A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter was a little later. It gave me some trouble. Anyway, here it is now. I hope you like it!

Jake chased Cassandra as she raced down the street. When he finally caught up with her, he grabbed her and pulled her shaking body into him. She buried her head in his chest, soaking his shirt with tears. He stroked her curls, knowing that there was nothing he could do for her but be there.

He held her in front of him and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Hey hey hey" he urged. "Look it's gonna be okay. I love you. We are going to have an amazing wedding, and marriage. And if we're blessed with the opportunity, I reckon you're gonna be the best mother ever" Cassandra smiled in spite of herself.

"I know" she sniffed. "I love you too. I expected this to happen, but it's just really hitting me that my parents are not gonna be at my wedding."

Jake wrapped his arm around her, and her head dropped onto his shoulder. He kissed it and rubbed his hand up and down her side, bringing warmth and comfort in the cold, New York, winter air.

"You know what?" he said "We'll go home, and I'll cook up your favorite dinner, and we'll cuddle up on the couch and watch Matilda, which I also know is your favorite."

Cassandra smiled again and wiped away the last of her tears.

"That sounds lovely. You're the best"

"Cassandra! Wait!" a voice called. Footsteps pounded the sidewalk behind them. Cassandra turned to see Melody standing in front of her out of breath.

"I have nothing to say to you" she snapped.

"Cassie please. Look I'm sorry I didn't speak up in there. Mom and Dad cut me off before I could say how happy I was for you"

"It's more than just what happened in there"

"What are you talking about?" Jake stood back, confused, waiting to intervene at any second.

"I was alone in everything!" Cassandra yelled. She was starting to tear up again. "I had cancer, and I was alone."

Melody looked down, shying away.

"We had always been allies in that house. Mom and Dad would get crazy about grades, and you would come into my room, and help me with homework, and it was the one time a day I could joke around, and act like a kid. You were all I had!"

"Cassie…"

"No! It's my turn to talk. When I needed you more than ever, when I was dying, and still all Mom and Dad could focus on was school, you abandoned me!"

"Don't you think I was scared too?" Melody retorted. The two sisters were in a full blown argument now. Jake knew he had to just let it happen. "Remember, we grew up in the same house. I had the same pressures on me. I was in college. I was afraid of what would happen if I told them they were wrong."

"I WAS 15!" Cassandra's voice cracked as she screamed, releasing over twenty years worth of bottled up anger for the first time. "I wouldn't have cared how much you did. I would have been happy if you just came into my room and held me when I cried. I had just lost everything. I needed my big sister"

"I know Cassie" Melody was starting to cry now too. "I regret what happened every day. I should have supported you more. I can't turn back time, but I can be here for you now"

Cassandra stopped for moment and looked her sister up and down. Her voice calmed, though her arms were still crossed tightly across her chest.

"What about the in-between?" she asked. "After I moved out of the house, I was alone with everything. I was in the hospital with cancer related issues multiple times, and I didn't get so much as a phone call from you. I was lonely for so many years"

"I didn't think you wanted to hear from me after what I did" Melody admitted. Crying, she approached Cassandra and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, and I really hope you can forgive me, because I'm so excited for this wedding." She glanced over at Jake, then stared at her sister, locking eyes with her. "After we got the news I didn't know if I'd see you reach 18 and now look at you. My baby sister is getting married."

Jake glanced at Cassandra and saw tears filling her eyes. He studied her stance, watching the familiar view of her releasing her tension. He smiled. This was going to end well.

"I missed you so much Mel" Cassandra cried.

Melody laughed as her tears turned to those of joy. She wrapped her arms around her little sister, pulling her close. Cassandra held her tightly in return.

Jake smiled at the scene. Cassandra finally had someone. Sure she had him and the rest of the Librarians, but she needed this. He had family, she needed it to. The woman he loved was watching her life change for the better, right before his eyes.

"I hate to break this up" Jake interrupted, clearing his throat "But the next train leaves in 15 minutes, and it's a ten minute walk to the station."

"You're not leaving yet are you?" Melody asked.

"Well where else are we supposed to go?" Cassie explained, wiping away her tears. "The reunion with Mom and Dad was a bust. I haven't lived in this town since I was 19 years old. What else is there for me to do?"

"Are you kidding? You're engaged! We have to celebrate, and you and I both know that all the best celebrations on Long Island happen at one place."

"The Diner!" the sisters said at the same time. Jake did a double take. Five minutes back together and the pair was already doing freaky things.

