Laurence Zelkovii

Some forty minutes after he'd left, Lanny was returning to the apartment with a bag full of necessities, another of food and Cassidy's items, and a coaxing a toddler to follow along with him. He'd first stopped at his own place to get a shower in and gather up his supplies, and then brought Randy with him for the shopping, all the while talking up Raine and going over the rules of being 'quiet' while he was visiting Cassidy, and pointing out how Randy had to be very careful with Cass and Raine. "You want to help feed her a bottle? It should be close to lunch time again for her." Shifting the bags into one hand, Lanny reached to open the door while he spoke to Randy, "Remember now, you've gotta use your quiet voice here."

Raimi*Others

"Shh shh... quiet voice," the toddler was repeating over and over, to confirm to Lanny that he understood. And when they came in, it was good that he was minding those rules, because a soft snoring had filled the room by now... and it wasn't Cassidy. Manual still spread open in his lap, and open to a page about half way through the thing, Johann's head was laid back and turned to one side against the chair, and it was from him that the soft sounds were issuing. "Shhh, Randy... Uncle Johann's getting a nap." That voice belonged to Cass, who was sitting right where Lanny had left her, though now laying horizontal on the couch so that she could reach one arm over to play with Raine, who was cooing quietly and actively grappling with her mother's finger. "Shhhh gotsta be quiet for Tiny Sissy... no wants ta scare her," the little guy confirmed, while plopping his bag of small items, which he'd insisted on 'helping' with, right by the door in his haste to round the couch and squat down by Raine's carrier. "Hiiiiii Sissy," the toddler whispered, and Raine's eyes shifted curiously to him - she was examining him closely, not quite sure what to make of this red-headed guest.

Laurence Zelkovii

"You've got it little man, quiet voice." Quietly shoving the door open with an elbow, and taking up the bag that Randy had plopped down hardly before getting into the room, Lanny bore a giant's smile and moved straight for the coffee table, where placed the few bags. "Sheryl's out at the salon right now, so I've got him for the next hour before she picks him up." The young man explained while sorting through the contents he'd piled on the table. His bag of supplies was set aside on the ground, while he picked out the socks, thread, and batteries to show Cass, "These all right? -Well looky there, she's awake, Randy." He realized at this point that Raine was awake, and had to split his attention and crane forward to look down at the infant who was seeing her older brother for the first time, "She's pretty tiny, isn't she?"

Raimi*Others

Raine was staring up at the kid as though she didn't quite know whether to think he was funny, or to break into wails and get Lanny to pick her up. Sweet and innocent though the toddler was, he just hadn't quite figured out the idea of personal space just yet, and had his face not two inches from the infant's. But finally, he seemed to understand the look of evolving distress in her, because he drew back a little, and whispered to Lanny, "Itsy bitsy Rainey... like da spiders, Lanee." So saying, he reached out a finger to prod against her little pink onesie - thankfully very gently and not applying any undue pressure - and Raine's eyes darted to his finger. It was pretty well a given what would happen next - she reached out and grabbed for his hand, and he drew it back with a sharp giggle that made her jump a little before she decided that it was alright. "Rainey silly," he told Lanny, and behind him, Cass laughed softly. "Not as silly as Randy is," she murmured, and the boy grinned at her. "Uh-huh." He turned back to his sister, who had finally seemed to figure out that he was alright - she was at least making her noises again. And this time when he reached out his finger, he let her keep it for a minute. "She like my fingers," he whispered, and giggled again, though more quietly this time. After that initial greeting, Cass turned her eyes up to Lanny, and nodded. "Yes, those will do fine. He's got two pairs of pants and a shirt that need mending, as I recall - he's so hard on a pair of slacks."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny watched the interaction with a gaze befitting of an anxious father, but not in an overbearing way. "She is pretty tiny, isn't she? Look are little her hands are - carefully now, you can't move too fast around her." He couldn't scold Raimi from drawing his hand back so abruptly, and certainly not for giggling, but the flinch from Raine prompted him to gently instruct the toddler on his behavior around her; which for the most part was very good. "She must like them; not don't move them too fast, okay?" The young man laughed lightly at the interaction, amused by how Raine was trying to figure out what to make of her older brother, and how Raimi was making his own assessment of his little sister. "Sewing... one of the things you can do right now. You tell me if there's anything else you need, if that gets boring."

Cassidy*Others

Smiling a little to herself as she watched the child interact with his little sister, Cass answered Lanny, "I've got a whole shelf of books in there that I bought back when I was fourteen and haven't ever cracked a page on because we've been so busy gang-wise since then. As long as I have to be down, as least I have plenty to do. Mending and reading will keep me pretty busy for a while." She smiled again as the toddler ran a gentle finger down Raine's arm, seeing a return in her happy noises, which in turn made him grin. "And if I behave myself, maybe we can convince Uncle to let us head out to the cafe if I get really stir-crazy... even in that blasted chair, I should at least be able to have lunch somewhere. And I know the owners there well enough that they'll fix my order specially to accommodate the diet."

Laurence Zelkovii

"Fourteen?" A light brow rose up in question to the girl, "I'd say you've got some serious catching up to do." He could understand the being busy part, especially since he was the co-lead of the gang, and knew how much work the others in the gang had to deal with in order to keep their society running. Eventually his bright eyes lit on the two youngsters again, and he began to relax a little more from his attentiveness; Raimi was proving to be a trustworthy big brother when dealing with his tiny sister. "Hey, that's not a bad idea. Johann's cooking is phenomenal, but it's just not the same as being out and about in a restaurant."

