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"Oh my god, please tell me you're joking?!" Jennifer snapped down the phone, her voice conveying pure shock and disgust. "No? You're actually being serious???"
Cassidy gripped her phone tightly in her sweaty palm, already feeling the rage build inside of her. Phone-calls with her Mother were never the easiest, for Cassidy it felt like she was a bull in a china shop, with Jen the holder of the red rag. She swallowed once or twice and eventually found the words to speak once more.
"Just thought you'd want to know that's all Mum..." she muttered. "They'll be your grand-children after all..."
"Sorry...THEY?!" spluttered Jen in horror. "You're having twins?!"
"Yes." said Cassidy flatly. "Is that a problem?"
"Oh this just gets better and better!" cried Jen. "You stupid, stupid girl Cassidy! So come on tell me, how exactly do you plan on providing for these babies when you're still in that Team Rocket?!"
"Well Butch is looking at a promotion..." Cassidy began.
"Oh don't make me laugh!" Jen cut in. "So you'd both stay in Team Rocket and continue to live a life of crime? Oh yes what a wonderful example to set for children! I guess fair play to Butch for sticking around and trying... although i'm really surprised you even know who the Father is!"
"Yeah well, some of us know how to make a relationship work!" Cassidy sneered, suddenly feeling brave. "Have you heard from Dad lately?!"
There was a stonewall silence the other end. Cassidy was now shaking violently with rage and adrenaline. Jen lowered her voice and Cassidy could tell she was also shaking.
"Well...all I can say is good luck to you Cassidy. But i'll tell you one thing! Shitty nappies, sleepless nights and actually putting yourself second? Nah i'll be watching that one with a bowl of popcorn. Least your sister is a natural!"
"Goodbye Mother" Cassidy croaked as she hit the red button and let the phone fall to the floor. As she glanced up she noticed her reflection in the mirror, her figure already showing off a neat little bump. Cassidy ran her delicate hands once over before cradling it, staring helplessly at the hurt, dejected woman before her. She wanted to feel anger, defensiveness, maybe even cockiness! The fibres of her entire being. But instead all she felt now was shame and lonliness. Upon hearing Butch's car pull up outside, she let a few deflated tears escape before running and locking herself in the bathroom.
"Evenin' babies!" Butch called as he entered the apartment, balancing pizza boxes as he kicked his shoes off. "Sorry i'm late! Figured we could use a pay-day treat! Cass? You here babes?!"
The sound of crying immediately alerted him to the bathroom and Butch's face dropped, his blood running ice cold. He quickly placed the pizzas on the table before rushing over and trying the door. But it was locked.
"Cass? What is it?! Is it the babies?!"
"No... they are fine..." came Cassidy's mumbled voice. Butch breathed a sigh of relief but remained stood by the door.
"What's happened then baby? You can tell me!"
"I told her..."
"Told who what?!"
"My Mum Butch! I told my Mum about the babies!"
"Ah..." Butch had never met Cassidy's Mum Jennifer. But he knew enough about her and her fractatious relationship with Cassidy to know whatever she had said to her daughter, it wasn't good..."
"She uh, didn't take it too well I take it?" he said awkwardly, running a hand through his hair. "What did she say?"
"That i'm a stupid girl apparantly... although she was impressed I knew who the Father was! Just her usual nasty and unsupportive bile. You know Butch, a small part of me was kinda hoping she'd be ok..."
Butch nodded sadly. "I'm sorry babes..." he said. "But you know you can't pay attention to what she says right? She knows nothing. I'm working my butt off to get that promotion and there's no way we'd put them at risk!"
"Easier said than done..." muttered Cassidy. "And of course she couldn't resist throwing in a comment about my perfect sister! Did your Mum ever do that?!"
"Not really to be honest..." said Butch. "But then my Brother is still in prison so I would argue i'm doing far better than he is! Anyway, are you going to come out?"
"No..." Cassidy said miserably. Butch glanced over at the pizzas, secretly worried they would go cold.
"Suit yourself..." he sighed. "Well i'll stay here and talk until you feel ready to ok?"
"I just feel such a fucking failure!" she continued. "I can't even give my children the grandparents they deserve! My Mother is such a spiteful cow and god knows where my Father's at these days... oh yes! Nice one Cassidy!"
"Parents eh?" Butch said sympathetically.
"Actually, have you told your Mum and brother yet?" Cassidy asked him. Butch scowled and folded his arms.
"No. And i'm not planning to." He said curtly.
"Oh right..." Cassidy replied quietly.
"I haven't spoken to my brother since before he went to prison and I have no desire to change that" Butch explained, his voice quivering a little. "He's not someone i'd want around my kids anyway! As for Mum, well... I haven't spoken to her either. Let's just say she made her bed a while back and now she has to lie in it!"
