Title: Acceptance

Author: Fallenbelle

Summary: Luckily for him, his wife typically accepted him for who he was, and did not take his failure to keep his promise to accompany her out on a lovely Saturday or notice her beautiful new lingerie personally.

Rating: T/Teen just to be safe

Author Note: Julia's pretty new teagown or robe in 09x01 inspired this. Also: feedback please? I'm not going to improve without it. There may or not be a companion piece soon to follow. Thanks to LoveMondays for the beta.

Warning:Spoilers for 09x01 and probably beyond ahoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Engrossed in reviewing the military records of Archibald Brooks and Douglas Roper, William had failed to notice the lights being turned down in their suite and Julia's preparations for bed. He had also forgotten that he had promised her an entire day of just the two of them; abandoned (albeit justly) for a lead on the perplexing case of Archibald Brooks. He was quite lost in thought until she had asked him if he were coming to bed, at which he absentmindedly replied "Just a moment."

Luckily for him, his wife typically accepted him for who he was, and did not take his failure to keep his promise to accompany her out on a lovely Saturday or notice her beautiful new lingerie personally. If anything, Julia Ogden had learned that William's tendency to lose himself in a case and therefore practically render him obtuse to anything else around him was merely a challenge to overcome-hence her beautiful new robe. Despite William's single-mindedness, Julia knew he loved a pretty package and knew that eventually he'd notice her. William also had a tendency to be quite predictable.

As he explained the not so coincidental coincidence, Julia listened and offered her thoughts and asked appropriate questions while moving ever so subtly towards her main goal for the evening-seducing her husband. By the time their conversation had reached its natural end a few minutes later, Julia had draped herself over the arm of the chair and around William, subtly forcing him to eventually notice her presence.

Laying the papers down on the table in front of him, he turned his attention towards his wife, immediately noticing her elegant new robe. Running his finger along the edge of her sleeve, she could tell that he was verifying his initial hunch that it was silk and that it must have cost a pretty penny indeed. Still, she knew he found it to be quite a beautiful piece and she noted how his concern over the cost of such a garment soon turned to admiration of the blue silk with its embroidered violets along the sleeves and bodice.

As he looked up and down, taking in the entire package, he realized that the woman who wore it (along with his rings), was trying to get his attention. William belatedly comprehended that he'd been neglecting his beloved, finally picking up on her subtle seduction attempt.

"A lovely robe, Mrs. Murdoch. Is that new?" he asked, moving his hand up her arm to trace the hem around her collarbone. She shivered in response as she leaned into him yet more.

"Yes, I needed something to do this afternoon while you were busy and some shopping seemed like just the thing to occupy my time. I saw this and simply had to buy it. I'm pleased you like it," she replied, playing with the hairs on the back of his neck.

"Its quite pleasing indeed. But tell me, there doesn't seem to be much under this robe. If I were to investigate, would I find something most scandalous, Doctor?" he wondered aloud as his fingers slid down the center part, trailing down to her lap, parting the garment around her thighs as her breath hitched in response to the sensations of his fingers and the silk on her sensitive inner thigh. "Why there's nothing at all, Doctor. What explanation do you have for such forward behavior?" he murmured in her ear as he pulled her fully into his lap.

"Well, Detective, I wanted to surprise my husband. Do you think this will catch his attention?" she asked in response.

"I can't see how you could possibly fail in that endeavor, Doctor. Particularly with such a risqué ensemble, it seems you will be quite successful," he answered as he slipped the silk off her shoulders with her help.

Lying next to one another, still entwined, Julia was not surprised (but perhaps a little disappointed) when basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking, she noticed that William had already retreated back into his mind and undoubtedly upon the case again. Once upon a time, she may have gotten upset at him, but now quietly accepted that this was the way he was. Even if it did sting a bit as she turned her back to him avoid displaying to him any signs of such.

Besides this was a case that involved George, and despite her frustration that she had failed to fully distract him for the rest of the evening, she couldn't deny that it was for a just cause.

Disappointedly, she settled in to sleep, denied the romantic evening she had been looking forward to all week.

Of course it didn't help that a couple of days later, William's tendency to be all consumed in a case nearly got him killed. Again. Stitching the back of his head up, she chided him like a mother scolding her son for some act of foolishness. He attempted to impress her or at the very least absolve himself of blame in his latest careless endeavor, but his words were in vain. She was far too busy being upset with him for failing to realize that his obtuseness could have gotten himself killed. Again.

Would the man ever learn from his mistakes? Julia feared that he wouldn't, and one of these days, even God's protection wouldn't be enough to save the man from one of his irrational acts.

Even as he hurriedly slipped his jacket and hat back on to return to work, he failed to notice her disquiet and as soon as he had left their suite, she sank onto the very same chair he'd been sitting on moments before and briefly cried before getting a hold of herself, reminding herself of who she had married.

For the rest of the day she was at a loss, and while she knew that she couldn't live without him, she wasn't sure that she could live with him either.

That night, sensing (correctly) that she was upset, he came home with a gorgeous bouquet of roses, chocolates from her favorite patisserie and even rubbed her feet as he talked about the latest developments in the case.

Of course, one look at the hopeful and apologetic look on his face, she realized (again) that she just couldn't stay mad at him. So when he called her in to help the next day on examining mold and other trace evidence, she knew that there was no choice-so long as he was alive, she'd be by his side, working with him during the day and loving him at night.

This was her (happy) fate, and one that she accepted (albeit with reservations). But as she stared at him across a table as they both pronounced that the mold was from Roquefort cheese and that the grease was from a bicycle simultaneously, she knew life with William was superior to anything else she had ever experienced and that any other arrangement was unacceptable.