This is an alternative way of how The Sins of the Father, should have been! Enjoy!
….
(Station House)
It was an ordinary day for William at the station, just in his office working on his latest contraption, which was for Mary. William was creating a mixture of a baby swing, a rocking chair with music included, he was thinking of calling it the Musical Rocking Swing. William was so focused on his work he didn't hear the knock on the door.
"sir"
William looks up; it's McNabb, with a telegram in his hand.
"this just came for you, sir" McNabb says and hands it to William
"thank you"
McNabb leaves and William opens the telegram and reads it.
"Dear, William, long time no see son; I need to talk to you about something that has been on my mind lately. You're the only person I can trust on this. I know you're going to say ask Jasper to do it. But he wouldn't understand. Come to this address located on the bottom of this telegram, tomorrow at 4:00.
Hope to see you there,
Harry"
As William is reading the telegram he doesn't know what to think. He hasn't seen his father in 10 years. He didn't even tell him that he and Julia are married with a baby, but he assumed Jasper has told him.
(The Next Day)
William was hesitate about seeing his father but he went to the location his father said to meet him. He waited for over an hour and still no sign of Harry.
"I should have known he would do this" he says to himself while shaking his head and heads back to the station.
(Station House)
William enters and sees the Inspector, "Murdoch, where have you been?"
"I was taking care of some business matter"
"well you have someone waiting in your office for you"
"oh, who?"
"your, father…"
"thank you" says William and heads into his office and sees Harry looking at the baby swing. William hangs up his hat, "Harry…"
"uh…William…my boy. This is quite a contraption, you have here; by the looks of it I would say you're a father?'
"I am" William says with a harsh tone
"I am sorry I stood you up, I had a nap and by the time I woke up it was 5:05 and so I decided to come here"
William walks to his desk, "what did you want to talk about Harry?"
Harry sits down, "uh, well, do you remember this?" he asks William showing him the photograph.
"this was the summer of 1870, we just moved here from Nova Scotia, after mother died"
"yes, well, do you remember anything about that summer, Willy?"
"not really, why?"
Harry leans over onto William's desk and told him the whole story.
"I do remember some of this, Harry. Yes I remember this boy Danny…"
There was a knock on the door; it was Julia, pushing Mary in the pram.
"William, sorry to…Mr. Murdoch"
"please call me, Harry, my gosh you are still beautiful as ever, my darling daughter in law"
"oh, you know I married, Julia?"
"Jasper told me and good for you William, I always knew she was the one for you, my son."
Harry looks over in the pram, "and who's this?'
"your granddaughter, Mary"
Harry looks at Mary and smiles, "she's got your mother's features William, especially the eyes."
"really, people say that she looks a lot like William."
"oh, yes William is the image of his mother. Susannah was the spitting image of my mother who we named her after"
"would you like to hold her…?"
"Julia…" William says with his head and hands shaking no
"come on, William"
William gives her a stern look.
"it's ok; I have a bit of a cold and don't want to give it to her."
"yes, well, uh, Julia you wanted something?"
"uh yes, Mrs. Kitchen got called from her sister who's sick and I have to be in surgery in an hour"
"you're having surgery done?" asked Harry
"no, I am a surgeon. Went from coroner to psychiatrist to surgeon"
"whoa, accomplished woman you are"
"yes you can leave her here, Julia and we'll see you tonight"
"thank you" she says blows kisses both William and Mary and leaves
As Julia is leaving, Mary begins fussing and Harry approaches her, "DON'T" says William "she's my daughter, I will get her" he says and picks her up out of the pram and begins to calm her down
"so, back to your confession, Harry is that all you came here for? To make your confession and show me where the body is?"
"yes, but also…" Harry says and rubs his head with his hand in his brownish-greyish hair.
"I'm dying, William"
He says with tears in his eyes.
"what do you mean, Harry?" William says but speechless
"well, I'm dying; I have tuberculosis and liver damage"
"I see can you…"
"I have seen doctors, and they said there's nothing they can do and I'm ok with that; I have made my peace"
William remains calm, but he doesn't know what to say. He looks into Mary's eyes and asks Harry, "want to hold your granddaughter?"
Harry smiles and sits down on the chair, "bring her here"
William places Mary in Harry's arms.
"I'm sorry I wasn't the great father you deserved, but you turned out to be a great one, William"
"Harry, I…"
"please, let me finish; William I just wanted you to know, I did love you son, and your sister and mother. I am proud of the man who had become; your mother would have been proud too. I know she always wanted you to be a minister, but she would be happy that you became a policeman instead. She would have also loved Julia and Mary."
"I Know she would have been proud. But father, may I ask you something?'
Harry looks at him with a smile "yes"
"did you, love mother?"
Harry looks at him with and nods, "I did. I loved your mother. She was the love of my life and I think about her everyday"
"but Willy, may I ask you, something?"
William nods
"are you happy with the way your life turned out?"
William was not expecting that, but he nods and told him "despite mother, Susannah and Eliza dying, being in boy's homes, I do love my life. I wouldn't have become a detective if I didn't become a lumberjack, and I wouldn't have met Julia nor had my little girl. So yes I love my life"
Jasper nodded in agreement.
They then decide to go to where the body was buried to give the baby a proper burial. William ask the inspector to watch Mary for him. They went to the spot, found the body and they it a proper funeral.
Harry decided to stay in Toronto for a couple of days to make amends with William. Then one night William gets a call, it was Harry and it was time. William brings him back to their house and him and Julia make him comfortable in the guest bedroom. William told Harry he didn't need to talk if he didn't want to just hold his hand and go peacefully. Harry nodded and squeezed William's hand and said "I…I…I lo...ve you, Wi…lly" with tears in his eyes
William looks at him and says "I…love you too, father"
Then Harry closed his eyes and went peacefully. William squeezed Harry's hand even more and leaned down and sobbed. Julia came into the room with tears in her eyes and wrapped her arms around William.
"it's ok, William, just have a good cry."
William nodded and was grateful Julia was there with him.
(2 Days Later)
They had a little funeral for Harry, with attendance of Jasper, the Inspector and George. William tells the bishop thank you for a loving service.
"Murdoch"
"sir…"
"sorry for your loss, Murdoch. I know you didn't have a good relationship with him but at least you made amends and he is at peace."
"yes, thank you, sir"
Inspector nods and leaves
George approaches William, "sir, I am truly sorry for your loss. If you need anything you know I'll be there"
"thank you, George"
George nods and leaves
Jasper approaches him, "are you glad you made amends with him, William?"
"I am, my final words to him was I love you father. Despite our relationship, I did love him"
"he was always a good man, William. He was a great grandfather to our girls, but I think you only saw the drunk side of him."
"I believe your right, Jasper. But I'm glad I had a couple of days with him even though he was quite sick, he was happy."
Jasper nodded and hugged William and left.
Julia approached him, "how are you, William?"
"I am at peace, Julia. I'm just thinking of something, he asked me, the day he came to see me"
"what did he say?"
"he asked me if you're happy with the way your life turned out"
"what did you say?"
He told Julia what he said to his father and she began crying.
"so despite how unhappy your childhood your happy how the way your life turned out?"
"I am Julia, I'm truly am"
Julia squeezes his hand and they both look at each other with tears.
"want to go home, William?"
"you go on, I'll be along shortly"
She nods and caresses his arm and leaves
William continues looking at the tombstone and looks up to the sky and smiles.
"Goodbye, father, I love you"
William puts his hat back on his head and heads home.
The End