James Zelkovii
It had only been about fifteen minutes since Lanny left the apartment to pick up the newly wired cash and deliver the rest of Kenny's payment. If all went well, he was projected to return in another fifteen minutes or so, give or take a few minutes where he was suppose to stop by his brother's apartment to do some talking with the older Zelkovii. Of course, stopping to talk with James first might have been the better plan and prevented the gang leader from standing in front of room #5 right now, rapping on the door as he was. Then again, Lanny was hoping to get the money done and delivered, so as he'd have good news to pacify James with.
Cassidy*Others
With the potatoes finally prepared and instilled in the pot with the roast in the oven, Cassidy had cleaned up the tiny mess of shavings left behind by the young Zelkovii's peeling, and had settled down on the couch with her mending. It was a common-enough sight in the apartment - she could frequently be found with some torn article of clothing in her lap and Raine in her carrier at her feet, a toe rocking the basket. At the moment though, the child was with Johann, having woken from her nap a minute or two ago. The pair of them were seated on the living room floor with a random collection of Raine's toys, and Cassidy was pretending not to notice how much the old man was enjoying it. The knock on the door didn't immediately disturb them, and they kept playing as Cass got to her feet and moved barefooted toward the door, but as she peered through the peep hole and saw James' familiar shape outside, she was moved into guarded caution; James had looked ready to sock Lanny earlier, and she didn't like that she didn't know what the source of that anger was. "Johann... it's James," she whispered, and the old man nodded - he didn't do much in reaction, but the look he gave her in return said that he understood. So once that was done, there was little to do but open the door and greet older brother pleasantly. "Hello, James... we weren't expecting you."
James Zelkovii
Through the peephole, it was hard to tell what sort of mood James was in, although it was easy enough to see that he wasn't here for a simple chat or to share good news. His face strongly reflected the nuances of his brother's when he was bothered by something or doing a lot of brooding. When Cassidy got to the door and opened it up, she'd tell that more clearly, because James didn't have his typical greeting of 'Hey' for her. Instead, his eyes darted past her, fully expecting to see his brother. "Where's Lann?" One positive thing Cassidy might notice was that James didn't try to simply barge into the apartment room to get a better look, but waited where he was and turned his attention to her when Lanny wasn't immediately in view. In fact, he didn't seem particularly angry so much as he was distracted and lacking in manners at the moment.
Cassidy*Others
Cassidy was in a careful mood, which was enhanced by the elder Zelkovii's actions earlier - as well as the events that had occurred shortly thereafter. She didn't bother to try to disguise the bruise that had lit up the side of her face, running up below her left eye and making the whole jaw and cheekbone on that side swollen; there wasn't really anything she could do to hide it, anyway. Instead, she smiled vacantly, and stood back so that he could see that only Johann and the toddler were in the living room. "He's gone to drop off the rest of Kenny's payment. Johann arranged for the transfer of funds. It'll all be taken care of here in a couple of minutes, if it isn't already." That was the factual, rational end of the conversation, but a second later, her face softened, and she favored James with a gentle look. Not quite as tender as what she might have offered Lanny in the same situation - but after all, James was still her big brother... as much as she'd ever known of one. "We'll have supper on the table in a few minutes, too, once Lanny gets back... did you want to stay? I know he wanted to talk to you."
James Zelkovii
When James actually took the time to look back at Cassidy, the large bruise that had formed over the side of her face couldn't be missed even when he was as apparently distracted as he was with other things. It was enough of a whopper that it took his attention briefly away from what was on his mind and had him questioning it, "How'd you get that?" He'd seen Lanny give similiar such bruises to his enemies, but never did it cross his mind that his little brother could do this to Cass. No, they must have run into the wrong crowd, and James could only imagine that Lanny and Johann had that situation under control... though he'd never guess how much turmoil that had stirred up. "The payment's being taken care of then? At least that's out of the way." James pulled his cellphone from his pocket, contemplating whether to call his brother or not. He ended up merely checking the time and stuffing the device back into his jeans before he responded to her offer. "Yeah... yeah, I'll stay for dinner. I've got some things to talk about too, and you guys will need to hear it sooner or later." Oddly enough, he hadn't touched on his earlier suspicion of what had happened to the money, though between that time and now, the leader had had enough time to calm down and reassure himself that he could trust his brother and the Jones'.
Cassidy*Others
"Eh... some fool made a pass at me in the cafe that I didn't agree with," the young woman answered, shrugging her shoulder to minimize the amount of importance that could be attached to the event. "I slapped him, and he was fool enough to hit back - Lanny and I saw to him quite thoroughly before we left." She offered a sly smile, hinting at the fellow's fate without spelling it out, and without offering too many details as to just what had prompted Duke to 'make a pass' at her. It also avoided saying anything about Lanny's reaction to the man's actions, because even though James knew his brother well and could likely guess what the younger Zelkovii had done, the young mother wasn't really comfortable divulging all those details out in the open. So, she left that to his imagination, and stood back further to allow the gang head into the apartment. "Raaaaine... Uncle James is here! Come say hi!" As a way to further move away from that topic, Cassidy brought the child into the equation, who obligingly left off of her toys and gave a squeal as she came round the couch at a run, curls all abounce, to attach herself to one of James' legs. "Awww... I think she missed you," the young woman commented with a fond smile, and then turned her attention to the latter subject he had brought up. "Sounds like pretty serious stuff, James... I knew you were in a mood back at the cafe, and I figured you had a lot on your plate. And I see how that involves Lanny and Johann... but I'm not that important. Maybe I'd better make Raine and myself scarce so that you men can talk." Of course, Cass was quite aware of one issue that she thought might have come up with the Elders - the topic of she and Lanny. They were quite an item about town now, and it was a given that the overseeing powers of the gang would be aware of just what was going on, and so she knew perfectly well that he likely wanted to address her as well... but this was her way of getting a little more out of him, expecting that he would ask her to remain present, if it involved her in any way, which would in turn give her a heads up. "Johann, when will dinner be ready?" She turned to ask her uncle that, as Raine giggled and hugged James' leg more tightly, and the old man looked up in mild interest. "About ten minutes more, I imagine - we're expecting Lanny back about that time too. I lowered the heat especially for that purpose."
James Zelkovii
From the greenest guinea to the higher ranking officers, if anyone in the gang was injured by someone on the outside, James took it as a personal blow. Judging by the size of the bruise on her face, he may have very well pressed her for more information if Lanny hadn't been involved, but since his trusted second-in-command 'saw to him' as Cassidy explained, James decided to let it drop without any further probing. "If it becomes an issue, you'll let me know." Started as almost a question, it turned out as an order instead, and after that, James was bending over to scoop Raine up from the ground. "You're getting bigger every time I see you, I swear." What looked like a real smile, and might actually be one, formed for a few moments on the man's face when he lofted the girl up and looked down at her. He may not be quite the 'best father' material, but he was reasonably good with children, and still missed Raimi almost as much as Sheryl did. The little girl temporarily dissolved some of the distraction in the co-lead, until Cassidy brought up the topic of his ill mood earlier. The smile waned, "No, you'll want to hear this as well. You and Lanny both." In so few words, James strongly hinted that the issue did include Cassidy, or at the very least, that he recognized her place with his brother, and as such, an elevated status within the gang.
Cassidy*Others
Crimson locks bounced a little as the young woman nodded, indicating that she would let James know if Duke became a problem, but she assured him with a smile, "They way Lanny laid into him, I doubt he'll be stupid enough to try that again." So pronouncing, she leaned over closer to him in order to draw her fingers through the toddler's bouncy curls, earning a giggle from her and an effort to crowd in closer to James to try to escape the slight tickle of the motion. "She's already in twelve month clothes, and the pants are getting short on her - probably here soon, I'll have to make another clothes run." That was a fond comment as she closed the door behind James and led the way into the living room, plopping unceremoniously down on the floor with Raine's toys. "Unca Jaaaaames," the child cooed, wriggling in excitement at seeing one of her favorite 'relatives; strangely enough, the little girl didn't seem to mind that James was often less than par in dealing with children. This was Uncle James, and he was beloved, just as the rest of her relatives were. As she muttered along in a string that was made half of real words, and half of nonsense words that she made up as she went, Cassidy settled herself on the floor, and turned her eyes up to James when he indicated that she was needed in the conversation, too. "Oh...?" She looked a little puzzled at first, but quickly let that give way to a frown. "Somehow, I don't think I'm going to like what you've got to say," she replied vaguely, indicating that she had picked up on his subtle hints. And where most might have paused, she went right on, though slowly. "That's why you were mad at Lanny, then. Not so much the payment. They've been talking to you about Lanny and me, haven't they?" She didn't need to name the 'they'... she knew that James would know whom she meant.
James Zelkovii
His brother's dedication to Cassidy had grown considerably over the years, this much he had seen. The three of them had always been close, in a sibling-like relationship, but the past few years had seen a slow but distinct change between Lanny and Cassidy, and James knew he didn't have to worry about the unknown assailant if his brother had been there to take care of them. His only real worry was whether or not his brother had gone too far in taking care of the threat, though judging by the fact that he didn't get a call from the courthouse about Lanny being in jail, his little brother had handled things well enough. "And it wasn't one of our usual enemies, was it?" Well, perhaps there was one last thing about the brush up that he was interested in, though again, he'd have expected a call from Lanny about the incident if it had involved any of the other gangs in the area. James followed Cassidy further into the apartment with Raine held in his arms, "How's her legs doing?" He asked this in genuine interest of the child, but the young mother and her uncle would likely notice the way that James seemed a little distracted again, and that was due entirely to being brought back to the 'talk' that he planned to have with the small family as soon as Lanny returned. "Here you go, sweet." Raine was set back down near her toys once they'd reached the living room, "That's part of it, Cass." The gang leader didn't sound completely grim, yet there was some reservation in his tones, as if he were unsure about the topic himself. "I wanted to wait until I knew more about it before I said anything, but after today's fiasco... we've got to get things together here."
Cassidy*Others
Almost immediately, the young woman dismissed his idea that it might be one of their enemies. "No, no... just some poor sap who'd had a bit too much to drink, and apparently wasn't raised right the way you two were." Knowing perfectly well that the Zelkovii brothers had been raised never to lay a violent hand upon the women in their life, she lay that out as a reassurance, and then giggled softly as Raine clambered down and promptly grabbed hold of a small stuffed purple elephant and brought it back to James. "Ephalent," she declared joyously, and grinned up at him. "How da ephalent go, Unca Jaaames?" As this was going on, Johann got up from the floor and seated himself in his armchair, reaching for the bottle of whiskey that had a permanent home on the end table beside him. He didn't comment, instead choosing to listen silently, but at first, Cass was content to answer the young man's lighter questions. "She's been sleeping in that brace of hers for just over a year now... now that she's walking, Marachek wants her in those hip-length crazy ones. We're supposed to go in sometime next week to have them fitted, and after that they'll be readjusted every two weeks to help turn her legs as she grows." That was a pleasant line of words, spoken at a slightly elevated volume to account for how Raine was squealing in joy every few moments and talking nonstop to James about any little thing that crossed her mind. The more somber topic earned the mother's more concentrated attention, of course, and a small frown. "I knew it would come down to that eventually," she answered, keeping her voice low for Raine's benefit. "I expect we've only been left alone this long because she's so young."
James Zelkovii
He nodded vaguely, and after a final glance at Cassidy's bruise, let that be the end of the topic. With so many other things to occupy his mind, it was easier to look past an incident that was said and done. Of course, distracted as he was by the Elders, James still spared a fraction of attention to Raine, giving her a flash of a smile and a feigned look of interested, "An elephant? I've never seen a purple one before." On the subject of Raine, he nodded again, "That doesn't sound particularly fun. But I can't see it slowing someone like her down." Speaking of the little girl, Raine was another important issue that would come up if Cassidy and Lanny's relationship was to be addressed by the Elders. James had already mulled about it, and now that he was here interacting with the child, it became more pressing in his mind. "She'll be something they'll bring up, you know."
