General Hospital fans have been in nonstop happy dance phase since the soap's executive producer, Frank Valentini, announced that recently returned veteran actress Genie Francis was extending her time in Port Charles. Now comes word that the actress has signed a three-year contract with the show that made her famous.

"The visits have been nice but this gives me a really warm, cozy feeling -- a feeling like I've come home," Francis shared with TV Insider. "A three-year deal is a very big commitment from ABC these days. It's too soon to know what stories they have planned for Laura -- the who-what-where -- but I know they really want to write for me and that's exciting. [Laughs] They finally took me back!"

So far, the actress has had little contact with the show's new head writers, Jean Passanante and Shelly Altman, but she has high hopes for what the pair have in store for Laura now that she's back full-time. "They've been really busy trying to pick up the pieces of what was left behind from the other writer. They were very stressed out and I didn't want to bug them," she explains. "Frank Valentini wants Laura to have a romance, so I know they're thinking in that direction. I don't know if it will be with someone already on the show, or if they'll bring in someone new. I know nothing! But I'm happy. There's so much history with Laura. They re-did the commissary at the studio and now they have photos of some of the actors who've worked on the ABC lot over the years and there I am! I was so touched by that, so thrilled. I was 14 when I started on GH. And here I am again."

At the moment, Laura has to deal with the fact that her son, Nikolas (Tyler Christopher), was a major part of the big cover-up storyline making waves in Port Charles -- a turn of events the maternal figure is none too pleased about. "This could get worse before it gets better," Francis teases. "This is not how Laura raised her children! But, then, Nikolas is the one kid she didn't raise. Way back, it was so touching that Nikolas, even though he grew up with the evil, crazy Cassadine family, was very sweet, tender, kind. He had Laura's heart. But in the back of Laura's mind there's always been this fear of, 'God, I hope he never acts like a Cassadine!' And when he does, it really terrifies her."

For more from Francis about her return to GH, check out TV Insider's full interview here.

What stories would you like to see for Laura now that she's back full-time? Who can you picture as Laura's new lover? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, on our message boards, or by submitting Feedback.

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