#And I don’t even usually AGREE with Lanyon

[definatelymrhyde]

Oh boy do I have news for you…

So are we just leaving Jekyll tied to the chair???

(More talking under the cut)

ANYWAYS ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE

Lanyon not being able to belive at all that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person is perfect. I personally adore the fact that that he couldn’t find it in himself to think that Jekyll, one of Londons FINEST gentleman, and HIS best friend is the culprit for his own situation.

Because I think anyone else would have reacted the same way. Nobody wants to belive it could be a loved one’s fault for the situation they are in, especially one as severere as the situation Jekyll is in.

Lanyon does not have it in him to belive that Jekyll could possibly have done this. He KNOWS it had to have been one of those cooky, eccentric, mad science lodgers..

Right?

Right??

Well, little does he know he’s gonna have a hard pill to swallow :)

Jekyll did this to himself!! And Lanyon, despite telling his beloved Henry to let him know if he “ever went to far”, will be stuck knowing that his beloved Henry did not in fact let him know, or trust him enough to. And Lanyon could do nothing to help.

The person he hates most and the person he loves most are the same person and this is a terrifying moment for him!

[galaxy-parchment]

Vampire AU

1 : 2 : 3 : 4 : 5 : 6  : 7 : 8 : 9 : 10 : 11 : 12 : 13 : 14 : 15 (you are are)

This is finally finished! Good lord that took a while I expected this to be half as long as it ended up being. As usual please leave comments/tags/replies of what you thought of the overall story (its okay you can be honest) and feel free to send any asks at any time if you ever want me to answer any questions. 

--

Jekyll led the way out of the office and stared down the expectant, though well-guarded, crowd before them, courtesy of Rachel brandishing that knife she never seemed to put down.

Lanyon tried not to look weak under all the glares he was getting, but he’d seen how insane these people could be. If this went wrong he’d be lucky to get the chance to flee London. Despite his obviously fake courage, he stood his ground beside Jekyll, who inhaled deeply, about to speak. He held onto the breath for a moment and exhaled it out into his first words.

“I know you’re scared, and confused, and angry, and feeling a lot of strong feelings about the situation, but please hear me out,” he paused, hoping his pleas weren’t falling on deaf ears.

Some people’s expressions didn’t change, but the air of curiosity and general lack of outburst prompted Jekyll to continue. 

“I think we of all people should understand that everyone deserves a second chance,”some heads rose in recognition, “and the opportunity to be a part of a community of like-minded individuals. Individuals who won’t hold judgement against them.” Jekyll glanced back at him, jerking his head slightly to them, still observing. Lanyon took a moment to realise that Jekyll wanted him to speak. Of course. Bloody hell.

He shifted, moving to Jekyll’s side, and could swear he felt himself sweating despite his physical incapability to do so. “I’m… sorry for my… outburst… yesterday. I swear that I didn’t intend to actually harm anyone and was fully aware that Luckett wasn’t in his room that evening,” he insisted, his voice almost breaking from how nervous he was.

“Why’d you do it then?“ called Pennybrygg, who was one of the few lodgers still accompanying the now less frazzled Luckett.

“I was… er… acting on… some…. personal issues…” Lanyon attempted to get out, mumbling the end in shame. He directed his gaze towards Luckett, who was looking quite annoyed at him. “I’d be happy to help you restore your room, however, Mr Luckett.” He was relieved to see him ponder on it for a moment and grumpily nod his head with a grunt. Lanyon’s lacklustre explanation earned him some unimpressed faces, but Luckett’s acceptance of the offer seemed to stop anyone from protesting.

Jekyll cleared his throat, drawing attention away from Lanyon, who was clearly not used to speaking to this sort of audience. “We’re all people who have an appreciation for the strange, the macabre, the odd. To make things right with all of you who feel violated by having the presence of a vampire in your lives for so long, Dr Lanyon has agreed to allow you to ask for his help in any experiments that may require… someone such as himself… in them.”

That sparked some excited murmurs. Within seconds any mention of doubt or annoyance was lost and overpowered by a lively discussion about the possibilities this opened up. Questions were being yelled out at the two of them about what exactly they were allowed to do. The first few questions were answered but it soon became an impossible task.

Lanyon felt himself being dragged away by the arm. It took him a moment to actually look down at who it was. He was relieved to see Rachel. She didn’t seem to look as angry as he’d thought. If anyone in the building had a right to be upset with him it was certainly Rachel. All he could see in her eyes was gentle sympathy.

“I’m guessing that this is why you never eat my garlic chicken?” she asked, giving him a reassuring grin. Lanyon found himself slowly being led away from the lodgers, somehow unnoticed by them.

“No, actually, it turns out I actually can eat garlic. I’m just not a fan of chicken.” He chuckled back at her.

She huffed, half-giggling as she did, “And here I thought you’d at least use the opportunity to make an excuse for yourself!” They both took the opportunity to laugh off the tension of the situation. They both drifted into silence and Lanyon saw Rachel’s happy expression weaken into something inexplicably sad.

“Rachel, I’m sorry I never said anything to you - I didn’t want you worrying about me. Jekyll’s already a handful on a bad day.”

“You didn’t have to worry about me, Lanyon. I’m built tough, you know that,” she smiled, giving him a friendly nudge on the arm.

“I haven’t destroyed any hopes of you trusting me in the future, have I? Aside from Jekyll, I don’t really have many other people I can call a friend.”

She stared at him for a moment before breaking out into the most genuine laugh she’d let out for the whole conversation. “You’re not all that bright for a Doctor, are you? You think something like being a vampire is gonna scare me off?” She looked back at the crowd of lodgers bombarding an overwhelmed Jekyll with questions, some relating to the news and others drifting off to other topics, then back to Lanyon. “I live here, I can handle a little bit of craziness.”

Lanyon smiled at her with such a pure, light relief he feared he’d start floating where he stood. Rachel glanced at the nearest set of stairs and tilted her head towards it.

“Come on, you’d better get started on cleaning up Luckett’s room. I’ll grab some supplies for you.”

“I don’t suppose I’ll be getting any help with my least favourite type of labour, would I?”

Rachel placed a firm hand on his back and pushed him towards the stairs alongside her. “Don’t be ridiculous, Doctor, what kind of a redemption would that be?”

Despite how heartwarming the moment was, Lanyon was starting to dread this whole ‘apology’ business.

-

Everything was, astonishingly, quite normal after yesterday’s events.

Granted the extremely emotionally moving speech Jekyll gave was quite a substantial factor in the amazing outcome. Lanyon was nonetheless eternally grateful for the good reception he was getting.

He still got some stern looks in the Society and a few mild threats as he passed through the halls. He also got some very invasive questions about how his physiology worked, not that he entirely knew himself. Everything was otherwise quite normal considering he’d been revealed to be one of the most heinous types of beast in all of London.

He did appreciate that Jasper fellow’s offer to get him a less… morally ambiguous… source of human blood that he used to feed some of his pets. He wasn’t quite sure how much he would like where the blood came from, but it was probably better than murdering whatever poor sap was stupid enough to get drunk in the East End.

He might have to lie about how much blood he needed and get some for Jekyll as well.

-

Jekyll carried his hefty case of equipment upstairs. He’d almost forgotten she was there. Alas, forgetting didn’t mean she didn’t exist, so upon being reminded by an off-handed comment from Rachel he made his way over.

She looked very comfortable, bundled up in her blankets reading a book. It appeared to be new so he assumed it was a gift from one of her new adoring fans. She looked up at him and, strangely enough, smiled at him. Jekyll would be lying if he said that didn’t put him on edge at all.

He went through the usual routine. Say hello, open the case, make her medicine for the day and make sure she took it. She had this demeanour about her, though. Whenever he said anything, did anything, even took a moment to look at her, she had this mischievous grin, like she had some brilliant secret she was desperate not to tell. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him as she downed his medicine.

“What’s got you so… cheerful… today?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

“I’m so glad you asked, Doctor.” She casually fiddled with her own gloved hand, keeping that smirk on her face. “I was listening in on yesterday’s commotion, quite an outstanding resolution I must say. I personally wouldn’t have even noticed your friend was a vampire, since I’ve never even met him.” She looked up at him. “But I couldn’t help but think about how you always act.”

“What do you mean?” Jekyll asked carefully, keeping his voice as level as he could.

“Oh, nothing much, just how you’re pale some days and the next day you look flush as ever. How you talk less whenever your skin becomes quite pale. The way your eyes twitch ever so slightly whenever you give me intravenous medicines…”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“Hmph, I thought you would be much more open at this point, but I suppose keeping up your facade is quite important. I believe you are a vampire, Doctor. A drainer, as you Londoners tend to call them.”

Jekyll’s blood would have run colder if it could. “That’s ridiculous, are you sure you don’t have a fever or something?” He began packing his things, sending her the message that he was about to leave.

She rested her chin on her elbow, which was propped up on her knee. “Really, Doctor Jekyll, I promise I won’t tell.” He stopped for a moment and stared her down, looking for some hint that she wasn’t toying with him. It was impossible to see through all of that smugness. She was obviously having some fun with this.

“Really?”

“Yes. It appears I may have thought you to be the wrong variant of blood-sucker. I much prefer a creature of the night than some pompous buffoon. A lot more fun to deal with, so I will let this slide for now. Creature insists that being disliked will be the least of your problems if I come to harm, anyway,” she said as she gestured to the monster in question, who simply gave a stern nod to him that Jekyll acknowledged solemnly.

“T-thank you, Frankenstein.”

“Of course, we beasts of humanity must live in harmony.” He wasn’t sure how comfortable he was with that comment.

Jekyll packed the rest of his things and quietly stepped out of the room, keeping an eye on them as he left. The grin didn’t leave Frankenstein’s face, but it didn’t seem as menacing as it did before. Instead it was more playful. Once he closed the door behind him, he let a tense sigh escape him. 

He reminded himself to yell at Hyde a bit for getting bitten in the first place.

[melodiouswhite]

Quiet

(Lady Summers, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde struggle to cope with their immortality, as their loved ones pass away one by one. But they find comfort in their friendship.)

Most people found that with the end of Victoria's reign, it was finally time for progresses that hadn't been made before.

It was December 1926 and many things had changed.

While she was all for progress, she was a child of the mid-19th century and this new era seemed so foreign to her. So fast. So fleeting. So different.

Women had won the right to vote.

Medicine progressed like never before.

The Great War had ravaged the whole world just a few years earlier and changed everything.

She still could see the scars. In form of shell-shocked soldiers, of people who found no work, because of the poor economy, of invalids, who were reduced to begging in the streets.

She had more patients than before – most of them traumatised from the War.

She had buried herself in her work as a therapist. It was all she had left.

For Lady Summers, the beginning 20th century was a time of grief. After decades of wearing no mourning attire, she had returned to wearing nothing but black.

Her villa, which she had loved ever since she had moved in, had grown quiet.

While she hadn't aged a day, her servants had and most of them had passed on by now. The fact that most of them had been her half-siblings made this even more painful.

Philippine had been the first to go.