Cassidy*Others
Raine seemed completely devoted to earning James' attention, but fortunately his half-distracted efforts looked as though they were satisfying her - she was giggling actively and alternately cuddling against him and tripping over him in her exuberance. "Ephhhalent!" This punctuated how the child thrust the toy toward James, which was probably a little more forceful than need be; he'd either have to dodge really quickly, or face a stuffed toy in the eye. Meanwhile, Cass was smiling faintly, to cover up some of her more disturbed feelings. "Marachek keeps telling me that most kids don't even know they have them on, after a couple weeks. I'm hoping so... and I swear the first person that calls her Forrest Gump is going to get a sock straight from me." That was almost a joke, but not quite, and she settled all too soon back to the more solemn topic. "So what you're saying is that they don't approve of the two of us having a child - even if she's only his by adoption. They don't want it to complicate gang matters." She nodded slowly, looking less than thrilled, and offered him her eyes. She could understand that the Elders might be antsy about allowed Lanny's life to become too complicated... but that didn't mean she liked it.
James Zelkovii
The head of the CrypticSilvers was acting with far greater tolerance now than he was at the cafe, which was a good thing for Raine. He wouldn't have gotten short with her, but at the very least, he'd have been likely to request that Johann entertained her. As it was now, he kept up with her antics and even took an elephant to the face without being irritated by it. James reached to direct the stuffed animal away from his head, "I see it, thanks. How about that stuffed puppy dog Sheryl and I got you for your birthday? Do you have your puppy still?" He tried that old trick to discreetly keep the child out of his hair for a few spare moments at least, if she actually took to it. "She's the doctor, I'd have to believe it's true if she says so. And don't worry about Raine, she's tough. Any kid with a sensible brain won't tease her." Trying to assure Cassidy of that was easier than answering to her latter remarks. "I don't know what they think of it. It's definitely an issue though, and I want you and Lann prepared to handle it, when the time comes. You two also need to get your story straight about whether she's his kid, or whether she's adopted. Because if you tell them the truth, they'll want to know who the father is." James had no clue who Raine's father was either, thanks to Lanny keeping a tight lid on that.
Cassidy*Others
"Puppy?" The child cocked her head to one side, considering for a moment whether she remembered the 'puppy dog' - and then broke into a grin. "Puppy, puppy! Unca Joooohann - we get puppy!" She tramped over to the old man then, taking his hand in one of her tiny ones and beginning to lead him into the bedroom to begin the search for the toy. That, of course, left the young people alone in the living room to discuss what was going on. The moment that the child and her 'grandfather' were out of earshot, Cass brought that up bluntly, and shook her head. "For twenty years I've served this gang, and never heard so much as a 'hello' from the Elders. Johann hasn't either, so I didn't wonder. And now all of a sudden they want to discuss Raine? I don't like it." If it had been Lanny she was talking to, she might have revealed a little more of the anxiety that was plaguing her, but as it happened, she sounded more frustrated than anything. "They don't want her to be Lanny's... but they won't like the truth, either. James, what if the truth is that I don't know who her father is. What then?" That wasn't so, of course, but she wasn't going to admit that to James - even today, Lanny was the only person she'd ever told.
James Zelkovii
Raine got another smile from James with her exuberance. As much as he enjoyed seeing her and having the child react to him with such excitement and joy, he was glad for the few moments of reprieve they got when she and Johann left the room. It let him delve into more serious matters without her little ears around, "Yeah well, part of that has to do with lineage. Most of the gang, the guineas, they don't pay as much mind to, but with James and I, it's a different matter." He was quite in saying this, whispering to keep Johann from overhearing their conversation. "To be honest with you, I don't know what they'll think of her. If they truly believe she's Lanny's... I don't know, maybe they'll be more accepting of it. Maybe they approve of you guys already; I don't know. But you guys need to seriously sit down and get this figured out, because if they even think you're hiding things from them, things are going to get difficult for the both of you." James was looking her straight in the eye, holding her gaze in a way that intimidated most, though he didn't mean to portray that right now. Rather, he was trying to express how big of a deal this was, "I'll talk more about it when Lann gets here, and whatever you decide, I'll help you with it. But it's got to be done quick, because it's not the only thing we've got on our plate."
Cassidy*Others
This wasn't an easy topic for Cass to discuss - after all, she still wasn't comfortable talking openly about her relationship with Lanny, even though everyone in the city pretty well knew they were 'officially' dating now. And even more awkward, she was having to discuss it with his brother. "I always figured it would come to this eventually. I just thought we'd have more time to prepare. But between getting back into gang activities and trying to raise Raine..." She shook her head, and began to idly pick up some of the random toys strewed on the floor, to keep others from potentially tripping on them. "On a personal level, James, I don't really care what they want. She's our daughter, mine and Lanny's, whatever they've got to say. They can't just declare otherwise and expect Raine or me to understand. And Lanny won't keep quiet about it either - you know he wouldn't. Johann's smart enough to hold his tongue, and Lanny usually is too, but... I'm afraid that if there's a threat to Raine, he's not going to be as passive. And the last thing we need is for him to snap at them and get himself into trouble." That was one thing she was very sure about; she knew Lanny's temperament well, and knew that he was less prone to losing his temper than James was... and yet she strongly suspected that any implied threat to her or to Raine, even by the Elders, might test his control too far. "And I'm not dragging Raine into this either. She'll stay here with Uncle; I won't have her in a room with the Elders all staring at her like she's got two heads or something. She's very sensitive." Of course, Johann might not be willing to stay behind while she and Lanny went to face the Elders, but that was a bridge she'd cross when they came to it.
James Zelkovii
James remained standing where he was, feeling too restless to sit down. He might have helped Cassidy pick up the toys, if only he knew where to put them, and only if his mind wasn't already traveling a million different places so that he didn't even think to help her out with the small task. "That's just the thing Cass. It'd doesn't matter what you care about, it's how they feel." He hated to say it, but he'd learned from an early age that it was best to put his personal feelings on hold when dealing with the Elders, and to abide by their wishes... to an extent. "If they're keen on talking to you two, they'll want to see her too I'd imagine. You'd do best to take her with, if they do summon you guys; and listen Cass, whatever they think of her, they're not going to hurt her." James was fairly certain of that, but that wasn't precisely what he was worried about - it was what Cassidy mentioned just prior to that which made the gang leader a little nervous, "That's why you guys are going to need to really talk about this, and get your heads together. Getting angry with the Elders isn't going to work in your favor, no matter-" A buzz from his cellphone disrupted his advice. James dug out the device and flipped it open, "Lanny?... Good, good, then- ... yeah, actually. I'm at their place now, and I need to have a word with both of you. ... No, I'll wait for you here. ... Alright, see you." click. He shut the phone and looked to Cassidy, "Lanny's on his way now."
Cassidy*Others
"James, I am not going to drag my child before the Elders for some sort of... approval." That was the mother instinct talking, and she looked up and gave him a glare that was bordering on vicious. The purple elephant that had only moments ago been shoved into James' face was balled tightly in her hand for a moment before she forced herself to relax. "You and Sheryl were looking after Randy for the longest, and they didn't seem to have a problem with that... and not only wasn't he yours but he belonged to the enemy. What's so different about Raine?" It might not be particularly bright to bring that up right now, since she knew that James missed the toddler in his own way, but she would rather say it now and have it said than have to say it when Lanny was here. She took a deep breath, let it out, and forced herself to calm. "They want to see her, they can come here and see her. But I'm not going to take her up before a group of strangers at a table and just let them examine her like a paramecium under a microscope. Not at a year old and just learned to walk. I won't, and you can tell them that from me. There's more ways to hurt a person than to injure them." She got up with an armful of toys and bore them over to a large tub at the side of Johann's chair that was there just for that purpose. As she set them into the tub, she took up the latter topic of Lanny, which though potentially more volatile, was much easier for her to address than to discuss taking her child to be judged by a bunch of people she didn't even know. "You leave Lanny to me. I know how to keep his temper under control, and I know how to deal with him. That's why you always sent me out after him on his binges, not just because I was a girl." She reached up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, which only accented the bruise on her cheek, and subtly reminded herself that she'd managed to keep Lanny from killing Duke for hitting her. She fell silent only when James' phone rang, and offered him only a nod when he hung up the phone and told her that Lanny was on the way.
James Zelkovii
"There's a chance yet they may not even ask for her to come along." At first, he tried to pacify the topic a little, since even he didn't know exactly what the Elders would be doing until they contacted him next. But right after that, he was squaring up to tell Cassidy how things could turn out, so that she would be prepared to face a group of people that few others in the small city had ever dealt with. "If they want to see her though, it's in your best interest and her's that you bring her. If you don't, they'll either suspect something, or take offense. Both of those situations are going to cause you headaches that you don't want to deal with." Something flashed in his expression moments later, something a little dangerous, "Randy's a different situation." The man's temper flared a little, and his voice rose just enough that Johann and Raine might hear, "To them, he was a status symbol, a prize to gloat over the defeat of our enemies. He won't ever be a CrypticSilver, but that's neither here nor there, and talking about him isn't going to get you any more prepared to deal with Raine when it comes time."
Cassidy*Others
"It doesn't involve her," the woman repeated, and her tone had gotten sharp in a way that she very rarely let loose upon either of the gang heads. She had more of a right to do so than most others, perhaps, since she'd known both of them since they were all children, but Cass was smart, and never threw her weight around unless it was very important. "Raine had no hand in her own making, and I won't have her examined as though there's something wrong with her. What happened is between me and the man that fathered her, and I don't know which one that even was. I'm not forbidding them to see her if they want to, but I'm not doing it meeting style with them all staring us down like executioners. I'm gang, and I have to endure it if they want me to, but Raine is barely a year old, and she is out of it - that's final. You understand me, James?" That might not have been the wisest decision ever, but she was very stern on that point, and it was clear that she would take no arguments about that. In her turn however, she took his backfire about how Randy was a different situation; intellectually, she understood that, and also knew that she'd been pushing it to even attempt to cover that topic, and so she didn't so much as bristle to his slightly rougher statements - she just went back to cleaning and waited for him to come to whatever point he was coming to.
Laurence & James Zelkovii
"It might." He rounded, not really to push an argument, but to give her a heads up on what might be coming their way, whether they liked it or not. "If you guys play it straight and don't lose your temper with them, I hardly doubt they'll be 'examining' her, but Cass..." When she got forceful with her words against him, James stepped up his tones and carried a look that was very serious, "Watch it." It was a warning for the woman to back off and mind her place in the gang, the same kind of warning that Lanny occasional got when he tried to dispute something or another that his brother had decided upon. "Keep up an attitude like this, and you'll open up a can of worms that could have been avoided." Such a discussion that involved Raine like this was bound to bring out the mother's defensive side, and unfortunately, James wasn't going to react to it in the same ways as Lanny would by trying to tone down the tension. Fortunately, there wasn't too much of a wait before Lanny made it back to the apartments at last and opened the door, providing a distraction for the both of them. "Where's Raine and Johann?"
Cassidy*Others
The threat in James' voice, mild as it might have been and meant really to snap her back into her senses, only got a like response out of Cassidy. She put aside what she was doing and stood up, drawing to her full height even though she barely came up to the middle of his chest. "Let's get one thing straight here, James. Raine belongs to me. She's my daughter. And no matter what they've said to you or how unhappy the Elders are, you have no right to tell me what is and is not going to be done with my child. I won't take it from them, and I certainly won't take it from you, childhood friends or no. So you'd best come down off that high horse before you fall off." That wasn't gang member to gang head talking, and if he was wise, he would know that - this was defensive young mother talking to someone who was trying to get her to do something she didn't want to with her child. Fortunately, about that time Lanny showed up and kept her from going any further, and she took a deep breath, muttering, "Hey Lanny," and turning away from the door to go back to cleaning, which of course she was doing to help keep herself from showing how tense she was. Her heart was beating fast; she knew it had been stupid to square up to James like that, particularly when he was only trying to help, but her obsessive worry over Raine had kept her from doing the sensible thing, for once. That left the older brother to tell Lanny just where the old man and the little girl were.
