AUTHOR'S NOTE: The book mentioned in this chapter is an actual book, I read it a couple of years ago, and found it yesterday while I was cleaning, I thought that it would help Gia with her situation.

CHAPTER 6

Gia was abruptly woken from a restless sleep as the bus jolted to a stop. She had arrived at her first stop, and though she was getting further from Jonathan her stomach was filled with fear. It was early in the morning; Jonathan had said that he'd be back at 7:00 p.m. There was still plenty of time to turn around and go home. 'What home? I have no home, just a jail cell he kept me in.' Apart of her so desperately wanted to turn back, so scared of the adventure she had embarked on. Gia knew she couldn't live like that, she wanted her life back, needed it back.

Gia walked to the counter and purchased another ticket using a different name from her own and the name Joey had given her. She bought the ticket that would slowly take her to New York. She didn't think she could eat but knew she had to keep her strength up. She turned and saw a McDonald's in the bus station. 'Jonathan always hated it when I ate fast food,' she thought to herself.

One Big Mac, Super-sized Fry, and large chocolate shake later still had an hour until her bus would leave. She saw a small store and decided to go in, maybe get a magazine to read on the bus, 'keep my sanity intact,' she joked with herself. The store had all the usual, she decided on "People," and than turned to a shelf filled with the latest books. She saw that they had some older ones as well, ones that had been in Oprah's book club. Reading was a passion for Gia, one Jonathan wouldn't let her indulge in, and he said that it would fill her head with crazy ideas. She went through a ritual of picking a book, reading what it was about, and than putting it back. No book grabbed her attention. She was just putting her latest reject back when she noticed the one that had been hidden behind the others. "Black and Blue," she read aloud, "By Anna Quindlan." She turned it over and saw that it was about a woman who took her son and fled from her abusive husband, who happened to be a New York detective. "Well this sure beats the romances." She took the book and went to pay, while wondering if romance was something that truly existed. Gia got on the bus and settled in her seat, she looked at her watch and knew it was only hours until Jonny would get home.

Gia woke up as they got to the bus station; she got off the bus and tried to lose herself in New York City. First thing she did was go to a salon; she knew she needed to look different.

At Jonny and Gia's home.

Jonny: Gia, hey! I'm home! Where are you! (He walked up the stairs into the bedroom thinking she might be sleeping. All he found was an empty closet.) Gia! Where the hell are you! (Jonathon lost it started throwing things everywhere) Pops, get over here, Gia's gone!

About 15 minutes later

"Pops": Hey Jonny! We're here. (We being his entourage of thugs.) Search the house! Look for any signs of her!

Jonny came down the stairs as "Pop's men started their search.

Jonny: She's not here.

Thug #1: Ah sir the money you told us to look for is gone.

Jonny: Sh**! I can't believe she'd do this to me.

"Pops": Maybe she didn't leave, what if Corinthos took her?