Disclaimer: I do not now own, nor have I ever owned, "General Hospital".

"On the Run, pt. 2"

(February 15, 2000- A train station on the Canadian border- 2:00 P.M.)

"Elizabeth, wake up."

Elizabeth stirred and shook her head, tossing away the remnants of her dream, the last image of which faded from her memory as soon as she opened her eyes. "What?" she yawned. "Where are we?"

"Doesn't matter," Lucky told her again. "Get your bag."

Elizabeth shouldered her luggage and followed silently as Lucky led her through the swarms of people at the bus depot. She thought she recognized her surroundings but she couldn't be sure. They emerged into the street under gentle sheets of afternoon rain.

"Would it do me any good to ask where we're going?" she ventured.

"The train station," he answered shortly.

The station was busy, people buzzing in every direction. "I'm going to get our tickets," Lucky said. He handed Elizabeth a quarter and pointed to a kiosk of telephones. "Go call your grandmother, tell her," he interrupted himself, making sure she was listening to him. "This is important, Elizabeth," he stressed. "Tell her that you are safe, not to worry. Don't tell her you're with me."

"Why not?" she asked.

"It would take too long to explain," he said. "You need to make this call as short as possible. Tell her that she needs to leave the house, go on vacation, just get out of Port Charles for a while."

Elizabeth's eyes were wide with fear. "Is Gram in danger?"

Lucky sighed and rubbed his temples. "I don't know. It's possible Helena might go after her to get to me. I'm not sure she will, there are a lot of better, quicker ways to get to me, but there is a possibility."

"Okay," she resigned. "Anything else?"

"Tell her to go to my parents and tell them to have the backpack ready. Those words exactly," he said pointedly. "Have the backpack ready. Tell her all that then get off the phone as soon as you can. Wait by the phones and I will come and get you."

They parted ways, Lucky headed off to the ticket booth and Elizabeth went to the phones. She grabbed the first receiver and, after taking a deep breath, dialed her grandmother's number. Two rings and there was an answer. Audrey Hardy sounded tired and desperate.

"Gram?" Elizabeth started carefully. "It's me."

"Oh, thank God," Audrey exclaimed. "Where are you? Are you okay? Is..."

Elizabeth interrupted her. "Gram, you have to listen to me for a minute, this is very important. I am fine," she asserted. "I'm out of town, but I am absolutely fine, and I'm not alone. You need to leave Port Charles for a while."

"Why?" Audrey asked. "Elizabeth, I don't understand what you're telling me. Where are you?"

"I can't tell you, Gram, you just have to believe me, you need to leave town for a while. I know you have vacation time. Take it. Leave as soon as possible." Elizabeth remembered the last thing Lucky had told her. "Before you leave, you need to find Luke and Laura Spencer and give them a message."

Audrey was silent, most assuredly trying to digest what was happening. She knew her granddaughter was serious, she could hear it in her voice, but she still didn't understand. Finally she asked, "What message?"

"Tell them to have the backpack ready. Remember that, Gram," Elizabeth repeated, "have the backpack ready. I have to go now..."

"No, Elizabeth, please don't go," Audrey pleaded. "You have to tell me what's going on. Does this have something to do with Jason?"

"No, Gram," she said, catching a glimpse of Lucky heading towards her. "You just have to believe me when I say I'm safe and you need to get out of town as soon as you can. I'll contact you again when I can. Don't forget about the Spencers, it's very important. I love you, Gram." Before Audrey had a chance to reply, Elizabeth replaced the receiver in the cradle. Her hand lingered and a few tears sprung to her eyes.

"Audrey will be fine," Lucky assured her quietly. "My parents will make sure of that." Elizabeth sunk into Lucky's arms and for a moment forgot that they had ever been apart. "We have to go," he gently prodded. She wiped her tears and nodded, following him to the platform.