The night nurse had always been of delicate health. So it had been no surprise, when she had succumbed to scarlet fever (proving once again, that scarlet fever was no children's disease).

Her older sister Julie had died a few years later.

One day the Frenchwoman had styled Lady Summers' hair not with her usual braids and fourragères, but with a fashionable, beautiful and complicated style. It had been the last time – a farewell gift, maybe. Aoimoku was now the one to do her hair, as the Countess hadn't hired a new stylist. It just wasn't the same.

After that, they had died like flies. Some of the losses were worse than others.

The worst was Marie.

The cheerful and hardy Austrian day nurse had been one of her closest servants and the oldest of her half-siblings. And she had been her closest confidante, even closer than Aoimoku. But tough has she was, she had been the last of her deceased servants to pass on. Just a month ago, she had died at the age of 80 – the only one of her servants to die of old age so far.

Lady Summers had sat beside her elderly younger sister's bedside, as she had died.

“I know that you have lived a long time, but it still seems too soon”, she had whispered.

Marie had laughed faintly: “Now, now. Don't be sad, because it's over. Be glad, because it happened. I'm content. It was … a beautiful life. Being your nurse … and your little sister … was more than just … a great honour. It was a gift from Heaven.”

And with a last feeble squeeze of the Lady's hand, she had fallen asleep forever, smiling.

Just the memory made the Lady's heart bleed.

Of her over a dozen servants, only three were alive now: her butler Sameer Singh, her first lady-in-waiting Kurogawa Aoimoku and her driver Sean O' Connor.

Sameer, just like herself, hadn't aged a day. She attributed that to his Rakshasa heritage. He was more demon (or spirit, or whatever those beings were) than human. But it was a comfort, that he would always be there, her loyal butler.

Aoimoku was 71 years old now, but still held herself with a unique grace, elegance and nobility. The wrinkles and the grey strands in her raven hair had in no way tarnished her beauty.

Sean had gone from being her coachman to being her chauffeur, as Lady Summers had traded her coach for a car. Probably better. He was 76 now and his hands were too stiff from rheumatism to hold reins. His red hair had grown thin. Lady Summers dreaded the day when she would no longer hear his cheerful singing and see his goofy smile.

The only other one of her half-siblings still alive, was Alma, who was now sixty years old, but had never been part of the household. The half Irish, who had once caught everyone's eye with her fire red corkscrew curls, ice blue eyes, red lips and tall and slender figure, now looked more like a crazy old witch (she was even keeping cats – Aoimoku hated them).

Lady Summers sighed.

There were other losses she hadn't recovered from – maybe never would. Coping with loss had never been her strong suit.

Most of her friends and family had passed away as well and each loss had been painful.

Of course her former father-in-law, Lord Summers, was long gone. He had lived on to eighty-two, a feisty and kind old man.

Her brothers-in-law were also gone, the last tie to her first husband.

“Say hello to my darling copperhead from me”, she had asked his oldest brother Edward, the last of them to go – a hardy gent like his father.

He had responded with a toothless laugh and a twinkle in his eye (so much like James): “Will do.”

Gabriel John Utterson, her oldest and best friend in England, had passed away of old age fifteen years ago. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, his lover(s), had been left behind to grieve.

But the worst loss was Dr. Lanyon.

Her dear soulmate.

Shortly after the incidents in 1886, they had entered a morganatic marriage with Queen Victoria's permission.

But he had been a bit older than her without having her immortality.

And he hadn't wanted to be immortal either. She had accepted and understood, but it still had broken her heart.

He had passed away in 1910 at the age of 80.

He had been long ill before, so it had only been a matter of time. He had died awake and promised her that, if rebirth really existed, he would meet her again one day.

“Auf Wiedersehen … my lady, my love, my wife …”

It had been sixteen years now and her heart was still as shattered as it had been back then.

Lady Summers didn't know the future, like her dear half-sister and her old friend.

Lanyon had always kept his promises, but the lady just didn't know, when “one day” would be.

It could be tomorrow or in a hundred years and the thought was unbearable. Worse, her old friend Johann (who now called himself John in response to the anti-German sentiment) had implied, that it was closer to being a hundred years.

So the only thing she could do was wait … and grieve.

It was so quiet in her house… so empty.

It was unbearable.

“Sahib?”

Her butler's voice tore her out of her spiral of depression.

Sameer truly had the best timing.

“What is it, Sameer?”, she asked.

“Doctor Jekyll is here to visit you”, he announced.

Suddenly she felt a surge of relief.

“Show him in then.”

The butler left the room and returned with a tall, blond Englishman.

Dr. Jekyll hadn't changed at all – he was still the dignified, handsome gentleman she had met more than forty years ago.

“Hello, Henry”, she greeted him and stood up. “You have no idea how good it is to see you.”

They had been on first name basis for a long time now.

“Actually, I think I do”, he replied smiling. “Hello, Luise. I would ask you, how your day has been so far, but your facial expression sort of gives it away.”

She chuckled bitterly, but invited him to sit down.

“Do you want some tea and cake?”, she asked. “It's tea time anyway.”

“Yes, please.”

Sameer saw this as his cue to make his way down to the kitchen. He returned with a full tablet for his mistress and her friend, before seeing himself out.

“Do help yourself”, she invited, “My new cook is quite a good one.”

Dr. Jekyll was obviously a bit apprehensive, when he tried the muffin, but his face brightened up quickly.

“Oh, they're scrumptious!”, he exclaimed, “Your butler must have a really good eye for picking your servants.”

“He certainly does”, the Lady agreed. “Then again, he is part Rashasa. They can see and are aware of things that are beyond human comprehension.”

Dr. Jekyll chuckled: “I remember how you and he identified the impurity in my special salt. Speaking of which, I have never thanked either of you. Had you not found out, what was different in my first badge of salt, ohhhh boy! I don't know, if Edward and I would have learned in time how to properly share control of our body. Sooner or later he would have overpowered me without even wanting to and without the proper formula, I wouldn't have been able to transform back. And what's more, you two helped me learn to shift without my formula.”

Lady Summers nodded: “Yes, that was fortunate. Don't forget to thank him personally.”

Suddenly she sensed Mr. Hyde stirring inside Dr. Jekyll's conscience.

“Did somebody say my name?”, the androgynous, guttural voice piped up.

Dr. Jekyll just rolled his eyes, but the Lady smiled lopsidedly.

“Hello, Edward. Did you sleep well?”

“Eh, it was okay. Hi, Luise.”

“Speaking of sleep”, Dr. Jekyll spoke up again, “How has yours been?”

She sighed and didn't answer.

It wasn't necessary.

After more than forty years, the Doctor knew her so well … and he was one of the few friends she had left.

His face became sombre. “It's so quiet here without Marie.”

“It is”, she whispered. “It really is. Without all of them … and so empty …”

She didn't bother keeping her act up and broke into sobbing.

“I … I miss them so!”

Soon his arms were around her and she was crying into his shoulder.

Lady Summers didn't cry often. It just wasn't in her nature.

But she had been strong for too long now.

It seemed to be the same for Dr. Jekyll; at some point she felt his body shake and knew that he – no, she could hear Hyde sob too – that they were crying with her.

This way they sat, hugging each other and crying together.

They wept for their lost loves, their dearest friends and all the other familiar faces, which had one by one faded away, wept because they could never follow (they had promised to Gabriel and Hastie, that they would never end their own lives), because almost everything they had once known and loved was gone and because all they had was each other.

Sure, there were the three alchemists and Victor and Adam and they all knew the pain of losing someone dear. But these five had chosen immortality; they had wanted it, had strove for it.

Luise and Henry had never wanted to be everlasting, had never asked for this cursed existence.

When they finally stopped and withdrew, a glance at the clock told her, that they had wept for three hours.

“Are you feeling better?”, he finally asked kindly.

She nodded and blew her nose. “A little. And you?”

“Me too”, he replied.

“Me too”, Hyde echoed from inside Jekyll's head. “Holy shit, we three really needed that, huh?”

“Indeed so”, the Lady sighed. “Listen, you two, I have never apologised.”

Dr. Jekyll tilted his head in confusion. “Apologised for what?”, he inquired.

“For doing this to you”, she explained softly. “It's my fault that you're ageless and immortal now. I know, you never asked for this cursed existence.”

He smiled gently. “Hey now. We know you didn't mean to. In this moment, our life was at stake and if it hadn't been for your blood donation (and that of Gabe and Hastie), Edward and I would have died. And maybe … maybe it was supposed to come to this. Maybe it was fate, that Edward and I should remain on this earth and keep you company, my friend. Anyhow we're both glad that we can finally return the kindness and sympathy you have given to us all these years.”

“Couldn't have said it better”, Hyde agreed.

The Countess chuckled hoarsely.

Dr. Jekyll patted her hand. “You know, I'm glad that we three are together in this. I know what loneliness feels like. But when you and I can just sit together as old friends, the silence becomes so much more bearable.”

Finally she smiled back. “Yes, I suppose it does.”

A knock on the door made them look up.

In the doorway stood Sameer, with a table cloth, and the Lady's new nurse, holding a carafe of water.

“It's time for dinner”, the butler reminded his employer and laid the table.

The day nurse nodded. “And we saw you crying earlier, so we thought you might want some water afterwards?”

Lady Summers laughed: “Thank you two, that's quite considerate. We could indeed use some food and drink. Ah, and bring a second set, Dr. Jekyll is staying for dinner.”

The two servants nodded and saw themselves out.

Dr. Jekyll turned back to the Lady. “Isn't your new day nurse the granddaughter of your hairstylist?”

“Indeed”, the Lady confirmed, “She even looks a bit like Julie. But in her personality she comes more after her grandaunt Philippine.”

The Doctor chuckled: “Mademoiselle Desmoulins never truly left you, did she?”

“No”, the Lady answered fondly. “She didn't.”

“And you know what? Perhaps your butler is right about the reincarnation thing. I think someday we will see them all again, in one form or another. We just have to wait for that to happen.”

His trusting smile warmed her to the bottom of her soul.

Yes. They just had to wait.

All of their friends and loved ones would return one day, because true friends never truly left.

And then Luise's and Henry's homes wouldn't be quiet and empty anymore.

[fox-guardian]

"You want to meet... my parents?" Asked Jekyll, turning to face his friends.

The three young gentlemen were gathered in Jekyll's dorm room, sitting on the floor in a clear spot amongst scattered clothes and papers. Lanyon and Utterson glanced at each other before turning back to face him. Lanyon sort of shrugged, "Yeah, why not? I've heard they're lovely people."

Jekyll stayed mostly still, only his eyes shifting and his mouth speaking, "Well, yes, sure, but... why? Why do you want to meet them?"

"They must be wonderful people if they've raised a young man like you," said Utterson, smiling.

Jekyll softened up for a moment, taking the compliment, before stiffening up again, "Y-You don't need to meet them though, it would be so boring-"

"And so what if it is?" asked Lanyon, his voice starting to boom as it often did, "We just want to meet them! Our parents have all met them at least once, and we only know of them, why don't we pay them a visit? I'm sure they'd love to meet their son's new friends!"

