Jake was having a hard time concentrating on reading the book in front of him. Things had been pretty quiet until a moment ago when Cassandra had come running into the main room of the annex, muttering something about fish and paper towels. She had disappeared into the broom closet and now all Jake could hear was her mumbling and thumping around. When he heard a small crash come from her direction he gave up and closed his book.
"Hey, you okay in there?" He called out to her. The closet door opened and Cassandra's head peeked out.
"Um, not really. I'm too short, can you help me?" She asked, her head disappearing back into the closet. Jake rolled his eyes but got up to help anyways.
He found Cassandra trying to reach a roll of paper towels on the top shelf in the closet. The shelf was way above her head but she was still trying to reach it with an outstretched arm while jumping up and down. Jake chuckled to himself.
"The hell you doin', Cass?" He asked.
Cassandra stopped jumping and turned to Jake, blowing a loose strand of hair out of her face. "It's kind of a long story. But basically I need to get things cleaned up as soon as possible, before Jenkins finds out."
Jake raised his eyebrows at her but didn't press any further. Instead he studied the small area, looking for a way to get the paper towels down.
"I'm not much taller than you, I can't reach them either, but maybe if I gave you a boost…" he thought out loud.
It was right around that time that Ezekiel came tiptoeing into the annex, a mysterious contraption in his arms. He glanced around to make sure the coast was clear before setting the coordinates on the magic door, despite the fact that Jake and Cassandra were both still in the broom closet. Once he had everything all set up, he opened up the doors and walked into his destination.
"Got it!" Cassandra shouted excitedly. "You can put me down now... Jake?"
"Oh, right." Jake was thankful Cassie wouldn't be able to see him blush. He had his strong wrists wrapped around the redhead's waist and had lifted her up high enough to reach the top shelf. He had been a little too distracted by the view and didn't notice that Cassie had successfully retrieved the paper towels.
Jake set her down gently and she turned to face him. "Is there anything else you need while we're in here?" He asked.
Cassandra shook her head. "No. At least, I don't think so." She glanced back up to the shelf that they had just retrieved the roll from. "Who puts paper towels up that high, anyways?"
Jake shrugged and turned to the door. He tried to open it, but it seemed to be stuck or something. "Uh, Cassie? This isn't one of those closets that you can only open from the outside, is it?"
"No, I just opened it a minute ago. Remember?"
"Well something's jamming it." Jake said.
"Are you sure?" Cassandra closed the small gap between them and shoved the roll of paper towels into his chest. "Maybe you're not doing it right." She pushed him out of the way and attempted the door herself.
"I think I know how to open a door, Cass." He said, frustrated.
"Do you, though? Because I just opened this door a minute ago and -" Cassie spoke quickly as she attempted, unsuccessfully, to open the door herself. "I think it's stuck."
Jake crossed his arms across his chest. "Ya think?"
"How is this possible, we've only been in here for a couple of minutes. Six minutes and thirty two seconds to be exact. Thirty three. Thirty four. Thirty five-"
Jake reached out and put his hand on Cassandra's arm. "Cassandra. Cassie, listen. It'll be okay." He spoke softly.
"Sorry." Cassandra offered a weak smile. "I just don't understand how this could happen."
Jake shrugged and walked over to the door, trying the knob again just because. "Someone has got to come by soon, right?" He started banging his fist on the surface. "Hello!? Anybody out there?"
He continued to bang on the door for several minutes, hoping that someone, anyone, would hear him. Finally he gave up and joined Cassandra, who was sitting on the floor, her back resting against an empty wall. He sat down beside her and set the paper towels down on his other side.
"This is ridiculous!" He said, a bit more angrily than he had intended.
"I need to get that mess cleaned up before Jenkins finds it." Cassandra turned to Jake. "He's going to be really mad if he sees it."
Jake just smiled. "I doubt that. That man has a soft spot for ya, Cassie."
Cassandra smiled softly, averting eye contact for a brief moment. "Jenkins has a soft spot for a clean workspace."
"You going to tell me whatcha did, or am I going to have to pry it outta ya?" Jake asked.
Cassandra tried not to laugh and buried her face in her knees. "It's stupid."
