As the sun shone down on the green area, Stone and the others circled together, being the only ones left. Everyone else who had attended had already left in their cars, but none of them felt like joining. They just wanted to stay together and drink in remembrance. Even Jenkins agreed to join for a few drinks. But first, they wanted to stand and say personal, private goodbyes.
Slowly, the others walked away back to Jenkins car so that they could get back to the Library. But Stone stayed longer than the rest, wanting this goodbye to never happen…to never have had to happen. His eyes fell on her name and the other inscriptions on the stone, and he felt the tears continue. They hadn't really stopped since the hospital a few weeks ago. His hand reached out to the stone and he felt it warming under the bright sun. As appropriate as rain would be on such a day like day, the sun shining down was even better. It represented her better than any other weather pattern could have that day.
He thought about the first time they met. He thought about the wasted time he had spent trying to shield himself from his own emotions. He thought about the day they had finally admitted their feelings to each other. And he tried so hard not to think about the day…no, don't let it enter your head. He let his hand move off the stone and said through his tears, "I'll always love ya, Cassie."
"I like ya, Cass. I just don't trust ya."
No matter what else she was thinking of, those words of his rattled in the back of her mind, along with memories and interactions with him. How could he say something like that and then act the way he did around her? He was always so close, so protective of her. He always had an eye on her, no matter what she did. He probably thought she didn't notice, but ever since his little "I pay attention" quip in Italy with the Apple, she'd made sure to keep an eye on him, see just how closely he paid attention. And boy did he have a close eye on her. Not close enough for him to notice her watching.
He hadn't been the first to join her on the Peru mission, but his joining had caused her smile to widen even more than Jones' arrival at her side had. The trip had gone well; no ninjas, no major life-threatening dangers. Heck, they'd even had time for some sightseeing. They went to Machu Picchu together, and while there Jake let himself go, randomly saying different facts about the ruins and the culture that created them. Jones eventually abandoned Jake and Cassie to explore on his own, and as Jake kept talking, Cassie subconsciously reached for his hand.
"And you know, scholars still have very few clues about what these buildings were built for. They were –" Cassandra felt a small pull as he stopped. She looked back and saw him staring down at their intertwined hands. Her own eyes widened.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize –" She started to take her hand away.
"No, no. It's fine. I don't mind if…if you…don't." She chuckled silently at his confusion and sputtering, but she kept hold of his hand as he walked up next to her. "Um…I was saying…um…"
Her chuckling grew a little louder, and she blushed as he heard her. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to. I've just never seen you so flustered and confused before. It's...cute." She mumbled the last word as his trust issues again flashed through her thoughts. She looked back down at the ground as they continued to walk.
"Yeah, it doesn't really happen often." She glanced up at him, seeing him smile, his eyes crinkling as his free hand ran through his hair. "Anyway. Um, the Incans built this entire site without mortar. And because they didn't have any written records, scholars don't have much to go on about how they built it or for what purpose." He continued speaking, slowly sounding more sure of himself again. In no time, she noticed he was back to his usual spouting of historical information that happened when they got to sightsee after a job.
She looked at him and around the ruins as he spoke, noticing the sun shining on everything. She looked back down at their hands eventually and smiled slightly. He didn't mind holding hands with her. Maybe his walls were finally coming down.
His eyes drooped, his back and tailbone ached, his neck needed a pillow desperately, and his knees needed straightening. But there was no way in hell he would leave this chair or let go of her hand.
The machines beeping stopped bothering him, as long as they continued making the same sounds. Any change and his internal panic began. His eyes looked up from the tiled floor up to the sleeping redhead. Her skin was taut and pale, but she never lost the beauty he'd seen the first time they'd met. She looked so peaceful lying in the hospital bed. He felt the tears well up in his eyes.
"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I tried to push you away after we lost the Library. I'm sorry I said that I liked ya but didn't trust ya. I'm sorry I kept saying it and kept trying to believe it myself, even though I knew it wasn't true, had stopped being true so long before we actually got together. I'm sorry for time wasted."
He heard her breathing, knew she was waking up. He tried to sit up a little more but his joints argued with him. He felt her moving and saw her eyes open slightly. "How do you expect a girl to sleep with all that apologizing?" she smiled, her breathy voice barely a whisper.
