Chapter Ten

"Rick just came in here and told me some interesting things, now normally I wouldn't take his word for anything, but he suggested that I ask you. So I'm asking, are you pregnant with my child? Now before you think about lying to me, you need to know that if Rick can find out what you were doing at Mercy clinic you know I can. So I'll ask you again is there something you want to tell me?" He asked.

"I'm pregnant," Claudia confirmed with a nod as she slipped her hand into Johnny's hand and took a step closer to him. Johnny in turn clutched at her hand and looked straight at Sonny as if daring him to make a move. "But don't worry I won't be for long." Claudia added and sonny cocked his head to the side a bit and squinted, looking as if he hadn't heard her correctly. "I have an appointment set for Thursday to get an abortion." Sonny bunched his brow at her and relaxed them, taking on a calm, serene look.

"There is no way in hell you're killing my kid." He said as he shook his head a bit.

"Excuse me," Claudia said a bit stunned by his reaction. She had thought that Sonny wouldn't want a child with her. She was pleasantly surprised to see that he wanted the child, but she knew in her heart she couldn't give it to him. "You can't seriously want to bring 'another' kid into this world, Sonny."

"No I didn't want to, didn't plan to, but it's here now, so."

"So, so what because you say so I'm suppose to pop it out for you? I don't think so. So sorry to disappoint you but I'm not going to have it." She said as she released Johnny's hand and folded her arms across her chest, as her earlier anger towards Sonny flared up once again.

"I'm sorry you feel that way but there's nothing I can do about that, but you're having the baby." Sonny said calmly and both Claudia and Johnny had the fleeting thought that at that moment Sonny sounded as mad as their father. "You're Catholic too so you know that you can't have an abortion."

"Oh my God you cannot be serious," Johnny finally spoke. "What you mean the inviolable right of every innocent being to life? What about you shouldn't kill, lie, cheat, and steal, you're ok with those but against abortions?"

"First of all I don't lie, cheat, or steal. Second this is between me and my wife…"

"She's my sister, my blood." Johnny said in a menacing tone as he leered at Sonny.

"Yeah well she's got my blood inside of her right now." Sonny barked back loudly in irritation as he glared at Johnny.

"Not for long," Claudia threw in as she moved to the bar, with Johnny moving right behind her. He wanted to stay close to her because he was determined to protect her if things got heated and out of hand.

"Don't keep saying that," Sonny warned. "And you can cancel that appointment because it aint happening. You're not getting an abortion, and that's final."

"Go to hell, Sonny," Claudia spat at him as her face contorted I disgust. "You can't tell me what I can and can't do with my body. I can't have this baby. I thought we agreed in the beginning that we weren't having children."

"Yeah well that was before, this is now. The circumstances have changed."

"No they haven't. The only thing that's changed is I'm probably going to have to start using a stronger contraceptive with you or you'll have to start wearing condoms. Better yet why don't you get a vasectomy, lord knows you have enough offsprings running around Port Charles." She stated as she poured herself a glass of bourbon.

"What are you doing?" Both Sonny and John said in unison as they looked at her in disbelieve.

"Having a drink, what does it look like?" She said as she raised the glass. Johnny moved to her swiftly and snatched the drink from her hand.

"You can't drink while you're pregnant Claudia." He stated.

"Ok have you not been listening to me, I can't have this baby. You know that John," She said as she lowered her voice a bit. "And you know why."

"Well explain it to me, because I'm left out of the loop here. Why can't you have my baby?" Sonny asked having heard her despite her attempt to whisper her words to Johnny.

"Uhm let's see, for starters we can't stand each other."

"I told you I don't hate you anymore, and I thought we've been getting along pretty well." Sonny mumbled out.

"Fine, we're in the mob, which isn't the best playground for a child. One would have thought you'd learned that by now." Claudia said continuing her argument.

"Is this about what happened to Michael?" Sonny asked point blank and both Claudia's and Johnny's faces lost its coloring as they stood silently eyeing each other. "You don't have to worry about that, I won't let anything like that happen to this baby or any of my children, ever again."

"That's because you've signed away your rights to your children Sonny, and you did that to make sure they stayed safe." Claudia tried to reason. "I can't bring a child into this world, my conscience won't allow me too, and you can't make me. I'm gonna go upstairs and take a nap." She announced suddenly.

"You ok?" Johnny asked in concern as he reached out and grasped her hand.

"No, I'm pregnant remember," She said in a chipper tone and wide smile, which melted into and kind smile. "I'm fine I'm just tired and hormonal. I'll call you later ok?"

