Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to write this chapter... I have had a lot going on this month. My family has like eight birthdays in March but I finally managed to write it. Snow is finally leaving us... so that is great. Oh and BranKel1 we got about 28 inches but it is now down to about 6. Anyways enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think.

Casa Walsh

Kelly stood just outside the front door holding Cassie's hand thinking quickly about what she was going to say to Brenda. Cassie just looked up at her not really sure what to think because she didn't even know where they were. Kelly looked down at Cassie and smiled, as the words she wanted to say finally came to her. Her hand moved to knock when Cassie started to ask a question.

"Why are we here?" She asked innocently as she looked around.

"Because… I wasn't very nice to a really good friend and now I need to apologize to her." Kelly tried to explain.

"What did you say?" Cassie asked wondering what was so bad.

"Um… Uh… Let's just go inside sweetie." Kelly said quickly knocking on the door.

Inside Brenda was peering out the living room window at Kelly and the little girl standing next to her. She couldn't believe that her best friend had been keeping this from her. It wasn't that she was really mad at her; it was just that she was disappointed in her. She thought that their friendship was strong enough that they didn't have to keep secrets from each other, but then again, maybe she was just being naïve.

"Hi Kelly, Brenda's in the living room… who's this?" Cindy asked noticing the little girl standing beside Kelly.

"This is Cassie…" Kelly started but Cindy was already interrupting her.

"Hi Cassie, It's nice to meet you. My name is Cindy." Cindy said as she bent down to Cassie's level.

"She's really shy sometimes!" Kelly said as Cassie hid behind her.

"Well I have just the thing to cure that… Come on in." Cindy said holding the door so the two girls could come inside the house.

As Kelly walked through the front door she could feel Cassie hanging on to the back of her pants. Cassie had always been a cuddly person, but lately it had gotten to the point that Kelly had to literally pry her away. It was almost like Cassie was going through the whole separation anxiety faze just a little late. Kelly decided to just turn around and pick Cassie up and carry her so that she didn't have her permanently attached to her leg all day.

"Cassie I have some ice cream in the kitchen, if you want some I can take you in there." Cindy said as she watched the little girl's eyes get bigger.

"Can I mommy?" Cassie whispered into Kelly's ear.

"Sure you can baby." Kelly said smiling as she put Cassie down and watched her follow Cindy into the kitchen.

As soon as the two were gone Kelly made her way into the living room to find Brenda. All though when she found her all she seemed to get was the cold shoulder and a blank stare. Kelly looked around the room, searching for the right way to start the conversation she knew she had to have. Her eyes fell on Brandon's picture on one of the end tables and the words just seemed to flow right out of her mouth.

"I see you're mad… and you have every right to be. I screwed up. I should have told you from the beginning… I guess…" Kelly paused partially searching for the right word and partially hoping that she could get some sort of reaction out of Brenda.

"Yeah I'm mad… I thought we were friends, and not just any friends, best friends… I've never kept anything from you… best friends don't keep secrets… but then again I guess we're not best friends." Brenda said as she turned to face the window obviously hurt.

"That's a little harsh…"

"You wanna talk about harsh? I called the apartment this morning to find out where you were so I could ask you a question… and Donna tells me you're at the hospital. Then I get there just in time to hear you and Andrea talking about your daughter. How do you think that made me feel?" Brenda asked turning her head back to face Kelly.

"Okay, I get it… and I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I was scared okay! I didn't know how to tell you… don't you think I wanted too? I wanted to tell you every time I saw you… I didn't like keeping her a secret… I was just… ashamed." Kelly's voice started to crack with every word.

"Ashamed? How can you be ashamed of that little girl?" Brenda asked wondering what had actually happened to Kelly.

"I'm not ashamed of Cassie… I love her to pieces and I could never feel that way about her." Kelly said sitting in the chair across from Brenda.

"Then what are you ashamed of?" Brenda asked genuinely.

