Claudia #2 June 9 - October 31, 2008: 8 hour original edit

Dvd #2A 6/9 Claudia insisted that Johnny dump Lulu because Claudia thought Lulu was crazy and irrational. Johnny told Claudia to stay out of his personal life, and Claudia responded in kind. Lulu walked in on their conversation and started calling Claudia names. Claudia pointed out to Johnny that Lulu's immaturity and loose lips would sink more than a few Zacchara ships. Lulu insisted that Claudia stay away from Nikolas and Claudia was adamant that she and Nikolas were friends and nothing more.

When neither Claudia nor Lulu would back off, Johnny interceded. He told Lulu that she needed to believe Nikolas and leave Claudia alone. He told Claudia that she should stay out of his personal life. Claudia responded that Lulu would get him killed. Lulu retorted that Claudia's recent disappearing act with Nikolas had almost cost Johnny his life, when Johnny had blamed Sonny for her disappearance and fired a bullet at Sonny point blank. Johnny again stepped between the two feuding women and told them that if they could not get along for his sake then they would have to spend time with him separately.

6/10 Claudia offered Maxie $10,000 to sleep with Johnny and an extra $10,000 if Lulu caught them sleeping together. They were interrupted when Lulu and Johnny came into the office. Claudia quickly hid in a coat rack. Lulu and Maxie continued their usual banter until Maxie asked Johnny to give her a boost so she could put some purses away on a high shelf. Lulu ran after them as they went into Kate's office, which gave Claudia a perfect chance to get away. After Claudia left the Metro Court, she went to look at an apartment directly across from the hotel. She told the real estate agent she would take the apartment without even discussing a price or a lease agreement. As soon as the agent left to prepare the paperwork, Claudia called Johnny and told him she could see him at the Crimson office from their new home. Johnny came over to see the apartment himself and seemed pleased. He told Claudia she would have to learn to tolerate Lulu.

6/12 Anthony stopped by Claudia and Johnny's new penthouse apartment. He was critical of everything but still insisted on having a key to the place so that he could visit whenever the urge struck him. Tensions rose when Anthony took for granted that his children would move back in with him after the repairs to the mansion were made. Johnny was not happy about the prospect and told his father that the penthouse was his new permanent residence. Claudia looked to defuse her father's anger so she lied to Anthony. She promised that she and Johnny would return to the mansion as soon as it became ready. After Anthony left, Johnny turned on his sister. He told her that he refused to give up his freedom by living under their father's roof again. Claudia reminded Johnny that it would take time for the mansion to become habitable, during which time many things could happen to Anthony, including his demise.

Lulu let herself into Johnny's penthouse only to find Claudia at home, not Johnny. Claudia didn't appreciate Lulu walking into her home, uninvited, and ordered Lulu to leave. Lulu refused to comply and insisted on waiting for Johnny. Claudia took the opportunity to warn Lulu that her days were numbered. She said that Lulu continued to live only because Anthony had use of her. Lulu's only chance of saving herself, according to Claudia, would be to end her relationship with Johnny. Lulu eventually decided to leave, but she made it clear that she would not break things off with Johnny.

Nikolas had stepped out to make a business call on his cell phone. Claudia approached him as he ended the call. She seemed surprised to see Nikolas and stopped to talk to him. When she learned that Nikolas had bought the warehouse and intended to open the Emily Bowden-Quartermaine Free Clinic, Claudia was impressed. She offered to become one of his investors but Nikolas declined. Claudia was slightly offended because she assumed Nikolas thought she would try to launder mob money through the clinic. Nikolas assured Claudia that he had not thought any such thing. He explained that it was his final gift to Emily and that he wanted everything, including the money, to come from him.

6/13 Nadine mentioned to Nik how she was nervous after asking such an inappropriate question regarding his relationship with Claudia Zacchara. Claudia showed up at that same moment and agreed it had been inappropriate of Nadine to ask such personal questions. Nikolas was pulled away by a phone call and left the two women to talk. Claudia warned Nadine she was not sleeping with Nikolas yet, but she intended to be soon. Claudia thought Nadine was crazy for thinking she could date someone as unique as Nikolas Cassadine. Nadine asked if Claudia was saying Nikolas was out of her league. Claudia said she shouldn't have to ask that question to know the answer. Nikolas approached the two women and asked what question Claudia was referring to. Claudia asked if Nikolas would go with her to the Haunted Star that evening. Nikolas declined, and Claudia left to go to the casino on her own.

Tracy was annoyed at the Zacchara family's interest in the casino while Luke was away. She tried to talk to Claudia, but Claudia told her Anthony was the one who made decisions and he didn't like women to be involved in the business. When Claudia left, Jerry followed quickly behind her. He threatened her and was getting physical with her on the docks when Jason appeared. Jason asked what was going on, and Jerry told Claudia to explain to Jason what they had been discussing.

6/16 Jason interrupted an argument between Claudia and Jerry on the docks. Jerry had told Claudia to keep quiet about the fact that he had stabbed her or he would tell Jason about the part she played in Michael's shooting. Claudia covered by making it appear that they were talking about leasing property on the waterfront. After Jerry left, Claudia thanked Jason for rescuing her again. Before going on his way, Jason warned Claudia to be careful of Jerry. Claudia found a drunken Spinelli, lying flat on his back, raving about Damian and the Jackal. Claudia felt sorry for him and tried to help. Eventually, because Spinelli could not stand up, Claudia carried him home on piggyback. She managed to get him to Jason's place. When Jason opened the door to his apartment, Spinelli was on the couch, on top of Claudia, making groaning sounds.

6/17 Jason walked into his penthouse and was upset to see Spinelli lying on top of Claudia. He demanded Claudia leave Spinelli alone, but she pointed out Spinelli was on top of her. Jason realized Spinelli was drunk and asked why he had been drinking. Spinelli explained he was trying to take the edge off while he was trying to learn dating tips from Jax. Claudia had found Spinelli on the docks, preparing to sleep there for the night. She took him back to Jason's penthouse, but Jason didn't appear grateful. The two bickered until Spinelli asked Claudia if she would like to "break bread with them."

Claudia told Jason he needed to order some pizza for Spinelli before he threw up all over the floor. When the pizza arrived, Jason told Claudia to leave. She replied she hadn't stocked her fridge in her new apartment since her house had burned down. She would eat her pizza and leave. Claudia told Jason he wasn't very nice to Spinelli. If Jason were nicer, maybe Spinelli wouldn't need to drink to feel good about himself and try to land a date. Spinelli thanked her for standing up for him but said it was unnecessary.

Jason provided him with a job and a place to live, in addition to their friendship. Jason admitted he didn't always treat Spinelli the way some friends do. Claudia and Jason continued to argue over how he treated Spinelli until Jason asked Claudia if she was done with her pizza yet. Claudia opened the door to leave, but a man in a full bio-suit came in and told her she couldn't leave. The man who had delivered the pizza had a form of the Avian Bird Flu, which was highly contagious. Everyone would have to stay in the penthouse, because they were all under quarantine.

6/19 Spinelli felt responsible for exposing Claudia and Jason to a dangerous virus. He became distraught when he learned that there were some very disturbing side effects that included deep and prolonged delirium during which the patient could ramble private thoughts. Jason and Claudia appeared less than pleased to hear the news. After a brief call with Johnny, Claudia invited Spinelli to a game of pool to break the boredom. Jason listened as Claudia flirted with Spinelli while she taught him how to shoot pool. Annoyed with the banter, Jason stood up, walked to the pool table and wrenched the pool stick out of Spinelli's hand. When Jason barked at Claudia to leave Spinelli alone, Claudia responded by daring Jason to a game of pool. He wasn't interested and walked over to his desk.

Claudia followed Jason and did her best to push his buttons. She taunted him, gloating that she had done research on Jason and had learned quite a bit about him. Jason turned and gave her his full attention. Claudia took that as a sign to continue. She began talking about Jason's life as a Quartermaine, heir to a vast fortune, and then the accident which that left him brain damaged.

Unwisely, Claudia tried to use his injury to bait Jason. Jason responded by bringing up Michael's brain damage, which effectively shut Claudia up. Jason wasn't done though. He noticed Claudia's reaction and suggested that she looked suspiciously guilty. He went on to call the person who was responsible for Michael's shooting a few vile names before threatening to question Claudia if she fell ill and became delirious. Moments later, disgusted with Claudia's company, Jason decided to go to his room. On his way up the stairs he was overcome with dizziness and collapsed. Spinelli and Claudia rushed to Jason's side and realized that he had a high fever.

6/20 At Jason's penthouse, Claudia called the health department for advice in dealing with Jason's condition. Spinelli frantically tried to do something to help Stone Cold and made him some juice from a berry with special antioxidants. Jason realized Spinelli was trying to help, and he did his best to ease young Spinelli's mind. Claudia also helped and asked Spinelli if he could look up some information on the internet. After he left, Claudia brought some water and a washcloth in to give Jason a sponge bath.

6/23 Jason, Spinelli, and Claudia remained quarantined in Jason's penthouse. Claudia tried her best to nurse Jason through his fever, but he would have none of it. Jason refused to allow Claudia to touch him, much less take off his shirt so that she could give him a sponge bath. Claudia tried to bully Jason into it but instead of complying, Jason yelled for Spinelli. When Spinelli came downstairs, Jason ordered him to find a way to have the quarantine lifted. Claudia countered the order. She insisted that they remain in the penthouse until they were told by medical professionals that it was safe to leave.

Jason eventually resigned himself to the fact that he was stuck in the penthouse with Claudia, but made his feelings clear. Jason did not trust Claudia nor did he want her to nurse him during his illness. While Spinelli took Jason's temperature, Claudia took a call from Anthony. Anthony was happy to hear that Claudia was stuck with Jason. He thought it was the perfect opportunity for Claudia to kill his rival. Anthony said it would allow her to work her way back into the family fold and please her father at the same time.

Later, Claudia woke Jason up and offered him some soup, which she had prepared. Jason refused to touch it. Claudia tried to prove that it wasn't poisoned by sampling a bit of it, but Jason wouldn't be swayed. He did not trust anything that Claudia offered him. They were interrupted when Spinelli came barreling down the stairs with news about Ian Devlin's offshore account. Before Spinelli went further, Jason turned to Claudia and ordered her out of the room. Claudia grumbled but left the room.

When Claudia came back downstairs, Spinelli asked her to sit with Jason so that he could continue his work upstairs. After Spinelli left the living room, Claudia walked over to the sofa where Jason was resting and carefully removed a pillow. She stood over Jason's prone body with a pillow clutched in her hands while she watched him sleep.

