Chapter 1: Shine a light

Abbie figured that the weirdness between her and Crane had started the night Jenny and Joe had come over for dinner. Everything had been fine before that. It seemed like a great idea, to combine a good meal and fun company with canvassing some of their latest ideas about how to defeat Pandora and The Hidden One.

"Who really isn't Hidden anymore, like at all," Abbie had deadpanned, taking a sip from her beer and accepting a plate of pizza from Crane, who smiled at her with that same warm affection he always shone her way. He was forever taking care of her, ever since she got back from that awful in-between dimension where she'd been alone and terrified for months.

At first, Abbie had been annoyed that Crane never let her open the door for herself, get her own piece of damn pizza. Then she'd seen the silliness of her own pride. Crane wasn't paying her all of this extra, gentlemanly attention because he felt sorry for her or considered her weak now. He had always been there for her, her fellow Witness and closest confident. This was just another manifestation of that special bond they shared.

"Indeed, Lieutenant," Crane agreed, his blue eyes a perfect match for the button-down shirt he'd paired with tan trousers. "He is quite irritatingly overt in his current machinations. Perhaps one of the artifacts recently discovered by Miss Jenny holds the solution for his downfall?"

"The more I look into it, the more certain I am that we can't defeat The Hidden One without first defeating Pandora," Jenny admitted ruefully. "I worked my ass off to find this, for example," she said, placing a small, but heavy golden compass down on the table. "It has the power to take The Hidden One out, no problem. But if Pandora gets the rest of the pieces to her box, we'll never get close enough to him to get the chance to stop him before…" Her words trailed off, ominous in what they didn't say.

"Before he makes sure that all of us, and the rest of the world, never get to enjoy pizza and beer again?" Joe put in, gesturing to the slice of pepperoni he held. "Clearly, we can't let that happen."

Jenny smiled and rested her head on Joe's shoulder for just a moment, long enough for Abbie to feel a twinge of loneliness in her own single status, her romantic dry spell. She cleared her throat and suggested, "Then we have to stop her from assembling the damn box, plus come up with a back-up plan. How can the box be destroyed if she does get all the pieces?"

"Believe it or not," Crane remarked, "I think there is something in the journals of Betsy Ross that suggests a potential solution." He leapt up with his typical enthusiastic energy and went to get the volume he had thought of. Meanwhile, Abbie and Jenny went into the kitchen to get more drinks.

"Soooo," Jenny grinned, popping the cap off of her beverage and sitting on top of the counter, fixing her sister with a knowing look, "You and Crane seem pretty cozy lately."

Abbie laughed, but the sound was a little too sharp even to her own ears. "Don't even go there, Jenny," she said, pointing her finger accusingly.

"Somebody has to go there!" Jenny insisted, hopping down and getting closer to Abbie, urging her, "It's just so obvious that there's something between you two. I mean, it's always been there, sort of in the background, but lately…it's like the chemistry between you guys is insane. Anyone can see it."

Abbie had to force out the next laugh; why was that? "Look, Jenny, just because you and Joe are in love, that doesn't mean everyone else is too."

"This isn't about me and Joe," Jenny persisted, shaking her head. "This is about you, Abbie, because some things are. You deserve to be happy as much as anyone. Look at the way you and Crane act around each other. The way you're always staring into each other's eyes—"

"No we don't," Abbie denied flatly, suddenly fascinated by her fingernails.

"How you look after each other, how seamlessly you work together…"

"Because we're the witnesses," Abbie claimed.

"You laugh at his jokes even when they're lame," Jenny added archly. "You're already thinking about his next birthday present, even though his birthday is months away. You two moved in together, for God's sake! And let's not forget that no new relationship either one of you tries to start up with someone else ever works out."

Abbie was almost struck speechless by Jenny's rant. Obviously that's because it's crazy, she told herself. "Give me a break!" she demanded weakly, rolling her eyes.

Smugly, Jenny slid past Abbie and went back into the dining room. Abbie wasn't alone in the room, though.

Crane stood quietly, holding one of Betsy's journals, in the other entrance to the kitchen, giving her the impression that he had been there long enough to have heard everything Jenny had just said. Shit!, Abbie panicked.

The serious look in Crane's admittedly gorgeous eyes had her feeling a little weak in the knees, and she let herself momentarily off the hook of making up another excuse for why he had this effect on her. She'd worry about it later.

Another few moments elapsed without either of them saying a word. Too long, really. It was awkward. Her heart thudded. Her mouth felt dry, her hands a little moist.
Then Abby thrust her thumb out in the departed Jenny's direction and laughed, "Did you hear all that?"

"I did," Crane admitted, stepping closer and resting the book on the counter. Dammit, he was waiting for Abbie to explain. Why couldn't he just immediately get in on this "laughing it off" business she was so desperately trying to sell?

"She's nuts," Abbie said dismissively, like Jenny's comments about herself and Crane were the most ridiculously outlandish words she'd ever heard, instead of the truest. Well, they rang true to her, at least. She had no idea how Crane felt, but if he didn't feel the same….well, all the more reason to keep her feelings hidden. Not to mention the impossibility of turning this perfect, ideal friendship that was all tangled up with the Witness thing into a romance. If it didn't work out, she'd lose him forever. Abbie shivered slightly, crossing her arms and smiling up at Crane in silent supplication. Just go with it and act naturally, she begged.

Instead, Crane asked, "Is she?" The tone of his voice was neither accusatory nor annoyed, and he didn't seem offended by Abbie's attempt to discredit Jenny's theories. Just like always, Abbie marveled, Crane was sensitive, sincere, and patient. He went back into the other room and left her to ponder the simple question which then proceeded to deprive her of sleep and the fragile remnants of her sanity for several days.

Yup, Abbie reflected a few days later, on the night of the FBI gala, sliding her feet into silver pumps and glancing in the mirror. That's when it started to get weird.

And it hasn't stopped since.