"You better because if you don't I'm coming back," Johnny said loud as he looked over at Sonny who had come from around the desk.

"I will I promise," She said as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. Johnny gave a nod and then walked to the exit. He eyed Sonny as he passed but said nothing. Johnny left feeling assured that Sonny wouldn't harm Claudia since he seemed so adamant that she keep their baby. He knew that family was important to Sonny, and now that Sonny had signed away his other children he would probably latching on to this new baby, and Claudia might have a fight on her hands. Once Johnny left the room Claudia made for the stairs, only to be stopped by Sonny, who shot his hand out and grasped hers.

"You need anything, want me to bring something up to you?" He asked softly almost tenderly and for a second Claudia's resolve buckled.

"Sonny don't," She replied in an equally soft tone as she gently pulled her hand from his.

"Don't what I'm just asking you if you need anything, I know when Carly was pregnant she had all kinds of crazy cravings. So if you crave something, let me know and I'll get it for you."

"I can't have this baby Sonny, if you kne…" She bit her tongue, sighed heavily, and then shook her head. "I'm not having this baby."

"You cannot have an abortion Claudia. I can't allow that to happen." Sonny said calmly but his eyes shone that he meant every word.

"Well according to the state of New York, yes I can, and you can't stop me." She said and then turned and jotted up the stairs. Sonny shook his head a bit and closed his eyes for a moment.

"You shouldn't run up stairs in your condition," He couldn't help but to call out the warning to her.

"Shut up," She yelled back at him as she disappeared around the corner. He stood there a moment contemplating his next move, he then moved to his desk and yanked up the phone and started dialing.

"Hello, Diane its Sonny Corinthos I need you to come over, I need some legal advice." He said and then paused while she spoke. "I know that, but what you don't know is that Jason and I have made plans, he's turned the organization back over to me. You will be getting the paper work soon. It'll be a transition that could take a few weeks. If you don't believe me just call Jason, in the mean time what I need to speak to you about has nothing to do with the business, it's personal. All right thanks see you in a few," He then hung up the phone.


"Hey Boss, Ms. Miller's here," Max announced with a serious look that turned to a full blown goofy smile as Diane walked pass him to enter the room, throwing him a quick wink and giggle. Sonny who was seated at the chair near the bar, holding a glass of whiskey simply rolled his eyes at them as he waited. Once Max left them alone Diane's smile instantly disappeared and she got right to business.

"I did in fact check with my client Mr. Morgan and he did corroborate your claims that you are in fact taking back the organization, congratulations. However, I must inform you that I will not be coming along as your attorney. I have already disclosed to you the reasons why I can no longer be your legal advisor and those reasons still stand. Now that being said what non mob related legal advice is it that you need from me, exactly?"

"I need for you to help me stop Claudia from aborting my child." Sonny said matter-of-factly. Diane's brow bunched as she flopped down on the sofa across from him as if the wind had been knocked from her body.

"You've knocked up another woman?" Diane asked in disbelief. "How far along is she?"

"About three weeks," Sonny answered.

"Good God man, are you on some mission to impregnate all the women in Port Charles, because I have to tell you I'm sooo not interested." Sonny rolled his eyes shut and shook his head a bit, but remained silent. "You've only been married for a couple of months. Do you know what a condom is and how to use one?" Diane asked and Sonny finally spoke.

"That's not the point here, Diane,"

"Fine, I guess if you don't want to talk about having safer sex, and how 'gloved love' can still be 'good love' then there's nothing more I can help you with." She said as she stood, which caused Sonny to stand as well.

"We haven't even discussed the real issue here." He protested as she grabbed up her briefcase from the sofa.

"That's because there is no issue to discuss, you have no case. There's not a court in this state, no scratch that there's not a court in this country that will give you an injunction to stop an abortion of a three week old gestation." Diane stated and Sonny's shoulders slumped as he bowed his head into his hand and messaged his temples. Diane's demeanor softened a bit in sympathy for him. "Look I take it she wants this abortion, if that's the case since you don't want it then my advice to you is to talk with your wife. Try to convince her to keep the baby." With that Diane turned and left out, leaving Sonny with new thoughts.


At the Metro Court


As he made his way to the elevators to head up to pick up LuLu, Johnny bumped into Carly who was exiting the elevators. "Hey Johnny, how's Claudia?" She asked and he eyes her suspiciously, noting the look Carly began to explain. "One of the desk clerks mentioned that you got a frantic call from your sister and you rushed out of here."

"Oh, yeah she got some bad news today and I went to console her." Johnny answered as he moved past her and entered the elevators.