6/24 Jason's fever was going down and he appeared to be feeling much better. He told Claudia she could leave, and just as she was about to walk out the door, a pale and sweaty Spinelli walked down the stairs and collapsed. Claudia and Jason got Spinelli on the couch, and Spinelli rambled on in an apparent delirious state. Jason tried to hush Spinelli, to no avail. Although it was difficult at times, Claudia deciphered Spinelli's code and understood that Spinelli was warning Jason about Sonny.

Spinelli thought Sonny felt responsible for what happened to Michael. In order to punish himself, he gave up his business, the thing he had worked all his life for, to Jason. Spinelli thought Sonny would find a way back into the business and force Jason's hand to kill Sonny. Claudia and Jason realized Spinelli was worse off than they originally thought and called 911.

At the hospital, Claudia tried to assure Jason that his friend would be all right. She told Jason that Spinelli's thoughts about Sonny were dead on, despite the delirium.

6/25 Claudia also arrived at the hospital and wanted to know about Spinelli's condition. Jason did not want her around. Maxie arrived at the hospital and met up with Claudia, who wanted to know if Maxie was still pursuing Johnny. Maxie said that she wanted the $20k and the humiliation it would cause Lulu, but that Spinelli was important to her also. Claudia got a phone call from Johnny and left for the police station, but not before showing great concern for Spinelli's welfare.

Claudia responded to Johnny's call and also appeared at the PCPD after he is arrested for a fight. Anthony wanted to know if she had succeeded in killing Jason. She told him that Spinelli was there at the time and it would have looked too suspicious if both men had died. Anthony did not like her answer. She left him and went in to see Johnny. Claudia told a surprised Johnny how much she liked Spinelli, who did not judge her, but accepted her as she was. She also told him about the rapport between Spinelli and Jason as Lulu watched their easy camaraderie through the glass.

6/26 Claudia demanded that Alexis have Johnny released from jail immediately. When Alexis refused, Claudia dropped all pretenses of civility. Jerry sprang to Alexis' defense and made a few subtle threats to Claudia. Claudia stopped by PCPD to visit her brother. Claudia warned Johnny that Scotty was out for blood. She also felt that Alexis was the reason that Johnny remained in "lockdown." Claudia was certain that if Johnny broke things off with Lulu, she would run back to Logan Hayes and Scotty would be content to let the charges drop. Johnny made it clear that he would not break up with Lulu.

Claudia couldn't understand Johnny's attraction to the youngest Spencer. Claudia considered Lulu and her high school dramas, boyfriends beating each other up over her, to be unworthy of Johnny. Johnny declared his love for Lulu just as Tracy walked in demanding to speak with him. Reluctantly, Claudia left when Johnny told her that he wanted to hear what Tracy had to say.

In the squad room, Claudia spotted Ric Lansing and approached him. She told him that if Ric found a way to have Johnny released from jail, he would have her family's gratitude. Ric suggested that Claudia rethink what she was asking. He pointed out that with Johnny out of the way, the path would be open for her to be Anthony's favorite child. Claudia didn't think Ric had a true appreciation for the dynamics of her family. She told him that if Johnny ever disappeared the first person that Anthony would hunt down and kill would be Claudia.

6/27 Claudia came to visit them in the morning but left shortly after Spinelli awoke. Outside the interrogation room, Claudia showed up in an effort to get Johnny released. Ric also showed up soon after Claudia with a court order for Johnny to be released. Alexis looked over the order, but she said Johnny was set to be released anyway because they were dropping the charges. When Johnny and Lulu came out of the interrogation room, Ric told the younger Zacchara boy that his father wanted to see him. Johnny said he had plans, but Claudia asked if he would truly disappoint their father. Johnny kissed a shocked Lulu good-bye and left with his sister.

When Claudia, Ric, and Johnny arrived at Anthony's hotel room, Trevor tried to kick Claudia out before they started discussing business. Anthony allowed her to say, but he made a point of telling Claudia she had disappointed them by not following through with his instructions. (Anthony was referring to his request for her to kill Jason during the Asian epidemic.) Ric thought Johnny needed to be more careful with Logan Hayes and his father. Anthony warned Ric not to chastise his son. Anthony felt their real problem was Alexis Davis. Ric appeared shocked, but everyone was in for a surprise when Jerry walked in and put a gun to Johnny's head.

6/30 Jerry burst into Anthony's hotel suite and held a gun to Johnny's head. He told Anthony that he was there because Anthony had agitated Alexis by threatening her daughter, Kristina. Ric, Trevor, and Claudia were shocked to hear what Anthony had said to Alexis. Despite Anthony's claim that it was an empty threat designed to make Alexis release Johnny from police custody, Jerry viciously insisted that he would kill all of them if any harm befell Alexis or her children. He used Johnny as a hostage and left the suite with him in tow.

Nikolas caught up with Claudia at the hospital. He told her that he would go to Jason and tell what he knew about her involvement with Michael's tragic shooting if anything happened to Alexis or her children. Claudia tried to squirm out of responsibility for Michael's condition, but Nikolas was not swayed. Jerry prepared to release Johnny outside the hotel, but not before reiterating his intent to kill Johnny and Claudia if anything happened to Alexis or her children. Jerry then let Johnny go, but when he turned his back, Johnny jumped him. After a brief struggle, Johnny got control of the gun. Claudia arrived as Johnny prepared to shoot Jerry. A calm Jerry reminded Claudia that he had proof of a deep, dark Zacchara secret that would be revealed if anything happened to him.

7/1 Johnny held a gun to Jerry until Claudia revealed the full story about her involvement with Jerry and Ian Devlin. Jerry had a signed affidavit that Claudia had hired Ian to shoot Sonny. After what happened to Michael, Jason would kill both Johnny and Claudia if he found out that information. Johnny shot behind Jerry to just barely miss him. Johnny was trying to call Jerry's bluff, but Claudia managed to get Johnny to go home. Once Claudia and Johnny arrived home, Johnny exploded in a rage after it became crystal clear what Claudia's total involvement had been. Jerry had not been interested in buying property; he had been spying on Claudia. She knew he was dangerous and told Johnny that Jerry had been the one who had stabbed her. Johnny was furious Claudia had kept so much from him. He asked if anyone else knew about their involvement with Michael's shooting.

7/2 In their apartment, Claudia and Johnny discussed their trust issues. Claudia insisted that Johnny could trust her. Johnny said that he knew he could trust her love, but he was not sure about her judgment. She admitted that she had made a mistake by trusting Jerry Jax and hiring Ian Devlin to shoot Sonny. She said that she was trying to keep Johnny out of it, believing that what he did not know would not hurt him. Johnny told her that she could not protect him because he did know what she had done, and Jerry was aware that he knew. When Johnny asked her if anyone other than Jerry knew, she admitted that Nikolas was also aware that she had hired Devlin. Johnny was stunned and feared the consequences if Lulu should find out.

Claudia told Johnny that she had spilled the beans when she was at Windemere, delirious and recovering from a stab wound. Johnny worried about how long a secret could remain a secret if so many people already knew. Claudia assured Johnny that Nikolas, who felt guilty about buying an illegal drug from Devlin, would not tell. Johnny was not so sure and wondered what they should do. Claudia suggested that she could go to Jason and tell the truth. She told Johnny that Jason had a soul and that he would understand and would not kill them in retaliation. She pointed out that Jason had been provoked numerous times but had not started a war. Johnny did not accept her analysis of Jason's character and was adamant that no one should be told about his or her part in the shooting that ultimately led to Michael's coma.

Jason bumped into Claudia on the docks, she wanted to talk. They made an appointment for the next morning in Jason's office. Claudia reproached Jason for treating her so coldly and reminded him that she had nursed him, when she could have killed him, as well as Spinelli when they were in quarantine with a virus. She thought the least he could do was thank her. Politely, Jason thanked her for taking care of Spinelli before walking away.

Claudia went to Carly's home and respectfully asked to speak with her. She wanted to enlist Carly's help in separating Johnny and Lulu. Carly also wanted to separate the pair, but felt Lulu had to make her own choices. Claudia explained what it was like to grow up in a violent household, and how hard it was for Johnny when his father shot his mother. Claudia told Carly that Johnny was only eight years old at the time and that Anthony had intended to shoot Johnny, but had missed and hit Johnny's mother instead. Carly sympathized, but was unsure what Claudia wanted. Claudia said that she would do anything to protect Johnny and needed help from Carly.

7/3 At Carly's house, Claudia tried to convince Carly to talk to Jerry on her behalf. Claudia wanted Jerry's assurance that he would not kill Johnny. Carly listened carefully and picked up on something that Claudia had said. Carly asked her what horrible thing had Claudia had done that endangered Johnny's life. Claudia realized that she had revealed too much but quickly recovered. She told Carly about Anthony's threat on Kristina's life. Carly didn't see the connection. Claudia lied and said that she had given Anthony the idea to threaten Alexis. Carly's expression was skeptical, but she didn't pursue it further. Carly confessed that she knew what it was like to hurt someone dear to her. Claudia took that as a sign that Carly would talk to Jerry and made a hasty exit. Outside of Carly's house, Claudia stopped to compose herself before she stepped off of the porch.

On the dock, Jerry informed Claudia that he needed insurance that Anthony would not kill him. Jerry demanded that Anthony be told about Claudia and Johnny's involvement with Ian Devlin and Michael's shooting. Jerry realized that until Anthony realized that his son could be charged as an accessory to the shooting, Jerry's life would be in danger. Claudia reluctantly went to see her father. When she told Anthony that they couldn't kill Jerry because he made arrangements to expose Johnny and Claudia's involvement in Michael's shooting, Anthony hit the roof. He shouted obscenities at his daughter, calling her a slut and a whore. Then he brought up her past. Claudia had enough. She stood up and yelled, "How dare you?" She reminded him that she was only 16 and he was the adult. Exactly what happened remained a mystery.

7/7 In Anthony's hotel suite, Anthony called Claudia "a manipulative tramp," when she tried to explain the youthful behavior that led to Anthony finding Claudia in bed with Trevor when she was sixteen. Claudia explained that she only slept with Trevor in hopes of getting Anthony to see how bad Trevor really was and send him away. Claudia was hurt that she was sent away instead. Anthony told her that she took after her mother, that she was always scheming and could not be trusted.