Cassidy*Others

The young woman stifled a laugh, apparently finding something funny. Below her, Raine's attention snapped abruptly away from her brother to look in the direction of the sound, recognizing Cass' voice by now, too. And a moment later, she started up with a whine that both young people should know. Eyes suddenly wide, as if he thought he'd done something to upset the baby and was going to be punished, Raimi stumbled backward into the couch, and Cass spoke up quietly. "Lanny, get her bottle - before Uncle wakes up." And in the next second, she was speaking in a soft, comforting tone to the toddler. "It's okay, Randy... Sissy is hungry. She does that to let us know she wants to eat." Looking between her and Lanny, seeking some sort of guidance, the toddler nodded slowly, seeming to absorb this... sort of. "Lanee gettin' her some mac an' cheese?" The new mother chuckled. "No, she can't have mac and cheese quite yet. Tiny babies like Raine eat milk. See? Watch Uncle Lanny."

Laurence Zelkovii

The whine was immediately recognized by Lanny as well, and with it came the reminder of what he'd told Raimi, "You want to help feed Raine? You can help us hold the bottle for her." Lanny rose to his feet while questioning Raimi, and sparing an inquisitive glance to Johann, to make sure the uncle was still sleeping and not being disturbed by all their talking, as quietly as it was being done. He had to chuckle some at Raimi's following question about the mac and cheese, but let Cassidy handle the answer while he rummaged around for a clean bottle and the container of formula. After as many bottles as he'd whipped since Raine was born, it took him very little time before he had the girl's meal ready, and was returning to kneel down beside the babyseat and couch. "Brunch time for you, Raine. Don't pretend like you don't want any." He was also starting to get better and coaxing her into actually take the bottle, since she often caused troubles at the very beginning of feeding time by not accepting the meal.

Cassidy*Others

"Milk?" Raimi's face screwed up a little in a show of just what he thought of this milk business - he liked milk well enough, but he could imagine eating just that, as Cass was suggesting. And she only managed to half-stifle a laugh at what he did next - he squared up his little shoulders, placed both hands on his hips and got an expression on his face that looked exactly like the one Lanny could get when he was particularly annoyed. Even down to the tone of his voice, the imitation was perfect. "That's got to be boooooring." She found it amusing enough that she was still laughing by the time Lanny made it back over with the bottle - she was holding her stomach, indicating that the mirth hurt her stitches a bit, but she was still giggling helplessly, so the pain couldn't be too bad. And Raimi's demeanor did a quick one-eighty, spurting up into excitement. "I help!" he declared, and was immediately crowding the young man and reaching to 'help' as the young man targeted the business end of the bottle toward his daughter. As usual, Raine fought and fussed a bit, spitting milk in a way that made Raimi giggle, but it was less of a fight than usual - she was finally figuring out that this bottle always produced the stuff that filled up her belly, so it was probably a good thing.

Laurence Zelkovii

By the time he'd gotten the bottle done and had tested it against his inner arm to make sure it wasn't going to scald Raine, and wasn't too cold either, he'd missed Raimi's immitation of him. But he did here the words and the humorous tone of voice, and found himself laughing along as well at the toddler's antics. "He's pretty good." Lanny complimented with a grin. An understanding look was darted from Cass to Johann next, "Maybe he's got some credit about the no-cursing stuff after all. I sure as heck didn't teach Randy that little number." He was half joking and half serious when he commented on this, after hearing for himself how easily little ones could pick up on the things they heard around them, and in Raimi's case, spout it off reasonably well. "There we go - okay, hold it here now - and keep your hands still."

Cassidy*Others

"He's likely had plenty of opportunity to practice," the young woman teased, watching with amusement in her eyes as Lanny showed the toddler how to hold the bottle so that Raine could get to it. Raimi seemed to think that the whole thing was fascinating, and was devotedly watching the infant drink. "Her likes milk," he murmured, at least remembering to keep his voice quiet this time. And Cass giggled a little. "Don't tell Uncle that, Lan... you'll give him ideas. Right he may be, but we don't need to let him know about it." Her eyes turned to her uncle as she said this, and the smile on her face softened to something quiet, and a little concerned. "He doesn't usually sleep that heavily... poor guy must be worn out. Ordinarily, he'd have been awake the second you came in the door - he wakes up every time the building so much as creaks all night long."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny did most of the work holding the bottle, to keep it stable for Raine, but he praised Raimi for doing 'such a good job' at helping him, figuring it would be good for the little guy to be encouraged to help his little sister like this. "She does. Do you think she'll like mac and cheese when she gets a little older?" After he heard the concern in Cassidy's voice following her comment on Johann, Lanny looked up from the youngsters and gazed over at the sleeping uncle, "He's worn himself out, no doubt. Don't worry though, between him and I, and being back home, he'll catch up on that sleep in no time." A look was darted to the young mother as soon as he said it, "And you as well."

Everybody likes mac an' cheese, Lanee," Raimi answered, rolling his eyes and still 'helping' Lanny to keep the bottle steady, even if it was mostly the toddler who was jerking it about a bit, forcing the young man to use a little muscle to hold it still enough for Raine to eat. Cass allowed that to lift her spirits a bit from her concern over Johann - there just wasn't anything quite as adorable as watching the cute toddler learn to feed his little sister. It was enough that she lifted a smile and swatted playfully at the young man when he turned his gaze to include her in the list of people who needed sleep. "Don't be fooled by that earlier," she told him, her tones joking, but if he looked up at her eyes, he would find them serious as could be. "That was just because of the ride home. Don't you and he get the idea that I'm 'delicate'." Of course, anyone who needed a nap after a twenty minute ride home was delicate, but Cass refused to have that word associated with herself.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny laughed again, nodding in agreement to Raimi, "I can't say you're wrong on that one. I don't think I've met anyone yet who doesn't like the stuff." Doing a decent job at multitasking this time, Lanny had been foresighted enough to bring a rag with him, and was using this to dab away some of the milk that was dribbling from the infant's mouth, and commenting to the little brother at the same time, "Look at that, Randy; she's as messy as you!" Of course, he had to duck his shoulder a little when Cassidy swatted at him for his earlier comment about her needing sleep, and for that attack, he grinned cheekily over at her, "No, of course not - we wouldn't be foolish enough to think that."

