Author's Note: I own nothing. Enjoy! P.S. I changed few things such as the name of Kristina's husband which is now Heath & more to some of the chapters. Enjoy!
Chapter One
1,825. That's how many days Johnny Zacchara has spent in the Pentonville Adult Correctional Facility. His contact with the outside word had been quite limited. He could count on his hand the number of visitors he's had over the last five years that didn't have an ulterior motive for seeing him. Maxie and Kristina. Maxie came once to tell him goodbye because she was leaving town with Lulu and Dante's daughter...well her daughter, Georgie, and Spinelli to pursue some business venture in LA. She seemed really happy about it because apparently she lost custody of her for a while and the child lived with Spinelli who moved to Connecticut with a girlfriend. Maxie moved on to a cop just in time for Spinelli to return. The eventually reunited. That was three years ago. Lulu wrote him once. It was a short letter that wasn't very emotional and Carly disconnected her number so he couldn't call her.
Kristina wrote him immediately after arriving to Wesleyan University. They've kept in touch through letters over the last five years. Whenever she was in town for holidays, Kristina would sneak off to visit him but after she got married and had a kid that didn't happen anymore. Johnny laid on his bed with his hands folded behind his head listening to his roommate blabber about something to do with getting a GED. Ben is a guy in his early 20s. He got 30 years for manslaughter but Ben actual didn't do it. He was wrongfully framed by some fellow gang members and the lawyer appointed to him by the courts didn't care enough to reexamine Ben's case.
"Zacchara," One of the guards said walking towards their cell. Johnny turned his head in response. "You have a visitor." The guard added opening the door. He waited for Johnny to walk out before closing the cell. The guard followed him. Recently the guards stopped cuffing him as often as they did in the beginning. He chalked that up to Sonny paying them to do that because he spent so much time with Kristina. Johnny came to this conclusion when her visits became less regular, they eased off of cuffing him. Not to mention, Sonny admitted to that during his stay in Pentonville four years ago when he was serving time for murdering AJ Quartermaine. Right before Johnny and the guard arrived at the door to the visitation room, the guard stopped him. "It's procedure. Remember," The guard said placing the handcuffs on Johnny. Then the door swung open at command as the guard stepped away. Kristina Corinthos-Davis rose from her sitting position She walked to Johnny and wrapped her arms around him. "No touching." Another guard yelled.
"Okay,"Kristina replied pulling away from Johnny. She wiped her eye slightly with the back of her hand before walking back to her seat. Johnny sat down in the chair across from her. "Sorry I'm being so emotional today. Married life isn't all it's cracked up to be," She suggested taking out a tissue wiping her eyes. Something was wrong. She hadn't visited him in about a year and her letters were different lately. Kristina seemed distant, distraught, and unhappy in them. She also slacked off on how often she wrote them.
"Kristina," Johnny said leaning back in his seat. She looked up at him with those dark chocolate brown eyes that mirrored warmth and resilience. The bubbly smile that graced Kristina's face whenever she visited Johnny was replaced with a frown today. "Why are you here?" He asked in an airy tone. His voice crackled slightly unintentionally. "You are clearly upset and no one wants to willingly drown their sorrow in a place like this." She look over towards him sniffing back more tears. "The point is you shouldn't be here. At least not like this." Johnny said leaning forward examining her. She looked tired as if she had cried all night.
"Don't do that," Kristina replied shaking her head. "I have enough people in my life who assume they know what's best for me. I don't need you doing that too." She stated in a firm tone looking him in the eyes. Johnny could sense the anger and resentment that was in her tone of voice. "This is my life and I'm capable of making decisions all by myself," Kristina suggested easing back in her seat folding her arms. "Besides I'm fine. Heath and I are just having a hard time." Kristina added shrugging her shoulders while shifting in her seat.
"See that right there proves my point," Johnny answered sighing slightly as he sat back. "Sobbing your beautiful eyes out in a prison is the last thing you should be doing." He states grinning slightly after realizing he kinda complemented her. "You're young Kristina. You've got your entire life ahead of you. You should be at home in Connecticut working things out with your husband instead of wasting your time here with me. You should be with that adorable baby girl of yours. Not here with me. I'm honestly not worth so much trouble." Johnny declared letting out a low laughing attempting to be serious but still lighten the mood.
"If you're trying to be chivalrous. Save it," Kristina insisted in a demanding voice shaking her head while unfolding her arms. "Like I said I'm an adult, it's my choice and I drove all this way to be here, because this is right where I should be. You're my friend Johnny and friends stick by each other no matter what." She suggested leaning forward on the table smiling at him. He caught her gaze and for a split second time stood still as they searched each other's eyes for the very thing they both wanted. Their eyes lingered in a way they shouldn't. "So I heard things might be looking up for you. I was so excited when I read that in your letter that I jumped in the car before I could finish the rest of it," Kristina said easing away and breaking their eye contact. She smoothened out her ponytail slightly.
"It seems that way, but I'm not getting my hopes up," Johnny answered sitting back in his chair rubbing his beard. Kristina cupped her hands together underneath her chin titling her head slightly looking at him confused. "Yeah there's new development that could help my case which I am relieved about but I still have three attempted murder charges hanging over my head. It would take a miracle to get me out of this one and right now, it looks like there's no way out." Johnny suggested tilting his head to the side leaning it back. He really wanted to change topics and ask her about the ring but wasn't sure if he should.
