"Don't smile like that at him, it's weird!" Harvey exclaimed at Eliza and she only giggled in return, making William blush.
They were having dinner. Harvey had cooked a nice meal of roasted lemon chicken, shepherd's pie and butterscotch ice-cream for dessert. William's stomach growled as he stared at the food and as soon as Eliza finished her prayers, he began devouring the meal. He ate like a starved animal and that made Eliza laugh but then she began to smile at him. Harvey found that disturbing which made William laugh.
It was the 3rd of January 2012 and William had recently become aware of the fact that he had missed a lot of celebrations with his wife; he even missed New Year and when he introduced Eliza to his thoughts, she only laughed and kissed him, over and over.
"Let me look at him, Papa. He will be gone soon to that bloody wife of his!" Eliza pouted at her father.
"Don't say anything about my wife!" William warned her with a smile and that earned him another grin from her.
Moments passed and not before long, the plates were clean as the delicacies were long swallowed. William cleaned his lips with a napkin while Harvey brought forward the dessert. A beam of pure excitement caught Eliza's face as she leaned forward and hurriedly took the ice-cream bowl making both William and Harvey chuckle.
"What?" Eliza frowned. "Butterscotch is the love of my life!"
William raised an eyebrow at her, making Harvey clear his throat.
"Jesus William! No lover in this world can compare to ice-cream. That's unfair!"
He bursts into peels of laughter and he almost fell off the chair as Eliza threw him a dirty look.
"Kids! Calm down," Harvey said.
William stopped laughing but smiled a little as he waited patiently for Harvey to speak.
"As I was saying before...the time has come and William will be going home tomorrow," Harvey informed.
William felt Eliza tense beside him and turned to look at her as the ice-cream bowl lay still in her hand. She was staring at the bowl and playing with the spoon in a disinterested manner.
"What's wrong?" Willam asked as he lay a hand on her knee. She turned to face him and gave a tiny smile.
"Nothing," she said and went back to playing with the spoon.
"She is worried something bad might happen." Harvey cleared the confusion in William's face and he turned to look at the man.
"Will something happen?"
"Well...I'm not going to lie. Something might happen. However, I believe you will take the chances," Harvey proclaimed calmly, making him gulp.
"I..." he began but stopped when a screech of the chair by his side made him turn his attention back to Eliza and he saw her getting up and walking out of the kitchen, hurriedly. The bowl was placed back on the table with the ice-cream still untouched.
"Eliza!" he called after her but she was gone.
"She is worried," Harvey said. "Go be with her. I give you permission for tonight."
Harvey's words made him smile and he nodded as he looked with appreciation towards the man.
"Thank you, sir," he said, getting up from the chair.
"You can call me Dad."
He was about to leave the room when Harvey's words stopped him. He turned to look at the man and saw him leaning on the chair with his arms crossed.
"Really?" William's eyes widened with surprise and he raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Harvey smiled.
William smiled as he watched Harvey Scott get up from his chair and move towards him. He froze when the man put his arms around him, pulling him into an awkward hug.
"I'm going to miss you, son." Harvey patted his back and William returned the hug.
"Thank you, Dad." He smiled and Harvey let him go.
"Go now, before I change my mind!"
Harvey's command made William snicker and he rushed up the stairs to Eliza's room.
He opened the door slowly and saw that the room was dark and Eliza was lying down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He watched her quietly. Her white dress fitted her figure perfectly and her skin glowed as the moonlight crept through the open window. He watched her silently.
"You don't have to stand there, William," Eliza spoke suddenly, propping herself on her elbows as she looked at him with a sly grin. "Just enter the room and open your shirt."
William entered the room with a suggestive look on his face. He clicked the door shut and walked towards her. She followed his movements as he stopped in front of her, placing his hands on both sides of her body.
"Will you just stand there or will you kiss me?" Eliza commented on his actions.
William smirked. "You have no idea what are the things that are going in my mind right now."
Eliza smirked too and pulled him on top of her by his shirt. He fell and she caught his lips as she kissed him.
A fire raged through his body as he returned her kisses and soon, his hand slid under her dress and he traced the waistband of her underwear with his finger.
She smiled against his lips and kissed him hungrily.
"You sure?" he mumbled at her lips.
"Just don't hurt me. I just took my medicines," she responded.
He tore away from the kiss to look at her.
"What medicines?" he asked.
"My anxiety pills. It's nothing much. Papa gave them to me after I stopped taking the 'other stuff'. Just don't hurt."She smiled but his face grew serious and she must have noticed it too for she kissed him again.
"It's okay, Moonshine," she breathed. "I know you will always keep me safe."