"All the more reason I need to hear this story."
Her face red, Cassandra looked at Jake. "I, uh, may have helped Ezekiel build a laser."
Jake just looked at her for a second, face full of shock. "You what!?"
"I didn't mean to. But he was working on it, and everything was all wrong. My brain just started working out the science and math and before I knew what happened, I had helped him build a high powered laser."
"Oooookay. That doesn't explain why you need these, though." Jake held up the paper towels.
"You know that fish tank Jenkins was setting up?"
"You didn't?" But Cassandra nodded.
"Cassandra Cillian, tell me you didn't use the laser to fry a hole in the fish tank!" Cassandra buried her head in her hands, and both she and Jake were unable to contain their laughter. "Oh, Jenkins really is going to kill you. But only after he's done with Jones. What does that kid need a laser for, anyways?"
Cassandra shrugged. "I didn't ask. It seemed safer that way. He probably plans to use it to-" Cassandra suddenly realized something.
"What?" Jake asked.
"Jake, what happens to the broom closet when someone activates the portal door?" She asked nervously.
"I don't...oh." Jake caught on to what Cassandra was thinking. "You don't think?"
"He had to have known I was in here, I told him I was getting the paper towels." Cassandra rambled.
"I don't know, it wouldn't surprise me if Jones didn't know where the cleaning supplies are kept."
"That little jerk!" Cassandra jumped up. "He left his mess for me to clean up!"
"Yes, because that's our biggest concern right now." Jake added. "Do you think we'll be able to get out of here okay, after the portal is turned off?"
"We'd better. Someone needs to teach Ezekiel a lesson!" Cassandra was uncharacteristically annoyed.
"I wouldn't worry about that. Trust me, once Baird and Jenkins find out about everything, Jones won't know what hit him. Hey…" Jake, still sitting on the floor, reached up for Cassandra's hand to pull her back down. "Who knows how long we'll be locked in here, you may as well save your energy."
Cassandra sat down, folded her arms across her chest, and sighed. "Why are you so calm? Getting locked in a magical closet because Jones is off doing who knows what, it seems like the kind of thing that would get you upset."
Jake was a little upset. Jones could be so careless sometimes. Or rather, most of the time. But it was hard to be truly upset when it was Cassandra that he was locked up with. He could deny it all he wanted, but the truth was, Jake was more than aware of the special connection he and Cassie had. He had felt that spark the first moment he laid eyes on her. And despite all the barriers that he had put up to try and keep the redhead at an arms length, Cassandra still managed to steal his heart everytime he was near her.
But of course, he couldn't tell her that. Instead he smiled at her, letting go of the hand he realized he was still holding, and said "You seem frustrated enough for the both of us."
"I'm sorry, Jake. I didn't mean to drag you into this."
"Not your fault." He shrugged.
"But it's because you were helping me that you're locked in here. I keep doing this." Cassandra groaned.
"What?" Jake turned to her, placing two fingers under her chin to encourage her to look up at him. "What are you talking about?"
"I keep dragging people into my own problems. First I ruin my parents plans for me because of this." she motioned to her head. "Then I nearly get you guys killed, and I get the Library lost thanks to my selfishness. And let's not forget Christmas Eve. It was because of my crazy expectations that Dulaque realized the power that Santa's hat had on him. You guys shouldn't keep me around. I'm an albatross."
"Instead of the cross, the Albatross; About my neck was hung." Jake quoted the poem automatically. "You know, the albatross was good luck until they went and killed it."
"Probably not the best thing to say to a girl with a tumour in her head, Jake." Cassandra muttered.
Jake frowned. "Sorry. I just meant… uh, you're not bad luck, and we have every intention of keeping you around." He struggled to find the right words. "You could make any of us sound bad if you only listed the mistakes we've made."
Cassandra shook her head. "Maybe so, but I'm the worst."
"Oh, I don't know about that. Remember that time Ezekiel tricked you into helping him build a high powered laser, got us locked in the broom closet, and ran off to who knows where to steal who knows what?" Cassandra couldn't help but giggle at that. Jake picked her hand back up and gently rubbed his thumb in comforting circles. "You've made mistakes, Cass. We all have. But your intentions are always good. I can't say that about the rest of us."
