The big one shot bellow, its a future-fic, based both on a facebook post i saw a few weeks ago and a Harry Potter story i read on this site.

As for the story itself, i decided to follow the same future-fic from 'Detective Grandpa' because due the situation, i supposed it would be less painful for Murdoch if they had a big family to support them during the plot you will read bellow.

Other than that, i must confess that Julia is a bit OOC for this story, since i don´t know how to proper write someone with Alzheimer´s illnes.

Hope you enjoy it.

Good reading.

DSCwin, thanks for the help.

OLD LOVE STORY

It was a lovely early morning in 1939 and 79 year old William Murdoch crossed the threshold of the Toronto's Nursing Home. In his hands he held his usual picnic basket and a bouquet of flowers. It hadn't been an easy two years for the retired detective, as he had slowly watched his wife succumb to the heartbreaking illness of Alzheimer's and she slowly forgot who she was, her family and even her devoted husband were. At first William was determined to take care of his wife but after a heroic eighteen months of doing it on his own, it became harder for the older gentleman to keep up until his son David finally convinced him to send her to the Nursing Home near by. William was understandably hesitant to hand his wife over to them but it became a habit to go visit her seven times a week to visit her and he did it with a smile on his face.

As what he always did every morning William crossed through the doors and was greeted by the nurses that stood at the desk to smile and greet the sweet old man they have become familiar with. "Good Morning Mr. Murdoch." They greeted with a friendly smile.

"Good morning," William greeted in his usual cheerful self holding onto the basket of sandwiches and gripped the bouquet. "I'm here to have breakfast with my wife." He said with a grin. The nurses nodded letting the older man to head further into the building and down the hallway. When he entered his wife's chambers he stood and admired at the woman that sat inside.

Julia Murdoch sat like a statue as the nurse, that was assigned to her, carefully combed her hair before gently pinning it up. Even though she was stuck inside that home with no memory of who her husband was, or her on certain days, William smiled dreamily at the woman. She continued to play in William's dreams as he struggled to sleep alone in his home. Julia didn't even turn to acknowledge the man that softly cleared his throat making Julia's nurse turn instead.

The woman, a young red headed girl with large blue eyes, frowned as she slowly walked over to her charge's husband and slowly pull him outside. "Today's not a good day, Mr. Murdoch." She said softly with a heavy heart. "It took three hours to convince her to let me do her hair."

"It's quite alright, Rebecca." William said gently smiling at the young woman. "We must take the bad with the good." Rebecca smiled at William as he always made her smile even when she was on her one wits end. "Have a wonderful day, Rebecca."

"Thank you," Rebecca smiled. "Enjoy your breakfast."

William nodded and walked over towards the woman who sat staring out her window at the Toronto skyline. But when William slowly sat down setting the basket on the floor with the flowers in his hands he smiled at the woman. "Good morning Julia." He greeted with a friendly smile. "How are you doing darling?" He smiled when all she did was give him a friendly smile back but in her eyes, eyes that he fell in love with, did not recognize him. "It's me, William."

"William?" Julia asked her eyes lighting up. "Oh my, that's so funny. My husband's name is William too." Julia smiled at William with a genuine soft smile. "When he comes to visit me, you should meet." The innocent remark felt like a stab to William's heart but years of being a detective, in keeping his emotions in check, he simple managed to smile back at her.

"Oh I met him outside the hospital. He gave me these flowers and these sandwiches for a lunch he wishes for us to enjoy."

"Oh that is so sweet." Julia said taking the flowers and taking in the scent deeply. "I'm sure I'll enjoy these sandwiches."

William smiled as he lifted the basket before pulling out the sandwiches and napkins, setting them in front of them. He sat and watched his wife eat the sandwich smiling as she ate. "You still don't mind sharing a meal with me?"

"Of course not William." Julia smiled grinning at the old man. "Nobody should eat alone."

William smiled as he began to eat the food quietly. "By the way Julia you look incredibly beautiful today. I love how your hair looks." He gently touched her hair his eyes sparkling with the purest love.

"Oh careful," Julia giggled like a young school girl gently patting his hand. "My husband wouldn't be too happy that you're flirting with me."

William chuckled and ate his sandwich slowly. "You don't mind if I talk about my family would you?"

"No, not at all." Julia smiled genuinely enjoying her company not knowing that this man was her own husband.