Laurence & James Zelkovii
James was well use to dealing with fighting verbally, with he and Sheryl often breaking out into yelling matches that didn't support the healthiest of relationships between the two of them. On the fortunate side, the moral codes of the gang were very well instilled in him, and that kept James from being physically threatening with Cass, as he might have been with another guy who'd crossed the line. Another fact that helped was that they were close, in a brother-sister kind of way, and that allowed the gang lead to view this more as a personal affront than one of a subordinent getting sassy with him. "It doesn't matter, Cassidy! If you pull this kind of stunt around them, I guarantee you'll regret it, and there's little Lanny or I can do to protect you from them if you really get 'em riled." His temper snapped right along with hers, but before it could go further, Lanny was walking briskly in the room and drawing up to the pair, putting himself closer to Cass than his brother as a silent display of protection. He didn't fear his brother would harm her, but the two were definitely at odds. "Can I ask what's going on here?" Lanny sounded a little put off, and James nodded, coming down a little from his aggression, "We've got to talk, and Johann should here some of this too. Why don't you get that supper of yours set up, and we'll carry on."
Cassidy*Others
She had nothing else to say to James - in fact she was concentrating very hard on not saying anything else, because she knew that she had already said more than she should have. So he was offered her back and her silence, which was her effort to keep her temper - she didn't even turn to acknowledge Lanny any further, keeping herself quiet for a long while as she picked things up and put them away, keeping her back to both men. After several seconds, she spoke up more levelly. "Uncle and Raine are in the other room, looking for that puppy James and Sheryl gave her for her birthday." She still didn't turn to face them, but she was calmer, and when prompted about supper, she nodded. "It's been simmering for a while now - I'll see about getting it served up. Uncle! Soup's on!" And she headed for the kitchen, beginning to pull down plates and cups, opening drawers for silverware. "What're you drinking, James?" She asked after a moment, and that sounded more casual, more like the kind of conversation she would usually have with him. As she spoke, Johann came out of the other room, toddler and stuffed puppy in hand, and Raine brightly pushed it out toward James. "Puppy puppy!"
Laurence & James Zelkovii
Lanny heard something unpleasant in his brother's voice, something that put him on edge before James had even mentioned what he wanted to talk to him about. If the minor spat between him and Cassidy was anything to go by, James had said something rather meaningful to set the mother off like that, in turn, the gang lead himself had gotten riled by her defiant retort to him. Warily, Lanny decided to tip-toe around his brother for the moment to avoid stirring his temper any more, and proceeded to follow after Cassidy to help gather dinnerware for the meal. "Something tells me this isn't going to be a fun discussion. What'd he bring up, anyway?" And meanwhile, a brooding James was turning a less than brightened expression to Raine. "Uh-hu, I see." It was distracted at best, the it wasn't his intention to ignore the child; it'd simply take a bit more attention-seeking antics from the child to get James' attention better. "I'll have a water."
Cassidy*Others
It took a couple seconds for Cass to locate the oven mitts, which was unusual for her, since she knew her way around the kitchen after being raised by a man who loved to cook. But once she had found them, it took her only a few moments to take hold of the roast and hauled it out of the oven with a grunt. "Look out." As she moved over to set the deep pan on the stove, she offered that warning so she wouldn't accidentally burn him, and then pointed to a drawer. "Get me the carving knife?" Delicious smells began to fill the small apartment rapidly, but her mind was not on them, and his next question made that clear. "The Elders have been asking about Raine. And... about us, too. And he thinks that they may want to see her, and that I'm actually going to take her to be examined by them." She breathed that, and then spoke up. "One water... and Uncle, that's what you're having too. You're supposed to drink more water, with that medicine you're on." Her uncle looked up with a scowl, but she offered him a strict look, and he didn't protest. "Coke, Lanny?" She knew that was usually the young man's drink of choice, but asked just to be sure, and then flinched at Raine's joyous squeal. "Puppy puppy, Unca James! Seeeeee?"
Laurence & James Zelkovii
Lanny scooted around Cassidy, avoiding the stove and heading for the knife holder to take out the carving knife as she'd requested. "Here you are." He flipped it around, offering the handle end first. "So it is about the Elders? Well... we both knew this was going to happen sooner or later." The young man moved away from the stove to rifle through the silverware draw to take out a few forks now, "And I imagine they do want to see her. But examine her? No way." It was hard to tell whether he was being as defensive as Cassidy and saying this in defiance over the Elders, or whether he knew them well enough to know they wouldn't be as invasive about it as Cass imagined. "Lets wait and here James out, and go from there." James, meanwhile, couldn't exactly ignore the high pitched noises coming from Raine, and though it made him wince a little too, he finally knelt down acknowledged her. "I see it, Raine. What's its name?"
Cassidy*Others
Cass took up the knife without even looking at it to be sure that she wasn't grabbing the blade; she was just that comfortable with knives. As she began to carve slices out of the hunk of meat before her, she prompted, "There's a slotted spoon in the drawer on your right; you can shovel up veggies and taters." His reply to her quieter comments let her know that he'd misunderstood her a bit though, and she turned her gaze to him for a few seconds, while continuing to slice the roast. "No, I meant..." She shook her head, and made her voice even quieter. "I don't want to take her into a room full of strangers and have them stare at her like she's some kind of freak." That was the fear that she'd been trying to express to James, but her temper had flared against his and prevented it. She had this vision of going to see the Elders with Raine, and all of them staring them down. Which was something that she herself could take perfectly well... but did not want to force her young daughter to endure. "His naaame?" While the adults were having an intense conversation though, Raine was carefree, and turned a curious gaze to her stuffed puppy when James asked what his name was. "His naaaaame... Lanny. His name Lanny." That was the first name that came to her mind, because she'd always heard Mommy call Daddy that, and so she dubbed the dog without too much thought.
Laurence & James Zelkovii
Four forks were soon laid out onto the table, along with the plates and the drinks that he'd gone about gathering after Cassidy had gotten everyone's order. "Got it." His next task was to dig around in the next cupboard to come up with the slotted spoon, and to take the dish of veggies over to set on the table. As he passed by Cassidy in the small kitchen area, Lanny lowered his voice again, "They're gonna be suspicious if we don't bring her." It was almost a repeat of what James had said, but in a much different tone. He was quieter about it, but the fact that he recited what James had said was significant, and hinted at how much respect - or fear - he held for those at the very top of the gang's heirarchy. None of this was heard by James however. "Lanny? Haha, I think he does look like him, doesn't he?" It was a playful joke against his brother, even if Lanny didn't catch it.
Cassidy*Others
The more gentle nature of Lanny's protest got to her much better than James had... or maybe it had more than a little to do with how fond she was of him. Her knife paused in mid-air, and she set it down a little more harshly than necessary, though without making any undue racket. It was more a frustrated gesture than an angry one. "I know Lanny, but... well, for example why couldn't they come here to meet her if they want to? Or... anything besides taking her into a room of strangers who are going to judge her. We're grown people, and we've been with the gang for years. We choose to do what we do. So if they want us, we have to go. But... Lanny, she's not even two yet! I don't want anybody trying to find any flaws; and I sure don't want anyone seeing him in her." That was part of the problem at least; she was desperately afraid that one of the Elders would look at Raine and scream Carlyle. The toddler herself was oblivious though, and promptly threw herself into James' arms for an exuberant hug. "Lanny puppy! Fly, Unca James! Fly, fly!" Johann smiled faintly, but his attention was on the two young people he could see in the attached kitchen; they were too quiet for him to hear, but the subtle way that Cass was standing told him that she was tense about something.
Laurence & James Zelkovii
Now that the vegetables had a serving spoon, Lanny turned around and moved to the sink to wash his hands. It also kept him near Cassidy so that they could continue their hushed conversation before the other two would gather at the table. "That's like asking the mayor to come to your house so you can talk to them about the city. They just.... well, you go to them." Lanny could have tried to pit some humor in his tones, but there was nothing humorous about how he explained the higher-ups in the gang. "Like Marachek said, she does have some of my features, and she's got yours for sure. If they bring up anything about her appearance, we're just going to have to play it confident and laugh it off." It probably wasn't what Cassidy wanted to hear, but Lanny was speaking from experience with the Elders, and trying to ride the fine line between appeasing them and protecting their daughter. "Alright, alright..." In the livingroom, Raine was doing a good job at draining some of the tension from James, which was good news for his brother and Cassidy. "Up you go!" The little girl was hoisted in the air with little effort, and spun in a few circles.
Cassidy*Others
The deep blue eyes closed for a moment, and with their azure shade covered, the bruise on her face stood out more starkly. Without opening them again, she took up the knife, twirled it around in her fingers, and then finally looked up at him, offering him her eyes. "James says we're going to have to decide what story we want to tell them. Whether we want to try to pass her off as yours... or tell them that we don't know who her father is." She shook her head, and went back to cutting the roast in order to give herself something to do. She paused for quite a long time, and was nearly finished slicing when she spoke up again. "I've decided that if it does come to that question... I'm going to leave it up to you. You know them better than I do, and... besides, it's you that it'll effect, not me. Raine won't ever know the difference; you're her Daddy, and that's all there is to it, for her and me both. So you're the only one who needs to have input in that." She flinched a little at the shrill laughter that came from Raine as the elder Zelkovii swooped her around in the air. To the music of the child's amusement, she called out, "Alright guys, soup's on!" She took up the pot again and grunted, "Lanny, can you get the hot plate?" So saying, she headed to the table to set out the roast and set up for dinner.
Laurence & James Zelkovii
Lanny was busy scrubbing his hands in the sink, mostly to provide him something to do to stand near Cassidy while they got their final few words together before everyone came together at the table. "She's mine." There was little thought to be given to the choice for Lanny. It would be a lie, and a dangerous gamble if they found it out as such, but this was a more personal matter for him. He might have been hurt at first to know who her real father was, but Raine was his child, and he was going to stick to that. "That's what we're going to tell them." Reacting along with Cass, Lanny flinched a bit too at the sharp voice in the small apartment, and was warmed a little to see his brother break out of his serious mood long enough to entertain Raine. He could only wish that such an attitude would stick, but he knew things wouldn't be going so merrily when they got down to business. "Okay kid, if I spin you much more I won't be able to enjoy this dinner. And neither will you." James quite spinning before he got himself and Raine busy, and set her down so that he could find a seat for himself at the table. Lanny followed shortly after, pulling up a seat directly across from the older Zelkovii.
Cassidy*Others
If Cass was surprised by Lanny's quick, resolute decision to claim the child as his own, she didn't say anything, but she leaned in and lay her head on his shoulder for a moment or two, making half of an embrace that expressed how boundlessly glad she was to hear that. "She's always been yours, Lanny." That made her relief a little clearer, and helped to calm her more, letting her take up the pot and move to the table with less tension in her motion and her voice. The moment that James set Raine down, she was begging for more, but Cass took the moment to call, "Raine, you go tell Uncle Johann to wash your hands. You've been playing in the dirt today, I know. Go on." And as the child turned to obey, she offered a half-smile to James, and moved over closer. "Sorry I lost my temper... I'm just a little touchy, where Raine's concerned. Come on... come sit down."
Laurence & James Zelkovii
James saw the display between his brother and Cassidy, but said nothing about it. It was one more clarification of their relationship that everyone else accepted, but which the pair themselves had never formally acknowledged. "Then that's that." For Lanny, the decision had been made a long time ago, and any discussion about what they'd tell the Elders was taken care of as simply as that. He took solace in her closeness, until it was time to head for the table and take his seat across from James, and next to Cassidy. "Mmmh, this definitely beats frozen dinners and order out. You and Sheryl should try cooking some time, James." Lanny didn't miss a beat as he began to gather this and that onto his plate, and also started the conversation on a neutral tone - he'd let James lead from there. James was just sitting down too, after Cassidy distracted Raine for him. To Cassidy's apology, he briefly shook his head, "It's over and done with." Normally, there'd be more than that to say for someone crossing the line with him, but Cassidy had some leeway in being a sister-like figure to him.