The tears fell down, getting caught as he smiled and crinkled his eyes. "Sorry, darlin." He tried to chuckle a little.
"I hope you don't regret all that stuff you just apologized for. I couldn't forgive myself if you did."
"No, you don't blame yourself for anything. Nothing. All of it is on me and how I was before you and the Library. You cannot blame yourself for anything." He squeezed her hand, careful of the needles and tubes in her.
She smiled at him and shut her eyes again. "I wish I wasn't so tired. I want to stay awake, keep talking to you. Will you tell me a story?"
"Of course." He thought for a bit, and then decided on a tale from Norse myth, one he was sure she had heard thousands of time from him before, but every time he had told it it made her smile. He began the story, watching her constantly, looking for a smile to cross her face once more.
With their time off, all three former LITs could most likely be found in the Library looking up anything and everything. Ezekiel would instantly run off to examine the artifacts. Cassandra and Jake could be found in aisles across from each other, him in the art and art history section, her in the science and math. To their surprise the first time they explored to find the sections, the two areas were across from each other. They'd gotten used to being across from each other, and that way Jake could continue to have an eye on Cassandra.
Some days however, including this one, Cassandra could be found in the Annex working on her ley lines maps. Jenkins often stood by in case she needed supplies or, god forbid, her tumor started acting up. She was deep in thought trying to trace the lines near Scandinavia when the door connected to the Library burst open and Jake came nearly flying in. Cassandra and Jenkins jumped.
"Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to startle, I just…" He broke off mid sentence and walked over to where Cassandra was sitting, a book from the Library in his hands. He paused before setting it down, looking at her and her things. "Oh," she gasped as she realized he wanted to set the book down but didn't want to disturb her stuff. "It's fine, don't worry about messing anything up." He smiled as he moved to set the book down, but he paused again. "Close your eyes," he said, still smiling, lighting his eyes up more than she'd seen before. She shut her eyes and heard the book hit the desk. It was another second before he said, "Ok, open up."
She opened her eyes and saw the most magnificent painting she'd seen. It was filled with vibrant colors, but her eyes picked up the one most used, the one she loved. "Six," she breathed.
She saw out of the corner of her eye his smile grow. "It's a rare thing for an artist to use mostly indigo. When I saw this, I knew you'd love it, with indigo being six and six being part of your relaxation."
She could see him out of the corner of her eye, but her sight was being taken over by the painting and the numbers and what each one meant to her, leading her down various paths all at once. He must have realized this because a calming feeling came over her as she felt his hand envelope hers. She blinked a few times, focusing on one memory, on one section of the painting. When her mind cleared, she turned and looked at him. His smile had faded a little, concern showing on his face. "It's beautiful," she said. "I love it, I do. It's amazing." The worry faded a little as his happiness shown through again. "Thank you."
Jenkins cleared his throat; they'd both forgotten he was there. He wandered over and glanced at the painting. "Ah, yes, a real beauty. I might know where that is should you two choose to see it in person someday." He nodded and smiled at them both before disappearing again. Jake looked at her. "What do you say? Take Jenkins up on that?"
She glanced back down at the painting. "Both of us in an art museum? You'll spend half your time getting me out of my spells. The colors…"
"I don't mind that. As long as you're ok with me spending the other half of the time going into explicit details of all the art."
Her smile grew. "I wouldn't mind that at all. Wanna say Saturday if we don't have a clipping to deal with?"
He picked up the book. "It's a date." He walked back to the door to put the book back on the shelves. She looked over her shoulder and saw Jenkins, cleverly trying to hide his gaze. She went back to her maps, though she found it a little more difficult to concentrate.
Jake walked out the café door with two cups in his hands, one holding his black coffee and the other her iced hot chocolate. It was a beautiful summer day, and they were taking full advantage of it by exploring Portland, Cassandra's idea and he had agreed. They'd explored so many other cities as Librarians and on other dates, they decided a nice date would be to wander around their own city for a while, always carrying their clippings books, just in case. He set Cassandra's drink in front of her and sat still holding his.
As he took a sip, she made a face. "How can you drink something so hot on such a warm day?"