Her trust in him made him warm as he pressed his lips to her forehead and mumbled.
"Always."
***
It was dawn and Eliza was watching William as he slept soundly on her bed. Their legs were entangled together and her pink blanket covered them. His arm pillowed her head and the other rested on her bare waist. She caressed his cheeks and outlined his face with her forefinger.
He was going to go. She wouldn't see him for almost six years. She will be away from the love of her life for six years and it killed her to think that as they both lay naked beside each other. A tear escaped her eye and the painful thought engulfed her.
She loved this man. She loved him so much that she couldn't put it into words. He was no longer just the attractive neighbour next door. He was more than that. More than anything in her world and now she had to let him go. She was dreading this day for long now but with the break of dawn, her judgments were clouding. She didn't want him to go. She wanted him to stay forever with her but that wasn't possible, that would never be possible.
She placed her head on his chest and wept silently. William steered suddenly and she felt his hand tightening around her, pulling her closer. She looked at him and saw him looking at her with sleepy eyes.
"What's wrong, Little Witch? Which monster made you cry?" he mumbled and she giggled at his funny, sleepy voice.
"Nothing," she said and went back to place her head on his bare chest. "I don't want you to go."
He made a sudden movement and before she could make out what was happening, she was laid on her back and trapped between his arms. She looked at him in surprise as he studied her face. He no longer looked sleepy.
"I can't stay, Love, but you have to do another thing before I go." His voice was grave and she grew nervous.
"What? What should I do?"
His eyes travelled through her face and he leaned in to peck her on the tip of her nose. She closed her eyes and peace washed over her at his hot kiss.
"Don't give up."
She opened her eyes as he said that.
"What?" she asked, puzzled.
"I won't be the man I am now. I will be nothing like this man. I will be rude, ignorant, proud and selfish. I won't be what you expect me to be and I am afraid that it might drive you to repugnance towards me. I fear that, Love. You won't like me when you meet me. The real me. But I want you to not give up on me." He placed more kisses all over her face.
"Why would I give up? I love you!" she affirmed.
"You won't love the real me. You will despise me and it aches me to say this but I will hurt you. I will hurt you so much but I want you to give me a chance. Always give me a chance. Please don't give up on me, Love. Never give up on me."
He buried his face in the crook of her neck and she found herself hugging him as she ran her hand through the soft strands of his hair.
"I won't give up on you," she said.
He looked up at her.
"Promise?"
"Promise," she confirmed.
She let him lose himself in her for one last time before morning came and it was time for him to go back home.
***
William watched Harvey as they stood at Harvey's workshop. Eliza stood beside him and he could sense the fear in her movements.
He had stolen one last look at the house across that had been his shelter for many days. The house was burned completely and William knew Felix Leblanc wouldn't be happy with Harvey. He didn't even have a proof of his journey back to the past but he wanted to have one. However, everything had burnt along with the house.
Everything except the letters which he let Eliza keep.
His trail of thoughts was broken when Harvey opened a big brown box and took out something that had caused William enough trouble for a lifetime. Harvey held the mason jar and placed it on the desk. He opened it slowly and the fireflies flew out making Eliza gasp in amazement as the room glowed with their beautiful light.
Harvey put his hand inside the jar and took out the little box from it. William observed how carefully Harvey held the device and heard a screeching sound when the man turned a tiny knob at one side of the box and brought it towards him.
"I never knew where Edmund or Cassandra went so this will be the first time I will be truly using it. I have entered the date but I am scared. I am so scared..." Harvey was talking to the box and William stared at him, agape. The man's hands trembled rapidly and his eyes were fixed on the object.
"Papa, stop scaring him!" Eliza reminded him and Harvey looked like someone had woken him up from his deep slumber.
"Yes. Oh yes. Yes, yes. I shouldn't. I shouldn't...here...take it, son!" He handed the device to William and then took a step back.
William held the little box on the palm of his hand and stood waiting.
"Wait!" Eliza shouted suddenly and William turned to look at her. He saw her reaching into the pocket of her jeans and bringing something out.
A locket with a small cross.
He looked with amusement as she came and stood in front of him, facing him.
"Here...it was my Mom's. It will keep you safe."
Before William could say something, Eliza put the locket around his neck and hurriedly, took a few steps back. He realized that the room was filled with white smoke and his attention fell on Eliza again and he saw her eyes fill with tears.
"I will find you, William," Eliza said, her voice shaking. "I will find you..."
FIND YOU
William couldn't hear or see anything anymore as he closed his eyes because they hurt and taking Eliza's memories with him, he fell into darkness.
(I will find you)