Chapter Fourteen

"Johnny says he's moving you out when we get back to Port Charles," Sonny stated as he averted his eyes from her face down to the floor. "I told him that if you want to leave I won't try to stop you, and I won't. I understand if you don't feel safe with me anymore."

"I've never felt safe with any man except my brother, never trusted any man except him, so don't take t personally. I've spent my entire life being afraid of the men in it, you know I've got daddy issues, but I already told you I don't run away from things that scare me I run to them. To be honest I didn't think you'd want me around anymore after you found out the truth."

"I…I don't want you to leave," Sonny quickly responded, and Claudia smiled slightly as she nodded her head a bit.

"Then I'll stay and I know John isn't going to be happy about it, so you can expect him to be around more often, now. But I want to stay. With a clean slate right?"

"That's right," Sonny replied as he smiled at her. Suddenly Claudia clutched at her stomach with a frown on her face and fear gripped Sonny's soul for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "What's wrong, is it the baby?" He asked as he rushed to her side, and she shook her.

"No it's my stomach, I'm starving." She said with a coy smile.

"Well what would you like? I had Consuela stock up on just about everything. Just tell me what you want and I'll fix it for you myself." Claudia arched her brow at his words. "Don't worry I'm not going to poison you or anything."

"I wasn't thinking that, I know now that this baby is important to you and I really don't believe you would purposely harm it."

"You…you're important to me too." Sonny confessed stunning Claudia, but she still threw him a sweet smile, and Sonny couldn't help but to smile too. "Alright, so what are you craving?"

"Waffles," She replied.

"Waffles?" He repeated with a chuckle.

"Yeah with fresh strawberries and whipped cream on top. Oh and some scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, sharp, and bacon would be good too."

"Ok, so you want a big breakfast for dinner," Sonny said with a smile as he shook his head in disbelief. "You sure that's all you want…" He teased.

"What I'm hungry, and you offered."

"Yeah, and I'm going to make you the best waffles, eggs, and bacon that you've ever had. It should be ready in about 30 minutes." Sonny said as he moved to the door.

"Could you send John in on your way out, please?" She asked and he nodded as he exited the room, leaving the door open, which Johnny quickly appeared through.

"Hey, how you feeling?" Johnny asked as he moved t the bed, taking a seat near Claudia's feet.

"I'm fine and even though I know you probably don't care, the baby's fine too." Claudia answered as she looked down at her hand, which plucked at the comforter.

"Hey I'm glad my little niece or nephew is ok, I really am, I just wish that its father was anyone except Sonny Corinthos."

"Well he is and I can't change that John, and you're gonna have to make peace with that ok? Please at least try for me."

"You know I love you and I promise you I'm gonna be the best uncle, and spoil this kid rotten," Johnny said as he reached out and rubbed Claudia's belly, causing her to smile at him. "But I will never forget or forgive what Sonny did to you. I'm never going to trust the guy or be his friend."

"I'm not asking you to, just be civil for me and definitely in the baby's presence. I never want this baby to feel any animosity between its uncle and its father." Johnny simply nodded.

"So can I get you anything, something to drink or eat?"

"Actually Sonny's making me something to eat," Claudia stated and could see her words were about to set Johnny off again. "He's not gonna poison me, and if you don't believe me you can believe that he wouldn't harm the baby."

"Yeah up until a few hours ago I would have believed that you'd be safe so long as his kid was in you, but he shot that to hell when he tried to strangle you to death."

"He's already apologized and asked my forgiveness for that John, and I've forgiven him."

"And what about the next time he feels that you've done something to betray him, will 'I'm sorry' suffice every time?"

"There won't be a next time," Claudia replied.

"Why because Sonny says so." Johnny asked raising his voice slightly. "You can't trust that Claudia."

"Yes I can and I do, that's a part of being married John, trust, honest, and loyalty. Sonny told me once that honesty and loyalty are the only two things he wanted from me, the two things needed for our relationship to work. The only secret I was keeping from Sonny was my involvement in Michael's shooting, he knows about that now. So there are no more secrets."

"You know as well as I do that in our…in the mobster life, secrets have a way of getting kept and people you love can get hurt by them."

"Well I don't think I'll ever have a secret as big as the one about Michael, so whatever new secrets come along, I'll simply tell Sonny about them." Claudia stated. "I Just really need you to respect my decision to work things out with Sonny."

