Author's note: Thank you to BBC, ACD, Mofitiss, et. al. Special thank you to EviColt for the giggle you gave me with your review of my author's note. Sorry if I offended any one. I had the news on when I wrote the AN for last chapter. I promise no more politics. (I know you weren't offended Evi, but I might have offended someone else.) A shout out to Sofiaramendez. Thank you for the review. You said that you are "getting 2nd thoughts about the whole Jim and Heather thing." Ok. Can you explain a little more about what you mean? Do you not like the pairing? Am I making Jim too much something (soft, crazy, etc.)? Would you prefer to see Heather and Sebby together? What are "getting 2nd thoughts about?" I'm interested in your feedback. I know where I want this story to go, but I'm open to suggestions. I can promise that Sebastian's life will be getting better soon. I know that he's having a rough patch now, but I promise it will be better for him soon.

Chapter 14

Heather pulled the cookies out of the oven. She plated them and brought them and a stack of napkins out into the living room. "Bash, did you get the movie set up to go? Jim, you are going to love this movie! Like I said, it's one of absolute favorites. It really does have something for everyone." She sat down on the couch between the two men and placed the cookies on the table. She leaned against Jim and he wrapped his arm around her.

Sebastian pressed play on the remote and settled back against the back of the soft sofa. He glanced over at his boss and best friend. His heart stung a little, but he knew that that ship had sailed, and he needed to adjust to the new reality he was facing. "They're not really a bad-looking couple. Maybe she can make him a little more level-headed and less likely to fly off the handle so much. And Lord knows Jim won't tolerate the way her family treats her, so that problem will be solved one way or the other. Maybe this really will be okay. She'll still be in my life. Especially if she does move to London. We can still go shooting and drinking and everything else we do together, just more often. Yeah, this could work out. Who should I put on her security detail? Phillips might work. He's pretty sarcastic, like her. Hmm … what about O'Shanahan? She's new, but so far, I'm hearing good things. Definitely not Patterson. She would rip his throat out in the first 20 minutes guaranteed. I'll have to talk to Jim about it later. God, she looks so happy. I guess that's the important thing, right?" Sebastian was so caught up in his own thoughts that he missed the fact that Heather had asked him to pass her a coaster twice already.

"Sebastian Augustus Moran, are you ignoring me? Hello! Are you in there? Bashie!"

"Oh, sorry! I was caught up in the movie, Kitten." Sebastian blushed. "What did you need, sweetie?"

"Can you please pass me a coaster for my drink?" Heather looked him with a questioning stare. "Are you sure you're okay? You've been a bit off today. You aren't getting sick, are you?" She placed her hand on his forehead. "You don't feel hot." She grabbed his wrist. "Your pulse is steady. A little fast. Do you want to go to bed? I know you haven't gotten much sleep in the past 24 hours. I think it might be catching up with you." Heather looked genuinely concerned about her friend's condition. "Plus, you have had a fair bit of alcohol and you're not 18 anymore."

"No. I'm good, sweetie. Here's your coaster. Sorry. I would never ignore you."

"Ok, honey. You know I worry about you." Heather's phone started to ring. "Hang on guys. Let me grab that." Heather reached over and answered the phone. "Hey Kate! What's up! Can you hold on a minute?" Heather put the phone down. "Hey, can we stop the movie for a minute. My friend Kate's on the phone and we've been playing phone tag for a few days. I should only be a couple minutes." Sebastian stopped the movie and Heather got up and walked into the kitchen. "Hey, thanks for holding on. What's up?"

"Hey Jim, I was thinking?"

"I thought I smelled smoke."

"Yeah, funny! Anyway, I was thinking. Were you going to assign a security detail to Heather while she's in London? I know that you're going to try to spend some time with her while she's there, but what about when she's at the hospital and if she wants to go out to shop or whatever? Do you want me to cover her or someone else? I was thinking maybe Phillips or O'Shanahan."

Hmm … Phillips would be okay. Do you think O'Shanahan's ready? She's still pretty new and Heather's important. I think I would Mitz over O'Shanahan. Oh, that reminds me. When we get back, fire Patterson. I've become tired of how close he cuts things. Amuse me with how you do it. Have Mitz and Phillips on Heather. When she gets to town, have them at the apartment so she can meet them when she gets there. If she likes them, then they're fine. If she doesn't like them, we'll make different arrangements then." Jim thought for a moment. "How secure is she here? The house and property? The hospital? Other places she frequents? Do we need people here?"

"Well, I feel like the house and property are good. You heard her. She refuses to have guards here, so that is a big disadvantage."

"Let me talk to her about that. I think I can change her mind. I want her protected. Especially since she lives alone. These cats don't do squat for safety. Does she like dogs?"