"Well," he said gently wiping a small drop of mayonnaise that had fallen from his wife's sandwich and landed on her shirt, Julia didn't seemed to mind the gesture. "Andrew managed to get into the university and everyone is so proud." Julia nodded along not stopping the man, she didn't remember, talk as though she could remember the names he was talking about. "Samuel start to take up piano lessons while Mary Shirley is telling she's wanting to be a doctor." William continued to talk about their family and farm until a few minutes after lunch where Julia felt tired and the nurses escorted William out of her room.

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For the next two years almost the same scenes took place. However sometimes Julia wouldn't talk just stare out of the windows and William had spent those days just sitting in silence until he was asked to leave. Other times she believed she was a worker at the city morgue and kept acting as though she would be called to a scene any second so she would make rushed replies. There was once she believed her first husband Darcy was going to show up and she wouldn't allow William into the room and William was reluctantly forced to leave after only seeing his wife peering out a crack of the door. Only rarely, did Julia know the man that walked in. Knew of the names of her family. Those days William smiled the most when she would talk and beg for all of her family to be there so they could all enjoy each other company.

_/_

On Mother's day of 1942 their son David went with William to visit his mother. When seeing David Julia threw her arms around her son thinking it was her husband who just stood quietly behind him.

"Mom," David chuckled softly seeing the hurt in his father's eyes. "It's me David. Your son. Dad is right here." David pointed to William who took his place next to Julia who instantly wrapped her arms around him.

"Of course he is." She said giving William a soft tender kiss. "And he's is very handsome."

The day went well for the most part as Julia as the three talked about how David was adopted and how he grew up and had a family himself. William mentioned that their grandchildren were missing their grandmother since she moved into the hospital. David looked over at his father who gently grabbed his wife's hand and said that he could bring the grandchildren over if that was alright with her. She smiled and clapped loving the idea. William had her write down in her date book to allow her time to look it over and remember of what was planned. She said goodbye to David and to William who left with hopes of a good day tomorrow as they headed for home.

_/_

The next day however, their dreams of having a good day was shattered by what befell in that room. William and David arrived with the rest of the family which made Julia very happy to see the small young children.

As the grandchildren talked to their grandmother William saw the woman he fell in love with and married laughing and talking along. For that moment it was if she was the same woman but as he leaned in for a kiss on the cheek he felt something sharp land on his own cheek. He forgot that his wife was suffering from a disease that was slowly taking away her memories.

"How dare you!" Julia screamed causing David to reach the youngest kids and pulled them behind him as Julia struck William's cheek once again. "How dare you kiss me! You leave me this instant!"

"Is everything alright?" Rebecca asked hearing the commotion from inside and went to investigate. "Mrs. Murdoch what is wrong?" She saw William cowering over in a corner while the young children looked confused as to why their grandmother struck their grandfather.

"This man kissed me without my permission! I want him out now!" Julia cried her finger shaking at William. "Only my husband is allowed to kiss me!''

"But Mrs. Murdoch he is your husband." Rebecca's voice had remained calm after dealing with her bad days since she came into the home.

"Lies!" Julia screamed backing away. "My husband is a strong man not a shivering old fool! He's a detective you know? The best there is in the city of Toronto! Now Go fetch him! Get my husband here now! He will deal with you once he gets here!"

Rebecca tried to calm the situation but her work was in vain. After several more minutes of her screaming to have the man arrested Rebecca and some of the more senior nurses escorted a shaken William and family of the room. They sat in the lobby for a few more minutes listening as Julia's screams slowly died down as she was now happy that she was safe from her own husband. After the episode David decided to take William out of there as he could see that his father was not looking well and didn't wanted to get his kids back home and explain what had happened before they made up their own theories as to why Julia slapped William.

David had spent most of the afternoon trying to persuade his father to not go back to the hospital as it was not safe for him in Julia's current mental state. However the next morning William did go back. Seeing his wife at all was all he ever wanted. Even having bad episodes he still loved her and he was determined to be there for her even if she didn't want him.

_/_

After another difficult visit, William came home feeling the weight of the situation causing the older man feel depressed. He sat at the kitchen table drinking his tea while he began to gaze out at nothing.

"William, is everything alright?" His Daughter-in-law Regina asked even though she knew the answer.

"I'm fine," he sniffed taking another sip. "Just missing my stubborn old woman." He said making Regina laugh.

"Grandpa," his granddaughter Mary Shirley asked as she approached him. "If it makes you sad to visit Grandma, why do you insist on going there everyday? You said it yourself that she doesn't recognize you most days."

"Mary Shirley, that is how the way to talk to your grandfather." Regina scolded her daughter but William smiled and grabbed his granddaughter's hand.