Despite Claudia's explanation that she was young and Trevor used every excuse to touch her, Anthony persisted in calling Claudia a tramp. He said that he had sent her away because he did not want her manipulating Johnny as she had attempted to manipulate him. Claudia said that she loved Johnny and only wanted to protect him. Anthony told Claudia that the bond she had with Johnny was unnatural. A tearful Claudia insisted that she would never hurt Johnny. Anthony said that she already had when she hired Ian Devlin to shoot Sonny.

Claudia said that she, too, was in trouble and that as a child she had expected her daddy to protect her, but he had not. She also told Anthony that she knew he had sent a hit man to kill her. She grabbed a letter opener, and thrust it into his hands. As she was urging Anthony to kill her, Johnny walked in and stopped their argument. Neither Anthony nor Claudia would tell Johnny what they were actually arguing about, but Johnny did find out that Anthony was aware of his and Claudia's part in the shooting and subsequent coma of Michael. Claudia said that she had to tell Anthony that they were involved so that he would not kill Jerry, whose death would then trigger the release of information linking her and Johnny to the shooting.

7/8 Sonny pushed off Claudia's advances and explained he was in love. He realized Claudia was feeling bad about herself and was trying to punish herself. Claudia explained her past to Sonny. Anthony had always been a little crazy, but after he had killed Maria, things had gotten worse. Claudia knew Trevor was bad news so she had developed a plan when she was only 16 years old. She planned things just right for her father to walk in on her and Trevor having sex. Things hadn't turned out the way Claudia had planned, though, and she ended up being the one who was banished. Sonny understood Claudia's feelings, but he said he would never treat his own daughter the way Anthony had treated Claudia. Later, after Claudia left, Carly showed up. She showed Sonny the picture of Kate and Jax and demanded he get his fiancée under control.

7/9 Claudia walked into the apartment that she shared with Johnny and found Maxie, Lulu, and Johnny standing around Logan's dead body. When Claudia asked what had happened, Johnny told Claudia that he had killed Logan in self-defense. He said that he was alone when Logan broke down the door and attacked him. When Claudia asked what set Logan off, Maxie jumped in and said that Logan had come to the Crimson offices and become crazed when Lulu told him that she loved Johnny and only Johnny.

Lulu tried to step up and take the blame, but both Maxie and Johnny covered for her. When asked why she had not immediately called her daddy, the police commissioner, Maxie said it was because she did not want her involvement known. Claudia accepted the explanation given by Johnny, Maxie, and an obviously shaken Lulu. Maxie and a reluctant Lulu left the apartment to create an alibi for themselves, while Johnny and Claudia stayed behind to dispose of the body. Johnny and Claudia made a plan to dispose of the body in such a way that neither of them would be implicated in the killing, and their father, Anthony, would not find out.

In the parking garage, Johnny removed a license plate, with the letters "ATJ," from a dark sedan and replaced it with a different plate. While holding the plate, Claudia told Johnny that even if Nadine had seen the car and gotten a license plate number, the plate could not be traced back to them.

7/10 Claudia made arrangements to dispose of the damaged penthouse door, which had been replaced, then rejoined her brother in the penthouse. When she began discussing replacing the blood-soaked rug, Johnny spoke up. He didn't think it was a good idea because it would arouse suspicion. Claudia disagreed; she thought it was too risky to leave the rug in the penthouse. Claudia's main concern wasn't the rug but rather, Lulu.

Claudia felt that Johnny had a blind spot when it came to Lulu, who, according to Claudia, was all over the place emotionally. The discussion was shelved when Maxie and Lulu showed up. Claudia wasn't pleased to see them. She asked the girls if anyone knew that they were at the penthouse. Maxie assured her that no one saw them or knew where they were. Claudia made it clear that from that point forward, Lulu and Maxie were to take orders from her. Moments later, a phone call from Anthony called Claudia away.

When Claudia arrived to see Anthony, Trevor and Ric tried to question her about Logan's murder. Claudia refused to answer their questions so Anthony sent them away. When they were alone, Anthony asked Claudia if Johnny had, by chance, told her when or where he had killed Logan. Claudia tried to pretend that she didn't have any knowledge of the crime but Anthony knew about the door that Logan had broken down. Anthony appreciated Claudia's desire to cover up her brother's crime but he wanted more from her. Anthony ordered Claudia to go to the police and confess to witnessing Jason Morgan murdering Logan Hayes.

7/11 Claudia went to her father's apartment and told him she took care of erasing all evidence from Logan's murder. Anthony wasn't very confident in his daughter's ability, but he was even more shocked to learn Lulu and Maxie had been there when Claudia discovered Logan's body in the apartment with Johnny. Claudia assured Anthony she would do whatever was necessary to protect her brother, but Anthony decided to take matters into his own hands. Johnny was not pleased when Claudia admitted she had talked to their father, and he knew Lulu and Maxie had been in the apartment and witnessed Logan's dead body. ohnny saw Lulu's stunned face and asked Spinelli what he did to upset her.

7/14 Claudia spied Jason in her parking garage. He was looking at her car. She pulled a gun on him and wanted to know what he was doing. Jason told her that there was video footage of her car around Nikolas' clinic about the time Logan's body was dumped there. He also told her that it made it look like Johnny had killed Logan. Claudia scoffed and asked if the video footage showed her license plate. Jason said no, but told her that there was evidence on her car that the plate had been changed. Claudia asked Jason why he cared. He said it was because he was a suspect, so he had to find out who really did it. Claudia put her gun away and told Jason that he was better off than Johnny.

Before they could talk further, the cops arrived with guns drawn. Claudia insisted that they had no reason to search her car without a warrant and tried to call her lawyer. Jason refused to answer questions without his lawyer. Lucky and the other detective did not like those answers, so they arrested Claudia and Jason and took them to the police station.

At the PCPD, they were handcuffed to the table in the interrogation room and left alone. Claudia begged Jason not to tell what he knew. Jason said that he would never tell the cops anything. He told Claudia that she and Johnny would have real problems after the police got done with forensics on the car. Claudia said that she was not an amateur and that she would be home before dinner. Jason was skeptical and when Claudia asked what he recommended, but he told her to get a lawyer and do damage control. Claudia wanted to know whom to call, Trevor or Ric. Before Jason could respond, Mac came in and told them that they were free to go, because the cops knew who killed Logan.

7/15 Down at the station, Claudia was brought in after her car was confiscated and searched. Anthony, Trevor, and Ric showed up, too, after they heard the Zacchara children were in trouble. They watched as Johnny was brought in and shoved into the interrogation room. While Claudia promised to get her brother out of the mess, Trevor and Ric told Anthony that Johnny would have to stay in jail overnight.

7/18 Carly tried to convince Claudia to buy out Jax's share in Crimson magazine. Claudia would have access to Sonny and could seduce him again. Claudia asked why she would be interested in a man she already had seduced. Jax interrupted them, and Claudia revealed the nature of their conversation. Jax said his shares of Crimson were not for sale. Claudia asked him to call her if he changed his mind. Claudia walked in the restaurant and noticed Sonny meeting with Karpov. She immediately cancelled her plans and sat down at a close table. When Sonny left, Claudia followed him home. She warned Sonny not to deal with the Karpov organization. Sonny wasn't interested in taking advice from a woman who wasn't allowed in her own family's mob wars.

7/21 At Sonny's home, Claudia warned Sonny about his new business associate, Karpov. Sonny did not take kindly to Claudia's interference and ignored her concerns that Karpov was the front-runner for the ruthless Russian mafia. Claudia told Sonny that she thought that his dealings with Karpov were a way for Sonny to get back in the business, because she was sure that he missed the power and all that it implied. Sonny wanted to know why she cared. Claudia said that Sonny had been kind to her a few nights before and she just wanted to return the favor. Sonny thanked her for her advice and asked her to leave. Claudia received a call from Harper telling her that Johnny had escaped and demanding that she show up at the PCPD for an interview.

7/22 Claudia tried desperately to get Spinelli to start looking for Johnny, but Maxie pointed out that Jason was Spinelli's boss and wasn't there to give orders. Claudia asked if Spinelli would start searching for her brother if Maxie asked him. Claudia tried to bribe Maxie by reminding her about the deal they had made in the Crimson office. Maxie wasn't intimidated and told Spinelli about accepting Claudia's deal to sleep with Johnny. Spinelli was crushed, but he still was not going to help Claudia unless Jason gave him permission. Claudia left to go to the station to talk with Jason. Claudia went in the interrogation room to beg Jason to allow Spinelli to search for Johnny. Jason said Claudia didn't need Spinelli's help. Johnny would soon call Claudia, and Jason needed to know when he called. Claudia agreed to tell him anything, as long as he promised to help Johnny.

7/23 Anthony met with Claudia and demanded to know where Johnny was. He accused her of deliberately doing a bad job of covering up Logan's murder because she wanted Johnny caught and out of the way. He blamed her for poisoning Johnny against him. Claudia responded with claws drawn. She told Anthony that Johnny hated him. Anthony started screaming at Claudia and calling her filthy names. He told her that he should have drowned her when Johnny was born.

Claudia was quietly crying and taking Anthony's abuse when Sonny stepped in and stopped him. Sonny had strong words for Anthony's boorish public behavior, and threatened to dump Anthony out of his wheelchair and make him crawl away. Anthony huffed and puffed to reassert his control as Sonny offered his hand to a shaken Claudia. Sonny escorted Claudia back to her apartment. He told her not to take what he did for her personally. Sonny said that he would have done the same thing for anyone in similar circumstances. He advised Claudia to tell Johnny to give himself up. He told her that there were lots of people who cared about Lulu and that Johnny would suffer if anything happened to her. Sonny said that he had known Lulu for a long time and did not want her to see her boyfriend "shot down like a dog." Claudia responded that Johnny was smart and not to underestimate him.

7/24 Anthony went to Claudia's apartment to apologize to her about his outburst the previous day. Anthony's apology was short-lived as he began talking about Claudia's mother. Anthony blamed his former wife for molding their daughter in her own image. To Anthony, that completely ruined Claudia. They were interrupted when Claudia's phone rang. Claudia carefully answered it and tried to hide the fact that Johnny was on the other end. After quickly ending the call, Anthony revealed that he hadn't been fooled. He knew it had been Johnny. Claudia lied and insisted that the person calling had been Sonny. Anthony warned Claudia that she would need someone more powerful than Sonny to protect her if one single hair on Johnny's head was harmed. Anthony told Claudia that he loved her but, he said, he loved Johnny more.