"I'll try, but Claudia I swear to God if he ever, 'ever' lays his hands on you again I will personally put a bullet in his head, and I won't miss." Johnny declared with an iciness that caused Claudia to involuntarily shiver and wrap her arms around herself.

"Fine, but it's never going to happen because Sonny would never hurt me like that again."

"If you say so but I just don't get why you're defending what he did, and why you would want to stay, especially when he's allowing you an out."

"He's my husband and the father of my child." Claudia stated which caused Johnny to shake his head at her.

"No it's more than that," He said as he studied her face, which held a forced empty facade as she stared back at him defiantly. "Oh no," Johnny spoke out with a heavy sigh as he threw his head back and stared up at the ceiling.

"What?"

"Claudia Antonia Zacchara,"

"What?" She repeated now a bit irritated that he used her middle name, which she hated because it was given to her in honor of her father.

"Please, God, please tell me you're not falling for Sonny Corinthos." Claudia opened her mouth to respond but then shut it swiftly as her eyes fell on Sonny who stood in the open doorway holding a tray.

"Sorry am I interrupting something?" Sonny asked as he remained at the door with tray in hand.

"No," Claudia quickly replied. "That was fast, gimme…gimme." She said as she held out her hands in Sonny's direction. With a smile Sonny obliged her entering the room, moving to the bedside and placing the tray on her lap. He then pulled a napkin from atop the tray and spread it across her chest, and tucked a corner down in the collar of the gown.

"Well I had some help, Conseula insisted on helping. That woman knows her way around a kitchen in fact you remind me of her when you're in the kitchen." Sonny replied as he took a seat on the bedside opposite to where Johnny still sat. He picked up the butter knife and fork and began cutting her waffles. "But these I made myself guaranteed to melt in your mouth." He said as he forked a piece of the waffle and held it out to her.

"You know I've been feeding myself since I was one." Claudia said with a chuckle. "And I'm only pregnant not handicap." Johnny snickered at that.

"Just eat it," Sonny commanded and Claudia simply arched a brow at him as a smile still played on her lips. "Please." Sonny added and her smile widened as she opened her mouth for his offering.

"Mmmm," Claudia moaned out as her eyes rolled and then shut. "I believe that's the best tasting thing I've ever had in my mouth." She declared.

"Yep and that's my cue to leave." Johnny said as he stood.

"Oh don't leave John, here have some with me." Claudia said around a giggle at her brother's expense.

"There's more in the kitchen if Johnny wants some he can go get some,"

"No thanks, it's a little too late for me to eat breakfast food, but if you don't mind I wouldn't mind making some a sandwich or something." Johnny said from where he stood, by the door preparing to exit.

"Not at all, the kitchen's stocked and you can make whatever you like but Consuela, the housekeeper and cook, she's a bit possessive of that kitchen."

"I think I can charm a couple of slices of bread and some salami out of her," Johnny said. "You take it easy." He said as he focused on Claudia who nodded her head, her mouth too full of waffles to speak. "I'll check on you a little later." Johnny then left the room.

"Boy you weren't kidding about being hungry," Sonny replied after a moment of silently watching her eat.

"Contrary to what you may think I don't usually lie all…that…often." Claudia stated and Sonny simply arched a brow at her. "What, I don't and I was hungry."

"Good because I expect you to eat it all."

"Daddy?" Claudia spoke out as she squinted while looking at Sonny. "Is that you, it doesn't look like you but it sure sounds like you." Sonny couldn't help chuckling despite what he considered an insult.

"Don't be comparing me to you crazy ass daddy," Sonny said smiling so broadly that his dimples shown.

"Then stop bossing me around like he does. Try asking me to do what you want and I may be more compliant," She said as she swiped the fork from his hand and then grasped the knife and began cutting her another bite of waffles.

"Maybe?" He repeated.

"Yeah maybe," She replied.

"Ok then may I have a taste?" Sonny asked and Claudia smiled at him as she held out the bit of waffle she had on her fork. He gently grasped her wrist and shifted the fork to the side a bit and then he leaned in and captured her mouth and a deep, sensual, exploring kiss. After a long moment he pulled back licking his lips. "That is good. Definitely the best tasting thing I've ever had in my mouth." He said repeating her earlier declaration. He then moved her hand back towards him and moved the fork to his mouth, taking the bit of waffle, devouring it down. His action left Claudia doing something he had never seen her do, and he found extremely sexy on her, she blushed.