I Would For You

Cassie waited impatiently in her living room waiting for her Uncle to pick her up. She had been anxious for this night all week since she had hardly seen Keith lately. She checked her watch and was surprised when it read ten after 6 which meant that he was late, Keith was never late before. Cassie grew more worried by the second but was relieved when the doorbell rang.

She threw it open and was shocked to find not her Uncle but his new girlfriend, Jules.

"Uh hi." Cassie said not really sure what to say. She had only met Jules once and they had only said a few words to each. Hi, Nice to Meet You and Goodbye.

"Hi Cassie." Jules greeted although sensing the tension. "I'm sorry were late, your Uncle's waiting in the car for us."

"Us? Your joining us?" Cassie asked feeling disappointed, she had been hoping to get to spend some alone time with Keith.

Jules nodded. "If that's ok. Keith invited me to come along, he said he didn't think you'd mind."

Cassie put a fake smile on her face and shook her head. "Not at all." She said although it was kind of a lie. "Just let me run and get my stuff. You can come in I guess."

Jules smiled and nodded. "Wow, you've got a great house." She commented and Cassie saw her looking at the pictures that lined the wall. "Is this your brother?" She asked pointing to a recent picture of Lucas.

Cassie nodded. "That's him."

"Wow, he actually kinda looks like Keith." Jules said.

"I guess kind of." Cassie replied while finishing up with her hair.

"And this must be your Mom?" Jules held up a picture of Karen with Cassie and Lucas taken last Christmas. "I can tell, you look a lot like her. She's really beautiful."

"Yeah she is." Cassie said coming out of her room. "I'm ready to go now." She didn't really like the idea of Jules going through anymore of her Mom's things, it was kind of strange. She got a sudden vibe from this women she didn't like, like she was hiding something.

Jules nodded and followed Cassie outside to where her Uncle was waiting outside his truck.

"Hey Keith." Cassie greeted and gave him a hug.

"Cass." He said kissing her forehead and pulling away. He held the door open for both her and Jules and then they were off.

"So how's your Mom?" Keith asked a few minutes later making conversation since things had gotten very quiet in the car.

Cassie shrugged. "She's good, actually she's on a date." Cassie regretted her words as she saw the crestfallen look on her Uncle's face.

"Oh she is, is she." Keith said sounding a little down which Jules picked up on immediately.

"Well I think that's great." Jules smiled. She turned to face Cassie. "From what your Uncle says, your Mom sounds great. He talks about you guys all the time."

"Yeah great." Keith said trying to put on a happy face. "So who's the guy?"

"Ugh his names Andy, he's her...well... professor." Cassie said.

"She's dating her professor? That doesn't sound like something Karen would do." Keith said.

"Well so long as she's happy, who cares." Jules said.

Cassie scoffed. As if it was any of your business anyways. She thought to herself, not realizing she had said it outloud.

"What was that Cass?" Keith quesstioned.

"Oh ugh, just talking to myself." She decided to change the subject right away after seeing the look Jules had given her. "So where are we going anyways?"

"Where do you think?" Keith asked. "Same place we always go."

"Houlio's?" Cassie asked and Keith nodded.

"What's that?" Jules asked.

"It's a pizza place I've been taking Cassie to since she was a little girl, were kind of on a first name basis with the owner." Keith said with a laugh.

"Yeah he's awesome." Cassie said with a grin.

"Oh." Jules said.

"What do you not like pizza or something?" Cassie asked.

"Well it's not really my taste." Jules explained.

"What not good enough for you?" Cassie asked not meaning it to sound quite as harsh as it did.

"Cassie." Keith warned her.

"Sorry." Cassie said. "Well if you want to go somewhere else, it's cool I guess."

Jules brightened liking that idea. "Keith how about we go to that place we went last time, they had really good lobster."

Cassie made a face at that suggestion. Keith noticed.

"I don't know, Cass doesn't really eat lobster, right honey?" He asked her.

"Yeah, but I guess I can put up with it for one night." She said.

"Ok, well then it's settled." Jules said and Cassie rolled her eyes. She was trying to like Jules for her Uncle's sake, but the woman was making it difficult.

Keith looked at his niece through the rearview mirror and was concerned by the look on her face. He really wanted for Cassie to like Jules but he could see that she was having a hard time. He had already told Jules of how Cassie was a daughter to him in every sense of the word except biology and he was wondering if Jules was somehow unnerved by that. He gave Cassie a sympathetic look and a look that said he promised he would make it up to her.

Five minutes later they pulled up to the restaurant which was surrounded by a large shopping centre. There was a bar right next door to it.

They entered and Cassie gulped immediately at who she saw. Her mother was sitting in a darkened corner at a small table for two, with Andy.

