juliafmc

[juliafmc]

Crowtober 2: Patch

Cassy always loved the sound of rain drumming against the windows. On days like this, especially during the colder months, they would always light the fireplace. Not just to ward off the dampness, but more to create a cozy atmosphere.

Rain didn’t stop the work on the ranch. If anything, it added more tasks. Wet horse blankets, soaked clothes, and paddocks with clogged drains. But once everything was done and the horses were munching on hay, warm and dry in the stables, that’s when they could finally enjoy the beauty of a rainy day.

Frank wasn’t one to sit by the fire and admire the rain. He and Kerry preferred to head to one of the fishing cabins downstream on the Snake River. Like any true cowboy, Frank knew that rainy, overcast fall days were the best time to fish for bass. Kerry wasn’t a fisher, but she always went with him. She liked sitting on the porch to read, knit, or draw. She called it her "grandma activities."

Cas, on the other hand, loved fishing. But going with Frank hadn’t worked out yet, because Kaz, in the rain, had the energy of a wet cat. Kaz didn’t like the river, didn’t like the rain, and didn’t like water. And he liked wet, slippery fish even less. But this time, Cas managed to convince him to go.

It felt like the rain had been pouring for a week straight without stopping. Even Cassy’s romantic mood was starting to fade. All of Jackson Hole was praying that Teton wouldn’t send down another mudslide.

“I’m taking my own truck,” Frank said stubbornly, stepping away from Cassy's and Kaz’s Titan. “If I don’t take the Silverado, I won’t catch a thing.”

“Yeah, because the pickup totally determines the success of the fishing trip,” Kaz muttered.

Cas shot him a skeptical glance.

After loading up their gear, they set off for the fishing spot. The drive to the cabin was only about thirty minutes.

“You could’ve stayed at the ranch,” Cas said with a smile, resting her hand on Kaz’s knee.

“Then I’d have to deal with wet horse blankets. I’d rather deal with the fish.”

Cas laughed, though she had a feeling that once they stepped out of the truck, Kaz might take those words back. The rain was only getting heavier.

“I’m telling you, this is the perfect weather for bass,” Frank mumbled cheerfully as he put on his fishing gear.

“You can stay on the shore,” Cas noted, catching the doubtful look Kaz gave the fishing waders.

“Or help me knit a blanket,” Kerry giggled.

“No, thanks,” Kaz grumbled.

Frank carried the rods and gear to the river and gave everyone their spots. Cas was about to step into the water but paused. Kaz stood at the river’s edge. Frank waited patiently. They all knew he needed time. A trip to Amsterdam couldn’t just heal what had haunted him his entire life. Cas walked over and silently took his hand. Kaz stared at the water. It was clear and calm, not like that river. Here, there were no fallen trees or boulders—just colorful pebbles on the sandy bottom.

Kaz cursed himself for this weakness. Over and over again. He had managed to wade into the water to scatter Jordy’s ashes, but now, here, this seemed impossible all over again.

“This is the calmest spot on the Snake,” Frank said. “No surprises.”

Kaz held back a retort. He knew Frank was trying to help.

“Let’s do it like when I was a kid,” Cas suddenly decided, stepping back onto the shore. “We’ll see who comes out on top.”

“Sorry,” Kaz muttered once they cast their rods from the shore.

They weren’t getting any bites, but Frank, standing waist-deep in the water, had already pulled in four fish.

“No worries,” Cas waved it off. “It’s actually better this way, honestly.”

“Cas”

“No, really. My dad used to take me fishing when I was little. He only used rods, and we always fished from the shore. He taught me patience and attentiveness. It made me feel so peaceful. Watching the bobber, the water… even if we didn’t catch anything. I loved those moments. I feel the same way now.”

“Looks like what Frank’s doing is a bit more effective,” Kaz said, watching as Frank added another fish to his net.

“Fly fishing works better for places like this,” Cas agreed, “but I don’t need to catch anything. We’re here to relax.”

“If we wanted to relax, we wouldn’t have gone fishing,” Kaz grumbled, standing up decisively.

“Stop complaining. Where are you going?”

He didn’t answer and walked over to Frank. After taking a long pause before stepping into the river, Kaz took a confident step forward. His face made it clear when he realized the waders really were waterproof.

