A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews, they're very inspiring! I'm so excited that we'll have a bit of Jason and Claudia on Monday, even though Carly will be involved too. If I get good response, I'll try for another update this weekend.

Chapter Three:

"I know you probably won't believe me when I tell you this, but I would never lie about something so important." Claudia began, her hands trembling slightly around the glass of water in her hand.

Jason sat in silence, waiting for her to continue.

Claudia, mistaking his silence for resistance, shook her head, "I know, I know, every instinct in your body tells you not to trust anyone with the last name Zacharra…."

"I believe you. Whatever it is." Jason spoke swiftly, rubbing his temple with his hand. She was giving him a Carly-sized headache and he already knew what she was going to tell him.

"I'm pregnant," Claudia said after pausing for a few moments. She took a sip of water before adding, "and it's yours."

Jason nodded, rubbing the back of his neck, "Spinelli thought that might be the case….you said you needed help with something? Does it have to do with the baby?"

Claudia was silent, her hands beginning to tremble a bit harder as she bit her bottom lip. She absolutely hated asking for help, almost as much as she hated the way she was so vulnerable in front of Jason right now. She hadn't made it through life this far by letting men act as her knight in shining armor, and she was sickened that right now that was the only way she could begin to wade through the mess she had created for herself. She looked up and met Jason's questioning eyes, and wished that he wouldn't be so hard to read for just a few minutes. She had never had trouble looking into someone's eyes and reading their soul before, but Jason was an anomaly. She knew he had it in him to be caring and warm and a few rare times she had seen a glimpse of that side of him when it came to her. Of course, it was only a glimpse, after all, she was the enemy.

What a fine mess they had gotten into. A baby that was half Morgan, half Zacharra. The heir to two empires who just happened to be in a constant state of conflict. She smirked a bit as her thoughts ran away, almost forgetting she was in Jason's penthouse until he asked sharply, "Well?"

"Sorry," She said distractedly, "I was just thinking….our families hate each other, we're constantly on the verge of going to war with one another. I wonder if this is what would have happened if Romeo and Juliet had reproduced?"

She expected at least a hint of a smile, but instead she was met with a blank stare and the non-committed tone of voice she regularly heard Jason use asking, "What?"

"Never mind." Claudia replied, shaking her head, "It's partly about the baby, it's partly about me."

She waited for some sort of gesture or response for Jason, and when she got none, she hesitatingly continued, "I managed to escape from jail and I'm scared to go home. My father just learned I am pregnant and if I go home one of two things can happen, either he will drill me incessantly on who the father is or he'll skip that step and do something to jeopardize the pregnancy just so there's not a spawn of satan, that would be me by the way, running around Port Charles. Not to mention my apartment and my father's hotel room will be the first two places the police check, no one would even consider I was hiding here since we're enemies and all."

He remained silent and her heart started to pound rapidly in her chest. She had expected something, a hint of a yes, a flat out no. His silence was unnerving and while she didn't expect less from him, she had hoped for more of a response.

"I need a place to stay or at least a lead on somewhere I can go to keep myself, and this baby, safe. I never wanted to be a parent, but I'm not about to abort this baby and I'll be damned if I let my father or the PCPD 'take care of the problem'. Please Jason, I need your help."

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Jason spoke softly, "We have a guest room upstairs, down the hall and to the left. It's across from Spinelli's room. It's not much, but it will work for now. If you want to take a shower or something, towels are in the closet in the bathroom. I have a spare toothbrush under the sink. I can send someone to your apartment for your things, unless you'd like Spinelli or I to pick you up some new stuff."

"Oh Jason, thank you" Claudia whispered, letting out a breath that she hadn't even realized she was holding, "Thank you so much."

Jason held up his hand, going back to his business stance, "We have to lay down a few ground rules, though. I don't want your old man here, I do not want you having a weapon here, and the first time I even suspect you are planning something against me or anyone I work with, you're out. I want you upstairs with your door shut when I am discussing my business, and I don't want you snooping around. I need to know I can trust that I'm not endangering myself or Spinelli with you living here, after all, we are, as you pointed out, enemies."

"Of course." Claudia whispered, "I'll stay out of your way, and I'd never invite my father here. I'm trying to get as far away from him as possible. I just want to lay low until I think of another plan, one that doesn't involve me on the run from the cops."

Jason nodded, then looked towards the kitchen, "You hungry?"

"Starving." Claudia replied, "But I don't want you to go to any trouble…"

"I'm sure as hell not going to order pizza." Jason commented, with a hint of a smile, thinking about their quarantine. "Spinelli always has some junk food laying around, but I can see what I can whip up or I can always go pick something up from Kelly's. You're the pregnant one with the weird cravings, what do you want?"

"I'm not quite to the weird cravings point yet," Claudia said softly, surprised that Jason was being so nice to her, "But a sandwich would be nice, if you don't mind. Really, whatever you want is fine with me though, I just need to take a shower first."

Claudia stood, her knees immediately buckling as a wave of dizziness passed through her. Before she realized she was falling, Jason's arms were wrapped around her midsection, helping her carefully sit back on the couch.

After she was seated, Jason crouched down in front of her, "You ok?"

She couldn't help but hear the touch of concern in his voice, and while she thought it was sweet, she couldn't stand the fawning attention, "I'm fine, I just got up too fast."

"You sure?" Jason asked, still sounding a bit concerned.

Claudia smiled wearily, her eyes shut, "I'm sure."

"Because I could always carry you upstairs."

Claudia cracked open an eye, relieved to see a playful smile on his lips. If she had thought for one minute that he was serious, she would have had to punch him. She stared into his eyes, a slight smile on her lips as she finally got to see Jason Morgan with his guard let down. "No, I can manage on my own."

Jason stepped back and Claudia slowly rose to her feet, still feeling slightly off balance but trying not to let it show. She had made it halfway up the stairs, Jason not too far behind, when the dizziness overwhelmed her once more and she began to collapse. Before she had a clue what was even happening to her, Jason had scooped her into his arms and was making his way towards the guest room.

And as much as she wanted to be angry with him, she found herself enjoying it.

TBC