A/N: One more Christmas story from me this season, and this one is a gift for another-rosebyanother-name on Tumblr! Merry Christmas! I'm your secret Santa! You said Jassandra was your favorite ship, just like me, so I hope you enjoy this little thing I put together.
"Thank you for coming Ezekiel" Cassandra said. "It really means a lot to us."
"Like I would miss this" he snapped. "It's like watching my big sister getting married."
Cassandra smiled and laughed. She walked towards Ezekiel and wrapped her arms around him.
"Thank you, really" she whispered. "I know it's unconventional and a little last minute but…"
"You don't have to explain anything to me Cassandra. I get it. We're all here because we love you two"
"And you promise, no shenanigans"
"Scout's honor" Ezekiel said. "As reigning best man I can assure you that your wedding will go perfectly"
"You were a boy scout?" Cassandra asked.
"Ummm..,I've gotta go see the groom now! Good luck!" Embarrassed, he ran out of the room, leaving Cassandra to wait on her own for Colonel Baird to arrive.
"Ready mate?" Ezekiel asked, walking in to Jake's room. The cowboy was facing the mirror, adjusting his tuxedo man.
"I'm sweatin' man" Jake shouted. "Nothing's ever been this important, and things could so easily go wrong and, damn I've never even worn a tuxedo before!"
"You're gonna be fine, trust me. If you're nervous, just look at Cassandra. Or picture me in my underwear, if that helps"
"Not in the least"
Suddenly, Flynn entered the room, looking frazzled.
"Sorry" he panted. "We just got here. Ella spilled chocolate milk all over herself right before we left. Stone, they're ready to start"
Jake stood at the altar they'd set up in the backyard of the Library, taking deep breaths. The night was beautiful: cool, but not freezing, and not too warm to take away from the feeling of winter. The small orchestra they'd hired began to play the Christmas Canon, as Eve and Flynn's daughter toddled down the aisle, tossing white rose petals right and left.
Flynn, Eve, and Ezekiel came next, each of the two Librarians taking one of their Guardian's arms. Each of them smiled warmly at them, giving him slight assurance.
In the next instant, the world stopped. There she was: Cassandra, dressed like a vision of white. Her silky dress fell just below her knee, the bottom lined lightly with feathers and fur. On her arms she had a long sleeve cashmere sweater, and a veil stitched with snowflakes covered her face. She wore white stockings and simple white heels. The only trace of any color was her bright red curls falling on her shoulders, and the bouquet of poinsettas in her hands.
As Cassandra walked down the aisle, she shut out everything else in the world but the sight of Jake waiting for her. When they'd discussed a wedding date, they knew they wanted it to be small, soon and special. Christmas seemed like the perfect option. She walked on, knowing when she reached the end of her journey, she was stepping into a new life: a life full of love
At last she arrived at the altar, and the two of them met, face to face.
"Hi" Jake whispered.
"Hi" she whispered back.
There were few guests in attendance. The Librarians were there of course, along with Charlene. Jake's mother had come with some of his brothers and sisters. It was a peaceful, silent night, just the way they wanted it to be.
"Dearest friends and family" Jenkins, who was officiating the ceremony, began. "All those gathered here on this evening of December the 25th. It is my greatest pleasure, and honor, to officiate the wedding between Miss Cassandra Cillian, and Mr. Jacob Stone"
Jenkins was going on with some speech about love and how he'd always noticed that they were perfect for each other. They barely heard a word; they were only focused on each other. Three years they'd known each other, two of them gone by without ever telling each other how they felt, and now here they stood, ready to begin their lives together.
"Miss Cillian, would you like to begin with your vows?" Jenkins asked, turning to her.
"Yes" she said.
"Jacob. The day we met, I had a synesthesia hallucination. I freaked out, I fell down, and then, all of a sudden, you caught me, and you made it better. No one had ever been able to do that before, no one else can still besides you.
Before I met you, I was living as a ticking time bomb. I just sat there, full of energy, doing absolutely nothing, just waiting to explode. Then you came along, and helped me make sense of my world, and you gave me love, and something to live for.
Now I don't have to feel like a time bomb; I don't feel like I have to just keep waiting for some big disaster. Now, I feel like a person, a woman in love, about to live the rest of her life with the man who makes her happier than any other force in the universe. I'm not synesthesia, I'm not a brain grape; I'm Cassandra Cillian, and I'm in love with Jacob Stone."
"Mr. Stone" Jenkins said, turning to the cowboy, who was already wiping tears from his eyes. Now that she was done speaking, his bride to be was doing the same.
"Cassandra" Jake began. "Cassie. There's this story I'd like to tell, about a man who wasn't real. He was a made up persona, an image who the people around him had created, and trapped inside that man was this spirit, that just wanted to burst through and tell the whole world who he was.
Then one day, that man meets this girl, and immediately thinks that she's this immaculate beauty, her own work of art. And this girl, she lets the spirit believe that he can be free, that he doesn't have to hide, and all so gradually he begins to break through the walls that had been getting stronger and stronger for twenty years.
As time goes on, the spirit learns the girl's story and gets to know her, and he finds out it's not just her outer beauty that makes her a work of art. No she's like every bit of wonderful poetry that he's read. And together, that girl and that spirit help each other to shine as brightly as they were always meant to.
That story sounds like a fairytale Cassie, but we both know that it's real. It's our story. Without you, I'd still be trapped inside a shell. You help me believe in myself every day, you keep that spirit free, and now I know that for the rest of time, our souls will be intertwined, and you'll always be with me, and that spirit will never have to shut itself away again."
Jake finished his speech, and soon both Librarians only saw each other through the blur of tears.
"Well" Jenkins said. "I believe it's time to exchange the rings. Colonel Baird, Jones"
Eve and Ezekiel stepped forward to hand Cassandra and Jake the rings. Cassandra went first, her hand trembling as she slipped the golden band onto Jake's finger
"I, Cassandra Cillian, promise to love and cherish you all the days of my life"
She laughed with pure joy as Jake took her hand in his, and slipped on the same golden ring, though hers was adorned with diamonds.
"I, Jacob Stone, promise to love and cherish you all the days of my life."
"Well then" Jenkins proclaimed, clapping his hands together. "By the power vested in me by the Library, it gives me the greatest pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. , you may kiss your bride."
Jake lifted the veil from Cassandra's face, leaned in, and finally met the lips he'd been dreaming about since the moment he'd closed his eyes the night before. Once again, they shut out the world around them. Their shared love was the only thing that they knew.
It was not just the miracle of Christmas that filled the air that night. There was another miracle that had occurred: the miracle of two souls, at last joined as one to travel the universe together for all time.