"Of course," Utterson chimed in, "I'm sure you've told them about us," he looked at Jekyll, half-expectantly, Jekyll looking a tad guilty, "...haven't you?"

Jekyll sputtered a bit, "Well uh, I... Th-They don't really check up on me very often, an-an-and I'm... not really the type to send letters as often as you do."

"Well, of course not," he replied, "I know you're probably too busy to tell them everything, but... you haven't told them you made friends here?"

Lanyon put on a sad face, "Are we not that important to you?" he inhaled dramatically, an exaggerated expression of hurt on his face, "ARE WE NOTHING TO YOU?!" He then held his wrist over his forehead and fell over, wailing, prompting the others to laugh.

Jekyll slowly composed himself, as if he didn't want to come back to the subject, "... I suppose you could meet them... If you really wanted to."

Lanyon sat back up immediately, lifting his arms in triumph, "YAYYY!! We're going to Henry's house!"

...

A couple of days had passed since they agreed to pay the Jekylls a visit. Henry had notified his parents of their plans and the three gentlemen were now sitting comfortably in a luxurious carriage on their way to Henry's childhood home. Well, two of them were comfortable. Lanyon was fidgeting excitedly, looking around the inside of the carriage at all the neat little decorations. The curtains over the windows, the cushioned seats, the extra pillows; everything was just so exceedingly fancy, even for an upper-class fellow like himself. Utterson had already taken in the somewhat intimidatingly lavish carriage and was now taking in the young man seated across from him. 

Henry sat in his usual dress; a golden vest, white shirt, black jacket and trousers, black shoes and bowtie, with an added black cape and hat. He noticed something slightly different about his friend's outfit, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Henry sat with his knees pressed together, his hands folded on his lap. He stared at the floor, but repeatedly sat up and adjusted his posture, and adjusted his clothes. That was it! He looked much more meticulously put together today. His tie was perfectly even, his vest was crisp with wrinkles pushed flat, even his hair was combed to perfection. Or at least, as perfect as his curls would allow. He kept looking at the floor, out the window, up in this corner, that corner, fidgeting and then stopping abruptly only to fidget more a few seconds later. He lifted his hands as if to scratch his head and then stopped himself, he seemed to fight himself over where to put his hands before folding them again and planting them in his lap. 

Utterson looked at his dear friend confused, and a bit concerned. They were on their way to meet the esteemed and well-respected Jekyll family, why would their own son be the most anxious out of the three of them? 

The carriage came to a halt, and Henry's head shot up suddenly. He lifted his hands and pointed to his friends. 

"I... forgot to mention..." he started slowly, "I may be acting a little bit... differently around them."

Lanyon let out a hearty laugh, "Of course! We all put on a bit of a filter around our family, don't we?" Utterson shrugged. He never really "put on a filter" around his own parents, but he knew what he meant.

Henry laughed, "Yes, of course... I hope we don't intimidate you all..."

The carriage door opened, and they all filed out. Before them stood a large, exuberant house. The pristine outside covered in windows decorated with gold and the front yard lined with servants decorated with smiles. Utterson watched as Henry seemed to glide across the yard and up to the house, he followed as the many servants greeted him and Lanyon as they went by. Two manservants opened the front doors as they approached and a man stood inside the doorway. Utterson peeked from behind Henry to see him.

He wasn't really a small man, smaller than Henry but taller than Utterson. His hair shined like silver and was groomed back perfectly. His mustache and beard were also perfect, each trimmed so finely they looked as though they could shave themselves. He stood with perfect posture, holding a cane in front of him. He smiled, a perfect smile that conveyed love and warmth. And yet...

"My son," he began, and spread out his arms, "Welcome home."

"Father," Henry returned, holding his arms out as well, "Oh, how I've missed you!"

Utterson and Lanyon glanced at each other for a moment. His voice seemed so... sweet? Like honey, but...

Henry floated towards his father, lowering his arms as his father lowered his, gesturing with one hand for him to turn around to face their guests. I thought they were going to hug for a moment there, thought Utterson, and he left it at that. 

"I'm sure you've been well, son," Mr. Jekyll said, his hand returning to his cane, "Why don't you introduce me to your friends, hm?" 

Henry lit up, smiling. The way he did that didn't really... suit him. "Oh, of course!" He gestured to Utterson, "This is Gabriel John Utterson, we have classes together for law." 

Mr. Jekyll reached out a gloved hand, "Ah, 'Utterson', eh? I do believe I've met your father! Looks just like you except for his mustache. A real charming fellow." Utterson shook his hand, a firm grip. He felt like his own grip was inferior. 

"Yes, I think you've done business with him at some point in the past," he took off his hat, "It's an honour to meet you, sir." Mr. Jekyll smiled at the remark.

Henry gestured to Lanyon, "This is Doctor-to-be Hastie Lanyon! I know him from, well, medical school," he laughed. It wasn't his normal laugh.

Lanyon reached out and shook Mr. Jekyll's hand, or rather his entire upper body, "Pleasure to meet you, sir!"

Mr. Jekyll laughed awkwardly as he was released, and composed himself, "And a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. uh... Lanyon." 

Henry seemed hesitant before clearing his throat and speaking, "Where's Mother? Is she meant to be here?"

His father looked at him. Lanyon and Utterson couldn't see his expression, but Henry's shifted just the tiniest bit when he saw it.

"She'll be here in a moment, the carriage arrived just a tad sooner than expected so she may not be ready." He turned back to the other two as a distant clacking of heels came down a large staircase, "In fact, I believe that's her just now." He stretched out a hand, gesturing to the woman descending the stairs.

She was tall, with dark hair and eyes to match. She swayed down the staircase with a wine glass in one hand and a folding fan in the other. She held it between her fingers as she took her husband's hand, "So sorry I'm late dear, the maid was being awfully slow."

He kissed her hand sweetly, "Not at all, my dear," he gestured to the young gents, "Look! Our son has arrived and brought his friends! This is Gabriel John Utterson and Hastie Lanyon."

She took her hand back and held it out to them, smiling, "How do you do?" 

They each took her hand and greeted her. Utterson glanced over at Henry to see his face seeming to... not quite "relax" but shift out of that smile he's had on this whole time. His father reached up and adjusted his son's bowtie that didn't need adjusting. Henry's face snapped back into that perfect smile immediately.  

Utterson stared for an extra moment at that smile, it was... perfect. He looked relaxed, calm, content, confident... but it just wasn't his usual smile. His usual smile was tame and free and sweet, and when it was toothy it was just that, toothy. But every time he smiled now, it was just... off. He seemed to be smiling in such a way that it hid his buck teeth, and his smile seemed to fit his face without suiting him, at least as Utterson knew him. It was like his face was suddenly sculpted into something that was just not right... He glanced at the Jekylls, they were smiling just like that, but theirs seemed more natural, or at least, more practiced. 

He glanced at Lanyon, he didn't seem to notice any of this.

A servant took their coats and Mr. Jekyll led them on a house tour. Each room was lavishly decorated and furnished. Everything was comfortable and beautiful and amazing. It was almost dizzying looking at everything, like it was all a dream. 

Lanyon tapped Utterson on the shoulder and pointed to the several paintings that lined the halls. All were portraits of the Jekylls. Some were of the father, some were of the mother, and one at the end of a hallway was a family portrait. Mr. Jekyll stood with his cane, posed just as he was at the door and Mrs. Jekyll stood next to him, just behind Henry. He was stood with his hair combed back out of his face, smooth and perfect, much like his father's. Utterson looked at the finer details of it. Their faces were all perfect, moreso than what they were in reality. Despite Henry himself not looking much younger than he is now, his parents' faces were much smoother than they actually were. He looked closely at the cane in the picture, it looked sort of like a snake. He turned around to check the actual cane only to find it five inches from his face, pointing at the picture. 

"Ah yes, this was from only last year, I believe," said Mr. Jekyll, "Lovely painter, really captured our likenesses," he looked at Utterson, "wouldn't you say so?"

Utterson glanced at the cane, so it was a snake. An odd choice, but that sort of taste would explain some of Henry's eccentricities, wouldn't it? The handle was so clean.

"Oh, yes sir, very accurate," he laughed nervously. 

Mr. Jekyll smiled, "I suppose you're all hungry, eh? Dinner should be ready soon. Why don't I show you the dining area?" He turned and walked away, supporting himself on the cane. So it wasn't just for show. Perhaps that's why the base looks so worn?

...

Dinner was served. A lavish feast served on silver platters and glasses filled with the finest wine. Henry was seated between his parents, forming a line of Jekylls on one side of the table, while Utterson and Lanyon sat across from them. How intimidating...

The meal went smoothly, they talked about school and grades and the like. Lanyon started to tell a funny story about some silly thing Henry had done, Utterson looked at Henry and he seemed... disengaged? He still had that smile on but his body seemed tense. The table was shaking. Mr. Jekyll tapped the butt of his knife on the table twice and it stopped, Henry straightened in his seat. Oh, he had been bouncing his leg. 

Utterson glanced over at the Jekylls as Lanyon told his little anecdote. They laughed along, but kept glancing at Henry whenever Lanyon mentioned... well, anything, it seemed. As if they disapproved of whatever he had just described. It wasn't anything awful, just a silly story about Henry trying to climb a tree to get a very interesting looking leaf and how silly he looked doing it. 

When he finally finished his tale, Henry piped up, still smiling, "Alright, well I think that's enough silly stories for now-"

"Nonsense," interrupted Mr. Jekyll, smiling, "Tell us all you'd like."

Henry shushed up and took another bite of food.

"No, I've taken enough time already," said Lanyon, "Utterson, perhaps you've got a story to tell?"

Wow, Hastie, thanks for putting me on the spot, he thought. He figured he'd tell a less embarrassing story for Henry's sake, but he couldn't for the life of him think of one as entertaining as Henry climbing a tree to steal a leaf. So rather than telling a story, he told them about how passionate Henry was about science, how he loved hearing him rant on and on about his projects and experiments despite being completely illiterate on the subject... but even that didn't seem to impress them. 

The meal ended with a strange tension in the air. Something was definitely off, but Utterson couldn't put his finger on it. After a short goodbye, the three gentlemen collected their things and returned to the carriage outside.

...

It wasn't until they returned to Jekyll's dorm room that he seemed to relax. He sat down at his desk and started making faces, stretching the muscles as if smiling like that for so long was straining to them. He turned away when he noticed Utterson staring.

"Well that went alright, I think," said Lanyon, breaking the silence.

"Sure..." replied Jekyll.

"They seemed... nice," added Utterson, trying to break the tension.

"Sure..." replied Jekyll, more quietly this time. He sighed, "I'm sorry, I'm just... exhausted from today. I'd like to get some rest now, if you wouldn't mind."

"Exhausted?" Lanyon asked, "How? We didn't exactly do mu-"

"If you wouldn't mind," said Jekyll, raising his voice. It wasn't a polite request anymore.

They turned to leave. Lanyon exited the room, annoyed and huffy. Utterson turned back to Jekyll. He went up to him and gave him a gentle hug around his shoulders.

"...Goodnight, Henry. Sleep well."

