Is Claudia Really Dead?
Summary: After Michael hits Claudia across the head to stop her from stealing his newborn sister Josslyn, Claudia is presumed dead. Jason, Max and Milo burry her body while Sam takes Carly and Josslyn to General Hospital. Sonny picks up a shocked Michael. Weeks later; Sonny, Michael, Carly, Sam, Jason, Max and Milo start seeing Claudia's ghost EVERYWHERE they go.
NOTE: This story contains flashbacks. To indicate a flashback starting I will write FLASHBACK BEGINGS and then at the end of the flashback I will write FLASHBACK ENDS. The first chapter is a replay of Claudia's death the way it happened on the show, but the rest is made up.
Chapter 1: Claudia's Death- November 4, 2009
After Claudia took Carly hostage and crashed the car, Carly had moments to find shelter out of the rain to deliver her baby safely. As she kept having labor pains, she managed to find an abandoned cabin and start a fire. As she was ready to have her baby, the door to the cabin burst open and there was Claudia holding a gun by her side. Claudia managed to help Carly deliver her baby. Meanwhile, a worried Michael was driving in the pouring rain in hopes to save his mother from an insane Claudia. No matter how hard Michael tried not to think about the worst case scenario (Claudia shot his mother and ran off with his new sister), he couldn't stop. As the wiper blades to his silver sports car were rapidly wiping away the rain drops, Michael noticed a car crashed at the side of the road. He pulled over to the shoulder, ran over to the crashed car, opened the door to the driver seat and pulled out a card for the Metro Court parking lot. As soon as he saw this, he knew that was the car Claudia had kidnapped his mother in and that meant that they could not be too far. That's when he realized that there was a trail, maybe if he followed it he would find his mother. All Michael could hope for was that he found his mother before Claudia did. As he followed the trail slowly because he didn't want Claudia to find him, he heard his mother scream ``Give me my daughter, Claudia!`` Michael ran down the path and found a cabin and his mother's screams became louder. Michael knew his mother and baby sister were in there with Claudia and he had to save them. He ran up to the door and found an axe handle, he picked it up and pushed open the door to find his mother helpless on the couch and Claudia holding his baby sister in a basket heading for the door. Michael had to stop Claudia, so he swung the axe handle at her head and she fell to the floor. Michael was in shock when Jason and Sam came in, Jason and Sam walked over to Michael who was standing over Claudia's body. Jason and Sam told him that he did it to protect his mother and baby sister. Jason stayed with Michael while Sam gave Carly her little baby girl. Jason told Sam to take their car to the hospital because Carly and the baby needed to be checked out by a doctor. Sam took Carly and Josslyn into the car and drove off.
Sonny came and told Michael to go outside. Sonny told Jason to stay with Max and Milo and burry Claudia. When Jason agreed, Sonny took Michael back to Michael's car and drove him home. All the way home Sonny kept telling Michael that he did what he had to do and that Sonny would take care of it. No one would know that Michael killed Claudia.
Back at the cabin, Max and Milo along with Jason took Claudia's body outside to burry it. Normally Jason would check if he person was still alive before burying the body, but he assumed that Claudia was dead. They buried Claudia and headed off in Sonny's limo.
Michael knew the cover-up was a bad idea but he knew he would be in real trouble if he confessed, well actually he didn't believe he would be in that much trouble but Sonny told him that all the evidence was burned. Michael was off the hook.
Chapter 2: Max and Milo's Hallucinations- November 6, 2009
Max and Milo have been working for Sonny and Jason for almost 2 years and they have had to burry bodies before, but they never had to burry a Mrs. Corinthos. They never realized how big and empty the house was without her and her ego in it.
Sonny went to Kelly's to talk to his father and to make it that he had nothing to hide while Max and Milo stayed at home. Max and Milo never left Sonny alone, but Sonny didn't want the cops investigating his house without his loyal body guards there. Max got a call from Sonny saying that he was going to see Morgan, so he would be gone for a few hours.
