A/N: My goal with this story is to do a one-shot from each episode of 12 Monkeys, told from either Cassie or Cole's POV and to show the slow progression of their relationship. I welcome any reviews, I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you like or don't like. Either way, enjoy! -Rose
Ramse and Cole were just returning from their trip to J.D. Peoples in search of the file about Jennifer Goines. Ramse had been trying to talk to Cole about his journey into the past, trying to figure out why they hadn't been erased, but the conversation was quickly turning.
"You are not the same man since you got back," Ramse declared as they walked back into the Raritan facility, "I get it, you're a little sad about being back. I mean you got the food, the sights. You got the girl."
"It's not like that," Cole quickly followed up with, but he wasn't sure who he was trying to convince. What was the story between him and his girl from the past? She was only supposed to be a piece of the puzzle, as Jones had put it. Yet here he was, after his third time of seeing her, and he was hoping he'd get to see her again. Cole knew he wasn't from her time, he knew that in his time she was long gone, he didn't need Ramse reminded him, but he knew he wanted to change that.
Ramse continued to press him for information, "So about the girl?"
"Her name's Cassie," Cole was tired of hearing her called 'the girl' or 'Dr. Railly'. She was more than that.
"Cassie? You gonna see her again?"
"I don't know," Cole answered with a sigh. He wanted to, but it was complicated. He'd already cost her so much, he didn't want to make things worse for her. Yet he couldn't deny the fact that he wanted to see her. She had a light about her, a fight in her, that was mesmerizing to Cole. She wasn't like people of his time. She believed in the world, she believed in high morals, and in doing no harm.
As Jones tried to make sense of the new information they had, the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, Cole was wondering where he would be sent next. To 1987, to see Leland Goines again? Or would he get the chance to see Cassie again in 2015?
Jones had decided, he was going to 2015, to find Jennifer Goines. He tried to find a way he could see Cassie again, tried convincing Jones that Cassie was necessary for his mission. Cole knew Jones wasn't expecting Cassie to become part of the mission, neither was Cole. He was just supposed to use her to find Goines, then her role would be complete, but things changed. He needed her to help him navigate 2015, he needed her to help make sense of his mission. He needed her. He wouldn't have found out about the Army of the Twelve Monkeys without her. Jones didn't seem to understand; she was worried about his influence on Cassie's timeline. How his influence could erase their entire mission, but wasn't him spending time with Cassie, ensuring that Cassie would leave the message and ask for him? He wasn't going to be afraid of time, he was going to save time.
Ramse escorted Cole to the machine, "I want you to have fun back there this time, okay? I don't want you getting shot, I want you to get laid. Find some vintage."
Cole couldn't help but laugh, "Vintage?" He had already found his 'vintage' girl, but he didn't think they'd be doing anything other than the mission, anytime soon. Instead of admitting to Ramse that he wasn't interested in anyone other than Cassie, he teased him, "What was your mother's name again?" Cole continued, despite his friend's protests, "Roberta, right? Briar Street, Philly, right? She was pretty right?" Cole laughed, knowing he'd do nothing of the sort, but seeing Ramse all worked up was amusing.
Jones promised she'd send him exactly where he needed to be, and he almost believed her. That was until he landed in North Korea. In 2006. This couldn't be happening. When he finally landed in 2015, he realized he needed to find a way to get into the mental facility to be with Jennifer. When he saw a police officer pass by him, Cole knew exactly what to do.
When he got admitted into the treatment facility, he couldn't help but smile. The movie showing in the common room was weird enough to make anyone insane. As he continued walking, he heard Jennifer's name called and quickly found her. She was talking about red and blue being primary, and then about primary numbers. What was it with her and primaries? He just needed to find out about the monkeys. She wasn't getting him anywhere, but he could see in her face that she knew. She was starting to freak him out when she talked about liking his hands around her throat. He'd heard of a lot of things, but that was not one of them, and she was calling him crazy? When he tried the gentle approach, he thought he was getting through to her, but she quickly dissolved him of that notion.
