Jassandra One Shots

Halloween Costumes

Stone sighed as he went through his closet. Cassandra had roped all of her co-workers into attending a Halloween costume party for charity. Flynn had backed her up, noting that the Library had done lots of community outreach via it's Metropolitan Library cover in New York and that they should start doing similar things in Portland. And honestly Stone wouldn't have minded going to this particular party if he hadn't been made to dress up. Cassandra also had stipulated that they had to make their own costumes or put them together from items they already owned. Then the money they might have spent on costumes could go to the charity. It was a nice sentiment but he really was drawing a blank. Finally upon rummaging he found his old cowboy hat. Not his favorite one that was probably still in a lost and found box back at Duke's but an older beat up brown one. This was probably lazy as hell but then he'd waited until an hour before they were going to meet up to even look at costumes.

Flynn and Baird were already waiting in the Annex when Stone arrived. They'd opted to don the clothes they'd worn when they were trapped in the past. Possibly an odd choice, given everything, but they made for perfect Halloween costumes.

"Authentic and we didn't have to spend a dime on it," Flynn grinned. "Um, nice uh hat."

Baird shook her head. "Didn't try very hard did ya, Stone? I mean I at least have to wear a corset, that's torture enough for charity."

"I'm here," Cassandra said, bouncing in. "I had to look in the wardrobe room for this hat." Jacob narrowed his eyes slightly at the thought. He never thought to look at the wardrobe room, that would have counted. Stupid.

Then he got a good look at her and his mouth opened. She was wearing a white blouse trimmed with yellow and a blue and cowhide patterned skirt. She was wearing brown cowboy boots, her hair braided into a single braid tied with a yellow ribbon and a red cowboy hat on her head. A cowgirl?

"Oh my gosh Stone!" she giggled. "You're Woody!"

Woody? He looked a little confused. He'd grabbed a yellow plaid shirt from his closet to go with his standard jeans and cowboy boots. To cowboy things up a little, he'd tied a red bandana around his neck. Wait, Woody . . .he knew that from somewhere.

"I'm Jessie!" Cassandra stared at him and his confusion. "Um, you are Woody right?"

"Um. . .oh! Toy Story!" Stone laughed. "Well, sure let's go with that."

"That's so cool!"

"Nice save," muttered Baird just as Jones waltzed in.

The Australian started laughing as he saw Stone and Cassandra.

"Ain't ya sweet," he said in a very bad imitation of some Southern accent. Stone looked him over, the thief was wearing jeans and a dark blue shirt. Nothing about him seemed different except his hair which was styled a little like his usual style.

Stone narrowed his eyes. "Shut up Jones, you ain't even got a costume."

"Oh but I do," Jones said, going back to his regular accent. "Jeans, boring shirt, spiky hair." He pointed down to his feet, "boots. Now who ya'll reckon I am?"

Cassandra suddenly lifted her hands to her mouth, trying and not succeeding to hide her giggles. Baird put a hand on Stone's arm as his lifted almost as of it's own accord. Flynn looked confused.

"I don't get it," he stage whispered to Jenkins who had elected to stay home.

"Ah, Mr. Carsen, I'm sure Mr. Jones will enlighten you on the way. " He rolled his eyes, "perhaps in the future Mr. Jones, you might wish to impersonate some super hero or member of the Kardashian clan."

"Let's go," Baird said, taking her hand off of Stone who just glared at the thief.

Ezekiel shot them both a devil may care smile and sauntered up to Cassandra. "You're lookin' mighty fine tonight, Miss Cassandra." He offered his arm, which she took with another giggle.

Stone was increasingly torn between getting drunk and punching Jones' lights out. All night long the boy had been floating in Cassandra's orbit, standing where Stone himself usually stood. He flirted shamelessly with her and when he wasn't, he was staring dreamily at the girl. Stone didn't know what the thief's angle was but he'd had enough.

Finally he pulled Ezekiel away from Cassandra by his elbow. Neither noticed Cassandra following behind them as Stone dragged him behind a wall.

"What the hell man? What are ya doin'?"

"I'm doing you, mate! "

"I don't sound like that."

"Okay, I'll give you that. But you do stand inches away from Cassandra, you do flirt with her and you do stare at her."

"I don't . . . ."Stone's voice trailed off as he fought between denying it and the truth.

"You do! So do something about it!" Ezekiel rolled his eyes. "And now if you'll excuse me, I see some birds over by the bar that I would like to talk to now that I'm done doing your job."

Stone groaned and slammed his hand against the wall where Jones had been standing. That's when a throat cleared. He turned and looked. Cassandra was standing there.

"You heard that," he said simply.

"Yeah, um, I've been putting two and two together all night. Ever since he started up. Can we go outside and talk?"

Stone sighed and nodded. This was the part where a girl let him down easy. He knew the path well though this was the first time it had happened with a girl who knew the real him.

They got to a quiet place outside and Cassandra turned to him. "I don't know where to start."

"Just go ahead and say it, Cassie. I understand."

Cassandra looked confused for a moment and then studied his face in the porch lights. "Jacob . . .you think I'm about to tell you that . . . ."

She laughed and he looked even more confused. That's when she surprised him again by walking up to him and kissing him. He was surprised for just a moment and then he kissed her back, putting his arms around her.

"I like you too, Jacob Stone."

Jacob just laughed and kissed her again. They never made it back to the party.