Cassidy*Others
With the major event of deciding what to tell the Elders now behind them, Cass was much steadier and sturdier; Lanny was still with her on this, and was not going to leave them flat. That was a thought that was both immensely reassuring... and frightening. Because if the Elders found out that Raine wasn't Lanny's, things could go very bad, and all of them could go down. And then again, if they believed she and Lanny... what then? There were so many questions that could potentially be posed surrounding their relationship - which was something that she and he had yet to have a truly open discussion about, even if both of them were now silently acknowledging that they were an unspoken couple. What if they asked about the... er... circumstances surrounding Raine? Or what about their 'future plans'? Cass forced her mind away from those thoughts before they could consume her and make her panic, which was helped by how Raine came running back and begged for a lift to sit in her lap. As she obliged, Johann also arrived, and bent down to lay a kiss at the crest of their two foreheads, which was mostly an affectionate gesture, but also a very subtle reminder to James. Johann was a Silvers man, had been for longer than he could remember... but his loyalty was to Cass, and to her child, and if James tried to make him choose, it would come out poorly for the Silvers. All that communicated in a kiss, he sat down, and Cass lead off conversation with a brief tease. "Lanny's had to increase his trips to the gym, since coming to live with us. Johann's cooking has been disappearing very quickly, recently. And you know the kind of birdy appetite that Raine and I have." She darted her eyes to the young man in question as she said that, making it a joke.
Laurence & James Zelkovii
Lanny had plenty of thoughts coursing through his head right now, after making that crucial decision without a second of thought over what they could be getting themselves into. He briefly wondered about Conan and Randy, but quickly decided not to mull over that while they had enough on their plates with the Elders tonight. The elusive teen could be dealt with at a later time. "That so, Lan?" James raised a brow and looked from Cassidy to his younger brother, who in turn patted his stomach and shrugged, "At least it's healthier food. I'm telling you, you guys should try it." James just chuckled and shook his head, knowing that his brother wouldn't be eating healthier meals like this if he didn't have someone to cook it for him. Behind his chuckle and look of 'yeah, whatever', James's mind was churning quickly, and he hadn't missed what would look to anyone else as an affectionate gesture from Johann to his niece and Raine. The gang lead didn't remark on it, and it was hard to tell whether his next words were in response to that or whether he was simply ready to get the big discussion underway. "There's a good chance that we'll be doing some traveling soon, if the Elders call for us. Johann, I'll need you to help Jeff mind the gang if it comes to that."
Cassidy*Others
"You know that Uncle can't resist feeding anybody who comes in the door," Cass answered, and it was a fond statement, because it was very much true; even the gang members that he didn't particularly care for would always be offered a good meal, if they were in his home. That was just one of the ways that the old man took care of the gang, and helped to ensure that everyone remained healthy and capable of fighting. For his part, the fellow ran a hand back over his bald head and made a vague noise, and shoveled some potatoes into his mouth; he wasn't one to really acknowledge how much others enjoyed his cooking, even if he did like to hear it, on a very quiet, private level. He remained quiet too, until James brought up the subject that had them all on pins and needles, and he turned a level, calm glance to the gang lead. "Now that all depends, James... I may be an old man and my ears not as sharp as they used to be, but I heard you and Cass talking out here. Not what you were discussing, mind you... but enough to know it's something major. So - I'll tell you now that my response to that request is contingent upon just why you think the Elders want to see Cass." He had a fairly good idea, of course... but he wanted to hear James' take on it, and that phrase allowed him that opportunity.
Laurence & James Zelkovii
Between Lanny and James, the pair hadn't gotten the chance to eat much on their plates yet, and it would probably remain that way as James started for the heart of the discussion he had planned for the small family. Lanny idly pushed a piece of roast around with his fork as his eyes flickered between Johann and his brother. The gang lead set Johann with a powerful look, "The gang needs you here, Johann." He wasn't going to get angry over the man's dismissal of orders yet, because when it came down to it, he had high respects for Cassidy's uncle, and even he could understand that this was a very personal issue for Johann too. And yet, as head of the gang, James could not be weak in his resolve, or let personal feelings get in the way of running the gang efficiently. "As of right now, I don't know much of what they have planned, but they made mention of Lanny and Cass, and I have a feeling they want to see them. There's also a few issues about our business here in Atroe they want to cover."
Cassidy*Others
"Then if the gang wants me here, the gang better ensure that my other interests are taken care of." Johann retorted that calmly, without so much as flinching at the authority James tried to pass over. "Because until I am assured that those interests will be taken care of, my attention will not be upon gang matters." He didn't allow his voice to become pointed or rough, but he knew that James would know he was serious. Cass put more food in her mouth, not because she was hungry, but because she wanted to give herself and excuse not to say anything. Fortunately, Johann seemed content to keep the conversation going. "Eh... now James, I know perfectly well that you're not entirely in the dark. They've given you some idea of what they want. What you're worried about is that you think it's something that will get an ugly reaction out of one of us. May I suggest that the date is a little late for that; you've already managed to upset Cass today, and by upsetting her, you've already put Lanny and I on our toes. So why don't you go on and drop the other shoe?"
Laurence & James Zelkovii
"You know I wouldn't lead Cassidy or my brother in a situation that I wasn't confident about. The same goes for Raine, and anyone else in the gang." James wasn't so calm in tone a Johann was, though he wasn't letting his decibels go too loud, either. "What I want to know is if I can rely on you to help keep the gang safe while we're away. Now can I count on you or will I have to find someone else?" It was a blunt yet restrained threat that the leader made against Johann. Uncomfortable with the direction of that discussion, Lanny also shoveled some food into his mouth, without being able to enjoy the home cooked meal like he normally would. "As far as Cass goes, I'll say this. The Elders have their own ideas on who should be at the top of the gang and who shouldn't, and that includes whoever Lanny and I are with. I'm giving the a fair warning that they're about to be looked at under a microscope, and there's no saying whether the Elders will approve of Cass being a high-rank or not. The other issue-" James breathed out a heavy breath, "-I don't know who they're planning on sending here, but... they're worried about how we're handling things here. Too much trouble with the other gangs, not turning out a big enough profit - Lanny and I are coming under serious scrutiny."
Cassidy*Others
The rise in James' temper didn't impact Johann at all; he continued to meet the younger man's gaze with level calmness and determination. "It was not physical danger that I was referring to, James. I know that you would allow no injury to come to them. And until I am assured that my interests are protected, I will not answer that question." At this point, Cass put down her fork with a small clatter on the plate, and looked sharply at the old man. "Uncle, enough. James can't control their actions, their words, or their decisions, anymore than we can. This matter of going to see the Elders is going to be hard enough on this family without you ostracizing James for something he can't control." Very rarely would the young woman take that tart tone with her uncle, but it had its effect; the old man took a deep breath, ran a hand over his bald scalp, and got up, moving away from the table to calm himself a little. "Our efforts are wasted if we let our tension go against each other instead of working to control the situation. We-" "Daddyyyy..." That whine belonged to Raine, who was now stretching toward Lanny, arms outstretched and clearly begging to be held, with as tense as the situation had just become. As Johann continued to stare out the window, Cass returned her attention to James' latter words, and was nodding even before he was finished. "And the hitch in the delivery this afternoon won't help the cause... well, I'm sorry I sniped at you about being so uptight about it. You're trying to keep all this together and see to it that we all get out reasonably unscathed, with our family still together. I'm... sorry I didn't react well." The apology was genuine, proving that Cass really did appreciate the stress that the older Zelkovii was under, and besides, she still viewed him as a big brother figure; her natural suspicion of others shouldn't apply to him, and she'd allowed it to - now she was ashamed of that.
Laurence & James Zelkovii
Johann's response was not the one that James was looking for, and Lanny knew that without having to look over at his brother to see the hardlined stare that the elder Zelkovii was giving to Cassidy's uncle. When things threatened to get more than a smidgen tense, Cassidy broke in and spoke before James could respond back to Johann, and that saved the situation from deteriorating into something even more unpleasant. In an effort to further stave a heated retort from James, Lanny brought himself into the conversation too, "Why don't we discuss our roles later, when we know when we're leaving for sure? Do you know for sure if we're being summoned?" After questioning his brother, Lanny reached over to pick Raine up, not about to ignore her reaching arms and want for comfort. "It's okay, Raine." James turned his gaze after Johann, but instead of pursing that end of the conversation, he was soon focused on Cassidy and her apology to him. He shook his head faintly, "It's a tense situation for everyone." James accepted the apology with those words, and at the same time dismissed the relevance of her getting so snippy with him. "You're right about what you said; we cannot be at each other's throats about any of this. It's one thing if the Elders notice it, and if our enemies see any chinks in our armor, they'll be at us again. And to answer you Lan, yeah. I wouldn't be getting you guys so worked up about it if wasn't sure it was going to happen."
Cassidy*Others
Soon lifted up into her father's lap, the red-curled, normally very cheerful child tucked her face against his shirt and a couple of fingers into her mouth, leaning into the comfort he offered with all the innocent faith of her small age. And with her arms now free, Cassidy too got up from the table, moving over to her uncle and laying her fingers lightly on his shoulder, speaking to him in low, fast-paced Italian. It wasn't often that either of them used that language, but both could speak it; it wasn't too well known, even in the gang that he'd served for so long, but Johann had been born in Italy, and raised there for his early years, even though his mother was French - so he spoke the language fluently, and Cass did too. However, he only time either used it was when they needed to have a private conversation in front of others. He mumbled back to her in the same tongue, and even his heavy voice couldn't take away from the light flow of the language; finally, he nodded, and allowed her to steer him back toward the table again. As they took to their seats again, Cass told the elder brother, "Lanny's already made the major decision on that one. Raine's his - that's what we're going to tell them. Charlotte always mentioned that she looked like him, anyway... maybe that will help some." What she didn't say was that she was immeasurably touched by just how quickly and certainly Lanny had made that decision, when it was posed to him; it warmed her a little to know that he was with them, even though she couldn't have imagined him leaving them to their own devices. Instead of touching on that, she went on to answer James' weightier words. "They want to know that our dedication to the gang hasn't changed because of the personal involvement... it makes good sense on their part. And I suppose some of the chaos lately, they might try to blame on me and Raine being a distraction to Lanny - does that about size it up, James?"
Laurence & James Zelkovii
Tending to Raine had become like second nature for the young man. Even while he was concentrating on the words being exchanged with the others and noting the reactions and emotions passed along, he was ruffling an affectionate hand through the child's curly hair and bouncing her a little in his lap. "Let him cool down some, James." The younger brother leaned over the table a little, or as much as he could without squashing Raine against it, and utilized this time to speak with James while the others were having their own conversation. "He's just as worried as the rest of us." James managed to get a bite of food stuffed into his mouth, without actually tasting it, "There's not a lot of time to sit around and debate this. They could call us up next week, or they could call tonight and have us on a plane by morning." Lanny resisted the feeling of panic that Jame's reply brought on him, "Then lets not waste that time by arguing; let Cass talk to him." James answered that by putting another bite of food in his mouth and looking to the niece and uncle talking by the window. He remained broodingly wordless until Cassidy and Johann returned. "That's a rather big part of it. There's no doubt the expect you guys to be protective of her, but you have got to be careful about it. They want the gang to come before anything else."
Cassidy*Others
It took a few seconds for the child to quiet, but when she had, she turned her head and lay her ear against Lanny so that she had a sideways view of James. She took in all their words with silence and wide eyes, and didn't so much as burble in greeting when her mother and great uncle came back to the table. In her place, Cass took several deep breaths and dove back into the discussion again. "I'm a specialist in saying only what I want to say, but..." She shook her head a little. "As you know perfectly well, that's a little shaky, where taking care of Raine is concerned. It's..." She turned a glance to Lanny, reached for his hand - and when she had a good grip, she squared up her shoulders and spoke evenly. "Raine's not my first child, James. I had another, a little boy, during that year I was gone. He was... three months old, and I was at work when..." Johann's gaze was intently on her now; he knew nothing about any of this, because Cass had always kept her silence, and there were no records as to the birth of Isaiah. The young woman was keeping admirably calm, by refusing to meet the old man's eyes, but she didn't actually say what had happened to the child. Instead, she looked up and met James' gaze again. "So you'll understand my misgivings with letting anybody around Raine; particularly the Elders."
