Ten year old Hazel Bennett was mixing up brownie batter in her grandmother's kitchen. Her recipe was good, but she didn't think it was good enough for her to win the coveted "most sales" at her troop's annual bake sale. She went searching through her grandmother's pantry for that special extra that would put her over the top. There at the back was a jar that she'd never seen before. But it was labeled with the word that she'd always heard was the "secret ingredient" on television. With a grin, Hazel grabbed the jar and added a big scoop to her brownies.

She was sure to win now.

It was a sunny afternoon in Portland. There was no magic or mayhem showing up in the clippings books and so the Librarians and their Guardian were not in the park chasing rogue werewolves or misguided magic users. No, they were there for a picnic lunch and a bit of team bonding. Not without the usual grousing, of course.

"Why are we outside again?" Ezekiel asked.

"Because it's a beautiful day, there's no doom going on and Cassandra's fit as a fiddle," Flynn answered, then frowned. "I've always wondered if fiddles are really fit."

Stone chose to not go into what the saying really meant. "Don't blame me, I wanted to go bowling," he sidestepped a couple who were making out on the sidewalk with a lift of his eyebrows and a sigh. "But I'm all for celebrating no doom and Cassandra being well. And she picked."

Cassandra beamed at him for a moment. "It's too bad Mr. Jenkins couldn't make it."

"Who knew that semi immortals could even catch a cold?" Baird asked, leading the way to the picnic area.

"I'd have bet he was faking," Ezekiel said, "if I hadn't heard him blowing his nose and yelling at the ceiling about how unfair it all was."

"Park's crowded today," Stone said as they passed another amorous couple and then a woman rolling her eyes at a young man singing an off key country love song at her.

"Yeah," Cassandra said to him. "Kinda weird."

"Ooh," Flynn said, right before they hit the picnic area, "bake sale."

"Oh, mate, I am so in." Ezekiel said, following the older Librarian.

Stone's stomach was growling and the goodies looked good and he was a sucker for helping out kids so he followed the other men. The girls followed along, but not wanting to ruin their lunches, were determined only to buy dessert and didn't attack the sample tray like the boys did.

"Does something seem off to you about the park today?" Cassandra asked as she saw two children absolutely wailing because they were being separated.

"I don't know," Baird said, "something does, but I can't figure out what exactly."

Over at the sale table, Flynn held up the sample tray to Stone and Jones. "Oh my word, you need to try the brownies, they are heavenly."

Stone was game, but Ezekiel looked at them and shrugged. "Can't mate, allergic to walnuts."

"Your loss, because wow, Flynn is right."

The girls came up right after Stone swallowed and the first one he saw was Baird. It was like his mind had suddenly cleared and everything in the world was right.

He draped his arm around her waist, "about time you got here, darlin'. What would you like?"

"Darlin? The hell, Stone?"

"Eve, Eve, it's Jacob."

"What?"

Flynn turned to a dumbfounded Cassandra. "There you are sweetheart. Haven't I ever told you how beautiful your blue eyes are?"

Cassandra and Baird stared wide eyed at the men and then back at each other. And in near perfect unison said, "nope."

Jenkins blew his nose and then said, "so you don't think it's an obsession potion?"

"No," Cassandra shook her head and then gently pushed Flynn off of her. "They aren't acting like they did with Cindy. They're aware of things. See, watch. Flynn?"

"Yes, my sweet?"

"I like you very much, Flynn. But I couldn't date a taken man, you know? You're my friend's boyfriend."

"But, Cassandra! I know I was, but today my eyes opened up and I realized that you are my true love."

"Don't worry about him, darlin'," Stone said to Baird, kissing her hand. "You're better off with me."

"See?" Baird said. "They're acting weird but they're solely focused on us to the point of wanting nothing else." She shrugged Stone away. "Stop it."

"Hmm," Jenkins said, looking at his handkerchief with distaste. "And you said the park was odd today?"

"People makin' out everywhere," Stone said suddenly, then grabbed for Baird. "We should have been doin' that."

"Ugh," Baird pushed him off with force.

"Hmm, I have heard of possibly something like this. Really popular in the 60s," Jenkins laughed. "Did the two of them ingest anything?"

"We didn't get to our picnic," Cassandra said.

"But they were eating the samples at the bake sale," Ezekiel pointed out.

"Did you?" Baird asked.

"Well sure."

"You're not immune again, are you?" Cassandra asked, hands on hips. "Because this is getting too much."

"Don't be cross, Cassandra, I hate it when you're upset," Flynn cooed.

"No, wait!" Ezekiel said. "I didn't eat the brownies! Allergic to walnuts. But they did. So it must have been in the brownies." He chuckled. "Think they were pot?"

Baird and Jenkins both smirked.

"Not quite," Jenkins said and Baird nodded.

"I don't want to know," Cassandra said. "Do you think you can bring them back?"

"I'm gonna have to take a look at these brownies. Come, Mr. Jones, we'll go see the scout troop. You ladies can keep these two out of trouble."

Both Cassandra and Baird groaned while their new paramours looked delighted.

"They're driving me nuts!" Baird said when she and Cassandra escaped to the women's restroom. "I know they're under a spell and I'm trying to be patient."

"It must be hard watching your boyfriend acting this way to another woman," Cassandra said sympathetically and with a little pang. She wouldn't admit it out loud but watching Stone all over Baird was reminding her unpleasantly of Mabel Collins.