Milo was the one to notice that the house was quiet- too quiet. Max told his little brother that it would be quiet because it was just the two of them in the house. Milo was not buying that one bit, he had a feeling that there was someone else in the house… he just couldn't figure out who. Max told his brother that Milo was just going crazy he also said that things would be normal again, sooner than later. Milo stayed glued to his big brother. Max thought it was weird that Milo was so freaked out, but Max had to admit that he was kind of freaked out too. There's strength in numbers.
Max and Milo decided to sit on the couch and talk to break the creepy, odd silence. Max and Milo stopped mid statement because they heard footsteps upstairs. Both brothers walked up the stairs clinging close together walking into all the rooms and nothing. Milo walked down the stairs with his brother close behind. They made it to the 5th step from the bottom, in clear view of the couch, when Milo stopped. Max and Milo dropped their jaws as they starred at the couch.
They had to be going crazy, what they saw couldn't be real. There on the couch, was Claudia. She was drinking wine and reading the newspaper. She said aloud "Claudia Zacchara-Corinthos Dead" as she laughed. "I love how these reporters will print anything. I'm not dead. I never was." Max and Milo came down the stairs and Claudia turned around to face them "So, Max and Milo nice of you to burry me alive. I am so grateful that I was able to dig myself out. But come on, you guys could have left me a map to get back to Port Charles. I would have been here sooner but I got lost. Next time you burry someone, leave them a map." Max and Milo, scared to death, told her to leave. She got up and walked out the door. Max and Milo called Sonny and told him everything.
FLASHBACK BEGINS
Max and Milo carried Claudia's lifeless body to the hole, placed her body in the hole, covered the hole up, took Jason to the limo and drove away from the cabin that had burned down.
FLASHBACK ENDS
Max and Milo knew she had to be dead when they buried her because she didn't breathe or move when they carried her.
Sonny came home and they all fell asleep.
Chapter 3: Sonny's Hallucinations- November 12, 2009
Sonny had a lot of business to take care of at the office, so he went there earlier than he usually did. Sonny usually went to the office at noon when the restaurant front was open, but today he went at 6 a.m. because he had to check on the cover-up and to fill out shipment papers for Max and Milo's new gun. Filling out papers may not seem like a lot f work, but when your filling it out for a gun it's a lot and it's even more when you're planning to ship the gun from Puerto Rico.
Sonny walked up to the restaurant door and opened it, then he poured himself some wine and opened the door to his office, prepared to see about 30 pages of papers to fill out and the latest report from Jason about the cover-up; but instead he found something else. He couldn't believe it, he had to be dreaming. Sitting in his chair was none other than Claudia. Wow Max and Milo weren't kidding when they said she wasn't dead was all Sonny could think about. "Hey. Nice of you to finally show up. Crazy paper work will have you swamped." Claudia said. Sonny rubbed his eyes in hopes that it was a dream, but once he stopped she was still sitting there "This isn't a dream, Sonny. This is reality and the reality is Michael swung the axe handle at me and 'killed' me. Come on Sonny, you should know better. Guns kill, axe handles knock out. You told Jason to help Max and Milo burry me. Now the real question is why?"
FLASHBACK BEGINS
Sonny- "Burry her body as close to hell as possible."
Max, Milo, Jason- "Got it. Will be done by tomorrow."
FLASHBACK ENDS
"You were supposed to be dead."
"That's no way to talk to your wife, Sonny"
"No. my wife is dead!" shouted Sonny.
"Then why am I sitting right here"
Sonny pointed to the door and led her out, he took the paperwork home, but he couldn't find Jason's update.
When Sonny got home he called Jason and Jason told him that he still had to go check and that he was going to do that later today. Sonny didn't tell Jason about seeing Claudia, but he did tell Jason to be careful and be on the watch for anything suspicious.
Chapter 4: Jason's Hallucinations- November 12, 2009 Late at Night
It was around midnight when Jason went to go check on things. The cabin was burned down just like planned and everything in it was sawdust. Perfect. Then he walked around the cabin a bit, since it was such a beautiful clear night and he didn't want to go back yet. Then he made his way to the covered up hole where Claudia's corpse was only to find it EMPTY! Jason knew that they had buried her body here.
