Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is owned and operated by Square Enix and the author is merely running a shady side business that makes no profit.

A/N: I was doing good with the plot aaannnddd I'm back to drabbles. November is looking really shitty school wise so maybe I'll cheat and do NatNoWriMo when I have a month off of school. I'll still update, just not as much as I want to. A lot of time is going to pass in this chapter, so in case you're wondering what the hell is happening, Sephy's growing up.

Cass woke up when something nudged it's way under her arms. By the feel of it, it was a Sephiroth. A quick check under the covers revealed that, yes it was a Sephiroth. This time he had the decency to look slightly ashamed of himself. Cass steeled herself and made herself look grumpy.

"You can't keep doing this Sephiroth," she said.

"You let me before," Sephiroth said.

"Before you weren't doing this every night," Cass said, "You can't be having a bad dream every night."

"Not the same one," Sephiroth said. Cass sighed. Sephiroth crawled out, ready for the chastisement and punishment.

"What's really the matter?" Cass asked. Sephiroth blinked then shrugged. Cass checked the clock, she had four hours before she had to get up. They could do this now. Better now than never anyway.

"You know I don't like it when you lie to me," Cass said.

"How do you do that?" Sephiroth asked, "how can you tell when I lie?"

"Because I know you Sephiroth," Cass said, "don't change the subject. Why don't you like sleeping in your own bed?" Sephiroth toyed with the bedspread.

"I've got all night," Cass said.

"It's stupid," Sephiroth said.

"Very few things in this world are stupid," Cass said, "especially when they concern the well being of me and my rain cloud. I'm not going to be mad at you, I just want to know what's the matter."

"I'm scared," Sephiroth said softly. If Cass hated anything about Sephiroth it was his fear of his imperfections. He thought he couldn't be scared, couldn't be sad, or else something was wrong with him. She couldn't even be mad at him because it wasn't his fault.

"That's not stupid," Cass said, "What are you scared of?"

"Loosing you again," Sephiroth said.

"You're not," Cass said, "Who's gonna take me?" Sephiroth's eyebrow arched in a mimicry of her. She nearly laughed at it he did it so well.

"Hojo just got here," Cass said, "He doesn't even know what floor I'm on. Veld even said that Hojo and I have to be in different rooms at all times, even if we both need you."

"He could work around it," Sephiroth said, "He got people to take you, he can get more to..." Cass shook her head.

"He won't," Cass said, "Hojo wouldn't dare do a thing to me." Sephiroth cocked his head.

"The rest of the Turks said they'd watch out for me," Cass said, "and I have you." And if you're upset then shit's gonna fly faster than Hojo had hide it.

"But what about when I go away?" Sephiroth asked.

"What about it?" Cass said, "I still have Tseng and Director Veld. I'm supposed to work with one other person at all times. And I'll have Fergus too." Sephiroth didn't say anything.

"Did you notice anything funny about Hojo today?" Cass asked. Sephiroth paused and his eyes widened.

"His nose..." he said.

"And who do you think did that?" Cass asked.

"You?"

"Oh yeah," Cass said, "That's mostly the reason why we have to be in different rooms, so I don't try and kill Hojo again, not the other way around. I can take care of myself Sephiroth." He nodded, but didn't look convinced. Cass decided to put the hammer down.

"I know you worry an awful lot about me," Cass said, "but this is getting ridiculous. Right now, I have you, you have me. I'm not going to be taken away from you, and you are going to stay with me until I say otherwise. Nothing can change that. Got it?" Sephiroth nodded.

"Then it's time for you to go back to bed," Cass said. Sephiroth put on his pout. Goddammit, how could he still be this cute? She hoped to every god that would listen that he didn't know how adorable he was or how effective this tactic was. She hoped beyond hope that this face was an involuntary reflex and he had no control over it if he did.

"Can I please stay?" he said. Cass sighed.

"Fine," she grumbled, "but tomorrow you sleep in your own bed regardless of what dreams you have." Sephiroth nodded and hid his grin. He wasted no time getting back into proper snuggling position. Cass let him tug her arm around him. She wondered how long she could savor this sort of activity before Sephiroth outgrew it. She hugged him back, hoping he was sleeping and wouldn't notice.

