The Librarians And the Advent List

Dec 1

(Author's note this story is set between s2 and s3)

To say that Cassandra Cillian loved Christmas would be an understatement. Her adult Christmases were a celebration of everything she'd missed out in childhood. And this particular Christmas celebration would be her best ever. She'd chosen to stay at the Library, she'd chosen to live. So every day, every year was going to be lived to its absolute fullest. They had so much to celebrate at the Library this festive season and Cassandra hoped to spread joy to all of her new makeshift family. But at the very least, she was going to have as much fun as she could in-between saving the world.

She was tucked up in her favorite secluded corner of the Annex, her tablet and her notebook in front of her. Instead of complex equations though, the list she was making was of Christmas events and traditions. Everything she usually did for Christmas and things she'd always wanted to do but couldn't. Her Christmas bucket list if you will, though she didn't think of it that way.

She smiled as she scrolled through a Portland event calendar, taking note of dates and locations. Very soft Christmas music came from her phone sitting on the table next to her. She avoided earphones because they gave her headaches so she kept the volume down low to avoid disturbing her co-workers.

At least not for a couple of weeks, Christmas week was fair game, no matter how much Jenkins might complain. Baird would roll her eyes but she'd gotten her Christmas spirit back when they met Santa. Cassandra grinned and added "take a gift basket to Santa and Gretchen" to her list.

With that thought she turned a page in her notebook and wrote Christmas Gift List on top. Then she started listing her co-worker's names, making a note next to Baird's name to remind herself to buy her a birthday present as well. She also added Santa's name to remind herself, a neighbor she was friendly with and a note to send Christmas cards to Lucy and Amy. She often got texts from Amy and had found out through her that Dashell occasionally spoke to Stone. She hadn't heard much from Lucy but Cassandra still thought it was worth making the gesture.

She'd just finished brainstorming a gift for Flynn when she heard an annoyed grunt from below her. She couldn't see the person from her corner but she was pretty sure who it was. The voice was muttering something that she couldn't make out as he was far below her.

But suddenly he yelled out, "damnit Ray! I have to put up with these freaking Christmas carols everywhere I go. I don't need to hear them here too!"

Cassandra froze, looking at her phone. But it was on the lowest audible setting, she knew from past experience that she couldn't even hear the music in the next row of books let alone on the first floor.

"And 'I'll be home for Christmas?' Really, Ray? I thought the Spirit of the Library wouldn't be . . . ." and then she heard a slam of a heavy book on the table and Stone's heavy footsteps walking away.

Her phone hadn't been playing that song. But what had turned Stone into such a Grinch? He liked Christmas well enough. He'd been the one most into it after her last year and had been overjoyed to meet Santa.

She didn't have much time to ponder her co-worker's odd outburst because her phone buzzed with a text from Flynn requesting some help. So she gathered up her things and left her lists and the puzzle of Stone for another day.