanation with that, though it was entirely like her to ease the tension with some humor. Elizabeth knows that Emily's relationship with Nikolas meant a lot to her and it hurt to see that they couldn't work things out. If she could fix things for her, she'd do so in a heartbeat, but Emily's mind is made up and there was no going back, sad as that may be.
"Zander?" Emily's voices in shock, causing Elizabeth to spin around to the door to see just who had such an affect on her.
"Hey, Em," Zander Smith replies as he stands frozen at the door. "Been a while."
"Um, yeah, it's been a couple years," Emily counters, rising to her feet to walk over to him, punching him in the arm. "Way to disappear on a girl. Not even a phone call or letter, nothing, seriously?"
"I had things to handle," Zander reminds her. "I'm here now. Can we start over?"
"Start over he says," Emily scoffs before shaking her head. "Fine. But you only get one more chance, you hear me?"
"I hear you," Zander smiles softly. "So, who's the friend?"
"She's much more than a friend," Emily says, turning to walk back over to Elizabeth as she rises to her feet. "Zander Smith, Elizabeth Webber. Liz, this is Zander."
"Nice to meet you," Zander says, shaking Elizabeth's hand.
"To be determined," Elizabeth counters with a skeptical look, dropping her hand to her side, remembering exactly how the two know each other. "I'm gonna head out, Em."
"You don't have to go," Emily says as Elizabeth grabs her jacket. "He's good people, I swear."
"I'm sure he is," Elizabeth says before hugging her. "Clearly you need time to catch up and I have to get back to work."
"Movie night tonight?" Emily questions. "I'll bring the snacks."
"Sounds good," Elizabeth says before turning to Zander. "Hurt her and I'll kill you."
"Understood," Zander smirks as Elizabeth leaves the restaurant, shaking his head. "I like her."
"Of course you do," Emily laughs, taking a seat with him. "She'll come around."
"Anyone willing to kill for their friends is just fine in my book," Zander says simply. "Especially when that friend is you."
While the two friends catch up on all they've missed since they last saw each other, Elizabeth's making her way back to the warehouse to finish off her shift. She had worked faster than usual to make sure she had time to have lunch with Emily, but that didn't last as long as she had thought it would. Bright side is that now she has it pretty easy for the rest of the day. She just might have enough time today to finally rearrange her office.
"Well, what do you think?" Sonny questions Jason as they stand in the diner, the renovations finally complete. "Do you think it's ready to be opened?"
"Sure."
"Come on, I need more than that," Sonny says seriously. "What do you think about it?"
"I think it looks like a diner," Jason says simply, pulling out his phone when it rings. "That's what you're going for, right?"
"Just answer your phone," Sonny says with a shake of his head, a slight smile on his face, having guessed that would be his reaction.
"I'm on my way," Jason says before ending the call, immediately gaining Sonny's attention. "Coffee warehouse is on fire. We gotta go."
Within seconds, they were out of the diner and rushing down to the coffee warehouse, both men trying to figure out how this could have happened. On the way to the warehouse, Jason tries calling Elizabeth's phone, but it goes straight to voicemail. Slamming the gas, he gets there just as the firetrucks pull into the lot. Leaving Sonny to talk to the officials, Jason makes his way around to the side entrance, needing to find Elizabeth.
The fire took everyone in the warehouse by surprise and spread a lot faster than anyone could have seen coming. As people started to panic, Elizabeth put her own fears on the side to help people get out of the building safely. Going through the procedures that are in place, she rushes through the warehouse, helping people that needed help. She had been on her way out of the warehouse herself when a beam fell down on her, trapping her in the building.
"Elizabeth!" Jason shouts as he makes his way through the warehouse, being told by one of the workers on their way out that she was still inside. "Elizabeth! Where are you?!"
"Jason?" she voices when his voice reaches her, realizing on his second shout that he was really there. "I'm here! Jason! I'm under the beam!"
Rushing to her, following her voice, Jason finds her pinned underneath a large beam. Quickly he tries to find a way to get her out, knowing that he was going to have to leverage out the weight in order to get her free. With the room filling up with smoke and flames, time is against them as he searches for a way to get the beam off her.
"I'm going to lift the beam now," Jason says as he works a large two by four underneath on side of the beam. "I know you're hurt, but I need you to roll out once I lift it, can you do it?"
"Yeah, I can do it," Elizabeth says as she meets his eyes, feeling the pain shoot through her body.
The moment that Jason lifts the beam from her body, Elizabeth uses whatever strength she has to roll out from under the beam, clearing it just before Jason drops the beam back onto the ground. Carefully lifting Elizabeth into his arms, Jason searches for an exit, needing to get her medical attention and fast.
"Bring her over here," Sonny instructs Jason once they make it out of the warehouse. "You good?"
"I'm fine," Jason says seriously, lowering her down onto the stretcher. "I'm going with her."
"Yeah, of course," Sonny says as they wheel Elizabeth into an ambulance. "Go. I'll handle things here."
Sitting in the ambulance as they are rushed to the hospital, Jason feels a heightened level of fear as he looks at Elizabeth laying on the stretcher. To think that little over a month ago, he hadn't even known she existed, she wasn't even a blimp on his radar. Now, he's sitting there, afraid to lose her, unable to fathom his life without her in it.
Elizabeth's love is unlike any love he has ever experience in his short life. She has a way of bringing out sides of him that he hadn't even known existed. He has been happiest with her and he just can't handle the thought of not having her in his life. He just can't.
Author's Note: My gosh, this move has been both physically and emotionally draining. Having to quarantine the moment I landed was an entirely new experience, but thankfully that's almost up. Anyway, thanks for hanging in there and I can't wait to hear what you think of this update. Thanks.