Long-time fan favorite Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio) is once again leaving his role on General Hospital. The news -- which not only surprised fans, but also the show's head writer -- has a second layer of surprise: he's already lined up another job.

"Guys, I had no idea @tristanrogers was leaving," General Hospital's head writer, Ron Carlivati, shared on Twitter. "I found out last night. I now have 1 day to write him out of a big [February] Sweeps storyline. Meanwhile, you will see a lot of Robert between now and February! And please respect [Rogers] and his decision."

Rogers will continue taping at General Hospital for a few more weeks. After wrapping up his stay in Port Charles, Rogers will step back into the role of Colin Atkinson, a role he originated on CBS's The Young and the Restless in December 2010. Rogers' alter ego was last seen on Y&R in May 2012.

"I'd like to thank Frank [Valentini, GH's executive producer] and Ron for great storyline that kept Scorpio true to himself," Rogers posted on Twitter. "I'm stoked on Colin's return to #YR in 2014 and delighted to once again be a part of the CBS Daytime family."

Rogers appeared as a contract player on GH from 1980 to 1992. He returned to the ABC soap for guest appearances in 1995, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2013. In 1997, the Australian-born actor briefly played Hunter on The Bold and the Beautiful.

"Join me in welcoming @tristanrogers back to the family," Angelica McDaniel, head of CBS Daytime, announced on Twitter.

"We have an exciting story planned with [Tristan] and Jess Walton [Jill) that will begin in early 2014," a Y&R spokesperson said in a statement.