Elizabeth 2021
I haven't been happy with Elizabeth's s/l for some time. I'm not a Franco fan, but she loved him and he loved her kids. Now that he is dead, I feel Elizabeth is lost and she deserves better. In this story, Audrey has been dead for a couple of years.
Elizabeth has been recovering from Franco's death and she felt she needed someone to blame. Jason was the nearest thing and he had a motive. After Carly's visit, she couldn't let go of the bad blood even though she started to have doubts about Franco's true killer. Unfortunately, she let that anger spill over to her son Cameron who wanted revenge on the father figure who was so good to him and finally stuck around. Cameron got a hold of the gun in his mother's and Franco's safe. When Elizabeth got home she noticed the safe open her worst fears emerged. She had just gotten confirmation it wasn't Jason, but Peter who killed him. The man whose voices Franco was hearing in his head. As she was headed out the door trying to figure out where he might go to track Jason down, her cell rang. Cameron had just been arrested for the attempted murder of Jason Morgan. On her way over to the PCPD she called Scott and asked him to meet her at the PCPD. After hours of being held, checking gunshot residue and security cameras, it was determined Cameron had dropped the gun before it was fired.
During processing and procuring Cameron's release he overheard his mother and Scott talking. He heard it was Peter and not Jason who killed Franco. Elizabeth looked up and realized he overheard her conversation with Scott. She takes her eldest son in her arms and he sobs.
They drive home in silence and pull into the driveway and enter the house. Laura had Jake and Adien and Elizabeth sat Cameron down for a serious talk. Elizabeth says, "Cameron, you are lucky. You cannot go off on your own, take matters into your hands, and take revenge on someone you think is responsible for Franco's murder. Furthermore, there is no way you are going after Peter. He is far more dangerous than Jason. If it had been anyone else, Jason may not have hesitated shooting you when you pulled a gun on him. I can't afford to lose you too."
Cameron apologizes to his mother and promises not to do anything else and will let the police build a case against Peter.
Elizabeth thinks back over the years and how much she has lost and even loved since she first arrived in PC when she was 15 and what a terror she was. Her family is gone. Her Grams passed away two years ago and Emily was killed several years ago. Sarah was living in Boulder with a family of her own, Steven was recently released from prison and serving probation in Tennessee. She hasn't spoken to her parents in years and she doesn't even know where Hayden could be. Lucky couldn't bother to skype with his son. She wasn't as close to Nikolas as she once was. She had Laura and Scott in her family's life, but was it enough to keep her in Port Charles? She didn't want to take Jake away from Jason who is currently MIA, but should he ever return, she would want him part of his life.
After Laura drops off the boys home and they have dinner and are playing video games, Elizabeth sits Cameron down again. She explains it's been a difficult year and she wants him and his brothers safe and if Peter is in Port Charles, she doesn't feel safe. She encourages him to go away to college and away from PC. "I know you don't want to leave your friends, but I think a change would be good. Your grades are excellent and you can go to your first choice or somewhere else. I think Adien will adjust and if Jason returns we can work something out on visitation with Jake. I have spent all of my adult life here in PC and General Hospital. Can you think about it?"
In the morning she puts additional feelers out to her other friends and family who left PC for bigger and better things. Lainey had moved to Maryland working with Vets. Kelly is working with Doctors without Borders. Kelly sends her an occasional postcard of her latest adventures, but then it's on to the next country. Even if Britt returns and takes back control as COS at GH, there was too much bad blood. She was still on the phone when Cameron makes breakfast for his brothers and then they all sat down for a family meeting. Elizabeth explains why it would be a good move for all of them. Adien thinks it could be a good thing. He lost the only father figure he remembers. Franco was more of a real father to him than Lucky ever was. All he knows about his father is a face on a computer screen talking more about his travels and never asking how he was or even more recently how he is feeling. Jake was the most upset. Not only at his mother for not believing in his father and even more for his brother's actions and not for one moment listening to his side of things. Sure, he apologized, but it was a fake apology. Elizabeth explained mistakes were made all around, but he was not wrong in believing in his father. She was wrong. Cameron was wrong and someone else killed Franco. Jake tried pressing for more answers but all Elizabeth could answer is both she and Cameron were wrong and didn't want to make another wrong mistake and didn't want him to make a wrong mistake and jump to conclusions.
Elizabeth asks Cameron to drop off the boys at camp and return home. She needs his help with a few things. Sitting alone at the breakfast table she makes a few calls reaching out. She thanks them and lets them know she will be there in a couple of weeks and hopes temporary housing can be arranged. She writes a brief, but a detailed letter to Jason in hopes that Carly will make sure he gets it when he resurfaces. When Cameron arrives home she says she will be stopping by Carly's to apologize. She wants him to come with her and apologize to Josslyn. If she is not at home, she wants him to have a letter prepared. They will be leaving PC in one week. She already has a job lined up. She calls and leaves messages for Laura, Scott, and Nikolas to stop by for coffee that night.
On the drive over Elizabeth asks Cameron if he's thought about where he wants to go to college. He could come with them and be near family or start over on his own. His graduation from high school is in a few days and college tours can start next week. At the gate, Elizabeth promises she won't take too much of Carly's time and Cameron would like to see Joss. She shows Cam out to the back porch and tells her he's very sorry and if she can't forgive him, he'd understand, but to please hear him out. She listens and they talk about hurt feelings and agree it's good to forgive and go from there. He explains he's leaving PC in a few days, but he wanted to say goodbye. He was leaving for college, but his mom and his brothers are leaving too.
Inside Elizabeth is apologizing to Carly. She explains she was hurt and saw only what she wanted to see. She knows it wasn't Jason, but Peter who killed Franco. Looks can be deceiving just as it was with the cops first believing Cameron shot Jason. Both of those were false. "I don't know if you can forgive me for refusal to believe in what I know in my heart was true, but I wanted to say goodbye and I'm sorry. I'm leaving town. There's not much holding me here. My Grams is dead, I can't stay in the house I shared with Franco. I also don't want to keep Jason from Jake, so if he ever returns please give him this letter. It will tell him how to contact me and he can see Jake anytime he chooses."
Carly is speechless, she hated Elizabeth for so long but after Jake they mended fences and for sake of her daughter's and Cameron's friendship, they co-existed. "Thank you for your honesty. I never understood how you could believe Jason would do that or at least be sloppy about it, but I guess if the roles were reversed I might have a hard time believing too. I can't fault Cameron for acting out, lord knows my kids have done far worse, but it's not my forgiveness Cameron should be concerned about. That is up to Josslyn."
Joss and Cameron come back inside and he hands her his letter telling her how to reach him. They have a long hug goodbye. Elizabeth says goodbye to Carly.
Elizabeth drops Cameron off at home to begin the packing process while Elizabeth drives to GH to turn in her notice effective immediately. Britt has taken a leave of absence and Monica is acting Chief. She picks up the boys from camp and picks up her takeout order and drives home for dinner. Cameron puts the boys to bed while Elizabeth prepares coffee for Laura, Scott, and Nikolas. An hour later after explaining their plans, Laura and Scott leave with tears, but hope for Elizabeth's new journey. They both promise to stay in touch. Elizabeth hands the keys to Franco's over to Scott telling him she won't need it. Laura promised to supervise the movers. Elizabeth hugs her best friend goodbye
The next couple of days comprised packing and calling her relator. They fill her car with their belongings and start their long drive. Cameron spells occasionally and they make good time.
After three days of driving they pull into the driveway.