When the rain completely let up, they made their way to an isolated and semi dry spot in the park, lay down (not caring about getting muddy) and kissed until they could kiss no more. Night fell and with it a great chill. They made their way back to his boarding house and went straight up to his room, ignoring Mrs. Kitchen's cheerful call about dinner being served.
Wrapped up in copious amounts of towels and blankets, they sat against the side of the bed and simply held each other in utter contentment. Eventually Murdoch broke the silence when she readjusted the blankets and he caught sight of her engagement ring to Darcy.
"The last few hours have been a miracle for me, Julia, but we cannot proceed further until you break off ties with Darcy."
By proceed further, he meant of course proposing to her for real finally, and not just in his vivid imagination.
Her face fell slightly and he wondered if she had forgotten all about her fiance. The slivers of his brain that indulged in vanity and ego were well sated. "Darcy is still in Buffalo visiting relatives and will not be returning until tomorrow evening." She closed her eyes in a pained way and shook her head. "I can't...I won't bear such ill tidings to him via telegraph. This is something I must do in person," she opened her eyes and released a shaky breath, "however much I dread it."
He squeezed her now warm hand to non-verbally indicate his support and instill a sense of courage in her. She squeezed back with her usual amount of surprising strength. Hefting dead bodies all the time had its unexpected benefits he supposed.
Though he would have gladly stayed so blissfully at peace with the world forever, he knew it could not last and all too soon she was parting from him again. It was like an arrow to his heart and he uncharacteristically attempted to sway her mind.
"Don't go," he said tugging at her waist. "Stay the night."
She raised her eyebrows at that but then squirmed out of his pathetic left handed grip. "I must, William, I look and smell dreadful and I must get cleaned up or I shall never be able to get to sleep."
"Who said anything about sleeping?" he said, surprising both of them by his continued boldness.
Julia bit her lip and seemed to be seriously considering his offer. For another few seconds he thought he had succeeded. "As tempting as that sounds, William, I really must be going."
Murdoch's face soured and she put a hand to it and then leaned in for one last sweet kiss. Her eyes then trailed down to his dirty and soggy cast.
"Oh and see that you get yourself a new cast made tomorrow." She smiled. "We wouldn't want your heroic, albeit over zealous actions to leave you crippled, now would we?"
Julia was humming to herself gayly, like she hadn't done in ages as she turned the key and entered her house. It being almost ten o'clock, she found that she was very hungry so she made her way to the kitchen. The light was on. Come to think of it, the lights were on everywhere! Her maid always left at seven o'clock sharp every night and made sure to turn them all off if she wasn't home at the time.
Defending herself with a large medical book, she nervously called out, "Who's there?"
A second later Ruby emerged into view and Julia released her pent up breath.
"I know we haven't seen eye to eye lately, Jules, but I don't suppose you want to murder me with one of your prized text books detailing how to save lives."
Julia was going to retort and say something about breaking and entering but Ruby beat her to the punch.
"Well, by the looks of things," she said with a smug smirk, "I'd say you've had an eventful day. How is dear William's hand faring?"
"It will be fine I'm sure." She glanced away from her sister's piercing stare. "Listen, Ruby..."
"Water under the bridge," Ruby replied nonchalantly. "By now I'm abundantly acquainted with your pigheadedness. And since I enjoy a good challenge, I've actually started to cherish the next crisis you needlessly create."
Julia wanted very much to be annoyed with her sister still but found herself unequal to the task. Instead she smiled and grabbed her into a bone crushing hug. "Thank you for never giving up on me! I don't know where I would be without you!"
Ruby tolerated this intense sisterly affection for as long as she could before requesting to be released. They both looked at the mess Julia had made of her own dress.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Ruby!"
"Never mind, Jules," she said, dusting herself off. "Now," she said, gesturing to a bottle of champagne cooling behind them, "shall we toast to your blissful future with William?"
"Ruby, we aren't even engaged yet."
"Good as."
"It doesn't seem right...that champagne was meant to be served at the wedding."
"All the more reason to drink it." Julia was confused. "It was nonrefundable, Jules. What else are we going to do with fifty bottles of the stuff?"
"Give it away."
"Now where's the sense in that?"
Julia sighed. "Fine, Ruby, drink it if you'd like, but leave me out of it."