Sephiroth couldn't look up at Cass. He could feel disapproval radiating off of her. He squirmed underneath it. Outside he could hear a loud commotion, but he and Cass had privacy. That made this so much worse. If they were outside he could brush it off as showing off. Here...he had to face the music.

"Are you going to explain yourself?" Cass asked. Her voice was stern. She'd never hit him, but this hurt just as much in his opinion.

"I'm sorry," Sephiroth muttered.

"I'll bet you are," Cass said. Sephiroth flinched. She didn't use sarcasm often with him, mostly because he rarely caught on, but when she did, her words dripped with it.

"Look at me," Cass said. Her voice was so soft, but the command was crystal clear. Sephiroth couldn't do it. "Sephiroth, do as I say." He steeled himself and looked up.

The suit made Cass seem so much more severe. It had been easier to look at the sneakers they had let her wear. Cass had her arms folded. One hand was drumming its fingers along her arm. Her eyebrow had an annoyed arch to it. Her eyes weren't the warm brown he was so used to. Her mouth was turned into a small frown. To use her own words: She was pissed. It was enough to send ice down his spine.

"I'm waiting, Sephiroth," she said. He swallowed.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. She unfolded her arms and put her hands on her hips.

"Why did you destroy half of the lab?" she asked. To use her words: He'd fucked up.

"Hojo said...things about you," Sephiroth said.

"Yes," she said, "I can hear him." As if on cue, Hojo's voice carried over and Sephiroth made out the word "bitch" before he quieted down again. "Hojo rarely has anything nice to say about me. That's hardly an excuse."

"He...said..." Sephiroth trailed off.

"He said what?" Cass prompted.

"I should cut off my hair," Sephiroth finished. Cass stared at him for one long moment. Then she covered her face with her right hand.

"Oh my god," she muttered. Sephiroth wasn't certain if she was horrified or trying not to laugh. Her face was still sternly composed when she lowered her hand.

"He told you to cut off your hair?" Cass asked.

"He had scissors out," Sephiroth said. Cass covered her face again. She sighed and stood up straight.

"You don't have to cut it off," she said, "though you could use a trim."

"No," Sephiroth said.

"You have split ends," she said, "just the tips not the whole thing." He relaxed. "You're still in trouble though," she said, "You're not getting off completely just because you got your way." Sephiroth lowered his gaze.

"I'm taking your sword away for two weeks," she said, "and you're doing laundry for three." He looked back up in alarm. She looked back, but she wasn't as angry as before.

"You destroyed half the lab with it," she said, "it's only fair." He couldn't really argue against that.

Cass was very surprised at how accepting the Turks were. All of the Turks present at least came by to see the new meat. More than one showed what was undoubtedly sympathy towards her.

There was no hazing. No bullying. Not even a joke at her expense, though Cass suspected there were mysterious forces (Veld) at work that made such nonsense (Veld) nonexistent. As the saying went: Turks look out for other Turks and always get the job done. Such activity probably restricted productivity.

Still it was rather surprising when someone besides Tseng would try a conversation with her. Cass never made friends easily and didn't work well with others as a principle. Her suspicions of the Turks didn't make her new placement any easier. Yet, the fact that there were Turks who knew was she was going through and could sympathize, hell even offer advice was...

It was like Gast all over again.

"I was one of the ones who was sent out when you first took him in," a smaller brunette woman said to her, "I hoped you wouldn't be joining us. Guess we can't get what we want." That wasn't the thing that caught Cass's attention though.

"I have a son too," she said.

"Happy Birthday Sephiroth." Sephiroth opened his eyes to the strange, but not unwelcome wake up call. Cass was sitting on the end of the bed. He sat up.

"Happy Birthday Mom," he said back with a smile. She returned it.

"I can't believe you're ten years old already," she said.

"And you're twenty-five," he said. He saw a package by her side and he remembered. He slid out of his bed and scrambled for his closet. He hoped she didn't mind that he hadn't wrapped it.

"Do I not get a my present?" Cass asked to his back.

"I wanted to get you something real," Sephiroth said.

"What are you talking about? Kisses are totally real presents," she said.

"I meant something that you could use," Sephiroth said, "you always get me something like that."

"I use your kisses," she said, "they get me through the day." Sephiroth tossed a look over his shoulder, but saw that Cass wasn't really serious. He carefully maneuvered his gift so Cass wouldn't see it right away. She always insisted on giving first anyway. She seemed amused with him, but handed over the package. It felt...loose...almost like clothes. He opened it. It was straps. He looked up.