He swallowed as Utterson let go, "...Goodnight, Gabriel. A-And you as well."

((That took about 3 hours WHEW))

[prittypony1]

Too Much Hospitality

Warning: Belly kink, belly rubs, fart sniffing, stuffing kink.

Jekyll’s POV

Mises Murine Evans had invited both Lanyon and I to dinner at her home around dinner Sunday night. I hoped she would be an interested patron to financially support the Society. The first time I had spoken with her, she was very interested in the way of the future. We had just finished eating dinner. I had to unbutton my waistcoat all the way for me to be comfortable. As I looked down and felt the beginnings of a stomachache, I regretted eating so much. If I was honest, Hyde was the one who had urged me on. At first, I was happy to take a second helping of salad and another slice of buttered toast. Then the dinner came and Hyde told me to eat a piece of everything on the table. After three courses and three glasses of water, I didn’t know if I had room for dessert. The last course came around sponge cake. Oh, that won’t be too hard to eat. Before I knew it, I had finished the last piece.

“Good job, Henry,” Hyde whispered from the spoon, as I felt my right hand being taken over and traveling the expanse of my stomach gently, up and down. I gave him a small smile and a nod and looked to my left at Lanyon, who looked at me with confusion, then looked down. He grimaced a little and then looked back up at me. “Are you alright, Henry?”

I mustered up a small plastered smile, even though at that moment my stomach was crying out in pain. “Of course, Robert.”

Robert narrowed his eyes at me, and thankfully, decided to drop the subject. “Alright.”

He turned to Mises Evans sitting across from him. “Mises Evans, you’ve been a wonderful hostess tonight,” He checked his pocket watch. “But I’m afraid it’s getting late and Henry and I must get ready for work tomorrow.”

“I understand.” Mises Evans got up and Robert got up too. I would have to button my waistcoat again before I could get up.

Hyde let me have control back. I sucked in as much as I could and buttoned up my waistcoat. It only made my stomachache worse and pressed hard against my full stomach.

We quickly said our goodbyes and got into the carriage. As soon as the door closed and I had sat down, I desperately wanted to unbutton my waistcoat again.

The carriage lurched forward, as we begin out journey back to the Society, and I swallowed the vomit that had started to come up from the sudden movement.

I could see Hyde in the window of the hansom, glancing down from time to time at my stomach. “Later, Edward.”

“I know.” He whined and sighed forlornly, before he disappeared.

Lanyon glanced down again at my stomach and sighed, “Henry, why do you keep doing this to yourself?”

I looked down at my stomach. I had done this to myself at other dinner parties, in the weeks before Miss’s Evan’s invitation. Maybe it was time for an explanation. I thought of the words to say this as politely as I possibly could but it would probably sound strange to anyone that did not have this desire to do this to themselves. I swallowed and looked away from his eyes. “I gorge myself; it feels good to be really full.”

“Oh.”

I looked up at Lanyon. There was something glistening in his eyes, which was not there a second ago. Oh. So did he like what I was doing to myself like Edward did? “Do you like what I keep doing at the dinner parties lately?”

Robert swallowed and looked away from me. He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. He looked straight into my eyes and his voice wavered a bit as he replied, “Yes.”

“Don’t be ashamed, Edward’s into this too.”

“Edward Hyde?”

I nodded.

“You have a stranger relationship with him than I thought.”

“He’s not my lover.” I rolled my eyes at the rumor that I again had to hear from someone else, my best friend, no less.

“Oh, good. I don’t really like him anyway.”

He opened his mouth and I immediately stopped him from saying anything else about Edward Hyde.

“If this is about how much you think I shouldn’t associate myself with Edward Hyde again, I don’t want to hear it.”

He shut his mouth. A part of me was satisfied I could make him swallow his words. He gave me an annoyed glare. I smirked, but then the pain brought me back to thinking about my full stomach. Were we almost at the Society? I looked outside the window of the carriage, finding we had stopped in front of the building I called home. I sighed in relief. Now all Robert and I had to do was get into my office, using the back entrance that connected to it. I had created it in my plans two years ago when I was building the Society. I thought Hyde would use it, but it didn’t end up that way. I use it whenever Edward and I have these little fun times during dinner parties for my patrons. It’s a little game for us. He teases me and tells me what to eat, I obey and try not to let the patron, or Robert, know how much I’m enjoying eating the food. Then, I go into my office and Edward helps coax the gas out, for his enjoyment. It’s nice to be taken care of by Hyde when he’s usually annoying me. If Robert wanted to join in the fun, that was fine by me. I had a lot more explaining to do and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to have this conversation while I was full but Edward Hyde and my experimentation had to be explained.

“Henry?”

“Sorry. Do you want to join Edward in our fun?”

Robert bit his lip and nodded.

He stepped out of the carriage and I followed, handing the cabbie his fair before he drove off.

“We’ll be using the back entrance that connects to my office.”

I lead Robert around the Society, to the back. I took the key out of my pocket, unlocked the door, and locked it behind us. Then we walked down a narrow corridor until we came to the secret entrance to my office. I unlocked the second door and locked it behind us. Now there was only one more door to lock, the doors entering my office. After locking the last door, we could finally begin. I walked over to my chair and pulled it from behind my desk to the center of the room. Then I sat in it, leaning all the way back.

“Edward, are you ready?”

He appeared in the closest mirror and quickly left it to run across the room to my side, grasping my chair as he bounced back and forth on the balls of his feet.

He gave a whine. “I’ve been ready ever since this morning.”

I chuckled, “Good.”

I looked to Robert who was nervously standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.

“Are you talking to ….Edward?” he questioned.

I nodded. “I’m the only one who can see and hear him right now.”

I turned to Edward. “Is it alright if Robert joins us?”

Edward smirked, “The more, the merrier.”

“Now, if one of you could take my waistcoat and shirt off, I’d like to be more comfortable.

It was a race for both of them to get to me but Hyde was closer.

Edward started to undo the first couple of buttons of my waistcoat before I noticed Robert’s jealously. Edward was soon done with my buttons and I took off my waistcoat and tossed it to the floor.

“Edward, Robert’s going to help me now.”

Edward nodded and stepped back. I looked at Robert and motioned for him to come to me. When he had stopped in the space Edward was occupying just moments before, I said, “I need help getting this shirt off.”

Robert quickly unbuttoned my shirt and I tossed it to the side, letting it join my waistcoat. Roberts’s hands found my trouser button. He looked up at me.

“Can I, Henry?” he asked, shyly

I nodded.

He unbuttoned and unzipped my trousers and I lifted my hips so he could slide them down to my thighs.

Now that I was definitely more comfortable, I wondered if it would be all right with Robert if I let all the gas that was inside me out. I knew Edward would not mind, especially the gaseous outbursts from my backside, but would Robert?

“Robert is it alright if I let out all the gas churning around down here?”

“Isn’t that the point of Edward and I being here?”

I nodded. “You both also get to touch my full belly too.”

Robert chuckled.

Edward piped up, “Can you stop talking, Henry, and just do it already.”

I laughed as I glanced at Edward. "Ok."

I looked a both of them again as I said, "Who wants to touch me first?"

I could see they both wanted too. Robert looked where he thought Edward was, to his right.

“He's to your left.” Robert turned his head.

"He probably wants to go first, right?"

"hum hum," Edward replied.

I glared at him. "Edward, you can wait."

"But-" he started.

I narrowed my eyes. "You can wait."

"Fine." He huffed and rolled his eyes as he pouted.

I looked back to Robert who swallowed and looked at me, waiting.

"Go ahead, Robert."

He reached out his hand and gently pressed it against my stomach. He took a shaky breath as his eyes wandered all over my bloated stomach. "Oh Henry, just look at you." Then he cleared his throat and looked away from me. "Is it ok for me to say that?"

"Of course, Robert. You've wanted to do this for a long time."

He nodded as he swallowed. He looked into my eyes. "I have, ever since you started doing this to yourself, a couple of weeks back at Sir Hubert’s lecture, Human Evolution at the Historical Society."

I nodded and smiled against the pain.

Robert looked down again and started to rub my swollen stomach gently.

"I think you overdid it this time."

I had to agree with him there. I nodded. "Edward told me to eat every piece of food from every course."

"What?" He turned to Edward. "Edward!"

Edward held his hands in surrender, at the sudden judgment from Robert. "Hey, he wants me to tell him what to eat."

I sighed and Robert looked back at me, "I didn't know that this would be way too much for me. I'm not eating this much again."

"Good."

I smiled a little because I had pleased Robert.

I felt the first bit of gas travel down. "Edward, I've got some gas down here for you."

Edward perked up, looking at me.

"Robert, can you put my trousers back on."

He stopped rubbing my stomach, and I lifted my hips so he could pull my trousers up, button them and zip them up.

When he was done, I gestured for him to move back.

Edward stood in his place again.

"How do you want me?"

"Sit on your tailbone."

I dug the heels of my shoes into the wooden chair to stay put and scooted down so I was sitting on my tail bone on the velvet-covered seat of the chair, as close to the edge as I could be without falling off. My legs were already spread at this point. I leaned my head against the velvet headrest and gripped the edges of the chair lightly.

“Is that alight?”

“Yep, just like that Henry. Are you ready?”

“I’ve got so much in here, I’m about to burst probably.”

Edward laughed. Then he kneeled down and lightly grasped the front lip of the chair.

I took that as my cue to push gently.

A loud wet burst exited.

I heard Hyde sniff a little. He grimaced after a couple moments.

“It’s too much for even you?

“No, I feel bad for causing your stomach ache. Maybe we should set some limits with this.”

“Let’s start with, don’t make me eat every single thing, as number one.”

“Just eat the dinner course next time. You can choose to eat more than that or just that but you have to eat one of everything for dinner. Does that sound fair?”

“That sounds reasonable. If you tell me to eat anything else, I’ll refuse. Deal?” I raised my eyebrow.

“Yeah, deal.”

I passed a short silent one. “How’s it smell, Edward?”

After a moment, he replied, “Like rotten fish.”

“That would be the seafood.”

I looked over to Robert who was fanning his face. “Henry, ugh.”

“Sorry. You should move over closer to me so you can’t smell it.”

He quickly made his way close to my right side.

“I forgot to warn you they can be a little potent.”

“Huh, more than a little.”

“Would you like to rub my stomach again?”

Robert wasted no time gently placing his hand on my stomach and rubbing it.

I loved feeling his warm, heavy hands-on such a sensitive area of me.

He leaned down and started to kiss my taut stomach all over. When he was done, he straightened up. “Henry, you’re so beautiful like this.”

I looked at him lovingly for a few moments until Hyde interrupted

“Henry, you got any more gas?”

“Oh, I’m sorry Edward. Yes, of course, I do.” I pushed a long two-minute burst of wind. “I’m almost spent, Edward.”

I pushed the last two short bursts out quickly. I slid back and sat in the chair again. Edward got up from his knees and walked around my chair to my right side.

“Next time, I’m going to lay down somewhere.” My neck and back were sore from the weird positioning. My stomach was a little less rounder. I still felt tired and full but at least all my gas was gone.  

