Holding Room. PCPD.
Nikolas and Claudia sat a few feet away from each other in silence.
"Are you all right?," he asked, finally.
"I can't talk to you right now." She turned away from him.
"Did she hurt you?," he asked.
"Did she hurt me," she said slowly. And then she laughed. It was not a pretty sound. She was not looking at him. "You go to Italy against my wishes. You go to Puerto Rico -- hey, even I'm not safe in Puerto Rico, that's Sonny's territory. And then you have the arrogance to go to Russia. Russia, where people are waiting to kill you. Where I have been terrified of you going every single time you leave town. You risk your entire family --"
"I thought they were all safe."
"Including that little boy. Spence--" She choked on his name. Waited until she got her composure back.
"Claudia."
"No."
"I thought they were all safe."
"Okay. All right. Sure. Maybe you believed that." Now she turned to face him. Let him try to look her in the eye and lie about this. "But you couldn't have thought that you'd be safe."
"I can handle --"
"Alone. You went alone. Are you crazy? Or just stupid? Do you not care about anyone else in this world?"
"I care about you."
"You have a son!" Claudia struggled to get up, using the table to help propel her to her feet.
"So do you!"
Now Nikolas stood, too, and they both pushed their chairs away from the table and circled each other.
*******************************
Outside, Johnny rose from his seat. Sonny yanked him back down. "Let's see what happens now," he said.
*******************************
Inside, Claudia raged at Nikolas.
"I am counting on you to take care of both of our children, and this is what you do?"
"I'm going to take care of all of us. You can't expect me to just stand by and let you die."
"No, that's exactly what I can expect of you. Which I told you. Every time you -- I am not taking you down with me!"
"Because you're unimportant?"
"Because I'm done! There's no way out for me! You're different!"
"I'm different."
"You have a life!"
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't want a life without you."
Claudia slapped Nikolas. "Don't you ever say that!," she said.
She looked at his face, getting red in the wake of the slap, and his expression. He stepped toward her.
"Claudia."
"No," she said, backing away.
"Claudia, please."
Sonny flew into the room, grabbing Nikolas by the lapels. "What did you say to her?"
Nikolas said nothing.
"Huh?," Sonny said, shaking Nikolas.
"Leave him alone," choked out Claudia. "I -- I just want to go home." She looked up at Lucky who had entered the room. "Can I go home?"
Nikolas nodded at Lucky. Lucky looked back at Nikolas incredulously.
"Let me see what I can do," Lucky said, reluctantly. He was going to kill Nikolas.
Lucky left the room.
Sonny led Claudia outside to an empty desk. Johnny slipped inside the holding room.
"You okay?," Sonny asked.
"Don't worry," she said, wiping her face. "The baby's fine."
"How are you?"
"Please, can we not continue this farce?"
"What farce? What are you talking about?"
"Please don't pretend to care. That's the one thing that could skyrocket my blood pressure even higher."
Sonny was quiet.
Lucky came over. "You can go. We can question you tomorrow."
Sonny helped Claudia out of her chair. As they made their way out of the station, Sonny said, "You did the right thing. You tell me if he's a problem."
"I don't need your approval. I don't need your help," she said, coldly. "I never did."
**********************************
Holding Room.
Nikolas sat on one of the steel chairs, looking down at the table. Johnny moved a chair next to him and sat down.
"I recognized the look. Right before she hit you."
Nikolas didn't say anything.
"You tell her you didn't care if you lived? That's what got me slapped the one time she raised a hand to me."
Nikolas still didn't speak.
"This is a good thing. She's been so controlled lately. She's been acting like she's going to her death. Tonight, I saw Claudia. She's fighting. That's good. Now maybe you don't like what you saw. If you don't, you'd better get out now. Because that's my sister. That's the worst of it. You take her, you take all of her."
Nikolas looked up at Johnny. He shook his head. He turned away.
Lucky poked his head in. "Nikolas. We're ready for you."
Nikolas got up and went with Lucky.
Johnny left the building.
**********************************
GreyStone. Kitchen.
Sonny had never shared a kitchen before.
Claudia hadn't exchanged one word with him since they'd left the station.