"It's a harness," she said, "so you can carry your sword on your back instead of in your hand." He looked down at it. They were black and felt smooth. Cass teased him about having black as a favorite color, but didn't try and force other things on him. He considered it and worked out in his head how it was supposed to fit over him.

As usual, her gift was perfect. Well thought out and would be used for years to come. He felt nervous about handing his own over. He wanted it to be just as meaningful as hers always were. He hoped it wouldn't be stupid and worthless to her.

"So..." Cass said, "since you insist that kisses are worthless, what, pray tell, do I get for my birthday?" Sephiroth picked up the small orb and held it out. Cass's mirthful expression fell away slowly as she saw it.

"It's a Cure Materia," Sephiroth said. Cass's tentative hand reached out and took it.

"A Full Cure," she said. Sephiroth nodded. She looked back up. "I can't take this," she said, "you need it." Sephiroth shook his head.

"I have more than one," he said, "It's already been mastered. I'd rather master my own." Cass looked down at her hand then back at Sephiroth.

"Thank you," she said.

"...You like it?" he asked.

"This is by far the nicest gift anyone has ever given me," Cass said, "I love it." She looked down at it again. "I still get a kiss though right?" Sephiroth smiled and moved up to complete the annual ritual.

"Get dressed," Cass said, "let's see how the harness looks on you."

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"I'm taller."

"Ugh. Don't remind me. You're going to tower over me one day. That's not fair."

"Do you remember what you said?"

"That we'd talk about you having a longer sword when you were taller? I remember. Two more feet, then we can negotiate."

"That's cheating."

"Is not! You're over five feet at eleven. You reach seven feet no problem."

"Five and a half."

"Six and a half."

"Six."

"Actually I would have given in at five and a half feet."

"I can get it?"

"When you're mature enough to handle that sort of power. And perhaps a paycheck of your own too."

"Mom!"

"What? Is it wrong for me not to want you to have a weapon of mass destruction?"

"I guess not."

"Will you forgive me if I said I was making mashed potatoes?"

"Are you?"

"Do I lie?"

"You're forgiven."

"Is she...crying?" the brunette Turk asked.

"I'm not crying!" Cass snapped, sniffing heavily.

"Shh...yes, she's crying." Tseng said.

"Shut up Tseng. I'm not crying." Cass barked.

"Your eyes are leaking." Tseng explained

"I said shut up."

"What are you not crying about then?" the brunette interjected. Cass made no reply, except another sniffle.

"Sephiroth has been moved to the army barracks." Tseng said softly.

"Oh...I'm sorry Cass."

"Didn't I say shut up!" she snapped again.

"I remember what it was like moving away from my parents."

"Yeah, well I bet you weren't twelve when you left!" Cass walked away, wiping her eyes as inconspicuously as possible.

"...Veld's waiting a week before giving her an assignment." Tseng said

"Good idea."

Sephiroth missed Mom. This place certainly was not the most unpleasant place in the world. It was much preferable to the labs that was for certain. But it wasn't home.

There were a lot more people here. They looked at him strangely and generally avoided him, but they weren't necessarily mean to him. They worked with him, but that was about it. He kind of preferred it that way. They were all older than him, but he had more experience with swords and training. They were on a shaky equal ground.

He had let them lead a few exercises mostly out of politeness, but partially because he'd already done something similar. When they turned hopeless, he took over...and they let him take over. Sephiroth had a natural propensity for this sort of thing. He'd done this for so long it was almost instinct by now. It felt natural to be leading troops like this.

He didn't have to go to Hojo nearly as much either. That was almost entirely restricted to mako treatments every few months.

Still, he missed coming back to Mom's warm embrace. He wondered if she missed him too. The food was worse than what Mom made too, but it seemed like everyone complained about it. He fit in decently in that category.

He could hear them talking when they thought he wasn't listening. He pushed it aside. It was no different than the gossip that the lab technicians would have. And just as easily ignored. There was talk of a place called Wutai, a different country. They were at war with Wutai. Sephiroth knew for a fact that he would be going there someday. Hopefully by then, Mom would have broken down and gotten him a new sword. His first was gathering wear and tear.