Claudia went to see Jason at the Port Charles police station. Unfortunately, Lucky stopped her before she could enter the interrogation room where Jason was being held. Lucky demanded to know if she had information about Johnny. Claudia said that she didn't. She explained that she was there to seduce Jason. Lucky appeared disgusted and walked away. Claudia entered into the interrogation room and told Jason what she had told Lucky. When Jason asked her why she would make such a claim, Claudia responded that she didn't want Lucky to know that Johnny had contacted her.

7/25 Claudia wanted Sonny's help to find her brother and thought she could bribe the former mobster turned coffee importer. Sonny was not impressed and kicked her out of his house, telling her he could not be bribed. Claudia went home to find Ric waiting for her. He wanted to know what Claudia would give him if he got Johnny acquitted. Later, Claudia also came to visit Jason again. She was desperate to get his help for Johnny, but Jason wanted to make sure Claudia didn't make things worse for Johnny and Lulu.

7/28 Ric and Claudia met in her apartment to discuss Johnny's case. Ric was convinced that he could put Logan's past violent behavior on trial and get Johnny off on a self-defense plea. Claudia wanted guarantees, but Ric could not give her any. Claudia threatened to tell her father that Ric knew of Logan's violent past but hired him as Anthony's caregiver anyway. She said that her father would kill Ric and that would take the heat off her. Ric said that she could tell Anthony, but if anything happened to Ric she was giving up her one chance to see Johnny go free.

Ric succeeded in convincing Claudia that he could help Johnny. He told her he wanted an ally within Anthony's circle. Claudia said that she didn't have much leverage with Anthony but she was willing to be his ally. She offered a handshake, but Ric wanted more. Claudia was incredulous to find out that Ric wanted to bed her, but she agreed on the condition that Ric get all charges against Johnny dismissed. She told Ric that on the day Johnny was freed from all charges, she would sleep with him. Before more could be said, Jason knocked on the door. When Jason saw Ric, he was ready to leave. He told Claudia that she could not trust Ric. He told her that Ric knew nothing about loyalty. In response, Ric taunted Jason with the news that Sonny was working with rival Karpov.

7/29 In Claudia's apartment, Ric told Jason about Sonny dealing with Andre Karpov. Jason didn't believe Ric and pointed out how common his lies had been in the past. Before he stormed off, Jason warned Claudia to be careful of whom she allowed into her apartment. After Jason was gone, Claudia yelled at Ric for telling Jason about Sonny's business. Claudia realized Ric was only trying to goad Jason because Ric had issues with his brother. Ric tried to point out what a good deal it would be if Jason and Sonny would kill each other. Claudia acted as if she still didn't care, but she did agree to give Ric whatever he wanted if Johnny was returned unharmed and acquitted of all charges.

Claudia knocked on Jason’s door, and Jason asked Spinelli to leave them so they could discuss business. Claudia knew Spinelli had been looking for proof about Sonny's possible business dealings. She was there to save Jason time and trouble. She had been at the restaurant when Karpov and Sonny first met. He basically blackmailed her into not saying anything to Jason. If Jason was grateful for the information, he didn't show any gratitude towards Claudia. Before Claudia left, she warned Jason he would have to make a decision to be a friend to Sonny or be a mob boss.

7/30 Claudia and Ric also had a meeting at the Metro Court. Claudia wanted to know if Ric was going to tell Sonny that Jason knew about Sonny's involvement with Karpov. Ric wanted to know why she cared. Claudia said it was Karpov she was concerned about. She wanted to know if the reason that Ric had told Jason about Sonny and Karpov was so that Jason would kill Sonny. Ric asked if that would bother Claudia. Claudia said her only interest was Johnny. She told Ric that if he could get all the charges dropped against Johnny, she would go along with anything that Ric wanted.

7/31 At the Metro Court restaurant, Claudia interrupted a talk between Sonny and Ric. Ric didn't seem pleased by Claudia's untimely visit and tried to shoo her away. Claudia refused to be dismissed. She reminded Ric that he worked for her family and that her interest lay solely in protecting her brother. Claudia found it disconcerting to see Ric talking to Sonny, given Sonny's history. Claudia then began talking about trust. She felt that the three of them couldn't trust each other very much. Ric walked away after they all engaged in some verbal sparing and veiled threats.

Once Ric was gone, Sonny warned Claudia that he did not appreciate her dangling threats about his business with Karpov. He then stepped away to take a call. When Sonny returned to the table, Claudia was still seated. She correctly guessed that Sonny had been on the phone with Karpov. Sonny insisted that he was protecting Jason, but Claudia didn't believe him. She accused him of being out for revenge because Jason had helped Carly take Sonny's sons away.

8/6 Claudia acceded to Sonny's demand that she go to his place. Sonny interrogated Claudia because he suspected that she was the one who had spilled the beans to Jason about Sonny's involvement with Karpov. Claudia told him that she had more to worry about than his relationship with Karpov. Claudia demanded to know what else Sonny would hold over her head. Before he could answer, Kate walked in and wanted to know what was going on. Kate immediately jumped to Sonny's defense and accused Claudia of trying to get Sonny back in the mob. Claudia made a veiled, sarcastic comment about Sonny's ties to Kate and the mob, so Sonny jumped to Kate's defense. Claudia apologized for any unintended slight but left without telling Kate that Sonny was involved with Karpov or telling Sonny that Ric was the one who had told Jason.

Kate confronted Claudia at the Metro Court restaurant. Claudia tried to leave, but Kate had things to say. She accused Claudia of trying to pull Sonny back into the mob. Claudia took Kate's abuse until Kate asked her if she even cared about what had happened to Michael. Claudia said that Kate was the unfeeling one because Michael's shooting had gotten Kate everything that she had wanted. Kate was stunned as Claudia said that Michael's shooting had not only been the final break between Carly and Sonny, but had left Sonny messed up in the head and dependent on Kate, who had used the shooting to guilt Sonny out of the mob. Kate responded that Claudia was truly evil if she could believe that Kate would skew the tragedy for her own advantage. Claudia said that was what Kate had done and what she did every day. Claudia said that Kate was in a fantasy world that would soon crash down, because Sonny was borderline psycho and hooked on power. Sooner or later, she continued, the real Sonny would emerge.

Claudia said that Sonny was good at the mob business, and he would not be content to hide behind Kate or the façade of a legitimate coffee business. Claudia said that she did not have to lure Sonny back to the crime business, because sooner or later Sonny would return to the mob on his own. Kate told Claudia that she was really good at obfuscation, but Kate was good at focus. Kate said that despite everything that Claudia had said, she and Sonny were getting married and Sonny had chosen Kate over the mob. Kate warned Claudia to stay away from Sonny, then stiffened her back, told Claudia to enjoy her iced tea, and walked away.

Claudia was ordering something stronger than iced tea when Ric joined her. She told him that he owed her big time. She said that Jason had confronted Sonny about Karpov but had not given Ric as the source of his information, so Sonny had jumped to the conclusion that Claudia had been the one who had told Jason, and Sonny had accused her. She had not told Sonny the truth, that Ric had been the one to out him to Jason. She told Ric to take her silence as a sign of her good will. In a seductive voice, Ric said that he had always known that they would make a good team. They toasted each other.

8/8 Matt was trying to get information about the counterfeit drugs from Nadine. He grabbed her arm just as Claudia walked over and pulled a gun on them. She thought Matt had been threatening Nadine and Claudia would be saving the day. Matt left and Nadine thanked Claudia, even though she ruined Nadine's chances of getting information from Matt. Claudia decided Nadine needed to tell Nikolas what she had been doing, and dragged her back to the clinic. Nadine was in no mood to be tattled on, so she stormed off. Claudia took the opportunity to tell Nikolas that Nadine had a crush on him. Nikolas was interested in any news Claudia had from her brother and Lulu. Claudia assured Nikolas that Johnny was in love with Lulu and would protect her. Nikolas was not comforted, and he told Claudia there might be things Johnny could not protect Lulu from.

8/11 Jason, Claudia, and Carly were on the docks and under fire from Jerry. They hid behind some packing crates near the alley. Both Jason and Claudia pulled guns. While Carly and Claudia sniped at each other, Jason decided to make a run for it. He provided cover fire while Carly and Claudia scrambled for the alley. When fire was not returned, Jason searched the area and found a spent rifle cartridge. Carly and Claudia joined him.

Carly accused Claudia of setting up the hit but Claudia retorted that it was more likely Karpov. Jason wanted both of them to be quiet. Claudia told Jason that he could believe her or not, but the only reason she was down there was because Johnny and Lulu had abandoned the mayor's car in the area and she was looking for clues. Claudia said all she was concerned about was finding her brother. Then she flounced away. After she left, both Jason and Carly agreed that they were inclined to believe her.

Claudia went to Windemere and told Nikolas that Johnny had phoned with questions about Laura. She told him that Johnny had asked if Lulu had ever hallucinated. Nikolas wanted to have more details as his fears for Lulu escalated, so Claudia told him all that she knew, which was not much. She tried to comfort Nikolas as she told him that she was no stranger to having a parent with a mental illness. She said Johnny had feared inheriting Anthony's madness, but that he was nothing like Anthony.

Nikolas said that he worried because Lulu was very much like Laura. He told Claudia that Laura had a series of shocks that culminated in the memory of killing her stepfather. Claudia wanted to know if Laura had become violent, but Nikolas said no, just the opposite. Laura had withdrawn inside herself. She had become catatonic and was unable to move or speak. He feared that Lulu would become like Laura. Claudia speculated that Lulu needed more help than Johnny could give her. Johnny called Claudia and told her to get hold of Nikolas and ask him about Laura's condition. He also wanted to know if Lulu had ever suffered from hallucinations.

Dvd #2B 8/12 Claudia and Nik discuss Lulu and Johnny being on the run. Nik worries that Lulu will either be committed or go to prison. Claudia questions that since when does he support Lulu having a relationship with Johnny and doubts she can trust him not to turn on Johnny. He has no choice but to support Lulu with Johnny.

8/14 Claudia was livid when Anthony demanded that Claudia move back into the Zacchara mansion. She absolutely refused to consider it and walked out. Claudia soon returned, angrier than ever. It seemed that Anthony had his men clear out her penthouse and move all of her things-and Johnny's-into the Zacchara mansion. Anthony refused to take no for an answer. He felt that Claudia was his only link to Johnny. Claudia denied having heard from Johnny since he had gone on the run, but Anthony didn't believe her. He warned Claudia that if anything happened to Johnny before he returned safely home, Claudia would be the one to pay.

