"I want you to talk to her, and I want you to bring up your friend."

"The one who eats blondes for breakfast?"

"Yes, him. I mean it man…it's worth the risk."

Cassie had been pouring over documents all day long. She's intended this to be somewhat of a bonding experience between herself and Cole but, again and as usual, without warning, he disappeared without a trace after having only arrived a couple hours before. She had turned around at the soft call of her name only to see nothing where he'd stood only moments before. Cassie sighed then. It hadn't been an easy day at all, by any stretch of the imagination, but when the knock sounded on the bookstore's front door she jumped a bit. She'd been so deep in her thoughts the knock at her door literally jarred her out of her own mind.

She quickly crossed the tile floor to the door and opened it without ceremony. "Where have you been!? I mean…I know where, when…" Her eyes slid around in their orbitals, unsure why she suddenly sounded like a nervous little school girl. "But…what took you so long?" It didn't take long, as his answer sounded, to become apparent that he was dead set on talking about something other than their mission. He said she was right earlier when she said she knew next to nothing about him. Cole also said he came from a little suburban town just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; that's where he was born. But she wouldn't let him continue. "It took me a little longer than I would have liked, considering I was doing this all on my own…"

"Yeah, you're right, Cassie. I keep doing that, popping in and out…"

"I found it, Cole. I found the Night Room." Cassie smile was wide, beaming and proud. She'd done her task; she'd helped him and done exactly as he'd asked of her. So why, for the life of him and all that she witnessed, wasn't he happier?

"Y-you did?"

"Yes! I mean, I had to make some pretty fabricated tales up about who I was and what I wanted to know about some of this for; one of the stories I told was absolutely convoluted and extrapolated beyond measure but it got me the info I needed to look deeper and it got me there, Cole. We know now!"

Cole was struck silent for another few moments as he processed what Cassie was telling him and what it meant for them now. It meant the stakes were just raised and things would only be getting more dangerous for them. It meant that if he opened up like Ramse suggested and Cassie did indeed die the way she always had in every timeline before, he'd be risking more than just a little bit of himself. He could be risking the whole mission and the lives of others involved in this.

Cassie's eyes lingered for a minute too long at his features as he stared off into the distance, thinking about something he'd never vocalize because they didn't have that type of friendship. He was pretty adamant that she would never truly know him; at least…he had been. "Hey, so…" She cocked her head to the side as she removed her glasses. "It's been a long day for me, do you mind if we get something to eat? My treat if you want something, too…"

His eyes refocused now and landed on her, a small smile forming on his face. "Yeah, I'd like that."

They sat in silence, for the most part, as they ate save little moans of ecstasy from Cole as he devoured his double cheeseburger with a side of fries and plenty of ketchup. The burger was gone and all he left was his fries to linger over Cassie spoke up, clearing her throat first to grab his attention. His eyes shot up from his plate, his stringy scraggly hair hanging over his field of view a bit. "I was wondering…if…it's not too much trouble, if we could continue what you wanted to talk about earlier."

"What? Like…where I came from before 2043? When I was a kid? Like…my life?"

Cassie nodded and smiled again softly. She didn't know why she'd brushed him off earlier; she did really want to know more about him. "Yes. I really would like to know more…"

"I don't know where to start…"

"Well…what's your first and middle name?"

"First and middle name…? Why?" He arched a single eyebrow in confused expectancy.

"Because I asked you, Cole…that's why." She smirked triumphantly like that was all he needed to know and he would do as she asked him.

"James William." He said simply.

"James William Cole." Cassie tested the name, rolling it off her tongue like a prayer. It sounded so nice, so good. "Nice. I love it…" She blushed slightly. "You look like a James."

"And what do James look like?"

"Strong and brave despite all the odds stacked against them."

He closed his mouth and breathed through his nose, his eyes closing too. "You're just saying that…"

She screwed up her mouth and leaned her chin on her palm, her elbow on the table. "If I just said stuff I didn't mean no one would believe I was a doctor. My reputation would tank. And you…you wouldn't trust me…"

His eyes opened and caught the sad look in her eyes. "I trust you and I would trust you. I'll follow you anywhere, Cassie."

Her smile softened. "I'm glad…because I'm going to need some major help with the Night Room when we go."

He smiled back too. "We'll do it together."