Laurence Zelkovii

The high-pitched whine of tires going absolutely nowhere sounded about the quiet tinkling and groaning of ice-covered trees. Behind the listing silver bronco, a spray of slosh shot up from the tires as they dug fruitlessly deeper into the rut they'd gotten stuck in. With a frustrated curse and a fist slam against the dash, Lanny let off on the gas and killed the engine. Sliding out of the bogged-down vehicle, the young man treaded across the icy road, looking to forage some fallen branches to jam under the tires, and hopefully give them enough traction to jump out of the icy rut they'd fallen into.

*Telephone*

The hour was a little before dark, with a few of the orange rays of sunset lighting the area as the young man rummaged for branches. But somewhere in between his frustration with getting stuck and his searching for the lumber he needed, a low vibration and ringing sounded from his pocket, indicating he was being summoned by a call. The number wasn't one that Lanny was likely to be familiar with... but if he picked it up, he might quickly understand why. "Lanny?" The voice was low and masculine, and clearly that of a man much older than the brother himself. "I can't find Cass. Have you seen her?" Contrary to its usual, even quality, Johann's voice was low and guarded, but at the base of it, he almost sounded disturbed. Of course, Cassidy often disappeared without prior notice - Lanny himself had always questioned her about the topic, and she'd always declined an answer. But it was different this time...

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny was in the middle of trying to pry a particularly large branch up from the solid ground, only to loose his grip with a handful of bark and land not too softly onto his backside. Cheeks flushed red with a mixture of the cold and his own frustration, Lanny was standing up and angrily swiping away at the snow clinging to his pants when the phone began to ring. At first, he was almost too annoyed to reach for it, but considering how angry his brother was at him right now, Lanny thought better than to ignore the call. Besides, what if it was Cassidy? That, more than anything, convinced the young man to reach for his pocket.

Lanny frowned briefly at the number displayed on the screen, instantly disappointed that it wasn't Cass's. Mildly curious, he flipped it up anyway, "Yeah? .... Johann?" Recognizing the voice, and furthermore alarmed by the strange tenure it was given in, Lanny's current frustration over his vehicle evaporated. "No, I haven't. When'd you last see her?" A hand went briefly to his head as he trudged absently away from the branch he'd been working on, his mind suddenly swimming with ideas and concerns.

Johann

There was a soft sound on the other end of the line that might have been a curse, if it had held more substance than just the passage of air - clearly, Johann was frustrated that she was not with Lanny either. But he didn't let that distract him long; his voice went on in a soft, cold quality that the younger Zelkovii might recognize as his 'working tone' - the one he used when he was concentrated on tracking down information on someone. Cassidy would have pictured the man seated in front of his computer, if she heard that tone - but she wasn't here, and even Johann's business-like, pondering tone held a little something more to it. "Two nights ago," he muttered, clearly double tasking as he went about utilizing his abilities - the soft clicking of keys sounded in the background. "I didn't think too much of it at first... you know she's prone to her wanderings, and she always comes back okay. But her cell-phone signal has been traveling." This was significant, for Cassidy invariably left her cell at the apartment when she went out on one of her ventures, clearly wanting to be left alone; the signal should not be moving, if this were one of her ordinary outings. But the disturbing information went still further. "And I drove by the apartments - her car's in the lot. She's set off on foot."

Laurence Zelkovii

Pushing his mind past the initial surprise of hearing Johann's voice on the other line, and the unfavorable news of Cassidy's disappearance, Lanny kept his cool fairly well. Growing up in the midst of gang dealings helped a lot with that, of course, teaching him more than anything that he needed a level head and an ability to push aside strong emotions in favor of working through a problem. He couldn't keep his heart from drumming though, or the start of cold sweat forming as he let his mind wonder, but this at least didn't stop him from getting back on track and searching for more branches as he spoke, "Alright, alright... I'll get a hold of James and the others and let them know. Where'd you last catch her signal?"

Johann

Johann sighed a little too patiently on the other end of the line. "If I had wanted James to know about this now, I would have called him. He'd have told you. But until I know for certain that this is actually a threat and not just one of her moods, I don't want the whole gang involved. She hasn't left town... her phone, at least, is in the downs area... you're just about right on top of her. Maybe a half mile or so off." He stopped there, clicking a little more on his keyboard, and then allowed his voice to get less business like, and more personal. "Look Lanny - if she's not answering the phone to me, it's usually because she's got something on her mind that she doesn't want to talk about. And bringing in James and the rest won't fix that... you promised me once that you wouldn't hurt her. I'm trusting you to keep that promise - if she won't answer me, maybe she'll talk to you."