"It's quite alright, Regina." He nodded and took his granddaughter's hand. "Mary Shirley let me tell you something. When you are in love with anyone you will do everything to spend every minute with them. Even if they scream and hit you and don't remember who you are. But I love her with all my heart, and even slaps on the cheek." With that he smiled and kissed his granddaughter's head and finished his tea to get himself ready for another visit with his beloved Julia.

_/_

It was two weeks later and it was Julia's birthday. Despite the whole family begging to come with to celebrate William insisted on going alone. So when he arrived at the same time he always he took a deep breath before walking through the doors, with the same hesitation as usual, holding another bouquet of bright colored flowers.

But no one could change the mind of the older gentleman. He moved through the doors to find his wife sitting out the window cradling with a small teddy bear that their youngest granddaughter had given her the last year for her birthday.

William smiled and walked inside. Rebecca nodded and left the room only to stay outside to make sure that another blow out as a few weeks prier would not happen again. William grinned at Rebecca before walking up to the gazing woman and removed his hat.

Knowing that if William risked a kiss might end the meeting rather early, so he gently grabbed the woman's hand and with difficulty for a man his age, slowly fell onto his knee. "Julia," William said gazing dreamily at the woman who didn't share the same gaze; in fact the woman didn't acknowledge him at all. But he didn't care he was madly in love with Julia. "Julia," Julia finally turned and looked at him for a split second William believed she knew who he was. "From the first time I met you, I knew you were the only one for me and I told you that I would never stop courting you and I don't tend to break that promise now. You are a stubborn woman and I love you for that. I will always love you even if I die. You are a beautiful woman then and you're more beautiful now." He pulled out the flowers and held them up for her. "Happy Birthday my love."

"Oh these are beautiful!" Julia exclaimed accepting the flowers and smiling at the man that was kneeling beside her. "I simply love these flowers. They're so bright and vibrate."

"I choose them specifically for you, the woman I love," William smiled stilling kneeling down. "David and the family will be joining us later but I wanted to spend some time alone."

"Thank you for the flowers," Julia said not seeming to hear what William had said. "Who are you?" She asked staring at the man who was kneeling down and holding her hand.

William's smile faded quickly as he fought with tears that slightly slid out of his eyes. "I'm..."

"Do you need some help, sir? You're not looking to well." Julia turned and saw Rebecca at the door and she waved the young woman to her. "Rebecca this man needs some help."

"No..." William choked standing up and putting his hat back on. "I'm just someone who's in love with Julia Ogden Murdoch." He leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead before walking out of the room without a word. He walked into the lobby and slowly sunk onto the couch near the front door. As soon as he did he began to sob causing several of the nurses that sat at the front desk came over and sat down next to the man they had come to know since Julia Murdoch was admitted to the home.

"Mr. Murdoch," one of the senior nurses, a woman by the name of Margaret, was surprised to see the man as Rebecca had just informed that Julia was down for a nap. "Why are you still here? Are you alright? Mrs. Murdoch is asleep." She looked down at the man she had seen with tears in his eyes, which sadly was something the nurse had seen on multiple occasions. "Mr. Murdoch may I ask a personal question?"

"Yes you may Nurse Margaret." William said his sobbing now back under control. Years of being a well known detective helped him.

"I've seen you come here everyday. At the same time since you're wife came here." William nodded letting the woman he had seen for the past two years speak her question. "Why must you put yourself through this pain when your wife...doesn't remember you? I'm sure if you stay away a few days your wife won't know you never showed up."

William smiled and gently patted the nurses' hand. "It's true my wife has days that she doesn't know who I am. That there are days where I want to force myself to never come back but I love my wife dearly. Once I laid my eyes on her I told myself I would never let her be alone for even a day. Being a Detective I was a man of my word. I made a promise to her to never let her be alone, and I will never break that promise. Now Nurse Margaret I want to show my family that I will take the good days and the bad as those were in my wedding vows." He gave the nurse a smile as he glanced down at the closed door that his wife was behind. "It may break my heart that she doesn't remember me, our son, his family or our amazing life together. But I still love her."

Margaret couldn't help but tear up at the genuine love the man was saying. "You have such an amazing and beautiful outlook on love, Mr. Murdoch." She gave the old man a hug tightly. "I truly admire that in a man."

"Thank you, Nurse Margaret." William smiled and slowly stood up. "Well, I will return later today with the rest of my family. It is Julia's birthday after all. Breakfast wasn't a success per say. But I feel tonight would be different."

Nurse Margaret shook her head thinking the man that was now walking out of the nursing home with his head held high despite things not going the best. She just prayed that when William and his family returned to enjoy Julia's birthday that things would be a smooth one.

END