Laurence & James Zelkovii
Lanny had no idea what was coming, nor did James or Johann. His hand was still ruffling through Raine's hair and idly parting the curls from her face when he sensed something a little different in Cassidy. He was ready to side with her on the emotional issue of Raine, though he undoubtedly had more steady than she would be, entirely because he had not lost a child of his own and didn't fully understand the horror of such an experience. Lanny clasped his hand around hers and gave it a squeeze to signify his support, though he didn't know what it was for until she began to speak. Silence was the first thing that followed her revelation, stunned and complete silence. James drew back in his seat, leaning for a moment against the backrest before darting a questioning look to Lanny, only for his younger brother to drop his eyes away. "...why didn't you tell us?" James finally asked, with far less authority in his voice than before. This was not a matter that his leadership in the CrypticSilvers had any sway over, and furthermore, it was a very personal issue that he was going to respect, no questions asked... well, almost no questions. Lanny spoke up particularly quick after his brother, "It's a personal issue."
Cassidy*Others
Johann couldn't manage any words yet, but his gaze was fierce upon the young woman, where James was suddenly leaning back and taking a much less direct approach to the sudden change in subject. She avoided looking at her uncle, not knowing what she would see, and afraid of most of the options there were for what he would be feeling right now. Instead, she squeezed Lanny's hand again and kept her eyes on her lap, for once having laid her cards on the table and knowing that the control of the situation was in the hands of others. It was a new realm for her, one that she wasn't accustomed to, and she was very much fearful; the sheen of sweat on her palm as it held to Lanny's hand indicated this in the only way that she was able to, and that only because she couldn't control it. When James finally recovered enough to ask a question, she looked up at him again, found the 'leader of the gang' attitude gone from his features. There was still authority there, she could see it... but this was the familiar look of a man she had grown up viewing as a big brother. Finally, she spoke up very quietly, her voice quite calm despite its lack of volume. "I didn't tell you because it didn't involve the gang, and it was a part of my past that I wanted to put behind me and never think about ever again. I saw no point in involving the Cryptic Silvers, or in forcing the unhappy knowledge upon anyone else it might impact on a personal level. I speak of it now only because there is a very slight possibility that the Elders may know of it." That was a very faint suggestion that she knew that both her uncle and the older Zelkovii would be emotionally impacted by that knowledge, as they'd all lived so closely together for so long. She looked down again, closed her eyes for a couple of seconds; merely speaking about this issue brought it all back fresh, and she had to work very hard to control herself. "If this issue had never arisen, I would never have spoken on it. It is a matter I have done my very best to erase from both public record and from my own personal memory, and once this trial is over with, I expect to have it never mentioned, acknowledged, or recalled ever again."
Laurence & James Zelkovii
It didn't surprise Lanny that Johann hadn't said anything yet. He and his niece were very close, so it didn't take a strong imagination to wonder what might be going through the man's head right about now, learning of a secret so outstanding as the one that Cassidy had unveiled. And on top of that, the lack of strong reaction from Lanny spelled to everyone that he already knew of this secret chapter in Cassidy's life. "And if they know of it-" Lanny was steadfast in his support of Cass, speaking strongly and surely in the face of shock from the others, "-we're going to play it down. It's got nothing to do with the gang, and in no way interfered with it. It's done and over." That wasn't exactly true, and even Lanny feared what his brother would say if he ever knew all the details of it. Not to mention the Elders.... "Is there anything else you want to tell us? If you think there's something the Elders might know that the rest of us don't that's not going to look good for either of us." James was still treading carefully with Cassidy, treating the issue more on the level of a family matter, and so long as he did that, Lanny felt more at ease.
Cassidy*Others
If there weren't so many things pressing at her right now, she might have offered Lanny a quiet smile for the support he was providing, but even though she intensely felt that gratitude, she had other things on her mind - like answering James' question, for instance. "No James, I swear to you on my mother's grave that there are no more events to share." That carefully avoided saying that there wasn't anymore of this particular event to tell, which would have been a lie, of course. But it sounded like she meant that there was nothing else to tell. "I was working nights at a gas-station, and the apartment I was living in was in a rather poor neighborhood; I wasn't known as a Cryptic Silver there, didn't get the kind of deference we get around here. I always left him with a sitter; a sweet girl of fifteen, with an innocent face. She was a good sitter, but nothing as far as protection - I couldn't afford better. And one night, I came home, and-" She stopped, took several more breaths to calm herself, and finally continued, "Well, there'd been a break-in, it seems. Both he and the sitter were killed. And that's all I can tell you." Again, she phrased her reply carefully - 'all I can tell you' instead of 'all there is to it'. Very subtle, and yet it sounded like she had told all the truth to him. And indeed, aside from keeping back that one fatal fact of who the child's father had been, she had told all. She took several long moments to take deep breaths and calm herself after that tale, holding onto Lanny's hand like a lifeline and avoiding the gaze of her uncle, whose eyes were boring through the top of her head with their intensity. "It's been completely cleaned off of any public records... as far as the world is concerned, Isaiah was never born, and Raine is my first and only child." A tiny falter occurred in the middle of the little boy's name, but James would know not to acknowledge it, if he was wise. "More than likely, the Elders know nothing about him... I mention it only so that everyone is prepared."
Laurence & James Zelkovii
If Lanny felt anxiety over hiding the other end of the secret from Johann and James - and he did - he was hiding it very well. If he showed the slightest sign that he was trying to cover something, Lanny knew that his brother would pry for the information, and something as big as this was bound to cause a rift between them. Thankfully, James was satisfied that Cassidy had told him everything pertinent, and since it didn't appear to involve the gang so much as it did her fierce devotion to her surviving child, he didn't see any reason to get worked up about why she'd hidden this from him. "You don't know who did it?" Unfortunately, James went from shocked to defensive over one of his members, and naturally wanted to take out anyone who harmed them. Lanny again was swift in responding as he worked to carry some of the tremendous burden that Cassidy was dealing with, "It's already said and done, James. It wasn't even in this town, and like Cass said, it's not likely that even the Elders know about it."
Cassidy*Others
Keeping her eyes on her lap, Cass shook her head. "The very few things of value I had in the apartment - a couple twenties saved for a rainy day, and an old ring of Johann's that wasn't even real and was more sentimental than anything - were all gone. I beat it out of there as fast as I could go; I wasn't going to get mixed up in a police investigation. But I kept up with the news; it was ruled that the sitter wasn't raped or anything, and that robbery was the motive; she and my son... just happened to be in the way." Of course, that part wasn't true at all - that was the official ruling yes, but she knew for a fact that robbery hadn't been the reason for the break-in, and for her son to be suddenly torn away from her; but again, that was something she couldn't say, if wanted to continue on this path and hopefully come out with her family intact. She cleared her throat to help get rid of the roughness to her voice, and looked back up at him, fixing his eyes firmly with her own. "I'll say it again, James - this thing is past, buried... and after all this is over, I want it to stay buried. As far as you're concerned, you know nothing about this, and if you ever so much as think about mentioning it to me again, I'll make you very sorry for that mistake. I've gone to too much trouble in order to erase it. Are we clear?"
Laurence & James Zelkovii
There was a tenuous shift in the way that the conversation was going, and who suddenly had more power to speak. James was suddenly the one that was listening and being filled in on the information, and when Cassidy dared to give him an order and demand his cooperation... he didn't so much as balk. Few could get away with it, but Cassidy was like a sister to him, and this was a personal enough matter in her life that he didn't take any offense to the way she took command. It could also have a little to do with how Lanny was looking at him in a way that said 'drop it', and indeed had been speaking to keep Jame's questions at bay. "We're clear." The gang lead finally responded, as he stole a look to Johann, who'd been silent this whole time, then looked back at Cassidy and Lanny. "It's time I apologized too, you know I don't mean to come off so hardlined about Raine. If the Elders make no mention of your past, you can count on me not saying a word of it either." James caught a slight movement from his brother when he said this, seeing how Lanny seemed to loosen up from the tension that had built up in him.
Cassidy*Others
At last, Raine had quieted, and the woman reached over to take the toddler back again, cuddling her very close in a protective way that was clearly an effort to defend - in a way that had been denied her, when Isaiah had been killed. Her hand went immediately back to grasp Lanny's though, needing to know that her family was around her, particularly since Johann's stony silence indicated that he still was not going to answer her words. That stung, more than he meant it to and more than she had expected, and she shifted a little uncomfortably. She was glad when James broke into the conversation again. "Thanks, James... that means a lot." And she really meant it too - with so much coldness between she and Johann at the moment, the support of her 'big brother' went part of the distance to making her feel more secure. Of course, there was still that major question - why wasn't Johann speaking? Yelling, scolding... something? "Uncle?" Her voice was tentative, and almost timid, and when he didn't answer, she prompted again, more gently, "Uncle?" He didn't even shift his eyes to her, but after a moment broke his silence by turning to the elder brother. "I'll keep an eye on the gang, James," he muttered, and got up from the table, his steps carrying him to the bedroom, where the door closed behind him with a soft click that broke Cass' heart.
Laurence & James Zelkovii
Lanny had already taken notice of Johann's silence, and knew what kind of an impact it was having on Cassidy. He went from being worried over how his brother would take the news to how the uncle was dealing with it. Which... was not good, if his lack of response was anything to go by. James belatedly realized this too, only after Cassidy tried to get a response out of the older man, and got continuing silence in return, aside from a short line to the gang leader. James nodded to him, but said nothing until Johann had exited to the room. After the door closed, James leaned forward in his seat again and shook his head, "Give him some time, he'll come around." Lanny cleared his throat and looked to the door that Johann had disappeared behind, "My brother's right, Cass. It's a lot for him to take in all at once, and he's already worked up about the business with the Elders." He did his best to console her when he knew she was hurting emotionally, "It's a stressful time for us all."
Cassidy*Others
"That's not something he'll adjust out of," Cass answered them both quietly, but without any real feeling behind it; she was fitting everything neatly inside that box again where they wouldn't come out until she had time and privacy to deal with them. She stared after her uncle for a moment or two more, and then cleared her throat again, looking back up at them. "Anyway... any idea when they'll call? Anything else we've got working for us?" That was the professional again, hard and logical, and she moved on without flinching. "He'll look after the gang's affairs, and I'd appreciate it if you'd have someone look in on him a couple times, to make sure he's remembered to eat and what not. When he gets working, he forgets." A hand went to her stomach, fortunately disguised behind the table and Raine, but indicating that she was feeling a little sick. And since it was Johann's cooking, it was sure that there was nothing wrong with the food. "I've never been to see the Elders, James... you both have. I... don't even know what to expect."
Laurence & James Zelkovii
In the blink of an eye, Cassidy had closed up her emotions on the harrowing revelation of Isiah's short life and tragically quick end, something that might shock others, but which Lanny and James were use to seeing from the young woman. It was a trait that made her particularly well suited for life in the gang, and on a note that Lanny never liked to address, also aided her previous 'profession' as well. "I've got no clue, but I'm guessing within the week. They don't dally around when they've got things to do." James allowed Cassidy's return to a professional demeanor lead him back to the discussion he'd originally come here for. "It'd probably do you good to have your bags packed. And don't worry about Johann, I'll have Jeff keep an eye on him. Between him and Mary, they'll be sure he takes care of himself and that shoulder." As for the Elders, James gave it a moment of thought, "Bring nice clothes, and mind your manners around them. You'll probably be talking with Tom for one, and he's got a taste for fine wine. It might earn you some points to brush up on our wine knowledge."
Cassidy*Others
"A week?" The very thought made her nervous, but her voice didn't reveal it - she only cuddled Raine a little closer, and looked back up at him. "And you're absolutely sure that we have to bring Raine?" That was just her last attempt to try to exclude the child from the examination - she didn't really expect it to work. And to indicate that she was aware of that, she smiled faintly at James. "I always have a bag packed. Lanny can probably even tell you were it is, and what's in it." That was rather ominous, but now he had reason to understand way, and she didn't worry about telling him that. "I'd appreciate that, James... he'll listen to Jeff, and Jeff's tough enough not to take any of his jabs personally. And he won't raise his voice to Mary, either." She shook her head, thinking of her rough and tumble uncle submitting to the words of Mary as she tried to make him look after himself. The last topic was even easier though. "I know all about wine - it's a very simple science, despite all the snobs about it. Nice clothes... now that might be a little harder. My before-Raine clothes run into the scanty, and my after-Raine clothes are jeans and some of Johann's old shirts."
