"Colonel Baird, I hate to break it to you but our so called new friend is missing." Ezekiel stated and Eve immediately realized she hadn't seen Moriarty since they'd all disembarked from a disastrous carriage ride a few blocks from what was believed to be Prospero's house.

For a moment she found herself wondering if he'd changed his mind about trying to be good and decided to warn the man who had summoned him about the plot. As much as it pained her, she decided that if he'd done so she'd find a way to banish or destroy him herself. With that thought in mind, she knew she had to be the one to find him.

Finding the missing fictional proved to be an easy task and Eve located her quarry around the side of the building just out of eye and earshot of the librarians. Moriarty must have been so caught up in whatever he was thinking about that for a moment he didn't notice the approaching guardian and she had a chance to watch him unguarded. Rather than appearing as the confident, almost cocky man she had seen for most of the time she had known him, in front of her was someone who looked unsure of himself much like he had back in Cicily. However, something about this time told her that he didn't want anyone to see him this way.

Softly, Eve cleared her throat to get his attention. "You're not planning on reverting back to your old ways are you Villain?" The comment was meant as a joke, but something in his eyes told her he'd been hurt by it.

However, Moriarty quickly hid his emotions and offered a fake smile in her direction instead. "I suppose your team hasn't quite warmed up to me yet."

Eve paused for a moment before speaking. "Is this about Flynn accusing you of being Jack the Ripper? If it makes you feel any better, Flynn also tried to convince Jenkins to build a magical barrier to keep talking snowmen out of the annex after seeing Frozen for the first time."

This time the smile Moriarty gave her felt more genuine. "I fear that I am unaware of the connection between talking snowmen and a movie Mr. Carsen watched, but that does sound like something he would do." However, something in his body language told Eve that her response still wasn't enough to completely reassure him.

"I think the library chose you, just like it chose me and them. You were probably chosen before any of the current librarians were even born. " As soon as she'd finished speaking Eve crossed the space between them and took one of his hands, and began stroking the area between his thumb and forefinger.

Wordlessly Moriarty watched her actions for a moment before speaking. "And why did you choose me Duchess?"

For a second Eve was about to respond with a prepared guardian spiel about the good that his presence would do the library and how his knowledge would likely help even Jenkins, but she realized that wasn't what he wanted from her. The question wasn't about his usefulness to the library, but a much harder and more personal one. In fact, it was one that she currently wasn't sure if words could properly answer. Instead, she found herself relying on her body to do the talking. Instead of speaking she let go of his hand and allowed her arm to snake around the back of his neck, pulling him in closer for a long kiss.

As they kissed she felt the tension release from his body until finally they had to break because of a mutual need for air. Once they had broken apart, the pair remained tangled together with their foreheads touching.

Softly, almost as if in wonderment, Moriarty reached forward and stroked Eve's now swollen lower lip and for a moment she almost forgot about everything that was going on around them.

However, the moment was broken by Ezekiel sneaking up on them. Cheekily the thief tapped Eve on the shoulder. "I see you've found Moriarty again. I think you're taking the whole hospitality thing a tad bit too far. Also, Flynn is looking for you."

xxx

If there was one emotion Moriarty wasn't used to feeling, it was utter despair and hopelessness. Flynn Carsen and Ezekiel Jones's jabs about him being Jack the Ripper certainly had bothered him as there was nothing pleasant about being associated with a killer so evil and sadistic that knowledge of his crimes had crossed over from the real world into the fictional one. However, this alone wasn't enough to make him feel desperate and terrified. From the moment they'd left the restaurant his mind had been filled with the persistent notion that before this mission was through he was going to be consumed by flames. It had to be one of Prospero's tricks to keep him from freeing himself and saving Eve and the librarians, but it was still enough to make him feel as if he needed to be alone.

It was impossible to hide anything from Eve though, and he was gone for less than ten minutes before she managed to find him. Despite his best attempts to seem perfectly fine in a matter of minutes she had figured out the half truth of his condition.

Immediately she'd taken on the role of loving partner, and for a while her attempts at comfort chased the dreaded images out of his head. However, once they began to get closer to what was believed to be Prospero's house the images returned again, this time accompanied by a feeling of burning so intense that it felt as if his very soul was being torn apart.

I feel I should note that I came up with the burning part of this chapter long before the most recent episode so it is not an indication that Moriarty is somehow a vampire and truly is Prospero being a total dick. Also, my only excuse for not updating is that I'm a bit of a perfectionist and have been known to agonize over even single sentences structures for days at a time.