"Just an old habit, I guess. Working on rigs back home, I got used to hot black coffee every day. And old habits are hard to break. Besides, any iced drink is just too sweet." He took another sip.
"You could get iced black coffee," she suggested, grabbing her cup and drinking.
"That's just a sin," he smiled at her as she gulped a quarter of her drink in one go. They were planning this as a morning rest before a full day of walking and possibly some shopping. He had asked if she wanted anything to eat, but she had declined, claiming not to feel very hungry. He worried, as usual, but had said nothing. "So, where do you want to walk to today, darlin'?"
She got an inquisitive look on her face, looking around. She turned to look behind her and pointed suddenly. "That way. Let's go deeper in and see what's there." She turned back to him smiling. But his smile faded fast.
"Cassie, there's –" She touched her hand to her nose, apparently feeling the blood dripping without him having to tell her it was there. She wiped it away, and no more came.
She shrugged. "Probably just a brain freeze I didn't notice," she said, sounding like she was trying to convince both of them.
"You sure? You wanna go to the doctor just in case?"
"I'll be fine. Come on, finish up, I wanna go walking around. And mine is portable, yours isn't."
He finished up his coffee and they left the café, going in the direction she had pointed. He kept a closer eye than usual on her, worried about the blood. It was just before lunch when his fears were truly realized as she collapsed while looking at a menu in the window of the restaurant they had chosen. He called for an ambulance, and then called Baird to tell her what had happened and where they were going.
Baird, Jones, Flynn, and even Jenkins met him in the waiting room. The doctors had not been with her for long, but he couldn't stop pacing, even when Baird reached out to him to get him to sit.
After a while more waiting – and finally sitting for Jake, who felt like if he paced more his legs would just fall off – the doctor came out. "Miss Cillian's family?"
All the Librarians and their Annex caretaker stood up. "We're her family, the only family she has here," Baird said.
"Are you blood relatives?" he asked.
"She doesn't have blood relatives. We're all she has," Jake pleaded with the doctor. He just wanted to know what was going to happen to her.
"Well, if you're going to stay with her, you're going to need to fill out the paperwork. But I can tell you for now, it's not a good diagnosis. I'd say a couple weeks, a month at most. And she'll have to stay here. She can go home for a couple days to get things she'll need, but she has to come back. She's just going to get weaker, I don't want her out and about too much."
Jake felt himself falling backward, but he knew he was frozen in place. His peripheral vision showed him Ezekiel sitting back down, Jenkins following to sit next to him, Eve placing her hand over her mouth, and Flynn going to hold her before she ran outside. Flynn looked at Jake briefly and then ran after her. Jake finally found his voice. "Can…can I please go see her?"
"Are you Jake Stone?" He nodded. "Then yes. She requested you first and right away. And I don't see any reason to deny her requests. I can bring you the paperwork you need to get done."
Jake just nodded again, and continued nodding as he followed the doctor. Her room wasn't far away, but it felt like the longest journey he had taken. The doctor pointed at the door and left, presumably to get that useless pointless paperwork he kept talking about. Jake just stood in the doorway for a bit, staring. Her eyes were closed but the tears were pouring down her cheeks. He couldn't believe this was happening. They'd only gotten together nearly a year ago. They were meant to celebrate their anniversary in five weeks; he had already started to make plans, and now she wasn't going to live to see it.
Cassandra switched off the light next to her bed and curled up on her right side, her most comfortable falling asleep position. But tonight, sleep was determined to evade her. She was used to many thoughts going through her head as she tried to sleep, had learned how to fall asleep with the thoughts, but these were different.
She and Jake had been going to art museums and history museums a lot lately. Not every day off, but often on lazy days he'd come find her and ask if she wanted to go to another one. And she loved it, she truly did, especially with him. If the colors got to be too much, he knew exactly how to pull her out and bring her back. She felt bad that she couldn't control the spells, couldn't make herself control them so that he could enjoy his time more.
They had gone to a classic museum today, the Musee D'Orsay. She had hesitated at the entrance, and he noticed it. "Everything ok, darling?"