Cassidy*Others

"Randy, you tell your Uncle Lanny that if he isn't careful, I'm going to punch him in the nose." The toddler looked up when Cass said that, releasing the bottle in his distraction over these words, and though the terms were firm, there was a glitter in her eyes that would tell Lanny she was kidding. Still, she thought it was pretty funny when the toddler obediently turned and informed the young man, "Aunt Cassie say her's gonna punch you nose." And apparently, Raimi was immune to the firm 'don't call me 'Cassie' rule', which was good - the last person who'd dared call her 'Cassie' had ended up in the ER with a broken nose. But she seemed prepared to let Raimi call her that, and didn't even protest at the 'Aunt' title, showing that she had a special fondness for children that she'd never had the opportunity to display, between not daring to let the others know about her deceased son, and trying not to make Sheryl more jealous by interacting with Raimi.

Laurence Zelkovii

He ducked his head again, this time with more of a sheepish smile, which more or less was broken with laughter when Raimi obediently recited the mother's threat to him. "Oh, is that so?" He couldn't look up at Cassidy right away however, because Raimi had let go of the bottle in order to respond to Cass and deliver her message. After adjusting his hold on it, he returned his eyes to the young mother, "Alright, I surrender - violence in front of the children would probably go against Johann's rules, after all." Which was ironic, considering that he was the co-lead of the gang, and Raimi was already exposed to plenty of violence, from his time with his real parents, to the arguments with his new ones, and the occassional fight he'd get to see break out at the tavern when Sheryl took him there.

Cassidy*Others

Still laughing softly, Cass reached down and gave the toddler a gentle squeeze, which he returned exuberantly with a squeal of joy. "Happyhappy. Funny Aunt Cassie!" He bent down then, tucking his face up close to Raine again, who had nearly finished the bottle by now and turned her eyes to the vague shape of Raimi. "Rainey... you Mommy silly." A deep rumble answered, "Got that right, Randy." Apparently, the toddler's squeal had woken Johann, who was rubbing his eyes with one hand. Not seeming to remember that he was supposed to be being quiet, Raimi left off of speaking to Raine to run over and ram into Johann's legs and clamber up into his lap. "Aunt Cassie always silly?" he asked. And after initially showing a bit of surprise at the way the toddler climbed right up into his lap, Johann answered quietly, "Yes, she usually is - in more ways than one."

You fit right in here, Randy." By this time, he was taking the bottle from Raine when she'd finished the last of it, and devotedly wiping up what milk had strayed onto her chin, "Can you tell Uncle Johann what you helped your little sister with?"

Cassidy*Others

Now looking more relaxed and content than she had the whole time she'd been in the hospital, Cass grinned at her uncle's response to Raimi, and chuckled again, this time a little louder since she didn't have to worry about waking anyone. "Tell you a secret, Randy - Uncle Johann's silly too." The toddler swiveled in Johann's lap to listen to Cass, and then turned back to look at the man - who smiled a little. "But she got the best of it." And before the child could answer that, Raine was finishing up with her bottle, and Lanny was prompting him to talk. Turning about excitedly in Johann's lap, he planted his hands on the man's chest and grinned. "I help Lanee feed Sissy lunch! Her drink milk. No cans have mac an' cheese."

Laurence Zelkovii

The empty bottle was set on the coffee table, along with the cloth after he'd finished cleaning her mouth up. This time around, a thoughtfully placed bib meant that he didn't have to change her outfit after this feeding, either. Basking somewhat in the relaxed atmosphere of the room, in a way that none of them had been able to do for so long now, Lanny could well and truly look forward to better days again. All he needed was to see the way that Cassidy was returning to her former self, with the stress and tension aside, and her condition slowly to improve over the coming month. "And you did a good job at it. Maybe you can help again next time?"

Cassidy*Others

Raimi was bouncing now, forcing Johann to put one hand to the toddler's back to keep him from tipping over and falling right off his lap. "I help!" he repeated, and Johann queried softly, "Did you, now? Lanny says you did a good job... did Raine like her milk?" As the toddler began to tell Johann all about holding the bottle and how he thought just milk was 'boring', Cass was watching the pair quietly. Like many people, she couldn't remember too much of her early childhood, or what Johann had said and done with her when she was at that excitable, adorable age. Watching him interact with Raimi kind of filled in the gaps for her. He was quiet and composed as ever, but there was a light in his eyes now - he too looked more relaxed and happy than she had seen him look in some time. She turned a secretive smile to Lanny as Raimi went on about 'When I go Shay-Shay and Jay house, I help feed Geckly', and murmured quietly, "Hand her here, Lan." She shifted over onto her back as she said that so that she could lay the infant across her chest as she usually did, not needing prompting to know that Raine needed to 'bond' with her, as the manual had suggested.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny was about to pick up the infant himself, but had gotten distracted listening to the tales that Raimi was telling to Johann, and grinning at the slightly butchered but nonetheless adorable way he spoke Geckie's name. He also shared in the look that Cassidy turned to him, acknowledging that he saw the same positive signs in Johann that she did. Only after that did he reach down to take Raine out of her seat, when Cassidy quietly prompted him to do so. "Here's a cloth for good measure." Before he handed the little one over to her mother, a burp rag was offered so that Cass wouldn't be the one needing a shirt change if Raine divulged any of her latest meal. Then the infant was carefully lifted over to Cass to continue with the crucial bonding time that she needed.

