Epilogue: Two-Thousand and Eleven

It was two twenty-five in the morning and a few people were up, and all of them were workers. That is except for Cassandra who was in the small kitchen that was accessible twenty-four/seven to the guests of the castle.

The young blond haired noblewoman couldn't get to sleep. She just kept tossing and turning all night. Sleep just refusing to come to her for some odd reason. So, she decided to try out the old wives' tale and steam some milk for her to drink.

Just as she put up the pot and sat down to start working on her needlework, the door to the kitchen opened, letting the youngest member of the singing group Celtic Thunder in. Damian.

Celtic Thunder was filming one of their new concerts at Castle Madison. Their very first meeting was… unusual as when it came time for Damian to be introduced he bowed, deep, Cassandra acknowledging with her own deep curtsy and when they both rose up and their eyes caught for the first time, they both started to giggle. Neither really knowing why but the need to giggle, to laugh and smile, was too great to be kept in. They both sobered up a minute later but by then they were already talking. More and more conversations between them started happening as Cassandra was the liaison between the castle and the musical group and so was often at their rehearsals, watching the group with a fond smile.

Damian was a polite young man, who was very bright and humorous, later on she had found out through one of the other members, Keith, that Damian was usually very quiet and shy when meeting strangers. So, it was a surprise to all the men when he took such a quick liking to her. But, she did admit to herself that there was something about him that just clicked with her.

They understood each other in a very strange and odd way that they had never experienced with anyone else before, not friends or family. They understood and got each other's jokes and there was never an awkward silence between them. They finished each other's sentences like they had known each other for years and it felt that way. It truly did. Like they already knew each other.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" the young man asked, a tired lilt was in his deep brogue, it seems he also had been having trouble going to sleep. Damian pulled out a chair, taking a seat at the small table in the room.

"Yeah," she nodded her head, placing the sampler she was working on, on the table. "But you need it more than me. I don't have my first performance tomorrow." She got up from her chair, moving to the refrigerator. "I'm warming up some milk, see if that will help any. Would you like some?" He agreed and she poured some more into the pot before letting it back on the heat again.

"Me mam would always steam me up some milk when I couldn't get to bed." He smiled absentmindedly. "She said I always went out like a light that way."

Cassie also smiled at that as she let her hands play with her blonde hair for a second before settling herself back down at the table. Her dark forest eyes met and stared into his own oceanic blue eyes. His eyes were such a beautiful blue. A blue she had never seen anywhere before, it changed shades she had noticed. Sometimes it was a light sky blue and other times were dark and luring. At the moment they were the latter.

They stared at each other, the noblewoman and the singer. Slowly, getting lost in the other's eyes that revealed a strange world full of midnight meetings and strict social classes, but in that world was laughter and happiness, of love and friendship. The two continued to stare at each other until they heard the pot start to boil and the smell of burnt milk started to permeate in the air. The two turned to the pot, staring at it in wonder before dawning on them that the milk was boiling.

"Ah damn!" Cassie jumped up to her feet, running to the pot and pulling it from the stove. "The milk!"

"Is ruined," Damian ended, his voice holding just a small inflection of laughter.

Cassie took a spare spoon and stirred the contents just to make sure, and he was right, the milk was burnt at the bottom and was now no good to anyone, she dumped the ruined milk into the sink and started to wash the pot.

"Do you think the bar might be open?" Damian asked as she washed the pot, his gaze coming across a nineteenth century portrait hanging on the wall. It showed a beautiful blonde hair, green-eyed woman with a young boy, about five, with chestnut brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He stared at the young boy, taking note of the boy's bright blue eyes; the nameplate underneath read, Lady Cassandra and her oldest son, Daniel. Looking at the portrait Damian felt a strange sense of comfort and regret as he stared at the two. Finally he turned away from it to take the newly cleaned pot away from Cassandra and started to dry it. "We might be able to grab a soda or something?"

"What time is it?" He told her the time and she shook her head. "No, it closes at 2:30."

Damian placed the pot away in the cupboard, turning back to the kitchen table to see her needlepoint staring up at him.

"Can I see this?" She nodded her head, absentminded, as she gazed out the window probably trying to figure out what they could both do. He picked up the needlepoint and looked at it.

It was a beautiful sampler. The scene was at night, at a pond, a couple that was stitched in dark black thread was standing in front of the pond with their heads resting on each other. It was beautiful.

"You did an amazing job," he complimented lightly before setting it back down.

Cassandra's cheeks turned a slight red but she smiled at him. "Thank you. The shadowed couple was the hardest part because I wanted them to be in complete shadow, like all you could make out is their silhouette. Like they-"

"Shouldn't be seen together?" Damian finished with a raised eyebrow and a smile, she laughed and nodded her head.

