So I believe this will be the very last chapter. Please please please let me know what you guys think! Im VERY shaky on this chapter. I don't know if it seems too obvious or lame... I dunno, but if it's crap let me know and I will re-do it. I really hope you guys like this last chapter. I may or just may not do a sequel depending on what you guys want. So feel free to let me know! Enjoy!

Chapter 8

The memory was burned fresh into my head; Arthur undoing my shirt to stop the bleeding, the intense pain in my stomach, and the blood that I loathed so much to see, now painting the pavement underneath me. The more and more the crimson blood dripped, the more I wanted to shut my eyes to get rid of the pain and the light headedness I felt, if only for a moment. And so I did.

When I reopened my eyes, I was standing in the same alley that seemed to be frozen in time. The rain still fell from the cloudy sky, only in slow motion, onto two figures huddled close together; Arthur and I. I was viewing Arthur leaning over myself dabbing at my stained abdomen. What was this? Purgatory? Or am I a ghost? (God I hope not, ghosts scare the shit out of me!)

I walked closer to the two figures and watched Arthur cry over the limp body in his arms. I had to admit, seeing Arthur like this brought tears to my eyes. I haven't seen him cry like this since… that time. It was raining then too when I left Arthur, with his rifle lying at his side, crying and cursing in the middle of a battlefield. That was the day I won my independence.

All this time I was sure he hated me because of that event. Or at least that's what I believed to be true, up until now. You don't cry over people you hate, and that's precisely what Arthur was doing. But that's one of the things bothering me, why doesn't he hate me?

Policemen rushed on the spot, when Arthur's mouth moved (which all words uttered by him and the police were inaudible to me, curious enough.) and he motioned the group of policemen to where the ripper ran off to. As they moved off to apprehend the ripper, a few police men, including Abberline, stayed behind. Abberline franticly mouthed inaudible words to Arthur as he knelt down across from him. He looked scared when Abberline placed his pointer and middle finger on my neck to feel for a pulse.

Tears welted in my eyes and streamed down my cheeks making it near impossible to see the faces of the two Brits. I didn't want to die… I really didn't, but I prefer it me than Arthur. Even though I had thought he hated me, I liked him, a lot actually. And I know I couldn't bear to be the one leaning over his body. Besides, Arthur is more important in this world. I mean look how great he and his country have become. England is the most powerful country to date! That's something I strived to make my country, great. Speaking of my country, what is to become of my states? Is my absence going to make a difference? Is my country gonna even notice I'm gone? I don't know if they will… but it has to be better me than him. I sniffed, brushed away the tears from my cheeks, and whispered,

"I'm sorry I left you again Arthur. I'm so sorry."

I closed my eyes and the dark reddened alley way turned pitch black as I began to fall. The wind rushed through my hair like a breeze in a field of wheat as I gathered momentum from the fall. And it stayed that way for a long time. It felt as if I where free falling into a black abyss.

View Change

The police caught William Gull surprisingly quick. He put up a good fight, according to Detective Wittenberg, one of the members of the yard present at Jack's arrest.

Gull was now locked into a room specifically for interrogation. I begged to be let in just to ask him a few questions; many however didn't quite think that was the best thing for me to do after all that had just accord. Being as persistent as I am, I eventually got my way with one condition. Another officer had to accompany me.

"So Jack," I hissed with venom in my voice as Abberline and I walked into the dimly lit room. "Care to tell me why in God's name you killed as many people as you did?"

He sat there, restrained to the chair, quietly before he responded.

"Why would I tell you if I haven't told any one else? Do me a favour and fuck off." I raised my hand and struck Gull on the cheek. A bright red handprint swelled on the side of his face as his head drooped downwards towards his feet.

"Don't you dare speak to me like in such a manner! Now I want answers and I want them now!" I yelled as I slammed my hands on the table between us. He lifted his sweaty head up to me and smiled.

"To benefit this country obviously." Now more infuriated then before, I whipped out from behind the table and nabbed Gull by the collar of his shirt. As we made eye contact I threatened,

"I swear, if you don't tell me everything I want to know I will have you executed, whether it'd be from my hands or hands of another. Believe you me when I say you do NOT want to be testing me right now!"

"Threatening me with death now, are we? Well then, I guess that makes you no better than me."

"SHUT UP! I'm nothing like you!" I yelled in disgust as I let go of Gull's collar and pushed him back. Soon after I took a few steps back, he began to laugh slowly before he replied,

"So you really want to know. Well, you see, good sir, it involves illegitimacy."