"Yeah, she loves dogs. She had mentioned thinking about getting one a few months ago. I think she was thinking of something small, though. She used to a Schipperke named Rommel, but he died a few years ago. That was before she got the cats, though. She loved that thing. It hated me. Little ankle biter. Way too possessive of her. Was actually a good guard dog that way. Nobody could get close to her, even if she wanted them to without that dog attacking them. It got cancer and she had to put it down. She was devastated. She got Calypso a few months later. Said she missed having a pet. I know both of her parents each have pit bulls. She loves both of them. She grew up mostly with little dogs and cats. Oh, but she did have a half whippet half greyhound when she was a little girl that she really liked. I think it got sick and died though. I think she was in 2nd or 3rd grade."

"Perfect. Let's get her to get a dog. Something big and smart. Pit bull, Rottweiler, German Sheppard, whatever. How is the security at the hospital?"

"Typical hospital security. Not great, but again Jim, she absolutely will not allow personal security. Trust me her dad and I have tried. It's the only thing the old fucker and I agree on. She gets pretty pissed and shuts down when I mention it. She tolerated it in Afghanistan because of the environment, but she won't here. She doesn't see the need."

"I'll talk her into it. Or, failing that, just put some people on her and she just won't know. I will have her protected whether she likes it or not."

Sebastian just raised his eyebrow. "This is going to be a nightmare," he thought to himself.

"Where else does she go where she'll need security?"

"She has violin lessons on Friday evenings at a local music store. She usually goes grocery shopping on Friday mornings too. She teaches a class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the medical school. Security is fairly good there. Could always be better, but it's not too bad. This semester, she is also teaching one class at the nursing school connected to the medical school. Tuesday afternoons. 1 pm to 3 pm, I think."

"What about church? Does she go to church on Sundays?"

Sebastian laughed a bit, "Yeah, church every Sunday morning without fail. Service starts at 10:30, runs until noon. It's a church, so no real security to speak of outside of the Lord, so … pretty wide open to anyone and everyone."

"Ok, well, this will give you something to do tomorrow night while she and I are out. Coordinate full security for her. I will talk her into personal security tomorrow. I want this to start ASAP. This is top priority, Sebastian! Everything else comes second. Do I make myself clear? She will be kept safe! You can start by getting cameras in place. Standard package. Here, her office, her car, all the usual. Eyes on her at all times."

They heard her laughing in the kitchen. "She is my most valuable asset now, Moran. Her safety is everyone's top priority."

"Understood, sir. Her safety has always been high on my priority list since I met her just, so you know."

Jim sighed, "I'm sure it has, Sebastian" He paused for a moment. "Listen, how are you? I imagine that today has not been especially easy for you so as your friend, not as your boss, but as your friend, I'm asking, how are you?"

Sebastian studied Jim for a moment. "It has been … challenging, sir. I would be lying if I said that today ranks in my top 100 days, but … Heather seems … happy and she deserves to be happy. She's gone through a lot in life. A lot of emotional trauma and she's really good at hiding the effects, but I know that … behind that perma-smile, she has a lot of pain. All that I ask is that … I don't know … I guess all I can ask is that you understand that. She tries so hard to make everyone else happy and comfortable and good that a lot of the time, she doesn't leave anything for herself. Make sure that she doesn't give up some much to everyone else, that she's left empty. When you get tired of her, let her down softly. Remember that she might look like indestructible, but her heart is more delicate than fine crystal and every time it gets broken, she builds another tall fence around it."

Heather walked back into the living room with the phone pressed to her chest. "Bash, do you remember my friend Kate? About 5'10, medium brown hair, green eyes, SICU nurse, British? Ringing any bells?"

"Yeah, a little. Why?"

"Um, how would you feel if she came over and hung out with you tomorrow night? I kind of feel bad that I'm abandoning you to go out with Jim and she's available to hang tomorrow. Would that be cool? She's offered to help me get ready, so she'll be here anyway. You guys can have the lasagna." Heather whispered, "She's single and she kind of has a thing for you, but I did not tell you that."

Sebastian grinned, "Um, yeah. That sounds cool. Sure, we can hang." Heather held her fist out to silently fist bump him. She flashed him a grin and a thumbs up.

"Yeah, Bash said he's down to hang. Thanks so much for offering to come over and keep him company. I feel awful that I'm totally bailing on him. See you around 5?" Heather flashed another thumbs up to her friend. "Ok, cool. See ya tomorrow." She hung the phone up and placed it on the coffee table. "Bashie, you are so getting laid tomorrow! Oh, Jim, our little boy growing up so fast! He's going to get some. Bow-chicka-bow-bow! Bash, just remember, Kate's a lady, so no anal. That has to wait until at least the second date. Ladies have standards!" She loved teasing her friend. Sebastian just blushed. "I'll put the lasagna together tomorrow and if, you remind me, I'll put it in the oven right before we leave. It'll take about an hour to cook, so that should work out perfectly." Heather had an idea. "Unless, you guys want to make it yourself together. Bash, you're a good cook and it's a pretty easy recipe. Which do you prefer?"

"I guess we can make it ourselves. Just write the recipe down for me."

"I'll tab the page in the cookbook for you. Okay, you guys ready to start the movie back up?"

