I would just like to apologise for the tremendously overdue update ! so sorry !
I lost all inspiration for this story and had exams…. Here you go :D

Murdoch's lungs were on fire, the muscles in his legs were on overdrive but he willed himself to power through the pain. He had to get there, to see the scene for himself.

George trailing behind him, his breathing laboured. He found it hard to keep up with his superior, but knew if he didn't he'd fall behind.

So many things were racing through the detectives mind. "How could I have not noticed she was missing. Who would do this to her? Why? Did she die in pain? Had she known who did this to her? Did see call for him to save her? Why was she there? Who took her, his Julia?

However in that movement reality turned into a mercurial realisation ; she wasn't his... The inevitable thought plagued his mind, that he'd let her down... Again!

This couldn't be! The old warehouse was in blazes, fireman were stationed in various locations desperately trying to tame the fire.

Murdoch hadn't even realised that he was still racing directly toward the fire trap until the chief had called to his men to restrain the young detectives further movements. It was clear that he was in that moment a danger to himself. He was a man on a mission who was unwilling to stop.

"Sir, it's not safe! "

"Sir? Sir! "Numerous firemen were trying to make Murdoch see sense.

He would in fact die if you continued to behave like a mad man but the voice inside of his head told him he had nothing to lose. If she was dead then so was he. If not physically then emotionally. He'd be no better than a a list soul. Broken and empty. Forever alone.

The moment his eyes fell upon the chard remains of a medical bag was the same moment his entire world crumpled around him. Julia was the only thing that kept him grounded. She was the only person in his life that made him feel anything. He needed her. He wouldn't be able to breath without her, wouldn't be able to function without her. She was his everything. His happiness. The reason he got out if bed in the morning. He was forever sneaking glances at her and her fair beauty.

Without a moment to spare in which, to process his thoughts Williams mouth had opened on its own accord.

He was shouting from the top of his lungs, his eyes burning from all of the tears and smoke.

"Why?!why Julia, why take her from me? What have I ever done to deserve this... What has she EVER done to deserve such a fate? "

George watched with mournful eyes as he bear witness to his superior. His hero was falling apart before him. But nothing he knew about the detective could have prepared him for what came next.

"You...you are no God, you are a monster! A cruel, vindictive, psychotic monster! She did nothing... Absolutely nothing to deserve this! No God would ever consider this to be a test, what good could possibly come of this... I... I..." Murdoch's voice faltered the emotion consuming him. Murdoch collapsed to the floor, he cradled his head in this hands. Tears threatening to stream down his face.

George witnessed such pain in Murdoch eyes. Nobody should feel such sadness he thought to himself. Most of all not the detective. A law abiding man, a man of god.

All men were glued to the spot, mouths agape. It was truly a tragic day.

The silence was broken by that of a chocked cough in the background.

*cough cough* "Chief! Chief! I gotta a body! *

Suddenly all men were released from the trance they had momentarily been held captive by. Rushing over to offer assistance to their fellow fire fighter in need, leaving George and William to themselves.

George rushed over to Murdoch to gather him up from the floor. George had come to acknowledge that the detective wasn't one for being particularly fond of showing emotions, and respected that.

'You must help him pull himself together George! He's devastated, he questioned his God! He needs help. Your help.'

George's mind was screaming orders at him, orders he was obliged to follow.

"Sir...sir please let me help you" pleaded the young constable.

Murdoch however, rose to his feet by himself. His stubbornness was blatantly obvious. Murdoch pushed George's extended arm away.

"I don't need your help constable!" The formality of the declaration felt like a blow to George's stomach but still he stood there.

"I ...I just need to gather my thoughts, before I head back to the station."

It wasn't said maliciously but rather factually.

Murdoch gazed up into the constables eyes to see understanding and a flash of confusion.

William lowered his head feeling shamed by his outburst.

'You aren't a child William, he's trying to help! You may be in pain but that is no reason to push away your friend'

Friend? William had never thought about it before but George really was more than a college. He was the friend that would help him through this.

That thought alone brought a faint smile to his face, If only for the briefest moment.

"I just need a minute to compose myself George, I must be usual for the investigation..." William looked back toward George.

What awaited him was a look that was so chilling, so pained. 'William Henry Murdoch, how could you inflict such pain on another human being perhaps it is you that's the monster.'