Laurence Zelkovii

A few muttered, half-breath words sounded at Lanny was jamming various bits of bark and branches into the rut, and hopping back into the bronco. Listening as much to the man's words as he did his tones, Lanny heaved a frustrated sigh and nodded his head reflexively, "K, I understand. But-" Lanny paused, putting his thoughts in quick but careful order in his head, "-if we don't find her soon, I'm not taking any chances. Best we've got more eyes than ours looking for her."

The vehicle was brought back to life, forcing Lanny to talk a little louder for his voice to be heard clearly over the line, "I'm a man of my word, Johann. I'll scout around here, and call you if I find anything." Clicking the phone shut with that, Lanny toiled with the ice for several agonizing seconds before the sturdy vehicle final lurched up out of its precarious tilt and slid out of the rut. Turning his radio off and rolling his windows down, Lanny rolled slowly down the treacherous lane, shouting out Cassidy's name as he went, and looking for any signs that she was here, or had been here.

Johann

"Agreed," Johann muttered, not about to argue with Lanny, as he was just beginning to believe that the young man might be good for his promise to look after Cassidy. "Call me before you do - I'll have printouts ready."

And when they'd hung up, the encroaching night was silent once more save for the sound of Lanny's voice and the low rumble of the engine. No answer came to the young man's repeated calls... but as he idled down the unpaved road, he might notice a few footprints - partial ones, because the wind was pretty hefty this evening and had obscured them with shifting snow - but they were clearly high-heeled, a distinctive Cassidy mark, and about the right size for her small feet. And further down, there was a clean break into the branches, and a near-clean pair of footprints leading into the trees. And if he were to get out of the truck and follow the newly broken trail into the foliage - he might find her.

She was seated, back against an oak whose leaves had long since been covered over by the snow, her knees drawn up and her face resting upon them. Despite the fact that the temperature was in the teens, the ground frosty, and the wind chill, she had paired her usual slacks and heels with a spaghetti-strap camisole of a pale, innocent pink color - she was hardly dressed for the weather. First glance made it hard to tell much about her - she had curled her arms around her knees and buried her face into them - but if one looked closely, they might see her back rise and fall in slow, deep breaths.

Laurence Zelkovii

"Cass! Cassidy!" The young man was calling out intermittently, leaving off between his shouts to wait for any response. Trepidation began to rise, adding a tingle to his fingers and an uneasy feeling in his stomach. When the glare of headlights hit against a swath of bright colors and shapes, his heart spiked a little faster, and did little to help his feelings. Turning abruptly away from the three crosses as he drove by, Lanny turned his bright eyes for the road ahead, fishing from left to right as he looked for any fresh marks, whether they be shoe print or tire track.

He nearly went past the tracks at first, but happened to notice the sudden turn they made for the woods and hit the breaks. Jumping out of bronco and retrieving a pistol and flashlight from the glovebox, Lanny resumed calling for her name. Training the light on the tracks, Lanny began to jog into the woods, calling her name until he the flashlight caught against the pink. In a few strides, he was at the side of the tree and tugging his coat off to drape over the girl. "Cassidy, Cass... wake up!" His voice urged with quiet intensity, handing reaching to give her shoulders a slight shake.

Cassidy

She was perhaps slower to wake than she should have been - and no wonder, with it clear that she'd fallen asleep in the snow. But after a moment or two, her face scrubbed against the material of her slacks and she turned to face him, though otherwise she didn't move. There was a slight shine to her face, in the combined half-glow of the flashlight and the moon that was just now beginning to come out, going in streaks down her cheeks that suggested that she might have been crying... but that was impossible. Cassidy didn't cry; at least, not when she wasn't trying to manipulate someone. For the purpose of bending others do her will, she could produce rivers, but she never cried for herself.

It was another second or two before one of her hands reached to feel the roughness of the coat he'd draped over her shoulders. Tugging it closer in an instinctive need to escape the dreadful chill that had taken hold over her, she shivered briefly - and only then did she seem to realize that she'd been awakened by someone. It was only then that the blue eyes slowly batted open and her head turned to look up at him; her voice was a little slurred, either from cold or sleep, as she whispered hoarsely, "Lanny?"

