A/N: So this story is set before the finale. I really just wanted to write a Flynn and Cassandra scene because their affection for each other is adorable.

Enjoy!

angellwings

Dulls the Ache

By angellwings

The Back Door blew open and strong wind blew papers off desks inside of The Annex. Flynn Carsen came running in from the open door and the three people inside of the Annex stared at him in surprise for a moment until Jenkins came running into the room.

"Barbarians, shut the door will you? You're letting the heat out," he grumbled as he grabbed one of the doors and started to push against the wind.

Jake, Ezekiel, Flynn, and Eve joined him and pushed the door closed completely.

"If I didn't know any better I'd think you were all raised in a barn. Though, I don't know, for you Mr. Stone that may be true," Jenkins said with a sigh as he turned and headed back to his lab.

"Your hospitality always amazes me, Jenkins," Flynn said with a sarcastic smirk. "Well, hello family, how are we today?"

"Why are you here?" Eve asked suspiciously. "Last time you were here we hosted a Conclave and nearly lost our authority as magical peace keepers."

"And don't forget the dragons," Ezekiel added.

"Yes, we couldn't forget the dragons," Eve said as she grinned at Flynn. "What trouble have you brought with you now?"

"I'm offended," Flynn said dryly. "I don't always bring trouble."

"You came to find me in a museum where I was nearly assassinated and arrested, in that order," Ezekiel argued. "Maybe you don't do it on purpose, mate, but it does tend to follow you."

"It's not my fault the Serpent Brotherhood targeted you," Flynn said as he hung his bag on the coat rack nearby. "Besides, can't a man just come home to visit?"

Jake laughed. "You? Just visit? Not likely."

He sighed. "Nevermind why I came." He glanced around the room with a furrowed brow. "Where's Cassandra?"

"Outside," Jake replied. "There's no clouds tonight."

The other three people in the room gave Jake a strange look.

"So?" Eve asked.

"She likes to look at the stars on a clear night," Jake said with a shrug.

"And you know this how?" Ezekiel asked with a grin.

"What?" Jake said cluelessly. "I pay—"

"Attention?" Flynn asked. "Were you going to say you pay attention?"

Jake ignored him. "Do you want me to go and get her?"

Flynn smirked at him knowingly. "No, that's okay. I got it."

He found Cassandra outside sitting on a towel on the lawn with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and a mug in her hands. She was staring at the sky in wonder and he couldn't help but smile warmly at her. He'd felt affection for Cassandra from the start. He saw a lot of himself in her and it left him with this strange parental concern that he'd never really felt before.

He quietly sat down next to her and she turned when she felt someone next to her.

"Flynn!" She exclaimed with a gasp as she launched herself at him with a hug. "You're home! How are you? What are you doing here? Did you find the Library? Oh no, are the Dragons back? Is there a terrible apocalypse on the way?"

"Why is it no one thinks I could just pop in for a visit?" He asked her with a chuckle.

"Because you're The Librarian. Danger tends to follow you around. And me now too I guess," she said as she smiled slowly. "Cool! Flynn, danger follows me around now!"

"And that's how I know you're meant to be here," he told her with an amused grin. "You're starting to like danger."

She shrugged. "It's exciting. And it keeps me from being alone. So, yes, I've found it has its advantages."

"So, what are you doing out here?" He asked. "Shouldn't you be inside with the others?"

"Sometimes I need time," she answered honestly. "Time where I don't feel like I'm being excluded from something great."

His brow furrowed and he turned his eyes to the sky as he considered her words. "The others aren't trying to keep you away from the field again are they?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. This has more to do with one specific person than the whole team."

Flynn turned his eyes toward her and smiled slightly. "Does this person's name rhyme with cake zone? Oh, Cake Zone, that would be a good name for a bakery."

"How did you know?" Cassandra asked him in surprise.

He grinned and decided to answer by quoting the very man they were discussing. "I pay attention."

"He's only letting me see half of him," she said quietly. "I get to see and work with the Librarian half, but the rest of him…the rest of him is very far away from me. Sometimes I need a break from it. It's pressure and guilt and six."

"Six?" Flynn asked in confusion.

"Six is indigo. Indigo is a dark violet-blue hue. Violet and blue are used in the Marketing field to express shame and disgust and sadness—"

"Thus what you feel around Stone is six and—"

"Indigo."

"Have you tried to talk to him about—"

"He likes me, but he doesn't trust me. He can work with me, but nothing else and he's fine with it. In other words, no matter what I do that's never going to change. He's…indifferent."

Flynn winced. "Indifference. Ouch. That's worse than hatred."

She nodded in agreement. "Tell me about it. I just…you should have seen him when we talked about it. He had trust issues before I—and then when I lost the Library I confirmed everything the other people in his life had taught him and I—he looked so sad. He hides himself away. He only shows some of himself to some of the people all the time and that's partly my fault. How does a person not see how—"

She stopped herself short and Flynn nudged her shoulder to get her to continue. "How what?"

"How gifted they are. How beautiful their knowledge is. Or how he's only hurting himself by bottling everything up. He never once had anyone be proud of him for what he knew. Sure, I lost that but at least I had it once a long time ago. But Jake never did—"

"Cassandra—"

"And just when he thought he'd found that I single handedly ripped that away from him. Me. I did that. And now no amount of encouragement on my part will be enough to fix it. How do I fix it? Can I fix it? Will he ever let me fix it?" She said as her thoughts and her words ran over his attempt at a sentence. She winced and brought a hand to her head. "It hurts. It hurts to think about it. It's an unsolvable problem and it never goes away. It's always there and my brain is constantly analyzing all possibilities. Emotions aren't math; my heart knows that, but my brain…it won't give up. It can't give up. And it hurts."

"So, you come out here, away from everyone to try and ease the pain," Flynn said in understanding. "Does it work?"

"Not really," she answered. "But it's peaceful, which helps. It dulls the ache a little." She sighed sadly and he could tell she was ready to move on. "Did you need me for something?"

"Yes, actually, I wanted to get everyone together in the Annex to tell you about the progress I've made in locating the Library," he said with a sympathetic smile. "But I can wait if you need a while—"

"No! No, it's fine! And I'm sorry! I shouldn't have dumped all of that on you. You have your own problems to—"

"Don't apologize, Cassandra. I like to think we're friends and friends listen," he told her. "For what it's worth, though, I don't think Stone is as indifferent to you as you seem to think he is. Just keep doing whatever it is you've been doing. You'll wear him down."

Cassandra giggled. "That sounds like I'm trying to torture him."

"Nah, not trying to at least," Flynn said with a smirk as he stood up and brushed the grass off. He held out a hand to help her up. "Ready?"

She nodded and pulled her blanket tighter with one hand while she slipped her other hand into his and let him help her stand. She grabbed her mug and he grabbed her towel and folded it as they walked. "Thank you, Flynn. I think I needed that."

He mock saluted her and nodded. "No, thank you necessary. I'm just your friendly neighborhood Librarian, and I'm here to help. Oh, I should use that from now on. What do you think? New slogan?"

She wrinkled her nose at him and shook her head. "Maybe leave out the friendly neighborhood part. You don't want to be accused of stealing from Spiderman."

"Oh, excellent point!" Flynn exclaimed as held an arm out to her. She linked her arm with his and they walked back into the Annex together. "Plagiarism would be bad!"