A few days pass and Nickolas is getting tired of his 'friend' ignoring his calls so he decides to visit. Claudia wakes up to knocking, rolls over to look at the clock,
7:15, who the hell… The knocking continues and so she gets up out of bed not so happy to be woken up so early and heads for the door. Nickolas, "so since were
friends and I was worried about you I decided to personally come check on you." Claudia smirks and opens the door wider for him to enter. Now that he was sitting
on the sofa so close to a half naked, very attractive Claudia Nickolas was rethinking the situation, "I…um…" Claudia noticed him checking her out, but did make it
known she knew, "Batman, really why are you here so early? I don't know if you can tell, but I'm not really a big morning person. I've been known to get up early
here and there on special occasions, but…" Nickolas focuses, "I…oh I actually came to ask if you were going to the wedding." Claudia made a dramatic motion as if
she was swoon, "oh my Batman. This is so sudden, but I guess I could marry you." Claudia laughed as he tried to regain the upper hand, "I didn't mean…I…I…"
Laughing Claudia stopped him, "I'm kidding," Nickolas let out a big sigh of relief, "would this happen to be Sonny's wedding to Kate?" Just before they could finish
their conversation Claudia heard loud voices outside her door and immediately know who they belonged to and flew into action, "hide. You have to hide." Nickolas
looked shocked he probably hasn't heard something this silly since high school, "Claudia, that's…" Claudia was already shoving him towards her bedroom, "trust
me, you'll thank me." Claudia grabbed her robe off the end of her bed, shut the door and headed for the front door just in time. Anthony banging on the door,
"Open up Claudia!" Claudia closed her robe and answered the door, "what are you doing here so early daddy?" Anthony wasn't a stupid man he knew his daughter
was up to something. While being wheeled in, and looking her up and down, "why so jumpy Claudia? Are you hiding someone in here, your brother perhaps?"
Claudia closed the door after the Lansing's fallowed behind the overpaid wheel chair pusher, "I don't know what your talking about daddy." Anthony looked around
the room and smirked at his daughter when he saw the jacket on the back of a chair, "whoever your fucking can wait. Where's my son?" Claudia looked at Ric who
looked hurt, especially since she was suppose to be seeing him, then she looked at Trevor who had this wicked, dirty old man grin on his face which made her pull
her robe tighter against herself. Anthony was growing impatient, "know what! Never mind, I have plans to get my son back. He'll come back one way or another."
He snapped his fingers and was soon by the door, "your going to this wedding for me. Since no one in this town really has an opinion about you yet, you'll go with
Lansing" She looked from Ric and back to her father again. Yes they had fun, but in actuality she was just using him for information which he wasn't doing so well
with so she kind of planned on dumping him soon. Anthony could see the wheels in his daughter's head turning, "shouldn't be a problem, right. Since you two are
seeing each other now." He smirked and Claudia just looked at Ric with a 'why the hell did you tell him' look on her face. Just as she shut the door Nickolas came
out her bedroom and headed straight for his jacket and the door, "I'll see you at the wedding." Claudia just sighed and shut the door behind him.
Later on as Ric and Claudia where entering the church, "so who did you have hiding in your room earlier?" Claudia smirked, "why do you want to know, jealous it
wasn't you?" Ric looked at her and just shook his head. Claudia sat down after he entered the church pew, "aw, what's wrong? You knew going into this it was a
business arrangement." The music started and Ric hushed her, "it's starting." During the whole time Kate was walking down the aisle Claudia was watching
Nickolas as he watched her, but what she didn't know is that he wasn't the only one watching, two others were as well. As the shot was heard through the church
and people started to panic Nickolas rushed to Claudia's side as if his life depended on saving hers. It all happened so fast; Ric didn't remember being separated
from Claudia and she didn't remember how or why Nickolas was now at her side outside the church, "are you okay!" Claudia was in a bit of shock, but not so much
that she couldn't focus, "yeah. What the hell just happened?" Nickolas was still looking her over trying to make sure she truly was okay, "I don't know. I um…Oh
my God I have to go check on Alexis! Are you sure your okay?" Before she could respond Ric was at her side, "I'm sure she's fine, you know now that you've
whisked her away from all the danger." Nickolas just gave him a look and from that one look Claudia knew this wasn't going to end well so she stepped in between
them, "Go find Alexis. I'm fine." Nickolas nodded and after telling her he'd check on her later he went in search of his aunt. Ric thought this was unbelievable, he's
a prince he could have any woman he wanted! "So it was Nickolas you where hiding?" Claudia looked away and shivered, "I don't know what your talking about.