There was also talk of something called a weekend pass. He wondered what he had to do to get one of those.

Cass couldn't help but fidget a little. This was ridiculous. She wanted to laugh at the whole operation, but knew better. The stupid sod may have forgotten what her face looked like, but he'd remember the Turk who took care of Sephiroth. It wouldn't be hard to look her up.

Tseng was watching her warily out of the corner of his eye, but he was a goody-two-shoes. He wasn't imagining sticking chewing gum in the six-year-old ShinRa Jr's hair. He wasn't the one stifling a giggle.

A majority of the Turks had been lined up so ShinRa Jr. could pick his own bodyguards, like his daddy did. Babysitting duty, it was called. Veld attempted to get her out of it, worried that Sephiroth would go berserk if his "Mom" died protecting his future employer. Cass brushed it off. The odds of being picked were slim as it was. Babysitting duty would also mean she would stay closer to home most of the time. She took responsibility if she died in the line of duty. Sephiroth was surprisingly understanding of that sort of tragedy. It was a reality for the type of life he would lead whether he wanted to or not.

Still, as serious as the situation pretended to be, Cass barely contained a snort as the little blonde brat walked by. He must have heard because he at least gave her a glance back. A rather long and awkward glance. Then he moved on.

She was rather shocked when Veld came up to her and said "Rufus ShinRa wants to offer you a contract."

She lost it with the thought of being hired by a six-year-old. Veld cracked a rare smile at the sight of a Turk rolling on the floor because she was laughing so hard.

Sephiroth knocked on the door, not knowing exactly how to act in this situation. It had been almost two months since he'd left. There was a quiet shuffle behind the door before it opened. A blue suited blur rushed out at him and wrapped him in a hug.

"I missed you so much!" Cass said. Sephiroth returned the embrace with equal warmth. It looked like nothing had changed. That was good.

"I missed you too," Sephiroth said.

Cass figured the odds of getting paired with Tseng were slimmer than being hand-picked by the brat. Tseng was the ideal Turk and she was...just kind of stuck here. Still she would say she was relieved to work with a familiar and friendly face. Even if this was just babysitting duty. Cass understood fully why it was hated amongst the Turks. It was kind of boring and the employers were rude, ungrateful, and bitchy. Jr was no exception.

Unfortunately, for Jr, Cass was not the type of person, Turk or not, to put up with his tantrums. As far as she was concerned he was a spoiled brat and nothing more. Regardless of who paid her at the end of the day, she was not going to cater to this behavior any longer. When Rufus ShinRa refused to board the helicopter to join his father at some ceremony thing, Cass did not plead, did not beg, and did not threaten.

"Get on the helicopter you little shit," she said. Tseng nearly facepalmed himself in the cockpit. He was torn between taking over the situation or letting it take its natural course.

"...What did you say?" a mortified Rufus said.

"You heard me," she said, "Get. On. The. Helicopter."

"Did you call me..."

"A little shit? Yeah," Cass said, "you kind of are one. Would you prefer a different nickname. Shithead is rather popular these days." Rufus blinked, then his eyes narrowed.

"You can't do that," he said.

"Why not?" Cass said, "I just did. Nothing's happening." Rufus looked into the helicopter and made eye contact with Tseng.

"Don't look at him," Cass said, "He can't help you."

"You aren't my mother," Rufus said icily.

"Good thing too," Cass said, "If I were your mother. I'd spank you. You wouldn't be sitting for a week when I was done with you. Now get on before I consider adopting you." Tseng reached for his seatbelt when Rufus climbed in. Cass followed behind. Rufus refused to look at her for the rest of the ride, but Tseng smirked just a little.

Babysitting just got more interesting.

Rufus ShinRa sulked. He did it often, but now he had a real reason to sulk. He couldn't believe that woman would talk to him like that, had treated him like that. She returned his glare and no one was doing anything about it. Well...maybe his father would, but he'd rather not ask.

"What's the matter sweetie?" Rufus turned to face his mother. Why couldn't she be the one to watch him? Why couldn't his father share?

"I heard you caused a fuss on the way to the ceremony," she said. He made a face at it. He hated publicity. His father loved it.

"That Turk was mean to me," he said coldly. His mother sat down. He moved closer. She was prettier than that other Turk. Her hair was prettier, even if it was the same shade of brown.

