Why Fireflies Flash
Chapter Ten
"Harden My Heart"

A Small Townhouse Somewhere in London

"You know," Anabeth snuggles into the warm body next to her, "I've missed you. A lot."

The body's indifferent. He always was, even before when they were younger.

"I was ready. We were ready... and then you left. Just walked right out of the ceremony. Leaving me embarrassed and alone, and I never saw you again. Why would you do that?"

She doesn't receive an answer, she doesn't expect one either. It's a moment before she heaves a sigh and slips out of the bed taking the loose sheet with her.

"Annie-belle? Where are you going?" he calls to her.

She sighs and shakes her head. "Annie-belle? Do I look like that same naive sixteen-year-old to you? Is that why you treat me like this? Like I'm just toy that you can play with when you're bored?"

"Anabeth, I-"

"Oh please, just don't. I have... I have to go. I'm gonna be late."


She was a sophomore when she first met him. Only fifteen. It had been opening night of her school production of Annie. The Meet and Greet was nearly over. She'd just finished talking to (she hoped) the last group of people and was ready to slip backstage to help clean up. There was a voice though that'd called out to her, caused her to stop.

"You're a hard girl to talk to."

His voice was accented heavily. Irish, if she had to guess. She was probably wrong.

"Tends to happened when you come from the family I do," Anabeth replied. "Everyone wants to say they know one of us."

He smiled. His eyes a warm brown, so friendly and inviting, coupled with the mischievous million watt grin, she liked him from the start. "You were spectacular up there."

She blushed deeply and looked away. "Thanks."

"No problem."

She felt his eyes on her face, unmoving. "What?" she finally managed to ask.

"You're much prettier without the wig. Ginger doesn't suit you as well."

"Oh," she gave a half-snort-half-giggle sort of laugh. "Thanks, I guess."

"And you shouldn't wear eye shadow; it takes away from the color in your eyes."

"Oh, um..." she shifted a bit nervously, unsure whether to be creeped out or flattered.

"Sorry... you were leaving before. I should probably let you go, one condition though."

Anabeth's brow raised. "What's that?"

"A date, with me. Saturday?"

"I don't even know your name."

"Jim Moriarty."

"Well, Jim Moriarty. I might have to take you up on that."

She turns around and continues to the double doors that led backstage. "Oh," she pauses and glances back. "And I'm Christabella Quinn. But everyone calls me Anabeth."

"I know," Jim tells her holding up his program. "See you tomorrow 'Annie'."

She smiled. "Bye, Jim." The door shut softly behind her.


He came every night for the week the play ran. With flowers every time. At first it was roses, admittedly her least favorite flower, but she found him zeroing in on color and type until the night of the final show where he showed up with a large pink vase of purple dendrobium orchids. Her very favorite. She was putty in his hands from there on out.

Their date was simple, a trip to the theater to watch a local production of The Phantom of the Opera.

"It's nice watching the stage instead of performing for once."

Jim smiles. "After a week of brilliant performances like yours, I would expect so."

Anabeth blushes. "Well, I blame that on myself. The week of performances is in response to the response I got last year as Christine in our production of the Phantom of the Opera. Nobody realized just how powerful my voice was until opening night. The last two performances were full houses. And I was only a freshman."

"Sing something for me," he tells her.

She smiles at him. "You've heard me sing, for a week."

He chuckled. "I've heard you sing "It's a Hard-Knock Life". Sing something for the Phantom. Please."

Anabeth looks at him before giving a fake sigh. "Well since you said please... In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came," her voice was soft, almost like she was frightened she'd fail, "that voice which calls to me, and speaks my name. And do I dream again? For now I find the phantom of the opera is there inside my mind." By the time she finished, she managed to find strength within herself to show him the truth behind the whispers of her he'd heard about her for the past week.

He hated to hear her stop and before he could tell himself otherwise, Jim heard his voice pick up Erik's part. The smile that Anabeth gave him at that moment kept him from leaving her.

He did everything he could think of for the next year they dated to bring back that smile. The smile she gave when she was truly taken by surprise by something that he did.

She gave it all of thrice. Their first date, Christmas when he gave her his mother's locket, and on a trip to London during spring break of her Junior year. He took her to Her Majesty's Theater, where they watched the Phantom, after which he pulled her backstage to meet the cast. He had proposed to her then too, with a replica of Princess Diana's ring. The perfect cliché for his Princess Annie-belle.


221C Baker Street

Anabeth's fingers ran over the edges of the photo. They'd been the "It" couple since they met. Something happened, something she cared not relive, that caused him to leave her at the alter that June. She hadn't seen him since.

When her father had handed her the file on him, and Mycroft with that creepy all-knowing smile, she wanted to prove herself. She was always proving herself, but this was different. It was a chance to prove that Moriarty was not the cause of her emotionless state of mind. But with every passing meeting; no matter the briefness of it, with every buzzing text, with every draining phone call, she found it harder and harder to walk away sober.

He brought out the worse in her, always had. It's a natural defense, forgetting memories that cause you pain, emotional or physical. She thought she knew, that she remembered. She was wrong. She was only remembering now.

A soft knock on her door draws her attention away and she's up the stairs to open the door for her guest. The woman standing on the other side of the doorway is tall with frizzy orange hair attempting to be tamed by a black top hat and green eyes hidden behind black nerd glasses. Anabeth smirked.

"You look like a hipster."

Hannah shrugged. "It was a perm gone wrong."

"Obviously. You look like the Hatter." Anabeth moved to the side to let her Bestest Friend in the Whole Wide World (a self-given title) in.

"The only reason I'm keeping it."

Anabeth chuckled. It was refreshing to hear another American accent, though if she spent any more time here, Hannah'd be British sounding all the same. "So whatcha doing here Batsy?"

Hannah leaned against the back of the couch that was placed haphazardly in the center of the sitting room. "I have come to declare that Friday nights are now officially Girls' Nights and refuse to let you wallow in... this poor excuse for a flat by yourself. Go get dressed, we're going out."

Anabeth rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Alright Miss Bossy Pants. I'm already dressed."

"No, as far as I am concerned, you're naked. I will not be seen with you in that," she raked over the skirt and blouse combo. "It's jeans and a tee or nothing at all, and as I have no clothes for you..."

Anabeth rolled her eyes again.

"Come on, Harls, when was the last time you went out and had fun."

"The past three days."

"With a girl friend?"

"Two weeks ago, we had Girls' Night then."

"Exactly," Hannah snapped. "You spend too much time working. Spook or not, I will not allow you to waste away like some pathetic excuse for a human." Hannah frowned as her friends shoulders slumped knowing there was no point in arguing. "You okay Anabeth? I'm getting that depressed mood from you again. Is something wrong?"

Anabeth shook her head. "Just tired."

"You know I'm here for you right? Anything you need, I got you. Even if it means tracking down He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and shoving him off a tall building."

"That's why I love you, Wayne."

"Anytime, Quinn."


I think that's enough for now and a wonderful time to stop. It's incredibly late but I hope you enjoyed it. Even though some of you might dislike me for this chapter. And oh. I think there's a link to a outfit/collage-thing from