Cassidy*Others

Taking the cloth from Lanny, Cass spread it over her chest for Raine to lay on, and then gently took the baby from him and lay her on top of it. Beginning to rub her daughter's back with a couple of fingers, and indeed shifting one corner of her own blanket so that it would cover the baby and keep her warm, Cass began to hum softly under her breath - a tune that made Johann look up from his conversation with Raimi. There was warmth in his eyes for just a moment before he turned back to his discussion with the toddler, and Cass explained to Lanny in a whisper, "He used to sing that to me when I was little. A couple of years ago, he told me that my mother used to hum it for me, when she was pregnant with me." Her tones had gotten quiet, not indicating that she was upset... but more wistful, in a way. With herself a mother now, Cass was keenly aware of something that hadn't really captured much of her attention up until now - she missed her mother, even though she'd never known her. She kept on humming though, and Raine seemed to like it.

If stormy clouds should hide the stars,
no fearful thought is mine.
Far beyond all earthly storms,
the heavenly stars still shine.
Stars are for those who lift their eyes.

Laurence Zelkovii

Now that Raimi was temporarily occupied with Johann, and Raine was being tended to by her mother, Lanny found the free time to pick up the bottle and carry it over to the sink to rinse out. The remainder of the groceries were brought to the kitchen next, with the fish being placed in the fridge until it was time for the uncle to cook it. The only things he left on the coffee table were the items that Cassidy had requested. When all of that was taken care off, he found a place for himself on the floor, sitting angled against the front of the couch, where he was right next to Cassidy and Raine. "Sounds like a nice song; do you know what it is?" Lanny was carefully trying to read into her tones and expression, at first unsure if it was wise for him to broach a topic about her mother, but when she didn't sound especially somber or upset, he carefully went ahead with it.

Cassidy*Others

"It's called 'Stars are for Those Who Lift Their Eyes'. It's based from a poem by Melcena Burns Denny." Apparently, like a few other things, Cass had done research on the song that her mother had sung for her, also emphasizing that she had been missing her mother recently. "I think it's rather appropriate - he taught it to me, now I'll teach it to her. That way... Mom's still with us." Her tones were still quiet enough that Lanny would have to listen very carefully to hear her words over Raimi's exuberant conversation with Johann. And they still sounded a little sad, but not in a bad way... and it marked the first time she'd ever spoken to Lanny, even glancingly, about her mother. It had always been a topic she'd avoided, but now with it prominent in her mind, it showed her trust with him that she offered him those little thoughts.

Laurence Zelkovii

The name didn't ring a bell on his head, nor did the author of the poem, but he tried to commit the title to memory anyway, "I like it, it's a nice song." Coming from Lanny, it was his attempt at trying to say something positive about the song that obviously held a lot of meaning for Cassidy, but not being sure how to word it; to his credit though, he did find the humming pleasant to listen to. "And she'll teach it to her kids." He went on a little more confidently, albeit a bit awkward at first, since he wasn't one that dropped into any sort of sentimental talk quickly; and couldn't do so when Johann or anyone else was around. The hugging and being gentle with Cassidy was one thing, but deep talks, and subjects like the one Cass had chose, were a little different for him. "That's a good way to remember her by."

Cassidy*Others

"Geeze, Lan - I barely have a daughter now! Don't give me grandchildren yet." Knowing really that Lanny was more of a joker than one to get into any sort of sentimental conversation, Cass took the opportunity to lighten the topic a bit, for both their sakes. And from his place, Johann groaned and rolled his eyes. "Let's not even discuss where that puts me. I know I'm old, but I'm not that old." And Cass laughed, because her uncle was in his early forties, even though he looked much older than that due to his receding hairline and the toll that his early years had taken on him. "I dunno, Johann - I always said you were an old fart."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny put his hands up in the air in mock surrender and laughingly defended himself, "I'm just saying, is all. And who are you kidding, Johann - I know you'd love to have a few more little ones running around the place." Using a friendly banter against Cassidy's uncle, he called the generally stoic man out, knowing how much he took raising Cassidy, and now helping with Raine, to heart. Before they could gang up on the uncle too much, even if it was all in good fun, Lanny brought Raimi back into the discussion by addressing him next, "The old fart can cook a mean meal at least; say Randy, do you think he might be able to cook you up some mac and cheese for lunch?" The poor kid would probably prefer that, since Lanny had a habit of never cooking the otherwise easily made meal the same way twice. The noodles always ended up undercooked, overcooked, having clumps of unstirred cheese powder here and there, or swimming in too much added milk. If there was a way to cook macaroni wrong, Lanny could do it.

Cassidy*Others

Surprisingly enough, Johann actually laughed at the young man's teasing comment, a deep, quiet chuckle that said he was truly amused, and not putting forth a front for anyone's benefit. "I'll admit to that... but I'd rather have them one at a time, if you don't mind." He smiled a little at Cass as he said that, and went on, "Got Cass raised, and now I'm workin' on Raine - don't get any more involved!" That made the new mother giggle, where she was still laying on the couch and stroking the infant's back. With a full stomach, the baby had given a few burps, and then of course had fallen asleep against her mother, soothed by the even beat of Cass' heart and all the pleasant sounds around her. The mention of macaroni got Johann's attention though, and his face creased a little in thought. "Let's see... I know we have elbow noodles, and velveeta, ricotti, provolone, cheddar, and swiss... Cass, do you remember if we have parmesan?" Apparently, Johann had no intentions of making boxed macaroni, and thus was listing all the ingredients for his own recipe of it. And from her place, Cass nodded. "In the top cupboard, all the way over to the left. I think we've got about a half-can left."