"I'm sorry George. Snapping at you like that, I shouldn't have done it... I,...I just needed... Well I don't know what I needed. I'm truly sorry."

Rather reluctantly Murdoch acknowledged the unsteady ground beneath him. He felt so unbalanced, so weak and torn, but showing such emotions, such feeling was not an option. He couldn't let George see how broken he'd become. More so than now. He wouldn't do that to George.

"Sir, perhaps you should..." George looked around and briefly kicked the dust around his feet. Unsure of himself for a moment before continuing.

"...perhaps you should erm, go for a stroll before heading back to work?"

Murdoch simply nodded, doing his best to smile. Failing miserably however when all George was met with was a weak uplift of the detective's lips.

"Thank you George" and with that William left.

William wasn't particularly focused on which direction he was heading, all he knew was he had to clear his head.

It barely even occurred to him that there seemed to be a form of some sort sprawled out across a dirty ditch about 20feet away from him.

William squinted his eyes at the unknown form when he noticed that this particular form somewhat resembled a woman.

And suddenly there was silence. Deafening and absolute. It was like the entire world just came to a standstill.

Just like before Williams body switched onto autopilot, his brain on standby as he set off racing toward the clearly unconscious form as fast as he could, doing his best to dodge the debris and embers from the still raging fire.

Nearing closer to the woman he knottiest how blood was trailing down her hands and arms, thanks to several gaping wounds that painted her flesh.

Upon reaching the woman William immediately checked for a pulse in a mad frenzy. There was a pulse, unsteady though it may be; it was there! He rolled the woman over so that her face was out of the ditch.

As the young detective knottiest a crucial details his eyes widen to the size of saucers.

'Oh my heavens, this cannot be real. It just can't be.' As the young woman's hair tumbled from around her face William, realised that this woman was in fact a rather beaten up Julia Ogden. She was alive!

Naturally Murdoch yelled at the top of his lungs to draw the firemen attention toward himself and Julia.

"HELP! Somebody HELP!"

His full attention now back on Julia he knelt down to further inspect her.

There was a deep gash in her lip that was bound to leave a scar. Her face and wrist were slightly discoloured.

Julia's entire left cheek bone was serially bruised; the underlay of her eye was a combination of blacks, blues and greens. Her wrist had been bound whilst being held captive. It made Murdoch's blood boil.

'How dare anybody lay a hand on her?'

Her once delicate hands were now covered in a concoction of blood & soil. Her clothes were ripped, blackened from the fire.

'Even in her slumber she looked to be in excruciating pain, pain so immeasurable that it broke his heart.'

"George! Help me! Please!" He begged as he beckoned his constable for assistance.

"Sir!" Called a rather breathless constable. "What is...? Oh my heaves sir, I that... Is that doctor Ogden?" George's mouth fell agape. He was in utter disbelief. His paled as though he'd just seen a ghost.

"Yes George, now please call for a carriage immediately! We must get her into intensive care; now!"

George nodded his head violently in agreement. He sprinted off to do as instructed, leaving William to cradle Julia's head on his lap.

He stroked the remainder of hair away from her face brushing his thumb across her cheek.

"Oh Julia, I'm so sorry" his eyes began to water as he lay a kiss on the top of her head.

"I am so, so sorry Julia. I should've been there for you, to protect you!"

As by magic upon hearing her name being called Julia's eyes fluttered open, exhaustion was apparent by the hollowness of her eyes. Even in the state she was in she still managed to remain the exquisite beauty he'd come to know of as Julia Ogden. "Julia is beautiful, there is no denying it but it is almost sadly so.

Upon closer inspection William knottiest Julia's wrists were still bound. Her attempts to loosen the restraints had caused her skin to tear. Fibres of robe were embedded in the open wounds.

Williams body shuck with rage the moment his eyes bore witness to the discolouration of strangulation marks around Julia's delicate neck.

'How dare anybody touch her? How anybody thinks it was okay to touch her! '

Looking at her like this revealed a thousand old and new hurts spilling out and exposing themselves like bloody war wounds which, are now absent of their once protective scabs. He'd never seen her in such a vulnerable state. She looked on the verge of death. Her once rosy completion gone, all colour drained from her face. This was not the Julia Ogden he was used to. This wasn't right. She needed medical attention now!