Round Two: Knox

Things were going extremely well for Cassius and Kaylynn. She'd asked him out on another date and things progressed from there. They were both pretty certain they were falling in love.


For a while, Cassius had been a little worried. He adored his sons and his grandchildren and didn't know how Kaylynn would react to the prospect of being a step-grandmother. Thankfully he didn't have to worry. She was taking everything as seriously as he was, and wanted to meet the family and make friends with them.


Cassius was very glad. Destiny had grown up into a pretty young girl who was very friendly and into everything, and he was sure she and Kaylynn would get on famously.


Sure enough, they did. Destiny did ask a few awkward questions but it didn't take long until they were firm friends. Kaylynn was almost part of the family already.


Cassius invited her over as much as possible; she probably spent more time at their house than her own apartment, and whenever she wasn't there Cassius was on the phone to her. They were even beginning to make plans for the future; maybe Kaylynn could move in? Sure, it would be more convenient for Cassius to move into her apartment, but they both wanted to stay close to Danny and Destiny.


Now both his children were growing up and his father was in a long-term relationship, Jasper felt the pang of loneliness more than ever. He was ready to get over Lorena - after all, it had been five years since she died. He bit the bullet and asked Will if he'd take him downtown to meet some girls. Will seemed to have no trouble finding women and hopefully Jasper would have a little of the same luck. They shared the same genes, after all.


The night started off well. Will went out to the hot tubs and Jasper got talking to a pretty young lady in the chill-out area of the club. They got on fairly well, and Jasper was considering asking her for her number.


Unfortunately, as ever, she seemed a little more interested in his brother than in him. The story of Jasper's life.


Jasper spent the rest of the night sitting at the bar feeling awkward while Will hit the dance floor at chatted with various young ladies. What a waste of an evening...


Jasper left early and headed off to a clothes store that was open late to get Destiny and Danny some new outfits; they were both growing so quickly! He ran into Sabrina Davies, out buying baby clothes for little Amanda, and they ended up having a long conversation. Jasper definitely couldn't deny that she was absolutely beautiful, and the connection he'd felt when they'd first met seemed stronger than ever. But she was married, and he didn't want to cause drama. They parted as friends.


Jasper decided to put all his energy into looking after his kids and getting promotions, and succeeded on both fronts. He was moving up the corporate ladder quickly and Destiny was always quick to greet him with a hug every day when he returned from work. Life wasn't perfect, he thought, but it would do for now.


Cassius decided it was time to make a move and popped the question to Kaylynn. She accepted with obvious delight and moved in straight away. The house was cramped, but cosy. They got married in a private civil ceremony as soon as possible, not wanting to make a fuss or spend too much money unnecessarily.


Kaylynn fitted into the house seamlessly. Danny would often ask her to read to him and she always obliged. She seemed to be a natural mother.


Of course it didn't take long until her natural maternal instincts came in handy. After a week of morning sickness and nausea she broke the news to Cassius.

"I... I think I might be pregnant."

"Are you sure? Maybe you should see the doctor," said Cassius, trying not to let on how nervous he felt. Of course the idea of children had crossed his mind, Kaylynn was a young woman and very family-orientated, but now he was faced with the reality of it he was a little worried - he was old, would he be around to see them as they grew up?

Kaylynn sighed. "Well, I'm pretty sure, but you're right, I should see them in case it's something else."


The visit to the doctor confirmed her suspicions; Kaylynn was indeed pregnant. They were both overjoyed, although the niggling worry was still present in Cassius's mind. Not only was he old, but would their budget stretch far enough for four adults, two children and a baby?


The fates were clearly looking favourably on the Knox family. One day when out collecting the mail, Cassius stumbled across a dusty old lamp. He reached out to pick it up, and...


"I am the Genie of the Lamp! You have three wishes, master."

Cassius's first reaction was to assume that either the stress was causing him to hallucinate or he'd finally gone senile. He stood stock still for a moment, then mumbled "...um. I wish for enough money to keep my family comfortable, for a long life so I can see my child grow up, and for a happy old age." The Genie nodded, then disappeared.

Cassius wandered around for the rest of the day in a daze. But when an apparently clerical error left the Knox family bank account a good §20,000 more solvent than it had been the day before, he wondered if he'd really seen the impossible.


Kaylynn's pregnancy progressed steadily, and even sleek black pyjamas couldn't hide the huge bump - twins! (MORE TWINS! These were entirely natural ones - the ones the Nakamura house is expecting were the fault of the final family benefit, but this is all luck).


Danny hit a growth spurt as he entered his teenage years. He was growing into quite the handsome young man and the whole family were pleased. He'd decided his father's workaholic life and his uncle's philandering weren't his thing - he wanted to be happy and popular, make a lot of friends, and hopefully make a career out of his love of sport. Oh, and finding a cute brunette who was a really excellent cook to share his life with wouldn't go amiss...


Soon after, Will decided it was time to find a place of his own. Now Danny was a teenager and Kaylynn was around they didn't need him to help out, and he could finally get back to the bachelor lifestyle he was designed for. He vowed to keep in touch as he got into the taxi and left for his new apartment down town.