Cassidy

Hey Lanny - I've got news - come on over to the club and I'll tell you. That was the message plucked out by the slender, deft fingers as Cassidy bent over her phone, as she sat at her table, her typical sprite before her. By now, the nightclub had become a steady meeting place for she and Lanny - they so often came here and called the other to join them that it was almost expected. People were beginning to talk - the co-head of the CS was seeing an awful lot of this girl, and since she never appeared in the gang colors, being the only member of the gang that was essentially exempt from doing so, nobody made the assumption that they might be plotting something. Fortunately, they were not - the only thing on Cassidy's mind, as she pressed 'send' and clicked the phone shut, stuffing it back into her pocket and ordering a coke so that it would be waiting when Lanny arrived.

Lanny Zelkovii

Lanny didn't take long in making his way to the night club once he saw that it was Cassidy requesting his presence. Ever since the night he'd found her at the Slough, he'd been preoccupied with figuring out where Michael was and trying to keep tabs on the girl without suffocating her with his presence. He'd managed surprisingly well on that latter aspect, but until her attacker was killed, he wouldn't be able to relax. Little did he know that that's exactly why Cassidy had called him.

Sporting the gang's colors, Lanny's entrance into the club had several people turning to look his way, and a few making haste to get out of his way as he traveled through the crowds to reach Cass. "Everything alright, Cass?"

Cassidy

She welcomed him with a genuine smile and a renewal of her usually bright, flippant sort of manner. "More than alright, Lanny. I haven't felt so well in days. Here - feel." Without any of the sort of embarrassment that might have encompassed anyone else, Cassidy reached forward and took hold of his wrist, showing placing it over her shirt in a spot where he would soon feel a tiny bit of movement. She was about three months along, and very thin, or else there would have been no movement that could be felt - but there was a tiny roll under the skin where some small arm or leg ran across the boundaries of its enclosure - and Cass grinned. Apparently, she had recovered from her horror of Michael's attack on her, and was now able to enjoy the prospect - and all the infinitely adorable little details - of the anticipation of becoming a mother.

Lanny Zelkovii

Lanny was more than a little surprised when Cassidy took up his hand and placed it so assuredly against her abdomen, and didn't have much time to react before a helpless half-grin drew up the side of his mouth. He'd never really felt a baby kick before, but that and Cassidy's renewed happy attitude brought an instant smile to his face. "...I think I felt something." His eyes went from staring blankly forward during concentration to snapping back to life and blinking in awe at Cassidy, "So, uh... you been thinking of any names, or anything?"

Cassidy

The smile she offered remained as she released his wrist, allowing him to reclaim his hand as she sat down and vaguely indicated the seat across from her, where the coke was just arriving for him. She shook her head to indicate she hadn't yet thought of a name. "I've just gotten started looking for names. I didn't feel the baby moving until last night and... it didn't feel real til then. And I just had to call you." She smiled again, really lighting up with happiness, something that was very rare to see in the reserved girl. Most women were burdened with pregnancy - Cassidy was one of the lucky ones who positively glowed with it. "But that's not all I called to tell you," she murmured carefully, as she came down off the height of her joy. "There's something else."

Lanny Zelkovii

It was hard for Lanny, being the guy he was, to fully understand what Cassidy was telling him. Pregnancy was an understood topic, and yet so alien for him to think about, "Hey, I'm glad you called me." Being a little more on the sensitive side rather than his usual, playfully-joking self, Lanny gave a sincere reply before the moment was dissolved by the realization that she'd called him here for a reason. And somehow, he didn't think it was just to feel the baby kick. "What is it?" Lanny sat down, not taking real note of the coke yet, or the waiter who set it down, "Did someone bother you?"

Cassidy

Feeling the tone of their discussion shift abruptly from the quiet happiness they'd been sharing to worry on his part, she shook her head, and brought her smile back into play, though more softly now. "No Lanny - nothing like that. I'm okay - honestly." Speaking that firmly, for she knew that she had a tendency to tell others she was 'okay' when she really wasn't, Cassidy met his gaze with a will, to impress upon him that this time, she was telling the truth. And then she murmured softly, "It's all going to get better now, Lanny - he's dead. Lanny, he's dead." She figured she didn't have to say the name - he would know who. And she spoke this with assurance and confidence - Ben had given her the evidence she needed; the horse was in his possession, and she knew Michael wouldn't have permitted it to be taken if he'd been alive. Relief sang through her, just to be able to say the words.

