Chapter Text
Jacob Stone was having a bad day. It had started out being one of those mornings, he'd woken up grumpy to start with, which hadn't helped. He'd had to change his shirt twice, once when he'd gotten toothpaste on it, then when he'd spilled coffee on himself. That, of course, meant that he only ate half of his breakfast. So he was grumpy and hungry when he showed up at the Annex that morning.
He'd hoped things were looking up when the clippings book had a case for them. He could bury his bad mood in work. And it helped for a little while. But then Jones had to antagonize the locals. Followed by Cassandra noticing a pattern on a semi's window that turned out to be a giant fingerprint. And if realizing they might be dealing with an actual troll living under a bridge wasn't bad enough, Jenkins had to be particularly Jenkins.
His day seemed to be brightening up when Baird suggested he and Cassandra go speak to the sheriff. They were on the job, of course, but even a few minutes alone with his girlfriend usually cheered him up. Until Cassandra floored him by looking hesitant and asking if maybe she should go with Baird.
Even Baird had looked puzzled and sent them off.
"What the hell was that all about?" Stone demanded once they were out of earshot.
Cassandra blushed. "I didn't . . .it was . . ."
"What was? Now you don't want to work with me? I thought we were through fightin', Cassandra!"
"We are. It wasn't."Cassandra swallowed. She knew he'd been in a bad mood since they woke up and until now she was the only one he hadn't directed it at. "It wasn't about working with you. I'm happy to work with you."
"Really? Because that sure as hell didn't sound like it."
"Honey, it's . . .well Baird's been riding us so hard . . .and I was surprised she wanted us to work together. All of the lectures . . ." Cassandra gestured wildly, drawing air quotes. "Work and personal separation and all of that. And now she's just like sending us off alone?"
Stone actually laughed, it was probably at Cassandra's attempt at a Baird impersonation. "I think we can control ourselves for five minutes, don't you? She trusts us. Let's take advantage of that and not give her reason not to, okay?"
"You're right. I'm sorry. I know you've not been having a great day."
Stone sighed, " I was kinda looking forward to a couple of minutes of just being with you . . . ."
Cassandra grimaced. "Great, I can't even . . . .I'm sorry, you know this whole relationship thing."
"I've never had one with someone at work either. We'll figure it out. Sorry about the whole blow up."
Cassandra nodded motioning toward the sheriff who was coming toward them. He nodded back at her, tabling their conversation until another time.
Stone was puzzling over why small, medium, big and bridge sounded familiar when the town's mayor jogged up as naked as the day he was born (except for a sweatband and jogging shoes). After that completely uncomfortable experience, Cassandra and Stone asked if any other unusual things had happened lately. After a bunch of things that sounded very weird had been mentioned by the sheriff, the couple went off to meet up with Baird and Jones.
"Definitely a troll." said Baird.
"Actually no," said Cassandra.
Confused, Ezekiel said, "well, it sure looked like a troll."
"No," Stone broke in. "We're sayin' it's more than just a troll."
From around the corner came screaming. The Librarians followed the sounds to find a giant wolf terrorizing people on the streets. Without thinking, Stone grabbed an axe from a nearby fire truck and hurled it at the beast, killing it.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Jones asked, looking impressed.
"Well I just . . . I don't know." Stone looked about as stunned as the others did.
Even as the others moved to examine the wolf, Stone was looking down at his hands. He'd chopped wood a time or two in his life, but never hurled an axe. Certainly wouldn't have even thought to do so.
Cassandra gasped. "Whoa. This is no ordinary wolf. I mean, it's at least twice the average size and it was unusually hostile and . . . ."
"It's wearing a frilly nightcap. A wolf in a nightcap. Little Red Riding Hood?" Baird asked.
Cassandra looked at Stone. "A naked mayor. The Emperor's New Clothes."
Realization lit up Stone's features as he figured out what had been bothering him about the photos. "Three cars. Small, medium and the big one was attacked by a troll. That's the Three Billy Goats Gruff. Fairy tales are coming to life," he grinned, now this case was starting to become fun.
And Baird said another thing that a month ago she would have never imagined ever saying. "Fairy tales are coming to life and attacking people. Someone has weaponized fairy tales?"
Cassandra and Baird were in a tavern playing distraction while Stone and Jones stole the wolf out of the establishment's freezer so that Jenkins could perform an autopsy.
They waited for their drinks and Baird asked, "What was that with you and Stone?"
"Oh," Cassandra sighed. "Just a little miscommunication. He's having a bad day."
"So, then I'm okay with the two of you working together? It's not going to be an issue? And you're done with the bickering?"
"Yeah, mostly, I mean . . . never at work again. We're working on . . . ."Cassandra looked around, losing her train of thought.
Baird looked at her noticing she'd gotten distracted. "What?"
"Do I have something," the younger woman drew a circle around her face, "here?"
Baird shook her head.
"I feel like everyone's staring at me. I mean, why would they stare at me? You're the one who's having the amazing hair day."
"I didn't do anything to my hair."
"It's so shiny and full."
Baird glanced over to the door where Stone was signaling. "We're on."
Baird and Cassandra continued to distract the owner while Stone and Jones carried the wolf out of the tavern. After a certain amount of bickering and Jones "borrowing" a truck, they got the dead animal back to the Annex.
Jenkins said that they were probably dealing with the Mother Goose Treaty and if he was right, the large wolf would be stuffed with goose feathers. Stone found himself knowing exactly how to dissect the animal (even though he'd never done anything of the sort before).
But instead of feathers, what he found inside the beast, was a very confused, very scared but very much alive young woman.
Jenkins looked as rattled as Stone had ever seen him. "This is very bad. This is not the treaty. It's the Libris Fabula. The story book. It can bring any story you want to life, but at a price."
Ezekiel looked at him. "You said that it was lost."
"Yes, well, somebody found it."