Jake and Cassandra were in the annex, preparing to leave to pick up Cassandra's parents from the airport, when Flynn and Baird returned through the back door from their latest mission.
"Cassandra! Good, you're still here," Flynn exclaimed. "Will you help me find a place in the Library for our latest find?"
"Do you really need help with that? We were just about to head out," Cassandra said.
Jake's eyes widened when he noticed just what object Flynn had in his hand, and he pulled Cassandra behind him by her arm.
"Is that a Maori Warrior Mask!?" He snapped at the head Librarian. Cassandra looked confused, but remained behind Jake.
"Why yes it is," Flynn held the mask up and smiled proudly. "And it wasn't easy to get ahold of, let me tell you."
"Aren't those things supposed to be cursed? They bring bad luck to pregnant women who get anywhere near them!" Jake growled.
"Wait, what!?" Cassandra squeaked from behind Jake, her head peeking out from over his shoulder. "And you want me to help you put it away?"
Flynn looked between the two. Jake's face was full of concern for his wife, but he also looked angry at Flynn for bringing the mask into the annex, and Cassandra was mostly hiding behind her husband, peeking out just a little bit, her eyes wide with panic. Flynn couldn't help but chuckle as he took the sight in.
"You don't actually believe that myth, do you?" He laughed.
"You mean it won't bring me bad luck?" Cassandra asked. She still stood behind Jake, but she lifted her head higher from behind his shoulder. Her husband, on the other hand, remained in shock, a look of bewilderment plastered on his face.
Flynn shook his head, and Cassandra slowly made her way out from behind Stone.
"If it won't bring Cassandra bad luck, why does it need to be kept in the Library?" Jake asked, starting to come out of his trance.
"I honestly don't think you want to know the answer to that," Flynn answered all too casually, not at all easing Jake's mind. "Cassandra? You coming?"
Cassandra looked at Jake, who shrugged. They still had some time, and she trusted the head Librarian, so she decided it was easiest to just help Flynn rather than to try and get away. After the two had left to go to the main Library, Jake and Baird were left alone.
"Is Cassandra really safe around that thing?" Jake asked, still concerned. His eyes lingered on the door that the other two had just exited.
"Come on, Stone. This is Flynn we're talking about. Do you really think he would put Cassandra's health at risk? Or the baby's?"
Jake let Baird's words sink in, knowing full well that she was right. He nodded, but didn't say anything further on the subject.
"Now that we're alone, I wanted to ask you something," Baird said
"I thought it was weird that Flynn needed help simply putting something away," Jake said, turning his attention to his Guardian. "What did you need, Baird?"
"I wanted to throw Cassandra a baby shower," the colonel started to say.
Jake smirked. "You? Plan a baby shower?"
"I know, I know," Baird agreed. "That's why I'm talking to you. You have sisters, don't you? You must know a thing or two about this."
"I guess," Jake shrugged. "They always held traditional showers, so I've never actually been to one, but I suppose I know a few things."
"Do you think I should try and throw it together while Cassandra's parents are here?" Baird asked.
"I don't think so," Jake shook his head. "I've never met Cassandra's mom, but I have a sneaking suspicion that she and Cass have very different ideas as to how to celebrate this sort of thing."
"I was kind of thinking the same thing. In that case, I was thinking something a bit more modern and informal. You know, invite you, Flynn, Jones, and Jenkins as well. Nothing too fancy, just a fun little get together."
"Jenkins? At a baby shower?" Jake smiled. "Now there's something I'd pay to see."
Baird rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.
"That all sounds good, Baird," Jake confirmed. "I think she'd really like that."
"Who would really like what?" Cassandra asked, appearing in the doorway.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, darlin'," Jake said sweetly, making his way over to her. "Ready to go?"
"Not in the least," Cassandra rolled her eyes, but took the hand Jake held out to her as they headed out to the parking area.
Jake sighed and strummed his fingers along the steering wheel of his truck. He was officially bored. The two of them were parked in the cell phone waiting area of the Portland International Airport, waiting for Cassandra's parents to call and let them know that they had arrived. Then they were going to drive up front to meet them.
"Are you sure we can't go inside?" Jake asked, a little more whiny than he had intended to sound.
"I really don't feel like dealing with the crowds today, Jake," Cassandra said. "Besides, if we meet my parents inside that's a couple of extra minutes we'd have to spend with them."
"But Cassie, do you realize how gorgeous this place is?" Jake insisted.
"Uh, yes?" Cassandra looked up from her phone which she held in her lap. "Do you realize we've been here before?"
