Sorry this is so long overdue. Thank you for putting up with me. I hope you like this please review thank you! Enjoy!
Carly sat in the window seat in Claudia's room holding Claudia's baby girl. They had named the baby Dia in honor of her mother. Carly felt a tear trail down her face as a memory of Claudia filled her mind…
"Lamaze class? You want me to go to Lamaze class with you?" Claudia asked in disbelief.
"Yea come on it'll be fun," Carly said excitedly. "Please?"
"This is a bad idea," Claudia said. Carly pouted and Claudia rolled her eyes. "Let's go," Claudia said. Carly smiled.
They entered the class slightly late and quietly took their seats. The teacher was explaining the process of labor. There were many other mothers to be and they all had the fathers with them. Carly looked at them sadly and Claudia knew she was missing Jax. That's why she had wanted her to go with her. Claudia squeezed Carly's hand and Carly smiled gratefully.
"Now the labor process is not as painful as many videos make it look, in fact-"
"Bullshit," Carly said somewhat under her breath. Claudia shot her a look, as did the teacher. Carly smiled apologetically.
"As I was saying the birthing process can actually be a rather enjoyable experience pain and all."
"Bullshit," Carly said again rolling her eyes.
"Carly," Claudia scolded.
"I'm sorry Miss?"
"Carly."
"Well Carly perhaps you would either like to teach this class, leave, or be quiet?"
"Come on, who here has had a child before?"Carly asked. A few women raised their hands. "How many of you enjoyed the pain? Was the pain worth it? Yes, but if we could all do without I think we would. Am I wrong?" Carly asked. The women shook their heads and Claudia put her head in her hands.
"Are you quite finished?" The teacher asked. Carly nodded and sat back down. The teacher continued on with his lesson.
"Do you have to make a scene wherever you go?" Claudia whispered.
"Oh come on he was lying to these poor mothers."
"That's right Saint Carly to the rescue."
"Oh shut up I make your life so much more interesting."
A little later they were all getting ready for the breathing exercises. Carly wanted to go first to show Claudia what she was going to have to do. As the rather large male teacher began the breathing exercises Claudia stifled a giggle. The teacher shot her a look and she smiled apologetically. He began again and Claudia laughed again this time Carly following suit.
"Ladies!" The teacher said exasperated.
"Sorry" they said together…
"Your mom always followed me on my crazy adventures. You would have had a lot of fun with her," Carly half sobbed and half laughed. "You know Dia I was right about one thing. And you will learn that I love to be right. I told your mom that she could fight for you and win. I don't know what happened when you were born, I wish I did, I wish I could have been there with her so maybe she wouldn't have been so scar-" Carly joked back a sob. "But just the fact that I'm holding you right now is proof that your mother fought for your life and won. It's just a tragedy that your mommy can't be here with you now. I miss her so much," Carly said breaking down into sobs.
Kate sat in Olivia's apartment sipping tea. She was so tired, but every time she closed her eyes she saw Claudia being dragged out of that room. She couldn't work either, she was grateful that Maxi was so good at what she did.
"Hey," Olivia said making Kate jump. "Sorry, what are you thinking about?" Kate shot her a look. "Right dumb question. Do you want to talk about it?"
"She just stopped Olivia. She was screaming, begging her father to spare her child," Kate said choking back a sob. "I thought Claudia was the most selfish person I had ever met, but hearing her beg for her child's life…she started screaming again this time in pain. I thought he was hurting her, but it was probably when she went into labor. And then she was screaming for her child and then it all just stopped," Kate cried. Olivia grabbed onto her holding her close. "She just stopped" Kate whispered finally letting her exhaustion take her over. Olivia stroked her hair and laid her down throwing a blanket on her. She went over to the window and looked outside. It was snowing. She forgot it was almost Christmas.
"Please God take my friend Claudia's soul into your hands and let her feel the peace she never got to feel in life. Let her feel safe. Amen."
