Cold Days and Quiet

The rain was falling in a thick sheet. And it was cold, not cold enough to snow but much too could to travel anywhere. Which meant that the Annex's resident red head Cassandra Cillian couldn't go anywhere. This would have been fine except it was cold. Cold and quiet. Ever since Cassandra was fifteen she hated the cold. The tumor in her head made her more sensitive to the cold. She couldn't believe that she was the only one in the annex today. As much as she hated the cold she also hated the quiet. The library was unervingly quiet. She could feel the panic start to rise. Yep the Library was too quiet. Cassandra decided to change that.

She put on her heavy coat and dialed up her home town. When the door arrived she walked through. It was snowing. She breathed a sigh of apprehension, it was good to see her old town. She walked down the street till she arrived to a small shop. Hal's Pet Village. Good Old Hal, when she was diagnosed with her tumor, Hal allowed her to volunteer with the pets. For years she would come in and be loved by pets who were hoping for a friend. For years every week she would say good bye to a special friend. Cassandra didn't know that job would prepare her for saying good bye to her family. She would always say the same mantra. "It's better that way, at least they get to be loved. At least they get to live." Her family was very different, such a knife in the heart when they disowned her. As she walked into the small pet shop, the familiar jingle of the tiny bell above the door. She heard Hal call out from the back. She stopped by the one of the cages and inside was the fluffiest kitty she ever seen. It was a large maine coon with brownish fur and golden eyes.

"Well, well look what the cat dragged in" A joyful man's voice echoed of the glass and the Kitty turned to look at Hal.

"Hal! What nice surprise."

"Surprise! Cass, you know this is the only store in the county." Hal reached out and hugged the librarian. "What are you looking for today?"

"A friend." Cassandra whispered not taking her eyes off the cat.

"Well you know how to find a forever friend. You have to make contact." Hal opened the Maine's cage and Cassandra reached up. The cat smelled her hand then rubbed his face on Cassandra's face. Suddenly the cat purred. Hal reached in and carefully grabbed the cat and put him in Cassandra's arms. The big house cat rubbed his face against Cassandra's. Cassandra smiled at the fluffy cat. The maine coon melted into Cassandra's arms.

"I'll take this one." Cassandra responded.

Hal nodded and responded "Well this is a sweet cat, the only thing is he is a package deal. You have to take his friend."

Cassandra then noticed a tiny white kitty with caramel colored ears. This kitten was huddled in the corner.

"This little lady was abandoned by her mama. Old Lion here has protected her and cared for her. But I can't adopt them separately." Hal responded as the tiny Kitten came close to see where her friend was. Cassandra used her free hand and touch the snowy white kitty.

"Okay well looks like I'll adopt both of them. They can be library cats." Cassandra said as the tiny kitty started purring. "Just let me call someone"

An hour later after conivincing Jenkins that having 2 library cats would be very important. Then convincing him that she would cover the adoption fee and that they would be fine. It came down to Cassandra using her cancer card and saying that she never had a pet. Jenkins finally gave in and said they would be her responsibility. Then collect all the necessary things for the kitties, Jenkins dialed up the back door in the storage closet of the shop. Cassandra carried Lion and Belle into the library. She took care of them and made sure they were settled. Cassandra put two collars on the cats complete with a tiny silver bell. There was already a soft footed being who resided in the Library. It seemed to be Ezekiel's favorite pass time to sneak up on people a bell was a must for the cat. Cassandra laughed at the thought of maybe she should put one on Ezekiel too. After everyone was settled. Cassandra found herself in a chair with a knit blanket and one of her favorite books. Soon both cats were settled on her lap, they were purring loudly. Soon she was sound asleep in the chair feeling very loved and very warm.

2 hours later:

Cassandra awoke to series of shouts and screams, and glanced down at her now empty lap. And a loud roar echoed through the Library.

"Oh No" She ran into the anteroom. There she found the guardian and fellow librarians trying to corner a lion. A lion who was wearing a red collar with a giant bell around its neck. It had to be Lion. On top of the lion's back was sweet little Belle. She looked like she was ready to pounce. Jake had his sword, Eve her gun and Ezekiel was holding a chair like he was the lion tamer from the one time she visited the circus as a child.

"Stop, don't hurt it" Cassandra yelled.

They all stopped and as they turned to look at the red headed librarian.

"Lion! Bad Kitty!" Cassandra yelled toward the lion.