Baird shrugged. "It's a spell. I'm secure. Mostly."

"Actually right now, I wouldn't mind someone paying attention to me like that, but not Flynn," Cassandra said softly. "Even if I didn't think of him as an older brother, I don't mess with relationships."

"I know," Baird said. "Don't think that. Are you okay? Is it Stone?"

"What?" Cassandra's eyes were wide as saucers. "What about Stone?"

"Never mind. So got any ideas?"

"Without knowing exactly what was in the brownies, I'm afraid not. And I don't want to make things worse by trying any reversal spells. Jenkins said the first attempt at a cure for the obsession formula backfired. Didn't say how, but I don't want to take a chance."

"Hmm," Eve pondered. "I kinda remember something from when we were in Prospero's alternate reality, what was it? It might work here. . . ."

Little Hazel was confessing to Ezekiel and Jenkins that she'd used something from a jar in her grandmother's pantry labeled "love." And had taken the men to meet her grandmother, who was an herbalist.

"Oh dear," she said. "That was not for general consumption."

"You dabble a little in magic," Jenkins said kindly, leaving Ezekiel to entertain Hazel and walking in the garden with her grandmother. "I remember that powder from the Woodstock age."

She chuckled, "just a little. Magic is not to be trifled with, as I think you know. That was for private consumption at an annual gathering of like minded people. Consenting adults wanting to feel a little young for a while. I should not have left it where little hands could find it. Oh dear, oh dear."

"Ah but we know it wears off in 48 hours. But we also know it has an antidote."

"Yes, I just don't have any of that made up. But if you can help me, we can get the townsfolk back to normal," the woman shook her head. "Children were not meant to eat that! Luckily it's not poison."

"It's alright," Jenkins said gently. "You didn't know she was going to do that and now you know better. Let's get to work."

"Alright, I'm gonna try it," Baird said to Cassandra after Cassandra had to dodge yet another attempt at a kiss from Flynn.

"Think it'll work?" Cassandra asked.

"Can't hurt," Baird said, "distract Stone."

Cassandra took a deep breath and turned around.

"What's she doin'?" Stone asked, looking rather hurt as Baird walked up to Flynn and grabbed the protesting man by the collar. "No way! She's my girl!"

Cassandra stepped in front of Stone, blocking him, trusting that Stone wouldn't go against his principles and hurt her even in a jealous rage. As Baird kissed Flynn and Flynn slowly relaxed into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Baird, Cassandra knew that true love's kiss had worked once more. Behind her though, she could feel Stone's posture change. She chanced a look at him. He was stood stock still, his expression changing from rage to profound despair and Cassandra's heart broke. Flynn could be saved, but would Stone ever be?

Stone suddenly moved and all but ran out of the room.

She found him in a quiet reading room, sitting with his head in his hands.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly.

"No," he said honestly. "Are you?"

"Me? You know that there's something wrong, right? I don't have feelings for Flynn."

"I know there's something wrong," Stone said. "I know. I know I shouldn't feel this way. But what now? I ain't got no true love. Am I stuck lovin' her for the rest of my life? Feelin' like this? Watchin' them? What am I gonna do Cass? What am I gonna do?"

"I don't know."

"I have to leave. I have to quit. I can't . . . I can't watch them. I can't. I don't think I can get over her. It's not how it's . . . ."

"No! You can't leave!"

"What else am I gonna do?"

"Jenkins will think of something, please Jacob."

"I can't . . .I can't . . .I . . ." His voice broke and he buried his head in his hands. "I'm doomed."

Cassandra's heart broke for him again. He sounded like he was in raw pain. He didn't want to be trapped in this endless love for someone who would never love him. He'd not be able to get over her, that's not how this spell seemed to work. She had faith that Jenkins would solve the problem, but she didn't want Jacob to suffer any longer than he needed to. What she'd planned on doing was offer him a little comfort. She'd raised his face in her hand, meant to give him an encouraging kiss on the cheek, tell him she'd be there for him. But holding his face in her hand, those blue eyes that meant so much to her filled with so much pain and she couldn't help herself. She kissed him.

And to both of their surprises, there was a strange sound like the twinkle of a bell and suddenly Jacob was kissing her back.

When the kiss ended, he blinked at her, looking a mixture of surprised and elated. "What was that?"

Cassandra giggled in spite of her shock. "True love's kiss, apparently! Who would have thought? You're not thinking of Baird are you?"

"Not in the least," he said, staring at her lips. "Don't even bring her up and come back here."

"You're not still under a spell are you?" Cassandra asked suspiciously after the second kiss came to an end.

"Not unless your lips count," Stone said with a grin and she giggled.

"We probably should talk," Cassandra said reluctantly.

He caressed her face. "We have time to talk now, remember?"

She smiled, she did remember. She had a life now, forever to talk. And nodded, "we do."

"But I learned, in this job, that it's the moments. The moments that don't last. And I want to savor this one. We'll figure everything else out. Just kiss me, Cassandra. That's all we need to do right now."

"I really like the sound of that."

Back in Portland, Jenkins was helping to distribute the cure for the condition brought about by the brownies.

And in the corner of the Annex, brownies became Jacob and Cassandra's most favorite dessert.

The End