Jassandra One Shots

First Frost

It was a chilly afternoon, the weatherman had said to expect the first frost that evening. Bundled up in a beanie and a flannel shirt, Stone didn't really mind as he trudged the now familiar path through the woods. A case was on his mind as it usually was when he came to this part of the woods, heading for Cassandra's cabin.

The case itself was as normal as their cases ever were. Sure they'd faced some danger but it was nothing that they couldn't get out of. No, the reason why Stone came to the woods this time was a much more personal one. And possibly her cabin wasn't the best location to think about Cassandra, but it was secluded and quiet. Besides, she'd gone off with Jones afterward so he knew the chance of running into her there was slim.

She hadn't been in danger this case, or at least not a particular one. She hadn't passed out or been overwhelmed. No, Cassandra had been Cassandra. Cassandra who had once thought she was invisible yet drew the notice of everyone in a room. Or maybe she really didn't. She'd always drawn his notice, from the moment he met her, back when she still held herself so small and tried to blend into the walls. But on this particular case, someone else had noticed her. What was worse, unlike many cases (an Italian heiress being one), Cassandra had more than noticed the man's interest and had seemed to return it. She'd blush and grin shyly and he was pretty sure she'd giggled once or twice. Every time it was like a knife twisting in Stone's gut. And he wasn't sure why. Good for Cassandra, she was beautiful and charming and cute and adorable and everyone should want to be in her orbit.

Stone reached the cabin before he'd even realized it. He went around back to start up the generator then unlocked the door with the key she'd given him. Once inside he sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought about why he'd been so upset about Cassandra making a new friend.

Cassandra was humming as she packed up her car. Jones had gotten her some English chocolates from a "friend" of his and she was adding them to her supplies for a cozy night in up at her cabin. The case had been pretty run of the mill, except for the charming young man at the coffee shop. She'd kept his number, but obviously him living in Maine was a big drawback to any sort of even friendship. Still she hung on to it. There was another man she'd have preferred to have interest in her, but after that one afternoon up in the cabin when he'd touched her innocently, he'd been keeping everything strictly friends. He'd taken her offer of sharing the cabin, but otherwise . . . .It was just as well, Baird and Flynn's working romance was awfully rocky for example. Maybe it was better she and Stone stayed as really good friends.

She shook her head and went back to work. No thinking about that. She added a cozy blanket, some other snacks, a thermos of hot chocolate and a stack of books. There, a good stash for curling up and unwinding. The case may have been run of the mill but there had been several lately and she needed a night to herself.

She pulled up to the cabin and went around to power up the generator. That was odd, it was already running. The cabin itself was dark. Great, so either she or Stone had forgotten to shut it off on their last trip. She hoped it still had enough to get it through the night. The gas gauge said it was good, so she breathed a sigh of relief. Oddly it should have been lower than that. Well maybe Stone had refilled it the last time and she hadn't realized.

She decided to get the lights on and the heat adjusted before she came in with her stuff. She walked around to the front of the cabin and was walking up the steps when she heard a voice.

She froze. The voice didn't seem to be addressing her directly. And she could hear movement now inside. But the lights weren't on. Her heart started beating faster and she forced herself to breathe and listen.

"Get it together. It's not like you're together. She has every right to date whoever she wants."

Stone's voice. Her breath went out in relief. But why was he in there in the dark? And who was he talking about?

"What am I going to do?" the voice from within asked what she supposed was the air. "I'm in love with her. But I've made such a mess of things, it's obvious she doesn't feel the same way. And we got Baird and Flynn maybe making her think we can't have a workplace relationship. Even though those two are crazy about each other. It's just weird."

At the door, Cassandra let out a noise like a squeak. She'd been trying to be quiet but the reality that he was talking about her hit her like a ton of bricks. The movement inside suddenly froze and then the footsteps moved toward the door. Cassandra froze, unable to move as the door suddenly opened.

They gaped at each other like fish until she was able to move a hand past him and click on the light.

"Cass . . .I wow, uh . . . ."

"You're in love with me?" she blurted out, staring at him.

Stone blinked at her and looked down at the floor briefly. Then he looked up, looking like he was going to deny it but then squeezed his eyes shut for a second. When he opened them, he looked at her, nodded and then back at the floor, his eyes tightly shut.

What she said next stunned him. "Oh thank goodness! I thought you'd put me in uh the friend zone as Ezekiel calls it. I don't know if I'm quite uh in love with you yet. But I'd like to be. I mean, I'd like to find out if we could be in love. Date you . . .um, Jacob?"

Jacob started laughing. Then he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into him. "Darlin' I get it."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he grinned. "So that guy in the coffee shop?"

"He was cute and sweet. And I might have called him if there wasn't a you. But there is. And I'd like there to be an us. Or try? Would that be okay?"

"Absolutely," Stone said. And then he kissed her.

The End