"So I take it she's pregnant." Carly said and Johnny sighed heavily as he stepped back out of the elevators, just before the doors closed on him.

"Yeah,"

"Wow, I saw her earlier and I took a guess when she nearly past out on the lobby floor."

"Yeah she mentioned that, and that you got her in touch with your doctor so she could know for sure. That was decent of you thank you." Carly nodded.

"So has she told Sonny yet?"

"No, actually that bastard Rick Lansing did."

"How the hell did Rick find out?" Carly asked as she frowned.

"I guess he's ambulance chasing over at Mercy, he saw Claudia as she was leaving and bullied one of the nurses into disclosing Claudia's information."

"What about doctor, patient privileges." Carly said.

"It's not hard to get around when you have a name like Zacchara or Corinthos, I've thrown the Zacchara name around a few time to get privileged information."

"I bet Sonny was over the moon."

"Yeah which kind of surprised me, I have to admit." Johnny asked with a smirk.

"Sonny loves children, and he's a wonderful father despite the life he choices to live. He's probably got Claudia looking at baby books as we speak; picking out colors for the nursery and baby clothes."

"Not likely considering Claudia doesn't plan on keeping the baby." This stunned Carly a bit.

"What, why?"

"Isn't it obvious, it's because of Michael?" Carly rolled her eyes upward a bit as the revelation hit her. "She feels guilty about what happened to Michael."

"I've already told her she shouldn't feel guilty I don't blame her. She's no more to blame than me or Sonny, we brought Michael into a violent world. She was going after Sonny she had no idea Michael would be there, because he wasn't supposed to be there and he shouldn't have been there. If it we're for Kate Howard," Carly ranted and then closed her eyes and clinched her fisted to calm herself.

"You really don't blame Claudia do you?" Johnny asked.

"No, I mean at one point I blamed everyone and everything under the sun, but most of the blame falls on me and Sonny and the choices we've made."

"Something tells me Sonny won't be as forgiving when he finds out."

"Claudia should know that Sonny would never harm her or that baby. Now that she's pregnant, and the mother of his child, in Sonny's eyes that something sacred. There's no way in hell he's gonna just let her get an abortion, if that's what she's planning. You need to talk to her and try to change her mind."

"I honestly don't think it'll do any good. I don't think Claudia wants to have an abortion. Yeah she spouts off about how she'd never bring a child into the mob world, but I think it's mostly big talk. I think the real reason she wants this abortion is because she feels it's a form of redemption that she has to kill the baby that she has with Sonny to make amends for what happened to Michael."

"Claudia's pregnant with Sonny's baby?" A feminine voice croaked out and both Johnny and Carly turned to find the stunned faces of both Kate Howard and her cousin Olivia Falconari.


He had paced the floor of the parlor trying to think of a way to prevent Claudia from getting the abortion. He tossed around the idea of threatening the doctor, but he figured she'd just find another one. He even contemplated locking her up until she had the baby, an idea that was still top on his list. In the end after nearly an hour spent thinking about it he finally decided to do what Diane had suggested, which took him to Claudia's room where he stood before the closed door. He took a deep breath before knocking. He waited for a reply but when one never came, his concerned caused him to open the door and enter her room without her permission. He found her asleep on her bed. She was turned on her side facing the door with both her hands clasped together and tucked under her head. A smile played on his lips as he watched for a moment from the door. There was just something about a pregnant woman, a woman full of his child that seemed to turn on a switch in his heart. He moved to the bed and sat down beside her, reaching out he pushed some of her dark tresses from her face and then gently placed a hand against her belly. The sensation of something touching her woke Claudia from her sleep and when her eyes fell onto Sonny she sat up a little in the bed, but didn't move away from him or his hand that still rest against her belly.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a soft sleepy tone.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I came up to talk to you but you were asleep. It can wait you should rest."

"Please don't say a woman in my condition needs her sleep," Claudia groaned out as she lay back against the pillows closing her eyes as she rubbed a hand across her forehead and then into her hair.

"I wasn't going to, but you know it is a fact." Sonny said with a smile on his face and Claudia couldn't help but to smile too as she leaned up again, this time resting her wait on her elbows. "Seriously, I wanted to talk with you about…you know about the baby."

"Sonny," She sighed out as she sat up completely and moved back against the headboard, pushed his hand away as she moved. "There's nothing to talk about, I can't have this baby I already told you that."

