It was late, but even so, Murdoch had gone to the morgue in order to inform Julia of the result to the supposed Dracula case. The conversation quickly took a turn to unusual territory and he felt strangely aroused in a way he hadn't experienced in a long while.
"She was clever I'll give her that." Murdoch cocked his head to the side like a dog would when trying to understand its master better. Enlightening him, "Playing innocent and defenceless. Tools women frequently use to attract a man."
Julia was all smiles but more than that, there was a seductive look beginning to take place in her beautiful eyes. Murdoch hurriedly glanced away, looking anywhere but there, afraid of what would happen if he maintained eye contact for too long with such talk going around.
Hesitatingly, "I...don't believe I was aware of that where Arlene was concerned." Involuntarily, a nervous chuckle escaped his lips at the last.
"Of course not," she said smirking. There was something about the way she said that which made it quite impossible for him to look away any longer. "That's the way the mating dance works, isn't it?" A faint smile was forming on his face the longer she continued speaking in her increasingly flirtatious and breathy manner. She took a half a step closer to him and he feared what would happen next. "The female sends out her signals and the male reacts." The fear was receding and giving way to excitement as she tossed back her luscious curls. "She'll toss back her hair and expose her neck, her most vulnerable aspect."
By now he was mesmerized by her delicate and enticing flesh. It was as if she had put a spell on him and he couldn't fight it any longer, as if she were a vampire, intending to have her way with him, the hapless victim. The desire and need were starting to reach a crescendo. Managing to speak he said,"Hence the visceral response to the vampires bite." He looked back and forth from her neck to her eyes as he said, "Fangs and such."
Smiling widely she stroked her supple skin a few times as she responded quietly. "Just so, yes." Taking yet another step towards him so that they were much too close, she continued her provocative narrative. "An allure of steady eye contact, powerful and unblinking." His breathing quickened and his heart rate skyrocketed as she finished, only inches away from his face. "A clearer message cannot be sent."
Their eyes locked and he grabbed her the short distance towards him, lips immediately finding one another, hungrily devouring their meal after being denied sustenance for so long. Julia threw her arms around him and he lifted her up onto her desk, maddened by the feel of her, by the intoxicating aroma she was emitting. Her deep breaths were sending him into a paroxysm of pleasure and he could no longer restrain himself. Murdoch ripped her blouse down to her elbows, partly exposing her bosom beneath. He began rapidly kissing her soft skin as he removed his own suit jacket, tossing it on the floor like a piece of garbage. Almost simultaneously, he lifted up her ample skirts so that he could get closer to her, even closer than that crazy night in the park. She was like putty in his hands, molding to every contour of his body, quivering with an insatiable yearning.
He began necking her again and just as he decided to take things a step further, the most odious voice known to man (or at least to Murdoch) spoke.
"Julia?!" exclaimed a shocked and outraged Darcy.
"Darcy!" she cried, in a high pitched, fearful way, quickly pushing Murdoch away from her.
The two men stared at one another, Darcy in disgust and Murdoch in extreme annoyance. Soon Darcy's face had formed a humourless mask and death could be seen in his eyes. In response, Murdoch's face changed to one of impassiveness, refusing to feel embarrassed or ashamed by his actions; they may have been rash and inappropriate but he knew in his heart that they had been right. They remained this way for several seconds, Julia had long since covered herself and was now frequently staring back and forth between her two lovers, dreading what was to come.
"How dare you take such liberties with my fiancee!" shouted Darcy, red faced in anger. "Who the devil do you think you are?" Murdoch didn't respond. "I demand an answer, sir! Or would you prefer our fists do the talking?"
"Darcy, please,"- started Julia, getting in between them, with arms outstretched.
"Stay out of this Julia!" the irate doctor spat, not taking his eyes off of Murdoch, "this is between the detective and I!"
"William-"
Darkly, "He's quite right, Julia, I think it's high time we settled this." His eyes hardened like steel, "Once and for all."
"Stop this right now!" yelled Julia, frantic to put an end to this before it really got out of hand.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, dear," Darcy rumbled low and dangerous, like thunder. "There's no turning back now! You saw to that! Now remove yourself!"
Stubbornly Julia refused, and in his anger, he pushed her aside, and she fell heavily to her side, knowing that she most certainly just sustained some nasty bruising. A small cry of pain escaped her lips, enraging Murdoch. Without further ado, they charged at one another, like two alpha moose fighting over who would get to mate next. Their collision caused invisible shockwaves and they struggled against each others grip in a stalemate. Finally Murdoch got the slight upper hand and rammed him into the wall, winding Darcy briefly.
Murdoch proceeded to apply a couple of good punches into Darcy's rib cage and across his stupid face, feeling more satisfaction in his brutality than ever before. Unfortunately his adversary recovered quickly and dodged the next incoming blow, Murdoch's hand glancing off the stone causing a wave of agony to shoot up his right arm. In the split second that he was distracted by the pain, Darcy threw himself at Murdoch, knocking both of them over the few steps and into the main viewing room. This cataclysmic collision blinded Murdoch with pain, his eyes rolled back into his skull and it was all he could do to remain conscious.
"Darcy no!" shrieked Julia, her voice breaking through the fog and bringing him back to reality. But it wasn't quite soon enough. Darcy had already begun to pummel him with surprising vigour and strength. His face was going numb and he was dizzy with dumbness. Bleary eyes barely open, he perceived Julia desperately trying to hold back Darcy's onslaught with her substandard strength. Again and again he shrugged her off as if she were nothing more than a pesky fly.
She disappeared from view and a few seconds later, there was a loud crack and glass and water cascaded from Darcy's head and almost into Murdoch's eyes. This unexpected attack resulted in Darcy promptly collapsing on top of him. Murdoch shoved him off to find a goldfish flopping about near his face. The next second Julia was beside him, lifting his head up into her lap and gently stroking his drenched hair while simultaneously picking out shards of glass.
"I'm so sorry, William," she said quietly, crying. "I hope you'll be all right." He groaned in response and she clutched him tighter. "I never wanted this, I never...Can you stand?"
He mumbled something incoherently and she took that as a yes and slowly brought him to the desired position. Their feet crunched on broken glass as they made their way over to some vacant chairs, so that she could better assess and tend to his injuries. First she cleaned the blood that had not been washed away by the fish water, then she felt his torso and limbs, searching for additional wounds. She thought he might have a cracked rib but couldn't be certain. When she touched his face with antiseptic, he winced and she bite her lip, trying to hold back more tears. Once all his face wounds had been dealt with, she went over to the phone and called station house four, requesting some assistance. In the meantime she saved her dieing fish and checked on Darcy to make sure he was still breathing. He was but he was out cold.
Within minutes, George and Higgins arrived and viewed the scene in complete awe.
"Doctor! Sir!" exclaimed George, mystified. "What on earth happened here?"
Higgins elbowed him in the ribs and directed George to the unconscious doctor on the morgue floor. They easily lifted Darcy onto a gurney and swiftly exited the room, George stealing worried glances at them the whole while.
With his puffy eyes, he stared at Julia in silence for several moments afterwards. Apparently neither of them knew what to say after the highly unusual events of the last ten minutes and who could blame them? Finally, he spoke with a slight grin.
"I guess this means the wedding is off."
She released a nervous giggle and then it erupted into a full blown laugh. It was infectious and he laughed along with her, the sound echoing weakly across the walls.
When their merriment had subsided, and in a more serious tone, he said, "We shouldn't let the date go to waste."
Raising her eyebrows she replied, "Are you certain, William?"
"Julia," he said taking her hand, "I've never been more certain about anything in my life."