Both Edward and Robert started rubbing my stomach. I let out a hum of contentment. I let them rub me for the next fifteen minutes. Then I got my clothes on, unlocked the doors and wished Robert a good day.

I pushed my chair back behind the desk, sat down and started to work. Edward went away satisfied and I was content the rest of the day.

[afanoftheglassscientists]

The Glass Scientists...Midnight Predictions?

Pupy and his creatures hath returned and I immediately wanted to start this week’s predictions after last week’s page.  If the tgs tag wasn’t so cozy I might have made like seven different posts by the time this Sunday.  As it stands I feel like if I do more than three posts a week I’ll end up swallowing everyone else’s hard work because of the frequency.  These posts are long because I still have some restraint left in me to wait...but then I spend way too long on this post and Monday rolls around...whoops.  So now this is...a Glass Scientists MIDNIGHT Predictions post!!!

Anyway tailors are scary and they scare me, but I wonder why Jasper’s a little frazzled at the thought of them?  Also Jekyll what are you doing with Jasper’s collar?  Are you straightening it or loosening it?  I hope its the latter because my child must be set  f r e e.  F R E E   H I M  !  !  !

After exploring these questions regarding tomorrow’s page I’ll be talking about Jasper’s immunity to the nightmates.  Last week I actually came close in predicting that Jekyll can still concentrate on doing productive things like helping Jasper, but last page reminded me of what makes Jasper unique in the story as well as my predictions made for this chapter as whole.  It also reminded me that Jekyll’s desire to be depended upon is going to be even more prominent now than I thought, and its going to get worse before it gets better.  Hopefully it gets better.  Please let it get better Miss Sabrina.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you this one was going to be long folks.  

Tomorrow’s Page Predictions (Ch. 8, Pg. 8)

Tailoring Troubles

I feel I need to acknowledge the elephant in the room here:  Jasper is queer.  This isn’t up for debate.  Sabrina made it very clear that almost everyone in The Glass Scientists is Bi, and she specifically referred to Jasper and Jekyll as queer.  I don’t think its much of a stretch to assume Jasper doesn’t feel great about being measured because of this aspect of him, which he might not be proud of yet and is also scared of what might happen if that part of him is revealed.  Not to jump the gun here, but maybe Jasper calling himself a monster in Chapter 2 wasn’t in reference to him being a werewolf.

“I’m not a real scientist!  I’m not even a real human anymore!  I’m...just a monster.”

“Just” meaning “what’s left for them to be,” and not “what they’ve become.”

However I’m not going to get into specifics as to why Jasper’s identity plays into his fear of tailoring here, because I think that requires us knowing more about how Jasper actually identifies, which at this point in time is still pretty vague.  So instead I’m making a list of all the other reasons why Jasper might not want to meet a tailor.

Tailor might judge him for his usual attire.

Tailor have long snake-like ropes that wrap around you that don’t have cute doggy faces so whatd the point I ask of you.

Tailor might make comments about Jasper’s body like, “oh nice collarbone,” or “you could lose some weight a bit here,” and it might be a nice gesture to ease tensions but don’t

While being measured Jasper is scared breathing will mess with the measurements and consequently almost passes out.

Jasper has a bunch of bites and scratches all over his body due to his creatures (plus the werewolf that bit him) and he thinks its fine and normal but the tailor might faint in horror.

If tailor accidentally pokes him he might jump out of his skin and attach himself to the ceiling.

Jekyll wht r you doin?

While Jekyll is making Jasper uncomfortable at the mention of tailoring he is doing something that would make me uncomfortable in Jasper’s situation.  Don’t just go messing with other peoples clothes, Jekyll!  Especially when its around their neck!  Anyway what he’s doing with that bow?

Option 1 - He’s rearranging the bow to make it even - alright fair, but he should have warned Jasper first!  I feel like a PTA mom ready to call the principal.

Option 2 - He’s removing the bow altogether - F R E E  H I M.  In Sabrina’s blog waaaaaaaaay back when one of the sketches introducing Jasper showed him sitting down looking like he just went through a sauna and is giving the dopiest look.  I feel like releasing him from the bow prison and being able to take a full breadth would give him the same feeling.  Listen we got the Hungry Jasper we will get the Dopey Jasper!

Option 3 - He’s replacing the bow with a bow that might suit him better - No keep it off let Jasper be f r e e.

Option 4 - He just wants to play dress up - I’M CALLING YOUR MOM!!!

Option 5 - Jekyll doesn’t have the chance because Jasper backs away at the thought of tailors - You win this round uneven bow.

---

General Predictions

Before Chapter 8 started I predicted that Jasper would join the Concerned for Jekyll Club.  I was also going to add that if Jasper does try to show concern for Jekyll, Jekyll would hit back that concern and center it toward Jasper.  He wants to help and fuss over Jasper, and NEVER wants that help and fussing over to be geared toward him.  Being fussed over implies he has a problem.  Jekyll doesn’t have a problem, Jasper has the problem!  That’s why he needs to help Jasper, see?  Its important they keep that dynamic, otherwise Jekyll would have to confront his own issues and that’s just not as fun.

And what do you know: Lanyon, who is a professional Jekyll fusser-over, is deeply affected by the nightmates, but Jasper, who’s still preoccupied with his own worries, isn’t.  Hyde said so himself-

“Jasper’s the only person left who isn’t yelling at, gossiping about, or relentlessly fussing over Jekyll.  And that’s a problem.”

Now Hyde’s not mad at Jasper here, because this has nothing to do with Jasper and has to do entirely with Jekyll’s perception of him, which is as a reprieve, or to put in the Broadway show Wicked’s terms, a “new project.”  He’s a opportunity for Jekyll to practice his hobby, like a office worker getting the chance to write a few extra pages in his novel about snails.  And a novel about snails wouldn’t ask its author to take a break now would it?

Jasper’s not targeted by the nightmates because he hasn't done anything yet to change Jekyll’s view of him.  He’s a nice young man who has agreed to be a respectable mad scientist under Jekyll’s wing.  Both parties get something out of this arrangement, and there is no possible way for this to go wrong.  Easy peasy...

So How Does This Go Wrong

For me, there’s three ways for Jasper’s nightmate-free bubble to burst: Jasper confronts Jekyll, Jasper is negatively affected by Jekyll’s attention, or Jekyll is forced to recognize how dependent he is on Jasper’s need for his help.  Here’s how we could get to any of these points-

Jasper Starts to Put the Pieces Together - I still have my money on Jasper being more observant than he lets on, but is easily distracted by outside situations or inner fears.  If Jasper starts to remedy these self fears he might have a moment to register how Jekyll is much more enthusiastic about helping him than he is with, say, helping a sick elderly mad scientist up in the attic.  Or how Jekyll looks at his fellow lodgers and Lanyon versus how he looks at Jasper.  Or how Jekyll doesn’t seem to do have anything else to do on his free time.  Oh he still treats Frankenstein and go to important meetings, but if Jasper asks what Jekyll does on his off-time would Jekyll give him that same blank-eyed stare he gave him in front of his door?  I don’t think he’d be creeped out right away, but he might start to think that Jekyll needs to like, sleep or something...

Lodgers Gossip and/or are also Worried - The Lodgers gossip about Jekyll, that’s pretty clear from Hyde’s comment, which is why they’re affected by the nightmates.  And what’s this?  Jekyll seems to concentrate an awful lot on Jasper.  Why is that?  I think there might be a mix of Lodgers who will gossip about Jasper alongside Jekyll, Lodgers on Team Frankenstein who want to bring Jasper on their side of the playing field or at least out from under Jekyll’s “respectable” thumb, and maybe Lodgers who realize that Jekyll treating Jasper like his personal therapy tool is, like, bad and want to either tell off Jekyll or tell Jasper this isn’t a great situation.  Jasper might not see it as a serious issue, but he might be inclined to start doubting it.

Lanyon Confronts Jekyll on it OR Tell Jasper About Jekyll’s Situation - Hyde’s annoyed at Jekyll being around Jasper basically because Jasper’s NOT doing things that Lanyon would do, which is hilarious given how much Hyde tooootally hates Lanyon.  So wouldn’t it be funny if Lanyon was the one to burst the bubble?  Anyway there’s a likely chance that Lanyon will notice how Jasper seems to be the only Lodger who doesn’t see Jekyll stressed, because he doesn’t realize that he’s the de-stresser.  And if he does than Lanyon will have to first go, “Really Henry, ANOTHER werewolf!?” and then go, “How do I handle this situation in regards to Jekyll’s problems, not to mention finding Hyde?”  He might find issues with their dynamic (n-not that he’d be jealous or anything! b-b-baka!) and tell Jekyll he should probably take a break, or tell Jasper he needs to refuse Jekyll’s help every single time he offers it, because it could hurt Jekyll in the long run.  He could also try to set aside his concerns and use it to his advantage.  Jekyll doesn’t seem to want Lanyon’s company or answer his questions, but maybe if Jasper asked questions Jekyll would be more willing to give answers, even if its not truthful answers.   I do a lot of predictions centered around problems Jekyll, Jasper and Hyde have, along with a little bit of Rachel’s flaws, but I think I might talk more on Lanyon’s faults as well at a later date.

Frankenstein -  Just Frankenstein.  That’s it.  That’s all it takes.  I’ll leave you to imagine how she’d affect the situation.

---

Okay I need to stop here.  I might come back to the topic later because it involves Jasper but for now I think it filled my quota.  I hope you enjoy this while we wait for tomor...this morning’s page.

And since this is a midnight post...

That’s it for this midnight prediction.  Now go to bed!

[ashenpages]

New TGS fic!

Finally done with that commission! Read it now on AO3, or enjoy it here under the cut.

Hyde dragged himself through the door of his and Henry’s bedroom and collapsed on the bed with a groan. “Make it end,” he moaned. “For the love of science, Henry, make it end. I can’t take any more of this pretending to be you business.”

Henry grimaced and solidified himself, coming together in a cumulation of light and color. Once he had legs again, he went to the bed and sat comfortingly next to Hyde. He reached out and stroked the other man’s hair. It was still odd to see Hyde’s hair as Henry’s brunette, and Henry’s long limbs take on the body language of the more aggressive man, but in the weeks that had passed since that fateful night at Robert’s, these sights had become less startling. The strain the predicament placed on them, however, had only grown.

Henry massaged Hyde’s scalp soothingly. “I’m sorry, I wish I could. It’s difficult to devote my attention to just our problem when we have so many that require it.”

Hyde groaned again and turned into Henry’s side, nuzzling his nose into Henry’s stomach and placing his arms tightly around Henry’s waist. He huffed gently, the physical contact seeming to relax him a bit. “Well, maybe if you could pull yourself away from micro managing me for five seconds, we would have an answer to at least one of our bigger problems.” Hyde jerked his head in the direction of the ray gun they had acquired from Cutthroat Lucy.

Henry hummed in agreement. “Yes… It’s difficult to work when I can’t actually manipulate instruments.” He leaned over and placed a kiss to the top of Hyde’s head. “Even more difficult when you’re tuckered out from pretending to be me and can’t do it for me.”