Claudia pointed out that Johnny was unlikely to return home anytime soon since he had a murder charge hanging over his head and Scott Baldwin was determined to see Johnny prosecuted. Anthony disagreed and confidently told Claudia that Alexis would soon drop all charges. Claudia was skeptical and asked Anthony what he had done. Just then, Sonny walked in and announced that Anthony had made a fatal mistake, for which he would pay dearly.

8/15 Sonny visited Anthony and warned him to never threaten anyone under his protection again. Anthony said he thought Sonny was retired and no one was under his protection anymore. Jason Morgan was the only one who offered protection, and Anthony had learned that Jason didn't take action. Sonny told Anthony he would learn just how retired Sonny really was if anyone from the Zacchara family ever threatened Sonny's children again. 

After Sonny left, Claudia asked her father why he was goading Sonny into taking back his business. Anthony explained that he felt he could manipulate Sonny more than Jason. They were interrupted when Nikolas came to see Anthony. He was there to ask Anthony to stop looking for Johnny and Lulu. Anthony wasn't impressed with Nikolas' plan to get the fugitives out of the country. He told Nikolas there was a price to pay if Johnny didn't come home.  When Nikolas' phone rang, he answered it and rushed off. Claudia left with him, while Anthony was left wondering what was going on. Claudia and Nikolas drove off to Shadybrook after Nikolas explained he had received a tip about Lulu being admitted to the mental hospital.

8/18 When Scott, Mac, and Johnny arrived at the police station, Trevor, Anthony, and Claudia were waiting for them. Scott refused to let anyone talk to Johnny, including a defense lawyer. When Claudia slapped him, he demanded that she be arrested for assault. Mac took him aside and pointed out that since everyone in the PCPD saw that the assault was a mere slap and arresting Claudia would be seen as harassing the whole Zacchara family-and could eventually weaken the case against Johnny if it appeared that Scott was engaged in a vendetta. Scott relented about Claudia, but was firm about keeping Johnny in jail with no bail to be forthcoming.

8/19 Claudia came to the police station and was allowed into the interrogation room to visit her brother. Claudia was upset with Johnny's previous decisions, and running away with Lulu only made things worse. Claudia stormed out when Johnny refused to rat out Lulu, and declared his love for Lulu.

8/20 Lucky arrived at Windemere after visiting Lulu. He told Nikolas that he had found Lulu in Laura' room. Nikolas told Lucky that Lulu was having visions of Logan.  Claudia showed up and overheard Lucky blaming Lulu's problems on Johnny. Claudia immediately jumped to Johnny's defense and blamed Lulu for Johnny's woes. When Claudia said that Lulu had brought in the gun, Lucky tried to deny it, but Nikolas interjected that they both knew that Lulu had brought the gun. Lucky retorted that Lulu did not make Johnny take her hostage.

8/21 Claudia stopped by to visit Johnny. Johnny was determined to see Lulu and demanded that Claudia help him. Claudia made it clear that the only person she was interested in helping was her brother, not Lulu. Claudia pointed out that Lulu was unstable and would be called as a witness for the prosecution, but Johnny didn't care. He was worried that Lulu was suffering from more than post-traumatic stress disorder and he didn't want to waste time being stuck in jail.

8/22 Claudia visited with her brother at the Port Charles police station. Johnny asked Claudia to help him get some type of visitation to see Lulu. Claudia felt Johnny needed to stay as far away as possible from Lulu. They argued until Lucky came into the interrogation room and started yelling at Johnny. Lucky had seen Lulu earlier and she was not doing well. Lucky just knew that Johnny and Lulu had talked, which he felt had led to Lulu's deterioration.  Johnny started to tell Lucky that Lulu needed him, but Lucky leapt across the room to attack Johnny. Claudia called for help and Detective Harper pulled Lucky out of the room. He told Lucky to go take a walk, while Claudia demanded someone write Lucky up for his behavior. Detective Harper said he saw nothing to write Lucky up about. He just saw a good cop trying to handle an out-of-control murder suspect. 

Later, Claudia confronted Lucky outside the interrogation room. She told him that what had just happened was a perfect example of why Johnny needed to stay away from Lulu. As Claudia relentlessly nagged Johnny about staying away from Lulu, Johnny stared out the window in the interrogation room and suddenly saw Lulu. He opened the door and overheard Detective Harper asking Lulu if she was all right. Lulu said she was fine, but she just really needed to see Johnny. Detective Harper said he would ask Claudia if she would leave, because Johnny could only have one visitor at a time. Claudia spoke up and said no. Lulu would have to come back another time. Johnny didn't agree, though, and told Claudia she would have to leave.

Outside the interrogation room, Claudia was furious at Jason for bringing Lulu to see Johnny. She asked if he was intentionally trying to get her brother a life sentence. Jason said he was just doing a favor. He watched as Lucky stormed in and headed towards the interrogation room. Jason stopped him and said he was just trying to help Lulu. Lucky wasn't interested and told Jason to back off or he would have Jason arrested for impersonating Lulu's brother.  Before Jason left, he asked Lucky to listen to Lulu. She might be sick, but she needed people to listen to her and understand what she needed. Lucky started to go into the interrogation room, but Claudia stopped him. She said she hated Lulu and Johnny together just as much as Lucky did. Pulling them apart wouldn't solve anything, though. Claudia seemed to get through to Lucky.

8/25 Claudia remained with Johnny and ondered why Lulu was so upset by Logan's death. Johnny said it was because Lulu had seen the body, but Claudia was skeptical. While they were talking, Scott came in and made mean remarks about Lulu, including that he would call her to the stand to testify. Johnny was inflamed and grabbed Scott. Claudia calmed Johnny down, but Scott was not mollified. He insisted that he would have Johnny transferred from the Port Charles jail to Pentonville prison.

After Scott left, Trevor came to aid in Johnny's defense. Claudia did not want Trevor, she wanted Ric, but Trevor insisted that Ric had gone away on vacation with his daughter, Molly, and did not care about Johnny. Trevor said that he would see to Johnny's defense. Claudia excused herself when she saw Alexis leave her office. Claudia let herself in and had just pocketed Ric's phone number, when Alexis caught her and threatened to have Claudia arrested for breaking and entering, and evidence tampering.

8/26 Nikolas walked in as Alexis was about to have Claudia arrested for breaking into her office. Alexis looked desperately for something that may be missing, while Nikolas tried to calm her down. He said he thought she was overreacting. Alexis was surprised Nikolas was standing up for the Zaccharas. Nikolas explained that he understood Claudia's love for Johnny and wanting to protect him. It was the same way he felt about Lulu. Alexis agreed to let things go for Nikolas' sake. When Claudia left Alexis' office, she walked out with a note about where Ric and Molly were at in New York. Claudia immediately left for New York and found Ric's hotel. She paid a maid to let her into Ric's room and surprised Ric and his female guest while they were in bed. Claudia demanded Ric's friend leave so they could discuss business. Although Claudia insinuated the woman was a hooker, Ric and his guest explained that they had been law partners in a prestigious law firm. After the woman left, Claudia told Ric they had work to do. Johnny had been locked up for Logan's murder and Ric needed to get him off from the murder charges. Ric said this was something Trevor could handle, but Claudia reminded him of their previous deal. She would give him whatever he wanted if he would get Johnny out of the murder rap.

8/27 At PCPD, Claudia and Scott exchanged hostilities. Alexis showed up and stepped in between Scott and Claudia. Scott ordered Alexis to get Ric's court order overturned, but she refused and said that Johnny would get a fair trial by a jury of his peers. Ric came out of the interrogation room and told both of them that Johnny was innocent. He told Alexis to do herself a favor and drop the charges. As Claudia listened, Ric told Alexis and Scott that he would get Johnny off because of the prejudicial way that Scott, as special prosecutor, was handling the case. Alexis rose to defend the evidence and Scott huffed away leaving Alexis to confront Ric on her own.

Claudia went to see Johnny, who called Ric a "snake." Claudia responded that Ric was a snake who was going to get Johnny set free. Johnny asked Claudia what Ric knew and she admitted that their father had told Ric that Johnny had killed Logan. Johnny did not like hearing that Ric knew the fabricated version of Logan's demise. Claudia was sure that Ric could get Johnny acquitted, so he agreed to cooperate with Ric as long as Ric blocked all attempts to have Lulu called to the stand. 8/28 At the Port Charles police station, Ric prepared to meet with his client, Johnny, when Claudia sauntered into the interrogation room. She told Ric that, since Johnny didn't trust Ric, she was there as a buffer. She also made sure that Ric remembered their agreement; she would sleep with him in exchange for Johnny's freedom. Ric appreciated the reminder but told Claudia that he had other incentives, besides hers, which drove him. He pointed out that if he could clear Johnny of the murder charges, then Ric could write his own ticket. He also felt that it would convince Anthony that he didn't need two attorneys. Claudia was disgusted by Ric's lack of loyalty to his father. Ric didn't seem bothered by Claudia's reaction, but he did warn her that he intended to collect on her promise.

When Johnny walked in, Ric quickly got down to business. He told the siblings that he needed to know what they were hiding in order to properly represent Johnny. Johnny refused to say anything, prompting Claudia to remind her brother of the consequences. If Johnny were found guilty of Logan's murder, Anthony would go after those close to Johnny, including Lulu. Claudia was surprised when Johnny suggested that the solution might be to take Anthony out before he could harm anyone.

8/29 Johnny tried to convince Claudia to make plans in case he was convicted of murdering Logan. If Johnny went to jail, their father would come after Claudia. The only way to protect herself was to kill their father. They were interrupted when Anthony came in. He knew they were plotting something and guessed that they were making plans to kill him if Johnny was sent to prison. Anthony declares that Johnny can’t be convicted as the fallout would be unbelievable. He threatens what he would do if Johnny is convicted as he would want revenge and go to a dark vengeful place (a clear threat against Claudia).

Ric soon came in and set some guidelines for Anthony, one of which was to never threaten the District Attorney's family. If any harm came to Claudia or Lulu Spencer, Ric said he would personally see to it that Anthony was thrown back in prison. Anthony was upset and said no one talked to him that way. Ric said he wasn't threatening Anthony's life, and Ric's only concern was getting Johnny released. Anthony was powerless in the situation and he knew it. Anthony agreed to Ric's terms and left the police station.

