Hello my lovely readers! Sorry this is a day late, I've been sick for a few weeks with a sinus & ear infection, I went to the doctors earlier this week and have been sleeping pretty close to none stop since from the antibiotics I am now on. On the plus side, I am feeling a lot better, so hopefully this upcoming week will go easier for me.
June 15th, 2005
Jim's POV
When the orders to report to Mr. Holmes PA came through, he was quite pleased, he had applied for the position when it came open the week before, but had not been one of the originally interviewed candidates. A low drum of excitement flares through his system, he wouldn't be going for the interview if he wasn't a valid candidate.
When he gets to the office, the door is standing open, so he wraps his knuckles on it twice before stepping in, "Miss A?" he queries.
"Close the door and take a seat Mr. Moriarty," a rather aesthetically beautiful woman directs him.
Silently, he does as directed and waits with an outwardly calm expression even though he is exceedingly excited.
"Why do you wish to move out of field work and into private work?" she inquires as she closes down the laptop and closes it.
"I do not wish to be an agent permanently. I desire to move up the ladder eventually. Also, if the younger Mr. Holmes is anything like the elder Mr. Holmes, he will be quite interesting to work with." He answers smoothly, probably best not to mention the fact he finds the elder Mr. Holmes attractive.
Her dark eyes study him for a long moment, "The hours will be long, there will be very little time for breaks, emotional outbursts will not be tolerated as they could cause greater problems, there is to be no physical harm to the younger Mr. Holmes, and part of that is making sure he does not harm himself." She informs him firmly, "Your file shows that you are highly intelligent, not quite as intelligent as our employer but higher than the vast majority of people, you are classified as a psychopath, though several of your evaluations classify you as a sociopath. Your loyalty is questionable at best."
He smiles, lips tilting as she lists off his most common traits. There is nothing wrong with being a psychopath. It serves him well with his duties. He's never felt something is lacking, despite his problematic empathy and highly skewed moral compass.
-Can you understand and reply in BSL?- she asks, eyes never leaving his face as she does so.
-Of course,- he replies with a smirk, -I take it the last person claimed to but didn't.-
-Something like that.- she answers.
He stays quiet as she glances at him thoughtfully.
"I think you will be the best fit of those I have interviewed." She finally remarks, "However if you screw up, you will not like the results."
She's threatening him and giving him the job? Sounds like something he would do. Has done. He had started his own web before he joined MI6, his life saved by the agent who was supposed to kill him. Now that web was used for jobs rather than criminal activity.
"You start in one hour. At this time, there is no timeline for how long this will last or the hours you will be working. Think of yourself as Sherlock's PA, with all duties included." She states, offering a folder to him.
He nods, still trying to keep the excitement from his expression, because it's probably not something he should be showing right now. The file ends up being on the younger Mr. Holmes. It details what led to the situation they are in, and the suggestions on how to assist Sherlock during his time not speaking. Absently nibbling on his lower lip, he considers the information, and which in his network would be able to get him more information and helpful hints for dealing with someone who has traumatic mutism.
"Dismissed, a car will be here and waiting in exactly sixty-one minutes." She informs him as she stands, a smartphone appearing in her hand. "Any questions will be answered then."
"Yes ma'am," he replies with a nod, standing and leaving with nothing else said.
Mindy, Alexia, and Jason would probably be the best for information. Tugging his phone out of his pocket as he returns to the small office he has in the lower part of the complex, he sends off a few messages. By the time he closes his door and boots his laptop up, there are three long and useful messages waiting for him.
Alexia gives him advice on ways to help through comfort, making sure to point out ways to help if the person suffering from the mutism is a tactile person or not. Mindy's advice centers around how to build someone who has dealt with trauma's confidence back up so they feel secure with themselves and their surroundings. Jason gives a list of other resources that could help, medically and not, plus activities that do not use one's voice.
Printing copies of each email off, he adds them to the file, and makes sure to grab his extra suit and the kit he keeps around for traveling job.
When he gets to the front door, he spots Miss Awaiting for him. Almost as soon as he reaches her side, one of the sleek cars pulls curbside for them to get in.
"Do you have any questions?" she inquires with a tilt of her head once they are encased in the car.