"What? What do you mean by illegitimacy?"

"Prince Albert! The Queen's son! The lad has a fancy for those whores!"

"W-what?" I stammered. I could feel my mind freezing over, unable to process the information fed to me.

"That's correct! And now you can't tell a bleeding soul!"

"And why the hell wouldn't I?"

"Think about it Arthur. How would that look on the Queen's part if this scandal broke loose through London? Hm?"

"You… You fucking bastard! I'll make sure you rot! You'll burn in Hell!" I lunged forward and clamped my hands around his throat, wanting him to suffer the sting of death he has brought to so many people.

"ARTHUR!" Abberline yelled angrily as his pair of hands lifted me from Jack's throat. Gull's chokes for air were drowned out by Abberline's scolds.

"Bollocks Arthur! What the hell where you doing?"

"Didn't you hear what he said?" I retorted "He abused his position and power to murder! And now we can't even give our own citizens the security of knowing Jack the Ripper is off the streets because he used OUR MONACHY to his benefit!"

"Come with me Arthur." He said sternly as he led me out of the room and the Scotland Yard building. I can't believe he is staying so calm like this.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Away from here." He replied monochromatically as we walked down the sidewalk away from the yard. He continued "Arthur you know our job is done right? We played our part and now is the time to let the Yard do their part to lock Gull up. It will be quiet and unannounced but he'll be jailed none the less. Playing executioner isn't going to do you any good Arthur. As much as I'd love to get revenge upon him for everything he's done, we can't. Alright?" I sighed while thinking about what would've happened if I actually did murder him and I guess Abberline is right. Again. We both continued to walk along the sidewalk in silence before I spoke up.

"Abberline?"

"Hm?"

"Listen, I think I should be going now. There is someone I need to go see." He smiled before he spoke.

"Say no more Arthur. I will meet up with you soon."

"Thanks." I replied as I walked off from Abberline, now worried in replacement of anger.

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"Mmm...hmm... Huh?" I took a deep breath of air as I jolted up from where I was laying. An itchy blanket fell off of my body, revealing my bare chest wrapped in a gauze around the bullet wound, which hurt like hell to be honest. I lied back down in the bed as I gazed around at my surroundings, curious to know where I was and when in the world did I stop falling. I was lying in a small bed (not the most comfortable I have to add. Far to stiff for my pleasure.) and to the right of me was a small nightstand with my glasses set on it, which I immediately snatched and slid onto my face. Next to the nightstand was a window looking out to a rainy London, and across from me was a row of vacant beds pressed up against a wall. I jerked my arms slightly, hoping to stretch out a little, when I realized a smaller hand was cradling the top of my larger left hand. My eyes quickly scanned up the hand and arm to see a very familiar face; Arthur's face.

Arthur was slumped over fast asleep in a very uncomfortable looking chair next to my bed. Arthur's nose looked red and eyes puffy and irritated, a common side effect of crying. I wriggled my hand free from his light grasp and pushed myself into a sitting position, much to my own discomfort. The bullet wound throbbed so much more when I moved. It was like being sore after exercising for the first time in ages, only multiply that by twenty and add a solid punch to the gut. I grunted quietly as I clutched the damn wound, which must have stirred the sleeping Brit.

"hmm… Al? …. Alfred!" The British man yelled in excitement as he leaped from the chair as quick as lightning and wrapped his arms around my neck.

"Alfred you damn wanker idiot! Why would you do that? You scared me to death! To bleeding death you prat!" He pulled apart from my neck and gently kissed my forehead before retracting completely. I felt my cheeks flush a bright red and the warmth radiating from my skin.

"Well," I began with Arthur's eyes fixated on me. "I'd rather it be me lying here instead of you Art." The Brit's bottom lip quivered as his eyes began to swell with salty translucent tears.

"Arthur? What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's just, no one has ever shown me kindness as great as this before." And he's probably right about that too. Arthur's life had been rough, especially his childhood. Ever since he was young he had tormented by his brothers, he never went into detail about it around me, but I knew it had to be tough. Then there were all of the wars he has been in. Some short, others incredibly long, like the 100 year war between him and Francis. (Which explains their animosity for each other.) So in a certain sense, I'm not too surprised he said that.

"And I would gladly do it again." I responded with a smile. What I said wasn't a lie either. I would never let Arthur get wounded or die, not on my watch.

