Hey guys! Thanks for waiting for this update. Sorry it took so long. If you read "Persistence of Memory" you know that my dad passed away on February 13th, and I took some time away. I'm back into my writing now and I really am loving this story thus far. Thank you for all your feedback, please keep it coming! Enjoy!

Heartbeats

Chapter Two

Job

John felt a familiar quiet overtake him and something in his belly began to hum and burn. His whole world went still and he soaked in the singing of a bullet whizzing through the air, the loud bang as the shot ignited. It was intense and when he watched the man's eyes grow dull and his body slack with death, his whole body trembled. The faintest twitch of a smile caught the corner of his mouth, but the sensible man in John quickly pulled it back. On the inside he was spinning with rapture, but on the outside he was cool and in total control.

It was blissfully quiet for a minute or two, and then, soft laughter and a round of one-man applause broke through. John looked up from the dead body on the ground and his eyes met the softest brown he'd ever seen. Moriarty's face was alight with warmth and pride. He was clapping and grinning. Just beyond him, Sebastian was smirking and his eyes glinted with admiration. When John met his eyes, Sebastian gave a wink and a slight nod in his direction.

"Well done, Doctor Watson. You are far more than I could have hoped for... Wonderful... Just... Wonderful." Moriarty praised, stepping over the body between himself and John so he was closer. He looked John up and down, fingering the lapel of John's jacket right over his heart. He slid his finger down one delicate pinstripe and his eyes followed his fingers movements. John felt a chill run through him and he let out a shaky breath.

"Thank you." John said calmly, feeling the light touches of Jim's fingers as they slid back up his suit jacket to pat him on the shoulder. Jim's eyes were quickly on John's face again. He was still smiling, though there was something slightly more sultry behind his gaze now.

"You're very... veeeery welcome. Now... You've more than passed the test. What do you say, John. Come work for me..." Jim beckoned, his hand still resting over John's heart. John licked his lips quickly and glanced around a bit as he searched for a reason to turn Jim down.

He couldn't think of one.

"What's the position?" John inquired. Jim clapped his hands together and giggled, stepping back and walking around John as if he were holding onto a great secret. John turned to watch Jim as the criminal walked a few feet away and tucked his hands into his pockets. Jim spun on his heel to face John, brows raised and eyes half lidded, and lips pulled into a mischievous smirk.

"My personal body guard and physician. Seb here is better in the feild. I need someone with a penchant for danger and impeccable fighting skills, but... I also need someone with a gentle touch." Jim replied in a more serious tone. "A real... Sincere bedside...manner..."

John swallowed, took a breath and acted as if he didn't already have his mind made up. He wanted this. He wanted it bad.

"What does the position require?" he asked.

Jim's face became more devious and his cheeks flushed ever so slightly.

"That you are at my side twenty-four hours a day... Seven days a week. You'd live with me, care for me if need be, and watch my back... In return, I'll pay you handsomely and ensure that you are never without a... fix... When you need one."

John took a deep breath and forced himself to pause. In the back of his mind he knew this was wrong. But every inch of him was screaming for this. He was still feeling the charge of taking that man's life only minutes ago. It was almost impossible to resist moaning at the thought of never having to go without. Somehow, John held it together, and his tumult of thoughts and emotions remained concealed under his military mask.

Jim broke into a grin as John extended his hand to him. He took it and shook firmly.

"I'll be taking that position then." John said firmly. Jim nodded.

"You start immediately. Sebastian will take you back to your flat. Gather what little personal things you want to keep. Leave behind your clothes and any furniture. My men will take care of the rest of that. A new wardrobe will be made up for you. My employees must dress to impress. And I must say, you do impress in this wonderful ensemble. My tailors do goooorgeous work, do they not?" Jim patted John's forearm and then released his hand and stepped back. John was almost immediately overwhelmed at his own decision.

His whole life was about to change. His entire world was going to be turned upside down. Sebastian approached him and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Come with me, then." he urged with a warm smile. John nodded, his eyes wide and mouth drawn into a tight line. He was somewhat in shock still.

"I'll see you soon, John." Jim sing-songed to John's retreating form. Sebastian patted John firmly on the back and grinned.

"You made the right choice. You're going to love this Job." Sebastian assured, noting John's paling face. John chuckled weakly and nodded, glancing back to see Jim inspecting the body which was slowly growing surrounded by a puddle of blood. Sebastian guided him out of the building to an awaiting car.

"I expect I shall." John agreed quietly, letting Sebastian open the door for him. John slipped in with Sebastian following right behind him. They fell into companionable silence after Sebastian instructed the driver as to where they were going. John felt like everything that followed was a whirlwind. He grabbed his gun, some toiletries, his laptop, and his favorite mug from the building, placed them in a suitcase and left it all behind. He never wanted to look back. The broken shell of a man he was when he returned from the war was all over that flat, and leaving it all behind felt like a holy cleansing.