"Someone is going to miss us sooner or later," Kate said pacing the small room she and Claudia had been locked in for the past week.
"Sit down," Claudia said annoyed.
"I'm sorry Claudia, but I've never been kidnapped like this before. You have one insane family. What kind of father kidnaps his daughter to take her baby?"
"Mine," Claudia said humorlessly.
"Do you see how wrong that is?" Kate asked giving Claudia a look.
"Wrong or not this is how it's been my entire life. And right now this is your reality. Deal with it."
"I don't have a baby to give him Claudia. What do you think he is going to do to me? What am I saying he's obviously going to kill me. I don't want to die," Kate said worriedly. Claudia stood up and took Kate's hands.
"We've been here for a week. If he was going to kill you he would have done it already," Claudia assured her. "Feel that," she said placing Kate's shaking hands over her stomach. Kate's eyes went wide and she smiled.
"Kind of puts things into perspective doesn't it?" Kate said in awe.
"It really does," Claudia said rubbing her stomach lovingly. Suddenly the door opened and Anthony walked into the room.
"Daddy's home Claudia. Did you miss me?" He asked sarcastically.
"Hi Daddy," Claudia said with a fake smile. Kate looked in disgusted. This was a very different side of Claudia. She had never seen Claudia bow to anyone's will before.
"No hello from you?" Anthony said to Kate.
"I didn't grow up in your house. You didn't bully and abuse me into being afraid of you. And I'm here against my will so-" Before Kate could finish Anthony shoved her against the wall and held a knife to her throat.
"Do you know how old Claudia was when she first disrespected me? And I don't mean petty toddler crap I mean really bitchy behavior? She was ten. John was two and he had ripped an important file. I smacked him and she called me a bastard and threw a vase at my head. I shoved her up against the wall and then do you know what I did to her?" Anthony slammed the knife next to Kate's head and Kate gasped in fear.
"You did that to your ten year old daughter you sick son of a-"
"Kate stop!" Claudia shouted.
"Do you know what Claudia said to me after I threatened her with the knife?" he asked. He looked expectantly at Claudia. "Go ahead daughter you tell it so much better than I do."
"Get that knife away from me before I shove it in the black hole you call a heart," Claudia said looking down.
"That's right! Claudia's been a conniving, treacherous, stupid whore her whole life! Whatever happens to Claudia she deserves. Even you can agree with that," Anthony said releasing Kate.
"No one deserves a father like you," Kate spat.
"No matter you don't have what I want," Anthony said looking at Claudia's stomach.
"Daddy please don't take my baby."
"I'm sorry Claudia, but you knew if you ever had a child it would belong to me," Anthony motioned towards two guards who came into the room. One dragged Claudia out of the room while the other held Kate back.
"No! Daddy please!!" Claudia screamed.
"Anthony don't do this let her go!" Kate shouted. Anthony only laughed and followed his screaming daughter down the hall.
"No! Claudia!" Kate shouted jumping up. She panicked momentarily when she forgot where she was. Olivia was there in a second to comfort her. Kate sobbed into her cousin's shoulder.
"It's going to be ok Connie, I promise," Olivia said soothingly.
"I can't get it out of my head."
"What were you dreaming about?"
"Anthony coming to take Claudia away. It was the last time I saw her. She was so scared," Kate said before there was a knock on the door. Olivia opened to find Carly with Dia on the other side.
"Hey I was just coming by to- I can't be alone right now. Jax took the boys and Courtney and I just…"
"Of course Carly come in. You are always welcome here you know that. I miss her too. Have you seen John?" Olivia asked. She hadn't heard from John since the day he was told his sister was dead. Carly shook her head sadly. Carly caught a glimpse of Kate and her tear streaked face. She took Dia out of her car seat and put her in Kate's arms.