"She has a name Rufus," she said, "You should use it and give her the proper respect. Why do you think she was mean to you?" Rufus didn't reply. It shouldn't really matter, should it?

"She treated you like the way you were acting, Rufus," his mother said, "She would have done the exact same thing I would have done." Rufus bit his lip.

"She swore at me," he argued.

"She swears at everyone," she said, "she once told me that there are no bad words, only words people don't like to hear. Why don't you ask her not to swear at you anymore. She might just listen." Rufus never scoffed at his mother and this time was no exception.

"She's having a very hard time, Rufus," she went on, "Her son just got taken away from her." That Turk had a son? "How would you feel if you could only see me every few weeks? That's what she's going through, Rufus." Rufus would hate it, but he didn't admit that now.

"You should apologize to her," his mother said, "she's only doing her job. You were the one who started it. You should be the one to end it."

"That's the one?" Cass said skeptically. Sephiroth nodded.

"Are you sure?" Sephiroth nodded again.

"It doesn't seem very practical," she said.

"I'm not going to be climbing mountains or anything," Sephiroth said, "someone else has a leather one in blue."

"I'm not worried about the color," Cass said, "you and black. I'll never understand it."

"I like this one best," Sephiroth said.

"It matches the harness at least," she said, "put it on, let's see how it looks." Sephiroth slid it on. Cass pulled out the shoulder guards they were making all of the SOLDIERs wear. It was less armor than she would have liked, even though she knew Sephiroth wouldn't make much use of it. She attached them, her face stern. Sephiroth was nearly as tall as she was now. She was only a head taller than him. He could see how sad she was by her eyes now.

"There," she said. Sephiroth turned to see himself in the mirror. The full length coat was showy and unnecessary, but almost everyone was bringing something like that. He was expected to regardless of who he was. They were marching off to war after all, might as well have something to make yourself stand out. The armor was almost the same shade of silver as his hair, which stretched down his back now.

Cass would never admit it, but he looked good in black. She hated the coat, but didn't say anything more. She'd be a hypocrite if she did. The katana that had saved her almost seven years ago, which had been his weapon of choice since he started in the art, almost looked like a toy now.

"This is wrong," Cass said, taking it off. Sephiroth turned.

"I can't go without a weapon," he said with a smile.

"Not without a proper one, that's for sure. That's a sword for a young boy." Cass said, "Try this one." Sephiroth's eyes widened as he saw a familiar sword, the one he had been coveting for years now.

"You..."

"Mmm-hmm," Cass said, "It's yours now. I've had it for a while. I've just been waiting for the right time." Sephiroth took it reverently in both hands, just learning the feel, the weight. It felt like an old friend. He noticed new things about it. Materia slots etched into the handle, attachments for his harness, little touches only Cass would think of.

"Are you just going to stare at the sheath or will you actually take a look at it," Cass said. He slowly, reverently, pulled it out. It sang so beautifully as it came out. It looked sharp to the touch and absolutely perfect. He could see his own reflection in the blade.

"She's beautiful," Sephiroth said.

"She? It's a girl?" Cass asked. Sephiroth nodded.

"You'll have to name her once you use her then," Cass said. Sephiroth slid her lovingly back into her sheath. He tipped her back into his harness and the fit was perfect. Cass had thought this through quite thoroughly. He didn't bother looking at himself. He knew what he looked like.

Instead he pulled Cass into a tight embrace, if only because nothing else could say how grateful he was at this moment. He felt something wet on his shoulder.

"Are you crying?" he asked.

"No," Cass sniffled. Her watery eyes said otherwise. She wiped them off. "If you die out there, I will kill you."

"That makes no sense," Sephiroth said, "How can you kill me if I'm already dead?"

"I'll find a way," Cass said.

"I'll be fine," Sephiroth said, "I'll be back before you know it."

"Not fast enough," Cass said. Sephiroth hugged her again.

Rufus sniffed as he sat on the cold concrete. He blamed his father. Everything was always his father's fault. He could never leave well enough alone and he always did it wrong. And now...

He felt more than saw someone sit next to him. He was vaguely aware of them wrapping a blanket around him. It wasn't his mother. He knew that was impossible now.

"I'm so sorry, Rufus." He turned when he heard the familiar voice being so soft towards him. She'd been nicer to him after he started taking his mother's advice. Called her by her name, apologized, asked nicely. She returned the favor. It didn't matter now. He pulled away. She didn't take the hint.