"Not so much questions as wishing to confirm a few things." He replies.
She nods, motioning for him to continue.
"I'm Sherlock's PA, primary task to make sure he does not hurt himself and that his environment does not cause him stress." He waits for her nod before continuing, "I'll be staying in a room at the Holmes' estate?"
"Yes, clothing and other supplies have been provided," she answers, then motions for him to continue.
"It is at my discretion whether to stay in the room at all times or give him space?" he inquires.
"At your discretion," she replies.
He nods, mind already whirling.
"Anything else?" she asks.
"No, if I form questions I will text you," he responds.
Nothing else is said on the ride to the flat. When they get there, he quietly follows her inside. She gives him a brief tour by telling him where everything is before they stop in a library.
"Mr. Holmes is checking on his brother now, you may take a seat or look around as you prefer," she tells him before settling on a sofa near the fireplace.
He decides to look at the books and see what sort of topics are around. Since one thing all three of his informants told him was be in the same room without speaking and focusing on something else, having books on hand would be useful.
When a tall teenager with wild hair and haunted eyes follows Mr. Holmes in almost timidly, he wonders what have brought him this low. In his time before MI6 he would have offered to take care of the problem in a creative method.
"Sherlock, this is Jim Moriarty, he is on loan to us from MI6," Miss A tells the disheveled young man as she rises from her spot on the sofa in front of the fireplace.
Those haunted eyes sweep over him a second again. He can just about feel the judgment and determination coming off of him.
-Hello,- he signs, -She indicated that you rarely sleep, don't communicate much, eat as little as possible, and bounce between activities depending on your energy levels.-
Sherlock nods in his direction before nodding at his brother, spinning and leaving the room. For a moment he considers following him, but now he has another question, and since he is certain Sherlock is returning to his room, which is his domain, he will stay and ask the question instead.
Once his charge has left, he turns to the other two, asking, "Why does he look deader than some of those in my network?"
Miss A is the first to answer, "We are unsure the exact cause, it started after he roomed with a young man named Victor."
"Hmmm," is all he says in response, all ready considering how to get rid of Victor.
"Feel free to look around the flat," Mr. Holmes tells him, "There is a cook named Miranda, and a maid named Shelly comes through though every other day."
He nods, eyes flickering over the older man as he considers him. Mycroft Holmes is definitely a good looking man, a little rounder around the middle but not so much so that he looks bad. Giving a small shake of his head, he pushes those thoughts away and decides to look around the flat a bit more. With a nod to the other two, he exits the library. First thing he goes looking for is his room. He's very pleased with what he finds. It's a decent suite with a full size bed, closet, dresser, desk, and attached bathroom.
He has just started looking around the kitchen when a heavy set woman comes bustling though one of the doors.
"Hello," she greets him happily, "You must be Mr. Sherlock's new assistant. Will you be eating with them or prefer a tray for your room?"
Smiling charmingly, he responds, "Could I eat in here?"
She blinks at him for a minute before replying with a chuckle, "If you want, there is a small table over in the corner there." Her hand motions to it absently. "Please go tell Mr. Sherlock that dinner is ready to be served."
He nods, turning and leaving the kitchen. It's a quick trip through the flat to Sherlock's room. The soft notes of a violin catch his attention and he spends several minutes just listening to the sounds of it before he lightly taps on the door to alert Sherlock to his presence. Instead of speaking, he waits for the younger man to turn towards him before signing his answer.
-Dinner is done, if you are interested,- he tells his charge.
He doesn't wait for Sherlock to answer. Instead he heads to the bathroom before heading to the kitchen. He knows that Miranda will say something if his charge does join the elder brother.
Dinner is a rather tasty meal, far better than he was expecting. He has just finished up and is considering whether to head to his room or the library for a bit when Melissa comes in the kitchen fretting. One glance over her tells him everything he needs to know. Quietly, he heads upstairs and to Sherlock's room where he finds the younger man huddling in the fetus position between the dresser and the end of his bed. Just as quietly, he fetches the violin and sets it near the younger man's feet before withdrawing from the room.