FLASHBACK BEGINS
As Max and Milo placed Claudia's body in the hole, Jason knelt down and watched her body being lowered into the hole. They covered the hole and left.
FLASHBACK ENDS
"Hello there Jason. Let me guess Sonny sent you here because I spooked him out at his office." came a voice from behind him.
Jason quickly turned around and saw Claudia standing there with her arms crossed across her chest. Jason raised his gun and pointed it at her. She backed away and told Jason that it was no use and that she wasn't dead. "How many times do I have to tell people that I'm not dead" Jason walked forward towards her, she still backed away. Eventually she called a truce and Jason headed off to give Sonny a full report.
He went to Sonny's place and told him that the cabin was burned down and everything in it was sawdust, but the hole was empty and Claudia was still alive and haunting him. That's when Sonny confessed that he, Max and Milo had seen her too. They all knew it wasn't possible, but it was all they had to work with. Sonny told Jason to go home and get some rest.
Jason went home, but he couldn't sleep. Claudia was alive and she was taunting everyone that was there that night. Jason picked up the phone to call everyone, but he put it down. There was no use in scaring everyone else with what may or may not be. He still didn't fall asleep.
Chapter 5: Sam's Hallucinations- November 14, 2009
Sam had called Jason to come over to relax in the hot tub. She was in the hot tub when she heard a knock on the door. She put on her robe and went to the door. She had given Jason the key, but he never liked to use it. Sam never understood why and Jason refused to tell her. The knocking got louder as Sam shouted that Jason should hold his horses because she was coming. She opened the door and her jaw dropped.
"Sorry that I'm no Jason, but he didn't bother to tell his girlfriend I was on the loose. Some boyfriend you have."
"Leave Claudia"
"Why it looks like the fun is just getting started. Hot tubs and a sexy Jason in swim trunks. Oh I can't wait."
"You need to leave. NOW!" said Sam sounding more demanding than worried.
Claudia left with a sigh.
Sam went to her closet and grabbed her gun… just in case.
The doorbell rang. Sam, now sitting on he couch, pointed it at the door ready to shoot. The door flung open and Jason jumped off to the side and told Sam to hold fire. He walked over to her and asked what was wrong and she told him everything. That was it. Jason told her to pack her things and they were leaving to Mexico this instant.
Sam went upstairs to pack her things while Jason called Carly and told her to be careful because Claudia was on the lose tormenting those that were in the cabin the night she supposedly died. He also told her to worn Michael because she'll probably come to him in the worst possible way. Carly laughed and told Jason how ridiculous he was being, but deep down she somewhat believed him. She knew Jason would never lie to her about something like this. Correction, Jason would never lie to her about anything.
Chapter 6: Carly's Hallucinations- November 17, 2009
Carly had just put Josslyn down for her nap. Jax took Morgan and Michael to the park to play ball. Carly finally had a quiet house to herself, but that only meant that she had more time to think about that night when she almost lost her baby to a psychotic Claudia.
FLASHBACK BEGINS
Claudia was standing there with scars on her face and a gun at her side.
She helped Carly give birth and started trying to steal her baby.
"Give me my baby, Claudia!" a very week Carly said while sitting on the couch"
FLASHBACK ENDS
Just then, Carly heard Josslyn crying. It was nothing out of the ordinary, but something was. Carly was walking toward the steps when she heard in the baby monitor "Don't cry my little angel. Claudia's going to make you feel better." Carly dashed up the stairs, burst open the door to the nursery, only to find what she hoped wasn't true. Claudia was standing there holding Josslyn the exact same way she had the night of Josslyn's birth. "Crazy how the kids can cry all the time."
"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be dead."
"Why does everyone keep insisting that I'm supposed to be dead?"
"Fine. You're not dead, but give me my daughter."
"She's mine Carly. Not yours."
"She is mine, Claudia. Now put her back in the crib."
When Claudia refused that Carly picked up the phone and called Jax but he wouldn't answer. There was no way Carly was letting Claudia leave with her baby, so she called Sonny and Sonny said he would be right over. When Carly told Claudia of this, Claudia put Josslyn back in her crib and said "Don't worry. Mommy will be back soon."
