All three of them teleported out of that hell hole and into Julia's home. It looked much the same as she had left it, except the chair was over on its side, just as George had said. Other than briefly glancing at this, William had no interest in it whatsoever. Even though he had barely moved in the past two days, he was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Almost dying will do that to a person.
"Goodnight, George, and thank you for everything you have done for us. I don't know how I can ever repay you."
Before he could replay she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek causing him to turn bright red. Julia stifled a laugh.
He rambled some things and then headed out the front door. Soon after she helped a weary Murdoch up the stairs to her bedroom and laid him down. As she removed his shoes, suit jacket and tie, he said nothing and just lay there staring at the ceiling.
She sighed at his lack of interest in everything. This was not how she had envisioned their wedding night, though she supposed it could have been much worse and she should thank her lucky stars that it wasn't.
After pulling the blankets up to his chin she asked, "Are you warm enough?"
A curt nod was the only response.
Julia pulled her pyjamas out of her top dresser drawer and moved behind her rarely used dressing partition. The only times she ever used this anymore was when Ruby happened to be staying with her and couldn't wait five minutes for her to be dressed to speak with her, which was apparently every time she was getting changed.
The partition was a bit see through in that her outline could be partially seen. She looked over at William and was rather disappointed to see that he didn't seem to have the slightest interest in what she was doing.
He's been through a lot, she told herself and she half believed this was the only reason for his actions, or rather, lack of them.
Every night when she removed her corset, she felt empowered, like her shackles had been discarded and her possibilities in life were endless. Even so, she would have preferred to not have to wear one at all. From the little she could figure out, women in the future didn't have to wear them and some even wore men's clothing! Still, there was no place she'd rather be than with William, even if he was as stiff as a board sometimes.
Julia hated to admit it but his double was much more pliable and romantic and she kind of wished William was more like that once in awhile. Perhaps he would be once they were married? But when would that be? It seemed every time they got close to finally tying the knot, something got in their way, as if the universe were working against them, trying to keep true love apart like in an annoying Shakespearean plot.
She sighed again and crawled into bed with him and still he didn't respond at all.
"Goodnight, William," she said taking his hand in hers beneath the sheets.
"I'm not tired," he mumbled, never taking his eyes off the ceiling.
"You've been through a terrible ordeal and you need your rest."
"I'm not tired," he repeated, like a broken phonograph.
Julia realized what he was trying to say, which was that he didn't want to close his eyes, afraid something might happen to him again. She wanted to reassure him and say that there was nothing to worry about, but she knew better than that with his double on the loose.
"When you saved me from being buried alive I never wanted to close my eyes again either. And when I finally did due to utter exhaustion, I was plagued with the recurring nightmare of being trapped in the coffin, running out of air... So I acquired Dr. Roberts services and as you know he did wonders for helping me get past my trauma." She squeezed his hand, "And I can do the same for you, if you'll let me."
William was silent for a moment and pulled his hand out of hers.
"He told me before he put me in there."
"Told you what?"
"His plans."
"Oh."
She really didn't want to have this conversation tonight but it looked like she had no choice in the matter.
For the first time since he lay down, he looked at her. "Did you...kiss him?"
His gaze was so piercing that she couldn't hold the contact.
"William..."
"Did you enjoy it?"
She didn't respond.
"Just how intimate did you get?"
Putting a hand to his face she said, "You have no idea how sorry I am or how guilty I feel about what happened. But I thought he was you...and we were to be married soon so..."
He put a hand over hers. "It's perfectly all right, Julia. I completely understand."
William smiled strangely and then turned on his side, facing away from her. No matter how much she prompted him he would not engage her in further conversation. So she sighed once more and tried to get to sleep.
When she awoke the next morning she was dismayed to find William was no longer present. At first she became a bit frantic, thinking his alternate had kidnapped him again but then she went downstairs and found him drinking some tea by himself in the dining hall.
"Good morning, Julia," he said not unpleasantly but somehow she didn't feel like he meant it.
"About last night-"
He waved a hand. "It's fine, Julia. You don't need to say anything else."
She had had just about enough of his calm demeanour. "It most certainly is not fine! I betrayed you! I became intimate with another man! You should be furious! You should be raging at me!"
"It wasn't your fault. You couldn't possibly have known he wasn't me. I'm sure I would have made the same mistake."
"Oh you're impossible! I'm giving you free reign to give me what I deserve and yet you won't stop being perfect! It's infuriating!"
"I am not perfect," he said frowning.