She continued hesitating, looking down at the ground, but finally said, "I wish…I just…the synesthesia keeps getting in the way of us really enjoying the museums. And I wish –"
"Whoa, whoa, Cassie. You can't think like that. It doesn't stop me from enjoying this time. Hell, I've never had so much fun at museums as I have with you. The way you see things, and the way the paintings make you light up, as if each one leads to a good and happy memory. That's what the museums are all about, connecting and feeling something. It just affects you more. And truly, I think that's beautiful." He had taken her hand while he was talking, and just continued holding it. "If you don't want to go in, we can go explore the city. It's up to you."
She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. She didn't know what to say first. "I've never seen you so lit up and happy. You really think this curse is beautiful?"
He smiled at her. "Always. Whether we're here at museums or off finding some magical artifact, your gift always helps us, always shines through to save us or to simply bring up a smile. You are amazing, Cassie. And…I have a confession. I was hoping the museums would help with the synesthesia, either help you get better – which I realize was a pipe dream – or to help you see that it wasn't a curse, that it could be something of good."
She stood trying to control her breath and hold back the tears. The first part she managed quickly; the second not so much. The tears fell uncontrollably and suddenly he was hugging her. "Hey, hey, it's ok. I'm sorry. I just –"
"Not your fault. I just can't believe you think this."
"Honestly, I've always thought this. Cassie, you're amazing." He pulled away to face her. "I'm sorry if these museum trips have hurt you or anything."
"No, I've enjoyed it so much. I just felt bad cause I thought you weren't because of me."
"Never, darling. Never." He held one hand while the other wiped her eyes. "You ok? You wanna ditch this one?"
She smiled as she wiped away the last tear. "No. Let's go in for a while." He continued holding her hand the entire day, even when they got back to the Annex and he walked her to her car.
The memories of today were still flying through her head as she tried to sleep. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She was enjoying everything they were doing together, all the museums and seeing all the different places. But what did it all mean? Were they still just friends? Was this going to lead to more than friends? What were they becoming?
It took her longer to fall asleep than usual with these thoughts, but she eventually drifted off. It was a restless sleep though.
"Ok…ok….ok, I get it. I get it, Cara, I'll do my best to be home." Jake was trapped on the phone with his sister, discussing plans for their father's birthday.
"Do your best? Jake, it's two months away. Surely, you can take the day off now to get home."
"It's not that simple, Cara. If an emergency comes up-." He paused mid-sentence. He was staring at the calendar; he had been looking at the date of his father's birthday but another date coming up caught his eye, one almost more important. His anniversary with Cassie. "Cara, I promise I will do my best to come home. I'll let you know, ok?" He heard her sigh and say alright before he hung up.
The anniversary fell two days before his dad's birthday. He had two months to figure out what to do. He wanted it to be special, perfect, befitting her. He stared at the date on the calendar a little longer before racing to his computer to look up science museums, science fairs, anything science related for her to enjoy. They'd been to a few more local (within the country) science museums on their dates before, so he had to find one somewhere else, somewhere more grand than before.
He didn't notice the time until his eyes refused to stay open anymore. He looked at the clock on the computer. It read four am, and he just smiled. He had stayed up this late because of his passions for art and history and everything, but now he had a new passion, one as great as all the others. He loved her more than he truly understood, and he dreamt of her as he fell asleep.
Cassandra woke up that day not knowing what was to come. Her phone had awoken her, and when she looked at it, she saw Baird's name. "Hello?" she said groggily.
"Got a clipping. Didn't your book go off?" She sounded too chipper for the morning.
"If it did, it isn't as loud as my phone is, apparently. I'll be in in a bit, I guess."
"Stone offered to pick you up, if you wanted."
"Yeah, ok. Bye bye." She hung up and rolled out of bed. Jake lived a few minutes away, he'd be here quicker than she would be ready. She blinked away as much sleep as possible, and then decided coffee to go would work better. She was just about to start the coffee maker when there was an odd knock on her door. She shuffled over to the door and opened it, glancing enough to see Jake but in too much need for coffee to notice what he was holding. "Thanks, darling. Um, here." She paused and turned, seeing that he had brought her a large drink. "It's a vanilla latte, just how you like it." He smiled at her, that wonderful smile that lights up his eyes.
