Jassandra One Shots

It Reminded Me of You

Cassandra rummaged around the storage locker she still kept in New York. She'd initially come to rotate some of her wardrobe out and then she got to thinking about an antique telescope that her grandfather had given her. She thought Jenkins would be interested in seeing it.

In her quest, she found a box that had come from her grandmother's. She smiled as she opened it, childhood memories flooding out. Her grandma had always been of the opinion that children should play and had hid toys for her granddaughter. Cassandra smiled over the collection of well loved toys that had made her visits to her grandmother so magical. Then she giggled when she came to one particular toy.

"Oh, I have to bring this back!"

She added it to the box she had to bring back, containing the telescope, some sweaters, a few pieces of jewelry and now the toy. Getting up and dusting herself off, she decided that was enough for now.

The box was a little unwieldy and she was having trouble getting it through the already bumpy Back Door, when she felt the box lifting out of her hands.

"Let me get that for ya," Stone's voice reached her ears before she saw him.

"Thank you," she laughed. "I didn't think this through when I went to visit my storage locker."

"I'd wondered where you'd gotten to," Stone said putting the box down on the main table. "Jenkins just said the Door was in use and I noticed it was dialed in to New York."

"Had to go get a few things and remembered telling Jenkins about this antique telescope I got from my grandfather. It made the box heavier than I planned on."

She opened the box and Jacob leaned closer, probably wanting to get a look at the telescope. She set the telescope on the table. But what she held out to him was different.

"Here, I did find this. It reminded me of you."

Stone cocked his head, looking strangely at the brunette doll she held in her hands. It was about the size of the larger GI Joes that some of his buddies had had (he'd ended up with the more action figure sized ones) but it was dressed in jeans, a plaid shirt and had a cowboy hat on its head.

"What is that?"

"It's Cowboy Ken!" Cassandra exclaimed, giggling. "Well actually he was probably like Malibu Ken or something when Grandma bought it for me. But the last time I played with him, I dressed him up like this."

"And it reminded you of me?" Stone asked very slowly, a bit annoyed, though slightly charmed by Cassandra's enthusiasm like he always was.

Cassandra didn't seem to notice his tone. "Yes! I mean look at him. He looks a lot like you. Well if you were plastic and well twelve inches tall . . . ." Cassandra trailed off and just started laughing. "Oh, your face!" Then she doubled over, laughing so hard at him.

He couldn't help it, he grinned at her and her eyes met his when she finally had sobered.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean . . . ."

"It's okay," Stone said his tone just as soft. "I like your laugh . . .and you know it's maybe a little cute to know that little Cassandra was into cowboys."

A soft blush briefly colored her cheeks as she looked down at the floor, but then she looked up at him. "Well, maybe grown up Cassandra is into cowboys too."

Then she threw a flirtatious glance over her shoulder, gathered up her box and headed toward the street door.

Behind her, Stone froze for a moment. But she grinned and slowed her pace as she heard his footsteps behind her.

"Hey, Cassandra?"

She let him catch up with her. "Yes?"

"You, uh," he held up the doll. "Forgot your cowboy."

"No, I didn't."