"The way it happened… Bren Cassie's dad… he's not a very nice guy. He would put me down and he yelled all the time… if I didn't say the right thing he would grab my arm…and… squeeze so tight… I tried to stop him… I told him he was hurting… me… but he never did…" Kelly voice got shaking as she began to remember more about that night.

Before Brenda could answer she noticed little Cassie standing in the doorframe to the living room with a bowl of ice cream in her hand. Brenda smiled at her as she sighed a big sigh of relief. She wouldn't have to try to get anything out of Kelly for the time being, which was a good thing because she really didn't know how to respond to what she had been through.

"Whatcha got there?" Brenda asked looking over at the little girl.

"Ice Cream." Cassie said quietly.

"Looks like Chocolate chip cookie dough, am I right?" Brenda asked as Kelly turned towards the doorframe and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Yeah… Mommy what's wrong?" Cassie asked watching Kelly wipe her eyes.

"Nothing baby… we were just talking that's all. Come here!" Kelly said motioning for Cassie to come and sit on her lap. "What was that question by the way?" Kelly asked looking over at Brenda as she helped Cassie up.

"Oh… What happened between you and Dylan?" Brenda asked.

"Let's just say I wasn't happy, he wasn't happy, Cassie's name came up, we yelled at each other and then we broke up!" Kelly said as she put her arms protectively around Cassie.

"Want some?" Cassie asked holding a spoonful of ice cream up in the air.

"Why not…" Kelly said putting the spoon in her mouth. "Thank you it was very yummy… Now why did you want to know what happened between me and Dylan?" Kelly asked Brenda.

"He called me last night saying he needed help and then the phone went dead." Brenda said watching as Cassie finished the bowl of ice cream.

"I did say some pretty mean things to him… I don't know why he would need help, but you can help him all you want." Kelly said looking across the room and seeing Cindy walk in. "I do have something else to ask you though." Kelly said as Cindy sat down next to Brenda.

"What is it?" Brenda asked still more concerned about Dylan at the moment.

"I don't know if you heard everything Andrea and I were talking about…"

"I heard something about Brandon… but nothing else." Brenda interrupted.

"Yeah… I like him… a lot actually, but he is the only one that doesn't know about Cassie and I don't want to tell him over the phone." Kelly was trying to ask her question, but it was just coming out as a really long ramble.

"So you want to surprise him right?" Brenda asked.

"Yeah, but I might be able to tell him better if I didn't have her with." Kelly finally just let it out.

"Wait a minute I'm a little confused here… why would you have to bring Cassie with you? Can't you just take her home?" Cindy asked because she had not heard Cassie call Kelly mommy earlier.

"I could take her home, but Donna and David have the Marti Gras to be at, and there would be no one to watch her." Kelly informed her.

"Mommy I wanna see Uncle David now!" Cassie said looking up at Kelly.

"We will in a minute sweetie… so can you watch her for a few days?" Kelly asked watching Brenda's face for a reaction.

"How many are we talking about here?" Brenda asked staring at her mother's confused face.

"Two maybe three tops… I just need enough time to get there and tell him how I feel and about Cassie, and then I'll be home." Kelly said watching Cindy put two and two together.

"Wait so Cassie is your daughter?" Cindy asked.

"Yes, and I will explain everything up until now when I get back… Please?" She begged.

"Bring her by before you leave…" Cindy said.

"And call us the minute you get to the hotel." Brenda finished.

"You guys are the best… just let me go home and pack a few things for her and I will drop her by later." Kelly said getting up and hugging them both. "Okay Cassie let's go see Uncle David and Donna back at the house." Kelly said taking the bowl from Cassie and handed it to Cindy.

"We will see you later Cassie." Cindy said as the little girl nodded.

Within minutes Kelly had Cassie buckled up in her seat and the two were heading back to the beach apartment to pack. Kelly was glad that she had finally gotten everything out in the open and for now only had Brandon left to worry about. She had no idea what she was going to say to him when she found him but she had the whole plane ride to figure that one out. Right now her only priority was getting the two of them packed for the weekend.