Cassandra looked at him in confusion. "Don't say that, Jake. I'm sure your intentions are always in the right place, too."
"Nah." Jake shook his head, struggling to maintain eye contact. "Cass, I'm selfish. So many things I've done, I've done because I benefit from it somehow."
"Well, you're always there for me when I need you." She squeezed the hand that he held.
"That's just it, Cassie. I don't do that for you." He met her gaze. "Not just for you, at least."
"I don't…" Her brain was running a mile a minute trying to make sense of what Jake was trying to say. "Jake?"
Jake didn't say anything right away. Instead he raised the hand of hers that he still held to his lips and gently kissed it, before placing it on his heart and holding it close with both of his own hands. He closed his eyes and willed the right words to come to mind.
"Cassandra, you've gone more than ten years with your tumour and survived just fine without me." He started. "When I help you through your visions, when I catch you when you fall, when I stand close to you just in case…"
He took a deep breath, regaining the courage he had recently summoned. Why was this so damn difficult? Cassie was watching him, her face patient and hopeful. Jake had no idea if she felt the same way but maybe…
"I don't do that because you need me. You don't need my help, Cass." He finally looked her in the eye. "I do those things for me. I need to be close to you. I feel like if I help you then maybe, just maybe, you might notice me in the same way that I notice you."
"Jake…" She was smiling weakly but Jake couldn't tell if she was touched, or if she was looking at him with pity. Her face reminded him of the way someone would look at a lost puppy.
"No, don't." He cut her off. "You don't need to say anything. And honestly, I'd rather you didn't because I don't know if I could handle it if you told me you didn't feel the same way."
Cassandra nodded. "Okay." He had told her not to say anything, and she would respect that. She would just have to find a different way to show him that she felt the same way.
Jake still held her hand firmly in his own, his eyes focused straight ahead, trying his best not to turn to look at the beautiful woman next to him. He didn't want to see what she was thinking. He had hoped she would correct him, tell him that he was wrong and that she did feel the same as he did. But she also hadn't tried to pull her hand away. Damn conflicting signals.
He felt her shift next to him and suddenly her other hand reached out and rested on his cheek, gently turning his head toward her. He hesitated, but finally raised his eyes and met her gaze. Her face was definitely not one of pity, he could see that now. She ran her hand up through his hair, stopping when she had reached the back of his head, guiding him closer to her.
It all happened before Jake's brain could even register it. Suddenly her lips were on his, kissing him softly and tenderly. It was over almost as quickly as it began and Jake found himself staring at Cassandra, wondering if what had happened had actually happened, or if being locked in the closet was suddenly causing him to have vivid, but wonderful hallucinations.
"You said not to say anything." Cassandra said sheepishly, suddenly embarrassed by her actions.
"And boy am I glad I did." He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling the way they did when he was truly happy about something.
Jake released the hand that he was holding, instead using his hands to pull Cassie closer to him, one wrapped around her waist, the other behind her head, tangling itself in her hair. This time when their lips met he was ready and kissed back with full force. She wrapped her arms around Jake's neck, fingers digging into his skin. Her touch, combined with the warmth of her mouth on his, caused every inch of his skin to feel electrified.
When they finally broke apart Jake placed one final kiss on Cassandra's nose before resting his forehead on hers. For a moment the only sound that could be heard was that of their heavy breaths as they came down from their high and returned to the real world.
"Damn. Why didn't we do that sooner?" Jake asked eventually. Cassandra laughed against him, moving in for another round.
Baird had just come into the annex to grab something from her desk when Jenkins came storming in, obviously unhappy about something.
"Okay, where are those little hooligans!?" He snapped.
Baird smirked. "Who?"
"Miss Cillian and that little thief. A sorry excuse for a Librarian, he is." Jenkins scoffed. "Last I saw them they were in my office working on some kind of project together, and now there's a huge hole burnt into the side of my fish tank and water everywhere!"
Baird thought for a moment. "Jones, yes. I can see him doing something like that. But Cassandra?" She asked. "Even if she is involved, it's not like her to just run off like that. She would have confessed and helped clean up."