“Seriously, how do you do it?” Hyde demanded. This had been a constant question from him over the last few weeks. “It’s like everyone needs a nursemaid! The lodgers are always starting fires and making messes, Lanyon is always worrying incessantly over you, and those hoity-toity patrons of yours?” Hyde made a face, and Henry laughed, inclined to agree with Hyde’s estimation of the people he was forced to charm in order to keep the Society funded.

“Yes, well, now you understand why I hired Rachel.”

Hyde’s eyes went melancholy, and he released Henry. He turned over and laid his head in Henry’s lap, folding his hands gently over his own stomach. “I miss her,” he murmured. “Can’t we tell her?”

Henry shook his head. “We’ve already told Robert. How many more people do you want to know our secret?”

“But he took it so well…”

It was true, Robert had been a godsend in these trying times. He’d saved them from accidentally blowing meetings with patrons to explaining away both Henry’s and Hyde’s long absences. He’d kept them safe, and kept their secret. It would be a real boon to have another ally like him, but… “Listen,” Henry said, shifting to lay his hand over Hyde’s. “I know you miss your conversations with Rachel as yourself, but we can’t afford to let people see you right now. The law is after you, Cutthroat Lucy is after you, and you can only be me in appearance. We’re in a delicate place. We don’t have the resources to cope with it if telling her blows up in our faces. Maybe once this all blows over…”

Hyde growled and flung Henry’s hand off of his. “And how much longer is that going to be? We haven’t figured out how our super healy gun works, we haven’t figured out how to get you back in your side of the body, and we don’t even know what’s causing this!” He turned away from Henry and curled up defensively, his arms going around his knees as he held them to his chest. “I just want to be myself again.” He sighed, heavier than Henry had ever heard him sigh before. “I want to be free again.”

Henry gazed at the back of Hyde’s head, the brown hair meek and well-ordered in comparison to Hyde’s usual mane. Henry fingered a lock of it thoughtfully.

They were running out of ingredients for the potion. Another order had been placed, but they needed to make what they had last just in case something else unpredictable happened.

However, one set of ingredients for a night of Hyde’s peace of mind seemed well worth the risk.

“Well, I can’t change our predicament, but you do deserve a reward for masquerading as me so well these last few weeks,” Henry said. “If we’re careful, I’m sure we could manage a small night of mischief on the edge of town? We have enough ingredients for one night of indulgence. We could brew up the potion, you could see Rachel, maybe steal some of whatever she’s baking for tomorrow’s breakfast, and then go feel the night air on your face. I think the moon is even nearly full.”

Hyde madea sharp, short sound, blowing air between his teeth. “It is full. Rachel will have her hands full looking after Jasper because of it, I’m sure. And how will I explain away my mysterious three week absence to her, pray tell? No, thank you very much, I have enough work to do without coming up with lies to tell my friends—not to mention cleaning up the aftermath of the transformation.” Hyde turned back over, letting his legs splay out and a hand fall over his forehead. He stared blankly at the ceiling as if he were just drifting through his thoughts. “I wonder how Lanyon got that out of his carpet…”

Henry rolled his eyes, thankful for the hardwood floors in his lab. “You do have time, you know,” he told Hyde.

“No, I don’t!”

“You do,” Henry said, pressing a finger to Hyde’s lips to hold back any other arguments. “You’re just not used to balancing all this. You’re tired, and the simplest tasks���even ones you want to partake in—seem insurmountable.”

Edward’s green eyes widened softly in the familiar angles of Henry’s face. “Yes… How did you know?”

Henry gave Hyde an incredulous look. “Because that’s what it was like for me. In the beginning, when you were first born.”

Hyde blinked. Then he winced. “Gods of science and alchemy,” he whispered. He reached up and touched the pads of his fingers gingerly to Henry’s cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

Henry leaned into the gesture, his eyelashes fluttering. He’d never thought he would ever hear Edward Hyde apologize for anything. He placed his hand over Hyde’s holding the other man’s hand against his cheek. “Thank you. But you don’t have to apologize. I managed. And…I’m glad you’re here with me now.”

Hyde pulled his mouth to the side in a sardonic smile. “Easier to admit some things about yourself when all of your selfish desires can stare you back in the face, huh?

Henry laughed. “Yes, rather.”

Hyde smiled for a half second, but then the expression faded. “I miss my face…” Hyde’s hand slipped away from Henry’s cheek, and his gaze fell to the side, melancholy.

Sympathy welled up in Henry’s chest. He knew what Hyde was feeling: Hyde needed something to keep him going. Henry had an idea. “Alright,” he said. “No outing then. We’ll just stay in. Let go, be yourself for the night—” Henry slid his hand over Edward’s torso, stopping at his hip and gripping it gently. “—and I’ll look after you.”

Hyde looked at Henry blankly for a moment, like he didn’t understand. Then, all at once, understanding bloomed in his eyes. “Oh!” he said loudly. “You mean—! But we haven’t—!” He put his hand over his mouth, cutting himself off. He held it there for a moment, then slowly pulled it away from his lips. “Are you sure?” he asked more gently. “This is your body, and we haven’t done anything like that since what happened with Lanyon.”

Henry smiled. “That was rather a lovely evening.”

Hyde nodded, the beginnings of his usual wicked grin playing on the edges of his lips.

Henry leaned over Hyde, touching his forehead to the other man’s delicately. “But it was rather a bit of effort on everyone’s part. Tonight, let’s have it be about you. My body, your body, it doesn’t matter. Whichever you’re more comfortable in. Don’t think about how many ingredients we have left or what a pain cleaning up will be—just indulge. You’ve been working yourself so hard. You deserve a little relief.” Henry traced the curve of Hyde’s neck lightly with his fingers, making the other man shiver. “And I would be more than pleased to help you achieve said relief.”

Hyde leaned up and fitted his lips to Henry’s. Henry closed his eyes and leaned into it, feeling Hyde push back and swell underneath him. They came apart and Hyde held onto Henry—one hand curved around the back of his neck, the other tracking his cheek. “Let me up. I’m going to go slip into something more comfortable.”

Henry smiled softly and sat back. “Going to take the potion then?” Hyde nodded and Henry paused thoughtfully. “Do you mind if I watch?”

Hyde raised a sly eyebrow. “Henry, you voyeuristic sinner, you.”

Henry blushed marginally and shook his head. “No, it’s just that usually I’m so caught up in it that I can’t watch. I’ve never seen it from an outside perspective like this before. Besides…” He waved his hand dismissively through the air, feeling flustered. “You’re not the only one who misses your face.”

Hyde made a whimpering sound, and covered his mouth with a hand as he turned red. Henry felt himself flush harder, taken aback by how adorable Hyde was, blushing in Henry’s body. “You can’t just SAY things like that!” Hyde whined. “Warn me that you’re going to be so grotesquely saccharine before you do it next time!”

Henry swallowed, doing his best to calm himself. “A-are you still going to let me watch?”

Hyde threw open the door. “Fine! Yes! Whatever! Just stay there, I’ll be right back!”

Henry perched nervously on the edge of the bed. Hyde flicked an eye back over him and tossed a hand into the air frustratedly. “Not like that, you prat! Bring the mood back.”

“Right, yes.” Henry stretched himself out on the bed, and propped his head up on an elbow, the way Lanyon used to arrange himself during their university sleepovers. He knew that he and Hyde had both found it rather alluring. He raised his eyes to Hyde’s to see if this was more acceptable, but was only met with a flustered headshake, and then Hyde disappeared down the hallway.

Henry took a deep breath to cool down, then allowed himself to be pleased with himself. It wasn’t every day that one made Edward Hyde blush. He’d settled down by the time Hyde returned. The flask in Hyde’s hand shifted with the luminous blues and greens of their potion.

“Right, then,” Hyde said, still sounding flustered. Touches of pink still dusted the tops of his cheeks and his eyes were excited, but shy. “Ready?”

Henry sprang up from their bed and stood in front of Hyde. “Absolutely.”

Hyde put the flask to his lips, then tipped his head back and drank. He lurched forward when two thirds of the potion was gone, and Henry caught him, guiding Hyde’s hand to the bedside table to place the potion there before he could spill it or break the glass in the agony of the change. He held Hyde as the other man began to convulse, his hand steady on Hyde’s shoulders even as they sank to the floor. He watched as his face shifted into the one that belonged to Hyde—the worry lines melting away, the curled brown hair straightening and paling, falling over Hyde’s shoulders in a golden cascade. He shrank, Henry’s clothes fitting him more loosely than his own would have. Green and blue liquid pearled at the corners of Hyde’s eyes and dribbled from his mouth. Jekyll thumbed the potion away from the corner of Hyde’s mouth, fascinated by the way it spread under his thumb. How had they managed to do this so cleanly at Robert’s house? Hyde was a mess. There was no control in the way he shook and gasped for air. The only hint of restraint was the lack of sound from Hyde’s open mouth. Ragged, panting gasps, but no cries. Finally, Hyde’s shape stopped shifting and solidified. The green eyed man opened his eyes and grinned slightly, looking very much like himself again.

Henry moved then, and kissed him. Hyde melted against Henry, holding him close. “Thank you,” Henry said when they parted. “That was beautiful.”

Hyde nipped Henry’s lips. “Stop talking pretty and get me out of these clothes. You promised me an evening, doctor.”

“Quite right, I did.” Henry deftly slipped Hyde’s tie from his neck and tossed it away. “Take yourself over to the bed, and I’ll deliver on that promise most graciously.”

Hyde licked his lips and slunk away, shedding clothes as he approached the bed. As he went for the buttons of his trousers, Henry pushed him gently, tipping him off balance and sending Hyde toppling into the bed. Hyde laughed, splaying his limbs over the fine silk sheets. “Impatient, are we?”

“This is supposed to be a celebration of your achievements, a reward for all your hard work,” Henry said, sinking in between Hyde’s legs. “It only makes sense for me to be the one to go through the trouble of removing these.”

Hyde hummed and pet Henry’s hair. “I like having your giving side turned against me, doctor.”

Henry smiled and dropped a kiss into Hyde’s hand before it retreated. “Now, let’s see about getting these undone.” He pushed the first button from its fastening, and went down the line, dipping his lips against the skin he exposed as the trousers came undone. Once they were loose, he pulled them from Hyde greedily, taking Hyde’s undergarments as well, leaving the man unclothed save for his socks, sock garters, and loosely buttoned shirt.

“Like what you see?” Hyde asked, propping one of his ankles on Henry’s shoulder. Henry smirked and slid his hand up Hyde’s leg. He worked his fingers under the sock garter, and pulled the sock off with little tugs. “Of course I do.” He switched which of Hyde’s legs was propped on his shoulders, and worked the other sock off as well. “I’ll like it even better when I get to see you in the throes of orgasm.”

Hyde leered, looking more like his old self every minute. “Promises, promises.”

Henry discarded Hyde’s other sock, and then turned to his own clothes. He stripped off his tie and dragged it over the sensitive porcelain flesh of Hyde’s thigh. “And every one I intend to keep.” He willed the rest of his clothes away, eager to pay attention to Hyde instead of buttons that weren’t real to begin with. He slipped back between Hyde’s legs, thrilled by the sight of Hyde’s growing erection. He felt himself harden in response, excited by Hyde’s enthusiasm.