They got settled back on the couch and restarted the movie. Sebastian only half paid attention to the action on the screen, as he thought about his date the next night. He vaguely remembered Kate from meeting her about a year before when he and Heather were at an art gallery opening. She had seemed nice, but he thought she was engaged then. He wondered what had happened there. Heather was busy reciting the dialogue of the movie. She had seen this movie easily 100 times and had long since memorized it. One of the perks of an eidetic memory, not to mention the repeated viewings. When she wasn't reciting dialogue, she was telling Jim all sorts of trivia and behind the scenes information. Sebastian knew that that would normally bug Jim into a fury, but he looked genuinely interested. About a quarter into the movie, she started to slow down with the talking and laid her head in Jim's lap and extended her legs and feet into Sebastian's lap. She was turned on her left side still watching the movie, but Sebastian knew that she wouldn't remain awake for long in that position. Jim reached down and started running his fingers through her hair and rubbing her upper back and neck. She moaned lightly with relief. "That feels great honey. Don't stop."

About 10 minutes later, Sebastian looked over and Heather was fast asleep. He looked over at Jim and whispered, "She's fell asleep already. Do you want to turn the movie off and take her upstairs to bed?"

"Hell, no. She was right. This movie is great. I really like this Count Rugen! I like his way of thinking."

Sebastian just shook his head. "You know that you can't actually do that stuff, right? It's a fantasy movie. There is no machine that will take time off someone's life." Jim didn't answer. "Jim! … Boss! … Jim! It's not real!"

"Yeah, I know, but imagine if it was. Maybe if I …" Jim trailed off. Sebastian just rolled his eyes again. Sebastian turned the tv off. "Hey, I was watching that," cried out Jim.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Boss. I thought you were thinking."

"I was, but I was also watching the movie. I can do both. I'm not a simpleton."

They finished watching the movie. "Well, what do we do with her," asked Sebastian. "We're both pretty much stuck here unless we move her, but that will wake her up."

"Well, let's wake her up. I'll get upstairs to bed and tucked in." Jim started to run his fingers through Heather's hair and call her name. "Heather, wake up. It's time to go to bed." He started to rub her back and shoulder.

She awoke with a snort. "Huh! What's going on?" She looked around confused.

"Hey, love. You feel asleep during the movie. It's over now and I want to take you to bed now. Can you get up? I'll help you if you need it."

"Okay." She replied sleepily. "I need to clean up in here and the kitchen before I go up though." She staggered to her feet and started to grab bowls and plates off the coffee table.

"No, sweetie. Let Sebby and I do this. You need to get some sleep."

"No, it'll just take me a few minutes. I've got it."

"Let us at least help you. Seb, grab some stuff, please."

The three of them managed to clear the coffee table of stuff in one trip. Heather and Jim dumped their drinks in the sink. Sebastian put the leftover cookies in a plastic bag and stored them in a cabinet. Heather put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and started the load. "Ok, let's head up."

Jim followed Heather up the stairs and into her bedroom. "I have to get ready for bed. Thanks for walking me up here." Heather gave him a kiss. "You wouldn't want to sleep with me tonight, would you? It would just be sleep, but it could be kind of nice."

Jim smiled a slick smile. "Yeah, let me go get ready. I'll be back in a few minutes." He kissed her again and left the room.

Heather felt an instant rush at the thought of Jim being in her bed. She was tired, so it truly would only be sleeping together, but it was still very thrilling. She flossed and brushed her teeth and washed her face. She looked over at her medications. She picked up the bottles and poured out the correct dosage for each one, except for one. "I'm going to skip this tonight. Just in case." She bit her lip. Her psychiatrist wouldn't completely approve, but she figured that he wasn't there, so what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. "Besides, it's only 1 day without it. I'll be fine." She swallowed the pills down quickly with a mouthful of water. She reapplied her deodorant and added just a tiny splash of perfume to each wrist. She heard Jim entered the bedroom. She turned around and walked out of the bathroom. She met him by the bed and gave him a kiss. He was wearing a black silk t-shirt and black silk pajama pants. He not only looked like sex personified, but he also looked like he knew it. Heather felt a very welcome stir in her lady loins. She could feel her nipples harden and a blush come to her face. "I normally sleep on the right side, so you can sleep on the left. I will warn you I'm a cover hog. Hazard of sleeping alone for so long." She pulled the covers back and crawled in.

"I hate cover hogs. You'll have to work on that or suffer the consequences," he purred as he climbed into the bed.

"Yeah, I'm not going to sleep anytime soon," thought Heather. "What kind of consequences are we talking about here … Mr. Moriarty? Nothing too extreme I hope," wondered Heather.

"Just wait and see, little one. Wait and see. Now time to get some sleep. You are sleepy, right? That is what you said, Dr. Weire."

"Well, now that you mention it, I do have a little bit of energy I could burn before I settle in. Can you think of anything I can do to get fully relaxed for sleep? Maybe some a little aerobic?"

"I do have a few thoughts. But I think you're a bit overdressed for the activities I have in mind." Jim reached over and unbuttoned Heather's shirt.