He woke up early, anxious to see John so they could start the day and make further progress. He knew they would make it. By the end of the day, John would kiss him and he would get to keep his legs.

He would be able to stay with John.

He was so sure, so full of hope for once, which was probably the reason why his brain completely froze when he overheard John's conversation with his butler.

"I know it's him, I would recognize his face anywhere. And that's his voice. Jim's the one who saved me, I'm sure of it."

Hidden behind the wall, he peeked around the corner, careful not to be seen. There, sitting on the sofa beside John, was another man, his hand resting on top of John's, a wide smile on his face.

"I want to marry him. This evening. I know he's the one I've been looking for, and I have no intention of postponing this for longer than necessary."

No, no, no, it couldn't be, John wouldn't-

Taking a deep breath, he made his way back to the guest's room, his mind completely blank. He sat down on the bed, hid his face in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees, and bit his trembling lip in an effort to regain control of himself.

He had to think. This made no sense, there had to be something-

"... and that's his voice."

Moriarty.

He had to be controlling John, there was no other explanation. John was not the kind of man who would rush into a marriage, even with the man who (he thought) had saved his life. He wanted to get to know the other person, to form a bond with them. Furthermore, he knew the predicament Sherlock was in. While he was still unsure if John had completely fallen in love with him, he knew he at least liked him. He wouldn't simply forget about him because someone else came into the picture, he would at least talk to him about it, try to come up with a solution, anything.

He needed to figure out how Moriarty was controlling John. It had something to do with his voice, that much was obvious, but how...

He closed his eyes, picturing him again- well, picturing the man who Moriarty had turned into for his plan to work. And then he saw it; hanging from his neck, a small golden locket, in the form of a shell. It had to be it.

He stood up and bolted out of the room, in search for John.

The living room was empty.

No, no, no, they couldn't be gone. John had said-

"Mr. Homes? Are you looking for Prince John?"

Yes, he wanted to shout, but had to resign himself with giving a harsh nod.

"Oh, everyone's gone already. The ship sailed a few minutes ago. Prince John's fiancé convinced him that it would be better to have the wedding while there was still light outside, no reason to wait."

No. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't.

There was still time.

When he arrived at the pier, he realized there was a fact he hadn't taken into consideration.

He couldn't swim.

His encounter with Moriarty was a bit blurry, he couldn't remember much about what happened after he made the deal. However, he remembered that when Moriarty changed his tail into a pair of legs, he had managed to move upwards, if only a bit, by kicking frantically with his legs. The idea had some merit, but how would he manage to stay afloat at the same time?

He spent almost ten minutes looking around him, thinking of something that could help him, something like-

There. In the far corner of the dock, hanging from a pile, was a life ring.

Knowing that he didn't have many options available, he took it, and taking a deep breath, he jumped into the water. He held onto the life ring and started to kick. He knew it would take too long to reach the ship like this. It wasn't the most efficient method, but it would have to do.

He only hoped he wouldn't be too late.

John adjusted his tie one last time, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

This was the moment he had been waiting for. He was finally getting married. Furthermore, he was getting married to the beautiful man who had saved his life and who had managed to capture his heart with that lovely deep, baritone voice and those stunning blue eyes. He was trembling with excitement; he had never been so happy.

Except...

There was something not quite right. He knew he felt happy, but looking at his own reflection he realized his smile looked anything but. There was something gnawing at the back of his mind, but he couldn't place his finger on it. Maybe-

He heard the music start playing and he knew it was time.

With one last, deep breath, he glanced once more at his reflection and left the room. He was probably just nervous, he thought. This was everything he'd ever wanted. There was no reason to doubt.

He was close, he was so close. The ship was merely a few meters away.

He heard the music and stilled for a second, before quickening his pace. He would make it. He had to.

"Do you James Moriarty, accept John Watson as your life mate and one true love, promising to share in all that life offers and suffers, to be there for him in times of need, to soothe him in times of pain, and to support him in all endeavours, big and small."

"I do."

"And do you John Watson, accept James Moriarty as your life mate and one true love, promising to share in all that life offers and suffers, to be there for him in times of need, to soothe him in times of pain, and to support him in all endeavours, big and small."

John's face turned to James, who was smiling widely at him, and had reached forward to take his hand, giving it a light squeeze.

"Prince Watson?"

"Yes," John said, his voice strangely hoarse. "I do."

Author's notes:

Expect the next chapter by Tuesday, or Wednesday, at most. In the meantime, enjoy my lovely 'cliffhanger'.

Please, let me know if you see any mistakes, as always. Enjoy x