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The entire team returned from a week-long mission—tired, sore, and covered in grime. Most of the debrief had already happened on the walk back to the Library door, so the formal part was thankfully brief.
“Can we please have a pajama day tomorrow?” Cassandra asked, dropping her head onto the table dramatically.
“Absolutely,” Eve said without hesitation.
“I’ll bring the snacks,” Ezekiel volunteered, raising a hand like he was calling dibs.
“I’ll pick the movies,” said Jacob, already thinking through the options.
*****
The next morning; late morning, Flynn and Eve descended the stairs into the Annex dressed for comfort. Eve wore soft pink lounge pants and one of Flynn’s old college shirts. Flynn, this time, had coordinated: black pajamas covered in tiny Excaliburs.
“Nice pajamas, Flynn,” Cassandra grinned.
“Thanks,” Flynn replied, glancing down fondly at them. “Eve got them for me. Cal-themed.”
“And I steal his clothes,” Eve added with a smirk.
Flynn kissed her cheek. “They look better on you anyway.”
Ezekiel made a mock gagging noise. “Gross. Lovebirds in pajamas.”
Cassandra and Jacob were already deep in discussion, blueprint in hand. Jacob had brought a full sketch for the fort, and Cassandra had clips and fasteners in a basket beside her. Ezekiel lounged nearby, observing like a king waiting for his throne to be built.
Jenkins was hurriedly clearing off the main table, sensing the scale of the incoming chaos.
“Jenkins, you joining us this time?” Eve called out.
“We’ll see,” he replied gruffly. “Just keep it contained to the Annex.”
“Want help?” Flynn asked, clapping his hands together.
“Yes, actually,” Jacob said. “We want to anchor part of it to the stairs.”
“I brought a ton of clips to fasten everything,” Cassandra added brightly. “Jacob and I woke up early to sketch ideas!”
Together, the team got to work. The resulting blanket (and sheet) fort stretched from the stair railing to the columns, draped across beams, around borrowed ladders and coat racks—an impressive feat of engineering and whimsy.
Jenkins returned just as the finishing touches were being added.
“What in the world…” he muttered, stepping inside the fort.
“We just finished!” Cassandra beamed. “Want to watch a movie with us?”
Flynn and Jacob were fluffing pillows into a giant nest. Ezekiel had set out snacks. Eve was hooking up the screen and projector.
Jenkins eyed the setup. “I suppose I could join for a bit.”
“Pajamas!” the team chorused.
Jenkins paused, sighed, and disappeared.
He returned moments later wearing what could only be described as pajamas designed for a Victorian gentleman—buttoned like a waistcoat, crisp as ever, and topped with a small sleeping cap.
“Perfect,” Cassandra whispered.
The fort now had a center “pillow island,” with Flynn and Eve snuggled up together. Cassandra patted the spot between her and Jacob for Jenkins. Ezekiel tossed a pillow across the room, aiming for the best spot.
“Hey, I called dibs on that pillow!” Ezekiel protested.
“You threw it,” Jacob replied. “That’s forfeiture.”
“That’s not a rule!”
“It is now.”
“That’s enough, you two,” Eve called, rolling her eyes. “Just share it.”
“Fine,” they both mumbled.
The lights dimmed. The movie began. Fluffy blankets lay nearby.
****
Halfway through the movie, Jenkins found himself—somewhat to his own surprise—comfortable. Maybe this hadn’t been a terrible idea after all. Cassandra had handed him a fuzzy blanket (“Just in case!”), and Jacob had passed him a bowl of popcorn without a word.
He glanced around. Ezekiel was asleep, head tipped back, mouth open, snoring softly beneath a pink fuzzy blanket. Flynn was whispering trivia into Eve’s ear; she looked half-asleep too, though the small smile on her lips said otherwise.
Jenkins leaned back against a stack of pillows and let out a quiet sigh. “Utterly ridiculous,” he muttered.
Cassandra turned toward him. “You doing okay?”
He gave a small nod. “It’s… not the worst way to spend a Saturday.”
She beamed. “I’ll take that as glowing praise.”
When the movie ended, no one moved. Jenkins didn’t stand, and no one rushed off.
“Next movie?” Eve asked.
“Obviously,” Jacob replied. “It’s a trilogy.”
“Aren’t there nine now?” Flynn asked, brows raised.
Cassandra frowned. “I think it’s more than that.”
“Listen,” Jacob cut in. “We’re not talking about the others. The original three are the best.”
“Got it!” Cassandra said with a nod.
Ezekiel stirred. “I wasn’t sleeping!”
“Okay,” Eve replied, clearly not convinced.
“Anyway,” Jacob said, determined to stay on track. “Movie two.”
*****
Later that night, the fort still stood. Jenkins had quietly slipped away during the second film. Cassandra, Jacob, and Ezekiel were fast asleep under one giant blanket pile, soft snores and sleepy murmurs rising occasionally from the nest.
Flynn and Eve lay curled up together under another.
“This is much nicer than the week we just had,” Eve murmured, resting her head on Flynn’s chest.
Flynn smiled, fingers drawing idle patterns on her back. “It is. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jenkins relax that much.”
Eve chuckled softly. “He even ate popcorn.”
“I know,” Flynn whispered. “Voluntarily.”
“I like this,” Eve said after a quiet moment. “Us. All of us. Being home.”
Flynn kissed her hair. “Me too. It’s not just a Library anymore. It’s a life. A weird, wonderful, slightly chaotic life.”
“With blanket forts,” she added.
He laughed quietly. “The best kind.”