She poured a large glass of water and drank it. And then she began pulling ingredients from the refrigerator and cabinets.
"I can make us lunch," Sonny said.
Claudia ignored him. She began chopping vegetables.
Sonny grabbed some soup stock out of the freezer. Claudia grabbed a large pan from above the kitchen island.
"You need help with that?"
Claudia slammed the pan down onto the stove. "Why? Do I look feeble? Incompetent?" Sonny backed up as she moved toward him with her chopping knife. "Do you want me out of 'your' kitchen? Do you want to slip a little something in the soup?" She held the knife a little too close to his throat. And then she dropped the knife down to his zipper. She looked back up. "Back off," she said. Then she moved back to the vegetables.
He'd thought he'd seen Claudia be unpleasant before. Turns out all those times were warm-ups. This was going to be a long night.
**************************************
Johnny's Garage. Night.
Johnny was getting ready to close up. He closed the trunk of the car he was working on, and wiped the wrench clean. He threw the wrench into the toolbox, and he sat down on a stool for a second to think.
Everybody had a plan. Claudia had one plan, Nikolas had another, Sonny had another. Johnny felt useless. Because he was out of the loop.
When Johnny was eighteen, his father had consented for him to take a trip to Rome. As soon as he arrived, Johnny rented a car and headed out to Milan. For all his abandonment issues and resentment, he wanted to talk to her, find out what had really happened, say what he had to say, see her again. When Johnny got there, he found out just how cruel his father had been. Anthony had given permission only because he knew Claudia would be out of the country for the entire time Johnny was there.
Claudia's Uncle Rudy had met him at the door of the compound. He looked at Johnny with sympathy. "Come inside," he said. Rudy called Claudia, and she got on a plane headed home to finally see her baby brother again.
Claudia's plane had landed and they were waiting for her at the compound. There was a knock at the door. It was Anthony and a small army of men. He had had Claudia grabbed as soon as she'd stepped off the plane. Johnny had two choices: he could come home and send his sister a letter, or he could stay, see his sister for a few minutes and then lose her for good. "This was a test, John, and it was a good test. Not one minute off the plane in this country and you had to disobey my wishes. Loyalty is a very important thing. But I can see you have a lot to learn about that. You want to see your no-good treacherous slut sister? I leave it up to you. Claudia alive? Or Claudia dead?"
Johnny had gone home with his father. He hadn't been in Italy for 24 hours. And he never saw his sister.
But while they had been waiting for Claudia, he and Rudy had had a long talk. Rudy was sure that Claudia and Johnny would find their way back to each other. But Rudy was worried. Anthony had destroyed Rudy's sister Domenica. He most probably intended to destroy Claudia as well. Claudia was only safe as long as she was out of Anthony's reach. "This is a hard life to live, to be the brother of a woman who is a Zacchara," he said. "You're going to try to protect her, and she will not have it. But you must fight for her. Harder than I fought for Claudia's mother."
Ever since Claudia had come to town, Johnny had fought for her. Sometimes it felt like he was fighting for her soul. Some of the trouble she got into was because she was a Zacchara. Some of the trouble came by her own design. But the most dangerous trouble she got into -- including the botched hit that could cost Claudia her life -- was because she was his sister. She would never have come home to Crimson Pointe if he hadn't been in trouble.
He wished he had a plan, too. He wished he'd listened more closely to Rudy.
There was a knock at the door. Johnny got up, peered out the window, and sighed.
He opened the door. He may not be able to help his sister tonight, but he would do his best for a drunken aristocrat.
Nikolas swayed in the doorway. "May I come in?"
"Sure."
Johnny caught Nikolas as he stumbled inside with a mostly empty bottle of Dewar's.
"Let me take that." Johnny took the bottle from Nikolas and set it down on his work table.
He helped Nikolas into a chair.
"I am not drunk," Nikolas said.
"I can see that."
Nikolas squinted at Johnny. "You know what bothers me the most?"
"No."
"Aside from the fact that she doesn't care whether she lives or dies." Nikolas leaned back on the chair, settling in. "I mean, there are many, many aspects of this whole situation that disturb me profoundly, but you know what the worst one is?"
"No," Johnny said. He was not looking forward to the Claudia roast that was sure to follow.