Laurence Zelkovii

Crouched down next to Cassidy, Lanny didn't hesitate to drape an arm snuggly around the girl, drawing her close to offer warmth and a sense of protection. The wetness he saw on her face only intensified his need to protect her, and raised a very sound alarm in his mind - out here in the middle of nowhere, Cassidy obviously wasn't putting on these tears as a show for someone, but if not that... what in the world could make her cry like that? He'd known her for a long time, and seeing true tears was all but unheard of from her.

"Yeah, it's me, Cass... what's wrong? You're froze half to death." He chastised lightly, sounding for more concerned than anything, "Come on, let's get you back to the car first. It's too cold out here, especially with those clothes."

Cassidy

Sometimes even giants
have to stoop for the fallen angels
Sometimes even gods
Have to pause to grieve for what was lost...

Strangely enough, Cassidy neither protested nor flinched when Lanny draped his arm over her as gently as he had the coat - ordinarily, that gesture would have aroused an intent alarm in her mind; she had never been what one might call 'touch-friendly'. Maybe because it was Lanny, or maybe because she was too cold to care right now, but Cass folded into the warmth he offered, closing her eyes. She might have fallen asleep again if his voice hadn't broken into the quiet again. As it was, she shook her head. "I'm not cold."

Laurence Zelkovii

Not sure whether to be worried or relieved that she didn't resist to the touch, Lanny opted to be safe rather than sorry, "Now, don't give me that." A false half-grin drew dimples at one side of his mouth, emboldened by the deep shadows of the night, "I'm in a sweater and jeans, and I'm freezing." Lanny didn't move just yet though, waiting for a few seconds of silent as let his initial fears - of finding her dead, or not at all - fade away. "Come on, Cass. Don't make me pick you up..." Buffering his alarm with a bit of mild humor, Laurence was only half-jesting with this threat. His top priority was to get her back to the bronco and out of the snow.

Cassidy

She didn't respond at first to Lanny's teasing, seeming to put great thought over to his claim that he was cold in his much more weather-appropriate garb. But after a moment, she murmured, "That's coz you're a southern boy, compared to me. We're all Yankees, in my family - Wisconsin and higher." Of course, he knew perfectly well where her family was from, having grown up with her from the time they were children, but she seemed to forget that for now. More important than the words, though, was how they held something of her usual tones in them; the ghost of her usual vigor and teasing was beginning to come back as she wiped one hand over her face, as if to disguise the tear tracks, and answered his second comment, "You do and I'll knock you into next week - I still can, you know." But she offered this with a half a smile as she put her free hand back against the tree trunk to help her half-frozen bones get her to her feet.

Laurence Zelkovii

The grin that continued to etch little lines in his face grew more sincere and infinitely more welcoming, "That sounds more like that Cassidy I'm know." Lanny laughed, moving his arm away long enough for her to stand up, before he shifted the coat about her shoulders a little securer, and once again moved to put an arm around her. With the scare she gave them both, he wasn't keen on letting her out of his sights until she'd gotten to the bottom of why she was out in the woods in the middle of the night, half-froze and crying. "Hey, Cass...?" As they started walking back towards the road, Lanny went for the delicate question, not knowing how she might respond, "...you disappearing like this - it worries us. It worries me."

Cassidy

Her steps were a little fumbling at first, which was perhaps not surprising. But after once catching her weight on the tree and then again on Lanny's shoulder, his renewed arm around her helped keep her steady as they wandered back toward the truck. His soft 'Hey Cass' got a small murmur out of her that might have been acknowledgment, but his question earned her complete silence, and got her shoulders to stiffen just a little under his arm. She didn't draw away from him, or stop walking, but she was quiet for several moments before she offered, "Well, at least I know who the us is... Johann called you, didn't he?" It wasn't a direct answer to his question, but it was a partial confirmation of his words... and her tones were soft and gentle, as if she wanted to apologize for worrying them, but wasn't sure where to begin. Awkwardness... another strange thing to see, in the self-assured Cassidy.

