Escape

I don't know why I said yes. I've been looking at the phone in my hand for the past thirty minutes debating on cancelling. Why did they call out of the blue like that? Why would it be so important for them to see me all of a sudden when we've barely spoken in too many years? I told Flynn and Baird I would be unavailable for the weekend, but still I want to back out. I want to keep the inevitable pain from encroaching on my heart.

When I don't manage to convince myself to cancel my impending trip I pick up my bag and head to the back door. I'm surprised to find someone else standing there against the door, an overnight bag at his boot-clad feet.

"What are you doing here, Jake?" I questioned, trying not to hope he could be here for me.

"You didn't think I'd let you face your parents alone, did you?" His answer was everything I needed. Just like always he's there to catch me, making sure that everything is right in my crazy world.

"How did you even know? I didn't tell Flynn and Baird where I was planning to go."

"Cassie, you've been frettin' 'bout something for the past week, ever since you got that call from your mom. It was an easy conclusion to make. I wish you had told me, then you wouldn't have had to feel stressed all week." He took a few tentative steps toward me as he spoke.

"I didn't want to burden any of you with my problems," I confessed, looking away.

"Darlin' in no way could you ever be a burden."

"Thank you for this Jake," I said, before enveloping him in a hug. His arms wrapping me in a comfort I always find with him. "You don't know how much this means to me, that I won't have to be alone this weekend," I murmured into his shoulder, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"You are never alone Cass, not anymore," he whispered.

"I guess we should get going then," I stated, reluctantly pulling away from his embrace.

When he holds out his hand for me to take I can't keep the smile from my face. Interlacing our fingers together I feel happy for the first time since receiving the phone call from my mother requesting my presence. Even with this newfound happiness in my heart I still dread the moment I will have to face them again. I know he can sense my hesitation because he's squeezing my hand in reassurance.

"Take your time Cassie. I'm not gonna leave your side." With his guarantee in place and a sigh, we finally step through the door together.

I decided I wanted to walk to my parents' house instead of grabbing a cab. I figure the longer it takes me to get there the better. I'm so thankful I have Jake here, walking next to me my hand still within his own. If he weren't here I'm not sure I'd have had the courage to walk out the Annex back door in the first place.

I don't know how exactly to describe what our relationship is. After finding the Library and going out on our own I find myself in his company more often than not. We work well together and have a tendency to team up on cases. At first I thought he was trying to keep an eye on me so I wouldn't end up stuck in a vision without him there to help me out, but when I called him on it he was sure to set me straight.

"I like workin' with you Cassie. We understand each other. And while I like workin' with the others too, they don't get me the way you do. Yeah, I worry about you out there by yourself, but I figure you'll tell me if you don't want me around. I know you can handle yourself."

There were a few times I thought our relationship might progress beyond friendship. Every time I would think we're close something would pop up, usually Ezekiel, and ruin the moment. So we've been going on just like always, working together on cases or helping each other with research; always together, but never finding our way to something more. Having him here now with his hand in mine, I can almost believe we're finally moving in the right direction.

"You doin' all right over there? I can feel you thinking."

"I'm okay. It's just around the next block." I'm surprised when he stops walking, pulling me over to look at him.

"Cassie, I know you don't get on with your folks, so don't let anything they might tell you get you down. You are amazing and nothing they say or do can take that away unless you let them. Okay?" I nodded in response because I was at a complete loss for words.

Before I know it, and all too soon, we're on my parents' doorstep. Jake gives my hand another squeeze as I finally bring my hand up to knock.

"Cassandra, you're here. Oh, who's this?" my mother asked, finally noticing Jake after opening the door with her usual flourish.

"Jacob Stone, ma'am. I'm a friend of Cassie's," Jake stated, letting every bit of that proper Southern etiquette show through.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Stone. Cassandra, why didn't you tell me you would be bringing a friend?"

"He offered to come with me last minute. I'm sorry, I meant to send you an email before we left, and it must have slipped my mind."

"Don't think anything of it. Come on in, your father is reading in the study, I'll just let him know you're here." Her words might have been polite, but I could tell she wasn't happy that I had brought Jake along. Of course knowing she's not happy with the situation just made the knots in my stomach even tighter.

I led Jake to the sitting room as I'm sure my mother has it set up for my visit. I watch him out of the corner of my eye as he takes in all of my mother's hand-selected pieces of antique furniture. I could see him mentally cataloging each piece, and I can't help smiling.

"You might not want to ever bring Jones here, your parents wouldn't know what hit them if he ever got his hands on some of these collectibles," he murmured, as his free hand caressed a nearby table. I couldn't help myself from giggling at the idea of it all.

"I'm not sure even Ezekiel is that low. I knew you'd appreciate it all though."

"You might be right about Jones. He'd never do anything he thought would upset you."

"He does steal for me though," I said, reminding him of the science fair trophy he stole for me in Chicago, because he thought I'd deserved it for my use of mathemagics as he put it.