Laurence & James Zelkovii
"'Family' is a big deal to them." James returned to her, "To not bring Raine would arouse suspicion in them, and bring up more questions." Cassidy's final attempt to keep her daughter out of it was met with the same blunt refusal as before. Only this time, James wasn't quite so direct about it, considering what he'd just heard from Cassidy, and now had a better idea about why she was being so defensive about her child. "Jeff's got a good head on his shoulders, and he's a capable man when it comes to keeping the gang in line, but he's not nearly as organized and computer savvy as your uncle." Having Johann's word that he was staying here was a relief to James, but while he was feeling more secure about that, Lanny was groaning about how they'd have to socialize with the Elders. "I'd take a cold beer any day over any of that stuff." Unlike Cass, the co-lead had little knowledge of wine, and wasn't sure he could hold back a face if offered a glass of one of Tom's favorite bottles.
Cassidy*Others
With a pale smile that indicated that her stomach was turning, Cass joked, "Well... can't blame me for trying." She shrugged a little, and kissed the top of her daughter's head, trying to use that to draw away from some of the things that were making her feel a little nauseous. She looked calm, but she'd stopped eating, which was suggestive. "Well anyway, between the two of them, they can keep the gang running, and Mary will be able to kind of take care of him, too - he might snarl at Jeff a little, but just like the rest of us, he's not going to turn his temper against a woman. He'll listen to her." It might be clearly understood why her uncle would be more liable to listen to Mary than to Jeff; after all, all of the important people in Johann's life had been women - Cass' mother, Cass herself, and now Raine. And besides, the ethics of the gang dictated that he couldn't get as rough with her as he could with Jeff, so Mary would be perfectly safe, even if they had a disagreement. "I'll have to do some real looking through my wardrobe, but... I think there are a couple of things that I can throw a camisole under and make them presentable. But I'll still need to pick up a couple of things. And... I think I've got a little damage control to do before that." The 'damage control' was, of course, not in reference to anything that was really broken - she was referring to her uncle.
Laurence & James Zelkovii
Because he was turned and sitting beside her, Lanny didn't notice the way that Cassidy was looking a little on the sickly side. He did, however, catch a minor frown in his brother that caught his eye, and followed his look to finally turn his sights on Cass. "Are you feeling okay? Listen, we don't have to discuss this any more tonight if you don't want. We've got the basic of it anyway... right?" The 'right?' was turned to his brother, who nodded, "I've told you all I know. It's up to you two to prepare for it. I'll worry about setting the gang up for our departure. We should be gone for more than a day or two; they wouldn't keep us from Atroe for long." Lanny nodded in understanding and took a deep breath, one meant to clear his thoughts and steady his nerves. It didn't work, but Cass looked more in need of inner strength than him right now. "It might be better to let him cool off a bit, don't you think? As much as I don't like shopping, now might be a better time to pick up a pair of outfits or so for the trip."
Cassidy*Others
It showed how upset the young woman was that she didn't realize how much she was showing to the two young men; she looked up when Lanny questioned her, and brushed her hair back behind her ear, unveiling that bruise again and bringing back to mind that she'd been through a lot, in the last few hours. She turned a smile between them, squeezing Lanny's hand, and murmured, "It's nothing, I just... find I'm not so hungry anymore." That was trying to be a joke, and she straightened up a little, petting Raine's back and forcing all her problems back behind that mask. Lack of appetite was never a good sign in her; even after working so hard to gain the weight that Marachek had demanded, she was still a very skinny girl, and skipping meals wasn't a good idea. But to draw attention away from that, she gave James a surer smile, and nodded. "This time tomorrow, I'll be ready - takes me a little extra time to account for Raine. For one thing, she's never been on a plane, and neither have I." That was going to be a whole other deal for her, but any anticipation she had for traveling the country was dampened by the ill feeling in her stomach, now that the inevitable was upon them. She had to agree with Lanny on one point though; it would do very little good for her to try to speak to Johann until he'd had time to cope with all he was feeling. "Alright... then let's go. I'm not hungry, anyway. James, you want to take some of this home with you? You can put it in the oven and warm it, and brag to Sher that you made supper." Another joke, to lighten the mood.
Cassidy*Others
Two new outfits, both stylish and appropriate, hung on the outside of the bedroom door, newly washed and pressed and ready to go in a garment bag the moment they received a summons. They'd hung there three days now, and on this fourth morning, the apartment was much the same as it had been the three previous ones; quiet, awkward, and two shapes in the old armchair across from the couch, which ordinarily was Johann's favorite seat. The old man hadn't spoken a word to Cass for days, not since he'd heard that secret she'd so long kept back - and what was perhaps more alarming, he'd stopped cooking. Fortunately, there were plenty of leftovers in the fridge to keep them from having to subsist on a microwave diet, but the very fact that her uncle was so distracted that he couldn't even cook was intently disturbing to the young woman; never had she known him to be so depressed and troubled that he stopped cooking. In a similar manner, Cass herself had nearly stopped eating, picking at the things that she warmed up time and again to try to convince everyone that she was alright, but ultimately getting very little down. She'd tried, that first night, to talk to him when they'd come home from getting her dresses; he'd been silent, hadn't acknowledged her presence, and continued to down whisky throughout the encounter - he'd gone through two more bottles, in the last couple of days, more than doubling his usual dose. That night, she hadn't been able to bear going into that silent room...
So it was that the two shapes across from Lanny this morning were his unspoken girlfriend and their child, Cass' face a frown where it was buried against the fabric of the chair, inhaling the subtle fragrance of aftershave and peppermint that had settled into the chair after so long - the aftershave for obvious reasons, and the peppermint which he always used for his breath, when he'd been drinking. It smelled to her of her Uncle, and with so little certain with him right now, she'd taken comfort in it. She'd slept the last three nights in it, and perhaps because she'd slept so badly, she didn't stir when a soft click sounded, marking the opening of the bedroom door as Johann stepped out, moving out into the living room for the first time since their discussion of the other night. He looked terrible; red-eyed and tired-faced, with a three-day stubble of half grown white beard dotting his features, his clothes rumpled... but he was headed for the kitchen, reaching up to a cupboard that Lanny should know by know - this was where they kept aspirin, in order to keep it out of the reach of tiny hands.
Laurence Zelkovii
For his part, Lanny had spent a fair amount of time speaking with other members of the gang and generally aiding his brother in making sure that everything was set for their departure. With both of them presumably leaving, they had to be absolutely sure that everything was set in capable hands, in the event that their enemies tried to take advantage of the gang two top members being gone. When it came to the silence between Cassidy and Johann... he'd stayed out of it, at first. The young man could understand where Johann was still reeling from the revelation, and undoubtedly hurt that his niece had held back such a major part of her life from him, yet at the same time, he was becoming increasingly bothered by how badly the lack of communication was affecting Cassidy. For a few days he held his tongue, but today, as he was rummaging through a cupboard to find a glass, Lanny could keep silent no longer. He stopped what he was doing and turned to face Johann when the man wandered his way for some medicine. "Johann, this has gone on long enough." With Cassidy sleeping in the livingroom, Lanny didn't allow his voice to raise loudly, but they were pointed in tone.
Johann*Others
It took several moments for Johann to find what he was looking for - there were several bottles of medicine up there, including the ones for pain that he was supposed to take for his shoulder, and usually didn't unless Cass pestered him. He took his time about turning each bottle about and squinting in order to read the label. When he'd located the aspirin, he popped a couple into his mouth and reached into the fridge, pulling out a Coke and downing the medicine. It was only once he had them down that he answered the young man without even glancing in his direction. "Careful, boy... I've got the hangover from hell." It wasn't even a threat - it was a tired statement, and he ran a hand over his bedraggled face. He gulped down the rest of the Coke in a couple of swallows, and shook his head. The smell of slightly-stale whisky seemed to cling to his being, but Johann had never yet reached a point where his drinking made him insensible, and he still hadn't reached it, as his next words proved. "I've got a large number of things on my mind, Laurence. Can we skip the part where you hint at it and wait for me to figure it out, and just tell me what's eating you?"
Laurence & James Zelkovii
If anyone could appreciate the sort of hangover that Johann was experiencing, that was Lanny. He'd had his fair share of binges driven by emotional turmoil, and the resulting mornings were nothing short of torturous. With that knowledge, he waited for Johann to find the asprin and swallow it down without pestering him, but as soon as that was done and the older man had responded to him, Lanny didn't give him much leeway. "I'm sure you do. Great way to prepare to look after the gang while we're gone, I might mention." It might be a bit harsh coming from Lanny, particularly since he was known to do the exact same thing, or at least use to, before Cass saw to him more closely about his drinking habits, but the co-lead had enough problems on his own shoulders right now. "You and I both know what this is about. Just how long are you going to let Cass suffer before you talk to her again?"
Johann*Others
"Hangovers also make my tolerance quite low," the old man replied, still with that sense of half-shocked calm that wasn't even threatening; and ordinarily, the old man wasn't shy about letting Lanny know when he was annoyed with him. So he wasn't annoyed, just... numb. He turned and took down a box of cereal from the cupboard, and then grimaced and put it back, finding that he wasn't hungry, and as a matter of fact the idea of anything to eat made him faintly nauseous. So he reached for another Coke instead, and as he opened it and moved toward the living room, Cass moved a little in the chair; he reached down and petted her hair with a smooth, sure touch, and even with the tension between them, that made her relax and return to more solid sleep. "I have kept my silence to this point, my young Zelkovii, because I know my own temperament very well. If I had spoken to Cass before, I should have said something that I regretted harshly later on. She will get over my ignoring her - but there are things that I could say, things about her that I know and about her family that I know, that she would not get over if I were foolish enough to speak them. Thus, I have held my tongue until I am certain of my control." It sounded good on the surface - but it wasn't entirely true, only in the parts of it that he left out. Namely, the things that had to do with his own emotional reaction to all that had happened.
Laurence Zelkovii
Even in the face of an older man who was suffering from not just a hangover, but several days worth of too much drinking and bad mood to boot, Lanny stubbornly refused to back down. He wasn't sure when they were going to get summoned, whether it be this afternoon, or a few days down the road - his concern was getting Johann and Cassidy to close the gap that had formed between them, so that the young mother had one less thing to preoccupy her mind while they dealt with the Elders. He skipped over Johann's warning about his tolerance, and responded bluntly to what was said after that. "You've had more than enough time to get your thoughts in order Johann, and enough alcohol to drown a whale." Again, getting after Johann for drinking so much with his troubles was calling the kettle black, but it didn't stop him, "Stop with the excuses and man up. She's practically your daughter, and you know as well as I do that announcing what she did the other day wasn't any easier for her than it was for you to hear it."
Johann*Others
The older man's features tensed some, and for a moment, he nearly whirled to face Lanny and give the co-lead a piece of his mind - the young Zelkovii had just hit a very raw and tender nerve. He let a long breath out through his teeth, and whispered, "Yet it has not drowned me, Laurence. Has not even taken off the edge. Do not presume to believe that you understand that which you do not know. I have not had nearly time to set such thoughts in order as my mind has been occupied with, these last days. You ask me to relive, rewrite, and reorganize an entire lifetime - forty-four years - in three days time. I am clever, and good with computers... but you ask the impossible." Clearly, this was about more than just Cass now; Johann was visibly tense, and even marginally upset, which was an all new thing for him. Even his niece didn't usually get very much facial expression out of him, and had to rely on other things to determine how he was feeling. He took another breath, drew the throw blanket up a little more closely around Cass, and snorted a little at Lanny's follow-up words. "'Practically my daughter'... wish that was the first time I'd heard that. It's all very sweet, sure. The impervious old gang man has a soft spot for his niece. But it's not quite so funny a joke when you don't even know if it's true." He turned away from the chair, downed the last of the second Coke, and reached for the whisky bottle on the stand - but before he could take it up, his clenched his fist closed and moved it away, turning back to the kitchen and fetching a third Coke from the fridge. "I did go to see the Elders - once. Only once, right before Cass was born. I was twenty-two. And when I did, they only had one question for me. They wanted to know if there was any chance that Raine's baby was mine."