We should go, unless you want to answer a bunch of questions when the cops show up." Ric dropped it, for now anyway and fallowed her to the car. The car ride to
Claudia's was pretty silent until they arrived, "you sure you don't want me to stay, or drop you off at your father's?" Claudia shook her head as she dug for her key,
"I'm fine. And I'm sure my father will find me." About twenty minutes after Claudia got changed there was a knock, "Ric I said I was fine, I don't need…" As she
pulled the door open she was a little surprised that it wasn't Ric and she opened the door wider for him to come in, "So Batman, did I ever say thank you for the
whole rescue thing you did tonight?" Nickolas laughed as he sat on her sofa, "yeah, but I don't think your boyfriend was to pleased." Claudia sat next to him, "Ric's
not my boyfriend. Yeah I may have seduced him to get what I want but that's it. It was a business arrangement." Nickolas took off his jacket and tie, "well the way
he looks at you, he doesn't seem to think so." Claudia scooted closer to him, "oh really and how does he look at me?" Claudia was practically on his lap now, "so
what's your father's deal?" Claudia laughed and scooted back over thinking, way to kill the mood, "you mean besides him being a psychopath?" Nickolas, "I mean
him being all extra creepy earlier?" Claudia got a drink after offering him one, and shrugged her shoulders at his question, "I have no idea. My brothers off
somewhere with his crazy girlfriend" Nickolas almost choked on his drink, "that's my sister!" Claudia held up her hands in defense, "yeah, so you should know she's
crazy then. Anyway, my father's upset about this and the fact that he's ignoring him, and that's just something you don't do. You don't ignore Anthony Zachariah."
Nickolas smiled, "you do all the time." Claudia gulped down the rest of her drink, "yeah and look how well that turns out for me. I mean I get punished everyday
from my own father since the day I was born female and because I look just like my mother." Nickolas tries to lighten the mood, "she must have been beautiful
then?" Claudia smiles, "yeah" and then her smile fades, "but apparently I have everything from her except her temper. I defiantly have my father's temper.
According to him I'm just like her in more ways than just looks." Nickolas moves over to try and comfort her, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" He doesn't get a
chance to finish because Claudia was now pulling him into a passionate kiss that seemed to last a lifetime and continued on throughout the night.
The next morning after having breakfast with Nickolas Claudia was on her way up to her penthouse when she was grabbed in the lobby, "what the hell! Do you
know who I am, I'm…" The guard laughed, "yeah, you're the bosses daughter. He sent us to come get you." Claudia relaxed a bit and the guard let go of her arm,
"what he couldn't call?" As she was sandwiched in between the three guards and being ushered out to the waiting car the same guard spoke, "he tried. He said you
were very…hard headed, and so he needed us to deliver you to him." Claudia smirked as she climbed into the car, "I bet." The ride over to her fathers Claudia tried
to bargain with the guards, but they didn't seem to be budging. Once she had one, but then the main guard knocked that out of him and they were back on track.
Once they got their she didn't even knock she just barged into her father's office, "yes daddy?" Anthony looked up from the conversation he was having with Ric,
"nice of you to visit my darling daughter." Claudia crossed her arms, "visit? Ha, you mean being dragged here by your henchmen." Anthony grew serious, "if you
answered my calls I wouldn't have had to now would I? Now, have a seat." Claudia still stood by the door with her arms crossed not budging. Anthony was growing
impatient, "Sit down Claudia." Claudia still didn't move, "I'm fine here." Anthony snapped, "Sit down!" She still didn't move that is until one of the henchmen
guards that brought her here placed her in the chair across from her father, next to Ric. Anthony's creepy smile was placed back onto his face, "now was that so
hard." Still nothing, "Claudia I really could careless about your childish tantrums, you and your brother. But that's for another conversation, because where actually
here to discuss you." Claudia became a bit more stiff. Anthony noticed the change and smiled even more, "I told you I had plans for you, and for starters I need
you to go and give our condolences to Sonny. We need him on our side, so any means necessary, you make that happen. And then everything will be in order."
Claudia uncrossed her arms, "in order for what?" Still smiling, "that's for me to know." Claudia assumed that was all so she got up to leave and just before she was
out the door Anthony stopped her, "oh and Claudia?" She swung around to face him, "yes daddy?" Anthony, "whatever is going on with you and that Cassidine
needs to end. I can't have you whoring yourself around town for my plan to work." Claudia looked shocked and it wasn't because her father just called her a whore
because she was use to that so she played dumb, "I don't know what you mean." Anthony's smile dropped again and he slammed his fist onto the desk, "don't play
coy with me! I know you're sleeping with that Cassidine, so END IT!" Claudia left her father's office but not before giving Ric such a hateful glare he's unborn
children probably felt, Son of a Bitch! He had to tell him, I swear I'll gut him like a fucking fish.