Lanny Zelkovii

A sudden defense had built up in his face, snatching away the smile and replacing it with a taunt-lipped expression and slightly narrowed eyes at the thought that someone might have upset Cassidy. It was all a hasty jump to conclusion, and an entirely wrong one as he found out soon enough. Lanny about went slack-jawed with the news, with his bright blue eyes going wide in surprise - he hadn't been entirely reassured by Cassidy's claim to be alright, but he knew she wasn't going to lie to him about something as major as this. "Michael...? I- ...how? Are you sure?" A thrill and welcome relief was trying to take residence in him, but he was understandably a little hesitant, and wanted to make sure he'd heard this right.

Cassidy

In the face of his astonishment, she giggled just a bit, and it was an easy, innocent sound. "Your face is going to freeze like that," she teased, pointing out the open surprise that ruled him. Then she sobered, taking a sip of her sprite and setting it down again before she told him, "It was simple enough - I found someone who wanted him dead even more than I did. Someone who wanted to kill him as much as you did - and I provided them with information as to his location." Of course, she'd told Ben that she'd gotten the information from a friend, intimating that she'd traded certain explicit favors for the information - but that was a lie, naturally. She had known perfectly well were Michael was all on her own, and had managed to deceive Ben into believing her. That gave her a feeling of power - which would be quashed, when she found out that Ben knew who the fathers of both of her children were, and knew everything about the darkest secret she'd ever kept... but for now, she was very satisfied with herself, and very relaxed.

Lanny Zelkovii

Once the shock started to wear off, his gape-jawed expression left him and transformed back into a grinning smile. Cassidy had no reason to lie about Michael's death, so after giving it a few second's thought at most, he was satisfied with believing her, "The only thing I don't like about this is that I wasn't there to see that bastard offed." The full feeling of reprieve from the weeks of worry was being shed at least, allowing Lanny to lean back against his seat as he took up the glass and took a few sips of coke, "I guess it's not too hard to believe that he had more than just us after him. Who'd you find to go after him?" It was asked casually enough, more out of simple curiosity than anything to do with suspicion.

Cassidy

Cassidy, in the middle of chuckling to his grim joke, and about to assure him that Michael had definitely suffered a great deal before he died, was mildly surprised by the question he ventured next, but kept herself calm and sipped her drink again. "The father of the girl the bastard did before me. Seems she came out of it a lot worse than I did - she just about didn't make it, and she's really delicate still." Of course, Ben would be astonished to hear that she knew this - he had liberally covered up everything to do with Michael's attack on Aralyn. So there was only one source she could have learned that from - the dead man himself.

Lanny Zelkovii

His face screwed up a little in hatred for the man when she revealed, in a very vague way, who'd been responsible for Michael's death. He wasn't particularly empathetic with everyone around, considering that he often killed as a part of his job, but it still riled him a good deal to hear about the scum of the earth and their deeds. "Good riddance." The young man mumbled under his breath, finishing off a second swig of soda before setting it down, and focusing back on what his death meant for them, "I'll bet Johann was happy to hear about this. James'll be excited even, once he gets the news. Carlyle isn't exactly a threat against us as a whole, but he's guilty be association. Now all we have left is Conan."

Cassidy

She was comforted by his distinct expression of hatred against Michael - it was something steady and normal that she could count on. But she got quiet, and - heavens, but was that awkwardness dawning in her eyes? - when he mentioned telling the others. "Well... to tell you the truth, Lanny... I haven't told Johann yet." She fussed a bit with a lock of the long red hair as she did so, a subtle expression of discomfort, in her. "He's never really liked the way... that I kind of take things into my own hands. And he's always made it blatantly obvious. He doesn't like me... taking risks."

Lanny Zelkovii

He wasn't entirely surprised to hear that she hadn't told Johann about Michael's death, especially since she'd been the orchestrator of it - a job that carried some major risks. He'd been nervous enough joining Cassidy in her revelation of pregnancy with the man, so her hesitancy was certainly within the realm of believability. "I wouldn't worry about it, Cass." Picking up on the unconscious display she was showing as she fiddled with a lock of hair, Lanny tried to play down the significance of her role in it all, to somewhat lessen her anxiety, "He might be angry at first, but he's going to be just as happy to hear the news as I was."

Cassidy

Under the table, where Lanny couldn't see, Cassidy's free hand had laced over her growing middle, again unconsciously indicating her protection over the little life that was slowly growing inside. This had become another nervous gesture, in the weeks that had gone by where they'd been uncertain of Michael's location, or what intentions he might have of hurting her or the baby. She could control it, as she had done yesterday during her interview with Ben, knowing that if he saw her hand travel to her belly, he would easily connect the dots. But now, feeling safe with Lanny, she did not choose to repress it, even though he couldn't see her doing it. Instead, she answered him softly, "That's what I'm hoping - I'm hoping he'll be glad enough about Michael being dead to override his anger." Johann would never hurt her, of course... he cared about her just as deeply as Lanny was beginning to, and couldn't have ever hurt her. But she feared him some, rather as all small children fear the wrath of their parents.