Laurence Zelkovii

Leaned back against the couch were he was, Lanny had reached a hand over to run across Raine's back a few times himself in a fatherly touch before he turned his head to Johann and nodded laughingly, "I guess you're right; one's more than a handful at a time." Honestly, Lanny wasn't sure if he could raise a youngster all on his own like Johann had, after being thoroughly exhausted on the first night that he'd taken Raine home with him - dealing with that from sunup to sundown, day after day...? It was boggling to him. "I've got a box of the stuff back at my place, if you want to do it that way." When Johann began to list of the cheeses, Lanny quickly jumped in with a suggestion, not wanting to make the man do extra work; though as he thought about it, he figured that cooking was something that the uncle enjoyed doing anyway, and that it wasn't so much a chore for him as it was for Lanny. And besides, Raimi would certainly appreciate it.

Cassidy*Others

"Boxed macaroni?" The old man muttered, his tone dismissive as he turned a raised eyebrow to the younger man. "Not in my house. It's alright if you can't cook, I guess... but then, I can. Besides, my version has a bunch of extra vitamins and minerals in it. Good for a growing little guy like him. He's taller than the last time I saw him - he could use the calcium." Cass covered a smile with her hand - Johann absolutely detested boxed meals of every kind, not because they tasted bad necessarily, but because he knew that he could make the dish much better. He refused to have any such things in the apartment, and indeed everything that they ate, either he or Cassidy made from scratch. And who was to argue, when this was the best place in town to eat, including most of the restaurants? The man's love of both cooking and children showed though, as he looked to the child who was still hopping on his lap and asked quietly, "How about it, Randy? Think you can help Uncle Johann make some mac and cheese in a little while?" The toddler grinned and bounced still more excitedly - he was at that remarkable age where he loved to help. "I help, I help!"

Laurence Zelkovii

"He is starting to sprout up, isn't he?" Lanny noted with eyes set on the youngster, though being around Raimi so often, the toddler's growth wasn't as noticeable as it was to Johann and the others who didn't see him as often. "Randy's a pretty good help around the house, aren't you?" 'Help' may not be the best word to use in some instances, as little ones had a tendency to cause more work by trying to assist, but that never bothered Lanny or his caretakers. "You help me feed Geckie and give him water. That's a big job for a little guy like yourself."

Cassidy*Others

"Yah. Geckly hungry - him eat bugs!" His attention captured by the little reptile, Raimi offered this information to Johann, who listened devotedly to the youngster, even though he was pretty well terrified of all things reptilian, as Cass had once secretly told Lanny. "Cass was even littler than he is when I started pulling her up on the counter to help me cook," the old man ventured, turning his eyes to the girl and his eyes growing a little soft to see that Raine had fallen asleep under the ministrations of her parents. "Soon as she could sit upright, I had her up there pouring things into the bowls, and turning the crank on my cheese grater - I bet you can do that, eh Randy? Can you turn the crank?" Bouncing again for emphasis, and making Cass wince a little in sympathy at the bruises he must be creating on Johann's thighs, the toddler giggled, "Yes, yes! Make lots of cheese. Cheese everywhere!"

Laurence Zelkovii

He didn't consider Johann's dislike for reptiles until the man tactfully left off with Raimi's merry explanation of feeding the gecko and went right back to something he was far more comfortable talking about and dealing with - food. "Before long, I can just imagine Raine will be the one up there helping her grandpa Johann with cooking." Falling in line with the food discussion again, Lanny proposed a likely assumption. And when Raimi got to talking about helping grate the cheese, especially the bit about cheese being 'everywhere', the co-lead laughed aloud and gave the older man a fair warning, "Unless you want a mess to clean up later, you'd best keep your eyes on him. He's quite fond of flicking food about, just to see it fly."

Cassidy*Others

"Yes - lima beans, wasn't it?" Johann asked with a quiet smile, referencing the famous incident where he'd pitched them all over the place in the apartment. And then his smile turned softer and more personable, and he hefted Raimi up onto his hip so that he could get to his feet, and cross over to run his hand ever-so-softly down Raine's back. The infant sighed peacefully, and the old man whispered, "Don't rush her, Lanny. Listen to an old man when he tells you to treasure this little while that she's so tiny and precious... because once it's over, that's it, and it never comes again. You can't get it back." His hand transferred from the baby's back to the top of Cass' head as he finished, stroking down the side of her hair until his fingers reached her chin, and she smiled a little, turning into the touch and closing her eyes for a moment. There was a brief second or two of quiet contentment between them, and then Raimi burbled, "Unca Johann - we make cheese now?" The spell between them broken, Johann patted Cass' shoulder and then looked up at the toddler on his hip, smiling more broadly and answering, "Sure - it won't take long to get the cheese all shredded up... and at your age, I bet you have a little n-a-p to take before lunch, am I right?" He turned his gaze questioningly to Lanny as he said that, to make sure that he was right. If necessary, they could plop the child down back in the bedroom and he could catch his nap before lunch with ease.