"French fries and milkshakes?" Cassandra asked excitedly.

"French fries and milkshakes" Cassandra jumped up and down.

"Come on" Melody continued. "We'll take my car"

The sisters turned around and began to run, suddenly engaged in frantic conversation.

"Hello?" Jake called, waving his hands in the air. Cassandra turned around and froze.

"Ooops. Sorry honey. Come on let's go get lunch!"

Jake shook his head and chased after his fiancée. He was elated. Finally, he got to see a part of her past that wasn't tragic. Finally, he was sure she could be happy.

Fifteen minutes later, Melody had pulled up in front of the Sherwood Diner. Cassandra bounced up in down in her seat.

"I missed this place" she exclaimed "I haven't been here since the seventh grade"

After exiting the car, she grabbed Jake's hand. She swung their arms back and forth as they walked towards the diner.

"Melody used to take me here after school" she explained. "We would tell my parents we were going to study groups, but really we would just come here and unwind."

Cassandra nearly lost her footing when they walked inside.

"Oh it still looks the same" she squealed. Melody smiled at her before walking up to the matordee to get a table.

Cassandra leaned her head on Jake's shoulder. This day had turned out to be pretty amazing after all. Having her fiancée by her side only made it better. As she stood there in absolute bliss, her eyes fell on a woman standing across the lobby.

She searched her memory, trying to place her. When the woman turned, and she saw her full face, it clicked instantly.

"Samantha Bennet?" she called.

The woman's eyes met hers and a look of astonishment crossed her face.

"Cassandra?" she asked. Cassie sprung from Jake's grip and rushed towards the woman. They rushed into a tight embrace. Jake was confused.

"How are you?" Cassandra squealed.

"Me?" Samantha explained. "How are you? I haven't seen you since we were 18."

The girls hugged again, rocking back and forth. Jake walked up and tapped Cassandra on the shoulder.

"Uh Cassie?" he asked. "Who's this?"

"Oh I'm sorry" Cassandra laughed. "This is Sam. We were best friends growing up. Sam this is my fiancée Jake"

Jake and Samantha shook hands. Jake was beaming. Here was another person from Cassandra's life. This was turning out to be a much better day than either one of them had expected.

"You're getting married?"

"Guilty" Cassie chuckled, holding up her ringed finger. "We got engaged on Christmas Eve"

"Cassie I'm so happy for you" Samantha cried, grabbing her hands. "Anyway…what are you doing here?"

"Oh. We came to tell my parents about the engagement"

"Didn't go well I bet" Cassandra shook her head.

"Melody was excited though, so we decided to go out for lunch. What are you doing?"

"Oh you remember my little brother" Samantha indicated the man standing behind her. Cassandra smiled brightly.

"Danny!" she exclaimed, rushing over to hug him.

"We were just having some lunch ourselves" Samantha explained.

Cassandra looked back and forth between her old friends. She could hardly believe her eyes. This was her life. This was what she always imagined as a kid, before everything fell apart. Finally, it was all coming true.

"We should all get a table together, if you're up for it" Samantha added.

"That sounds lovely" Cassandra chimed. "We have so much catching up to do"

Twenty minutes later, Cassandra, Samantha, Jake, Melody and Danny were all seated around a table in a booth, laughing.

"So" Melody pushed. "I never even heard how you two got together. Don't hold back. I want to hear all the fascinating details"

Cassandra chuckled at her sister's playfulness. She felt like she was back in the seventh grade, telling Melody all about her secret crush.

"Well, we had had a rough day out in the research field, but it ended well. I remember that day. I could tell we were looking at each other in a whole new light. And then that night, as I'm getting ready to go to bed, he just shows up at my door with a sunflower" Cassandra's eyes lit up as she told the story. Jake watched her, overflowing with pure love

"I picked it because they're bright and sunny like her" Cassandra cuddled in close to Jake. Melody and Samantha sighed like teenagers watching a cheesy rom-com.

What the couple neglected to tell the others, and what they neglected to tell everyone except their fellow Librarians, was that day was no ordinary day in the field. They almost didn't make it out that day, and they wouldn't have if it weren't for Cassandra. She held out her hand to Jake and asked him to trust her, that she could lead them out of the dark tunnel.

To the surprise of them both, he grabbed her hand, and when they were back to safety, he couldn't help himself anymore. He immediately pulled her in and kissed her hard, and she didn't hold back. Neither of them said anything though, until he showed up with the sunflower.

