AN/
Hope you are all well! Hope that you enjoy this chapter too! Saw you weren't expecting Claudia! Hope you are ready for her and all the drama! Love you guys! Review if you can! :)
-End of AN-
"Secretly?" Nikolas repeated back, not liking the sound of that. "What the hell did you do Claudia?"
"Nothing!" She defended herself, putting her hands up. "I just need to keep a low profile. I have people who I don't really want finding me."
"That's not ominous…" Ava said a bit sarcastically.
"Look you know how many people in town have a problem with me, Nikolas." She said ignoring the comment. "If Sonny alone found out I was alive let alone in town i'd be dead in a minete."
Ava's ears perked up at the mention of Sonny. A common enemy of sorts between them. Maybe they were quite alike.
"Did you say Sonny?" Ava checked. "Sonny Corinthos."
"Yeah." She told her. "If he didn't already blame me for things he will certainly blame me for Michael going to prison when I was still breathing."
At the mention of Micheal both Ava and Nikolas tensed up. Claudia noticed.
"What?"
"Claudia….Micheal was killed." Nikolas broke the news.
"What?" Claudia said shocked. "I never heard that, I heard he was alive and even had a kid."
"It happened today." Ava told her. "I saw it. Trust me. He's gone and my daughter could be next."
"Why?"
"Sonny and Ava share a daughter." Nikolas explained.
"Then you know how dangerous he can be." Claudia reasoned with her, looking her in the eyes, hoping to get her to connect with her. "And you know why I need to stay away from him."
Ava thought that was an understatement. She knew he was dangerous and lethal because she was a target. Kidnapped, held against her will, abused and nearly killed. Did she mention this was while she was pregnant? Then the hell that followed after and never quite stopped. Dimmed but never burnt out.
Ava thought about it for a second before she knew what she had to do. "Okay, you can stay….for now."
Claudia sighed in relief. She trusted Nikolas and Ava seemed like she would have just thrown her out if she was against her.
"Thank you." Claudia said sincerely to Ava.
Ava offered her a small smile, that was more legitimate than most of her small smiles. There was a time when she was Claudia. Desperate to be safe. Just needing people to be on her side. She instantly felt for her and saw herself in her. She couldn't judge her so fast but maybe they could even be friends.
Claudia made her way into the main room and sat down on the chair, desperate to just get off her feet. Her soggy and tired feet.
"So you said you have a daughter with Sonny?" Claudia sparked up the conversation again.
"Yeah." Ava smiled at the mention of her daughter. "Avery."
"I know you both said I could stay here secretly, but she won't be a problem right?" Claudia asked awkwardly.
"Avery doesn't know who you are and she's too young to figure it out." Nikolas told her. "But maybe we should give you a fake name. Spencer never met you but the name alone could draw connections."
"Yeah you're right." Claudia nodded. "Call me whatever the hell you want as long as you're letting me stay here."
"So, what's your history with Sonny?" Ava asked, curious.
"What's yours?" She countered.
"Touche." Ava smirked.
"What's going on with him right now though, the shooting, Micheal...I mean you said your daughter could be next." Claudia said, interested.
"Well she won't be." Ava became protective. "We already decided we are going for full custody so she won't be. I don't care what the hell Sonny says."
"So i'm guessing you two weren't in love." Claudia gave a small chuckle.
"No!" Ava exclaimed. "I was seeing someone else at the time. It was a one time thing…"
"Yeah, Morgan…" Nikolas said, rolling his eyes a little. He wasn't jealous of Morgan and even if he was he was out of the picture and dead. But he still didn't understand how someone like Ava was with someone like Morgan.
"Morgan?" Claudia's mouth opens in amusement. "You cheated on Sonny's henchman with Sonny?"
"No, little Morgan." Nikolas corrected her.
Ava gave him a small slap on the shoulder. "Don't call him that!"
"Wait Morgan...like the kid?" Claudia asked.
"This isn't your business!" Ava said, having enough of them talking about her and Morgan. "And he wasn't a kid! Believe me."
Before anyone could say anything else Ava's phone rang and she grabbed it, looking at the caller ID. It was Scotty.
"Oh, I have to get this!" She exclaimed, the custody the most important thing on her mind. She hurriedly answered it as she left the room.
"She seems nice." Claudia told Nik, smiling.
Nikolas gave her a pointed look.
"I'm not joking!" Claudia defends. "She does seem nice. And if she had to deal with Sonny she deserves a medal. Colorful past though.."
"Says you." Nikolas scoffed.
"Didn't say it was a bad thing…" She said. "Besides, if you're happy I'm happy for you. Just hope that happiness is still there if you two lose the custody battle."
"We don't plan on losing."
"Well neither does Sonny." Claudia reminded him. "He tends to get what he wants."
"Well things change." Nik said, getting a bit defensive. "I can protect my family Claudia! If beating Sonny means playing the game his way then I'll do it."
Claudia smirks, kinda impressed by his defensive side. "There's a true Cassadine. But let's face it, you aren't the most experienced of the family."
"I've done plenty of shady things since you've left." He informed her. "It's not limited to mobsters."
"So you have a plan?" She tilted her head, not believing he did.
"...not yet." He admitted, not meeting her eyes.
"Luckily for you, I always have plans." Claudia smiles devilishly.
"You know how we can win custody?" Nikolas asked, hopeful his old friend could help.
Claudia nodded. "I might be a little too much for you, Princey."
"Damnit Claudia! I'm letting you stay here, the least you can do is tell me. I'll decide if it's too much."
"Well.." Claudia gave in, seeing the fire in him might just prove he was a different guy. "Ava said she was with Morgan at the same time, right?"
"Yeah?" He asked, not connecting it.
"Then make the kid his."