Kristina inverted her eyes in deep thought with his words playing on repeat in her mind: "there's no way out." Sure she was the only person who wrote to him and visited. Despite her father's wishes, she came on holidays and gave him presents when she could but that wasn't enough. Not to mention, she slacked off of it to please Heath who never approved of their friendship. Kristina knew she had to do more to help Johnny. Then the thought hit her in the form of his freedom. That was it! She would help him find a way to fight the charges against him but to do this Kristina was going to need help.
"I should probably get going now," Kristina said raising from her seat purse in hand. "We'll be in touch." She suggested before pressing the button on the door to walk out. There was someone Kristina had to see.
"Kristina I don't think you've really thought this plan through," Molly Lansing-Davis said turning away from her laptop towards her older sister who was sitting across from her in a chair. They were at the newly rebuilt Lakehouse talking while Alexis was in the shower. It was built a year and a half after the fire. The house has some similar features to the other. "Johnny might not have killed Anthony, Hope, and Cole but let's not forget his actions did endanger their lives. Then when he knew they were dead and it was his fault, he covered it up and let someone, Connie, who may I remind you was mentally ill, take the blame for it." Molly added in a matter of factly tone. "I know he's your friend and you know I'm all for a good romance story but this is a recipe for disaster. It like the time you pretended to date each other but worse, " Molly suggested placing her hands on top of her closed laptop lying in her lap. "Not to mention Heath has always stressed his dislike of you spending time with Johnny. This he won't like especially since he's in the middle of running for reelection." She added taking a sip of her glass of lemonade from the table.
"Heath doesn't like anything I do. He thinks I'm erratic and that I can't make wise decisions by myself. This time won't be any different but I plan on proving him wrong," Kristina responded easing forward in her seat. She played with the ring on her finger while staring at it. Kristina didn't wear it earlier because she decided to take it off after an argument with her husband over the phone. She put it back on before she made it to the Lake house so she would not worry anybody. "I have to do this, Molls. It doesn't matter that I haven't exactly thought through every single detail. Johnny needs my help and that's exactly was he going to get. None of the other stuff matters." She declared folding her arms while leaning back in her seat looking at her little sister.
"I hope you know what you're doing," Molly suggested as she started typing again on her computer. "I may not be a judge or a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure they would tell you the exact same thing. Getting Johnny granted an appeal or even an early parole is going to take a lot of time and work. It is virtually impossible considering that he pleaded guilty, has been sentenced, and all the evidence pointed to him," She scrunching her eyebrows some while crinkling her nose slightly. "Once Heath gets word of this he won't be pleased. Then there's Uncle Sonny. You know he won't approve of what you're doing so he most likely will try to sabotage it. " Molly suggested titling her head to the side while she typed. "As your sister, I'm offering my support and help." She said peeking her head up from the computer.
"Thank you. Thank you so much Molly," Kristina yelled running to her sister pulling her into a tight bear hug. Molly wasn't sure how to react first but she decided to hug her sister back. This was a foreign thing for them to do. They hardly ever spent time together. "I promise you will not regret this."
"Regret what?" Alexis said walking into the room dressed in usual work attire. Molly and Kristina looked at each other nervously before pulling apart to face their mother. Molly went back to typing to avoid eye contact with her.
"Uh, regret," Kristina paused for a second looking around the room. Her eyes locked on Molly's copy of Breakfast at Tiffany's which was lying on the table in front of them. "Eating breakfast for dinner tonight." She answered looking at her mother smiling before looking at Molly. Alexis had her arms folded. I'm making pancakes and omelets. I was thinking about inviting Michael, Sam and Danny over. I really wanted to see them before I leave." Kristina added still looking her mother straight in the eyes. "That's okay, right?" She asked.
"Of course it is. I think they would like that a lot," Alexis answered back walking towards the table near the door to grab her briefcase. "You should consider inviting your father over so you can get to see Avery. I think it would be good for everybody given past circumstances." She added before opening the door. "Save me some food. I have to go to the office. Diane is still on her impromptu vacation which leaves Ric and I handling her case load and ours until she comes back. Who knows when she is coming back? I'll try not take too long so we can spend some time together before you leave." Alexis insisted before walking out the door.
"That was a close one," Molly blurted out getting up from her sitting position with her laptop in her hand. "Mom almost found out about your plan to free Johnny. I can just imagine what her reaction would be about that or the fact the he's the reason why you came home. You might want to be a little more careful," she placed her laptop on the table and walked to the door. "I'm going to Sam's to see if she and Danny are available for dinner tonight." Molly said opening the door.
"Molly, wait," Kristina exclaimed getting up from the couch to walk towards her sister who turned around to face her. "I don't know where to start, I could go back to looking for evidence again-"
"I suggest you consult Diane first. I mean she is Johnny's attorney. Not to mention she's good and she knows her stuff. Then go from there. Don't just jump face first into this and start looking for evidence. You've been down that road before and wound up unsuccessful. I really have to go now." Molly added walking through the opened door she paused before turning around again to face her sister. "I know it's not in your nature Krissy but take this one step at a time. Find Diane."