A/N: Hey everyone! This chapter is a little bit different. It deviates from the story and dabbles in the dreams of Jake and Cassandra. Sorta like an AU fic within another fic. Its a bit longer, than the others, which Im happy about. Quick Disclaimer: I own none of the poetry or song lyrics used in this chapter. Enjoy!
That night, Jake was in his room scouring books to try and figure out the location of the Gorgon's blood. He had tried the internet, the clipping book, everything, and nothing had turned up so far. His mind drifted to Cassandra. If he couldn't find this artifact, he was going to lose her forever.
He could kill himself. If only he hadn't let his fears take control, he could have said something to her a long time ago. She could've been his. They could've been together. But now, it could be too late. Without noticing it, Jake drifted off to sleep, dreaming about what might have been.
The team entered the annex, just having returned from the STEM fair. Jake watched Cassandra. She smiled, holding the trophy that Ezekiel had stolen. He had been mesmerized by her today. He couldn't help but notice how excited she became over the STEM fair, how her eyes lit up as she saw the different presentations. Plus, who could forget how she had encouraged the others to give first place to the kid with the baking soda volcano? How couldn't you adore someone like her?
Jake was afraid, of that he was certain. But, if he had learned one thing since coming to the Library, it was that you couldn't let your fears rule your life. He liked Cassandra, a lot, and he wanted to trust her. The only way to do that was to talk to her. After taking a deep breath, he walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hey Cass" he smiled.
"Oh. Hey Jake!"she replied. Jake grinned. She was always so bubbly, full of joy. "What's up?"
"Well" Jake said, realizing that he hadn't really planned anything out. "It's uh….It's pretty nice out tonight. I was wondering if maybe ya wanted to go take a walk, maybe get a cup of coffee or something?"
"Oh!" Cassandra exclaimed, seeming surprised. "Sure that sounds nice. Let me just get my sweater."
"Oh I'll get it" Jake said, smiling. This might not be a real date, but he could still act like a gentleman.
"Okay" Cassandra grinned. He wondered what she was thinking. Not like he cared. All he knew was that she was breathtaking.
Jake returned a minute later and placed the sweater around Cassandra. During the exchange, their hands brushed. Jake couldn't help but feel a spark. For a moment, he couldn't breathe. He exhaled, reminding himself that this was just a start. He had no idea of how Cassandra even felt about him.
"Where would ya like to go?" Jake asked her.
"Well, the annex seems kind of isolated, but the actual Library was in New York City. That's nice."
"Sounds like a plan" The two laughed. Jake entered coordinates into the back door. He opened and ushered for Cassandra to go before him. He closed the door behind them and the pair walked into the evening.
A while later, the two sat in a small coffee shop, sipping cappuccino and eating pastries. Cassandra smiled at Jake and he returned the gesture. The exchange was silent. Awkward.
"So" Jake said. "Ya seemed to really enjoy that STEM fair today."
"Oh ya" Cassandra replied. "That was pretty much my scene growing up so…"she sipped her coffee. The conversation seemed to be going nowhere.
"Uh listen Cass" Jake muttered, traveling into what he knew was risky territory. "The real reason I brought ya here tonight is…well…I wanted to apologize. I guess I can act sort of distant towards ya sometimes. More than…more than I should."
"It's fine" Cassandra muttered, looking down. "You have reason too. I mean, I did betray you guys"
"Ya had your reasons. They were good reasons, and I was kind of an ass for not realizing that."
"Jake really I get it. You don't have to trust me. It's just who you are. It doesn't…" Jake cut her off.
"Here's the thing Cass. I'd never trusted anyone before I met you. I kinda liked it. And like I said, I like ya, I just don't trust ya. But that's my own problem. I uh…I want to trust ya again and I thought maybe the way to do that could be…well…maybe we could get to know each other better." Cassie smiled.
"I'd like that" she said. "Well, you know I was into STEM and stuff growing up. There was this one time…" She lost herself telling a story about some crazy science fair when she was 14. Jake watched her, listening to every word, and slowly falling in love.
They ended up talking for hours. They sat, exchanging stories and details about themselves until the shop closed and the owner kicked them out. They had laughed, not realizing how long they had been talking.
They walked back to the door that had taken them into the city, staring at the sky.
"The sky is beautiful tonight" Cassandra said. "You can see so many stars. That isn't common here."