Henry leaned in, savoring the heady scent of Hyde’s arousal, and then dipped his head down to lick along the side of Hyde’s penis. Hyde moaned and arched his back a bit as Henry took him into his mouth, then reached down and tugged at Henry’s hair. “No, I want to feel you over me.”

“Mm,” Henry hummed around Hyde. It was an acknowledgement, but also a sensation meant to tease. He was rewarded for his efforts as the other man gasped. Henry felt Hyde’s fingers go slack in his hair, and used the freedom to bob his head a few more times, coating Hyde’s erection with slick saliva and working Hyde’s arousal up to the point where he could see Hyde’s blush all the way down over his chest. Only then did he pop off of the other man’s erection and lift himself up onto the bed.

“Like this?” he asked, sliding his own erection up over Hyde’s. Hyde’s breath caught in his throat as their hips touched. He licked his lips hungrily, staring up at Henry with lustful eyes. His hands lay over his head, his fingers dancing as if he wished to drag Henry down on top of him but enjoyed the sight of Henry looming over him too much to execute the motion. “Yesss,” he whispered, craning his neck up towards Henry’s, asking for a kiss.

Henry indulged, dropping his lips to meet Hyde’s as he dropped his other hand to encircle their erections. He pumped them slowly, devouring the sounds Hyde made and voicing a few of his own. It was overwhelming, seeing Hyde like this. Soft and lustful and greedy. It was freeing to be able to satisfy his own appetites by bringing his other half pleasure. There would never be anything with any other partner quite like the quiet satisfaction that bringing Hyde to orgasm brought him.

He could feel Hyde beginning to lose his grip, Hyde’s movements becoming erratic, his breath coming in short, restrained gusts. Henry nipped Hyde’s neck, then brought his mouth to Hyde’s ear and whispered, “Let go.”

That was enough to break him. With a shout, Hyde came in Henry’s hands. The residual shocks carried through their bond, and brought Henry down just after him. They clung to each other, warm and sated in their bed, and Henry felt some of the tension ease out of Hyde. He gathered the other man to his chest, dropping another kiss to the top of his blond head. No matter how he had felt before, Hyde was a thing of beauty. He was so openly and unapologetically himself. Forcing him to continue this masquerade was cruel. “I’ll find a way to fix this, Edward,” Henry said. “Everything else can wait until you’re free again.”

Hyde shook his head. “Frankenstein and the exhibition come first. We have to convince the lodgers to do it, and the only way for us to do that is if we convince that old bat that what we’re doing is mad enough.”

Henry paused, and then nodded. “If you’re sure.”

Hyde reached up and turned Henry’s face down to look at him. “I’ll always be me to you. And, for now, that’s enough.” He kissed Henry and then snuggled contently back against his chest. “Besides, I believe you. You’ll figure this out—if only so you can make sure I’m not messing up your beloved taxes.”

Henry rolled his eyes and stroked Edward’s hair. “You know me so well.”

“And I always will.”

[sadkittyworld]

NS_ Wk 2

Id, Ego and Super-Ego

In the original story, we see the events of the story through Gabriel Utterson’s POV (so far). I don’t think that he is the protagonist of the story even though we see through his eyes.

In chapter 2 we are introduced to 2 new characters, Poole (Jekyll’s Loyal servant) and Dr. Hastie Lanyon (old friend of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Utterson).

Utterson starts to suspect that Hyde is Jekyll’s Gay lover or his illegitimate child. Utterson is haunted by Hyde because he doesn’t know how he looks like.

Utterson’s doubts clear when he finally meets Hyde. Like the other witnesses, he also finds Hyde indescribably loathsome. This feeling is slightly understood when Utterson and Hyde have a conversation.

Utterson visits Jekyll but he’s not home, at this he is relieved.

Utterson looks back at the time when they were young. He states that Jekyll was ‘wild when he was young’: and thinks that Hyde is ‘the ghost of some old sin, the cancer of some concealed disgrace’ returning to ruin him.

He worries that time is running out for ‘poor Harry Jekyll’.

Utterson thinks of his own past. ‘groping in all corners of memory, lest by chance some Jack in the Box of an old iniquity should leap to light there’ (Stevenson, 1979, p.42)

Stevenson, R.L. (1979) Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Stories. London: Penguin Classics. Reprint, 1999.

Iniquity - wrongdoing, misdeed, sin, immoral behaviour.

Utterson is a character who represents the theme of ‘Repression’. He represses his natural instincts.

Utterson becomes obsessed with Hyde as the story progresses.

In most adaptations Hyde is shown as a hideous monstrous creature. In my version Hyde is too pretty to hate. He has almost everyone tied around his finger. The other character’s in the story are bewitched by his appearance, both men and women alike. This situation causes my Hyde to want to punish those men who pursue him. This leads to the killing of Danvers Carew in my story though he will be named differently to the original.

In the original text we are shown Hyde as:

‘a kind of black sneering coolness - frightened too’ (Stevenson, 1979, p.32)

‘He must be deformed somewhere; he gives a strong feeling of deformity’ (Stevenson, 1979, p.34)

‘an odd light footstep’

‘He was small and plainly dressed’

‘extraordinary quickness’

‘he spoke with a husky, whispering and somewhat broken voice’  (Stevenson, 1979, pp.38-40).

- pale and dwarfish

We know that Hyde and Jekyll are the same person. In my version They are 2 souls in 1 body. The effect of the drug makes the Hyde character able to shape-shift to anyone at will as long as he can picture the appearance in his mind.

If you look at the story carefully it’s not Hyde who is bad but Jekyll who created Hyde in the first place to do bad and get away with.

‘Henry Jekyll [...] is nobody’s hero... He represents the ‘cry of Victorian man from the depths of his self-imposed underground’ (Saposnik, 1971).

Saposnik, I. (1971) The Anatomy of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in English Literature. 1500-1900. Vol.11 No.4, Nineteenth Century, pp.715-731.

In the final chapter we learn that Jekyll cannot reconcile ‘an impatient gaiety of disposition’* with his ‘imperious desire to carry [his] head high’ (Stevenson, 1979, p.81).

He wants to appear better than everyone else.

* ‘loose’ morals

‘Victorian man was haunted constantly by an inescapable sense of division. As rational and sensual being, as public and private man, as civilised and bestial creature, he found himself necessarily an actor, playing only that part of himself suitable to the occasion’ (Saposnik, 1971).

Though many views and attitudes have changed over the years since the Victorian Era, there are still many rules and restriction, old and new, that make people continue the dual or even multiple lifestyle depending on the situation they are in.

Our societies are built around Social Emotion. The way people of the 19th Century saw emotion was very different to the way we see it today. There were different categories of emotion, e.g. ‘appetites’ relating to ‘base’ desire (such as ‘lust’) and ‘sentiments’ which were seen as voluntary & associated with moral behaviour.

When the word ‘emotion’ was used, it was related to movement, or disturbance, usually of a riotous political nature.

We carry some of this meaning into English today: ‘emotional’ people are seen as ‘out of control’, less rational.

According to Hewitt (2017) language ‘offers the clearest view of how cultural attitudes shape our personal experiences of feeling’.

As Hewitt notes, English is full of words relating to embarrassment, including: Discomfiture Awkwardness Mortification Humility Uneasiness Self-consciousness Shame

They reflect the importance to English culture of ‘propriety, decorum, politeness and respectability’ (Hewitt, 2017). 

‘Emotion is… produced at the intersection between each person and the culture they inhabit’ (Hewitt, 2017).

‘I never saw a circle of such hateful faces.’ (Story of the Door)

In the novella, the Victorian gentlemen and ladies think they have civilised themselves out of feeling ‘base’ emotions. But Enfield & the others want to kill Hyde just because he injured the child.

Wanting to KILL because he INJURED, is too much. It is definitely not right.

It’s like those self-proclaiming righteous people we see on the Internet. They think they are doing the world a favour but they could be hurting the other person they are persecuting through words. This favour you are doing could well end up being a double-edged sword that will comeback to hurt or ruin you.

Sublimation: diverting a ‘base’ sexual or biological urge into something more socially acceptable.

‘Killing being out of the question, we… should make his name stink from one end of London to the other’.

Shaming is a substitute for what they want to do – which is murder Mr. Hyde.

In 1923 Sigmund Freud identified the so called ‘psychic apparatus’ of the mind.

Id - instincts.  (‘Es’): ‘Primitive, unorganised, emotional: “the realm of the illogical”’ (Storr, 1989, p. 60). Governed by the ‘pleasure principle’. Represents the unconscious.

Ego - Reality. (‘ich’) = represents the conscious mind & the ‘reality principle’. Able to defer gratification. ‘Mature’ and ‘reasonable’. ‘Acts as an intermediary between the id and the external world’ (Storr, 1989, p. 62).

Superego - Morality. (‘Uber-ich’): our internalisation of cultural rules (how we ought to behave). Usually works in opposition to the id.

Hyde represents the Id but also display ‘ego’ as he acts in order to prevent his capture. 

Jekyll represents the superego but also displays the ego and and the id, I think because it was his idea to create Hyde which came from his inner desire to do bad without being affected by it’s consequences.

We see Utterson as the character of Superego occasionally showing ego.

Freud was inspired by Dr. Charcot of Paris, who treated women diagnosed with Hysteria using Hypnosis. Freud also started a psychiatric clinic the year Stevenson released his novella in 1886. He started the clinic using Hypnosis but later moved on to a new method he invented with his friend Josef Breuer. This method was a ‘talking cure’ called ‘psychoanalysis’. 

Psychoanalysis aims to bring out the unconscious (i.e. hidden) desires and memories through ‘free association’ and analysis of dreams. This technique seems to be used by the police nowadays to find out about the criminals and understand their reasons for their crime.

Freud theorised that repression of desires (especially as a child) could lead to ‘fixations’ (obsessions) in later life.

‘Free association’ - the totally free, uncensored expression of thoughts and ideas.

If a patient could recall (out loud) the first instance they experienced a troubling symptom... the symptom would then disappear.

Freud’s idea originated from a German writer.

Art is sublimation according to Freud. He believed that artists and writers had a special skill for sublimation. I agree with his theory in many way. I suppose as an artist myself I tend to draw/ sketch or paint etc... to let out my fixations, my parents say that my drawing seem to reflect on how I am feeling. They can’t seem to figure out much when they look at me, but when they look at my work they say that it looks sad, happy, angry, frustrated etc...

Stevenson was definitely obsessed with the ideology of ‘double life’.

R.L.S’ inspiration for Jekyll/Hyde came from the gentleman William ‘Deacon’ Brodie (1741-1788). During the day, Brodie was a cabinetmaker and the town councillor but at night he was a burglar. Brodie frequented the taverns of Edinburgh’s disreputable Fleshmarket Close. He had two mistresses and five illegitimate children to support. Huge crowds came to watch him get hanged for his crime of theft in Edinburgh’s Lawnmarket on 1st October 1788.