Cassie grabbed her Uncle's arm and gestured for him to look at what she was looking at. His eyes widened at seeing Karen and Jules immediately followed Keith's gaze and scowered but that quickly turned into a smile before she Cassie could see.

"Isn't that your Mom?" Jules asked and Cassie nodded, not sure what to do. They could just ask for a table on the other side of the restaurant and hope Karen wouldn't notice them, but Jules had other ideas.

"Well we should go say hi." She said looking at Keith. "You could introduce me."

Keith thought about it for a minute before hesitantly pushing Cassie forward to lead them over.

"Um hey Mom." Cassie greeted her mother.

Karen looked up in shock at her daughter's voice. "Cassie, honey what are you doing here?" She then noticed Keith standing next to a very tall, pretty brunette woman, she assumed it was Jules. "Keith hi."

Keith smiled at Karen. "Hi Kare, you look beautiful tonight." He said sincerely, not noticing the look of pure jealousy on Jules face.

"Hi Andy." Cassie greeted her Mom's date.

Andy smiled at the young girl. Now that he really looked he couldn't believe he had not known right away that she was Karen's daughter, she was the spitting image of her mother.

"Cassie, nice to see you again." He replied politely.

"Maybe you should introduce us?" Jules said directing it at Cassie who rolled her eyes, and it didn't go unnoticed by Karen.

"Mom, this is Jules, Jules this is my Mom, Karen." Cassie said as the two shook hands and Karen introduced them to Andy. The whole situation was awkward.

"Keith, I thought you and Cassie were doing your pizza/movie night." Karen said.

"Well we are but Jules is joining us." Keith explained.

"Oh is that so." Karen said not liking the idea of her daughter being forced to spend time with her Uncle's new girlfriend. She could tell Cassie didn't care for her.

"Yeah Cass and I are getting to know one another, right kid?" Jules said putting an arm around Cassie's shoulders, Cassie did her best not to shrug it off as she gritted her teeth.

"Sure are."

"Keith are you sure that's a good idea?" Karen asked. She and Keith had talked numerous times about keeping their love lives separate from their lives with Cassie and Luke. Karen had to look out for her daughter. "Cass, do you want to join us?"

"We'd love to have you." Andy joined in.

Cassie looked to her Uncle and Jules, she knew what her Mom was trying to do and although she was grateful she assured Karen she would be ok. "It's alright. I'm fine hanging out with them. Really."

Karen sighed still not happy with the arrangement but decided to let her feelings go, if Cassie was ok with this then so was she. "Alright, well go have a good time."

Cassie smiled. "Thanks Mom. Have a good time with the rest of your date." She leaned over to hug Karen and whispered "thank you" into her mother's ear. She smiled at Andy and then she followed Keith and Jules to their table.

"Well that was..." Keith started but was interrupted.

"Awkward." Cassie said finishing him sentence causing them both to laugh.

Jules was totally jealous of Keith's relationship with his niece. They were so close and there was so much she wasn't be included in.

"Should we order?" Jules asked and Keith and Cassie nodded.

The waitress came over and asked to take their order.

"I'll have the lobster and so will he." Jules ordered for both her and Keith.

Cassie shot a look at Keith, she could tell that wasn't what he wanted.

"I'll have the fish and chips." Cassie said as the waitress finished taking the order and walked away.

"Cassie this is a fancy restaurant, surely you could have ordered something a little more extravagant?" Jules said.

"Jules, leave her be." Keith warned knowing his girlfriend was on the verge of becoming a victim of Cassie's quick temper.

"I'm just saying." Jules said.

"What just because I didn't order some disgusting thing with claws means I'm not as good as you?" Cassie asked getting the idea.

"That's not what I'm say and you know it." Jules said.

"Well sorry if we didn't all grow up little rich girls." Cassie said getting angry.

"Cassie." Keith said. "Enough, Jules didn't mean anything by it I'm sure." He looked at her.

"Of course not." She faked sincerity.

"You know that's it." Cassie stood up. "I'm sorry Keith, I really wanted this to work." Cassie then ran out of the restaurant in tears.

"How could you say those things?" Keith asked Jules. "She's just a kid."

Jules scoffed. "Wrong Keith, she's a spoiled brat. She knows she has you wrapped around her little finger and she's not afraid to use that. I'm sorry I said those things to the kid, but they had to be said."

"That's where your wrong." Keith said standing up. "That kid as you call her is one of the most important people in my life. She is the daughter I never got to have and one of the best people I know. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to find my niece."

Keith thought of going to Karen to see if Cassie had joined them but she had already left with Andy. He looked all over the restaurant but there was no sign of her, he then headed outside.

Meanwhile Cassie had been walking around aimlessly not really sure where to go but somehow she found herself at the Rivercourt. As a kid it had been one of her favorite places to come. She would sit on the swings facing the river and pretend she was flying. As she got older it became a place where she would just come to think.