Laurence Zelkovii

Always considered 'softer' than his brother, Lanny could more easily take to emotional conversations, though even he got a little uneasy and awkward. And of course, he wasn't always that great in dealing with emotions himself, and turned to his poison of choice to drowned the pain - but when it came to helping those close to him, Lanny was one that could buckle down and at least attempt to get to the bottom of things.

The length of silence bothered him, but he didn't break it; he let it draw on, giving Cassidy time to come up with a response. When they finally reached the bronco, he slipped around to open the passenger door to let her in, before going back around to the driver's side. "He's the one who alerted me in the first place." The man paused a moment to frown, realizing that the man apparently had a track on his phone as well. Dismissing that, since he doubted there was anything he could do to change it, considering how tech-savy and secretive the man was, Lanny moved on, "You could have froze to death. The animals could have got you, our enemies... what's gotten you out here, by yourself, anyway?" He was careful to keep any pointedness in his voice, as his brother would have otherwise used, instead letting his words be serious, but tempered with concern.

Cassidy

Growing up, Lanny had always been the most senstive of them, between she and the two brothers. James had always been the stronger personality of the two Zelkoviis, and of course Cassidy had quickly learned to be a cold-hearted bitch, which was the sort of personality that had served her best, coming up the hard way as she had. So it was odd to find the situation reversed now - if she'd really been with it, she'd have found a sort of ironic amusement in remembering how, not a month ago, she'd been the one sent to fetch Lanny. But as it was, as she settled into the cab and instinctively scooted close to him for warmth's sake, she only had room for thoughts of the immediate here and now, and what had brought her to this place of cold desolation. After a moment, she offered, "He's called me at least a dozen times in the last hour," but didn't offer an excuse for not picking up the phone. She was quiet for nearly a minute before some of the ice shifted away from her gaze and she told him roughly, "It's complicated, Lanny. You wouldn't believe me, and even if you did, you'd hate me. So lets all save the trouble."

Laurence Zelkovii

The heat had been turned on to help drive the chill from Cassidy, but Lanny hadn't made a move to even put the bronco in drive yet, clearly bothered by the whole event and driven to get answers. He'd watched her go off time and again, wandering for days with no one having any idea where she was. Question as he had in the past, he'd never gotten anything substantial from her - but that was going to chance, he told himself.

Clear blue eyes, unmarred by the glassy blur and redness of intoxication, turned directly to Cassidy, "Cass, that's ridiculous. Hate you? C'mon, now..." Taking a deep, stilling breath, he dove in to the thick of it, "You can tell me anything, Cass - you can trust me. You know that."

Cassidy

She didn't seem all that convinced by Lanny's claim that the thought of him hating her was ridiculous - but then, he didn't know the half of the problem. It wasn't his fault - she'd never told him - but it made the situation that much more complicated. The main issue was that there were so many things she did trust Lanny with that she knew it was silly to keep this one thing from him, but something instinctive continued to tell her that she couldn't do that. It was her turn to take a deep breath and turn her eyes briefly to him, offering an uncertain sort of smile that wasn't her business-clad smirk and not the warmth of genuinity that he was more and more frequently priviledged to see, these days... it was as if she feared that smiling would make the world crash down on her head. But finally, her gaze turned away again, and she actually shifted in the seat until she was facing the window, looking out at the trees and the snow, and whispered, "I know, Lanny..." And she let out a large gulp of air before she went on, "When I left, Lanny... the first time... how long was I gone?" Of course, she knew perfectly well how long she'd been gone - one year, twelve days. It was written permanently over the creases of her mind, but she asked the question as if to stall for time to gather her words better.

Laurence Zelkovii

The worry and tension hung all the more thick in the bronco when the silence stretched on, and was abated none by the quasi-smile she turned his way. Still he did not press the girl to get to the point, nor let any emotion other than careful and genuine concern rule his words right now. Forcing her to talk would make things worse; he knew he had to be patient, and patient he'd be.

Watching her turn away, Lanny for a moment thought she was going to tuck into herself as she normally did, and refuse to divulge any information. But when she finally did take in a deep draft of air and turn a question at him, he looked briefly towards the windshield, staring absently along the dark road, "For too long." He knew as well as she did how much time had passed, and he certainly hadn't handled it well."