Laurence Zelkovii

"That's it." A nod and a grin from Lanny confirmed the lima beans as the food of choice that Raimi had catapulted all over the place, to such an extent that he wouldn't be surprised if there were still more of the shriveled beans hiding in the kitchen still. He didn't really say anything to the comment that Johann spoke afterwards, but he could certainly appreciate the significance of it and didn't turn it away. His expression even softened a little, savoring the fact that they were afforded quiet moments like these, which had come so close to being lost just a few weeks before. Eventually Raimi interrupted the scene, and brought Lanny back on track to his normal demeanor, "He's due for one. By the time that's all said and done, and he's had lunch, Sher will probably be arriving about that time to pick him up again."

Cassidy*Others

"Okay then, lil critter - come on." With all the details he needed confirmed, Johann shifted his hold a little on Randy and headed for the kitchen. Plopping the kid on the counter, he explained very carefully that Raimi had to sit still and not try to jump off the counter, or he couldn't help. The boy quickly agreed to it, and soon enough, he was merrily churning out shredded cheese into the bowl that Johann was holding for him. As the toddler ooohed and ahhed over the 'cheesy rain', Cass smiled and closed her eyes, humming to Raine still and looking more content and peaceful than she had for a long time. "Lanny... it's so good to be home. It's safe here. He can't get her."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny idly remained seated where he was, but his light eyes followed Raimi to the kitchen, and watched for a moment after Johann set the kid on the counter, making sure that he didn't hop off of it again. It was a little show of the sort of fatherly devotion that he had towards the toddler, and in an ever growing degree for Raine; though he certainly cared for them both all the same. It was just... different, being the 'official' father figure for the infant. "Perfectly safe." He said that with reinforced authority, feeling completely and utterly safe while they were in the apartments. It was their own domain, their central turf - no one had dared attacked them here before, and he couldn't imagine Conan trying it. "No one is going to get her. And if they try, they'll be confronting the business end of a gun."

Cassidy*Others

She smiled a little at his fierce reassurance, and turned her head until it could rest against his shoulder, since he was propped against the couch. "I'm glad you're staying with us," she whispered, and for once didn't even finish that off with a joke or a statement that would have taken away from the genuine weight of her gratitude. She didn't say more, but it was all there in the silence that followed as she closed her eyes and let her head rest against him - she felt safer with him around, and knew that he would see to it that no one took Raine from her. To get to the infant, Conan would have to go through Johann and Lanny both, and Cass, too - that extra layer of protection helped to enhance her feeling of security, and made the bloody memory of Isaiah's death fade into the background, for now.

Laurence Zelkovii

Whether it was folly or not for him, Lanny was far more relaxed when he was here at the apartments, and didn't bother posting a guard in the hallway or down at the front doors so long as he was here with Cassidy. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." In tune with the kind of statement she'd made, Lanny paired it with a serious one of his own, whispered so that it was beyond Johann's ears to hear. In fact, had the uncle not been here right now, he might have been persuaded to go one with this sort of topic and cover a few things that were on his mind, but Johann's presence prevented him from saying anything else for now.

y Cassidy*Others

Ordinarily, this would have been one of those topics that Cass would have shied away from, since it suggested a deeper realm of emotion between the two of them - particularly with her head leaning on his shoulder and her eyes closed to suggest how safe and content she was feeling. But at the moment, she was just relaxed enough, and feeling just close enough to the young man that she didn't have her usual fear of both the physical and the emotional closeness. Once again though, the moment was broken by Raimi, who squealed, "Cheeeese!" making Cass laugh softly, and her eyes pop open, though she didn't draw away from Lanny yet. And in a moment, Johann had the child lifted down from the counter and balanced on his hip again. "Alright little guy - nap time for you." Saying that, the older man headed for the bedroom, with the mind of settling the toddler down in his own bed for a brief nap. And that left the pair of them a few minutes to themselves.

Laurence Zelkovii

With Cassidy's head resting on his shoulder like that, Lanny had to be mindful about not moving around too much, so that he wouldn't jar her, and in turn disrupt the sleeping Raine. At Raimi's enthusiastic outburst of cheese however, he had to turn his head and grin at the toddler's excitability over something as mundane as grating cheese was. "He better hope Raimi is tuckered out, or he's just going to roll around in there and not do any actual sleeping." Once Johann had left the room, Lanny commented this dryly under his breath. And in the quietness of the room they were suddenly left in, he was pondering the thoughts in his head, and debating whether or not he should bring them up; he wanted to in a way, and yet he wasn't sure about how to go about them. After a moment or two however, he found a slightly more nuetral way of going about it, and started off lightly, "I've been thinking, for Raine's sake and all, about- well, we live close, but wouldn't it be more beneficial if we lived in the same space...?"

Cassidy*Others

"I was always a fussy napper," Cass murmured, her tones certain. "He's got a little experience in the matter. And besides... I can't picture a fussy Randy." Indeed, the kid was generally well-behaved and cheery - only Lanny was usually given to see his cranky side, mostly because he wanted the young man whenever he was unhappy enough to cry or fuss. She paused for a minute to listen to the sound of Johann's voice, which was slightly muffled behind the door he'd closed to settled Randy down. Her eyes closed again for a moment, and a smile formed as she listened to him go through the same ritual he'd always done when she was small - she didn't rouse from that until Lanny spoke again. There was a small pause there, indicating that she was slightly surprised that he'd taken up this topic, but she didn't let the silence stretch long before she replied quietly, "I never had the opportunity to be raised in a traditional Mom-and-Dad atmosphere... I would like to give Raine that opportunity." She didn't outright say 'yes' to that idea, but it was pretty well an opening for him to continue discussing the topic, rather than than the blatant block for it she could have provided.

