Catching Mr Ripper

September 8th Evening

Elizabeth peeked out of the curtains at the sound of the bell. She quickly dismissed her staff for the night before answering the door.
"Edmund, please come in" she smiled, closing the door behind him.
"Sorry to disturb you at home but I thought that I'd better check that you were actually home" he smiled.
"Well I am at home" she smiled back.
"I also thought that we could discuss some details of the case" he took off his hat and coat hanging it on the coat rack beside the door.
"Of course, the parlour is just over here" Elizabeth lead him in and they both took a seat opposite each other, avoiding one another's gaze as an awkward silence fell over them.
"Would you like a drink? I'm drinking scotch" she smiled at him.
"That would be lovely, thank you" Elizabeth quickly got up from her seat and made Edmund a drink before refilling her own glass. Edmund took a sip of his drink, watching as Elizabeth took her seat once again.
"So about our victim-"
"I've already told you everything I know. Why are you really here Eddie?" She questioned.
"There it is, my nickname" he smiled widely earning a roll of her eyes in return "I came to talk about everything that happened between us back then. The case is important but I wanted to talk about what happened"
"What else is there to say?" She shot back.
"I need you to understand why I did what I did Lizzie. I thought that it was for the best. I still do" he hung his head.
"Oh please" she gritted "I could bat my lashes and ask you to take me to bed and you would. Stop pretending to be something you're not"
"No I wouldn't, because if I gave you that, that is all we would be"
"I would live under a bridge if it meant that we could be together. I would live in the middle of nowhere, without any funds if I could have you. I'm not this girl Eddie" Elizabeth motioned towards her expensive French dress "I don't like to sew or cook and I'm definitely not going to stand by a man and hold my tongue. I don't care about society or propriety, all I care about in this world is my work and you"
"You think that I don't want to be with you? All I think about is the life that we could have together, all I want is you but I can't have you" Edmund rose from his chair, moving away from her, running his hand through his hair "I never should've come here" he muttered moving towards the door, opening it. Elizabeth threw her glass of scotch at the wall in anger, sending shards flying everywhere. Edmund looked at the wet patch on the wall next to his head before he closed the parlour door.
Elizabeth's gazed was fixed on his, and he could see the anger and hurt in her eyes.
"I never wanted to hurt you" he muttered.
"All you did was hurt me! I love you Edmund! Love isn't supposed to be easy but you make it so damn harder than it has to be" she whispered turning her back to him before the tears in her eyes could fall.
"Do you know what it's like to be around you? I can't breathe when your around. I can't think. Every moment I breathe, sleeping or awake, I think of you. I am possessed by you!" he sighed, feeling his temples. Elizabeth listened to the sound of his feet moving along the floor, slowly growing closer to her.
"I wouldn't hurt you if I didn't think it was in your best interest" his feet stopped two paces behind her.
"In my best interest! My best interest was being with you!" She yelled finally turning to face him again.
"I'm so sorry Lizzie" Edmund moved closer to her, their scotch scented breaths mingling together as he leant his forehead against hers. He grasped her waist, she let out an audible gasp, he was already sending her mad with hunger.
"Eddie. You just said that we can't" she managed to whisper as his hands came up to cradle her face.
"You know damn well we can" he muttered trying to hold back as long as he could, as long as it would take to convince her.
"You just said we can't" she sighed deeply, breathing him in.
"I'm so damn tired of not having you. Having to restrain myself around you. I don't give a damn anymore" he groaned loudly, making Elizabeth shudder.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you how improper it was to curse in front of a lady" she smirked as he scoffed.
"We both know damn well you could out curse me and out drink me" he smirked into her neck as her breathing became shallower.
"You're damn right I could" he smirked again at her brazenness, his lips still fluttering over her neck.
"Right now I couldn't give a damn about anything else except for finding the easiest way to get out of my dress" she smirked as his lips stilled, hovering over her pulse point.