Lanny Zelkovii

Briefly, Lanny considered the option of lying to Johann, but this idea was quickly scrapped and never suggested. The man was keen to a frightening degree, and smart enough to look straight through even the most well built lies in all but the sliest of people. A little fib would only make things worse off for Cassidy, so Lanny proposed something else, "You should soften him up about it first - you know, talk about the baby a bit first." To Lanny, anyway, it sounded like a good idea, "Put him in a pleasant mood, and I bet it'll weaken his anger."

Cassidy

Now there was an idea that hadn't occurred to her. "Well now that you mention it, there are a couple of topics that I can still wrap him around my finger with. The baby being one of them. All I had to do was pout a bit the other night when I woke up at 2 a.m. wanting spinach - and out he went." She smiled - she'd found in the past few weeks that she was getting the famous pregnancy-cravings for odd foods; spinach being the latest, though she'd also taken a trip through a week where she constantly wanted kung pao chicken. She broke into giggles again at the thought of that, and her fingers pulled away from her hair; he'd managed to break through her worries and bring her back to her joy of before. "You should hear him grumble," she whispered, shaking her head, but her grin suggesting she had secretly enjoying listening to him complain.

Lanny Zelkovii

"Spinach?" Lanny screwed his face up and produced a gagging noise to show his opinion of the food, and as his teasing side came back into play as Cassidy relaxed once more, he finished it off with a raised-brow remark, "That's something I can't understand. How you guys having cravings for foods like that... at least you could pick something a little more flavorable." Lanny leaned forward in his chair now, idly stretching his shoulders, "I'd be grumbling too if I had to go out in the wee hours of the morning to fetch some of the worst food on earth." On a side note, Lanny let a bit more of a serious side edge in among his light hearted remarks, "You can't deny he really cares about you. He might be growly when you tell him the news, but in the end, it'll all be for the better."

Cassidy

Even as he made the gagging noise for his opinion of her choice of snacks, she gave him a look of mock insult. "I'll have you know that spinach is my favorite vegetable," she informed him, and then allowing herself to burst into a grin. "And he says my mother always sent my father out for spinach too - only she coupled it with ice cream" Now it was her turn to make a face of disgust in lighthearted merriment. "He was sure to inform me, when he got back with my spinach, that he figured that was what was wrong with me - right before he crawled back into bed." A smile was once more the steady expression of her face, and when Lanny touched home to the issue again, she didn't falter this time. "You're right of course - I'm being silly."

Lanny Zelkovii

The look of disgust came back in full force, coupled with a pair of wide eyes to complete the picture, "Ice cream? Are you kidding me?" Lanny shook his head, grimacing a little as he brought his glass up for another drink. In reality, he didn't view spinach as all that bad, but to mix it with something sweet like that didn't sit right with his picky stomach. Above it all, of course, he was enjoying the conversation immensely - it had been a while since they could have a pleasant chat without the underlying tension of Michael invading their thoughts, and keeping them from sitting back and being themselves. His demise didn't mean all was well and peachy with the world, but it did a heck of a lot to ease Lanny's worry, "Then again, this is Johann we're talking about. You've got some warrant to be a little hesitant about it all."

Cassidy

She grinned again at Lanny's renewed disgust. "Call him what you like, Lanny - but he's not one to make up stories just because he's irritable. If he says it happened, it did. Though I'm pretty sure that the latter comment was just meant to poke at me." She smiled contently - above all else, the strict, elusive man was her father figure, and even when she didn't understand him, she loved him. It was more common to see the two of them dryly teasing one another than engaging in any tender family sort of activity, but then you could set against their sarcasm the kind of soft embrace that had occurred between them when she and Lanny had gone together to inform the man that he would soon be a great-uncle, and you would know that they were as close as could be.