"Exactly. Almost done too. Just have to work out a bit of the outline."

"Well it's beautiful and when you deem it's done I'm sure it will look magnificent."

"Thanks." She walked over to the sampler, gazing at it for a moment before looking back up at him. "Do you want to come outside with me? I'm going to take a walk and hopefully see the sunrise if I'm still awake."

Damian smiled and nodded his head. "Sure, besides a lady like you needs an escort and protection when walking in the dark."

"Why? You don't think I can take care of myself?" she challenged with a knowing gleam.

"Well, considering what happened to the pot…"

"Hey, two can play at that game mister." He laughed, closing his eyes for a few seconds before opening them up again.

"In either case I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I let you go walking by yourself at night." There was a sincere smile on his face, his hands stuffed into his pockets in a neutral position, his piercing eyes warm and innocent like.

Cassandra rolled her eyes, but smiled back at him. They left the kitchen then, heading out into the gardens of the castle. They talked lightly about nothing of importance, both of them just letting their feet take them wherever as they walked under a typically cloudy sky.

But then they both stopped. They were at the small pond; an old stone bench sat a few meters away from the pond, a lamppost stood near it casting a low light. They looked at each other and smiled before both of them walked over to the bench and sat down.

"Where are you going to school?" Damian asked her, his voice quiet.

Cassandra looked down at her pajama shirt and pointed to each one of the letters as she said, "University of California Los Angeles." She looked up then and smiled. "I'm in med school. I want to become an immunologist, study of the immunity system and how it works. Who knows maybe I might find the cure for cancer!" They both laughed lightly.

"So you're not going to school here?" She shook her head.

"I didn't want to go to a school where my family has been before so that strikes out like all of the colleges and universities here." She looked back out to the water, her voice going low and serious. "Honestly, though? The reason I actually chose UCLA was because…" she drifted off. Damian leaned in a bit more, not noticing that his body was almost touching hers.

"Yeah," he whispered quietly, his warm breath tickling her ears and neck.

She shook her head, moving away a bit. "No, you're going to think it's stupid or wipe it off as some silly girlish fantasy or something."

He turned his whole body to her, letting it lean against the back of the bench as he gazed at her. "Please," he let out in a low whisper.

He saw her mind waver, saw the battle happening inside and decided to stay quiet. She gave a small sigh and looked back to him a small smile coming to her face. "The real reason I wanted to go to LA was because I knew that was where I needed to be. Do you understand that?"

Damian met her eyes again, receiving that small glimpse of another world again. He nodded his head, understanding. He did understand the need and desire to be somewhere. He couldn't explain it but at times there just felt like something was pulling him towards something or, maybe, someone. "I do," he muttered. He looked away to the pond in front of them.

It was humid outside, as it often was in the summer, and the pond looked so inviting. A part of him wanted to grab Cassandra and pull her into the water with him, but he didn't. He couldn't, could he?

He stood up and walked a little bit over to the pond and stared at it for a moment, trying to find the words to say. "You know," he started in a murmur and looked back over to the young woman still sitting on the bench. Her ankles were crossed, and she sat so delicately, so much like a Lady. "I have only known you for a few days but… but I really do feel as if I have known you for a longer time than that."

She nodded her head. Not saying a word.

"I'll be living in LA for a while, indefinitely really. I… I'm hoping that maybe…" he struggled over his lines a bit as he gazed at her quizzical face. "Maybe you'd like to be with me?" He ended it nervous. Her eyes widened a bit but she didn't say anything. After a few moments of silence though she got up and walked over to him, her dark green eyes looking up into his piercing blue ones.

"What do you feel for me?"

"I don't know," he responded soft and honest. "All I can tell you is that… I am feeling something very strong and… real for you." His throat was dry and there was a strange lump in it now, his heart was beating loud and fast and yet his mind was calm and he felt… soothed. Being here with her, in this light it felt… natural. "I want to know what it is and I'm willing to give us a try if you are." He stopped talking as Cassandra opened her mouth, her eyes shinning up into his.

"I feel the same way too." That morning when the sun came up, it shined its light on the two, curled up on the couch in one of the sunrooms of the castle, a blanket on top of them. In Damian's pocket was the finished sampler and his claddagh ring switched to face inward.

A/N: And that's the final bit of Time and Time Again. I hope you have enjoyed the story just as much as I have enjoyed making it. :)

So did the ending surprise anyone? Major jump to the present, right? Anyone see that coming? Anyone? And lastly thank you to everyone who commented. It means a lot to me. : )