Five years. They had been married for five years and they were finally free. From the next day on, they would be able to live their love out in the open. She saw that he had been thinking the same thing as soon as he passed the door. She didn't remember the last time he had such a big smile on his face coming home from work. Before she could even greet him, he was kissing her, pouring all his love in it.

"Well, I see you remember what today is." She laughed.

"Mrs Murdoch, how can you imagine for a secod that I could forget what today is? It is the day we prove your father wrong! He can't do anything anymore. I can't believe he thought he could separate us!" William said, anger rising in his voice.

"Well, I still can't believe you married me and defied him in the first place." Julia said. "But thank you for doing it." she said, kissing him deeply.

"What time did he say he would come?" William asked, kissing her neck, his hands working on the collar of her dress.

"Uh … I … seven? Or eight? I … I don't remember." Julia whispered, her knees buckling in pleasure.

"What time is it now?" he mumbled in her hear, backing her up against the dining room table.

Before Julia could answer, they were interrupted by a harsh knock on the front door.

"Seven or eight I guess." she chuckled, pushing her husband away and hitting his hands away. "Stop it, I have to open the door." she added, walking out of the room.

"Julia wait!"

"What?"

"Your dress is undone." he simply said, walking up to her and doing the buttons he had undone a few seconds before.

"Ok. Come on, let's get this done!" she declared, marching to the front door.

"Well, I have to admit, I didn't like it when you decided to join the medical school but this … this is ..."

"Father that's enough!" Julia all but yelled. "I know that you think I married the wrong man, that I could have done so much better with my life. But you know what? I love my life! I love my husband. I could not have found a better man anywhere in the world. And I love my job. I bring justice to victims of horrible crimes. You tried us for five years. Five years Father! Forcing us to hide our marriage and even our relationship so that your high-class pompous patients would not think less of you. Do you realize that our friends don't even know. And all that for what? You're never going to be happy with me anyway so sign this paper, don't sign it, I don't care. I'm done with you! I have been for five years!"

She stood up very slowly and walked out of the dining room, heading upstairs to their bedroom.

"And you let her speak to her father like that?"

"I don't let her do anything. She does whatever she wants. She is a grown woman and a very accomplished one at that. Your blackmailing didn't have any effect on our marriage. We love each other as much as the day we got married. Even more."

"You do realize that if I don't sign this contract ending those five years of ...let's say probation … you will not get any money from me … alive or dead."

"With all due respect Dr Ogden, we don't need your money. We manage perfectly well on our own."

"You do realize that you won't be able to act as a married couple all of a sudden without risking to lose those friends of yours who will certainly feel betrayed." Julia's father said, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Don't worry about that. I'll be more than happy to court my wife for a second time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go on check on my wife." William said, getting up and leaving his father-in-law alone in the living room.

When Julia and William got back downstairs about half an hour later, Dr Ogden had left. The contract was still on the table.

"Remind me again why we agreed to sign this thing in the first place?" William asked.

"Because we were young and he threatened to have us ruined financially and professionally if we didn't agree to his terms. What I don't understand is why he was so intent on us not marrying at all!"

"Well, the first born of a prestigious family can't simply marry a lumberjack turned constable, even if she loves him. It's not good for the reputation of the family."

"Urgh! At least it's finished now. Even if he didn't sign this stupid document, he can't do anything against us anymore. We both are well-respected professioals and we are happily married."

"And I get to court my wife a second time." William laughed, kissing Julia and moving into the kitchen to find something to eat.

Julia walked to the dining room table and took the contract. She saw her father signature. She was surprised not to feel anything. No relief, no anger. She put it away in a drawer and followed her husband in the kitchen.

"Oh William, I think you started something earlier, now would be a good time to finish it." she called alluringly.