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Cole had never felt like more of a stranger to the Facility. Even on his first arrival he could tell what kind of place he had ended up in. Something solid and real for his mind to grasp onto.
But now the Facility was different, it had been eight months since he called it home, more than that it was a place borne from an entirely different timeline. Walking by people with unfamiliar faces was bad enough but worse still were the strangers wearing faces of people he knew.
Cole stepped into the Mission Room quietly, stopping for a moment to watch Cassie who is sitting on the table pensively looking at the now changed investigation board.
"Hey" says Cole gently
"So much is different now" replies Cassie
"Yeah I can see that, I noticed everybody is real cozy with Deacon now"
Cole walked around the desk and sat next to Cassie, this was the closest they’d been since he held her dying in his arms and sent her to the future where she could be saved.
"I'm not sure this is all gonna work out, now that you're here and not back in 2016" said Cole, not talking about the mission in the slightest.
"We have a mission to finish"
"We do"
“The only way that’s happening is if you're willing to do what's needs to be done, like before”
“Look, I know, you being this way is my fault but this isn’t who you are”
“What I am is because of me, nobody else, everyone and everything changes Cole”
“I know that. I was sent back in time to kill a man. That was supposed to fix everything. It didn’t. So I killed more people. Nothing changed. And then I saved someone. Someone who should’ve died. And that.. That is what changed things. It's the only thing that’s ever made any difference. As for the mission...I’m ready when you are.”
Cole handed her a photo of the two of them at a party in 1944, they looked happy to be there, and then stood up.
He would do anything to see Cassie smile at him again he thought as he exited the room.
The decrepit punching bag jostled as Cole landed three more quick strikes on it.
He had to get faster and stronger he had decided, not for himself and not with the goal of saving the past in mind.
Cole could tell Cassandra would fight to the bitter end to save those 7 billion people no matter what it cost her emotionally or morally but he would be content to just saving her.
Ramse had claimed she'd threatened Sam, it hardly even surprised him now. Cassie had begun to become hardened before he'd abandoned her to eight months in the dead world Cole had wanted to protect her from.
"No one should have to see this, to struggle to survive every damn day" spoke Cole voicing his thoughts to an empty room, "I gotta get some air"
Cole strode through familiar bleak stone corridors. As he passed others some spoke up, others averted their gaze sharing in the fear he may have abandoned the mission, abandoned them all.
"Good to have you back Cole"
"Evening Cole"
"Sucks your room got taken, there's a free bunk near me"
"Glad you're not dead"
But Cole was too tired to make small talk and kept moving towards the roof.
The air outside was bitter and cold. Cole lent on the hard stone wall and looked pensively out over the darkened horizon.
He had never realized how much he hated the future until after he'd returned from killing Goines.
The future was empty, the wind and sun frigid and lifeless. Back with Cassie was a world full of life and hope. She’d shown him hope and in return he’d given her a dead future.
Cole missed the noise of all the bustling people, the wondrous smells, and the warmth he felt whenever Cassie smiled at him with that look in her eyes.
Those memories are now just dreams of a dead past. Not even a time machine can take him back to those moments now, that version of Cassie gone for good thanks to him.
The best thing I can do for her is change the future so she never has to meet a fuck up like me, thought Cole.
"No point being out here all night, Jones will probably have me on another mission tomorrow" sighed Cole.
Cole slunk back into the facility, ready to collapse on his bed and sleep for as long as he could.
He opened the thick heavy door to his quarters and pulled it closed behind him. Then in a smooth motion pulled his shirt off and chucked it at the usual place he piled clothes. Only the corner was empty, in fact the layout of his room was different, in the darkness he hadn't noticed.
James Cole looked up and saw a familiar figure sitting up in his bed looking at him, the one and only Doctor Cassandra Railly.
"Cole, this is my room now. Without you here it was empty, so I took it." she said softly
"Oh shit. I am so sorry, I'll go uh find somewhere else"
"Cole. Stay" she ordered as she laid back down
"Right...uh...I'll just sleep on the floor. Thanks Cassie"
"I meant get in the bed"
"Okay. Alright" Cole replied nervously.
Cole awkwardly climbed into the bed, making sure to lie as far away from Cassie as he could.
"What the hell do I do with my hands" thought Cole, closing his eyes.
A moment later he felt movement and opened his eyes to see Cassie face-to-face with him. She smelled nice, more like the past than the future she found herself in.
"What are you-"
"Shhh Cole" she interrupted "I might be angry and upset with you but please understand it's because I care about you"
'I care a lot about you too, sorry. This is all my fault you shouldn't be here in the fut-"
Cassie gently pressed a finger to his lips.
"Don't ruin the moment, we can argue tomorrow"
Cassie held his cheek softly, and looked in his eyes in the way that always gave Cole butterflies, and then kissed him deeply.
When she finally broke the kiss she smiled at him, "Goodnight James", and rolled over.
James Cole lay there stunned for a moment before he felt Cassie reach back and grab his hand and drape it around her exposed midriff, touching his hand to her soft skin. Then she wriggled backwards into him, pressing her hips against him.
Cassie made a noise of contented happiness, the sound of someone who is exactly where and with whom she wants to be.
And James Cole knew that no matter what it took, no matter what obstacles got in his way, he would fight to hear her make that noise again. This peace was a welcome change to the last time Cole had held her in the Facility.
For the first time, in her eight months in the future Doctor Cassandra Railly slept peacefully next to her James Cole.