When he woke up later, restrained to a bed, he wondered briefly how he was going to get out of the facility. Until he saw Jennifer, crouching like a monkey on the dresser in the room he was in. Next thing he knew she was on top of him, telling him about some night room. How would he find the Night Room? He needed to find the virus. According to Jennifer the Army was looking for it too, they had killed for it. They smelled of lavender and jasmine? Maybe that would be important later. A monkey had gotten away? Jennifer thought she killed her father? As crazy as she may be, she didn't deserve to blame herself for what he'd done. That was his ghost to worry about.
They were moving him? Where? He couldn't leave. Not when he was just starting to get somewhere with Jennifer. He needed to think fast, but then the elevator doors opened, and there stood his vintage woman.
He couldn't believe she had found him. How did she find him? She didn't look happy to see him. She had been looking for him. Listening to her save him, again, he was amazed. He was indeed very glad she had found him; he didn't know what to say with the other doctor in front of them so he just smiled. When she mentioned having clearance from his family, he realized she must be breaking some sort of rule by lying to the doctor. He felt bad for having her risk her reputation for him, again.
When she said the North Koreans had led her to him, he had never been so happy that Jones had messed up his splinter coordinates. Jones's words came rushing back to him though, Cassie couldn't be here. No matter how glad he was that she had found him. She was arguing with him about the mission, while he loved the fire she had, that she didn't want to back down, he couldn't risk it. He couldn't risk the mission; he couldn't risk her. But then she said the mission was theirs, and he felt a thrill at her words. He had to warn her about her timeline though, even if she wouldn't accept his argument. She wasn't scared of him; she wasn't backing down. Was it weird to say he was proud of her? She had come so far from when they met in 2013.
Jeremy was dead? Someone was on to them? It had to be the Army. When Cassie mentioned flowers, he was reminded of Jennifer's words. Of the man who smelled of lavender and jasmine. It was the same guy. The guy knew him? If he knew of Jeremy, he had to know of J.D. Peoples. He had to be there with them. As he fills in Cassie on what Jennifer told him, Cassie sees the pallid man. He was right, the man was at the hospital with them.
Cassie alerts the hospital that Jennifer was being taken, while he runs after her. He quickly finds himself face-to-face with the man and his gun. The man has a scar on his face, and is surprised Cole doesn't know him. Cole hasn't found it either? He must mean the night room. After the man's guard knocks Cole down, they take Jennifer. Cole can hear the man whistling as he walks away. What was that tune?
He hears Cassie running up to him, her concern for him always warms his heart. She takes him back to her bookstore and they talk about the man and the night room and the loss of Jennifer. She's the one that had Jennifer's file? He had been looking for that. Cassie was brilliant, Jennifer's talk about the one that got away could mean a scientist got away. They'd have to track them down. She looked so happy that he was assigning 'them' tasks, that he was including her. Could it be that she shares his confusion over what they are? As he felt himself being pulled back, he was happy to say he'd see her again. He had to see her again. He'd make it happen.
When he returned, Jones wasn't happy with how things had turned out. He thought it was just because they had lost Jennifer Goines, but when she brought up Cassie, he knew that was the real reason. She was upset that he defied orders. When did she start giving orders? He wasn't hers to order around. He wasn't her soldier. She hadn't given him the mission, Cassie had. He wasn't Jones' to order around, he was Cassie's. Jones could lecture him about endangering the other 7 billion all she wanted, but he wasn't going to save them without Cassie. His original mission, kill Goines, save the world, was meant to erase him. Erase what he'd done since the plague hit. Now he wanted to save the 7 billion, but he wasn't sure he wanted to be erased. He wanted to erase what he'd done still, but erase himself? Never meet Cassie? He needed her. He told Jones he couldn't do the mission alone, but he wasn't sure it was only the mission that he couldn't do alone. He was getting small glimpses of what a life would be like with someone else, with someone by his side, a partner. Someone who cared about him. He wasn't sure he wanted to give that up.