Cassidy

His reply actually startled something of a laugh out of her, but there wasn't much joy in it, and her voice was wry as she answered, "Yeah... I remember Johann saying something similar at the time... in infinitely more detail and with slightly fewer manners." It was difficult to imagine the soft-toned, usually gentle Johann angrily lecturing anybody... but concern over his little girl was one aspect that apparently could move him to that. She was quiet for a while longer, but even in the silence, tension built until the air in the truck was thick and barely breathable, and it had little to do with the heater. When she finally spoke up again, it was on a topic that was seemingly unrelated to the one she'd just brought up, and though she'd taken a second breath to calm herself, there was something in her voice that was not her typical, business-like tone. "I'm pregnant, Lanny."

Laurence Zelkovii

For a moment, Lanny could weasel in a little grin, forced and nervous as it was, when she commented on Johann's reaction. Then the silence returned, and again the tension spiked around them, leaving Lanny to brush his fingers across the wheel in a distracted manner, as if trying to find something else for his mind to focus on rather than on waiting through the unnerving quiet for whatever news Cassidy was struggling to put to words.

"Pregnant?!" The almost choked whisper came out, showing just how initially startled he was to find this. Just as quickly, the young man realized that this was not a time for him to hit Cassidy with question after question, or heaven-forbid, and lecturing; it was too late for that, anyway. It took a few seconds for him to battle down the surprise and adopt something nearer to a calm voice, even though his eyes were jumping about in a manner to show he was thinking an awful lot about something, "And is... is that why you disappeared the first time?"

Cassidy

She hadn't known what to expect in his reaction to the suddenness of this news; she'd been half lost between thinking he'd be very angry, and half dreading that he'd see fit to spread the news through the gang. So his stunned tone as he repeated that fateful word made her flinch and kept her from turning around to face him. She kept back any sound she might have wanted to make to indicate whatever she was feeling about his reaction, but she didn't trust the equanimity of her face to turn and look at him, just yet... a curious mix of her well-known willpower and something almost human. Not about to admit that his amazement on the topic hurt her just a bit, Cassidy kept her gaze on a snow bank several yards from the truck, putting her concentration on the coolness and smoothness of it, and trying to harbor such things in her own personality, right now. So when finally she answered, her voice was calmer than perhaps could have been expected, considering that she was finally breaking down a section of the wall she had kept so long between them. "Yes..."

Laurence Zelkovii

Even if she hadn't confirmed it with words, the lack of them on the outset told him as much was true. Which of course, led him to wonder what became of the baby, and where it might be now, if indeed she'd gone through with the pregnancy. And that led him directly back to the current situation, his mind swirling with more and more questions, though most he smartly kept from saying right away. Thinking quickly, Lanny drew back on Cassidy's initial fears, and spoke on those first and foremost, "Being pregnant isn't necessarily a bad thing; there's no way I could be mad at you for that, anyway." He sputtered it out a little awkwardly, struck by the strange notion of fury, and... was it jealousy? Was this just a mishap with one of her 'clients', or was there a special someone? No, no, why should he care who the father was... "Do you know... who the, father is...?"

Cassidy

Without turning around to face him, Cassidy shook her head slowly. "Me being pregnant isn't what you'll be mad about," she told him. "I knew that. The only difficulty with that idea is the fact that I won't be working any time soon." By 'working' of course, she meant her occupation out at the bridge; goodness knew she didn't hold a 'real' job. It was hard to tell how she felt about not being able to work... she kept her voice clear of any emotional tenure. Johann, if his words to Lanny at the Night Club had been true, certainly wanted her out of her line of work, and would be happy to see her leave it, but her manner of avoiding her uncle suggested that she hadn't told him, just yet. To his latter words, though, she tensed dramatically and her voice came out a little thicker and sharper than it had been. "Don't talk of that. I'll lose my cool, if you talk of that." This was a rare showing of some real emotion in her, something that wasn't the sort of general contentedness she'd always displayed in his presence - her voice was harsh and hard, allowing for no mercy; she definitely knew who the father was, and just as definitely did not want to discuss him, particularly with Lanny, apparently.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny certainly had no objections over her being unable to work for a while, with the answer itself affirming another question he had in mind. She was planning on going through with the pregnancy, at least. "Don't worry about that, Cass. We'll figure something out - something better than you running off, too." The conversation took a very steep dive shortly after that, when the girl got defensive of his last question. Rather than backing down like he normally would have, Lanny dared to embolden his voice a little - but not necessarily at her, "Cass... you've got to trust me when I say you can tell me anything. Alright? This whole thing's got you really shook up, and I want to know why."