"You're not her mommy Claudia. I am." Carly shouted to Claudia who was leaving the room.
Moments later, Sonny showed up and Carly told him everything. Jax and the boys came home and Jax and Sonny were at it again. The boys knew the drill, they took off in Michael's car to the Quartermaine boat house. Since Alice would let them hang out there all the time, without letting the rest of the Quartermaines know.
Carly explained everything to Jax and Sonny and for once in her life she saw Jax and Sonny working together to protect the family.
Chapter 7: Michael's Hallucinations- November 17, 2009- Mid Afternoon
Michael and Morgan were in the car and they called Alice and told her that Jax and Sonny were at it again and they needed a place to hang out until the heat died down. Alice agreed without another thought.
Just then Michael realized that the car stopped. They were out of gas. They began to walk the rest of the way. They ran into Molly and Kristina and Molly asked if they wanted to come to Kelly's, Morgan begged Michael to go but Michael just told him that he should go because Alice was expecting them. Morgan, Molly and Kristina said bye to Michael and headed off in their separate directions.
When Michael got to the boat house, Alice was waiting for him. She asked where Morgan was and Michael explained that he went to Kelly's with Molly and Kristina and that he was going to stay here. Michael spent a lot of time here when his parents would fight. It was Carly's way of not making Michael take sides. He loved it, but he had to admit that it was kind of creepy. Not the part of it being a small room with no windows and only one old, rickety, wooden door, but that Edward could come out at any minute. Michael loved his great-grandfather very much, except for one glitch. Edward was always trying to run Michael's life, he didn't like that Michael was raised a Corinthos. Alice told Michael that she had to go inside before the Quartermaines got suspicious and Michael was basically pushed her out of the boat house.
Being in the boathouse felt a lot like Michael was in jail. It was a small crammed space. Jail is where Michael would be if the truth got out. All Michael could think about was that night.
FLASHBACK BEGINS
Michael, with the axe handle in his hand, swung to stop Claudia. She fell to the ground with blood pouring out the back of her head.
FLASHBACK ENDS
A few minutes after Alice went inside, Michael heard the old rickety door trying to be opened. Michael's first instinct was Alice coming to check on him. Ah heck that's what Michael hoped it was. Michael then realized that Alice never struggled to open the door. Michael got worried as he thought it might have been Edward. Then he realized that Edward NEVER came out to the boat house, only Alice did. Michael grabbed a paddle and was prepared to swing. The door flew open and Michael was about to hit when the voice said "Hold on Michael. I had Cook prepare a sandwich." It was Alice standing there with a ham and cheese sandwich. "Why didn't you open the door?" asked Alice.
"Well I thought it might have been Edward. I love him but…"
"He tries to run your life. He wants to raise you like a Quartermaine, but you don't want that. Say no more" said Alice. She handed Michael the sandwich and told him to leave the plate there when he was done. She asked Michael if he had everything he needed and Michael told her not to worry. Michael was going to call his mother soon anyway to see if Jax and Sonny had stopped fighting.
Alice left and she slightly closed the door that way Michael wouldn't have a problem opening it to go home. Michael put the paddle down, and ate his sandwich. He loved Alice and Cook because they were always so nice to him and Morgan even though they are Sonny's kids. This whole Claudia thing had him spooked, little did he know that it had everyone that was there that night spooked. Just then the door flew open, but it wasn't Alice standing there. It was someone Michael didn't want standing there. "Michael what are you doing here in the boat house. I would have thought you would have been at home with your baby sister."
"Edward. You never come out to the boat house, so why now?"
"Well Alice was coming out here more than usual, so I followed her. Why don't you come inside?"
"Well, I wanted to hang out here…" Michael was saved by his phone ringing. He answered it and started talking.
"Listen great-grandfather, my mom tells me I can come home. I love you." He gave Edward a kiss on the cheek and headed out.