"He has his moments, doesn't he?" he chuckled.

"Cassandra, you mother was saying you brought a friend," my father said, coming into the sitting room, my mother trailing in behind him.

"Jacob Stone. A pleasure to meet you sir," Jake said, offering my father his hand.

"And how is it you know our daughter, Mr. Stone?" he asked, motioning for us to take a seat.

"We work together, but she's become a great friend." He looks over at me when he says the last part.

"Well, it's good to have you then."

"Can you please tell me what was so important that you wanted me to come over when you barely call anymore?" I notice Jake shifting closer to me as he takes my hand from where it was on my lap, lacing our fingers together again. Always there.

"Well, we were hoping we could convince you to move closer, so we might be there for you as your disease progresses," my mother stated, taking in the scene Jake and I present, sitting there hand-in-hand.

"My tumor is find, nothing new. Why would I need to move closer if nothing is changing?" I asked, knowing there has to be some ulterior motive for all of this, and my gut is clenching at the thought of what they could be thinking.

"Well, we've been talking to a few doctors and they seem to think that with as long as you've been living with your tumor and hallucinations things could start to get worse for you very soon. We just want to be able to take care of you," my father said.

"What exactly would moving closer entail?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Your mother has found a facility not too far from here…" my father started.

"You brought me here to tell me you want to put me in a facility?" I can hear the shrill of my voice and feel all of the pain and regret crashing down on me.

"Honey, you've never been able to control your hallucinations and frankly we've always thought you needed more care than you would allow."

"Excuse me. I need some air." I can't get out of the room fast enough.

I made it as far as the kitchen before I started to turn around. I want to grab Jake and escape. I don't know why I decided come here. I should have known this is what they were really after. As I reach the door leading back I hear Jake's voice.

"Why would you do that to her? She is a beautiful, vibrant, and intelligent woman. Do you see any of that?" His voice is calm and even, but I can hear the anger he's holding under the surface.

"What I see is my daughter who has been living with a brain tumor since she was fifteen years old. She has hallucinations and needs to be taken care of." My father's voice is gruff and he's not even trying to conceal his anger at being talked down to in his own home.

"So, you're basically telling me all you let yourself see is the tumor. She is so much more than that and she deserves much better than you're willing to give her."

"Who exactly do you think you are to tell me what I should be seeing when I look at my daughter?"

"Your daughter has friends, a family, where she is. She's traveling the world and making a difference. Not once has her tumor stopped her from being the most remarkable person I've ever met. I hate to break it to you, but she has more than enough control over her hallucinations, and when they get to be more than she can handle I'm there to catch her and talk her through them. What have you ever done to help her besides push her away when she didn't fit into your preconceived mold of what a daughter should be? If I could, I would spend every moment of the rest of my life with her, because she brightens a room just by being in it. The moment I met her I knew she was special, and I wouldn't want her any other way. Who am I? I'm the man in love with your daughter. So, if you think she is a burden you need to take care of let me tell you, you don't need to worry because I'll never let anyone hurt her the way you have today. I'd like to say it was nice to meet you, but I'd hate to lie."

"Jake…take me somewhere, anywhere, that isn't here," I pleaded, walking back into the room as he's getting up to leave. He doesn't say anything in return, just takes my hand in his and we leave.

Thankfully we had left our bags next to the door, so they were easy to grab on the way out. We walk down the street in silence for a few minutes before we finally slow down and he finally breaks the silence.

"Did you hear everything I said in there?" he asked quietly. I gave him a slight smile and a nod in return.

"Do you really love me?" I questioned, trying to read the emotions swirling in his light blue eyes.

"Yes. Not exactly how I wanted to tell you the first time though."

"I don't know, it was kind of romantic overhearing you talk about me like that, even if you were yelling at my parents. We've never really had a conventional relationship, so I think it works for us," I said, leaning my head against his shoulder as we walked.

"Are you upset that I yelled at them?"

"No. I knew I should have trusted my gut and cancelled. This isn't the first time they've talked about finding a medical facility to live in. I just wish they could see even a fraction of what you see."

"Family is always tough. You love them and yet when they hurt us it cuts deep."

"There's a park that's not far from here, it's where I used to go to escape whenever they got to be too much for me. Would you like to run away from the world with me for a little while?"

"Darlin', I would love that." He's smiling and it makes my heart soar.

"Good, cause I'm not ready to go home yet," I laughed, as I practically drag him down the street.

We found a tree with a nice amount of shade to sit under at the park. I'd never had someone I could just sit with and talk about anything with before Flynn brought me to the Library. No matter where I went I was always kind of the odd girl that no one knew what to do with. And now, sitting here under this tree watching the clouds go by talking to Jake, I've never been happier. The sun is starting to set when I glance over to just watch Jake, taking him in and wishing this moment could last forever; that we could just escape into this moment for the rest of our lives.

"Jake," I said, waiting for him to look my way, "I love you."