Multi-line Variables

Hello,

I am working on a ~800 page "book"

I would like to use variables to set the current chapter & section across the top of each page. The issue I'm running into is that InDesign treats the variable as a single character and everything is squished on one line. I was able to get around this by creating a second paragraph style for the second line (max length), the problem with that solution is that if I am not using that second line, I am still getting a space/paragraph/empty line where the variable would be. If I'm not using the variable, I would like that space to close up. Is there anyway to do that?

Example:

<variable 1>

<variable 1b>  (not used)

<variable 2>

<variable 2b>

Results:

Variable 1

Variable 2

Variable 2b

I though switching to character styles instead would help, but everything remains on one line, even with spaces or other characters between variables. If I add a shift-return between variables, it has the same empty line problem as the paragraph-style-variables.

UGH!