She took it out of his hands and smiled back at him. "Thank you so much. I was just about to make coffee."
"Now you can save that coffee for another day. There's also you're favorite donut in my truck. Figured you'd need food too."
She chuckled a little and bit her lower lip. "Thank you, Jake. That's really sweet and thoughtful." They stared at each other for a minute before she remembered that she wasn't ready at all. "Um, give me a few minutes to get ready." She turned and ran to her room before he could see her turn red.
Jake stood in her living room, looking around. He'd never been inside her place before; they always met at the Annex. It was lightly decorated, without a lot of family photos. Similar to his that way. She had a few photos of all of them scattered throughout the room, but they hadn't had many opportunities for photo taking. He smiled as he saw one of them and Jones in Machu Pichu, remembering that wonderful day off.
He turned when he heard her bedroom door open. "Well, not how I wanted the day to start but hey, life of a librarian apparently."
"You seem more awake than earlier." She was wearing a blue sweater with a flowery skirt and her usual leggings. Her hair was a little bit messy still, but not terrible. Not that she ever looked terrible. Hell, Jake thought she looked fine when she had answered the door. He thought she always looked great.
"Yeah, well, half a vanilla latte in two minutes will do that." She smiled at him, clutching the drink still. "Ready to go?"
In the truck, she ate the donut as quickly as possible, finishing up just as they pulled up to the Annex. They found out the mission involved a story of Norse mythology, one Jake knew by heart. It had been one of his favorite things to read as a child. He told his team the basics of the legend of Sigurd, just what was necessary for them to know to find Gram, his sword. But while searching, Baird split the team, and he and Cassandra were partnered. "So," she began to ask. "How do you remember all of that? About the sword and the legend and everything?"
"It was one of my favorite stories. I have the entire legend of Sigurd memorized cause I read it so much. Hell, some nights I still read it. It was one of the first myths I read, and it easily became one of my favorites. I know some other myths, not just Norse."
She hesitated, nervous about her next question."Do you think you could tell me some? When this is over of course."
He smiled at her. "It'd be my pleasure. Tell you what, you come to my place after this. I'll cook you dinner and tell you some stories. Any that you might want to hear." They continued searching, smiles spreading across both their faces.
Finding the sword turned out to be easier than any of them had expected. No Serpent Brotherhood issues, no major battles or injuries, just one person wielding the sword who Baird was able to take out easily. They brought the sword back to the Library, and traveled back to the Annex to go home. Jake and Cassie climbed into his truck and he drove to his apartment. "So, what would you like for dinner? I can cook….almost anything."
They both chuckled. "Um, honestly, my favorite thing is a simple pizza. But that takes a while to make…"
"Not a problem when you live next to a grocery store. Are we picking up ingredients or a frozen pizza? Your choice."
"Ingredients, please," she whispered.
"Ingredients it will be." He smiled at her as he pulled into the grocery store parking lot. She smiled as well, and didn't stop the entire shopping and ride back to his apartment. Once inside, he pulled out the crust and the other ingredients out and began assembly. "So, which story would you like first?"
"The one you talked about today. The one related to the mission." She grabbed the cheese and opened it, ready to listen and help.
They spent the entire night together, eating and discussing the mythologies of the world. He told more stories than he had ever told before, and it felt good to be himself with someone he cared about, someone he knew he'd always care about.
He had just finished the tale of Ragnorak when he noticed the time. "Oh, Cass, it's nearly 3am. Do you wanna sleep, just crash here for the night?"
She glanced at the clock. "Wow, I'm barely even tired. It's been such a wonderful night. Thank you for all of this. I…" She turned back to him, not sure what to say. Instead, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek quickly. They looked at each other for a moment, and then leaned in to kiss each other.
They broke apart after only a few seconds and looked at each other, both of them elated and slightly frightened of what happened. They both started trying to talk at the same time. Jake stopped, his gentleman ways kicking in. "I didn't mean to, I just…you know, we've been doing this museum thing. And and then this wonderful night. I'm sorry –"
"Hey, hey, don't apologize. I did it too, wanted to do it too. I'm not sorry, Cass." He paused. "I mean, if you really are, then I am too, I suppose. But I've been feeling a change here."
