13Disclaimer: I do not own any of the brilliant characters of The Librarians, nor do I claim the dialogue as my own. But I do find it creative enough to get my juices flowing. So my eternal thanks to Dean Devlin and John Rogers for creating such awesome characters and situations.
Author's Notes: I haven't written any fanfiction in... four years? How crazy is that? Seriously, the best thing to get through a dry writing spell is to tap back into fanfiction.
Spoilers: Definite spoilers for The Librarians and the Fables of Doom (1x06). You've been warned.
If there was one thing Cassandra hated more than anything in the world, it was dwelling. Dwelling was distracting. It made her brain shift into a lower gear, making her feel slow and useless. And when she did nothing but tread water with the same idea, sooner or later her synethesia would do more than just make her feel guilty — it would take that guilt to a whole new level and put it on repeat.
Feeling guilty and being synesthetic was not a good combination. She would do whatever she could to revisit her guilt at all costs.
Which is why, when Eve suggested Cassandra partner up with Jake to go and follow up with the sheriff, Cassandra tried to carefully find a way out. It was better than she try to get out of the combination before Jake did. It was bad enough that he didn't trust her. She didn't need him outright rejecting her too.
So when Eve made the pairs, Cassandra chimed in. "Maybe I should go with you."
Eve practically cut her off. "You and Stone. Work together. Got it?"
Cassandra knew the tone well. It was her ex-military tone, the not-up-for-discussion tone. Cassandra was stuck. But before she could respond, she heard Jake's voice, light and carefree, as if discussing his favourite artistic period. "Yeah, no problem."
They were silent during the walk into town. Cassandra did her best not to look at Jake, to focus on the steps she was taking and what had caused the accident. Had he forgiven her? He'd shown her more than enough kindness during the last few cases they had worked. She felt that maybe they'd formed a bond, a connection that forgave the first sin she had committed of betraying the group. He was the only one who could help stop the endless spiral of connections her synesthesia caused. Maybe that was enough.
So, as they approached Bremen City Hall, Cassandra took a chance. "Thank you."
Jake looked at her. "What?"
Cassandra kept her hands clasped tightly in front of her as she spoke. "Um, I didn't think you'd want to work with me."
Jake smiled. "I told you Cassandra, I can work with ya." His smile quickly developed into a grin. "I like ya."
Cassandra's own smile widened with each sentence. Maybe she was right. Maybe he had forgiven her. But any hope she had quickly dissipated as he finished his thought. He shrugged and gave her a grin. "I just don't trust ya."
Cassandra didn't know whether it was the casual shrugging off he gave or the smile that accompanied the comment, but it struck her deeply and painfully. She spoke as clearly and carefully as she could, trying not to let the hurt creep so easily into her voice. "So what am I supposed to do? Just keep running around trying to regain your trust?"
Jake shook his head. "Nope." He looked at her, wearing a smile and giving another shrug. "No, I'm cool with the way it is."
Cassandra couldn't tell if he was just playing with her or not. He was okay with not trusting her? How was that even possible? Did that mean that helping her, everything he had done so far, really meant less to him than it did to her?
She felt as though she'd been sucker-punched in the gut, while Jake looked at though he didn't care. With the expression he was wearing as the sheriff approached, he could just as easily have been talking about the weather. As they discussed the photos, Cassandra wondered if this was the way it was doomed to be now.
It wasn't until the end of the day when everything was said and done that Cassandra saw the irony. The conversation with Jake, the fairy tale book, and her playing the role of Prince Charming (at least, before Jamie made her into Merlin).
Prince Charming was always the guy who saved the day. He was the guy that everybody loved, who could do no wrong. But Jenkins had been right. The heroes, the guys just trying to do right, save a life. They had the most terrible fates of all.
Cassandra might have been cast as Prince Charming, but she didn't fit the archetype at all. If that were true, she never would have put herself before everyone else. She never would have betrayed her team to save herself. Charming would have sacrificed his own life before letting down those who trusted him.
Cassandra as Prince Charming. Charming. Handsome. Strong. Strong as steel. Strong as stone. Stone.
Jake Stone.
Jake.
Cassandra blew out a breath as she rolled over in bed. Jenkins was definitely right. At the rate she was going, she would never get her happy ending.