Cassidy

Some of the understandable tension in her began to fade somewhat as he softened his voice to suggest that they would find some way for her to get by without her usual means. In fact, it calmed her enough that she actually turned briefly away from the window and dared to meet his eyes, seeming to examine his face for hints as to how he was reacting to all of this. There wasn’t much to be seen on her own face; she’d pulled her mask up, as though she thought that she had to defend herself from him. Of course, she knew as well as he did that he would never hurt her, but she was more defensive at the moment than she had ever been. But as she turned back to the window, she murmured, “Because this isn’t the first time this has happened… and I know how it ends. The father… from the first time… well I was stupid. He was a friend, at first. I got too comfortable – I let things go too far. People died, and it was his fault – but it was mine, too.” She didn’t describe too much here, but then she was trying to impress upon him, without directly pointing a finger, that he was not the only person who’d ever told her that she could trust them.

Laurence Zelkovii

As much as he'd put strength in his words to enforce his concern over the matter, they were still very calm and far from demanding or pointed. As he continued to remind himself, that was not the kind of person she needed to talk to right now. He also took the time to read into her reply, finding the logic behind her words and seeing how she had both experience and reason not to trust others with something like this. "Trust isn't something a person can afford to do give out freely, and I can understand why you're so hesitant. But Cassidy... we've known each other a long time. If there's anyone in can tell things to, it's me." He didn't make any promises as to how he'd react if and when he was told the information, for if it was revealed that someone harmed Cass... well, he was pretty sure he'd take matters into his own hands.

Cassidy

Silence rang again when he was done speaking, but it didn’t hold the tightness that her last period of quiet had; this one was more consideration and held the sense of takiing a moment to gather her thoughts. The taut muscles in her shoulders and the back of her neck, which continued to face him, began to unwind, allowing her to sit in a more relaxed manner against the seat and making her look significantly less defensive. It was a long time that she sat there quietly gazing out the window at the mess of snow and leaves. Finally, she spoke quietly, and there was something almost tremulous in it. “You know them – both the first father, and this one. Probably not on a personal level… but well enough that if I spoke their names, you would know them instantly. The first is dead. The second… well, if he is not dead now, then I have not done my job correctly.” She didn’t say it, but she was clearly suggesting that she had attacked the man in her own version of justice, and likely left him in less than happy condition, if indeed he was alive. It also suggested that she had possessed good reason to be angry at him; Cass wasn’t known for unsupported, unreasonable blood lust. She paused there, and then kind of jumped to a related topic. “I had a son. Looked a lot like his father. His name was Isaiah.”

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny's thoughts now went to their enemies, rationalizing that if she expected him to be mad at her for something, sleeping with the enemy was one valid reason to withhold such information. The young man grew a little quiet himself now, going over and over the various people he knew, from enemies to simple acquaintances. Maybe it wasn't an enemy; but then... His lightly colored brows, looking all the more dark and intense in the shadows thrown up by the outside lights, knitted together in thought. "Did they live here?" His speech was still quiet and level, but there was a definite new source of intent about it. "Isaiah...?" When he spoke the child's name, he did so very cautiously, not sure if the tense she used implied he was dead, or used because she had distanced herself from him.

Cassidy

She didn’t answer his initial question at first, turning away from the window so that, though he wasn’t offered full view of her face to see how she was feeling, at least he could study her profile for hints. So far, she looked fairly composed, though something tightened when he repeated the name over. It was a long pause before she nodded and told him calmly, “He’s dead. He looked so much like his father that he had him killed. I was away at work at the time. Wasn’t quite what I wanted to come home to.” Other women would have burst into tears by now, and it was clear that earlier, when she’d been alone, the woman had done just that. But she was very aware of Lanny’s presence in the truck, and she pulled her control tightly in, not letting it go that far – the only indication that she might be disturbed was how the eyes closed, and she turned back to the window.. Finally, she admitted, “They did,” in a delayed response to his first inquiry.