She was about to venture something else when her phone rang, the tones of an old school rock song breaking the quiet around them before she dug it out - and gave Lanny a significant look. "Speak of the devil," she murmured, and then picked up the line. "Hello? Uncle Johann - we were just talking about you." There was a pause, and then she laughed softly. "All bad, I promise." There was a responding chuckle on the other end of the line, and then another query. Cassidy's face remained calm. "Me and Lanny," was her answer, and then the smile froze on her face. "Oh, did he?" she asked, her voice still light and cool, despite how she'd pulled her usual seductive smile back into place, her version of a blank face. "And what's he got to say for himself?" Poor Lanny was offered only one side of the conversation, and Cassidy's own reactions, to judge by. "At the downs...? No kidding? Well..." Then, her eyes narrowed just a bit in concentration. "You don't honestly think I'm that foolish."

Lanny Zelkovii

Lanny went quiet when the phone rang, halting any comments he was about to put out about Johann and his personality. Both respectful of Cassidy's privacy on the phone, and at the same time helplessly curious about what was being said, the young man listened to Cass's end of the conversation and tried to figure out what was being said. The first part was just a general greeting, and he had to chuckle quietly to himself as he imagined what Johann was saying to get the kind of replies he was from the girl. But after that, the tone of the conversation shifted, and Lanny's interest was piqued. He didn't want to interrupt... but he did sort of give Cassidy a look as he mouthed, 'What's up?' If only he had known where Michael lived, hearing something about the 'Downs' would have clued him in on what the two were talking about, but as it stood, he was in the dark.

Cassidy

Cassidy's eyes were captured by the movement of Lanny's mouth, and she easily read what he was trying to ask her. So that she could keep on talking to Johann and not arouse suspicion, she dug a pen from her pocket, and took up a napkin, scrawling only two words before shifting it toward Lanny. He knows. The weight of those words was a stunning one - he knows... what? He knows Michael's dead? He knows Michael's the father? He knows we've been keeping it from him on purpose? There was a whole host of things behind it. But as she gave him time to read this, she was again speaking into the phone. "I never left the apartment last night - with your cat ears, you should know that." There was another long silence as she listened to the softened reply on the other end of the line, and answered, "I marked him, I'll admit. But I never left last night. I was asleep in bed, just as you were." She flinched a little now - the newest response was sharper. "That's beside the point," she murmured, her voice lowering, becoming threatening. There was a pause on the other line, and finally, the girl's face softened - the brief argument was over. "I know Uncle - I'll see you when I get home. 'Bye."

Lanny Zelkovii

Puzzlement was the newest emotion to scrawl over the young man's face, looking briefly at the two words Cassidy spared him. As the conversation wore on, the answer to that dawned on him quick enough - Johann had uncovered the death of Michael, and he was looking for what role Cassidy had played in it all. For the rest of what he was sure became a more unpleasant discussion, Lanny remained quiet and waiting, and suddenly not as jovial as he'd been before Johann called. "He beat you to the punch, did he?" There was no humor in the remark, just a questioning sort of comment to verify what had been said on the phone. "Think it would help any if I talked to him? If anything, I could point out the significance of Michael's death - the rest of the gang will look at it approvingly."

Cassidy

Contrary to how she'd earlier almost snapped at Johann over the phone, she hung it up with what was almost a smile; she understood as well as Lanny did, or likely better, that all of Johann's anger and fuss was a cover-up for his fatherly worry and care over her. "Apparently somebody heard shots in the downs last night, and with Michael reported missing by his favorite bartender this morning - and likely the change for the better in my mood today - Johann put two and two together, it seems." She told him that calmly, and shook her head a bit. "He's overreacting and he knows it too - I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with a gun." It was pretty well known among the gang that Cassidy, well-respected and revered for her skill with her blades and hand-to-hand, was pretty well a crackshot with a firearm. She had a small Ladysmith that she carried for use only as a last-resort measure, but in living memory, she'd never made use of it. And to his offer, she shook her head again. "No - he'll cool on his own, once he gets over his protective fury. It'll just take some time."

Lanny Zelkovii

Cassidy's mood confirmed that he needn't worry too much over her own apprehension in dealing with Johann. He almost thought it funny how the littlest things could inform him of whether to be worried or not - in the way that she clicked the phone shut in a less drastic manner than last time, and ended her talk with the man in a more pleasant manner. She was a master of controlling her emotions, but Johann was one person who she couldn't seem to sneak anything past. "I guess it's little surprise that he found that out." The light smile returned to Lanny at this point, "Look at the bright side - the tough part of telling him is over and done with, and if you push the baby thing on him, he can't possibly stay mad for long."