9/2 Claudia lied and told Ric how she walked in to find Johnny killing Logan. She had heard yelling and saw the door Logan had broken through with an axe. Johnny had only been defending himself when he stabbed Logan, and Claudia had covered everything up. Logan was Scott Baldwin's son, and the special prosecutor would make sure Claudia and Johnny paid for killing his son. Claudia was willing to testify on her brother's behalf. Ric knew she was lying and he wouldn't allow Claudia to take the stand at Johnny's trial. If the prosecution had one shred of evidence to the contrary, Claudia's story would appear as if she were just trying to get her brother off the hook for murdering Logan Hayes.

Ric planned to put Lulu on the stand. Johnny was furious and said he would not allow Lulu to testify. Johnny told Ric and Claudia he would confess to premeditated murder the moment Ric put Lulu on the stand. Ric was exhausted with efforts to get Johnny exonerated. Claudia asked for some time alone with her brother. As soon as Claudia and Johnny were alone, she confronted him about Lulu. Claudia put two and two together and realized Lulu had killed Johnny. Claudia would not stand by and allow Johnny to go to prison.

9/3 Anthony visited Johnny at the Port Charles Police Station. Johnny demanded to see Claudia and threatened to throw himself on the mercy of the court if Anthony did not produce her. Anthony told Johnny that his fatal flaw was that he trusted the wrong people. Before calling for the guard to let him out, Anthony told Johnny that he was lucky that Anthony was there to take care of him.

Shortly after Anthony left, Claudia rushed in. Johnny wanted her to promise that she would not tell anyone that Lulu had actually stabbed Logan and Johnny was covering for her. Claudia wanted to tell everything, but Johnny begged her to trust him. Claudia would not give her promise, but she said that she would stay away from the trial so that she could not say anything. She left as the bailiff order Johnny to court. In the hallway outside the courtroom, Anthony cautioned Trevor not to tell anyone that Anthony had paid off one of the jurors to hold out for acquittal.

9/4 As Johnny's murder trial is underway, Scott called his next witness to the stand-Claudia Zacchara.

9/5 Scott interrogated Claudia during Johnny’s trial. Ric objected several times and the judge had to warn Scott to be on his best behavior. The judge also had to reprimand Edward for talking to Epiphany during the testimony. Scott asked Claudia if she knew Logan, and she replied that Logan had been one of her father's attendants. Scott asked if Claudia knew her brother and Logan were both in love with the same girl. Scott also asked where Claudia had been the night of the murder. Claudia explained she had been in and out of her apartment. Scott asked if she had seen Johnny that night, and Claudia said yes. Scott asked his final question: Did she see her brother before or after he murdered Logan Hayes? Claudia stepped down from the testimony box after Ric said he had no questions for her at that time.

9/8 Outside the interrogation room, Claudia worried that her testimony might have hurt Johnny, but Ric assured her that it had not. Ric had concerns about the case and offered to step down, but she wanted him to stay on. Claudia visited Johnny and tried to persuade him to tell the truth about Logan's killing. Johnny refused to do anything that would put Lulu in harm's way. Claudia begged him to think of her. She told Johnny that that she did not know what would become of her if anything happened to him. She told Johnny that he was what kept her from being dragged under and becoming as bad a person as their dad. Sonny became distracted while driving and smashed head-on into another car. When he extricated himself from the crash, he saw that the other driver was a woman, who was either dead or unconscious.

9/9 The aftermath of Sonny’s car crash is revealed. He has hit Claudia Zacchara’s car head on. Sonny rouses her and asks her if she is okay. She is dazed and confused and asks what happened? Then she remembers he was driving like a maniac. Sonny can’t get through to 911. She cries that she can’t feel her legs. She asks him to call 911 again as what if her back is broken, she doesn’t want to be paralysed. Later, she reports she can start to feel her legs but she is in a lot of pain. He is able to get a hold of 911 and request an immediate ambulance. Claudia is pinned and she is desperate to get free and cries for Sonny to get her out as the car begins to spark. He is able to pull her free just as the car explodes as they dive for cover. Relieved and surprised, she states that Sonny saved her life. As she cries out in pain, the ambulance is heard in the distance and she is soon on her way to GH.

9/10 Claudia woke up in the hospital and was surprised to find Ric at her bedside. She wanted to get out of bed so that she could testify for Johnny. Ric told her that her health was more important. Patrick arrived to examine her. Claudia wanted to leave the hospital, but Patrick told Claudia that she had to stay in the hospital for at least two days, because she might have life-threatening head trauma as a result of the accident.

When Patrick returned later, he caught Claudia putting on her clothes. She told him that she was checking herself out. Patrick protested releasing her without further tests, so she started putting seductive moves on him. Patrick told her he was only interested in her health, but Claudia kept up the pressure. Robin walked in on them. Patrick immediately told her it was not what it looked like. Robin responded that she knew exactly what was going on.

9/11 Robin walked into Claudia's room, at the hospital, and quickly realized what Claudia was up to as she understands that Claudia’s brother is on trial for his life and she will do anything to get to him. Patrick warned Claudia that she was leaving the hospital against his orders then washed his hands of her as Claudia prepared to leave. As Lulu was taken back to Shadybrook, Nadine approached Nikolas and asked what happened? He informs her that Lulu confessed on the stand to killing Logan but no one believed her. Claudia had also entered and overheard Nik filling her in. Claudia is surprised and seems relieved that she confessed. When Claudia heard about Lulu's confession and the aftermath, she convinced Ric that she could help with damage control and dig Johnny out of this hole. Claudia was called to the stand.

9/12 Claudia told the courtroom that she saw Johnny kill Logan in self-defense. Ric asked why Claudia hadn't told that to the jury when she was testifying earlier, but Claudia retorted that no one had asked her that question. Ric walked over to the defense table and Johnny whispered to him that Claudia was lying and she needed to get off the stand quickly. Claudia said she had started sleeping with Logan soon after he began working for her father. Claudia had been banished from the family business but she still wanted inside information. Logan could provide that to her, so she slept with him in exchange for information. Things went bad when Lulu caught them having sex in the garden shed. Logan became enraged and said Claudia and Johnny were trying to ruin any chance that he had with Lulu.

Claudia said Logan was soon fired from her father's employment after he attacked Johnny at the MetroCourt. Scott stood up to object, saying that he and others had witnessed Johnny attacking Logan. Claudia said Logan had broken down her door with an axe that fateful night. She had tried to scare him off with the knife, but when he attacked her, the knife went flying. Logan pinned her down on the ground and started to unbuckle his pants to rape her when Johnny walked in. He grabbed the knife and was going to protect his sister when Logan ran towards Johnny and impaled himself on the knife. After everything calmed down that night, Johnny wanted to call the police and take Claudia to the hospital. Claudia insisted on covering up the crime to avoid Johnny being railroaded by Scott Baldwin.

Ric brought into evidence a sheet of paper with the names and contact information of the individuals Claudia had contacted to repair the door and replace the bloody carpet. Ric also brought forth another document for evidence. It was the Army's report of when Logan had stabbed another soldier. Scott tried to object, but Ric said he was trying to show the victim's state of mind when the murder occurred. Ric was done with his witness, but Scott was anxious to cross-examine. Scott asked Claudia if she had any proof or any physical evidence. He told her she could step down when she said she had no evidence. A tearful Claudia walked out of the courtroom, while Anthony and Trevor smiled.

Johnny and Claudia met in the interrogation room while they waited for the jury to deliberate. Johnny thanked his sister for her testimony and told her he loved her no matter what the outcome was. Claudia said she loved him, too. He was the only person she had ever loved. Anthony and Trevor talked about the wonderful testimony Claudia had provided. Anthony was very proud of his daughter's lying capability. It had given the jury something solid. They couldn't convict Johnny with that testimony.

9/15 Inside the interrogation room, Johnny was also grateful that she had not ratted Lulu out. Claudia told Johnny that he was her brother and she loved him, even though she still did not approve of his choice of girlfriends. Later when Ric came in, Claudia congratulated him on his handling of the case. He told them not to get overconfident about the verdict, even though he thought Claudia's testimony was very convincing. Ric and Claudia stayed in the interrogation room after Johnny went back to his cell. He wanted to know how much of her testimony was true. She asked if what he really wanted to know was if she had slept with Logan Hayes. Ric called Johnny back into the interrogation room. When the guard left, Ric handed Claudia's phone to Johnny. Lulu was on the line. Johnny told her he loved her and Lulu apologized for making his situation worse.

9/16 Once the jury came to their decision, everyone was called back into the courtroom. Scott told Johnny and Claudia not to get used to their little family reunion, because after Johnny was found guilty, their visitations would be limited to every other Tuesday. Anthony started to threaten Scott, but the prosecuting attorney told the elder man to roll away. The jury came into the courtroom and, upon being asked by the judge what their decision was, declared that Johnny Zacchara was found not guilty. An emotional Scott started yelling and screaming to the jury, asking where the justice was for his son.

Meanwhile, Johnny held back tears as he hugged his sister. The judge told Johnny he was free to go. The newly acquitted man walked outside the courtroom to meet up with his father and thanked him for standing by him through the entire process. The two shook hands while Claudia went into the courtroom to thank Ric for his outstanding performance as the defense attorney. Ric said Claudia was the key to Johnny's not guilty verdict, but Claudia felt Ric's excellent spin on things led to the jury believing her story. They decided they made a good team.

9/17 Anthony was having breakfast at his newly rebuilt estate when Claudia came downstairs. He was jovial, but Claudia kept a safe distance, even when Anthony told her how proud he was of her and her testimony on Johnny's behalf. He said he had a surprise for her, but before more could be said, Trevor and Ric arrived. Anthony was effusive in his praise of Ric and Ric's handling of the trial. Trevor scoffed that it was really Claudia who had won the case. Anthony gave Claudia credit, but told Ric that he had shown what he could do under pressure and would be rewarded with increased responsibilities. Rick preened. Anthony told Claudia that she, too, would be rewarded. Anthony had his surprise when he told her that he was letting her in on the family business under Ric's supervision. Trevor was not happy with Anthony's decision. He made as many disparaging remarks as he could think of before walking out of the room in disgust.

9/24 Claudia entered the Zacchara living room and heard the end of the conversation. She tried to get Johnny to break off with Lulu, but Johnny got huffy with her and stalked out of the room. Ric came in as Johnny was leaving. Claudia urged Ric to tell Lucky that Johnny was headed to Shadybrook. Ric quickly figured out that Claudia wanted him to tell because she did not want Nikolas to find out that she was meddling in Lulu's relationship to Johnny. Ric wanted to know when Claudia was going to make good on the promise she had made to sleep with him if he got Johnny acquitted of murder. She told him to get on her good side and talk to Lucky.