Laurence Zelkovii

"Nah, he's a good kid. Better than I ever was when I was little, I imagine." To draw off some of the awkwardness of the conversation he'd blundered into, Lanny threw a light joke against himself. And then he paused, for one not sure how to continue on with their latter discussion, and also to listen for Johann and make sure the man was still out of the room and not on his way back in. "Yeah, that's pretty much what I was thinking; it'd be best for Raine." Very carefully, he tried to keep the issue of how he felt out of it, when in reality, he was looking at this as much for the infants sake as for his own wants. "A lot more convenient too. If you ever needed to go out and do something, if Johann wasn't available to watch her, then I'd be here to take care of things." Considering he only lived one floor down, it wasn't that big of a deal anyway, but it was his way of playing with the idea and trying to express, in his own subtle way, that he had been thinking about this for a bit now.

Cassidy*Others

He had effectively distracted her from what was going on in the back room; she no longer heard the soft rumble of her uncle's voice as he spoke to the child, or the lighter tones of Raimi answering him and asking quiet questions. But where his question was prompted equally by his own desires to be close to her as it was for the benefit of Raine, Cass was careful enough in putting aside her own personal feelings that she immediately began to analyze it. After another pause, she murmured, "You know there's something that we have to discuss before we get into anything that detailed, Lanny." She didn't say it in so many words, but she touched ever so slightly on the topic of Isaiah's father, her tones soft. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk about getting a place with the young co-lead - it was quite the opposite actually. But she couldn't see how they would be able to live peacefully under the same roof with an issue like that to stir up troubles between them. She put aside for now that getting her own place with Lanny would cement forever the idea of their changed relationship, in favor of pointing this out before they ever got started onto that more decisive step.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny brushed at his arm, removing a nonexistent bit of lint for the sake of having something to momentarily focus his attention on. "There's a lot to be discussed I know, not that it's anything that we need to get on the ball about." The kind of denial for his own problems, Lanny quietly did his best to blow over any particularly in depth discussions that might arise from this, and tried at the same time to downplay the rather significant suggestion he'd brought up in the first place. "As it is now, I think this setup here is best for Raine. She's got three of us to look after her, in a familiar place. It's nothing that's got to be worried over right now."

Cassidy*Others

"And let's not even get into what the Elders would have to say," she went on, allowing him to divert the topic away from the sore subject, but not willing to drop it altogether. "They don't even know that you've adopted her yet, do they? Have you even told James yet?" In other young mothers, that might have been an angry question, but not in Cass - she understood that this was a delicate situation, both on a personal level for Lanny, and where the Elders were concerned. And that was definitely a potential problem - they still hadn't faced the Elders on the idea that their friendship had become something a little more, and to add this on top of it... well, they'd both have a lot of explaining to do.

Laurence Zelkovii

The thought of the Elders brought a groan out of the young co-lead, "Best to take things slower with them. I figure the best thing for me to do at this point is prove to them that none of this is impacting my ability to keep command behind James. And it's not." That was true at least, but that was only half the problem - the other issue he thought would be brought up was the fact that they simply may not approve of him being with Cassidy. And if they ever found out about her relationship with Conan's brother... Lanny didn't want to think about that. "No, not yet... haven't really got the chance to." He made up the excuse, even though it was partly the truth. "I'll tell him soon though, it's not something I'm worried about."

Cassidy*Others

The girl gave a hefty sigh, but didn't lift her head away from his shoulder, mostly because she didn't have the courage to look him in the eyes right now. "You know Lanny, you really are an awful liar. I always assumed you'd be better at it than this." She said nothing to suggest that she was angry for the way that he'd fudged the truth about being worried about telling James, but it was definitely her way of trying to get a squarer answer out of him. It didn't make her angry that he'd tried to lie to her... but it hurt her some, which he might pick up on if he were very observant. Only a moment later though, she picked up the topic in a different place. "If all else fails, I know how to handle your brother. But the Elders... now them, I am not so sure of. I've had so little contact with any of them that I'm not sure how to behave with them... a fact which they've deliberately kept intact by not inviting me in any closer, I might add."

Laurence Zelkovii

He'd picked up on it alright, and it wasn't the first time he'd heard the barely discernible note of hurt in her voice. The young man honestly tried to play it straight and tell the truth with her, since that last thing in the world he wanted was to harm her in any way, but that resolve also crumbled without fault when he faced an issue that was more than he could handle. "I'll tell him - tomorrow, even. That'll be taken care of." That wasn't the real issue of course; it was why he'd shied so long from telling his brother, but he didn't acknowledge that. "Don't worry over the Elders too much yet. I'll have a meeting with them sometime soon I imagine, and I'll get a feel for their view on all of this. "

Cassidy*Others

"I'm not trying to push you, Lanny," she murmured, distractedly pulling up the blanket a little bit higher on Raine in an obsessive need to make sure the infant was warm enough. "I'm just saying that it has to be done sooner or later - and if it's later, they and James both will want a good reason why we didn't tell them in the first place. And the longer you take about telling them, the harder it'll be to come up with that reason." She concluded that softly without looking at him, but still without drawing her head off of his shoulder, not wanting to pull that away and make him think that she was mad at him. She wasn't, really - she was worried more than anything. But she wasn't about to admit to that. There was a pause where dead silence settled, and then she murmured, "What'd I tell you? It's quiet back there already."

Laurence Zelkovii

An uneasiness was beginning to creep back into him, surrounding the task of informing not only his brother and fellow gang members about his adoption of Raine, but the Elders... and if he was this anxious about telling James, it was going to be absolutely nerve-racking to deal with the higher up powers. "I've been busy, they'll understand that." Lanny suggested, giving the best excuse that he'd come up with so far... which wasn't a great one. He tried to keep these worries to himself though, and hastily took up on the comment Cassidy made about Raimi, "It'll be good for him to get a nap in; Sher mentioned taking him to the park later, after I suggested it. I think he's been a bit bothered by me not being around so much lately, but maybe it's just me."