Cassidy

She gave him a sidelong look and a roll of the eyes. "That's easy for you to say - you won't have to spend the rest of the night convincing him that I didn't kill him with my own two hands." It was a soft expression of exasperation with Johann's protectiveness over her - but she knew perfectly well why he was so defensive over her recently, and rather like the way she kept patiently reassuring Lanny she was fine, Cassidy wasn't about to try to bring her uncle to task about his hyper-sensitive temper these days. His little girl had been hurt - that was all he could see. But even so, Cassidy was not truly annoyed with him; her fondness for him kept her from being too upset with him. And at the least, any apprehension she'd had about telling him the news had evaporated now.

Lanny Zelkovii

She had him there - he couldn't say he envied her task tonight, left to Johann and his intimidating fashion of worrying over the girl. Of course, he certainly didn't fear for her wellbeing, but he did empathize with her plight, enough to offer after a moment, "I could always talk to him, if you'd think that would help. I mean, really; we're better off with him dead than alive, even if he isn't in the gang ring like his sons were." As he was saying this, Lanny was mentally kicking himself. The last thing he wanted to do was try and talk nice with Johann when he was worried with Cassidy, and try to explain away the danger of the situation she'd been in, even if it had been a rather risky ploy by the girl.

Cassidy

She smiled softly at his offer, reaching across the distance between them to lay a hand softly on his arm, as she so often did with Johann when she was trying to get through to him. "No Lanny, it's okay," she told him, shaking her head. "I've got this round. Thanks, though." And the warmth of her tone said that she really appreciated the offer. But she knew for a fact that letting Lanny try to explain this to the older man would end up rather like last time; with her uncle directing ugly glares at Lanny that he had no business using, and a bunch of tension between them. And she didn't want that - she didn't want to see two people she cared so much about - gods, but that thought came to her mind so easily!

Her train of thought stopped right there, and her eyes turned away from the young man, casting downward in... almost in confusion. How very subtly Lanny had made his way into the tiny circle of people she cared most about in the world - she hadn't even noticed it until the thought had run through her head. Half of her was cursing herself, and the other half was feeling the same sort of bewilderment that was normal for any person suddenly having this realization. But she didn't let herself dwell there for more than a moment; she drew her eyes back up quickly and reinforced her smile, bringing her assured voice back into play. "It'll be fine, Lanny. I promise."

Lanny Zelkovii

On one end, he was instantly relieved not to be held to his suggestion, even though he would have honored it if Cassidy had agreed with him. Whether or not he'd have done any good in speaking with Johann, he would have given it his best shot. On the flip side, he wanted to do something for her, and in his own way... he felt that odd sense of confusion about just why he felt this strongly about helping her out. Of course Cass was his friend, and had been since they were kids, but... this was almost different. Having the same sort of realization that she was having, Lanny realized just how often he'd been thinking of Cass, but he didn't let that notion strike him too hard just yet, and failed to see the way she herself faltered a little in her thoughts, "Is there anything I can help with?"

Cassidy

Distracted with her own thoughts in the same way Lanny was, she also failed to notice the moment of awkward silence that passed between them. But she knew that she had to think things over very carefully now - she couldn't afford to not have every emotion and thought of hers accounted for. Everything in her had a place, and she couldn't let... whatever feeling this was she had for Lanny... just run loose. It had to be organized into a slot, and until then, it had to be repressed. So though she continued smiling at him, she shook her head again, "No Lan, thanks. I-" Relief flooded her when her phone conveniently rang again, though she kept it off of her face, replacing it with resignation as she told him quietly, "That'll be Johann again... he wants me to come home. I guess I'll see you later, Lanny." So saying, she withdrew her hand from his arm, and got to her feet, leaning over a bit to fetch her purse from the chair beside her. Her shirt clung a little bit to her middle as she did so, subtly revealing the little bump that it usually hid from the world. And with her purse in hand, Cassidy moved to leave - but stopped at the last second, looking down at him for just a moment. Then, on a sheer impulse that she couldn't quiet suppress - she leaned down and pecked him on the cheek, just as she had done to Ben not twenty four hours ago. Only this time, it wouldn't be only Lanny that was confused - Cassidy straightened up very quickly, and turned fast-paced steps away from him, fleeing the club without another word.

Lanny Zelkovii

"See ya, Cass." Lanny nodded with a faint smile, still a little worried about her impending confrontation with Johann, even if he knew it was something that had to happen, and that he couldn't do anything about. He had to admit, he wasn't terribly happy that she was leaving, but he wasn't going to interfere and get in the way of her uncle right now, with as guardedly defensive as he was of her. "Call me later, okay?" Whatever more he would have said was stopped dead in its tracks as she leaned forward to plant one on his cheek. He froze at first, stunned by the movement - he certainly didn't object to it, but it caught him off guard. Before he could collect his wits to say anything, she had turned briskly and walked off.