GREY by Kate

Summary: There are two sides to every coin and various shades of truth. Nothing in their world is black and white. Everything is grey.

Claudia Zacchara has been murdered. While most of Port Charles is relieved that the unstable woman is no longer a danger to anyone and rejoice in her demise, there are some that do not.

Anthony cries out for vengeance despite the fact that he despised his daughter while John tries to put the pieces of her death together and attempts to deal with her loss. Desperate for answers, Samantha McCall returns to Port Charles to find out the truth.

CHAPTER ONE

John Zacchara eyed his boss slash brother-in-law as he walked over and closed the door to his office for the purpose of privacy. "I want to be clear." John furrowed his brows at Sonny as he walked back over to him. "I understand that you've been in a difficult position these past few months. I questioned your loyalty to my organization and your ability to follow orders. But still, you did your work and remained respectful."

Sonny's expression faltered momentarily. "Well, most of the time anyway."

"I gave you my word." John grimaced painfully. "That means something to me."

"Regardless of her actions, Claudia was your sister and I understand that." Sonny looked at him seriously and his expression darkened. "I know that you protected her after what she did. I do not intend to hold you accountable for that because she was your family but I do need to know details."

John gave a slight nod of acknowledgement and understanding. "I knew there was a hit. Nothing else. No specifics." He folded his arms over his chest as he followed Sonny who was at his bar pouring a drink. "I do know that Claudia regretted what happened every day. She felt terrible about the price that Michael paid."

Sonny took a sip of his drink and then set it down on the bar. "I will let you keep working for me." He decided finally and then walked away. "But I never want to talk about your sister again."

"And I will never bring her up again after this." John agreed, turning around to face him with a neutral expression. "I'd appreciate it if you told me the truth about what happened to Claudia?"

Sonny seemed to be fighting some inner battle of his own. He finally sighed and looked at him. "Your sister went away." And then he turned his back.

John's expression hardened as he felt the anger over his sister's loss come straight to the forefront of his emotions. "She's gotta be dead. I know there's no coming back from the things she did. I understand that. But I deserve to know how she died. I am owed that much."

Sonny narrowed his eyes. "You are owed nothing. This discussion is over."

"No," John argued. He stood his ground as his boss' expression grew angrier. "I would like a real answer. I need the truth. Please, just tell me. Did you kill my sister? Or did Jason?"

Sonny flashed him a wicked grin. "Fine. Let's pretend the situation was reversed." He shook his head at the notion. "You were the one that got shot by my incompetent sniper and still, I married your sister. And when the truth came out as it inevitably always does, I gave the same excuse that she did."

"What do you suppose she would do to me if I told her that it was a hit gone wrong, a terrible mistake and then tried to pass the blame onto her?"

Claudia would have gutted him like a fish, no question, John realized miserably.

Sonny saw the light dawn on him and then nodded in confirmation. "That is exactly what happened to her."

John felt himself shake with emotion and tried not to picture Claudia's broken body on the floor after Sonny or Jason or whoever had finished with her. "Thank you," he managed to force himself to say and then left the room.

She laughed as he was hauled into the visiting room and forced to sit down at the table across from her. Her eyes lit with pleasure as she watched the guards cuff his feet to metal rings that were drilled into the floor and then handcuffed the chains on his arms to the chair.

Anthony Zacchara finally eyed the woman across from him. "What the hell is so funny?"

She giggled gleefully. "You." She finally managed and gestured to him pointedly. "The ominous, self-important Anthony Zacchara in prison being shoved around like every other goofball in here. It is absolutely priceless."

"Watch your mouth," he ordered and then leaned back to observe her. He looked her up and down. "You're different than I expected."

Ignoring his chatter, she leaned forward. "Granddad would never be caught in such a state," she taunted him.

"That old fool is nothing more than a small time crook." Anthony spat venomously. He narrowed his eyes at her. "You are my kid, not his granddaughter."

Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "Now I'm your kid?" She shifted in her seat as she rolled her eyes at his possessiveness. "Funny, as I recall, I was nothing more than an inconvenience to you when I was born; bearing a shocking resemblance to your first daughter and a terrible reminder of how easily you were played so you handed me off to my whore of a mother."

"I didn't want another Claudia."

"You have nothing to worry about there, Pops." She smirked at him mockingly. "It seems that I inherited nothing from you besides a bit of your looks, none of that god-awful personality of yours or the insanity that pollutes your family, therefore I am nothing like Claudia."

Anthony looked at her and felt his old feelings of resentment towards her fade away. "I am well aware of everything that you've become, Samantha."

"Sam." She leaned forward and looked him dead in the eye. "And if you do in fact know what you claim, then I assume you know why I am here."

He nodded slowly. "I know why you're here. I just don't understand it." He looked at her with bewilderment. "You barely knew Claudia."

Sam chuckled. "You despised her but that didn't stop you from putting a price on her killer's head."

"She was a treacherous, deceitful little bitch but she was my daughter." Anthony explained simply and found his other daughter nodding in agreement.

"And I may not have known her all that well but she was family." Sam's expression deepened as anger lit her eyes. "She was my sister and I will not allow her death to be swept under the rug so easily."

"I'm surprised that your grandfather allowed you to leave. Who will he turn to now that the one who did all of his dirty work has come home to her real family?"

Sam's eyes flashed angrily. "Don't confuse the fact that I've come here to deal with my sister's death with my returning to the Zacchara fold. I'm a McCall and I serve the McCall organization."

Anthony shook his head. "You are a Zacchara first and the McCalls are only using you. They care nothing for family unless there is something to gain."

She glared daggers at him. "Better to have a family that uses you for profit than a father that tries to kill you the very day that you're born."