Jenkins face softened. "You're right. Actually, now that you mention it, this is kind of troublesome. I wonder where she could have gotten to?"
Just then the portal door opened and Ezekiel stepped out, his laser tucked under one arm and proudly tossing a very expensive looking jewel in the other hand. He wore a cocky smile until he noticed his guardian and Jenkins staring at him. He immediately pocketed the jewel and hid the laser behind his back.
"G'day. And how are you fine folks doing this afternoon?" He asked slyly.
"What do you have behind your back? And your pocket?" Baird glared at him. "You know what? Never mind. The less I know the better." She raised her hands and shook her head.
Ezekiel smiled and nodded. "Good plan. Curiosity killed the cat, after all."
"I actually have a few questions, Mr. Jones." Jenkins spoke up. The young thief flinched. "We'll address the mess in my office momentarily, there's a more pressing matter at hand."
Ezekiel looked confused by that, so Baird spoke up. "Cassandra. Do you know where she is?"
"Oh shoot! I almost forgot!" Ezekiel flashed a cheeky grin when he remembered what he had done. Immediately he turned the portal off and opened up the closet doors, revealing Jake and Cassandra. The two were wrapped in each others' arms, too lost in their own world of passionate kisses to even notice that they were no longer stuck. At some point Cassandra had unfastened the top few buttons on Jake's shirt, her hand placed firmly on Jake's bare chest.
Baird and Jenkins took a few steps closer, both looking amused but unimpressed. Finally Baird broke the tension by forcing a cough. The couple in the closet jumped, releasing the other immediately. Cassandra's face was as red as her hair, and Jake's hands instantly started doing his shirt back up, missing a button in his haste.
"Um…" Jake said. "The door was stuck."
Baird raised an eyebrow at him. "Was it now?"
"Apparently you can't use the closet while the portal is activated." Cassandra squeaked, her voice trailing off at the end.
"And what was so important in the closet that it required the both of you to be in here" Baird asked.
"Oh…" Jake fumbled around until he found the roll of paper towels and held them up with a smile. "They were on the top shelf."
The three outside the closet just stared at the other two for a minute, Baird and Jenkins with looks of disbelief, Ezekiel grinning from ear to ear.
"What's with you?" Jake finally asked.
"You're welcome, mate."
"Wait… what?" Jake looked from Jones to Cassandra, trying to make sense of the situation.
"You planned this!?" Cassandra stared wide eyed at Ezekiel.
"Weren't you the least bit curious as to why the paper towels, something we use all the time, had suddenly been placed on the most inconvenient shelf?"
"You planned this." Cassandra repeated, a bit more softly this time. Jones just nodded.
Cassandra shook her head and turned to Jake, who sat in disbelief.
"This is all well and good, but I still have a broken fish tank and an office full of water." Jenkins finally broke the tension. "Mr. Stone, could I please have those paper towels?" Jake didn't get up but tossed the roll to the older man who caught it with a surprising ease.
"Jones!" Baird snapped as Ezekiel had begun to slowly back towards the exit. "I think it's only fair that you're the one to clean up the water. Don't you agree, Jenkins?" Jenkins nodded.
Baird grabbed Ezekiel's arm and dragged him toward the office, Jenkins following close behind. Jake and Cassandra suddenly found themselves alone again.
"Weren't you saying something about teaching Jones a lesson when we finally got out of here?" Jake turned his attention back to Cassandra, one hand intertwining with hers and the other playing with some loose strands of her hair.
"Was I?" She asked. Jake nodded, moving his hand from her hair to her cheek, his thumb rubbing affectionately across her skin. "Mmmm. Funny, I almost feel like I should be thanking him now."
Jake laughed, pulling her in for a quick kiss. "Me too. But let's not tell him that. I don't want it going to his head."
Cassandra smiled, snuggling closer to Jake and resting her head on his shoulder. "Agreed." She whispered as she played with his fingers and he placed a kiss on the top of her head. They weren't locked in the closet anymore, but neither of them had any intention of getting up anytime soon. For now they were content to sit in the other's embrace, alternating between passionate kissing and silent snuggling.