"Thou fair-haired angel of the evening, now, whilst the sun rests on the mountains, light thy bright torch of love; thy radiant crown. Put on, and smile upon our evening bed!" Jake recited. "Smile on our loves, and while thou drawest the Blue curtains of the sky, scatter thy silver dew on every flower that shuts its sweet eyes in timely sleep"
"That's beautiful" Cassandra whispered.
"It's by William Blake" Jake said. "It's uh…one of my favorites: Evening Star. Ya know, you were talking about the stars and I uh…I just thought of it."
Cassandra found herself reaching for his hand and lacing his fingers in hers. He looked at her, not sure what to think. Before either of them knew it, she had reached up and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He found himself grabbing her waist, and sinking into her embrace as their lips met. When they parted, he looked at her and her eyes sparkled like the stars above them.
She laughed in disbelief and he couldn't help but do the same. He wrapped his arm around her and her head fell onto his shoulder. They stayed that way the entire walk, and even for a little longer once they were back in the annex.
Over the rest of their time together, Jake and Cassandra's relationship continued to bloom. Many nights they would find themselves curled up in a corner of the annex, reading a book together. Often they would kiss, and just like the first time, Cassandra would lay her head on Jake's shoulder, and he would hold her, and they would stay that way until they drifted off to sleep.
One night, Jake met Cassandra in the center of the annex.
"Hey beautiful" he said, kissing her on the head. "There's something I want to show you" He took her hand and walked with her to their corner. He pulled out a book from the shelf behind them, which he had preset. Together they sat down on the floor.
"There's a poem I found that I wanted to show you." Jake flipped to a certain page. It contained the words he was too afraid to say himself.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Cassandra looked up at him, tears in her eyes. Jake smiled back at her, confirming what she thought. Looking at her, the words were no longer difficult to say.
"Cass I-" Cassandra placed a finger to his lips, shutting him up, tears in her eyes.
"Me too" she whispered. The pair met in a passionate kiss, knowing nothing but each other. At last they parted, and Jake looked into Cassandra's eyes.
"And Cass" he said. "I trust ya. I trust ya with my life" They smiled and fell into each other's arms, lying in their special space, not needing anything else.
The following Christmas, Jake was preparing to head home for the holidays. Everyone had stayed to celebrate Eve's birthday the night before, but now they were heading their separate ways to be with their own families. He was picking up his bags, about to leave, when Cassandra walked into his room. She was frowning, her cellphone in hand.
"What's wrong?" Jake asked.
"That was my parents" she said, sounding almost angry. "I called them to tell them that I was coming home, but apparently, they decided to take a trip to Bora-Bora. They're leaving in an hour."
"They didn't think to stay and spend Christmas with you?"
"I don't know. Maybe they just…" Jake cut her off, taking her into his arms. An idea came to him.
"Hey" he said. "Why don't you uh…come home with me? That way you could still have a family Christmas."
"Really?"
"It won't be perfect. My family can be loud, and obnoxious, and without boundaries and…" Cassandra laughed.
"Thank you" she said "I think it would be lovely." The couple smiled, shared a brief kiss, and prepared to spend the holiday together.
Time continued to pass. Cassandra and Jake were together. His family loved her, and one day he finally met hers. Their love was beautiful, it felt like no one could take it from them. But Cassandra's time still came. Love is powerful, but it conquer everything.
But Jake found a way to save her. He stopped her from leaving him, and it was there, that day, at her bedside, that he got down on one knee and asked her to say "I do", because he knew that he could bear to ever come close to losing her again.
Cassandra responded with a wholehearted yes, and they kissed as she sat up, knowing now that she would get to stay.
At their wedding, she stood before him in a flowing white gown, the silky fabric cascading off of her shoulders and flowing down past her toes. Everyone in their new family was there, with Jenkins officiating the ceremony.
"By the power vested in me." he said. "I now pronounce you husband, and wife. You may kiss the bride"
Jake stared at Cassandra, tears in both of their eyes. Then, he leaned in to meet her, their first kiss as husband and wife approaching them. Their lips were just about to collide when…
Jake woke up with a start, his head resting on the book he had been reading. He found himself crying, not knowing whether the tears were of joy from his fantasy, or for the tragedy of his reality, knowing that he didn't really have that life with Cass, and that he may never get the chance to.
Back in her own room, Cassandra was lost in her own dreams. The only truth that she now knew was that she was leaving. In a few days she was going to be gone. She knew now that she had gained Jake's trust, but it was too late. She could only imagine what their life could have been if she had never faltered from the team.