Laurence Zelkovii
The co-lead was worked up enough himself about the imminent meeting, and the pressure over what the Elders were to say, that his own mind was fraught with thoughts and worries. Enough so that he was being shorter of tongue with Johann than he meant to be, and the fact that Johann was likewise stressed - and enduring a hangover - meant that neither of them were going at this in the best manner. "I'm asking that you at least talk with her, Johann. Give her a little peace of mind before we have to leave." He was ready to be forceful with the older man about this, and to give him a few more words when the bottle of whiskey was almost picked up. What he wasn't ready for was the... wait, did Johann just say he....? Lanny blinked once, and his hardlined expression receded some. "...what are you saying exactly? You're her uncle... aren't you?" The idea that this was possibly Cass's dad, and Raine's grandfather, was a bit much for him to take all at once. Understandably, he looked almost as stunned as Johann did when Cassidy revealed the loss of a child that only Lanny knew of.
Johann*Others
"If it's peace the girl wants, then she must look elsewhere," the old man replied, scrubbing a hand back over his bald head. "I have none to give. And you know better than most that I would give the last ounce of my own to her, if I had any to offer." He'd turned to face Lanny again, and perhaps unsurprisingly, his eyes were bloodshot - but perhaps now it might be supposed that more than liquor was responsible for their coloration. "As far as she knows - and the Elders, and every other being under heaven - I am her uncle. Plain, simple... she's my brother's son. It was quite well known that Raine had been my girl for quite a while before we broke it off, and she took up with Jerry... but I told them that for Raine's child to be mine was quite impossible, that there had been no physical relations between us. Nothing else was ever made of it, and from there on, Cass was Jerry's child - period. And he may be, truly... she was two months early, and he and Raine were married about a month after we broke up, so - you know, the timing is close. She may be Jerry's child... but there is also the chance that she is mine. Or, because Cass shares more with her mother than looks alone... there is the slight chance that she belongs to... someone else. What I'm saying, Laurence, is that I don't know."
Laurence Zelkovii
"The least you could do is stop giving her the cold shoulder. Say 'hello' or something." Lanny responded, being adamant about getting some dialog between Cassidy and her... uncle? Some of the bite in his voice died down however, and it wasn't entirely because of the sudden uncertainty of Cassidy's parentage. Through the haze of stress and a million different thoughts assaulting his mind, Lanny belatedly realized that Johann wasn't having any easy time of things either, and that caused the younger man to back off his blunt approach somewhat. "So you're saying you could be Raine's grandpa? That's a pretty big thing to keep secret-" Lanny shut his mouth abruptly and briefly closed his eyes, since Cassidy had only just revealed 'a pretty big secret' herself a few days ago. And not only that, but he and her both were keeping Raine's father a secret. Lanny took a deep breath that was meant to bring some calmness to him, though it did little good. "Have you ever thought about talking to her about it? It may not be any of my business, but she has a right to know who her real father is."
Johann*Others
The whisper-soft sound of feet against tile would have been expected from a barefooted man; but Johann had shoes on, and this indicated his inherent stealth, which he was putting into practice to avoid waking the sleeping infant - and more important, the slumbering young woman. "I have done many things in my life that have caused Cassidy pain, none of which I enjoyed, but which strengthened and tempered her, like a good blade. My silence now is one of those, as little as I enjoy it." He squared his shoulders and drew up his chin, gulping down fizz and liquid with a deep swallow. His head shook, because the carbonation hitting the back of his throat stunned him a little, and he circled back around from the kitchen and into the living room. "If I had any definite knowledge, I might make suggestions... but I do not. It is as likely that some random young buck off the street is her father. But she is and always has been Jerry's child, in the eyes of all living - Jerry probably went to his grave believing it. And most important, Cass believes it. She believes her mother a fine woman with eyes for no one but her father; without them to love, she has built images of them to her heart's content, in her imagination. Pure, just figures that every child longs for; and if the suggestion were even once made that I might be unsure of her parentage, even if it might be in her favor, all that innocence would be destroyed forever. Her pride in them and her belief in their goodness would leave, instantly. Cass has very few barriers of innocence left to her; you'll forgive me if I protect them in a child that I raised as my own, and who may yet be my own in truth."
Laurence Zelkovii
To avoid raising his voice, Lanny was forced to follow after Johann, and his footsteps were not quite so soft as the older man's. He wasn't being loud for sure, yet he still couldn't compare with the other man and his years of experience. "Then..." Only one word got out before the rest of what he was going to say floundered and faded into silence. As much as he hated to keep anything from Cassidy, he acknowledged that Johann did have a good point, and Lanny was having a hard time arguing against it. He didn't want to take away Cass's upbeat view of her parents any more than Johann did, and after failing to find any good that might come out of revealing the truth of the matter, the younger man backed off on that end of his resolve and focused on something else. "..I'll leave it up to you then, to keep that secret for as long as you will. But I won't stand around and let you give Cass the cold shoulder after she had to courage to give up her secret."
Johann*Others
Something seemed to wind itself out of Johann's shoulders, leaving him very subtly less tense and frightening looking, and he wandered over to the couch and seated himself, looking a little awkward because he rarely sat anywhere but in his own chair, and that was currently occupied by his sleeping... niece? Daughter? How could one define her now? As much as he was stunned by the revelation Cass had made three days ago, it had opened up this whole other can of worms. His little girl, who was perhaps his daughter in truth, had been hurt... badly. And her child, which in turn might very well be his grandchild, had been murdered. Between that, and the memories of what had happened between himself and Cass's mother, the old man had been overwhelmed, which had been why he'd kept to his room and his silence for three days. "She had the courage to give it up, my young friend," he answered, shaking his head in a weary way. "However, she has the courage to endure it, and I do not. That is the issue at hand. It is she who has been hurt, and yet... yet it has so little to do with Cass herself. The problems that have arisen are in my mind, not in hers, and should not penalize her, it is true. But the two are connected in a way that I cannot disentangle. To be able to deal with her at all, I must first be in complete control of what goes on in my own mind. I find myself in unfamiliar territory, in that I do not have that complete control."
Laurence Zelkovii
Lanny wasn't in a mood to sit down beside Johann, or sit down anywhere for that matter - he had too much going on in his head, too much to get done to kick back his feet and relax for a moment. "So you're going to talk with her?" Lanny opted for standing near the couch, with his arms crossed in front of them as a means to keep them occupied. He looked over to Cassidy in the chair, just to make sure she was still sleeping and not awake to hear them talking about her and the one event in her life that she would have preferred to erase entirely from her memory. "You owe it to her to say something. If not about what she said the other day, than just talk with her like you normally do - stop ignoring her. You've got one of the sharpest minds in the gang, if not Atroe itself, you can handle a civil conversation with her." Rather than being demanding, Lanny had backed off a little more with his tones when Johann himself opened up to the conversation.
Johann*Others
"I do not yet know what I am going to do," he replied, situating himself so that he could lean against the back of the couch, and yet still turn his head to the side and watch Cass as she slept, both to ensure that their whispered conversation didn't wake her, and simply because she looked so peaceful and innocent, lost in dreams. Cuddled in her mother's arms, Raine made a noise and shifted, and the old man leaned over to stroke one finger down the side of her cheek in a slow, repetitive motion, and that soothed the child until she lay still and slept on; clearly, even though he had spoken no words to Cassidy or to Raine over the course of the past several days, his devotion to them had been shaken no mite - it was only his endurance that he was uncertain of. "You're a young man, Lanny. Still elastic and adjustable, capable of rebound. When you get older, you lose that; it's taking me longer to get around to working through this one." He shook his head, and turned his eyes back to Cass. "I can't ignore her forever, I know that... and I can't let you go off to see the Elders while she thinks I hate her. And yet-" He passed a hand over his eyes, took another drink of his Coke, and leaned forward to put the can on the coffee table. "I don't know... when she wakes up, we'll see."
Laurence Zelkovii
"You don't have to talk about that incident. You don't even have to mention it or acknowledge it." Going from attacking to assisting, Lanny gave up advice on how he thought the situation could be approached best. "She wants nothing more than to erase that from ever happening, so maybe it's best that you don't say anything about it, unless she chooses to bring it up." Then again, this was coming from the same young man who preferred to ignore his own problems, as if pretending they didn't exist would somehow magically make them go away. "Start by greeting her. And by laying off the whiskey a little." Lanny was silently reassured to see Johann exhibit such tender care to Raine, and a watching look at Cassidy; not that he doubted the man's care of the two, but... it helped to see it, after so many days of silence.
Johann*Others
This was the point where Johann sighed, and offered Lanny the corner of a quiet smile without turning to face him. "That's where you're wrong, Lan. I do have to talk about it; if I don't, she'll think that I blame her for it. Doesn't make sense, doesn't sound like 'er, I know... but that's how she'll take it. She's my girl... the one thing I've done in my life that's worth anything, whether she's mine or no. So I know what she'll think about it. Only thing I can do is try to address it as briefly and quietly as possible." He scrubbed the side of his face and downed the rest of the Coke - and then got up, heading for the kitchen.
Almost an hour later, Cass scrubbed her eyes against the chair and let out a small breath. "Mmmm." It took a few moments for her to understand that she'd woken to the smell of eggs, frying ham, cheese - and that woke her up more. There hadn't been fresh cooking in this house in several days. Raine was still down for the count, and so the young mother delicately scooted the toddler off onto the chair and dragged the throw blanket up over the child's arms to tuck under her chin. Then she stood, bending to caress the child's hair for a moment, and turned her gaze to the kitchen - the fast, steady chopping of knives alerted her to who was there even before she saw the distinct shape of his arm go by, scooping onions and peppers into the eggs. She moved with fluid grace, rounded the corner to the kitchen, and dodged around one side of him to come up on the other side and plant a light kiss on his cheek. "Good morning... omelets?" He nodded, and didn't say anything, but offered her a faint smile, which she took as a sign of definite improvement.
Laurence Zelkovii
One thing that Lanny had to give to Johann was that the older man knew Cassidy even better than he did. Regardless of the cold shoulder he was giving her, Johann still cared for his niece every bit as much has he had before the ill-fated dinner the other night, so when Johann proclaimed that it would be best for him to bring up the sore issue with Cassidy, Lanny didn't try to argue against it. "If you think you have to, than do what you need to. Like you said though, make it brief, and remember that she's already got more than enough on her plate, and doesn't need any more to occupy her mind when she deals with the Elders." It was the last bit of advice Lanny had for Johann before the other man got up and retreated to the kitchen. Lanny spent the next hour going through what he had packed, and calling various friends and members of the gang to straighten out this and that. He was strolling into the livingroom, just putting his phone back into his pocket after the latest call, when he saw the exchange between Johann and Cassidy. It wasn't anything grand, but it was a lot more than he'd seen in the past few days, and he felt relief for the both of them. "I smell breakfast. Is there enough for three?"
Cassidy*Others
With a deft move, Johann scooted veggies around the base of the pan, mixing them into the half-cooked eggs, and with the other hand reached for a bowl of shredded cheese to dump in as well. In complement, Cass turned and reached for the fridge, hauling out orange juice and milk, figuring that her uncle could use a break from alcohol for a while. However, his eyes were clear now, if a little red-rimmed, and if nothing else, the fact that her uncle had taken up cooking again was immensely comforting to her. Johann looked up as Lanny entered the room, and the man who an hour ago had been having such a solemn conversation with the young man was gone; this was Cass' affectionate uncle, whom both of them were very familiar with, by now. "Enough for a small army," he answered, sounding almost joking as he tried to keep a light tone to their interaction at first, as if to make up for how he'd basically ignored everyone for three days. "There may yet be enough to satisfy your abundant appetite." Cass giggled, a not-quite-completely-normal sound, but still an amused one. "Seriously, Lanny - you can't claim being a growing boy anymore," she teased, and moved over to hug him, needing an outlet for some of the relief she was feeling.
