A/N: For those who have asked, no, this doesn't follow any particular storyline or time. Enjoy and please review. Thanks.
The tension within the small church started to reach new heights as they waited for the ceremony to begin. All in attendance understood that this wasn't a traditional wedding, with Elizabeth's father not in the picture, so, the ceremony was intended on beginning the moment Elizabeth made her way to the threshold of the church. Now thirty minutes past the intended start of the wedding and all have begun worrying.
Emily, one of the self-proclaimed Four Musketeers, volunteers herself to go upstairs and check on the bride. Obviously, as a girl, she can understand the need to perfect her look, especially on her wedding day. A part of her hoped that that's all this is, but a larger part of her feared that it finally happened. That, with the wedding actually in full swing, Elizabeth would run as far as she possibly could.
"Johnny?" Emily felt her hope shatter at the sight of him. "She's gone, isn't she?"
"Long gone." he voices, making his way over to her. "You knew it was bound to happen sooner or later."
"I just...I can't believe she chose now to do it." Emily sighs, glancing over her shoulder before meeting his eyes. "What am I gonna tell Lucky and the others?"
"The truth." Johnny says simply. "I can stay..."
"No, you can't." she shakes her head. "They're going to want someone to blame and..."
"I didn't know you cared so much."
"I don't." she counters. "I just know that Elizabeth wouldn't want you to have to endure what they have to offer."
"Right." he shrugs, making his way to the window. "For whatever its worth, I'm sorry you're the one that has to break the news."
"Sure."
Watching him make his way down the side of the church, Emily lets out a deep breath, her eyes following him as he straddles his bike and takes off down the road. She knows that Elizabeth doing this shouldn't come as much of a shock to her, but she had hoped that things were going back to normal that she hadn't prepared herself for this.
Turning away from the window, she makes her way back out of the small room, knowing that she couldn't avoid it any longer. For a split second, she finds herself glancing over at the window as she's about to close the door, wishing that she too could take the easy way out like Johnny, but she knows she can't. In some ironic way, this is her punishment for not believing Elizabeth before. If only she had.
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Staring out the window, Elizabeth wonders how Port Charles will be when she returns, knowing that she won't be gone forever. Will they continue their ever persistent torment of reminding her of the past she had shared with Lucky? Will they give her a chance to be free? To be the girl she is now?
With a deep sigh, she shakes her head of thoughts of home, needing to pull herself back into the present and the destination before them. Glancing over at Ethan when he gives her a gentle nudge, a smile graces her lips at the sight of his.
For months they had talked about running away to Vegas for the weekend, just the two of them, a fun filled getaway. He'd show her the casinos and she'd do her best to prevent him from cheating. Ever since her marriage to Lucky had been decided for her, everything else, including their friendship, had been put on the back burner of her life.
"This trip's gonna be fun." he voices softly, nudging her again before stepping on the gas, intent on showing her a good time. "You'll see, love. I'll make this a trip you won't soon forget."
"I know." she whispers, smiling a soft smile before turning her attention to the window. "Maybe I'll even find myself again."
The more she thought of the girl she used to be before Lucky had been found alive, she finds that every part of her misses that girl. The girl that had found her independence. The girl that found her heart and soul as she found a way to love herself. Letting go of Lucky had been hard, but she found that she needed to in order to find herself.
In the time that he has returned, slowly but surely she had lost sight of that girl. She had lost sight of her independence and, by doing so, she has lost sight of her own heart and soul. Obviously the trip wasn't going to return her to the girl she had lost along the way, but its a start. Definitely a good place to start.
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Pulling into a motel, needing to get a little shut eye before getting back on the road, Jason pays for a few hours before taking the key and heading to his room. Though he usually hates staying in places like this, knowing that room service wasn't exactly as thorough as a five star hotel, he's thankful that he doesn't have to pay for an entire day when he only plans to stay a few hours.
Just as he's about to walk into his room, he spots a familiar face stopped at the traffic light just in front of the motel. With a soft smile, he waves at her when her eyes meet his, wondering what she's doing this far from town. Her hand goes up to touch the window of her car, a soft smile on her face, reminding him of the past that they share. However brief it had been.
Watching as the car takes her away, he lets out a deep sigh before turning away and stepping into his motel room. Seeing her had sent a brief moment of calm through him, remember their brief night rides they used to have together, but it also reminded him of the task set before him.
A decision has to be made before the decision is made for him. Something he just couldn't let happen. Regardless of what Sonny wants, marrying her will be his absolute last resort. One that he hopes will never become his reality. They've just started to get over what they had done to each other. Marrying each other now will ruin any progress they've made so far. That much he's certain of.
Throwing himself down upon the motel bed, he shuts his eyes, knowing sleep will come swiftly. The farther away from Port Charles he gets, the easier it'll be for him to think it through. For now, he can only hope that Sonny honors his wishes and allows him the time to do what needs to be done.
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As they continue to drive as fast as the speed limit will allow, Elizabeth's mind remains frozen on the man she had seen heading into one of the seediest motels she has ever seen before. The curious part of her couldn't help but wonder what he's doing this far from town. Was he on assignment? Was he running away from his problems like she has?
Shaking her head, she simply smiles a soft smile, knowing that whatever he's doing, at least she knows that he's still okay. It has been so long since she has seen him that she often wondered if something bad had happened to him. There was no way she'd ask Emily about how he's doing and no reason she'd ever tell her on her own accord.
As far as Emily is concerned, she and Jason were nothing but strangers. Only briefly interacting whenever she or Lucky is present. If only she knew the truth. If only she knew about the many nights she had lost sleep worrying over him. It was never intentional, of course, but once she thinks of him and a seed of worry is planted into her mind, sleep remained out of her grasp.
"What's with the look?" Ethan questions as they stop at yet another traffic light.
"What look?" she counters, playing it off like its nothing. "There's no look."
"Whatever you say, love." he shakes his head, knowing that she will lock up tight if he pushed her to it. "As long as it makes you smile, I won't push."
"Thanks."
"Probably wouldn't want to know what your thinking anyway." Ethan voices jokingly. "Probably have to do something extra manly to gain my manhood back."
"Would you just drive please?" she laughs, knowing that he was probably right. "We still have a long way to go before we get to Vegas."
"Right...here." Ethan reaches to the back seat, grabbing a thick blanket. "Try to get some shut eye."
Kissing his cheek in thanks, she turns towards the window and snuggles up with the blanket after reclining her chair. Soon she will be in the city that Ethan calls his second home with the best guide in the world to show her around. If she knows anything, its that she'll definitely need her rest, attempting to keep him honest will take all the energy she has.
With hopes of a fun filled time in Vegas to lull her to sleep, she slips into a peaceful slumber, knowing that they will soon be switching places. Regardless of how invincible he wants everyone to believe he is, even Ethan requires a few hours of sleep to keep his energy up.