Laurence Zelkovii

He was watching her keenly, using all his years of knowing her to pick up what discrete body language he could, when he didn't have her face to study from, as it was turned again for the window. Lanny regretted asking about her son, not wanting to get into a topic that was as understandably sensitive as a mother and their child, but as she revealed the tragic story behind it, his shapely cheeks began to tinge red. "You've got to tell me who this other guy is. If you're not positive he's dead, I'll finish the job." Defensive for his friend and her unborn baby, the darker side of the young man was brought forth. Anyone who spent a pleasant evening chatting with him would never guess just how easily Lanny could gun someone down; but then, when you were second in command of a gang as notorious as the CS, killing was a way of life. "I think it'll be safer for you if you tell Johann about this... I'll respect your wishes, but I really think he needs to know."

Cassidy

With the more sensitive end of the topic passed over with a sort of glancing attention, Cass relaxed some, enough that she turned more toward him again, facing him more directly than she had done the whole time. "He'll know soon enough anyway," her business tone said, in reference to Johann. "He'll give me no leeway when I get back - he's got a way of getting at me, and he knows it." Now the light Italian accent was beginning to wind subtly through her words, and she actually smiled a little when Lanny offered to be certain that this fellow was dead; she wouldn't have said as much, but she appreciated the offer and that he wanted to protect her. "No... you've already killed for me once, Lanny. You killed Isaiah's father for me, though you didn't know it at the time. I found a decent excuse to suggest that he was dangerous to the gang, and put him in harm's way. I won't ask you to solve that problem again." She paused, some of the half-smile fading away as she told him, "I know I should have just told you... for my excuse, I can only say that I was not quite myself at the time. That... and there was a time, before he betrayed me, when I loved my son's father. Call me endlessly foolish, but I did. But this man-" she paused, figuring she didn't have to indicate the father of her still-forming child for him to get the hint, "-this man I never loved, nor cared two shakes for. I hated him - I turned away his business, and he didn't agree with me. I did not enjoy watching Isaiah's father die - but this man I will kill with my two hands, I swear upon that."

Laurence Zelkovii

In most instances, he wouldn't have appreciated being lied too, but this was one of those times that he didn't give it a second thought. Lanny even ghosted a small grin, "Happy I could be of service." Furthermore, for having a son murdered, there was absolutely no way he'd blame her for not being quite herself, or for fibbing a bit to get Lanny's help. Just as they were settled into the rough conversation with a bit more ease, if it could be called such, Lanny's facade turned dark again when it became clear what had happened with Cassidy this time around. The grin departed in a heartbeat, and that dangerous glint was reborn in his otherwise friendly blue eyes, "Who is he?" This time his words were quietly demanding, quiet because he couldn't let himself raise his voice with Cassidy, and demanding because there was no way in hell he'd let this man get away with hurting his friend.

Cassidy

The intensity in his voice was a tone that Cassidy knew well - it was the one he used when giving out orders in edgy situations where the actions of a moment or two could decide the outcome of a battle. But it was darker this time, and more frightening - for the first time, she actually shivered a little in the face of it, not because she feared he would hurt her but because the sheer power of it was something she'd never seen in him before. When the two of them had connected socially, she'd never thought about his dark history, or how many people she'd watched him kill - that was a different Lanny. But this was an all new experience for her, and made her consider carefully what to say next.

Finally, she moved a little closer, and lay a hand softly on his shoulder, thanking whomever was listening that he was a gun fellow instead of blades like she was; in this heightened state of awareness, she'd have gutted him without thought, if their positions had been reversed. But as she offered that gentle touch, her voice shifted from the cool, calm words she'd been using to something a little softer, shaking her head as she told him quietly, "No, Lanny... I'll keep that to myself for now. You've asked me to trust you; now trust me. I'll deal with it... in my own time, and in my own way."

Laurence Zelkovii

Woe to those rival gangs who initially saw the younger Zelkovii as too soft to be in the gang, much less to hold so much power. He wasn't nearly as dangerous as James, who could cap someone for far less reasons, but the minute an enemy proved specifically dangerous to the gang... he didn't hesitate to take swift and decisive action against them. The singular advantage he held over his brother was that fact that he could keep his temper and emotions getting out of control in the wrong situations, barring any alcohol being involved.