9/25 At the Zacchara mansion, Ric questioned Claudia's motives for wanting to attend Sonny's wedding. Claudia was evasive but managed to convince Ric to be her escort. Later, while Claudia made arrangements for a dress to wear to the wedding, Johnny walked into the living room. He was in a surly mood after his encounter with Lucky. Claudia wasn't very sympathetic. She felt that Lulu was too fragile for Johnny and ill-suited for their lifestyle. Johnny didn't agree. He worried that it had been a mistake to stay away from Lulu.

Anthony returned to the Zacchara mansion where he found Claudia making plans to attend Sonny's wedding. Anthony was curious why Claudia wanted to go to the wedding. She explained that she simply wanted to know who the guests were. Anthony was impressed with Claudia's instincts. He then made the startling suggestion that they consider becoming Sonny's allies.

9/26 Carly is surprised when she overhears Claudia asking the front desk person to contact the boutique as she is there to pick up her dress for a wedding. Diane overheard both Claudia and Carly as they demanded their dresses from the Metro Court boutique. Claudia and Carly each seemed happy to learn the other was attending the wedding. Diane, on the other hand, was less than thrilled. At the church, Sonny welcomed the guests while Kate and Olivia made their final preparations. Sonny didn't seem fazed as Ric and Claudia arrived.

9/29 As everyone took their seats, Sonny and his father walked down the aisle to take their place at the altar. Olivia was next to walk down the aisle. Finally, everyone stood as Kate began to walk down the aisle. Sonny was as giddy as a schoolboy as he watched Kate and noticed how beautiful she was. Kate arrived at Sonny's side and everything stood still. Suddenly, a shot rang out.

The wedding guests milled around outside the chapel waiting for the ambulance and police. Ric told Claudia that she did not seem surprised about the shooting. She said she was not because no one ever gets out of the mob "business." Claudia said that the only thing she wondered was whether the intended victim was Sonny or Kate. Claudia called Kate "deluded" because she thought Sonny could leave the business and make it stick. Claudia met Karpov on the docks and berated him for Kate's shooting. Karpov insisted that his hands were clean and that he was blameless.

Ric went to the Zacchara mansion after the wedding. When he entered the living room, Anthony, who was out of his wheelchair and putting away a gun said, "Looks like you caught me," and flashed Ric a maniacal grin.

9/30 Ric didn't seem too surprised to see Anthony standing on his own two feet. He was curious what was going on, and Anthony elaborated and told Ric all about his plan to take over the mob in Port Charles. Anthony framed Andre Karpov and shot Kate. No one was going to suspect Anthony, especially since he was wheelchair-bound. Sonny would not have the manpower to retaliate against Andre, so he would insist Jason do it.

Sonny's one fault had always been his emotions, and he would act before he verified the facts. Jason would not act, though, until he made sure he knew whom the shooter was. That would cause Sonny to betray Jason and turn to another mob family, the Zaccharas. Anthony would provide the necessary shelter for Sonny and would take Jason out. Once Jason was eliminated, Anthony would kill Sonny.

Ric wasn't so sure it was a foolproof plan, but they were soon interrupted when Trevor and Claudia walked in. Luckily, Anthony sat back down in his wheelchair right before they entered the room. Trevor was extremely distraught over Kate's shooting and rambled on and on about Andre Karpov. Claudia said Andre was not the shooter. She had just met with the Russian mobster and when he heard Kate had been killed, he looked genuinely surprised. Anthony thought it was naïve of Claudia to believe Andre, but she insisted he was not the shooter. Anthony pointed out that Andre might have been surprised to learn his shooter had shot the wrong person, but he was surely to blame.

The police soon came to question the family, and Anthony insisted they had nothing to do with the shooting. Trevor was willing to cooperate and give them information about Andre Karpov, so he soon left for the police station. After he was gone, Anthony told Claudia he wanted her to go to Sonny and promise that the Zacchara family had nothing to do with his fiancée's shooting. He wanted her to offer him whatever he needed during his time of grief.

10/1 Anthony, Claudia and Ric were at the Zacchara mansion discussing the shooting. Anthony told Claudia to go to Sonny and offer condolences on behalf of the Zaccharas. Claudia was willing, but Ric objected. He told Anthony that his plan might backfire because Sonny was a hothead and might lash out at Claudia just because she was in his line of sight. Anthony said that he had faith in Claudia's ability to handle men and then sent her off the see Sonny.

After Claudia left, Ric remained unconvinced that Anthony's plan to send Claudia to Sonny was a good one. Anthony told Ric to relax because nothing was more convincing that a liar who thought that he was telling the truth. Anthony told Ric that he was not showing proper respect for the brilliance of Anthony's plan. Ric said he was having trouble with Anthony's methods. Anthony said that he was being subtle. He said that he could have blown up the whole church. Ric, who was in the church for the wedding, gave a sarcastic "thanks for that.” Anthony chuckled that his plan was also devious because he was using Sonny against himself. By shooting Kate with a Russian gun, he had put Sonny into an unreasonable rage against Karpov, the perceived shooter.

Claudia tried to get into ICU to see Kate, but Epiphany did not let her. However, Sonny saw her in the lobby and as Ric had predicted, turned his anger on her. But as Anthony said, Claudia had a way with men. She told him that her family was not involved, but offered their support. Sonny told her that if did not know for sure that it was Karpov, he would be coming after her family also. She did not tell him about her conversation with Karpov, but she did touch Sonny with her sincere concern for Kate's life.

Ric was waiting up for Claudia when she got back from seeing Sonny. She reported that Sonny had admitted that he was naïve to believe he could leave the mob for a white picket fence. Ric laughed when he questioned whether Sonny had used those exact words. Claudia replied that unlike Ric, Sonny was easy to read. As Ric moved closer to her, he said that he had been very up front about his interest in her.

Claudia changed the subject and said that Karpov had been genuinely surprised that Kate had been shot. She wanted to know why Ric was going along with her father's belief that Karpov had engineered the hit. When Ric said that it made sense, Claudia said that it did not. Claudia told Ric that he did not trust her and he said that she did not trust him. Ric said that there was a lot of chaos going on and he wanted to see how it played out for him. When he leaned in to kiss Claudia, she avoided him and accused him of playing her. As she walked away she smiled and said, "I kinda like it."

10/2 Ric and Claudia rushed into the interrogation room. While Scott was pulled off of Johnny, Claudia proclaimed her brother's innocence despite having no idea who had provoked the fight. Eventually, Ric managed to settle everyone down long enough to get to the bottom of things. When Scott told Ric that Johnny had confessed to Logan's murder, Ric reminded Scott that double jeopardy applied and Johnny could not be tried for Logan's murder again. Scott couldn't argue the point so he focused on the crimes that brought Johnny to the police station in the first place. Unfortunately, Scott soon learned that he wouldn't be able to press charges. It appeared that the freighter that Johnny had run into had disappeared. Without the vessel, there wasn't a crime.

In the squad room, Claudia cozied up to Ric and reminded him of their bargain; if Ric kept Johnny out of jail, then Claudia would sleep with him. Claudia became annoyed when Ric declined her invitation. However, she was mollified when Ric explained that his rejection was not personal. Ric intended to gather information at the police station that he could use to his advantage at a later time.

10/6 Ric treated Claudia to lunch and both were surprised to learn that they shared a similar taste in music. Claudia wanted to know Ric's ulterior motive for dating her. He said that while he always did what was in his own selfish best interest, he was genuinely attracted to her. Claudia asked Ric to walk her home. When they got to her apartment, she invited him in for a drink. They talked about themselves and their daddy issues. Both admitted that they had a hard time trusting anyone and that both were familiar with betrayal.

Claudia told Ric how much she admired his smarts and legal skills. Ric admitted that he like liked to win against long odds and that he would have take taken Johnny's case, even if Claudia had not agreed to have sex with him if he won. He offered to let her off the hook, but Claudia said she always paid her debts. Ric gave Claudia one last chance to walk away, noting that if they slept together, it was probably just a matter of time before one betrayed the other. Claudia agreed but kissed Ric anyway and he kissed her back. They undressed each other and shared a very passionate interlude. Afterward, they lay on the couch, laughing and holding each other. Just as they started some serious kissing, Johnny walked in on them.

10/7 Johnny was furious when he walked in on Claudia and Ric having sex in the living room. The two lovebirds quickly dressed, but Johnny wanted Ric to leave immediately. Ric didn't want to leave, though. He enjoyed his time with Claudia and didn't want to be pushed out. Ric and Johnny fought until Ric made a comment about Lulu and infuriated Johnny. The younger man punched Ric, but Claudia stopped the fight when she knocked Johnny out with a blow to the back of her brother's head. Claudia quickly ushered Ric out before Johnny could awake.

Ric left and went back to Anthony's house. Anthony was shocked and impressed with Ric's already black eye. Ric told him that Johnny had caused the injury. When Anthony asked what the fight was about, Ric told him it hadn't mattered. The main thing was that Anthony needed to watch his son to make sure he didn't interfere with Anthony's plans for Sonny. After Ric was gone, Claudia quickly got ice for Johnny's head. She offered to stay up and watch movies with him, because she wanted him to stay awake so she could keep an eye on him. Johnny was still mad at her for sleeping with Ric and told her she didn't need to sleep with him. Johnny had been acquitted, so Ric's services were no longer needed. Johnny said he would kill Ric the first time he hurt Claudia or made her cry. That information seemed to please Claudia.

10/10 Claudia rents a room for the night at Jake’s and then meets Ric to play pool there. She tells him how much she enjoyed her time with him the other day. She tells him he could be trouble, but then admits that she likes trouble. After having rented a room from Coleman, she shows Ric the key that she obtained in order to keep him safe from Johnny. He kisses her and tells her that he isn’t afraid of her, or her brother. She laughs and tells him she will race him upstairs. Later, Ric goes to the bar and rents a room for an entire month! Olivia soon walked in and asked for a beer. Claudia sat down next to her and introduced herself. Claudia said it was a shame Kate had gotten shot, but it came with the territory. Olivia seemed angry when Claudia asked how Sonny was doing.

10/13 Olivia and Claudia exchanged hostilities. Olivia got defensive when Claudia denigrated Kate. Eventually, Olivia gave Claudia a psychological setdown based on her mob background. Claudia threatened Olivia with violence, but Olivia stood up to her and told Claudia to bring it on. Coleman interfered and calmed things down. Olivia immediately took her leave, though not before Claudia got in a few choice last words as they both stormed out.

