Suspended Animation

He'd never expected to grow tired of what he did. And yet one morning he woke up determined that he wouldn't kill again, without any particular reason to it.

For a couple of months he debated whether he should send Patrick a message, let him know about such an unexpected resolve. In the end, he decided against it.

His drive for revenge was what had kept Patrick alive for all those years. He couldn't take it away from him, not when he still needed it so much.

He watched from a distance as his affectionate enemy kept on struggling to find him, with Agent Lisbon sticking stubbornly to his side. It was endearing to see how Patrick never ceased to keep Teresa at arm's length, despite being well aware that his feelings for her were entirely mutual.

As the years went by they both grew old. They'd allowed their last chance at happiness to slip right through their fingers, for fear that he might want to steal it away.

Every Sunday afternoon they would take a walk in the park, reminiscing about the past. He would sit on a bench and smile softly as they passed him by.