"I have too. All the time we've been spending together. Something has changed. Are we still ok?"
He put his hand to her face. "We're definitely ok. And I think, since neither of us are sorry about what just happened…it could happen again?"
She bit her lower lip and then leaned in to kiss him again.
He had taken her through almost the entire first floor of the D'Orsay, and they were heading up the stairs now. She had loved the paintings and everything, but he knew their conversation outside was still rattling inside her mind. Her wonderful mind that always ran 100 miles an hour. He held her hand as they entered the ballroom that was part of the museum, and he heard her gasp and felt her freeze.
He turned to look at her, a smile already formed on his face. "Beautiful, ain't it."
"It's amazing," she breathes, dropping his hand to move to the center of the room and spin around, taking in every detail of it. As she spun, he could see what this room had originally been. He saw the gowns swirling around the tuxedos and suits and formal wear. And he saw Cassandra in the middle of it all, her hair flying around her, looking more stunning than anyone else he saw. He walked over to her and took her hand again, pausing her spinning – but his vision still stayed strong. "Now it's not right for someone as beautiful as you to be dancing alone."
"Do you hear it too? I feel like I can hear the music that should be playing." Her eyes wouldn't stay on him, continuing to take the room in.
"And the people who would be dancing to that music. Can you see it?" he asked her, gently taking her other hand in his.
"It's all so incredible." She looked around a little more before falling towards him. "Oh, overwhelming."
"Hey, hey, I'm right here. You're safe. You'll be ok. Just find your way back." He saw her shut her eyes and he let her lean on him for support. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her steady. "Find your way back to now."
After a moment, she looked up at him. "Thanks, Jake. This is amazing." Her smile was just about as big as his. "Come on, there's a lot more to see," he said, taking her hands again and leading her into the rest of the museum.
They went back into the ballroom again before they left, only for a minute, and they both stared around the room. Again, he could see the dancers filling the hall. And as he did, he saw Cassandra begin to sway to the music she was hearing.
They walked into the bar together, but not hand in hand. This night, they were all getting together, even Flynn, to celebrate the day they all met. It had been a year, she could hardly believe it. Cassandra smiled as her and Jake walked over to the table Baird had and sat next to each other. It was a round table and Jones was directly across from the two of them. He looked up at them and smiled, but his smile quickly turned into one of his smirks. "Something is different here," he said, looking from Jake to Cassandra.
Cassandra felt her cheeks turn red and tried to control her emotions. She and Jake hadn't talked about telling the team yet – they were still in the happy-but-figuring-everything-out phase. She and Jake glanced at each other briefly before he said, "We've just grown closer, learned to trust better, is all." She nodded, trying to be convincing.
Baird and Flynn were studying them now as well. Flynn squinted his eyes, shifting them between her and Jake, and after a beat, his eyes widened. "Well, it looks as though we're celebrating more than just the anniversary of our meeting." His smile grew bigger than she had ever seen it.
She turned to Jake, and saw how she was feeling reflected in his face. They both turned back to their friends. Flynn's smile was the same. Jones' smile was about as big as Flynn's. And Baird looked like a mix of joy and concern. "Well, guess the cat's out of the bag," Jake said. "We weren't sure how to tell y'all, but you're Librarians, we shoulda guessed you'd figure it out." He grabbed her hand and set it on the table inside his.
"Ha! I knew it! I said this would happen, I did! But did anyone listen to the thief, of course not as usual. But I was right!" Jones gloated, taking a sip of drink when he was done. "Mmm, obviously congratulations are in order, you two. Happy for both of you." He held up his glass.
Jake chuckled and lifted his glass as well. "I guess thanks." He smiled as they toasted together.
Baird was still staring at them. "When did this happen?" she asked.
"After the job with the sword," Cassandra answered, grabbing her drink.
"And you're both happy? This won't turn into a problem?" Cassandra and Jake looked at each other and both shook their heads no. Baird smiled. "Then I'll toast you as well." She held up her glass, as did Flynn, and they all toasted together in joy.
Jake was in the art history section of the Library, where he could always be found on his days off. He kept glancing at the science and math section, almost directly across from the art history section. Cassie wasn't there today; she must be in the Annex working on her maps. He looked through his latest find, reading on different pieces. There was so much he didn't know, and he was supposed to be the Librarian who knew all of this. There were so many pieces he'd never seen, either ever or simply in person. He sat in the stacks and immersed himself in his books.