10/14 Claudia saw her brother at the pier, but he had to duck down to avoid Lucky when he also arrived. Lucky wanted to question Claudia on Johnny's whereabouts, but Claudia claimed not to have seen her brother. Claudia said Johnny was with a hooker, trying to get over his broken heart from Lulu. Johnny, having heard this, looked upset and shook his head in disbelief while he crouched down in a corner. Lucky wasn't happy to hear where Johnny was, but he also didn't like Lulu and Johnny together. He quickly left, and Johnny came out of hiding. He told his sister he would never forgive her if Lulu found out what she had told Lucky. They talked about Johnny's recent risk-taking adventures. Claudia thought the only time Johnny was happy was when he was either with Lulu or taking risks with his life. Claudia said she didn't save his life just to see him waste it on a girl like Lulu Spencer.

10/15 In Jason's office, Claudia played along with Max to help keep up the illusion that he was the mob boss to impress his father. As Milo looked on, Claudia turned on the charm for Max's dad, Maximus, as they reminisced about the time when Maximus had done business with Anthony. Claudia pretended that she and Max were star-crossed lovers from rival mobs. Just as she cozied up to Max, Diane walked in and separated them. She called Claudia a barracuda and they exchanged words.

Diane invited Claudia to leave, which she did, but not before planting a passionate kiss on Max as Diane seethed. After Claudia left, Diane had a few pithy comments about Claudia's character. Claudia went to Jason and told him that she was there to stop a war. She excused Johnny's harassment of one of his ships as letting off steam over his loss of Lulu. Jason told her that he would let it pass, but if it happened again he would take action.

When Claudia wondered why Jason was not out after Karpov, Jason said he was not sure that Karpov was guilty. Claudia immediately got serious and told Jason that she had seen Karpov directly after the wedding and she was convinced that he was innocent. When she asked Jason whom he suspected, he said it could be anyone, even the Zaccharas.

10/20 Sonny wanted revenge against Karpov so badly that he went to Anthony's home and told him that he would take Anthony up on his offer to have Sonny take over the Zacchara mob. Sonny demanded to be in complete charge of the organization with no middleman and no questions asked about his decisions. He told Anthony that his first order would be to kill Karpov. When Anthony seemed reluctant, Sonny threatened to walk, but Anthony pulled Sonny back in. He played on Sonny's anger and drive to be in charge. He told Sonny that he needed guarantees of loyalty. Sonny said that his word should be enough. Anthony said that what he wanted was for Sonny to marry Claudia.

"Hell no," was Sonny's response. Anthony said that if Sonny married Claudia, that would make them family and he would have no doubt of Sonny's loyalty. Sonny said, "Hell no," again, then stormed out of Anthony's place. Ric and Claudia met at the Metro Court restaurant. They had drinks and discussed their relationship. Ric wanted Claudia to put aside her insecurities and accept that he liked her. She said that she was not insecure and had no illusions. She knew that she was a commodity and, no matter what, that would not change. Sonny ran into Claudia at the Metro Court bar. He thought that Anthony had sent her to try to persuade him to marry her. Claudia was shocked to hear Anthony's plan.

10/21 Sonny told Claudia about Anthony's plan for Sonny to take over the business and marry Claudia. Claudia was shocked and understandably upset about her father's arranged marriage for her. Claudia knew Sonny had wanted to get back in the mob way before Kate was shot. She told Sonny she wasn't interested in an arranged marriage and stormed out of the bar.

Claudia rushed into her father's house and demanded to know why he was trying to set up an arranged marriage like they were living in the fifteenth century. They argued until Claudia made a good point about Johnny. She knew her father was only temporarily using Sonny to run the business and would eventually give it over to Johnny. She asked her father where she would be once Sonny had been cast aside. Johnny walked in and asked what they were talking about. Anthony left, so Claudia explained about her father's strange proposal. Johnny was furious to learn about Anthony setting Claudia up with Sonny. Claudia thought it might not be so bad, after all. She finally was in a position of real power within the family.

10/22 Ric met Claudia at the Metro Court for drinks and was stunned to learn that Anthony wanted Claudia to marry Sonny. Ric tried to persuade Claudia to refuse to marry Sonny, but Claudia had a more pragmatic view. She told Ric that even though she understood that her father was using her as a commodity, she could see how it would give her power and make her valuable.

10/23 Claudia went to Jason's office to tell him about Anthony's offer to hand over the Zacchara organization to Sonny after Sonny married Claudia. Claudia suggested that there was only one way to keep Sonny from obtaining the power that he coveted. If Jason married Claudia, Anthony and Sonny would both be denied what they wanted. To Claudia's surprise, Jason agreed to marry Claudia immediately. Before she could blink, Claudia found herself in a limo with Jason on her way to a Justice of the Peace. She tried to get Jason to open up about himself but Jason refused. Claudia took offense to Jason's attitude and insisted they had to find a way to communicate since they were soon to be husband and wife. Jason was blunt as he let her know that their marriage would only be one of convenience.

Claudia didn't appear too happy with that idea. She reminded Jason that she was an important player in what happened next and that Jason had to convince her that marrying him was her best option. Jason reminded Claudia that she came to him, not the other way around. He also suggested that she had another option. Claudia could simply leave town. Claudia was intrigued with the notion but ultimately dismissed the possibility. She told Jason about a time when Johnny had run away and taken refuge with their cousin. When Anthony found Johnny, he had their cousin and the cousin's immediate family killed as a message to Johnny. Claudia refused to leave her brother behind without an ally. After telling Jason the story, Claudia looked up and realized that they had arrived at their destination. She asked Jason if they were going to get married or not. Jason didn't answer.

10/24 Claudia and Jason appeared before a minister and his wife to have a quick wedding ceremony. Claudia said she wanted it easy and painless. Jason provided the cash so Claudia could bribe the minister past all the ceremonial parts and straight to the vows. The man was having a hard time marrying Jason and Claudia, since they wouldn't hold hands; Claudia kept arguing; and Jason hadn't said a single word. The minister just couldn't marry them if they weren't in love. Claudia stormed out and told Jason he knew how far she would take the charade. Jason asked for the unsigned marriage certificate and apologized for wasting the minister's time. He gave the man and his wife additional money for the inconvenience.

Back in the car, Claudia asked Jason if he would have really gone through with marrying her, and said if he had just given the organization back to Sonny, Jason wouldn't have to marry her. Jason said too many people depended on him, so he couldn't return the business to Sonny. He reminded her that she didn't have to marry Sonny, but Claudia knew she would go ahead and marry the man. It was the first time she was actually in a position of power within her family, and she wanted to make sure Johnny wasn't cut out of the business completely. Claudia would soon become Mrs. Corinthos, while Jason would soon go to war with his best friend.

10/28 Ric entered the Zacchara living room and found Claudia relaxing alone. He was miffed because Claudia had stood him up the night before. Claudia apologized and admitted that she had been unavoidably busy. His annoyance grew when he learned that Claudia had gone to a justice of the peace with Jason. He quickly deduced that Claudia had been the one to suggest the marriage, not Jason. Claudia was unrepentant, but lied and claimed that she had merely been testing Jason to see how far he would go to protect Sonny.

Ric walked into Sonny's living room a short time later. He quickly got to the point and told his brother not to marry Claudia. Sonny sounded annoyed as he told Ric that he had turned Anthony's offer down. Ric didn't appear appeased and tried to plead his case. Sonny asked Ric what bothered him more: the idea of Sonny running the Zacchara organization or Sonny marrying Claudia. Ric didn't seem to have an answer.

Claudia went to visit Kate in the hospital. She let her rival know that Sonny had been offered a deal to run the Zacchara organization in exchange for marrying Claudia. Kate didn't want to believe Claudia, but the mob princess was relentless. As she twisted fact with fantasy, Kate's insecurities blossomed and eventually she became convinced. Olivia arrived and immediately realized that Kate was rattled. Olivia tossed Claudia out of the room and began reassuring Kate that everything Claudia had said had been fabricated.

Claudia returned to the Zacchara mansion after a shopping spree. Anthony was curious about his daughter's jovial mood as she deposited shopping bags in the living room. Claudia smiled brightly and told her father that she finally had the upper hand and she intended to take full advantage of it. She went on to inform him that her cooperation came at a price. That price was Anthony's agreement to treat her with respect. Anthony scoffed at the idea, and the argument quickly escalated into a shouting match. As the two screamed at each other, Anthony suddenly began gasping for breath. Claudia's anger turned to concern when it appeared that Anthony had suffered some type of seizure.

10/29 At first, Claudia thought Anthony was faking the seizure, but when she felt his pulse, it was erratic. She wondered out loud if this was God's way of answering her prayers. At that moment, Johnny walked in. Claudia begged Johnny to let Anthony die, but Johnny insisted that no matter what, Anthony was a member of the family and Johnny would not let him die. At GH, Patrick told Johnny and Claudia that their father had an aneurism that was bleeding in the brain and he needed surgery. Johnny begged Patrick to save his father. Matt offered to assist in the surgery.

10/30 Claudia and Johnny were waiting at GH while their father underwent emergency surgery. Johnny refused to believe that Claudia would have let their father die. He was certain that she would have eventually called for help. Claudia did not rush to reassure her brother. Instead, Claudia said that they would have been better off without Anthony in their lives. Johnny quickly changed the subject and asked Claudia if she had been responsible for the notes that Lulu had been receiving at Shadybrook. Claudia vehemently denied it, but admitted that she would have done such a thing had she thought of it. Unfortunately, Claudia said, she was too busy trying to find a way around Anthony's desire to marry her off to Sonny. Claudia warned her brother that if their father survived the surgery and forced her to marry Sonny, she would hold Johnny responsible.

10/31 At the hospital, Claudia talked to her father. She thought she would have saved him but wasn't sure. Anthony woke up and thought Claudia was her mother. When Claudia corrected her father, he called her a bitch. He thought she would have let him die and told her she was a viper. Johnny walked in and said Anthony was wrong about Claudia.

When Sonny walked in, Claudia said her father needed peace and quiet in order to recover. Claudia said she would marry Sonny, but Sonny didn't want to agree to the marriage. He declared no way in hell! He just wanted to help the family out while Anthony was in the hospital. Johnny said he could take care of his family without Sonny's help, but Anthony wanted Sonny's help. Anthony told his son everything he was doing was for Johnny's benefit, and Johnny had to trust him.

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