The hand to his shoulder convinced him that he had said the right things, and despite his persistence in uncovering what was wrong with Cassidy, he hadn't made her angry and pushed her away from him. In return, he was knowldeged enough not to move his hand unexpectedly for her shoulder, knowing how badly that could end; instead, his gaze lightened up a little in response, "I want you to be careful. You know as well as I how dangerous people can be around here; there's more gangs in the area than there ever has been." He didn't like it, but to respect the trust, he had to return the favor and take what information he was given, "Just... don't do anything foolish."

Cassidy

When finally he relented and some of the blatant, blind hatred dropped out of his eyes, Cass offered him a smile, and repeated something she'd often said when they were much younger and had fewer cares than they did now. "You know me, Lanny - somebody gets the drop on me only once. After that, the rules don't apply." She allowed the smile to grow just a little, and then sobered a bit, and whispered, "I'll be careful... I promise." She leaned forward then, and rested her forehead against his shoulder, curling her left side against the seat as she turned over and closed her eyes wearily, as if she were very tired. She let a long while pass before she ventured quietly, "I should probably call Johann... he'll be wondering."

Laurence Zelkovii

Through it all, he let the grin reemerge on his face, which soon enough morphed into a true smile when she leaned her head against his shoulder. He didn't feel entirely right letting her handle this vendetta on her own, but he wasn't willing to push her too far and break that trust and understanding they'd developed since childhood. That also meant he couldn't inform the rest of the gang about it - it was her personal war, and getting them involved would only complicate things. Not bothering to put the bronco in drive yet, he left it idling as he repled, "It might be a good idea; he's got a track on your phone, and he's likely to start wondering if he sees it traveling again."

Cassidy

She had to smile then, though she didn't bother to open her eyes just yet - she appeared to be resting them, as if she had a mild headache. But her voice rang with a slight note of warm amusement. "Why am I not surprised?" she murmured, while making no move to draw away from him. "He's got one on yours too - makes you a little easier to find. He means well, at least." She wouldn't say how she knew that he'd tapped into Lanny's phone - but it took little imagination to figure out that she had probably used it to find the young man when fetching him from one of his benders. But as she finished, she pulled her phone from her pocket, and before she could dial, it was vibrating in her hand. Flipping it open and pressing it to her ear, she murmured, "Hello?" in a neutral tone, as if she didn't know who it was. Her eyes closed against Lanny's sleeve again as the voice on the other end launched into a long serenade about people disappearing and not letting anyone know - not answering their phones and leaving everyone to believe them hurt or worse... it was a somewhat elongated and more gently attentive version of the spiel that James often gave Lanny. And all the while as she patiently endured Johann's protective lecture and spoke assurance that she was fine, she remained leaned against Lanny, not venturing away, just yet.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny rolled his eyes in mock exasperation, and offered that inflection to his voice in good-natured resentment of being tracked, "I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a lock on all of our phones, Jame's included. That guy sure is something; good thing he's on our side." Not at all objecting to Cassidy leaning on him, Lanny was perfectly content to wait there, listened soundlessly as she and Johann spoke, and the elder man was assured of her wellbeing. From outside, Lanny watched as a pair of low eyes caught in the light, shining back with such intensity that Lanny recognized them as feline, and a small one at that. It got him to looking about a little more intently, though the two were perfectly safe from wildlife while inside the bronco. Still, he couldn't help but be reminded of their little incident in the mountains, and how incredibly lucky they'd been to get away with but a few scratches.

Cassidy

A few minutes passed before Johann seemed convinced that she was alright, and she muttered into the phone, "Alright - we'll be there soon. 'Bye." She snapped the phone shut then, tucking it back into her pocket, and told him quietly, "He says we're to meet him at my apartment - says he'll have supper ready by then. He says you're welcome to join us, but if I were you I wouldn't. I like his cooking, but it isn't worth the interrogation you'll get." A confirmed old bachelor, Johann was an admirable chef, specialized in the old fashioned, down home cooking that was so rare a skill to have, in these days. But it was pretty well a forgone conclusion that both young people would be getting an earful.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny tilted his head to the side a bit as he reached forward to shift the bronco into drive, "I don't know... a free home-cooked meal is rather tempting. I don't think I've had that in forever, unless you count me sticking a pizza in the oven and heating it up." The man grinned, though of course his reason for going wasn't because of the food. After being as worried as he was about Cassidy, he didn't want to drop her off so soon and call it good. "Buckle-up now." Lanny insisted, as even he donned the safetybelt to keep him in his seat while traveling the hazardous road.