"I liked your mother Rufus," she said. This was news. He knew they worked together sometimes, but he never actually saw them together. Then again, his mother only ever said nice things about Cass. "I would say she was my friend. She was nice to me just because I knew exactly how she felt about you." Rufus looked back up.

"I'm so sorry," she said again, "I know exactly how you feel right now."

"No you don't," Rufus murmured.

"You feel sort of empty," she said, "like you've been punched and can't catch your breath. Like it's some sort of dream, but you're already awake. It hurts more than all of your bruises combined because your heart has been ripped out of your chest." He blinked.

"You can cry," she said, "I won't tell anyone." He wasn't quite aware of her blocking him from view. He felt jealous that Cass's son still had a mother. It wasn't fair.

But Cass didn't have her son with her. Perhaps they had more in common now than Rufus gave credit for. He brushed the thoughts aside and let himself cry. Cass kept her promise. No one else ever knew.

Cass was grateful for this. It wasn't much, but it was enough to be grateful for. Rufus ShinRa was subdued still, but he was coping. Losing a parent was never an easy thing. She considered herself an expert in that, considering she had lost hers twice. She knew one day he'd be okay. Raw, but no one would ever notice. He was a little warmer towards her, just a little. Enough not to be a little shit anymore. Enough to be just Rufus in her head.

She was supposed to be watching Rufus, guarding him from another Wutaiian attack, since ShinRa declared war on Wutai. Fucking moron.

She couldn't take her eyes off the screen. She watched as Sephiroth, her beloved Sephiroth ran across battlefield almost faster than her eyes could register. Years of living with him taught her what SOLDIER level speed, strength and stamina meant. Everyone was awed by it, even little Rufus.

She was filled with so many emotions. One was absolute terror that Sephiroth could die before her eyes. She forced herself not to think that. Another was a speck of pride. Sephiroth was absolutely magnificent. It was beautiful watching him. He was barely a novice the last time she had seen him on the field. He looked like he was born to carry that sword. She was torn about him killing these people, but she could tell he was aiming to maim. The last was annoyance. Why the fuck was he not wearing a shirt? His harness stood out in stark contrast to his skin. His coat billowed out behind him extravagantly. Him and fucking black.

Her breath stopped as a man took advantage of the stream of hair trailing behind Sephiroth. In the space of half a second, Sephiroth performed an elegant twist of the man's wrist, forcing him to let go. He followed it up with a right hook, forgoing any use of his sword.

"I don't remember teaching them that," someone, Cass thought his name was Heidegger or something equally atrocious, said.

"You didn't," Cass said. I did. I taught him hand-to-hand because no one else thought it was important. He looked at her and nodded in recognition, but there was definitely a glare there too. Asshole.

Rufus looked up at her then back on the screen. Was...was the silver-haired one...her son?

Miles away, two boys were watching the same exact footage with the same amount of interest.

"Come on 'Geal," the eldest said, "we could do that."

"What?" the younger said.

"We could be heroes," the eldest continued, "our names known all over the world. We can't be that much younger than that Sephiroth one. We could do it."

"I know...but...what about my Mom? I can't just leave her."

"You could sent her money. Didn't your Dad want you to be a hero?"

"...Alright."

"What?"

"We could do it. We should. I know I want to. I just...I have to ask her first."

"Psst. You're such a momma's boy."

"She'll say yes, Gen. I'm not gonna leave her just out of the blue."

"Fine. But we have to leave soon."

"Soon, just a few weeks to prepare."

"We're gonna do this, Angeal."

Cass was walking along the hall. She was wondering when Sephiroth would be coming back. They had to take him off the front lines so he could continue training and R&R. Prolonged exposure to war brought negative mental side effects regardless of the person. And he looked good in the news.

She was tackled completely out of the blue. She nearly reacted defensively, but she saw a flash of silver as she fell. She was turned in midair, landing on her attacker.

"Sephiroth!" she cried. He laughed as she kissed him, in plain view.

"I told you I'd be fine," he said as he managed to fit in one of his own. A few people who knew the story chuckled at the rare show of affection. Others were entirely confused as to what was happening. Sephiroth lifted Cass up and escorted her away. For the moment, they were happy.