“Teach me,” he said to Frank.

The next hour was a comedy of errors. Kaz dropped the rod, lost the bait, tangled his line with Frank’s, and almost knocked Frank into the water. By lunch, Kaz still hadn’t caught a thing.

“The fun is just getting started,” Frank promised as they returned to their spots.

Cas joined them, contributing a single fish to Frank’s net and dodging Kaz’s rod at least ten times. As the hours passed, it got darker and colder, and Kerry started hinting that it was time to go home. But at the end of the day, Kaz finally got lucky. Despite his protests, Frank helped him reel in whatever was on the hook, and even Kerry came over to watch with interest.

The grand catch turned out to be a tree branch. In complete silence, Kaz shot Frank an icy glare as Frank untangled the line and threw the branch onto the shore.

“Well, at least we’ll have firewood for next time,” Frank patted Kaz on the shoulder, trying to cheer him up.

“Not. A. Word,” Kaz hissed.

“Usually, I’m the one who catches twigs and seaweed,” Kes smiled, trying to suppress the urge to tease him.

She knew how much Kaz hated not being good at something. And when someone else noticed it, that made it worse.

“Damn,” Frank suddenly cursed, and Cas saw the net full of fish floating past her. With one swift move, Kaz hooked it with his rod and pulled it back to shore, flicking a fish scale off his sleeve with a look of disgust.

“Thanks,” Frank sighed in relief.

“If it weren’t for Kaz, there’d be no grilling tonight with your skills,” Kerry teased, linking arms with Frank and glancing at the catch.

Back at the ranch, those who hadn’t caught the fish were put in charge of cleaning it. While Brittany and Docker struggled with the task, Kerry and Cas watched Frank and Kaz craft a makeshift grill over the fire.

“It’s like they never really grow up,” Kerry smiled, watching Frank nearly put his sleeve on fire.

“Some had to grow up way too soon,” Cas said softly. “I’m just glad he can still be like this.”

Cas watched Kaz, the firelight dancing in his blue eyes, the strands of hair falling over his forehead, his hands deftly fixing the structure Docker had managed to knock over within five seconds of approaching it… Kaz looked up and smiled at her. She silently prayed that the feeling she had in moments like these would never fade from their relationship.

[juliafmc]

warning: I'm not a native English speaker, this is my first thing written in English and I'm trying my best. Please don't hate me *sad hamster*. Characters are modern-AU + OOC. As these are spin-offs to the main story, something can be weird and unclear.

Cassy is my main OOC. Kaz is.. Kaz. Partly healed.

Crowtober 1: Flight

"What's this?" Cassy asked in surprise, looking at the two plane tickets Kaz had placed on the table.

"I need you," his response was brief, not offering much.

"Okay. But where? And why?" Cas picked up the tickets and raised an eyebrow. "Amsterdam?"

"I need to finish something. But… I don’t want to do it alone. And definitely not with Jesper or the others. I need you."

"What kind of thing?" Cas placed her hand on his cheek, smiling, and Kaz covered it with his own.

"It’s not business-related," he said, brushing off the topic.

"Then what is it?"

"It’s… family," Kaz hesitated before finally answering.

--------------------------------

Flying to another continent with just a backpack felt strange. But it wasn’t unexpected, considering she was traveling with Kaz. He hadn’t said a word about the purpose of their sudden trip, and that worried Cascade. She’d had to leave the ranch to her friends in the middle of a storm, when there was more than enough work to do. Unsure of Wyoming’s weather, they decided to leave Titan at the ranch and drove to the airport with RX-8. Kaz said it was the least conspicuous car they had. Cas disagreed but chose not to argue. Leaving the Veneno or Aston at the airport didn’t seem like a good idea anyway.

You can tell a lot about a person from how they behave in an airport. Kaz was… well, Kaz. If he could, he’d board the plane right after security. Better yet, he’d take the controls himself. Cassy was sure he’d figure out how to fly it. But since they had to wait for boarding like everyone else, Kaz nervously typed out an email to Jesper on his laptop while Cas sipped her overpriced coffee. Kaz hated waiting, but Cas enjoyed it, watching planes soar into the cloudy sky.