Cassidy*Others

Choosing not to further pursue the topic of Raine for now, since it was making the both of them a little uncomfortable, Cass left off of that for now, and focused on the infant herself. There were a few beats of silence before she murmured, "I bet he's been missing you. You're one of his favorite people, you know. While you're staying here, you ought to bring him up to visit every day, so he doesn't feel so left out." She might have said more, but she erupted with a soft giggle when she caught the sound of soft snoring coming from the bedroom. "Apparently, Randy's not the only one who needed a nap... here, take her. And get me up - if we're going to have that mac and cheese ready by the time Randy wakes up, it looks like I'm going to have to make it."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny had the idea to bring Raimi over as much as he could, but he never said as much, in the risk that it would be too much stress for Cassidy to handle. Not to mention, it wasn't really his home, and he wasn't sure if Johann would appreciate having a toddler running about all over when he had so many other things to look after. "If it's not too much of a burden. I'd be good for Raine too, I'd think. Getting to see her brother." He pointed out another plus of letting Raimi hang out over here now and then, even if it could cause some friction with Sheryl. "I think it'd do him some good to sleep all the way till supper, and got caught up on some of that rest he's been missing." Gently reaching out, Lanny murmured this in the midst of picking Raine up. After she'd gotten settled in one arm, he used the other to help Cassidy sit up - but there was some edge to his voice when he commented, "I don't know if it'd be so good for you to stand that long. Why don't you just tell me what to do, and I can cook it up. Can't be that hard, after all."

Cassidy*Others

The young woman laughed softly under her breath, and murmured, "Don't let the old guy fool you, Lan - Johann loves kids. He's not quite sure what to do with them sometimes, but that's what's so funny about it. And he certainly enjoys them." After relinquishing the baby into his hold, she was anticipating being helped up - but of course he inevitably reminded her that she wasn't to be standing for quite a while yet. Allowing him to help her sit up, at least, she sighed in a frustrated way, and then murmured, "Alright then... better stick me in that contraption. At least I can look after her while I keep an eye on what you're doing." 'That contraption' was, of course, the infamous wheelchair that she so dreaded, but if it was the only way she could get around, she would reluctantly make use of it.

Laurence Zelkovii

"In that case, Raimi's going to be a happier little guy. He likes it over there, but he gets bored, and James and them get so busy sometimes that it's hard for them to watch him all the time." Happy to have that agreed upon, the next task was trying to figure out which one of them would be making dinner - which in his mind, would most certainly not be Cassidy, even if that meant the meal may not come out as edible as it otherwise would. Fortunately, the young woman gave in and conceded to sticking with the long list of things she was forbidden to do. "It won't take long anyway, and it'll give you time with Raine. Certainly more fulfilling than cooking up some mac and cheese." Lanny attempted to downplay the negativity in the situation and bring up something to look forward to. Already, he was laying Raine down on the couch for a moment, and pulling the wheelchair forward, "Alright, here we go-" As he'd done before, the co-lead did his best to shuffle her off of the couch, working with great care not to jostle her about as he did so, in fear of putting undo pressure on her abdomen.

Cassidy*Others

"Kids that age get bored easily," the young woman confirmed, nodding absently even though she was anticipating the unpleasant experience of again being picked up. "You ought to get him some of those magnet-letters that go on the refrigerator, and start teaching him that they mean certain sounds. He's a clever little guy - I bet you can get him reading small words by his next birthday. And it would give him something to do, besides." In the next moment though, he had her lifted, and as might have been expected, her grip returned to his arm - her face was calm and clear, and so were her eyes, so this way of throttling his arm every time she had to be picked up expressed her fear of being held aloft by no strength of her own. It was as much hint as he'd get into why she hated this - she was afraid of it. Well... that and the gruff words she offered him. "Well don't just stand there gaping," she grumbled, her tones grumpy to disguise that she was more scared than anything. "Put me down."

Laurence Zelkovii

"That's a good idea; I could have Sheryl pick some up when she takes him out to the park today. On that subject; what age can they go to school?" Lanny proved that, though he didn't really talk about it much, he was thinking about future things, like Raimi's education and what sort of accommodations they'd need as he got older. Dental visits and hospital check-ups were needed, but the three of them were still a little wary of taken the kidnapped boy anywhere where trouble might arise from the fact that he wasn't legally their child. All of this he was saying in a distracted way anyway, because he was in the middle of transferring Cass from the couch to the chair, and just starting to take notice of the death-grip on his arm - the same one she'd used before. "Here we are - you comfortable?" Responding to the grumpy tones as if they had been the fearful ones that were being hidden beneath, Lanny's response was a bit more quiet, and genuinely concerned.

Cassidy*Others

"Add this to the list of ridiculous stuff I put up with because of men," the young woman grumbled, adjusting herself in the chair with a little wince when her weight went the wrong way and stretched her stomach a bit. "You know the only reason I'm puttin' up with this is because you and he fussed over it, right?" Just to make that clear, she glanced an annoyed look up at him, which was meant to cover the fear as it subsided. "Here, hand her to me." Once she was adjusted, she reached out her arms so that Lanny could settle Raine into them. It wasn't until she did so that she seemed to remember that he'd asked her a question, and answered softly, "By his next birthday, he'll be old enough - most of your preschools start taking 'em at three or so."