"Don't you dare!" He snapped back at me and slapped the back of my head.

"Ow!"

"I don't know what I would do if I had actually lost you." He said a little more sedately as his emerald eyes trailed from my pale blue eyes and down to my bandaged stomach.

"So what's the damage?" I questioned.

"Well, if you were a normal human being you would have very easily bled out, thankfully you're not. Then again, even if you were a normal human being I'm sure you would've still been ok. With the amount of food you eat I don't think even a bullet could penetrate your stomach."

"You jerk." I said while grinning, "And Jack?"

Arthur frowned and shifted away from me.

"Caught."

"That's great to hear! You seem angry though… is something wrong? Isn't this a good thing?"

"Not when all of this has to be kept secret from the world."

"What?"

"Gull killed prostitutes because of the prince. He, uh, took fancy to them. So to keep the royal family pure, he killed them. Now to get to the point, if news broke out, how is a royal scandal going to look on the Queen's part?"

It pissed me off to hear the misfortunate news. After all we've been through to catch this guy and now we can't tell anyone? So not heroic.

"So what does this mean for us now?"

"We're finished. Our job is done, or at least that's what Abberline said." Arthur said disappointedly.

"Oh, I see." I replied in an equally disappointed tone.

"Al?"

"Yeah?"

"Is something the matter?"

"Well yeah, you just told me Jack the Ripper has to be kept a secret forever."

"No not that! I mean is something else bothering you? It seems like there's something else."

"Actually there are some things that are bugging me…" I paused as Arthur stared at me with curiosity.

"You see; when I closed my eyes… eh… here let me ask you a question first. Abberline came and checked my pulse right?"

"Yes, but how-"

"I saw it all play out! I can't really explain it but I saw myself. I didn't know if I was a ghost or what! I can't seem to make sense of it." England pondered over what I just told him. I figured if anyone would know what I saw, it would be England. After all he is into all that paranormal stuff.

"Al, have you ever heard of an Astral Projection?"

"What's that?"

"It's an out of body experience. You detach from your physical body and see everything going on in your surroundings, even travel to different places."

"Is it normal to hear nothing? I couldn't hear anything you or anyone else for that matter."

"I'm not entirely sure Al, but that is my best guess."

"Ah, okay."

"Is something else the matter? You still seem confused about something." To be honest the 'why the hell didn't he hate me' thought was what was bothering me, but should I really ask?

"Come on Al, what's wrong? You can tell me."

"Arthur, you were crying. Not just when I was shot but before you woke up your eyes were puffy. You had to have been crying." He raised his bushy brow at me in confusion before he spoke.

"So you're upset and bothered because I shed a few tears?"

"No, not that! It's just… you're not suppose to cry over people you hate. After all we've been through in the past, I was sure you hated me." I flushed a bright red again and tilted my head down towards the itchy green blanket covering my waist and legs.

"Alfred F. Jones you thought I hated you?"

"Well, I mean I did. Not any more but I just don't know why you don't." I DID break away from him, fight two wars against him and win, and I annoy the shit outta him, he has every right too.

"I'm sorry if I made it seem that way Alfred."

"You're still not answering my question! Why don't you hate me?"

"Listen, even though we've had it out for each other in the past, Alfred I never stopped caring for you. It may have changed over the years, but it never stopped."

"Thanks Arthur." I lifted my head and smiled as I pulled him into an embrace. (Though it may have been a little awkward because I was trying not to bump my stomach too much against his.)

Arthur stayed with me for the rest of the time I was there in the hospital, with my hand in his; the stay was a little more bearable. (Though he frequently got angry at me for wanting to move around sooner than I was ready.) For once, in all the time I spent here in London, I felt happy, truly happy. And if I had it my way I would have froze those moments in time, even if it was only for another moment. Though I hurt and ached, on the flip side I felt how anyone should, like a hero.

"Thank you Alfred." Arthur said with a faint smile, "Thank you for helping me, even if I didn't want it and I put you through hell. Thank you."

So Whaddya think? Yay or Nay? I hope you all liked the story I had to tell! Speaking of stories, yes to the sequel or no? I have a pretty decent idea of what I want to do with it. I just want to know if anyone actually wants to read more about Jack the Ripper. So let me know!

I just want to say thanks too! Thank you all for the support, the fun reviews, and taking the time to read my stories! I hope you'll read the other stories I have in stored! I'll be writing loads more to come! Thanks once again! I hope you enjoyed it!

-Nash Stone