She sat in a dungeon cell underneath Buckingham palace. After she had denied help to the Serpent Brotherhood, they had found a way to break into the Library anyway, and they had taken her hostage.
Lonely and afraid, she heard familiar voices from down the hallway.
"We need ideas." Flynn.
"I have some ideas" she called. In an instant, the Librarians stood in front of her cell. She relaxed, feeling safe now. Flynn opened the cell door and she walked out.
To her surprise, Jake approached her immediately, seeming terrified.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine" she answered, her voice trembling slightly. Before she could realize it, she found their hands brushing. She chuckled. She would be lying if she said that she hadn't felt things towards him since they met.
No one had ever been able to help her before when she lost control. No one had even thought to hold her, to try to help her through it.
Suddenly, Jake was hugging her, and she found herself hugging back. Perhaps he felt the same things that she did. That didn't matter at the moment. Right now, they had to stop the Serpent Brotherhood. She pulled away from him, smiling at him awkwardly, then explained to Flynn about the electromagnets.
Time went on while Jake and Cassandra said nothing. She was too shy to admit anything to him, but she felt them growing closer together with each passing day.
The night of their run in with the dragons, they stood on top of the Vatican, looking over at the city.
"It's beautiful up here" Cassandra said.
"Ya" Jake whispered. "It is"
Without realizing it, Cassandra reached over and grabbed Jake's hand, their fingers brushing gently. He looked down at the connection, looking up at her, asking silently the question that lay on both of their minds. She simply smiled at him.
"I've uh…I've always dreamed of visiting this city" he muttered.
"Me too" she whispered. They looked at each other, questions and answers in both of their minds. Without thinking, they leaned towards each other, their lips meeting gently under the stars.
When they pulled apart, they just stood staring at each other, wrapped in each other's arms, until Eve shouted that they had to go.
The following Valentine's day came, and Eve had found a way to manipulate the couples into a ball at Buckingham palace. Cassandra stared at herself in the mirror, having chosen a long, flowing, baby-pink evening gown. It was simple, but she fell in love with it at the store. Her hair was curled and swept to the side with a gold headband adorning the style.
Nervously, she made her way down the stairs to the Library's main room. Jake was waiting there with a rose. They both smiled brightly when their eyes fell on each other.
"Wow you look…" Jake began. He seemed nervous. Cassandra kissed him.
"Thank you" she said. "And so do you" Jake grabbed her arm and opened the back door. They were meeting Eve and Flynn at a restaurant in London before heading to the ball.
The couple stared at each other and kissed again before walking out the door.
That night, Jake and Cassandra were dancing. The band was playing Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors". Cassandra's head was resting gently on Jake's shoulder, the two of them slowly swaying back and forth.
The words that came out of Jake's mouth were soft and low, spoken at only a whisper, meant only for Cassandra's ears. Still, even over the music, she heard them loud and clear.
"I love you" Cassie found herself beginning to cry.
"I love you too" she whispered back. They smiled. But, as they leaned into kiss, Cassandra felt a pain in her head. Suddenly, the music was muffled, and she felt herself being pulled away from Jake by some invisible force.
He drifted away and the room went blurry. Everything grew dark and she was on her own as she was pulled farther and farther away.
Cassandra woke up crying just as the man of her dreams had in the other room, unbeknownst to her.
She wiped her tears. Even in her dreams she always faced the harsh reality. Even if she found happiness, it was going to be ripped away from her. She was dying.
Now that day had come. Still, she couldn't help but think that if the happiness she had dreamed had been a reality, that this one could have been easier.
In front of her, the TV was playing Pocahontas. One of her favorite childhood movies, she had put it in to help her fall asleep. The end credits were playing, and the lyrics of the song cut into her like a knife.
Jake heard them too, having been on his way to his own room to get some rest.
And I'm so grateful to you, I'd have lived my whole life through, empty as the sky, never knowing why, lost forever, if I never knew you.
Neither one of them noticed the other looking at them, their eyes never fully making contact, neither of them knowing how they had filled each other's dreams.
A/N: Hope you liked it! My Librarians obsession has been growing more and more over February break, so this fic is coming along pretty smoothly. Its so weird for me. Usually it takes me 2-6 months to write a fanfic chapter. Oh well. Hope you're enjoying! Next chapter will return to the plot. Bye!