"I beg to differ! You are positively saint like! How am I supposed to compete with that?!"
"I am not perfect," he repeated. "I-I never told you something important about my time in the future. I was afraid how you would react and I had just gotten you back...so I cowardly kept it to myself."
"What on earth are you talking about?!"
William sighed. "As you know there was a different version of you there...and I... that is to say that we...well..."
"You were intimate with her," she said quietly.
He nodded. "But you were married and I was stuck there and it just kind of happened."
"How is this supposed to make me feel better? You were completely in your right to court another! Whereas I wasn't!"
"I wasn't completely in my right...I had never stopped loving you, Julia, and yet instead of fighting for you, the real you, I settled for the next best thing. I tried to substitute her for you. That is not very noble and I betrayed her trust just as much as you did, except that you have a good excuse." He hung his head. "I- I was just scared and lonely."
She would be lying if she said she didn't feel a certain amount of jealousy towards her double for getting to be with William when she so desperately had wanted to while married to Darcy. But oddly enough, more than anything else, she felt like laughing and indeed that is what she started to do.
"Julia?" he said quizzically.
"In other words, we both cheated on each other...with each other!"
He raised an eyebrow and then smiled slightly. "Yes, I suppose that is an accurate statement."
She went closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "We're going to be fine, aren't we?"
"Of course, Julia...but I must admit that I am still a little jealous about what must have occurred between you and him."
"You have nothing to be jealous about, William."
This wasn't strictly true since she had enjoyed the alternates unusual skills and as of yet, that is to say, since their engagement, William had been lacking in the passion department.
"Let me prove it to you," she said, settling into his lap sideways, wrapping her arms around his neck.
At first he seemed hesitant to hold her waist but then he did and she leaned in and kissed him deeply. Julia couldn't believe she had ever mistaken his double's kiss for the genuine article. They were world's apart! She was surprised when he utilized the weird tongue technique that his double had been so proficient at.
Instantly she pulled away and stared at him strangely.
"It is you, right?"
"I'm sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean to kiss you like that, it was disrespectful of me. It won't happen again."
She chuckled. "William, you weren't being disrespectful. I was just unaware that you knew how to do that."
He made a face. "So you were kissing him like that then, eh?"
She frowned. "And clearly you were kissing her like that too."
"This was a bad idea," he said removing his hands from her waist. "Apparently we still need some time to get over what happened."
"Will this never get any easier?" she asked, with a sigh.
William put an errant strand of golden hair back behind her ear, his hand coming to a rest on the side of her face. She leaned into his touch.
"True love is never easy to come by, Julia. It's the struggle to reach the happy ending that makes the whole thing worthwhile, that gives it purpose and meaning."
"Is that what we have then?" she enquired, surprised by his open talk about rather sentimental things. "True love?"
"Did you ever doubt it?"
Slightly exasperated, "Well, yes, as a matter of fact I did, William. My faith in our love was rather shaken when you let me marry another man."
She had meant this in a playful way but William had taken her words to heart.
He closed his eyes and said, "Something I will never forgive myself for."
Sounds familiar.
Julia stroked the hair on the back of his neck with her thumbs. "Suffice it to say, we have both made mistakes in the past and all we can do is try to make peace with them and move on with our lives."
She felt like such a hypocrite as she said this, knowing she would never forgive herself for her own recent mistakes but she felt it was a necessary thing to say.
"Not an easy task."
"No, it's not but I'm sure if we persevere, one day if we're very lucky, it may very well happen."
He smiled. "When did you get to be so wise?"
She returned the smile. "I always have been. You just haven't been paying enough attention."
"I beg to differ, Julia. I am highly observant. That's what makes me such an excellent detective."
Her expression changed to one of uncertainty, wondering if she should even bring her next thoughts up, potentially ruining the mood again. "About that...your double intimated that he no longer wished to be one because of his future knowledge and subsequent lack of interest in the cases. And I was just wondering..."
"If I felt the same way?"
She nodded.
"I'd be lying if I said I never became frustrated with our lack of detecting tools nowadays, but it is only slightly more than I ever used to be annoyed about such things. I assure you, Julia, I am just as intrigued by the cases as I ever was."
"So...you aren't feeling out of place in this time either?"
William's eyes shifted to the left. "No, of course not."
"William."
He sighed. "From time to time, yes, I do feel like I don't belong. But again, I have always felt like that to some degree. The feelings have just been heightened." She frowned. "But I have you, Julia," he said squeezing her hand, "and that's all I need, all I'll ever need to keep me sane."
