Cassie

Rating: PG.

Disclaimer: no one besides Cassie and her family belong to me, no infringement intended.


Cassie slammed the door behind her, brushing her hair back from her face. "Jesse's home Ma," she declared happily.

Mrs. Weston was standing in the front hall looking less than impressed.

"Where've you been?" Mrs. Weston demanded.

Cassie sighed heavily. "Around," she mumbled.

Mrs. Weston shook her head. "I figured as much." She shook her head, "do you realize your father has been nearly beside himself with worry? Bullet's not fully broken--what happened to you wrist?"

Cassie shook her head vehemently. "Nevermind;" she snapped, glaring at her mother. "You were just standing here waiting weren't you? Waiting for the chance to jump on me." Cassie kicked off her boot and heard a satisfying thump as it hit the wall.

"I just don't think it's acceptable for a young lady to go off gallivanting all day. It's not proper."

Cassie snorted and smoothed her hands over her wrinkled and dirt-smeared blouse. "Right, and we're real proper."

Mrs. Weston sighed, "I am determined to live as proper a life as I can; and I'd hope you'd do the same. We may not be rich Cassandra, but that doesn't give you the right to go around creating a reputation for yourself."

"A reputation for you, you mean." Cassie spat.

"No, I mean you Cassie." Mrs. Weston sighed again, "how do you expect to be married to a suitable gentleman when you can't even handle to be suitable yourself. For pity sake girl, tuck in your shirt and tie back your hair, it's filthy."

"Maybe I don't wanna get married Mama, did you ever think of that?"

"You enjoy pointing that fact out to me daily with your superficial behavior." Mrs. Weston turned around and marched back into the kitchen, the signal that the conversation was over.

Cassie narrowed her eyes and stomped her foot, she jammed her blouse back into her skirt and stomped upstairs to her room. She yanked her hair back into a loose braid. "Damn that woman," she cursed again.

"Cassie?" Her father called, "Cassie you home girl?"

Cassie stuck her head out of her bedroom door, "Yeah Daddy I'm home." She sighed.

"Come downstairs a minute and help your Ma, I need to talk to the both of you."

Cassie grumbled down the stairs and stepped into the kitchen where her mother and fourteen-year-old sister Rebecca were busy preparing dinner. Cassie accepted the knife her Ma offered her and started chopping carrots for the stew.

"I got an offer today." Mr. Weston said carefully, and Cassie noticed for the first time how old her father looked these days. He was tall and burly, and had black hair like her but it was peppered with grey; and his face was lined with wrinkles Cassie had never noticed before.

"An offer?" Becca wondered, confused. "For what?"

Cassie snorted. "For the farm. From that...that...idiot Thaddeus Reins and his damned railroad."

"Cassandra!" Mrs. Weston exclaimed.

"Well it's true," Cassie shot back, "Everyone in towns been talking. He's been trying to buy all the farms across Virginia for months, him and that...Allan Peckerton."

"Pinkerton," her father corrected gently.

"Whatever," Cassie snapped. "You didn't say yes did you?"

Mr. Weston laughed, "of course not Cassandra, but I did tell them I'd think on it."

"You told them what?" Cassie demanded, "you said yes to those men? You saw what they did to Charlie Higgins."

"I did," her father replied, "and that's why I said I'd think on it. I never said I was gonna say yes."

Cassie swallowed. "Wait...what if they find out about Jesse and Frank? Bob and Cole, they can't. They'll hang them for treason too and--"

Mr. Weston shook his head, "they won't find 'em. They're smart boys. Besides they got Doc Mimms on their side, he's a smart man." Mr. Weston suddenly grabbed Cassie's left wrist.

"Daddy!" She cried out in pain.

"Did Bullet throw you?" Mr. Weston demanded.

"Yes," Cassie nodded, "but only because I nearly ran over Jesse James."

"Who wrapped it for you?"

"Ma James," Cassie replied.

"That was awful kind of her, but it wont set right if you don't go to Doc Mimm's and get it looked after properly."

"It ain't broken," Cassie muttered but her father shook his head.

"I don't care, you head on over to Doc Mimm's first thing tomorrow morning you hear?" Cassie opened her mouth to protest. "I'd take you right now myself but I got chores to do." He smirked at his eldest child. "The ones you forgot."

Cassie made a face, "sorry."

"It don't matter now as long as they get done, but be sure to brush down Bullet once your finished helping your Ma. You insist on riding that horse, you're gonna have to learn how to take care of him."

"Cassandra won't be riding that horse again," Mrs. Weston said pecking her husband's cheek as he lay the piece of paper from Thaddeus Reins on the kitchen table.

"We'll see," Cassie replied.

"You wont be," Mrs. Weston said sternly, "I won't have you thrown again. Next time it'll be your neck."

Cassie groaned.

"Cassandra," Mr. Weston said pausing before leaving the kitchen; Cassie looked over to her Daddy. "Mind you Ma, she's the only one you got."



All righty! Part one is posted, so review but no flames please!