When he got back in the car, they drove for what felt like hours before they arrived at what John assumed was a safe house. It looked like something out of Wuthering Heights, and he could hardly believe his eyes. As he walked up to the door with Sebastian, he noted guards posted all around. They looked like Secret Service and it was intimidating and somewhat exciting.

Though on the outside it looked a bit like a horror novel waiting to happen, inside was richly decorated, warm, and classy. All hardwood floors, Persian rugs, paintings that were likely originals stolen from museums or perhaps purchased anonymously. As they stepped over the threshold and into the parlour, a short and curvy woman was waiting for them. She looked to be in her mid-fourties, with just beginning to gray-blonde hair and hard blue eyes. She was dressed in a yellow sundress with an apron on over it. There was a dusting of flour on the baby blue apron and her hands looked to be a bit dusted as well.

"Master Moriarty is waiting in the dining room for him. I'm about finished with dinner. Please hurry Sebastian, he's getting impatient." the woman said as soon as she laid eyes on the pair. Sebastian gave her a nod and pecked her cheek as he passed, dragging John along with him.

"Thank you Agnes. We won't keep him waiting any longer." Sebastian assured, and then the woman was off, shuffling past them, back to the kitchen to complete her cooking. John wasn't too bothered by the grip on his upper arm that Sebastian had, but he was almost nervous to see Jim again. Sebastian guided him through with a firm hand to the dining room where Jim was seated at the head of a long mahogany dining table. He was in a red satin dressing gown, and beneath it was a pair of black satin pyjamas. Was it really so late already? John wondered. He glanced around and caught sight of a grandfather clock in the corner.

It was indeed well past ten. Jim looked up from a spread of letters on the table before him on the table as John entered and beamed at the pair.

"So glad you could finally join me." he said, though there was an edge to his tone. "For a little while there I thought you might've changed your mind."

John shook his head, stumbling forward as Sebastian nudged him. John walked up to the head of the table and took a seat at Jim's left. He was expecting Sebastian to join them, but when he looked to the other man, he was already walking out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Jim chuckled softly as he watched John begin to grow immediately nervous.

"Calm down, John. Sebastian isn't going far. He has his own residence in the little building behind this one." Jim said, reaching over to where John's hand rested on the table and covering it with his own. John glanced down at Jim's hand and then back to his face. They gazed into one another's eyes for a brief moment, and then John averted his gaze. His eyes fell then, on the letters.

"What are those?" John inquired. Jim gave a soft and short laugh as he looked down at the letters. He pulled his hand away, leaving John's fingers feeling oddly cold, to pick one up.

"These are hopes and dreams, Johnny. People send me their hopes and dreams and beg me to help them achieve them. I help their dreams come true... And take a tiny profit along the way..." Jim explained, his voice soft and rapturous. "This is your job now, too... Are you up to the task?"

John looked down at the letters and then to Jim, a small but genuine smile on his face.

"I think this will be the best job I've ever had..." he replied with a little laugh. Jim nodded, smiling wider.

"Listen to this one... Ahem... Dear Jim, my mother is on her death bed and has left her entire estate to my brother because he's married, and I am not. It's really not fair. Please, fix it for me." he read the letter dramatically, pouting a little at the end. "Poor man, really is getting the short end of the stick."

John raised a brow.

"Sounds like a whiny git to me." John commented. "You aren't really going to help him are you?"

Jim snorted and gave John a knowing look.

"Of course not. It's not nearly interesting enough. It's a two at best on my scale of one to ten." Jim explained, tossing the letter back onto the table. John tilted his head and looked closer at the letters.

"None of these look very interesting..." John said with furrowed brows. Jim nodded with a sigh.

"I suppose I'll have to stir up something interesting myself..." Jim said, sifting through the letters. He plucked one from the pile.

"Dear Jim, I am a man with little time left and children to think of... I drive a cab for a living, which is a less than profitable living. I want to leave them something they can survive one. Please help me. I've run out of options..." Jim read aloud. John tilted his head and furrowed his brows.

"That could be interesting." John commented calmly. Jim raised a brow and looked over at John.

"How so, Johnny?" he asked softly.

"What if you pay him to kill his riders. The more he does, the more money he makes for his children. How far will he be willing to go...?" John offered up. Jim's eyes sparkled as he looked at John with wonder and admiration.

"Brilliant idea... And I know just how to make it even better..." Jim said, swiping the other letters from the table with a swish of his arm. He set the letter down before him and sighed contently. John couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at having his idea accepted. The look of excitement on Jim's face warmed John right down to his toes. As Agnes brought in their dinner and a bottle of wine, John decided that Sebastian was right.

This was the best job he'd ever had.


Don't forget to review!