For several long moments he hovers outside the door, listening closely for the sounds of the strings being lightly stroked before retreating downstairs. The plan was to speak with Mycroft, instead he speaks with Melissa, getting a verbal account of what happened and deciding what needs to be done accordingly. Heading to his bedroom, he considers the file he has on the younger man, and the suggestions that his three gave him.
He ends up sleeping for a just over an hour before he is up and ready to go again.
After a quick shower and a change of suits, he checks on his charge, Sherlock is sleeping on his bed, curled around his violin, an occasional tremble and twitch betraying the fact his sleep is troubled though he makes no noise.
For a moment he considers singing some of the lullabies that he used to croon to Alexia on nights she'd have nightmares, but decides against it. They're not friends, and he has a feeling that would be considered over stepping his bounds.
Instead he heads downstairs, stopping in the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea before heading to Sherlock's lab in the basement to get a feel for what sort of things can be done in there. Perhaps he can get the younger man to do some experiments. As quietly as he entered the lab, he leaves it without actually touching anything more than the door, his mind whirling.
Now would be a good time to read the notes and file the rest of the way, he thinks as he checks on Sherlock one more time before heading to his room. Going through the file in full detail takes him several hours, and he carefully considers the advice he had been given for dealing with someone coping with traumatic mutism and selective mutism. Using the provided computer, he attempts to break into the doctors computer to see what sort of notes he has on Sherlock, only to discover it is a closed network and the only way he is going to be hacking it is from the building itself. Well that's inconvenient for him but kudos to the doctor.
How to deal with a teenager who has problems with everyone? One who's mind races non-stop from what he can tell much like his own? Well how did he deal with being a teen? Save a few other homeless kids, killed a few people, and got recruited by MI6, so that's probably not going to work.
Nothing in his record marks Sherlock as a sociopath or psychopath, though he claims to be a high functioning sociopath according to the councilor at the university. That's probably his way of dealing with being an outsider, because he isn't seeing a single friend or even acquaintance in these papers. From what he can tell, the only friend he has ever had is his elder brother, and he can see exactly when that relationship ended.
Setting the information aside, he tilts his head as he considers it, eyes staring at the far wall in the way Aaron used to tell him was very creepy. He's a full out psychopath, and well aware of the fact he is missing the purpose behind most emotions, yet he has more friends or at least acquaintances that he would assist in a pinch. Well then, maybe that's what his roll should be, rather than PA become his friend. At this point he is moderately certain he can't screw the boy up any worse than he already is.
Though he wants to meet this doctor too, just because he might be able to come to some sort of understanding, and they will be able to assist each other.
Now that he has an idea of what he needs to do, beyond the PA concept, he goes and checks on the younger man, finding him just on the edge of wakefulness. Humming to himself, he heads to the kitchen, not surprised to see the cook already working on something.
"Hi Miranda," he states in that sing-song voice he tends to use when he is bored and having to be patient about something.
"Good morning Mr. Moriarty," she replies with a small shake of her head.
"Jim," he corrects her quietly, "I prefer Jim." Rolling his shoulders, he continues, "Sherlock is waking up."
She nods, and motions to a small tray on the edge of the counter, "That one is for him. What would you like for breakfast?"
Picking the tray up with one hand and tucking it against his side, he snags a plump red apple with the other, "This is good thanks. Though I might come make another tea in a bit."
She nods and goes back to her cooking.
Humming once more he takes the tray upstairs to the younger man's room, and taps his knuckles lightly against the door. When he hears the light strum of the violin, he carefully opens it, slipping in the room to set the tray on the desk before signing, -Morning. You have an appointment with Doctor Watson at five pm.-
He doesn't get much more of a reaction than a slight flicker of eyes that let him know Sherlock saw what he said.
-I will be in the library if you want some company,- he states before withdrawing once more.
Using his phone, he gets a hold of a few of his other contacts, trying to come up with some ideas as to ways to occupy an overly intelligent teenager, also trying to find other ways to make him feel comfortable. He knows that his natural personality can be offsetting. Alexia has told him he gives a feeling of something being wrong when he holds still, and its one of those things he sometimes tries to correct, except for when he wants to be offsetting.
Four times he checks on the younger man, finding him playing the violin and later the harp in his bedroom. About forty minutes before it is time to go the younger man gets a shower and changes into one of the suits, making him look less like a lost waif and more like a serious student.
