Every Step of the Way

Chapter Twenty-One

{I hope you guys liked Chapter Twenty. I was originally going to have that be the epilogue or the prologue, but then I had realized that I'd already written and published the prologue- I could go back and change that to the prologue and have to change all of the chapter numbers, but I'm too lazy- and I know exactly what I have in mind for the epilogue, so... now we're back to Varian and Cass. Also, anyone have any cute names? Any gender. I already have a name in mind for Cass's baby- no spoilers- but I want to hear what you have to say. You don't have to include a middle name, but it would be nice if you did.}

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A few days later, Cass was beginning to feel pretty miserable.

She was tired, she didn't want to do anything but sleep, and she kept on getting sick- or, at least, feeling like she was going to get sick.

She had become a regular of sorts to both Varian's lab and his bedroom, thankful that she was allowed to just kick back and relax in these places instead of being forced to work.

Though Varian was crazy-busy, what with his job and his attempt to write a memoir, he always made time for Cassandra.

She was getting moodier than usual (and that was saying something!) and she was finding it harder and harder to have to be alone. All she wanted was sleep and company- both things that Varian could easily make time for.

Each day, Cassandra became more and more grateful for Varian, for his devotion to her.

Because he had yet to fail her.

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One day, Varian was busy with yet another attempt at a book when Cass entered, looking extremely tired despite having slept in for the past few hours.

"Hello, sleepyhead," he teased her, smirking a bit, "welcome back to the world of being awake."

She sighed and rolled her eyes, grabbing the fire blanket, wrapping it around her, and curling up in the new chair- a nice, cushioned seat that Varian had gotten just for her. It had been dubbed "Cassandra's Chair," but she was too worn out to care about that at the moment.

"Going to sleep again?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yeah. I'm tired. What else is there to do?"

Varian nodded. It made sense, he guessed.

Better to get a ton of rest right now, I suppose, than to not have at least some sleep stored up in the future.

He knew how crazy it was to have a little kid around- he'd had a little sister, so of course he knew how crazy life would get.

But he missed Cass, he missed her being awake and not tired.

Even sassy, rude Cassandra, the one who hated everybody and everything.

Anything but sleepy Cass.

"What are you working on, Varian?"

Her quiet voice surprised him- in a good way, but nonetheless.

"Huh? Me?"

"Yeah, you, silly."

"Just a book. I'm trying to recount my disastrous attempts at stuff, from the time that I first almost destroyed my village to the time that I got it mostly right, you know?"

"Huh... a memoir of sorts?"

"Yeah..."

"How far have you gotten?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Not very far. I'm just too socially awkward and I can't seem to write and I don't know how much I'm allowed to reveal without getting in trouble..."

"With whom?"

"Um, you, my dad..."

"Well, you won't get in trouble with me," she smiled softly, "and, if you want, I can proofread your book."

"Seriously?"

She just nodded and he grinned at her.

"Thanks, Cassie... that means a lot to me."

"Hey, anytime, kid."

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{Again, no idea what I was trying to get across in the chapter, but still...}