Hours later, Cas gazed at the unfamiliar flat landscape with interest—fields, canals, roads, bridges. Not a single mountain or piece of forest on the horizon. They rented the first car they could find at the airport and drove out of the city. Cas didn’t ask, and Kaz didn’t explain. It had been years since she’d been to Amsterdam, back when she was there for a rally championship.

Kaz hadn’t shared anything with her. He only said that by Monday, they’d be back in Wyoming. Cas hadn’t seen him like this in a long time.

After an hour’s drive, they arrived in a small village. The houses were small and brick, resembling Scandinavian homes, each with neat, well-kept gardens. Kaz stopped the car in front of one of the houses.

"Let’s go," he said simply.

Kaz took Cas by the hand and led her to the gate. He rang the doorbell, and Cascade felt his breath catch. She wasn’t sure anyone would answer. Most likely, they weren’t expected.

But after a few moments, a short elderly woman came out of the house, freezing in place, clutching her chest.

"Jeetje," she whispered faintly, hurrying as best she could to the gate.

She opened it and looked up at Kaz. A warm, tentative smile spread across her wrinkled face as she placed her hand on his cheek, without asking, without warning. And Kaz didn’t pull away.

"Kaz…" she said softly.

Kaz smiled, leaning into her touch. In that moment, he seemed to transform into a boy. Cas didn’t know who this woman was to him. Perhaps his grandmother. But now she understood why Kaz froze every time Cas touched his face. It reminded him of family.

"Hello, Lieke," Kaz finally spoke. "I’ve come to see Jordi."

Lieke reached out to embrace him, and Kaz bent down to make it easier for her. She patted his head like a small grandson and sighed with a sad smile.

"I never thought I’d live to see this day," Lieke said, sitting Kaz and Cassy at the table in her warm kitchen. "Kaz, you’ve changed so much. And you…"

She turned her warm gaze to Kes.

"Cas," the girl smiled, realizing she hadn’t even introduced herself before.

"My fiancée," Kaz added, sending a shiver down Cassy’s spine.

At these words, Lieke’s face lit up even more. "She is lovely," she winked at Kaz and took Cassy’s hands. "Welcome, dear."

Cas felt her cheeks flush. She wanted to hug Lieke. Cas missed her own grandmothers, who had passed away long ago. But Lieke released her hands and fluttered off toward the kettle.

Lieke was Kaz’s great-aunt. She lived in the same village where Kaz was born and raised. She had a small two-room house where she lived with her friend Gert. Her husband, Kaz’s great-uncle, had died over ten years ago. Lieke was Kaz’s only remaining family.

"Why didn’t you come here before?" Cas asked cautiously as Lieke prepared tea. "Did you keep in touch?"

"No. I couldn’t. And I didn’t feel like I should. I didn’t want to hurt anyone else. Her whole family died because of me."

"Kaz," Lieke sighed.

She stood at the door, clearly having overheard.

"Kaz," she repeated gently, placing the kettle on the table and hugging Kaz’s shoulders. "Your parents were sick. Perhaps God needed them."

"More than I did?" Kaz scoffed, and Cas heard the pain in his voice, the pain he tried so hard to hide from everyone.

"I knew you’d come when you were ready. And I kept all your Christmas cards. Of course, I knew you cared."

Cas smiled. Kaz had sent her Christmas cards.

"Go, before it gets dark. I’ll make dinner while you’re out," Lieke urged them.

"Can I help with something?" Cas offered.

"We don’t do things that way here," Lieke waved her off with a smile. "He needs you. Go on. And you’re staying the night. No arguments. I haven’t seen Kaz in fifteen years."

"Alright," Kaz agreed surprisingly easily, and they stepped outside.

They headed toward the edge of the village.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" Cas asked softly.

"I didn’t know how," Kaz admitted.

The houses thinned out, and in front of them stood a large sand-colored cottage. It wasn’t new, but well-maintained. The old brown windows with shutters contrasted with the modern pool and garage. Flowerpots hung from the windows, and the yard was scattered with children’s toys. A small brown dog chased a ball across the lawn while two kids played in a sandbox.

"It's changed," Kaz said.

"Was this your home?"

"Yes. It was," Kaz sighed. "They tore down the barn."