"I see her with Sonny. You know?"
"Yeah?"
"And I think 'What is he doing married to my wife?' You see what I mean? We have a family. It may not look like a family to anyone else, but it's a family. Three of us -- and it will be four soon. Everything works. Have you felt the baby kick?"
"No," said Johnny.
"Oh, you should really feel the baby kick. So strong. And her eyes, when it happens..." Nikolas pounded his fist against his heart. "She asked me to be the father. Did you know that?"
"Yeah."
"I love that baby. I love him because he's hers. She expects me to just let her --" Nikolas held out a peace sign and then turned it upside down and simulated two legs walking "-- march away from all of us, from her family. I hate your father."
"I know the feeling." Johnny got up and poured a glass of water. He held it out to Nikolas.
"He's evil and a jackass. A volatile combination." Nikolas took the glass of water and downed it.
"Especially since he's been equipped with his own personal army his whole life." Johnny took the glass and refilled it.
Nikolas made a sound that was related to "Pfft." "Armies can be defeated. But he got in her head. Told her things that were wrong. Very wrong. And then he made her marry Sonny. Why didn't she come to me?"
Johnny handed Nikolas the water and two aspirin. "You want to know what I think? Take those, and drink that, and I'll tell you."
Nikolas dumped the aspirin into the garbage and downed the water. He set the glass down on the floor and leaned back in his chair again.
"I think this is going to work," Johnny said. "You and Claudia."
"She hates me." Nikolas' eyes had become unfocused.
Johnny continued as if Nikolas hadn't spoken. "I just hope you're going to grind Sonny into little pieces of dust at the end of this."
Nikolas' eyes had closed.
"That's what I think. And that's what I hope." Johnny gave Nikolas a few minutes, and then went to wake him up.
***********************************
The Office Behind Sonny's Coffee Shop.
Jason hurried into the room.
"You're late," Sonny said.
"I'm sorry."
"When I call you, it's important."
"I know that, Sonny. I got stuck on an elevator. I couldn't get out. I'm here now."
"What've you got for me?"
"Phil defected to Cavallo."
"Who told you that?"
"Cavallo. He seemed happy about it. He said to send his regards to Mrs. Corinthos. What's that about?"
"That's nothing. Claudia's first meeting with the Five Families, she -- it doesn't matter. It's not important. Claudia wants a gun."
Jason rubbed his head.
"Yeah, that's where I'm at right now."
"What do you want to do?"
"You think Helena's coming back?"
"She always comes back, Sonny."
Sonny nodded. "Can we put more men on Claudia?"
"Not with Dante upstate."
"Helena didn't leave any trail?"
"Private jet to Istanbul left a half an hour after she left your house."
"Did you talk to Sam?"
"Yeah. Sam thinks Helena's gone for awhile. Helena lost her game plan. She'll need time to think up another one."
"Okay. Then no gun for Claudia. What've you got on Puerto Rico?"
***********************************
GreyStone.
Claudia couldn't sleep. Couldn't concentrate long enough to do anything. She'd have these sudden bursts of energy, and would walk down and up the stairs and end up back in her room again.
She'd hit Nikolas. It was crippling her. He'd probably never been touched that way before. And she'd just left him there, had left with Sonny. Destroyed the one good thing she'd ever had.
She didn't care if her phone was tapped, or if Spinelli kept a trace. She picked up her phone and dialed. The call connected. "Hello, Alexis? It's Claudia. Is Nikolas there?"
***********************************
Johnny's Garage. Morning.
The garage was empty. There was a knock at the door. No answer. Claudia let herself in.
Johnny came out of the back room.
"Where were you?," Claudia asked.
"I was hiding under a car."
Claudia nodded distractedly. She put down her purse. She sat down in a chair and rested her hand on her belly. "The thing is... the thing is, I hurt Nikolas," she said, her eyes watery. "I called Spoon Island and they haven't seen him. And he's not at the hospital."
"Claudia --"
"He's sensitive. And I was a bulldozer yesterday. I got scared, and I..." Claudia burst into silent tears, unable to speak.
Johnny picked up a tissue, made sure it was clean, and wiped Claudia's face.