That was their love story. Sure, it had to stay a secret, but to them it was timeless. Certainly better than any piece of classic literature Jake had ever thrown himself into.

"You two are so adorable" Samantha squealed. "I'm so happy you found love Cassandra. You deserve it more than anyone I know."

Jake kissed his fiancée on the head, and she scrunched up her face in delight. He beamed. She never looked cuter than when she did that.

Just then, David, who felt a little awkward, cleared his throat.

"Food's here." He announced. Cassandra clapped her hands excitedly as her dish was placed in front of her.

Immediately she picked up a French fry and dipped it into her chocolate milkshake.

"Ah!" Jake exclaimed, scooting back away from her. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"This was my favorite treat when I was growing up" She took a bite of the concoction and a look of pure satisfaction crossed her face.

"Oh my god" she sighed "Still tastes exactly the same."

"Fries dipped in a milkshake?" Jake asked. He was disgusted, simply staring at Cassandra and what she had just put in her mouth.

"Don't knock it till' you try it" she argued. "I know it sounds gross, but it's so good"

"I used to love them dipped in Chocolate Mousse" Melody added. Cassandra nodded vehemently as she chomped on another fry.

"I always thought it was crazy too" Samantha whispered, leaning in to Jake. He smiled.

"So" Melody pushed. "Tell us more Cassie. Come on we want to know everything."

"No, no we've heard about me all day. I want to know about you two" Cassandra insisted.

"Well I'm married with two kids" Samantha said

Cassandra's face lit up, but only Jake saw the hurt hidden deep in her eyes. He looked the same way every time he gained another in-law, or niece, or nephew. He was happy the people he loved were so happy, but there was some degree of regret that he didn't have it.

For Cassandra it was even worse. She had lived most of her life far removed from any chance of having anything like this. Not only that, but she had missed out on all these things in her best friend's life. When they were growing up she thought of Samantha like another sister, and yet she knew nothing of how her life had progressed.

"That's amazing" she cried.

"Yeah it really is" Samantha smiled. "You have to come over one day and meet everyone"

"I would love to" The friends were silent for a moment, staring at each other reminiscently.

"Alright" Samantha interrupted. "Enough of the tears. The real news is that Danny here just got his first book published!"

"Danny!" Cassandra exclaimed, smacking him on the arm. "That's amazing!" Danny grinned shyly and shrugged.

The table was loud with discussion now. Jake asked Samantha about her kids. Cassandra asked Danny about his book. Despite it all, Melody still bore a frown on her face. Cassandra, still completely in tune with her sister after so many years, noticed it immediately.

"What's wrong Mel?" she asked.

"Oh nothing." Melody sighed. "It's just I don't have anything all that exciting to talk about"

"Oh come on, I'm sure there's something" Cassandra insisted.

"I'm a professor at NYU. That's it."

"But that's what you always wanted!"

"I know, but look at you! You're so happy, and in love, and I've never really had that. I've come close a couple of times but…" She paused

"The point is, you strayed from what we were always told. You separated yourself from Mom and Dad and now you have this amazing life…me, I got so focused on my work and their idea of perfection that I never allowed myself time for anything else. Now I'm 43, unmarried, and I guess…I've just never had what really matters in life."

Cassandra reached across the table and grabbed her sister's hands.

"You have us now" she urged "You have me. I am here, and I will help you be happy. Look on the bright side. You have your dream job. That's all you ever talked about when we were growing up."

Melody grinned briefly and stared down at the table.

"I just wish I had seen the bigger picture a little bit earlier you know?" she whispered.

Cassandra could relate to her big sister. Most of her life had been spent feeling the same way: incomplete. She knew how Melody felt. Still, she knew that she had it easier. She'd had the Library for the past 3 years, Jake for two. Not only that, but her sister had five years on her. She was lucky, she had found her home. She knew extending that to her sister would be one of the most important things she could do.

A/N: So that's that! This chapter was fun for me, because I'm from Long Island, so I loved writing about some of the culture. And I'm pretty sure I've been to the Sherwood Diner. Also, yes, in middle school I used to love dipping my fries in chocolate mousse, and it's delicious.

So, aside from that little tidbit, I have some news! If you're not already following me on Tumblr at kingdomkeepers365, and you don't know, I've started a tag for this fic! There I'm going to post visuals from the chapter, chapter announcements, sneak peeks, and more. I'm so excited for it. To find it, just use the tag "and till death do us part". Hope you all enjoy, and I'm super excited to keep sharing this fic with you. Until we meet again my little LITs!