The property was large, and where the barn must have once stood, a garden house was built now.

"Did you sell it?"

"Yes. I had to leave this place. I don’t regret it. It’s just… not what I expected to see. A young banker bought the place. He had horses too. Or maybe he still does. He had a lot of dogs and was into hunting. And now… kids."

"It happens," Cas smiled, looking at Kaz.

He stood, gazing at the large house, at the children playing, and Cas could swear that this was what he truly wanted. A family. Kaz had lost everything too early. And Cas didn’t know if she could give him that. She didn’t know if she could have children at all.

Deciding it was time to move before they were arrested for suspicious behavior, Kaz led Cas toward a small forest with a river in front.

Kaz had brought her to the place where Jordi had died.

The river was dark and wide, with boulders jutting out in places. It split into small inlets, then merged back into a single stream with minor rapids and rocky banks. The river didn’t seem safe even from the shore, but Kaz assured her that in season it was calmer, and the locals loved it.

"We had our own spot. Further from the crowds. We could bring the horses here."

They pushed through low-hanging branches and reached another inlet. The current was almost non-existent here, but the water remained murky and dark. Kaz looked around and found a familiar spot. It hadn’t changed.

"I need to let him go here," Kaz said, pulling out an urn with Jordi’s ashes. "He loved this place more than anywhere else. He’ll be happy here."

Kaz took off his coat and took a deep breath. The shore was too shallow, so he’d have to wade in a little further for the current to carry the ashes away. Cas silently followed and took his hand. The last time Kaz was here, he’d thrown himself into the water without thinking. He believed he could save his brother. But he couldn’t.

Kaz stepped forward and felt the cold water seep into his shoes, numbing his legs. Cas held his hand firmly. Her sneakers grew heavy and icy, and her jeans were soaked up to her knees. After walking a little further, Kaz stopped. The water was already above Cassy’s knees, and the cold gripped her, but she held his hand just as tightly. When he opened the urn, she rested her head on his shoulder. Kaz scattered the ashes into the river, and the current slowly carried them away.

"I should have done this a long time ago," he whispered. "Forgive me."

He was speaking to Jordi. It was nearly dark now, and rain began to fall. Several long minutes passed before Kaz trudged back toward the shore. He knelt to place the urn back in his backpack and rubbed his face with his hands. If only he could cry like everyone else.

Cas knelt beside Kaz and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She held his head against her chest until the stones beneath her began to jab painfully into her knees, forcing her to sit down. Kaz remained silent the entire time. In the stillness, they gazed at the ominous river that had become Kaz’s lifelong nightmare. Though everything that had happened was a horrific and tragic series of events, the river wasn’t to blame. The horse wasn’t to blame. Kaz wasn’t to blame.

They returned to Lieke soaking wet. She and Gert were waiting for them in the kitchen. The house was filled with the warm scents of honey waffles and a crackling fire. Cas felt an overwhelming sense of comfort, as if she were a child again at her grandparents' home in the village. In Lieke’s house, Kaz turned into a boy again. He spoke Dutch with Lieke and Gert, and at dinner, they taught Cassy various words. That evening, Cas learned more about Kaz than she had in the past two years. She realized that his happiness didn’t come from successful business deals or money, as he often claimed. Family—that was what Kaz truly wanted. Cas silently decided that when she returned, she would visit the doctor and ask him to help her find out if she could have children ever again.

They were sent to sleep in a small room in the attic, which had only a large soft mattress and nightlights on the floor. But that was enough. Kaz was silent once more, but Cas sensed from his breathing that he was not on the edge of those dark place anymore. Perhaps now that Jordi had found peace, he would stop haunting Kaz.

Cas pressed her lips to his cheek and closed her eyes.

-----------------

“Just don’t disappear for another fifteen years,” Lieke said with a sad smile as she and Gert followed Kaz and Cas to the car. “I definitely won’t make it.”

“We’ll see each other soon,” Kaz replied as he hugged her, and Cas placed two invitations in Lieke’s hand. “We’ll get tickets for you and Gert. Get ready to spend Christmas in Wyoming. At our wedding.”

[juliafmc]

This, but for fic writers. I am terribly late, so will be doing random and combining topics.