She grabbed his wrist. "He's not going to want to speak to me, but I thought maybe you could find him, and --"
"He found me." Johnny gestured toward the mostly empty Dewar's bottle. Claudia stared at the bottle.
"Where is he now?"
"In the back. Sleeping."
Claudia struggled to get out of her chair. Johnny helped her up. Claudia looked at the bottle.
"How is he?"
"I kept making him drink water, but he refused to take any aspirin."
Claudia nodded. "He doesn't like any kind of medication."
"He's probably going to be in a lot of pain. That's a lot of scotch for a non-drinker."
She went into her purse and pulled out a twenty. "Could you run out and get some apples and some ginger tea? Please?"
Johnny rubbed her shoulder, took the money, and left.
Claudia called Alexis and let her know Nikolas was safe. And then she went into the back room.
***************************************
Back Room of the Garage.
Looking at a worse-for-the-wear Nikolas on the couch, all Claudia could think of was that story where the girl kisses a frog and he turns into a prince. Claudia had kissed a prince and turned him into roadkill.
She sat down in the chair next to the couch and brushed Nikolas' hair away from his face.
Nikolas, Johnny and Spencer. Her Lost Boys. All without mothers. And look at their consolation prizes. Helena. Anthony. Claudia. What she was doing to Nikolas was worse than what Laura did all those years ago. At least Laura didn't slap him. His whole life, Nikolas had been left. Laura left, Emily had died, his uncle had died. She knew that within weeks of meeting him, and she still went ahead and slept with him, knowing that she was living on borrowed time. Johnny's mother -- murdered. Spencer's mother -- died before he knew her.
And her own son. Baby Boy Corinthos.
Johnny came in and silently put the apples and the tea on the coffee table. She smiled gratefully at him.
"Claudia," Nikolas murmured, still half-asleep.
"I'm right here," she said quietly, brushing back his hair again.
She looked at Johnny, and he nodded and left the room.
Nikolas opened his eyes. "You're here."
"Yes." Still quiet.
Nikolas tried to sit up, but the tympanist in his head forced him back down. Claudia struggled to her feet, helped him to a sitting position and gave him the tea. Then she shut off all the lights in the room.
"Thanks," he said, wincing. He drank some of the tea. "Ginger?"
"It's good for what you have," she said softly. "I didn't start out as a world class drinker. I picked some things up along the way. How's your stomach?"
He started to shake his head, but winced again. She handed him the apple. He took it while finishing the tea. Claudia took the empty cup from him and put it on the coffee table.
The pounding in his head was starting to subside. "Come here," he said.
She sat down next to him.
"I'm sorry," she said.
He nodded.
"I should have never, ever hit you."
"Do you hate me?" He asked the question seriously. Claudia looked taken aback.
"Just because I want to kill you doesn't mean I hate you, Nikolas. I thought you were fluent in Claudia."
"I'm a little out of practice," he said.
She took the apple from him. She held his face in both her hands. "I love you," she said. "Я тебя люблю. Ti amo. Je t'aime. 愛しています。"
"You're just saying that," he said.
She laughed.
"I love you too," he said.
He pulled her to him and kissed her.
She pulled back and looked into his eyes.
"This is going to be messy," she said.
"Going to be?" he said.
She rubbed the stubble on his face. Kissed his cheek. "Let me take care of you," she said.
He smiled quizzically. She smiled back at him, and fed him the apple. She nuzzled his neck. Kissed his jaw.
He started to pull her down onto the couch.
"Nik, trust me, it's too small for the three of us."
"We'll manage," he said, as he pulled her all the way down with him.
*************************************
An hour later, Johnny came in. Claudia and Nikolas were dressed, but they were completely wrapped up in each other.
"Sorry," he said. "I'll come back later."
"No," she said. She turned to Nikolas. "Help me sit up." Nikolas sat up as he helped Claudia. Claudia turned on the lamp. "Is it quiet out there?," she asked Johnny. "Do you have time to talk?"
"It's quiet. I think your husband might start looking for you soon."
"Forget him," she said. "Sit down."
Johnny sat down in the chair.
"I trust you two," she said. "With my life. So we're going to do this. We're going to go through all the plans and make them all fit together. Now."