"Barely," Jake rolled his eyes. "First time through, Flynn was dying. I wasn't really paying attention. And the second time through, you were so shaken up, you weren't paying attention."
"Of course I wasn't paying attention, honey," Cassandra agreed, dryly. "It's an airport."
"It's got the most beautiful, modern architecture," Jake argued. "Don't you want to look around?"
Cassandra set her phone down on the dashboard and reached over, taking one of Jake's hands off the steering wheel and entwining her fingers with his.
"You're adorable, you know," she smiled at him. "We can come back. Someday when I'm less stressed, less pregnant, maybe we can go on a vacation the old fashioned way? We wouldn't be able to see very much today, anyways. Not without tickets."
Jake smiled and brought their joined hands up to his lips, placing a small kiss on Cassandra's.
"It's a date," he said affectionately, and then leaned in to kiss her properly. Just as the kiss started to deepen, the couple were startled by Cassandra's phone going off.
"That'll be my parents," Cassandra sighed as she pulled away and reached for her phone. "First they don't let me date during high school. And now that I'm an adult, married and pregnant, they're still trying to keep me away from the boys."
Jake couldn't help but chuckle at that, though he was silently cursing her parents' poor timing.
"Hi dad," Cassandra answered her phone. "No, we're outside… Yeah, that's right… We'll meet you out front… okay then, see you soon."
She sighed as she hung up. "We haven't even seen them yet and they're already disappointed in me," she stated to Jake, who raised his eyebrow in curiosity to her. "They wanted us to meet them inside."
Jake smirked, but quickly stopped when Cassandra glared at him.
"We uh, I guess we should drive up front then," he said, coughing slightly. He then started the truck and pulled out of the waiting area, driving around to the front of the airport.
They had just pulled up to the front doors when a middle aged couple emerged. The man was tall and had thinning, light brown hair. He looked nothing like Cassandra. However, the woman he was with looked very much like an older version of the redheaded Librarian. Jake knew immediately that these people were Cassandra's parents.
Jake and Cassandra stepped out of the truck and made their way over to the older couple. Straight away, her father set down his suitcase and held his arms wide open.
"Come give your dad a hug," he exclaimed, obviously happy to see his daughter for the first time in years. Cassandra smiled half heartedly and hugged her father, as well as her mother, though her mom seemed less eager about the gesture than her husband did.
"Look at you! I can't believe my baby girl is going to have a baby girl of her own," her dad beamed as he took in the sight of his daughter.
"Mom, dad, this is Jacob," Cassandra introduced Jake once everyone had settled down.
"Nice to meet you sir, ma'am," Jake said as he shook hands with his in-laws.
"Nonsense," Cassandra's father said. "We're family. None of this sir and ma'am stuff. Call us Christopher and Catherine."
"Alright, Christopher," Jake nodded, then turned to Catherine. "Let me help you with your bags."
"Thank you," she smiled as he took the bags, then gave Cassandra a look that meant she approved of her daughter's husband.
Jake carried Catherine's bags to his truck and gently set them in the back. Christopher had followed with his own bags, which Jake took from him and set next to Catherine's.
"So, a pickup truck?" Christopher questioned. "You sure that's appropriate for driving with a baby?"
"Dad," Cassandra warned as she and her mom followed the men to the truck. Jake, however, seemed less annoyed by the question.
"We plan on getting a second vehicle before the baby is born," he answered in stride.
"Well that's good to hear. I only want the best for my granddaughter," Christopher stated.
From behind her father, Jake noticed Cassandra roll her eyes. Her parents seemed nice enough, though he had spent less than five minutes with them and already he had a glimpse of their passive aggressiveness. Their intentions were good, however, so he put on a smile.
"Are you guys hungry? I thought we would all go out to dinner," Jake offered. "Though it was a long flight, if you're tired we can go back to our place and I can whip up something."
"Oh, no need to go through so much trouble for us," Catherine said. "We slept on the plane anyways. Going out sounds like a nice idea."
"Excellent," Jake smiled. "There's a nice little pub that Cassandra and I like to go to sometimes. Sound good?"
"A pub, how quaint," Catherine responded.
"Wherever you want to go is fine with us," Christopher agreed.
Jake nodded, then held open the back door of his truck for Cassandra's parents. He held out an arm to help Catherine in, then shut the door behind her. Catherine's amused tone when she had referred to the idea of a pub as "quaint" hadn't slipped past him, and he took a deep breathe before getting into the truck himself, wondering just how this evening was going to go.