Claudia Zacchara blinked her eyelashes trying to adjust to the light in the…where exactly was she? Some sort of cave? That somebody was clearly living in, given the old antique couches that were covered with an old beige sheet. Claudia shivers as a draft came down, hitting her bare arms. The last thing she had remembered was being hit by Michael Corinthos with that axe, of course she had probably deserved it as she had been trying to steal his mother's newborn baby. John had been telling her that maybe she should get checked out at the hospital, the only thing inherited when you were born a Zacchara was mental illness and darkness. Why had she thought that she could pull one over on Sonny Corinthos? She had been doomed from the very start. Hadn't she? By any logical thinking she should be dead, shouldn't she? What was she doing here? Where was here? Was she in even more trouble? There was a full pain in her head but, upon brushing her hair back she found a bandage on the back of her head.
"Who found me? Who would even care to patch me up besides John? Certainly not daddy, I doubt he'd care if I died." Claudia mumbled to herself struggling to prop herself up on her elbows, or move at all. All of a sudden she heard footsteps coming towards her, heart hammering in her chest. Was this her last moment? Was this person here to finish the job?
"Let me help you…you've clearly been through enough tonight. When I heard that You and Sonny got married, I worried about you." Came a polite voice that she quite recognized, Nikolas Cassadine. Claudia and Nikolas hadn't shared anything but a kiss but, there had always been some sort of attraction between them. Claudia had just set her sights on Sonny and nobody would get in her way…it was true that scorned women went after a man who was just like their father.
"Nikolas? How…how did you find me?" Claudia squinted up at him in disbelief, how could he?
"Michael is a good kid but, he's not much for knowing how to dispose of a body unlike his father and uncle. I convinced him and Carly to let me take care of you're body, because they believed you were dead. I brought you to my home but, everyone else thinks that you're dead." Nikolas quickly explained, guilt almost swallowing her whole when she thought about her baby brother.
"How's John?" Claudia asked, softly.
"My sister fell through Crimson Pointe, he's with Lulu at the hospital now. I'm sure you're brother is torn up but, my sister won't let him do anything drastic." Nikolas knew exactly what Claudia was thinking and, he felt horrible about her situation.
"They say that the loveliest angels make the cruelest demons. You, Claudia, you were so kind and beautiful before they dragged you to hell." Nikolas gently helped her into a standing position as he said those words, Claudia thought they sounded poetic…too nice for someone as twisted as herself.
"Maybe I was at one point…" Claudia trailed off, unsure exactly when she lost herself as he helped her up to the main level of Windermere. What happened next neither would know but, Sonny Corinthos would never get to touch her again.