Belle jumped off the lion's back and the lion turned toward Cassandra, it immediately look as it was going to pounce at Cassandra. The lion pounced.

In a blink of an eye the big lion turned into a large house cat. It landed in Cassandra's arms and nuzzled its face into Cassandra's. It purred loudly. And Belle wrapped herself around Cassandra's legs. The other's except Jenkins who now decided to make an appearance took in the scene. Eve slowly lowered her gun and Jacob dropped his sword. Ezekiel sat down in the chair.

"Cassandra what is going on? Why are two cats in the annex? And why is one cat a Lion in disguise?" Eve asked.

"Well I thought the Annex was kind of lonely and thought we needed a friend. So I ended up adopting these two cats. Lion's the Maine coon and Belle is the white one." Cassandra said quietly feeling much like an in trouble child reporting to her parent. "I guess Lion got scared and since he's in a magical library it turned him into an actual Lion. I needed a friend. " Cassandra nuzzled the cat.

Eve groaned and put her gun on her desk. Then she headed to the gym.

"Next time someone wants to get a pet. You will need to run it by me and the rest of the team. Or at least send a text of warning." Eve shouted as she turned the corner.

Ezekiel followed closely behind. "Hey Eve, I think the Library could defiantly benefit for having a Raccoon."

The conversation died as they got further away.

Jenkins grabbed the chair and put it away. Cassandra bent down and picked up Belle and turned to leave.

The annex was quiet again except for the soft sound of the two cats purring.

Later

Cassandra was enjoying the comfortable quiet. The fire was warm. The cats on her lap were purring contently. Cassandra laughed quietly at the book she was reading.

"Good book?" Jake asked but his voice startled her. And the cats. Lion got up and stretched. The large cat jumped off the chair and walked over to where he standing. Lion walked over to the cowboy and purred loudly and rubbed against Jake's leg. Jake crouched down and petted the soft cat. Cassandra watched the exchange and smiled.

Jake was so absorbed in the cat that he never noticed Cassandra smiling as she cuddled Belle.

When he looked up his eyes connected with Cassandra.

"Good book?" Jake asked again.

"Yes" Cassandra said simply.

"Cassie why did you need to get a cat?" Jake asked. Cassandra glanced away. He almost turned away.

"I don't like the quiet. Or the cold. But mostly the quiet. I was here earlier and it was just too quiet. Much like tests, those crazy timed tests. Timed tests where I needed to fill in those stupid bubble. Not enough room to fill out complete math problem. Patterns bubbles make patterns. Patterns like Prime numbers. Prime number are not divisible. Dividable like pie. I love strawberry pie. Pi, pi is irrational long list of never ending numbers. 3.14159265359…"

"Cassandra!" Jake interrupted before she could trail off anymore. Lion seemed to know she was upset and jumped on her lap. When her spell was over she looked up and saw that Jake was now standing very close.

"Are you back?" Jake asked. He stared into her light blue eyes. Worried that Cassandra was still in the spell. Cassandra felt her heart race like it always does when Jacob stood close. He face was so close to hers that if she wanted to she could kiss him. He searched her eye anxiously to make sure she was okay.

"Yes. Cassandra said quietly

"So why the cats?" Jake asked again.

"If something falls off of something. I can reassure myself that it my cat. That's it not Lamia or the serpent brotherhood or a fictional trying to kill me. Having a cat remind me that I'm not alone. That I won't die alone." Cassandra said.

"Oh Sweetheart, since you joined the Librarians, you won't die alone. You have now five other people who like to know where you are at all times. Who are always going to be concerned where you are and what you do. You are never gonna be alone anymore." Jake said with his eye never leaving hers

"Does that include you?" Cassandra asked.

"Yep it does." Jake responded. Cassandra stared into his dark grey blue eyes. She felt her heart beat quicken again.

"Well then you have to meet to Belle and Lion. They are our new library cats. Be careful with Lion. Thinks he is a Lion. Belle is his baby sister. She was abandoned. He took her in. Here sit next to me and you can get to know them. This chair should be big enough for the both of us." She pulled Jake next to her and covered him with her blanket. Belle sat on Jake's lap and settled in. Jake stretched arm around the back of the chair. Cassandra leaned back and petted Lion. She glanced back at Jake and smiled a bright smile. Jake reflected that smile and settled in to spend the evening with his favorite redhead.