Ruby fake pouted. "I'm not one to drink by myself. It makes me feel...pathetic." Ruby put on a doe eyed expression. "Won't you indulge your saviour just this once?"
"Oh all right," she tiredly snapped, after another sigh.
"Wonderful!" Ruby said enthusiastically and popped the bottle open with a skilled hand.
Once Littlefair's true nature was uncovered the next day, the case became an open and shut one. His wife abandoned him when she learned of the monster he truly was and revoked all charges against Detective Murdoch. However, Stockton being the pleasant man he is, decided to suspend Murdoch for a week without pay for excessive force in apprehending a suspect (forget the fact that several bleeding and bruised men were being led out of the holding cells at the exact moment he laid down the sentence).
It was no more than he expected from the chief constable. As usual, Brackenreid railed against his superior and as usual nothing came of it.
"Prick," he muttered as soon as the shark eyed man was out of ear shot. Brackenreid poured himself a drink and turned back to Murdoch. "Well, me old mucker, the good news is that this whole unpleasant business is over and done with. And now you've got a week to...well, read or whatever it is you do in your spare time."
"Indeed, sir."
Brackenreid took a sip and gave him a curious look. "You look different. Much more...chipper than usual."
"Do I, sir?" Murdoch smiled slightly. "Odd."
"What aren't you telling me?"
"Oh you'll find out soon enough, sir." Sassily, "I'm afraid you'll just have to learn some patience until then."
So saying he quickly left the office (and the station house) before he could be interrogated (or reprimanded) further.
After Julia kicked him out of the morgue for being too distracting, and since the weather was glorious, he decided to go on a lengthy bicycle ride. Just as he was starting off, a carriage pulled up beside him. At first he thought nothing of it but then someone called out to him.
"Wait, William!"
He halted his progress and cocked his head over his shoulder to find Anna poking her head out of the window. A moment later they had both dismounted from their respective forms of transit and were now face to face.
"Well, I'm off now."
"That seems a bit sudden."
"Perhaps, William, but as I see it my work here is done and now that it is, there's nothing else for me in Toronto."
"I don't think that's true."
"Oh but it is," she said with a slightly unnerving stare.
He cleared his throat, vaguely wondering if she was referring to him. "Will you be heading back to New York then?"
She nodded. "To start with." Her face lit up. "And then I was thinking of travelling the world for awhile. I've always wanted to see the Roman ruins of Pompeii, or walk along the silk road."
Rather than pester her with questions about how she would finance such an expedition, he instead wished her the best of luck on her journey.
"Take care of yourself, William," she said, giving him a slightly lingering hug. "Tell Julia the same."
"I will."
A few hours later, a little after nightfall, he returned home to find Julia waiting for him on the stairs.
"Ah, Julia!" he exulted, beyond pleased to be spending time with her again. He patted his chest pocket where the silver case resided to remind him that it was indeed still there.
"William," she said, with a forced smile.
Besides that display, her expression was fairly unreadable but there was an anxious quality to the air surrounding her person. Bracing himself for anything, he approached her cautiously and sat down beside her.
He glanced at her hands and saw that she was fiddling with her engagement ring from Darcy. The fact that she still had it didn't bode well. Instantly his heart sunk, not unlike the previous night.
"Did you not speak with him yet?"
"Oh, I spoke with him all right."
He waited for her to continue but when she didn't he prompted. "And?"
Julia sighed. "And then he proceeded to talk about how happy all of his relatives were that he was finally getting married...and I, oh William!" she exclaimed, clutching at his freshly made cast, "please forgive me, but I lost my nerve! I couldn't do it! I couldn't break his heart like that!"
"I see," he said with difficulty after several seconds of silence.
"Is that really all you have to say about this matter?" she said a bit indignantly.
"I don't see that there is anything else to say, Julia," he coldly responded, as all the warmth he had been feeling towards her a minute ago had now evanesced.
"I was hoping for a little compassion!" she yelled, standing up. "Is that so much to ask from the man who claims to love me?"
Murdoch's eyes flashed dangerously. "How dare you presume to question my word. If not for it, I would have been sorely tempted to interfere with your upcoming nuptials myself."
"How do you mean?" she asked taken aback.
"Why don't you go ask your fiance?" he grumbled, feeling like a spoiled brat who had just had his favourite toy taken away from him unceremoniously. Then he went into the house without a glance back.
Aren't you guys so glad I decided to continue this? :p