Cassidy allowed fresh tears to escape as she leant against the bathroom door hugging her knees tightly. Hearing Butch say that made her feel even worse! 3 living, breathing grandparents that would have little or no involvement with their twins. As Cassidy wiped at her eyes, she heard a couple of muffled sobs from the other side of the door. Butch was leant against the other side, seemingly feeling just as hopeless and down about the situation as she was.
"Butch, are you ok?" she called softly.
"No i'm not. I'd give anything for my Dad to be here with me right now. He'd be over the moon, I just know it". Butch sniffed.
Cassidy's heart sank. She had no doubt whatsoever that Butch was right. From the brief things he had told her about his Father, he had indeed sounded lovely. Suddenly overcome with an idea, she twisted herself round and placed a hand upon the door.
"Tell me about him!"
"Huh?" Butch said.
"Tell me everything. I want to know Butch. The full story of Brad. So one day we can tell the twins all about their Grandfather. Please?"
Oh! Um...ok..." Butch said. "I'll try and remember as much as I can ok? I was only 4 when he died after all..."
"Ok!" Cassidy encouraged. Butch pondered for a few moments before continuing.
"So my Father - Bradley Kidd was born in '56. Part of a baby boom generation after WW2. His family had lived in Vermillion City for generations, all fishermen. He went to the local school but apparantly he wasn't that studious".
"Not like you then?" Cassidy smiled.
"Heh, guess not! Although he used to always call me his little knock-out when I learnt to read at a young age" laughed Butch. "He uh, was around my height I would say? Same build, same colour hair although I remember his was more of a side comb-over. I suspect my Grandmother made him keep it like that!"
"What colour were his eyes?" Cassidy asked.
"Brown, like mine" Butch replied. "Mum and my brother have blue which is actually an unusual combination with the teal hair. So after he finished school he spent the 1st few years fishing just like his old man. He met my Mum... i'm not sure if it was a serious thing or not to be honest with you but she wound up pregnant with my brother pretty quickly! He was born just after Dad's 21st birthday".
"So do you think he only married your Mum because of the baby?" Cassidy asked. Butch sighed.
"It's a possibility..." he admitted. "He'd have wanted to do the right thing by her and back in the 70's folk were a lot more judgemental than they are today. But then I came along in 1980 and then recession hit Kanto... his work dried up and that was when he joined Team Rocket."
"Do you think he knew... what he was getting into?" Cassidy whispered.
"Now that I can't answer Cass. He needed to provide for his family and Team Rocket sounded too good to be true on paper. He was assigned to the Power Plant, and we all know how that ended..."
"No it's ok! I know talking about that bit is still painful for you" Cassidy said. "So what was he actually like?! His personality? Hobbies?"
"He was a real funny guy..." Butch re-called with a sense of fondness in his voice. "I mean I was only a tot so most of his jokes went completely over my head. But he was always smiling, always laughing. He liked a drink and a smoke but it was a reasonable amount, unlike some people I could mention! He seemed to always have time for us... no matter how busy he was, he'd stop whatever he was doing and come and look at whatever crappy painting I'd done at that moment. He loved his fishing, he'd inherited a sailor's cap from his own Grandfather and he'd let me wear it when we'd go sailing together. He had a small vegetable patch in our garden so he was outside a lot. Apart from that he kept a couple of old cars he used to like doing them up. That's why..."
"...you had your Mustang!" Cassidy realised. She felt terrible now. Butch had recently agreed to sell it so they could purchase something more 'family friendly'. He loved his Mustang and Cassidy now understood it was a way Butch felt closer to his Dad.
"It's ok Cass..." Butch said, reading her mind. "It's just a car... I have more important things to worry about now don't I?"
"I guess..." said Cassidy. She had made up her mind there and then, no matter what it took, she would get that car back for him one day!!!
"But yeah... I think that's everything Cass. There might be more I remember later on. But ultimately, he lived for us, me and my brother. He loved being a Father and like I said, I just wish he was here now to tell me how to be as good as him!"
The door unlocked and Cassidy slowly opened it before wrapping her arms around Butch. Her partner scooped her up into his arms and just held her as if he would never let her go. Cassidy kissed him tenderly upon the lips and he brushed a strand of hair from her face.
"He sounded wonderful Butch" Cassidy said honestly. "I wish I could have met him. And you're right he would have loved these 2 as well! But just to say... you are going to be an amazing Daddy. He lives on...in you. He probably taught you more than you realise and I know you'll give everything to these babies. He'd be proud of you!"
Butch managed a small smile. "I hope so Cass. I really hope so..."
Cassidy nodded. "He would! And do you know what? Hearing about him has actually made me feel a bit better about myself too".
"Heh, yeah! Sod your Mother. What does she know?!" laughed Butch. "We'll be ok Cass. I can't promise it will always be easy but i'm determined to give these babies the best lives possible. Are you?"
"Definately!" said Cass, planting another kiss on his lips. Butch glanced over his shoulder and grinned.
"So... fancy some cold pizza?!"
The End.