So Sherlock likes his doctor if he is willing to put effort into how he looks for seeing him. That's a good bit of information to tuck away.
The ride to the doctor's office is quiet, though his mind is going a thousand miles a minute as he continues to work out his plans and ideas, as he studies the parts of the city they pass. When they get there, he escorts the younger man into the building but takes a seat before even having to be told to. He had brought his phone with him to keep himself occupied, though he also people watches, one of his favorite past times. According to the file, the appointment between the doctor and his charge can last up to six hours.
The receptionist is polite and offers him a cup of tea once the rest of the waiting room clears out and he is the only on there. He smiles and thanks her for it, before going back to playing with his phone. In truth, he is studying where all the cameras are and the type of security that he can see, surprised to see that it is as good as it actually is. Most clinics and doctor's offices of this size do not put as much effort into their security as this one has. He manages to charm one of the nurses into visiting with him, with that high watt smile he sometimes uses, and by being polite. From her he learns that there is Doctor Watson who owns and runs the office, Doctor Lewis who helps with the trainees, five resident doctor-in-training, six nurses on day staff, eight on night staff, and three receptionists.
Apparently, the practice has taken off rather quickly because of the fact Doctor Watson is willing to review any case involving someone who is mute, deaf, or both. There is also talk of adding to the practice, buying one of the buildings on either side and getting a few more doctors on staff. Apparently they are filled to capacity but still keep getting new patients that Doctor Watson takes care off during the official off hours.
She surprises him by offering him part of the pizza that the staff had ordered for their lunch. While he is not the biggest fan of pizza, he accepts a slice on the condition that she eats one with him. It gives him a chance to ask more about the people that work here, and get a better feel for their personalities. By the time they are done eating and she bids him goodbye, he feels as if he has a pretty good handle on the people here. Able to easy hear what is between the lines and the things that folks don't like others knowing. Most these people are honest and hard working, there is one nurse with questionable morals, but as long as she's not causing him a problem, he's going to ignore her.
By the time nine pm rolls around and he hears the door to the office open, he is staring to get bored and plotting out various ways to cause mischief. Just because he hasn't caused mischief in a long while, doesn't mean he has forgotten how.
Standing and smiling slightly, he introduces himself when the pair come into the lobby, –Good evening Doctor Watson, I'm Jim Moriarty, Sherlock's assistant.-
-Good evening, Mr. Moriarty,- the doctor responds seriously, eyes flickering over him.
-Feel free to call me Jim,- he offers with a slightly bigger smile, -Is it about time? Are any arrangements needed?-
-Jim,- the doctor repeats with a nod, -Sherlock has indicated he would like to join me during my rounds with the homeless Saturday. I leave the office to begin at nine am and complete them by two pm. I'll provide lunch.-
He nods at the same time as Sherlock, his eyes sweeping over the doctor and reading his history and mannerisms in the same way he is certain Mycroft and Sherlock have in the past. This doctor is smarter than he lets most people see, and he has a fondness for Sherlock despite the fact they have only know each other for the last week. That's definitely something he can work with.
Flashing a more predatory smile, he responds, -Got it, five minutes to nine Saturday morning, wear comfortable shoes.-
The doctor bids them both goodnight, escorting them out of the building and smiling in pleasure when his charge bids the doctor goodbye as well. Now that's interesting. His charge has a fondness for the doctor. That's even more helpful.
The doctor's blue eyes give him one last glance, as if uncomfortable with him or seeing past the false mask that he wears most the time before slipping back into the building and locking up.
-Ready?- he inquires as the car pulls curb side.
Sherlock doesn't answer, not that he actually expected one.
Opening the door, he motions the teenager into the car, his mind adding the new facts that he has discovered to his plans. So far he has become Sherlock friend, introduce him to people who will appreciate his intelligence, and figure out ways to make the teenager more comfortable in his own skin. Apparently play matchmaker has been added to the mix. Or it will be if those two take too long flirting around with each other. Right now they have only known each other a week. For a good relationship to work they will need at least a year to form a strong bond, at least he knows that's true of himself, and Sherlock is a lot like him, only a little less kill people for being annoying.
Still, he has information to work with, that is always a good thing.
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