"Well, I tend to go by Cassie for short," she says. "Or 'Sergeant Cage' when I'm at work. Raiden's the only one who goes by my first name."

She affects a mockery of a deep voice. "'Cassandra Cage, I bring urgent news.' Because that's just what he's like."

Then, her smile fading: "It took me a while before I really cared about what my mom had to say about stuff."