Darkest of Times [Albert J Moriarty] - Moriarty the Patriot

The Last Scene - A Final Encounter

"It's a charming town, isn't it?" Victoria remarks, glancing down at George as he sleeps in the pram.

"It's beautiful," Florence agrees. "It's no wonder you moved here."

"Ooh," Victoria points out a boutique a few shops down. "We have to go there, there's a lovely red hat in the window."

Katherine nods. "I picked up a lovely necklace there the other week."

They walk further down the road, stopping in front of the shop and the three turn to Eleanor.

"Will you be okay outside?" Florence asks. "The shop looks quite narrow."

Eleanor waves a hand. "It's fine, George and I will stay outside."

The three women disappear inside the shop and Eleanor peers down inside the pram to see him fidgeting as he sleeps. His warm-brown coloured waves laying softly on the cushion, he suckles at the dummy in his mouth, tucked up in a pale cream blanket.

Adjusting the brim of her hat, Eleanor pushes her ponytail over her shoulder, glancing around the street as she waits.

Doing a double take, a lump forms in her throat and her pulse quickens. Her eyes widening, she drops a hand from the pram's handle. She stands frozen, staring off.

"Are you...are you really here?"

Looking up from the magazine stand, he blinks, eyes quickly widening as she surveys him. His gloved hand places the magazine back in the rack and he turns to fully face her.

"Eleanor..."

"You're alive, William?" She questions, her voice coming out as a squeak.

He nods slowly, eyes darting across her face and down at the pram.

"Oh, uh," Eleanor points at George. "This is your nephew."

Crouching his head down, William's red eyes peer inside the pram. Staring down at the brown, wavy haired little baby boy, his heart glows and swells at the sight —a feeling he never thought he'd experience.

"My nephew?"

Eleanor tentatively reaches a hand out and touches his shoulder. William eyes her hand.

"Sorry, I just can't quite believe it."

William straightens. "I may be here physically, but I feel as though I died that day."

"I see..." She clears her throat. "It's been tremendously hard without you though. With the search parties, we could at least know that your body wasn't found. But, it seems you didn't die."

He smiles awkwardly. "Anyway, I'm glad you and my brother managed to create a life for yourselves. Both that you're together and starting a family."

"We did." She nods. "But as I said, it wasn't easy. Somehow we've made it work."

"I'm happy for you."

"I don't understand why you're here..." She frowns. "That doesn't seem fair on anyone."

"Eleanor, it's complicat—"

"—I don't even want to hear it." She shakes her head.

They stand in uncomfortable silence.

"If only it could be different, Will." She purses her lips, glancing down at George briefly.

He agrees. "If only. But I wish you three all the best and nothing less."

"There's not a day that goes by that he doesn't talk about you." Eleanor rocks the pram. "You and Louis mean the world to him, I hope you know."

"That was the way it was always supposed to end. No matter how much they mean to me in return, I can no longer live the life of a free man," William looks down at the floor. "So please, take care of my brothers for me, and your son."

As he spins to walk away, Eleanor raises a hand and speaks up.

"Your nephew," She corrects him. "We named him, William, by the way."

He turns back around, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Well," She scratches her head. "It's his middle name. George William Moriarty."

William raises a hand to his chest. "To remind you of me?"

Huffing a laugh, she shakes her head. "We don't need reminding, you're very much with us everyday. He's your legacy. I want to raise him to become as caring as his uncle."

"I'm not that caring, but that's kind of you to say." William glances around.

Everything that has occurred since the night she met Albert outside the theatre has been nothing short of a surprise. She'd been in a self-destructive slump over her career and her self-worth, but he pulled her out of that. She'd never expected to fall madly and hopelessly in love with anyone, much less Albert James Moriarty. But falling in love with him made her feel a lot more alive than she had ever felt and she's been given the greatest gift in the world —the chance to be a mother. There's nothing she'd change from the last year and a half.

"He's going to change the world, just like you." Her eyes well up, smiling brightly at him. "Thank you, William."

"Thank you, Eleanor." William lets out a content breath. "Everything went according to plan in the end."

Crossing her arms, Eleanor shrugs with a lopsided grin on her face. "The world's a stage. We're merely players with exits and entrances. I think you played many roles throughout this play; the villain, the brother, the teacher, and the best friend. A Jack of all trades."

The same drooped ruby red eyes stare back at her, the same as when they first met on the Noahtic voyage. His expression that is usually so unreadable is now very much telling her how much he has left to say but that there aren't any words to describe it. So for now, she allows him to turn on his heel once more and leave her with his final words.

"And you played your part beautifully."

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The End.