"I hear you, I get that that's how you feel, but I want to tell you why I feel how I feel." He spoke as he fisted his hand against his lips. "And you need to know that it's not an easy thing for me to express how I feel, to open myself up like that to anyone." Claudia already knew that about him and the fact that he was willing to do it with her, made her be more attentive and receptive to what he had to say. "The reason why I can't…" He paused because he could see that his choice of words were about to set Claudia off again, and that would be counterproductive to the goal he was trying to accomplish, so he rephrased his words. "Why I'm opposed to you having an abortion is because I've already lost three children," This confession shocked Claudia's her heart instantly ached for him, and she couldn't keep the tears from falling from her eyes. "And I'm not counting Michael in that because he's not dead and despite what the doctors say I'm still hopeful that, you know, someday he'll recover. But I lost my first child and wife in a car accident," He refrain from telling her that it was actually a car bomb, set by his wife's mobster father fearing it would only validate her view on bringing children in to the mob world. "And then Carly miscarried our second child, and Sam miscarried my daughter."

"Wait a minute, you and Sam? Alexis' daughter, Sam. Alexis who's the mother of your daughter Kristina?" Claudia asked momentarily forgetting the seriousness of their current conversation. "Ewww, Sonny."

"Hey I didn't know they were mother and daughter, and that's not important right now. It not relevant to what we're discussing here. The point I'm trying to make is this, I can't lose another baby. It's one thing if it's an accident or something I can't control. But what you're doing is killing my child Claudia and I can't just stand by and let you do that. So we need to come up with another solution."

"What other solution is there Sonny, besides me having this baby?" Sonny just shrugged his shoulders. "So what you're telling me is that I'm going to have this baby or else? Or else what, what exactly will you do if I refuse?"


"Boy Sonny sure does like to spread it around don't he?" Olivia stated and Carly couldn't help but to chuckle.

"Yeah, he's knocked up every woman that I've ever know him to be with. Well except Brenda and you and Kate." Carly said hoping to aggravate Kate and the look that Kate threw her told her she had accomplish her mission. Olivia just kept her mouth shut and prayed that Kate would too, and not indulge the true paternity of her son Dante.

"If in fact Claudia's even pregnant, she could be lying." Kate said.

"To accomplish what?" Johnny asked irritated by what Kate was implying. "Hell she doesn't even plan on keeping it.

"Wait she's not planning on getting an abortion I hope?" Olivia asked. "I'm sure Sonny has a lot to say about that." Carly could only arch her brows and nod her head.

"He can say whatever he likes, he can't stop her." Johnny said and the three women looked at him as if he were the biggest fool they'd ever laid eyes on.

"So you think that Sonny is just gonna let it stand, that your sister's gonna abort his kid and he's just gonna sit by and do nothing." Olivia asked and then chuckle. "If you believe that yer a damn fool."

"Sonny is used to getting his way, and his children are the most important things in the world to him." Kate added.

"He'll try to talk her out of it, try to make a deal with her, bribe her, hell he'd even resort to begging but if none of that works, then..." Carly said leaving the sentence opened for Johnny to draw his own conclusion.

"Then what… are you trying to say that if he can't change her mind he'll lock her up until the baby's born?" Johnny threw out jokingly with a chuckle, but the smile soon faded from his face as he noticed the serious looks the three women were giving him.


"Put me down!" She screamed as she was toted to the nearby seat and sat down in the chair, and then buckled in. She hadn't been able to see where she was being taking and now that she was upright and got her bearings she could see she was on a private jet. As she took in the cabin of the jet, her eyes fell on Sonny who stood near the cockpit of the plane speaking to the pilot. He then came back and took the seat across from her, buckling his seatbelt. "You're certifiable you know that, this is kidnapping." She huffed out as she shot daggers at him with her eyes.

"No honey, you know since we've decide to stay married and all I figured I'd take you on a real honeymoon. I have a private island in Puerto Rico, it's beautiful, and it's peaceful. I think you'll like it."

"A honeymoon," Claudia repeated as she crossed her arms across her chest. "And just how long did you plan for us to be on this honeymoon?"

"I don't know I mean we have no set time that we have to be back, so…you know…we can stay as long as we need to." Sonny replied and he got comfortable in his seat and crossed his legs.

"Oh let me guess, nine months or so."

"Yeah give or take, a week."He answered with a toothy smile and Claudia rolled her eyes.

"You're crazy you know that absolutely fucking insane." She said seething and suddenly the plane jerked as it sped down the runway. Claudia's eyes widened a bit as she leaned over and opened the window covering. "I can't have this baby Sonny!" She yelled out completely frustrated as a feeling of defeat washed over her.

"Don't get over excited, it's not good for the baby." He said and she could tell that he was being sincere and not trying to tease her. She blew out hot air as she slumped back against the chair and stared out the window, thinking about how she was going to escape.