She was surprised to see she wasn't alone at the park. A tall dark figure sat on one of the swings. It was two dark to really make out who the figure was.

"Can I sit here?" Cassie asked.

"Sure why not." Came the reply from a familiar voice.

"Nate?" She asked sitting down in the swing next to him.

"Cassie?" He said turning to face his sister now able to make out her small frame. "What are you doing here?"

"I come here to think sometimes, you?" She asked.

"Same. What's on your mind?" He asked his sister.

Cassie let out a short laugh. "I really don't think you want me to burden you with my problems."

"Try me, if it'll keep me from thinking about my own for awhile." Nathan said with a smile.

"I just basically had the worst night of my life." Cassie confessed. "That woman is a witch that starts with a capital B."

Nathan laughed. "And who are you talking about?"

"Jules, Uncle Keith's new girlfriend." Cassie said.

"Oh the really hot girl I saw him with the other day at my Dad's dealership?" Nathan asked.

"Sure?" Cassie shrugged.

"What's so bad about her?" Nathan asked. "Seemed nice enough to me."

Cassie gave him an are you kidding me, look. "What's to like about her? She's snobby, she looks down at people who aren't high society types like her and I just got this weird vibe from her, like she's not who she says she is."

Nathan again laughed at his sister. "Aren't you being a little overdramatic?" He asked and Cassie shook her head. "Maybe your just jealous of Keith being with somebody besides your Mom so your finding all the things you hate about her without really getting to know her."

"Since when did you become so deep?" Cassie joked. "Seriously, your turning into Lucas." Off Nathan's look she shut up. "I am so not jealous of her."

"Really? You've known her for what a couple hours?" Nathan asked and Cassie nodded. "Sounds like you didn't even give her a chance."

"I did." Cassie insisted. "She was a total snob to me. She said a lot of horrible things."

"And knowing you, you were probably dishing it right back." Nathan said and they both laughed a little. "Did you ever think that maybe she is jealous of you?"

"Why would she be?" Cassie asked.

"Well because of how close you and Keith are. I know I'm a bit jealous myself." Nathan sighed. "You and Lucas have Keith's heart, he may one day fall in love with somebody but they'll always be that place that only you two can occupy, because he raised you as his own."

Cassie thought about it and then realized she really hadn't given it a chance. She had decided from the get go to dislike Jules and that wasn't fair.

"I guess I've got some apologizing to do." Cassie sighed but then stopped. "Wait a minute, why are you out here all alone? I've never seen you here this late, without a basketball."

"Thinking about Haley." He confessed and Cassie nodded.

"Yeah she's been on my mind a lot lately too but Nate you have to remember, Haley's an awesome person. She'll do the right thing in the end." Cassie said.

"I don't know Cass, Chris Keller could have changed her." Nathan said sadly.

"I don't think so." Cassie said. "Deep down I don't think Haley could ever change that much. I've known her for most of my life and I can honestly say that she is still the same down to earth girl she was when we were 6 years old."

"I hope your right. See ya round." He stood up and walked back in the direction of his apartment. Cassie sighed, she was worried about him. He hadn't been himself at all since Haley left.

"Thought I'd find you here."

Cassie recognized Keith's voice. "Didn't know you were looking."

"Are you kidding, I almost had mini-search party out looking for you. Congratulations kid, you scared me to death." Keith joked and Cassie had to laugh at his attempt.

"How'd you know where to find me?" Cassie asked.

"Like it was that hard." Keith said sitting in the swing Nathan had previously occupied. "This is the same place you've come to ever since you were old enough to cross the street by yourself." Keith paused and waited for her to respond but when he got nothing he continued. "I'm really sorry about the things Jules said Baby-girl. She didn't mean them. She was trying so hard to get you to like her, I think she may have gotten caught up in the moment."

Cassie sighed remembering all the things Nathan had said. "It's ok. I shouldn't have said the things I said to her. It's just, I was hoping this was going to be our night. We haven't had any pizza/movie nights since way before you left for Charlotte."

"I know Cass, and I promise we will have the best pizza/movie night ever soon. I will make that up to you, no Jules or anyone else." Keith promised.

"Cross your heart?" Cassie asked knowing she sounded like a little girl.

Keith laughed and did the gestures and they hugged.

"Cass, do you think you could find it in your heart to give Jules another chance?" Keith pleaded. "I really like her, I haven't felt this way in a long time sweetie, not since your Mom. Trust me when I say that Jules isn't normally like how she was tonight. She's usually really sweet and caring, reminds me a lot of someone else I know." He joked.

Cassie smiled.

"So you think you can try?" Keith asked.

"I will for you." Cassie smiled up at him. "I would do anything for you."