Laurence Zelkovii
Whatever minor awkwardness and tension there might be after their confrontation this morning and several days worth of silence from Johann, Lanny had to agree that the mood was far better now than it was any time since James had visited. He tried to push the thoughts from his head of what the older man had revealed this morning, and how he could potentially be Cassidy's father - it was still a little too much for him to take in, and he was starting to be thankful that Johann had been wise enough to keep such a thing from his niece... or daughter, which ever it might be now. "Good, because I'm starving." The co-lead joined in with the pleasantries as if it was just another day in the small apartment, and wrapped his arms around Cassidy when she moved in to hug him. "But I am. I still think I'd starve if not for you and Johann." Lanny joked back in faux seriousness, before bringing up a topic that was hovering over his mind, "Say, do you have everything packed and ready? I talked with James already this morning, and he's thinking either today or tomorrow he'll be hearing from them."
Cassidy*Others
Leaning back a little in the young man's arms so that she could look up at him, Cass laughed. "Growing, is it? Geeze Lan, as if I didn't look short enough standing next to you-" "Hey, lay off the height jokes," Johann put in, referring to the fact that Cass was already several inches taller than he was, and Lanny a few more taller than her. The young woman turned a smile at the old man, and turned around to face him, though she stayed close enough to be able to lean her head back against Lanny's shoulder. "For as much as you eat, it's all gotta go somewhere," she teased Lanny, and poked her elbow back at his side in that spot where she knew he was still ticklish. And that helped to keep the mood from dipping quite so much when the subject of their imminent trip came around again. She turned to face Lanny once more, and answered, "More or less... though I've still got to find that stuffed puppy of Raines; the one Sher and James gave her? She's so attached to it, and this is her first trip - I was hoping it might help her sleep."
Laurence Zelkovii
The laughter was music to his ears, and the banter between the three of them a welcome respite from so much stony silence. Lanny stood where he was, content to have Cassidy leaning against him so that they could enjoy the moment while it lasted, "Well yeah. I have to catch up to James, don't I?" Since his brother was only a mere half-inch above him, Lanny didn't have far to go there. In fact, he already had an advantage over James where strength was concerned, on account of him going to the gym so often. But that was neither here nor there, and soon enough Lanny was flinching and twisting to the side when an elbow got a ticklish response from him. Lanny playfully shoved her arm away, "Hey, hey! Now.. hang on." A buzzing from his pocket interrupted the fun, and with a mild expression of annoyance Lanny pulled the cell out and flipped it open. "What's up?... They're... wait, they're here?" The frown deepened, "Now?... Okay, okay. Yeah, we'll be there. ... Okay, bye." Lanny's expression was slightly taunt when he put the phone away and looked to Cassidy and Johann, "We're to meet the Elders at the airport in forty minutes."
Cassidy*Others
Apparently, Cass and Johann both were prepared to pick up where they'd left off, as though the conversation of the other night had never happened. Of course, before the Elders got here, they'd have to have a private discussion about things, but for now, all seemed well. Indeed, Cass seemed to be very much relaxed and enjoying the renewed casual relations between them, and smiled at Lanny's flinch; she found it endlessly amusing that he was still ticklish, as old as he was. Before they could get any further with getting back to normal though, his phone buzzed, and she settled into leaning against him again, holding still so that he could answer the phone. Unfortunately that gave her a good view of the young man's features, and she saw as they devolved from borderline relieved and happy into something far more serious. By the time he'd hung up the phone, her face had closed down and become neutral. "They came here?" Nevertheless her voice sounded surprised, and she wasn't quite as controlled as normal - her eyes flitted to Raine, indicating where her thoughts had just gone. She took a moment, and then turned an intent look to Johann. "That gives me just time to get some clothes on... Uncle, can you get her up and ready?" Without saying a word, the old man turned off the stove, laid down his knife, and moved to the armchair, scooping up Raine and carrying her into the next room.
Laurence Zelkovii
Lanny had been prepared to travel overseas, or perhaps even just across the states to see the Elder, on their own turf. Having them come here caught him off guard, and by the sounds of it, James too. The young man felt a twinge of panic rise in him - what would they think wen they saw the town? What if they ran into some of their enemies? And the mayor... The co-lead put a hand to his face, as if he could scrub the worry out of his head by rubbing against his temples. "That's what James said." He looked to his watch to check the time, then as Cassidy and Johann both bustled to get ready, he too stepped into high gear to get into the clothes that had been purchased for the big trip. A few minutes later, the younger Zelkovii was back in the livingroom with a pair of slacks and a formal vest that sported the grey color of their gang, complete with a tie with a hint of purple thrown in.
Cassidy*Others
As she moved into the bedroom as well and closed the door behind her, Cass had several million thoughts and fears scrambling through her head, and after a moment had to sit down because she felt a little dizzy. Busy with dressing the toddler, Johann didn't notice, and after a second or two, she recovered, and got up, heading into the bathroom in order to peer into the mirror and assess how to deal with the still-fading bruise on her face. Fortunately, she had healed fast; a little bit of concealer and powder would take care of it. As she continued to get ready, Johann fell into low Italian murmuring, which made no sense to the drowsy Raine, but kept her from being distressed by being awoken early, and that helped to soothe Cass too. A few minutes later, she emerged from the bedroom as well - and the diaper bag she had hanging from her shoulder kind of ruined the effect of her outfit; she'd chosen a dress of soft material that was chiefly black in color, with little whorls of deep purple, dimmed silver, and tiny hints of gold, and tiny purple baubles dangled from her ears, half-hidden by the long curls that framed her face. It was very modest for Cass, who owned many more slinky dresses, but it was elegant and classy - and anyway, she was looking at Lanny as though he were a stranger, not paying attention to her own appearance. "Wow - you clean up pretty well, Lanny. Don't think I've ever seen you in anything but jeans." It was a compliment, but didn't quite succeed in being a joke; despite how nice she looked and how well she'd managed to hide the bruise on her face, she was still very much tense, and it showed very subtly in her posture. To help cover that, she went on, "Maybe I should have Johann find the camera, really quick."
Laurence Zelkovii
A smile shown through the man's troubled expression as Cassidy exited the bedroom and returned to the livingroom. It may not be as rare to see Cassidy in a dress as it was to see Lanny in anything other than jeans, but her outfit and the added touch of makeup and jewelry, subtly sporting the gang's colors, couldn't go without recognition. "You're not looking too bad yourself." Like Cassidy's remark to him, Lanny's was softer spoken than normal, half because he was too busy worrying about the meeting, and half because he thought the young mother looked truly beautiful in her new outfit. And compared to the outfits she use to wear, he greatly approved of this one in their place. "I don't know... I kind of like this look." Lanny looked down at his outfit and tugged at the side of his vest, trying to straighten it out. "I only need a cane and a top-hat now." He tried to brandish a grin, attempting to keep both of them as relaxed as they could manage while waiting for Johann to bring Raine out.
Cassidy*Others
"Geeze... Raine was playing with my shoes last night - Lanny, there's another one like this around here somewhere." It hadn't been obvious at first, but Cass was barefoot so far, and now dangled a high-heeled black sandal from her left hand to give the young man an idea of what to look for. That allowed her to turn her gaze away from him and disguise the blush that his compliment aroused behind the fall of her hair. As she hauled up the hem of her skirt so that she could kneel on the floor and reach a hand under the armchair, she told him, "No, no - if it's a top hat and cane you want, then it goes with a white tie, white kid gloves, and coattails. But, I do have something that might jazz it up just a bit." So saying, she took hold of the diaper bag again, and rummaged through the depths of it, coming up with a small box. "Come here... and hold still." She took the top off of the box, revealing a tiny gemstone inside, which was bordered in silver and sported a masculine bit of fanciful decoration, also in silver, across the gem. "It's a blood amethyst," she told him, reaching to take up the tie tack and gesturing for him to come close enough for her to put it on. "Dad never was too into sporting 'CS' everywhere on his being, but he knew how to display his loyalty with style. At least, that's what Uncle told me. And goodness knows I've no use for a tie tack. Plus, it'll keep the ends of your tie from swinging if you have to bend over." It was as she reached to pin it on him that Johann finally came out of the room, toddler on his hip, and whistled for the sight of the two young people so dressed up. In turn, Cass finished her task with Lanny, and then turned to offer a jest. "I surrender, Lanny - we look good, but our little girl's got us both beat." Of course, Raine wasn't nearly as dressy as her parents were, but she sported a purple jumper that was almost the same exact color as the whirls on Cass' dress, soft gray leggings, and a tiny purple bow tucked in amongst the dark red curls. She wasn't fully awake though, and when she saw Cass, she immediately stretched forward from Johann, wanting her mother; the young woman took her, and the toddler turned her head sideways to lay it on her mother's shoulder, looking Lanny up and down as she tucked a couple of fingers into her mouth. "Aren't you going to say good morning to Daddy, Raine? Now that he's all handsome?" That was a light phrase, and Raine giggled a little, and that helped some to relieve Cass' stress, as well.
Laurence Zelkovii
Lanny turned his arm up to look at his watch, noting that they had thirty minutes left to get to the airport. For how small the town of Atroe was, they were doing well so far, but the threat of a missing shoe could certainly put a damper on their schedule if they didn't find it quickly enough. "Have you checked that closest of Johann's? I swear everything the ends up missing is in there." He stooped down to look behind one of the chairs, then went down on hands and knees to peer underneath it. Finding nothing but a few dust bunnies, Lanny stood up and brushed his knees off. "Oh...? What's this?" The pursuit of the missing shoe had to wait while Cassidy approached him with a small box. He held still and watched as she fixed the small piece of jewelry to his tie, then looked over it with approval, "Fancy looking; I suppose this will work in place of the top hat. You ladies have no end of useful little items." The missing sandal had to wait again, as now Johann was bringing Raine out, "What do you think of Daddy's new outfit? Pretty snazzy, huh?" Lanny turned a little to show off his suit, playing along with the game as Raine giggled at them. He moved forward after that to plant a kiss on her cheek, before moving on to one last problem that needed taken care of. "I think we're about set then, as soon as we find that shoe. I already checked behind the chair.."
Cassidy*Others
"It does seem that way," Cass answered, thinking of the 'black hole of Calcutta' that she often compared the man's closet to. "I found a couple parts of the blender in there last week." Her attention quickly turned to Raine though, and to laughing quietly as the co-lead turned about to show off his new outfit, prompting the child to clap her hands and giggle more sharply, which turned into a squeal of delight at the little kiss she received. "Unca Unca Jo! Seeee Daddy?" Smiling faintly, the man answered, "Yes, little one, I see him. Though I'm not quite convinced that it's not a hallucination, just yet." That was a wry joke, and was followed up by a hand that he raised in the air, a black sandal hanging from his deft fingers. "You mean this shoe?" Cass smiled at that, because of course it was exactly the one she'd been looking for, and she moved over and took it from him, balancing admirably on one foot and counterbalancing Raine as she slipped the shoe onto her foot. Her face sobered as she did that though, and she looked back up at Johann more solemnly as she stood straight again. "Uncle, I..." "Eh, skip it, my girl," he replied, butting into what promised to be an awkward explanation before she even got started with it. "We both of us know, you and I, that I can't hold out a temper against you." That got a broader, easier smile onto her features, and she leaned in to kiss his cheek and hug him for a moment, a gesture which he returned as a one-armed hug and a gentle touch to Raine's hair. "Now go on, beat it - you've got places to go, and I've got a house to clean."
Laurence Zelkovii
The giggle and squeal was one of the last sources of enjoyment that the pair could share before they would have to take up a far more serious mantel and prepare for a meeting that could possible affect what happened with the rest of their lives. "Ah good, you found it. With all the toys you have to play with Raine, I don't see why you go for something like a shoe." It was one last, light-hearted comment made before he watched Johann and Cassidy share a moment that crossed the gap between their days-long silence between each other. It took some edge off the strained feelings he was experiencing, but it still took a deep breath and a nod to Cassidy as he strode towards the door and opened it up for her, "I'm not sure when we'll be back, but we'll give you a call either way."