He lost track of time, as he usually did during these days. He finished the page he was reading and turned it, only to find something truly remarkable. A painting made mostly out of the color indigo. It was beautiful, something he'd never seen before. It was a rare thing. And he knew just the person who'd want to see it.
He jumped up and ran through the door that connected to Library to the Annex, startling those on the other side. "Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to startle."
Cassandra was lying in her bed, unable to go back to sleep. Her head would not stop pounding, she couldn't sit up. She held her head in her hands, trying to will the pounding to stop. The pain had woken her up over an hour ago, slowly growing into the headache she now felt. She glanced at the clock – it was almost 4am. She had a date with Jake today, in a few hours. They were going to explore some new corner of the world. But with her head pounding this way she wasn't sure she was up for such an adventure. Jake was going to be at her door in a few hours. If the headache didn't clear up, she'd have to suggest something more local and hope he wouldn't worry or anything. She shut her eyes and waited.
She slept again, but uneasily. By the time 7:30 rolled around, she decided to just get ready for the day, her head still pounding. She opened the curtains in her room and saw the sun shining bright. It was going to look like a beautiful day.
She showered and got herself ready for the day to come, putting on her favorite outfit. Jake was supposed to pick her up around 8:30. She had half an hour, so she brewed a cup of coffee and sat down with her clippings book. She didn't open it though, not wanting to see the possible adventures she might never go on. She just put a hand on it and smiled. She couldn't be upset about what she felt coming because she had had the best adventures, the best friends, and the best love she could ever have imagined. She sat there holding her book until a knock hit her door. She stood and opened it, smiling at Jake. He looked wonderful today, as handsome as ever. She moved to let him in.
"Are you ready for today?" he asked her.
"Actually, I was thinking we could do something different. Maybe we could stay in Portland today, see what's around the town? We could start at a little café a couple blocks from here."
He smiled, and his eyes crinkled in that wonderful way. "That sounds great." He took her hand and they went out for a wonderful day.
Jake sat in the Annex, thinking about the day. They had all just returned from Peru, Cassie and Ezekiel had just gone home, but he stayed sitting at the table, much to Jenkins dismay. He heard Jenkins sigh every once in a while, and then finally Jenkins came over to him. "Since you're still here, I thought you might want some tea." Jenkins began pouring before Jake could say anything. "What happened that you're still here?"
Jake opened his mouth but wasn't sure what to say. Between Cassandra holding his hand and him not minding in the slightest, he wasn't sure what was going on.
"Let me guess, then, if you'll say nothing," Jenkins began, sipping his tea again before continuing. "You and Miss Cillian grew closer and it scares you because you don't know how to open up to anyone, even those who know everything about you. So you're struggling to figure out how to feel because you're afraid of feeling." He sipped his tea again, staring at Jake with those eyes that say he knows everything. Jake just nodded slightly, and Jenkins smiled. "I thought as much. Well, I'll leave you to stew in it. I have objects to catalog." He took his tea and left Jake alone again.
He kept drinking his tea. He truly hadn't minded holding Cassandra's hand today. It had flustered him but he had enjoyed it. And she seemed to have had a good time as well. She seemed to have listened and been interested in what he was saying – he couldn't stop himself from going on about the history of the ruins and everything he knew, but she hadn't minded. She had stayed with him and listened to every little thing he said. It was the first time someone had actually been with him and been interested in everything that he was saying.
And he had enjoyed it. He'd have to see if they could do something similar again sometime.
Cassandra was dreaming of her first day in the Library, seeing everything it held. She had known then that she would die as a Librarian, and she knew she wouldn't mind it so much because the Library would make her happy. And she had been so right. She dreamt of her friends and colleagues, all of them the best people she had ever known.
Her eyes opened and she saw Jake sleeping in the chair next to her. He couldn't be comfortable but he was dead asleep. She looked around the room and saw Baird, Jones, and Flynn sitting in other chairs around the room. Her family was with her, and she couldn't have been happier as she shut her eyes one more time.