The Ripper

William Jack Holloway

William couldn't help his desire to keep her close to him as he helped her out of the car in front of the lavish mansion that wasn't his at all. He wanted to keep her safe. To protect her. To give her some reprieve from the horrors that she had experienced at her master's hand. He didn't expect her thanks - he knew her far well enough to know that she would never admit weakness. And with that, he was hardly surprised by the harsh words she spat at him. His eyes flashed towards her, the chocolate hued irises as patient with her as ever. "I would never imply that you were. You're the strongest person I know." He said simply as Charles - Sebastian's servant - hurried to open those doors and take coats. William waved him off with a quick motion of his hand, just as he so frequently did. Even in his human days, he'd never been patient enough for maids and butlers. In fact, he only had one instruction for the man. "Do not notify Sebastian that I am here." He said almost impatiently before he directed her up the stairs with a hand that hovered just above the small of her back.

William shut the door behind them as they went into the suite he'd began to call home. He was thankful now, he supposed, for the way that Elizabeth and Charles kept his room tidy - though they didn't touch the books that were piled so haphazardly on any available surface. No, one annoyed day from William had stopped their attempts to fix that. But still, he was thankful for the made bed and the fact that his teacups from the night before had been picked up. For a moment, William too was content to look at anything but the girl that had began to unbutton his coat. No, instead he pretended to be very interested in the carved Victorian furniture. It wasn't until he heard that coat fall to the ground did he look at her, and for a moment he considered telling her that she was beautiful.

Because she was. Even if the sight of her nearly nude form made a blush rise on his cheeks. It was different now that they were alone. But he wouldn't shower her with those compliments right now. Not in the wake of all the horrors they'd both experienced tonight. Even as he held his arms out, he was expecting her to stay far away from him, and he only nodded as she explained why she wouldn't allow him to touch her right now. "That's okay," He said sincerely as he dropped his arms back to his sides. For a moment, he stood entirely still in that silence before she spoke again to comment on his... ownership of her. William pursed his lips together. Yes, that had been the agreement with Ivan and yet he hardly intended to hold her to any type of obligation to him. He hated it so entirely that he had agreed to that at all. But it had been the necessary steps to extract her from his grasp, if only for a little while.

"I know." William said softly as he stepped away from her, turning to make his way into the closet. He returned but a moment later with one of his long, button up shirts and a pair of men's pajama pants in tow. He wished he had more to offer her. "I'll ask Elizabeth to find some better clothes for you. Something more covering." He ran a hand through his hair as he handed those clothes over to her, this time motioning for her to come as he led her into the attached bathroom. He wasted no time in moving to turn on the shower, making sure that the water was nice and hot before he finally turned his attention back to the witch. "I'll never own you. Even if I am... technically... paying for your time right now." He leaned back against the counter as he watched her, biting his lower lip. "I don't expect anything from you. I just wanted to get you out of there. To keep you as safe as possible." He stared at the ground as he rolled his shoulders in a shrug. "Though I've likely made things worse for you. I am sorry."

He shrugged once more before he stepped around her, not looking at her this time. No, he couldn't. He was too ashamed of what he had done to make her life so much worse. "Why don't you take a shower. I'll send for some food and we can talk then." He said softly as he stepped out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. For a moment, he simply slumped against the door and let out a heavy sigh. He waited a moment before he walked over to the door, sending Elizabeth down to get some sandwiches and coffee for them. It was only once he had those delivered and everything she might need taken care of did he sit down in one of the chairs, trying his best to appear calm when everything threatened to pull him in an opposite direction.

But darling -- it's only human nature.