Chapter One
Johnny Zacchara was a desperate man. He was fresh out of prison and running for his life. Ever since he could remember, he had been on the wrong side of the law. Several shady deals had got him arrested. He ended up in prison. He had served half of his sentence, but he became tired of the prison life. He wanted to turn his life around, but first he had to change his name and his identity. He couldn't get locked up again.
"I won't go back," he said fiercely as he walked on the dock wearing a concealing black coat. It had a huge hood that covered up a great deal of his face. He couldn't risk someone recognizing him. He wouldn't go back to that hell-hole they called Pentonville. His escape hadn't been easy and he knew if he they locked him up again, he'd never get out.
His body ached as he arrived at a warehouse. It was a dark and foggy night. Nobody saw him. Blood soaked his coat as he walked into the shelter of the warehouse. He was cold and tired and he needed somewhere to sleep.
He sunk to the floor as he let out a loud grunt of pain. The guards he had fought to escape had injured him badly. He knew he was bleeding from a gunshot wound, but he had no way to tend to his injury. He fell asleep almost instantly, his head falling limply against his shoulder. He was plagued with dreams of violence and gunfire. It was all that he had ever known. Johnny Zacchara was a desperate man.
~*~o~*~
Kiki Jerome was doing everything she could to turn her life around. She had thrown Morgan Corinthos to the curb after he had slept with her mother. She was doing everything in her power to stay away from alcohol. Sadly, it was her greatest temptation and it had gotten her into so much trouble. It caused her to have an accident and it had almost wrecked her life.
Thankfully, Franco had cared about her and he'd taken Kiki under his wing. He gave her a place to stay and helped her find a job. She was working as a waitress at The Metro Court. Soon she had saved up enough money, so she got her own place. It wasn't fancy, but it was hers. She knew her life was looking up and that someday soon, she'd find the happiness that she deserved.
She wasn't able to get a car yet because her license had been revoked because of drinking and driving. After her shift at the Metro Court, she had no other choice but to walk home. Usually she got a ride with one of the other waitresses, but that night, her good friend had to leave early because her little boy had gotten sick. Kiki had to walk across town all alone in the fog.
"It's creepy out tonight," she said to herself as she left the Metro Court. She hadn't dressed for the weather and the thin sweater she was wearing was hardly enough to keep out the bitter cold.
"Let me get there fast," she said as she started walking quickly toward her destination.
Her greatest fear was that she'd have to walk along the dock. Her apartment wasn't in the best neighborhood as she couldn't afford much. It wasn't the safest place for a woman to be walking alone, but since she had no other choice, Kiki kept moving at a steady pace.
As she neared the docks, the fog started rolling off the river. It was so thick that Kiki could hardly see what was in front of her. She had to stop several times, looking for familiar landmarks. "I should have called Franco... or Carly...anyone..." she was thinking as she neared a group of warehouses. "Maybe I should stop until the fog lifts... just for awhile."
Kiki decided to stop as she made her way toward one of the warehouses. She walked into the warehouse and it was pitch black, she couldn't see anything and ran into someone.
'Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" she let out a scream.
"Shhh!" growled the voice, covering her mouth with their good hand.
"You're going to help me," said the voice.
Kiki nodded her head, even though it was dark and her assailant couldn't see it.
"I said you're going to help me!" He shouted.
She jumped," Y-yes. Yes I'll help you," she said terrified.
"Im bleeding it needs to be cleaned up and I need a safe place to stay where no one will find me."
"Come home with me and I'll clean you up and you can stay with me," Kiki said.
Kiki lead the mysterious man through the fog and darkness to her apartment building which wasn't too far away. He kept grunting and groaning in pain as she helped him up the staircase toward her apartment. "It's not much further," she said as he leaned into her, getting his sticky blood on her waitress uniform.
She fumbled for her keys in the near-darkness. Minutes later, she had the door open and the man nearly collapsed as she helped him inside. "Who are you?" she asked softly as she peeled away the hood which concealed his face.
The man was covered in dried blood, stubble and bruises. In his disheveled state, he was hardly recognizable as human. As she took in his features, she realized that he was no one she had ever met. "What in the world happened to you?" she crooned as she leaned down on the floor next to him. His head fell into her lap.
The man wasn't answering her questions. He looked barely alive. "What's your name?" she asked.
Kiki laid his head down gently and got up getting the first aid kit and cleaned him up.
"Alright, I'm Kiki," she said. Lauren Katherine Jerome, but everyone here in Port Charles called her Kiki.
He wanted to speak he wanted to give her a name that she could call him, but he didn't even know if he was staying for very long.
"Thank you," he spoke barely audible.
"You never gave me your name," she said and waited for him to speak again.
"It's John," he told her. He didn't want to tell her he was Johnny Zacchara. Too many people knew him in Port Charles. He didn't want to be sent back to prison. He wanted to be free. He wanted a life.
"Do you have a last name?" she asked.
"I do," he said, but he closed his eyes. She got the message that he wasn't going to tell her anything more about his identity. At this point, he needed rest and healing. She would find the answers later.
She reached for the throw from the back of the couch and covered the man, carefully examining his wounds. It looked as though someone had done quite a number on his face. It was so bruised.
"Who did this to you?" she softly whispered. She realized then, she had been caressing his cheek.
As Johnny drifted off, he felt her touch upon his skin. It was so soothing. He was exactly where he was meant to be. He was supposed to find this woman. She was his destiny...