"No Carly-"
"Trust me Kate you need her right now," Carly said. Kate hadn't held the baby since Anthony had dropped her in her arms on that fateful day one month ago. Kate looked down at the baby. Her eyes were wide open. Claudia's eyes. Kate smiled finally feeling some peace. The baby yawned and Kate smiled wider. Her smile fell.
"I told her I thought her baby was going to die. I told her she shouldn't be a mother," Kate cried guilt crashing over her in waves. Carly kneeled down and took Kate's hand.
"Kate you're a bitch. And what you said was wrong and hurtful, but," Carly said cupping Kate's cheek so she was looking at her, "You did not kill Claudia. Anthony was planning this long before you even found out about the baby. You need to pull yourself together. See a shrink, get happy pills, or get drunk for all I care, but get over it. Because this little girl needs you. We all miss Claudia and we are all horrified about the way she died. She is the second best friend I've lost. But Dia needs me and she needs you too."
"She doesn't need me," Kate said stroking Dias small hand.
"Yes she does. You can give her something none of us can. You can tell her about her mother's last week of life. Tell her how hard she fought for her. Dia's going to have questions and when she's old enough you can give her those answers. Ok?"
"Ok," Kate said smiling when the baby grabbed her finger. She looked into Dia's eyes. "Ok."
Kate sat in the waiting room at General Hospital for Lainey. Robin was sitting there as well waiting to give Lainey some kind of paper.
"I'm sorry about what happened to you Kate," she said sympathetically.
"I'm not the one who was forced to give birth, have my child ripped out of my arms, and then die!" Kate snapped. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"I don't know if this helps you, but Claudia wouldn't have known what was happening when they took her baby. If she was even alive at that point she would have been too weak know they were taking her baby."
"But she called out for her baby," Kate said confused. "I heard her screaming for her father to give her her baby, she was begging him to come back and then it was just silent."
"That's impossible. She hemorrhaged right? A mother hemorrhages during birth and barely makes it through the delivery."
"I know what I heard," Kate said determinedly. "Claudia begged her father to give the baby back. Everything went silent and then he brought me the baby," Kate looked at Robin. "What does this mean?"
"It might not mean anything," Robin said. Sonny came into the room holding Dia.
"Hey Kate Olivia told me you were here. Can you watch Dia after your appointment?" he asked smiling down at Dia when she started to fuss. Robin and Kate both stared at him.
"What?" he asked smiling nervously.
Johnny took another drink of his whiskey. A month, it had been a month since his sister had died. He had promised her he was going to protect her and he had failed. He knew she was looking down at him and frowning. He had cut all ties with everyone. He broke up with Olivia and hadn't seen Claudia's baby since that night at the hospital, the night his sister had been ripped away from him. He needed to get away from this place. Everywhere he went he was reminded of his sister. His father had a house in Italy, a house Johnny had loved. As a child his father would take him there. He kept guards on Johnny so he couldn't find his sister, but Johnny just loved the idea that he was in the same country as his sister, that they were looking at the same piece of sky. Yea, he would go to Italy and maybe they would be looking at the same sky.
Ric entered a dark room with a tray of food. The room was large with grand windows and furniture. He set the tray down on the small table and moved toward the other person in the room who was sitting on the window seat staring at the night sky.
"Why do you sit there all day?" he asked. The person looked at him with a sad smile.
"We all see the same sky Ric."
"Stop thinking about your daughter Claudia, thinking about your love for her will only cause you pain."
"Pain with love is not such a crazy concept Ric."
"Good night Claudia," Ric said shaking his head and leaving the room.
"We all see the same sky my beautiful baby girl. Me, you, and John we all see the same sky."
So I'm not a doctor and I'm sorry if I butchered this, but this is my gh world. Also there is a sequel I just don't know when I'll have time to write it. I go on a month long break in two weeks so keep your fingers crossed. It might be up sooner I don't know. Thank you for all the reviews I love them and all of you. Happy Holidays! See you soon.