Michael started to walk home through the woods on Harbourview Road. He walked past the spot where his mother had found Claudia's car crashed. He remembers that day too. He had just gotten his car and he was mad at a driver for cutting him off. He saw lights and he thought he was responsible for running Claudia off the road. He ran away to Mexico with Kristina behind him. He stood there for a few minutes, just staring at the ditch. It was a quiet afternoon on Harbourview Road. Just then Michael heard the sound of leaves crunching behind him. He spun around, but no one was there. He just kept remembering running to Mexico and running into Jerry Jacks. When he heard the sound of leaves crunching behind him, even closer this time, Michael refused to turn around. Half because he didn't want to feel like a fool if no one was there and half because he was scared to see what or who was behind him. "Michael. Turn around and see your step-mom" said a woman's voice in a sing song way. Michael didn't want to turn around, the thought that it might actually be his step-mom scared him to death. Then the voice started again, although this time not so happy but more like threatening. Michael's instinct told him to turn around. There was Claudia, dried blood was in her hair and scars on her face. She had looked the same as she had that night. Michael was now very scared because he believed she was dead and there she was standing right above him.
"What do you want from me Claudia?"
"What I want. What I want is for you to be happy. The only way you can be happy is if you confess to the murder of me."
"Why would I confess to murdering you if you're right here?"
"DON'T ASK QUESTIONS MICHAEL. JUST DO AS I SAY."
Michael reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone when Claudia shouted "Don't you dare call your father!"
Michael turned around and saw Claudia standing there with a bat in ready to whack position.
"What are you doing with that?" asked Michael scared.
"Well Michael. You're a smart young man so I think you can figure it out." Said Claudia
Michael looked confused
"Michael, I'm going to make you suffer like I did."
"What are you going to hit me with the bat?"
"Great guess Michael. See I knew you were smart."
Claudia raised the bat over her head and brought it down, full force, towards Michael's head. It was inches away from the top of Michael's head when they heard Carly's voice calling "Michael. Michael. You around here somewhere?"
Michael called to his mother and Claudia ran off. By the time Carly had gotten to Michael, Claudia had vanished.
Carly found Michael sitting there with the bat in his hands. Carly wasn't shocked when Michael told her that he had seen Claudia. Carly walked with Michael home and he kept telling her how Claudia wanted him to suffer like she did.
Chapter 8: The Truth- November 17, 2009- Late Afternoon
As they were walking home they ran into Claudia. They asked her why she wanted Michael to suffer and she said "I can't take it. I'm Claudia's twin sister, Abby. I wanted to make those that were in the cabin on the night of her death suffer. I'm grieving for my sister and I have no one to turn to."
"Well what about Johnny. Claudia always turned to Johnny. He's grieving too." Carly said
"Well you see. Johnny doesn't know I exist. Claudia and I lived with our mother and a couple of years ago, she wanted the exciting life of our father. So we parted ways."
"Listen Abby. It's never too late to catch up with family. I know for a fact that Johnny would love to have someone to talk to. Why don't you come back with us and we'll introduce you to your brother." Michael said.
"Thanks." Abby said as they walked back to Johnny's place.
Chapter 9: Johnny, Meet Your Sister
Michael, Carly and Abby walked up to Johnny's apartment door. Carly told Abby to knock. Abby was very nervous, she didn't know what Johnny would be like. Johnny opened the door. "Michael. Carly. What are you guys doing here? Who's this?"
"Johnny, meet your sister Abby. She's Claudia's twin. She's looking for someone to grieve with." Michael said.
"Johnny Zacchara. Nice to meet you."
"Abigail Zacchara. Put I prefer Abby."
"Alright, Abby. Come on in."
"We'll be heading out." Carly said.
Once Michael and Carly were gone. Johnny and Abby talked. Abby informed Johnny of what Claudia was like when she was little. Johnny informed Abby of what Claudia was like when she was older.
Meanwhile Carly and Michael told Sonny, Jason, Sam, Max and Milo that the Claudia they saw around town was Claudia's twin sister who was avenging her sister's death.
Johnny and Abby were eating food and talking about their lives and Johnny invited Abby to live with him until she finds a place of her own. They shared a brother sister hug, when Abby looked out the window and saw Claudia and they winked at each other, then Claudia vanished.
THE END