"I was thinking the exact same thing" Edmund pulled away from her neck to smirk at her, before backing her up against the book shelf "Where's your staff?" He paused, his hands gripping the shelf above her head, his knuckles going white as he tried to restrain himself.
"I dismissed them all when I knew you were at the door" she smirked, her lip going between her teeth.
"My little rouge" he smirked down at her, seeing the corners of her mouth twitch upwards "You better not be wearing that damned corset either" he smirked.
"When do I ever" She smirked up at him before he crashed their lips together, and in that moment the world felt as if it had stopped spinning as their lips finally met each other's, they finally felt at home. Edmund had come home to her. Edmund reached for the back of her dress, pulling at the strings of her evening gown. Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat as he spun her around to face the bookshelf, making it easier for him to untie her dress, she gripped the shelf in front of her, her want and desire growing by the passing second. He finally pulled the final string out of place and turned her to face him once again, but he hesitated.
"What are you waiting for?" Elizabeth smirked up at him.
"I'm waiting to wake up from this dream of something I know that I can't have" Edmund slowly pulled her evening gown from her shoulders, watching as it pooled around her feet before he pulled her tightly against his chest once again.
"This isn't a dream, Eddie. You can touch me and I won't disappear" Elizabeth took his hand and moved it to the side of her throat, letting out a shuddering breath at the warmth of his hand.
"Lizzie" Edmund murmured before covering whatever skin he could with hot, open mouthed kisses. Elizabeth fell against the bookcase as he attacked her neck in an over flow of pent up love and passion. For her. Only ever for her. Elizabeth clung to his shoulders, pushing his jacket to the floor; she pulled at the buttons of his shirt until that too joined his jacket on the floor.
"Shall we go upstairs?" he asked, holding her at arm's length, allowing them both to take deep calming breaths.
"Why should we? I have a perfectly good bookcase here" she smirked at him before he dove back onto her throat, nibbling at her pulse point, making her moan down his ear. Elizabeth worked her hands under his undershirt, pulling it off over his head and pushing his briefs to the floor before their lips crashed back together. Edmund knelt down in front of Elizabeth, allowing their eyes to meet before he ran his hands up her legs to her waist, pulling her bloomers down to her knees, letting them drop the rest of the way.
"I forgot how beautiful you are" Elizabeth blushed at his comment looking down away from his gaze as he stood up. Edmund placed a gentle hand on her chin making their eyes meet again.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you to value a woman's personality over her body" she smirked.
"Please don't mention my mother at a time like this" he motioned between their bodies, picking her up, Elizabeth squealed as her legs wrapped around his waist and her back hit the shelf behind her, sending books tumbling to the floor around them.
"I love that sound" he smiled widely.
"Take me to bed Edmund" he groaned against her neck.
"Say that again" he begged, his hand moving along her thigh.
"Take me to bed, Eddie" she ordered with a smile. He took her full weight and carried her out of the room and upstairs. He moved into her bedroom, dropping her onto the bed before he covered her body with his.
"Make me yours Eddie"
"You already are, my darling Lizzie" he assured her before he brought their lips together.

When she had finally caught her breath Elizabeth collected their clothes from the floor of the parlour and dumped them on her bedroom floor before she climbed back into her bed. Her sweaty body lying next to Edmund's, right where she had left him. She reached into her bedside table, she took out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag before letting the smoke leave her lungs and fill the room.
"Those are bad for you, you know?" He turned on his side to face her, tracing patterns on her arm.
"We're all dying why not speed up the process" she smiled mischievously.
"How about you put that down and we go again?" Edmund smirked as he took the cigarette from her and rolled on top of her.
"Are you trying to distract me from smoking?" She smiled widely, as her body became more entangled with his.
"Maybe" he smirked, stubbing out her cigarette.
"It's working" she smirked, rolling them both over so that she was on top.
"You are everything, my darling" Edmund kissed her neck lightly "A muse of god" he said finally, kissing her lips.