She was still uncertain and he said, "Here, let me prove it to you."
He pulled her in for a blissful kiss.
When they parted she mumbled, "Yes, I'm feeling much more reassured. However, I'm highly skeptical of things and need a lot more proof."
"That can be be arranged," he said with a toothy grin bringing her in for another kiss, this one much deeper.
"Perhaps sane was not the right word usage."
She simply giggled in reply.
After a little while he attempted the tongue technique of before and she quickly became aroused, digging her finger nails into the back of his skull. In response his grip tightened on her waist and a throaty moan escaped his lips, for the first time ever, further arousing her.
Only the faintest traces of clear thought were present and as such it was all she could do not to tear his clothes off right then and there. As usual, he was the first to break contact. Unusually, his eyes were dark and hungry and his face was flushed. She was pretty sure she was mirroring him exactly.
Breathlessly he said, "I hope that is enough proof, Julia because we really must stop."
"Oh party pooper," she said, equally breathlessly and vastly frustrated.
William raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment. She sighed and removed herself from his person and feeling light headed took a minute to regain her senses before heading into the kitchen to make herself some tea.
After that passionate outburst neither could wait much longer to get married and as such, they didn't. Only a week later they were wed. Maybe half of their previous guests were able (or wanted) to come this time around. The ceremony was what one would expect of such an affair; sweet and endearing, tear inducing; lovely.
But of particular note was something that happened shortly before she headed down the aisle. Her bridesmaid's Ruby and Emily had just left the changing room to give her a moment to herself and she was staring into the full length mirror, trying to calm herself down by quietly muttering sweet nothings, when a man appeared directly behind her, startling her terribly.
"You look beautiful, Julia."
Hand to her chest she backed away from him, into the mirror. "Stay away from me!"
He frowned. "I'm not here to hurt you or impede your wedding in any way...again."
Disbelieving, "Then what are you doing here exactly?"
"I just wanted to say goodbye and that I hope you have many happy years together."
"Well, that's...nice of you. What will you do next?"
He smiled. "Go back and atone for my sins of course."
"You plan on turning yourself in?" she said, eyes widening. More cautiously, selfishly, "Is that...wise?"
"You're worried that something will happen to me in prison. Don't be. They don't hang criminals anymore in Canada and I have a strong suspicion that someone as slippery as me will be put in isolation. William need not have gone to all that additional trouble of enslaving me. But I'm glad that he did because otherwise I would still be burning with a consuming hate and need for revenge. Now I am much more clear headed and can devote the rest of my life to repenting my many sins."
"I'm...happy for you?"
It sounded like a question because she was a bit out of her element.
His smile widened further and he said, "Well, I'll let you get to it."
"Wait, before you go, I'm curious about something."
"Oh?"
"You've had a time travel suit on you this whole time, (how else would he have gotten here) but instead of showing up right before my wedding, you chose to appear over a day in advance. Why?"
He shrugged. "That would have been too easy. I like a bit of a challenge."
"But you also chose not to go back and prevent George from discovering your secret."
"Yes, well, perhaps I was starting to feel guilty about what I was doing. Perhaps I wanted you to find out before it was too late. Perhaps deep down, I wanted to be stopped because I knew I didn't deserve you."
"Whatever the reason...thank you."
He flashed her a genuine smile, one that was so elusive on William and while she was distracted by its brilliance, he had raised her gloved hand to his lips briefly, muttering that she was beautiful again.
Future William stepped back a bit and inputed something into the display of his suit, (beneath his regular suit) and the device began to hum into operation. He held up his palm and parted his fingers strangely, into what resembled a V and after winking said, "Live long and prosper."
Julia's eyes watered as he turned into a shimmering multi-coloured blur and vanished. Literally seconds later, Ruby came back into the room and said, "If you're crying already Jules, how do you expect me to make it through the ceremony?"
Of course her sister made it about herself. Ruby had a real talent for that.
"I'm fine," she said about to wipe her eyes dry with the back of her gloved hand.
"No, no, Jules, use this!" her sister exclaimed, extracting a handkerchief out of nowhere.
Julia vaguely wondered if she had picked up some tricks from Houdini.
"All right," she said a moment later. Smiling nervously, "I'm ready."
"Thank God," replied Ruby seriously. "It's about time."
Fin
Hope you enjoyed it! This was really fun to write! Let's get some darn passion in the show now! Hopefully time travel is not required for that, though at this point, I might not mind. :p