Stevenson’s childhood room contained a cabinet designed by Brodie himself.

Stevenson was fascinated by Brodie.

Before his hit novella about Jekyll and Hyde he co-wrote a play about Brodie in 1878.

The fact that Stevenson dreamt this story is even more significant from a Freudian perspective.

In 1888, in A Chapter on Dreams (Linehan, 2003, pp. 87–91) Stevenson wrote about the ‘Brownie’ like spirits (the ‘Little People’) who brought him his stories while he slept.

‘The dream is a fulfilled wish’ (Freud, 1920).

In The Interpretation of Dreams, written in 1899, Freud, described dreams as ‘the royal road to the unconscious’.

Freudian Dream Psychology:

Freud divided dreams into: manifest content (the remembered details of the dream) latent content (true meaning of the dream).

Dream-work:

Freud’s description for the mental processes by which (potentially disturbing and therefore repressed) desires are made acceptable to the conscious mind – by being disguised as (often bizarre) manifest content.

In Dream Psychology (1920) Freud wrote about the curious category of ‘those dreams which have never been dreamed’ – by which he meant dreams in fiction.

‘During the 20th century, psychoanalysis had a major effect upon both art and literature. Freud’s concept of the unconscious, his use of free association, and his rediscovery of the importance of dreams encouraged painters, sculptors, and writers to experiment with… the irrational, to pay serious attention to their inner worlds of dream and day-dream…’ (Storr, 1989, pp. 90–91).

Storr, A. (1989) Freud: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Reprint, 2001.

Free association is widely used in creative writing practice.

[mindfulwrath]

Silver, Part II

Now with 100% more Rachel!

Words: 3,887 Part I Part III

Lanyon took in Utterson's wine-flushed face and tipsy balance and folded his arms.

"I see your meeting with Jekyll went well," he remarked.

"It was a very fine Claret," Utterson mumbled, flushing redder than the copious amounts of wine he had imbibed.

"He certainly has a handle on your weaknesses," said Lanyon. "I swear, sometimes it concerns me how the world would fare if that man ever did go bad. Did you at least manage to wring something out of him before he set you afloat?"

"Only more excuses," said Utterson. "I dislike this, Lanyon. I dislike doing this. We oughtn't talk about him behind his—hic—back like this. We oughtn't be scheming."

"He's left us no other options," said Lanyon. "It was bad enough when there was nothing pressing going on. Now the Society's lost its funding, and it's up in flames, and the whole city's primed to rout us from our houses and homes thanks to that horrific travesty of a play—I just don't know, Gabriel. I just don't know what's gotten into him! Did you know he told me he would die for his science? He said so, in those exact words! It's not healthy, I'm telling you. It's unnatural!"

"Perhaps he's just . . . pressing back," said Utterson, who was apparently several sentences behind.

"Yes, but against us, Gabriel? I've never known Jekyll to bristle like this about anyone, least of all some—some—"

"Somebody," Utterson supplied helpfully.

"No, some nobody like Hyde! Something is afoot, and I won't have it."

"What is it you suspect is going on?" Utterson asked.

"I shudder to think!" said Lanyon. "And I certainly don't feel I should say it aloud, God knows. Blackmail, of some sort, at best."

"Blackmail had—hic—occurred to me, as well," said Utterson. "But what could Jekyll have done, that would paint him into so tight a corner?"

"Haven't the foggiest," said Lanyon. "Knowing him, he'd sell his soul over any minor indiscretion, if it was dressed up enough."

"Oh, now," said Utterson, frowning.

"Gabriel, you and I both know that Henry is—well, he's always been a touch dramatic," said Lanyon. "Whatever he's done, I'm sure he's inflated it to monstrous proportions and is convinced it will topple him and everything he cares about."

"If it's blackmail," said Utterson.

Lanyon pursed his lips and sighed through his nose.

"I must believe it is," he said.

"Why?" said Utterson. Lanyon pinned him with a needle-sharp glare.

"You really have overdone it with the Claret," he said. "I hope you didn't treat Henry like this, otherwise he'll never speak to either of us again."

"He called you jealous," said Utterson.

"Jealous?" Lanyon cried. "Jealous, of that—that—that? What on earth have I to be jealous of? What nonsense, what poppycock, what—"

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much," Utterson muttered, fighting down a smile.

"Methinks the lawyer doth drink too much," Lanyon retorted, although his face had gone hot.

"I think," said Utterson, rescuing Lanyon from further embarrassment, "that we're coming at this from the wrong side."

Lanyon folded his arms and raised his eyebrows, expectant. Utterson made a face, like he was trying to push his mustache up his nose.

"Well?" Lanyon prompted.

"Oh? Ah. Yes," said Utterson. "If Henry won't see sense, perhaps it makes sense to see Hyde."

"If Henry won't listen to reason, that impertinent ape certainly won't," Lanyon sneered.

Utterson's eye twinkled.

"Perhaps it's the Claret talking," he said, "but I was considering being rather unreasonable."

Lanyon blinked. "My dear Gabriel," he said. "What are you suggesting?"

"We're men of leverage, aren't we?" said Utterson.

"Ye-es," Lanyon said carefully.

"Then perhaps we can lever Hyde off of Jekyll," he said. "With, you know, a proper application of force."

Lanyon opened his mouth, then closed it.

"Mr. Utterson, somewhere under all that humorless wooden facade, you are a wicked man," he said, impressed.

Utterson shrugged.

"I'm a lawyer, Robert," he said mildly. "It's what we do."

Lanyon sat forward, rubbing his hands together.

"So," he said, "what's the plan? Threaten legal action? We could tell him we plan to blame him for the fire, see if he skips town on his own cowardice."

"He might inform Henry, and then we'd be in for it," said Utterson.

"Ugh, true," said Lanyon. "What did you have in mind? Surely there's something we can threaten the man with. Counter-blackmail, eh? Someone like that, we'd find half a dozen worthy offenses in the past month!"

"No," Utterson said slowly, "no, I don't think that's quite the right tack, either."

"Well," said Lanyon, put off, "what's your idea, then?"

Utterson very nearly smiled.

"How wicked," he said, "would you find acceptable, in this circumstance?"

"Oh dear," Lanyon sighed.

Rachel was alerted to Jasper's presence by the snuffling. She poked her head under the counter and he froze, the big orange eyes staring up at her mournfully.

"D'you do that even when you're not all wolfy?" she asked.

"Uh," he said, looking about. He adjusted his hat. "Yeah, apparently."

"You weren't trying to look up my skirt, were you?" she asked, scowling.

"What?" Jasper cried, mortified. "No! No, no of course not, that—I—"

"Come out from there," Rachel said, offering him her hand. He took it, and she helped him out from under the counter. "I've got some fresh-cooked pork at the back if you want some of it."

Jasper swallowed, his nostrils twitching.

"Oh yes," he said, "that'd be very nice. Thank you. Honestly."

"Have at it," she said, bumping him with her hip. Jasper slunk off to the back of the kitchen, nearly doubled over in his slouch. She watched him go, biting back a smile.

"Fo," he said, around a mouthful of pork, "you've been around de Fofiety for a while, yeah?"

"A while, yeah," Rachel agreed. "Why?"

"Well, it'f juft. . . ." He swallowed. "I was just wondering, y'know. Does stuff like last night happen a lot, or. . . ?"

"Oh God, no," said Rachel. "I mean, one or two explosions here or there, but definitely not the whole building up in flames. It's going to be hellish to get it all fixed."

"S'pose that's good news," said Jasper. "I've been avoiding going up there. Y'know, to see how bad it is. I managed to get all of my creatures out, and they're all fine—Christopher had a whale of a time, I'll tell you—but I'm a bit nervous about everything else."

"Aw, bless him," said Rachel. "I'm sure it'll be fine, Jasper. There's plenty of places that weren't even touched by the fire. The repair kraken did a grand job keeping the fires out of the chemistry labs, and then Mr. Luckett's actually very good at making sure his stuff doesn't blow up when it's not supposed to."

"Really? Wow!" said Jasper, sounding genuinely awed.

"Right?" said Rachel. "You wouldn't think it, being as he's on fire nearly all the time. Sometimes he's come to dinner on fire and the other lodgers have to put him out."

"By dumping water on his head?"

"Oh God, no," said Rachel, rolling her eyes. She turned to face Jasper and leaned against the counter, her arms folded. "We tried that once and it made everything about a thousand times worse. Usually it was just a load of people smacking him all over."

Jasper laughed. It was a lovely sound. He had a bit of pork grease dribbling down his chin.

"I can only imagine," he said. He scrunched up his face and added, "Say, I've been wondering."

"Yeah?"

"That Mr. Hyde—is he a lodger, too?"

"Oof, well," said Rachel, settling in for a good gossip. "Not as such, though by the amount he's in and out, you'd almost think so. He's not even a scientist, actually, although he's certainly a rogue."

"Fertainly," Jasper said, around another mouthful of pork. "He'f very. . . ."

"Excitable? Dramatic?" Rachel suggested. Into playing matchmaker, she didn't say.

"Fort of," said Jasper. "D'you fink I'm gonna meet him?"

"Well, maybe," Rachel said cagily. She really hoped he didn't. Knowing Hyde, it would take less than a minute for him to get round to drenching the poor boy in unsubtle innuendoes. Specifically unsubtle innuendoes about Rachel.

"He's not about much?" Jasper asked.

"No, all the time," said Rachel. "But he is eccentric. Not on any sort of schedule or anything. He just—turns up whenever he feels like it, so far as I can tell. Sometimes Henry lets us know he'll be by, but not always."

"So what does he . . . do?"

"Mostly, make a nuisance of himself," Rachel said fondly. "He's a bit rough round the edges, but he's harmless. We all know he and Henry are, you know." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"I—I don't know," said Jasper, looking lost.

"Youuuuu know," Rachel said, rolling her eyes and gesturing. "Sometimes we catch 'em wearing each other's clothes. Most mornings after Mr. Hyde's been by, Henry'll turn up looking like he hasn't slept all night. Nobody can work out any real job Mr. Hyde does here—you know."

"It sounds very odd," Jasper said earnestly, still looking lost.

"You're hopeless," Rachel sighed. "They're screwing, Jasper."

Jasper went positively crimson.

"Oh!" he squeaked. "Oh, so—oh!"

"But don't say anything about it in front of Henry," Rachel warned, wagging a finger at him. "You'll upset him. He'll deny it 'til he's blue in the face. He's horribly ashamed of himself, God only knows why. Nobody cares but him. I suppose he's mortified that his posh friends might find out."

"No, no, I wouldn't dream of it," said Jasper, raising greasy hands in surrender. "Of course not. Never. I just—I had no idea!"

"Fair enough, you've only been here, what, two days?" said Rachel. "You would've caught on. They don't make a terribly good secret of it, especially not Mr. Hyde."

"I see," said Jasper.

A silence descended. Rachel cast about desperately for something else to talk about.

"So where are your creatures staying now?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh." He rubbed his arm, smearing pork grease on his sleeve. "I've taken them back to the flat. My old flat. That I have here. In London. I'm staying there, too, while the—the Society's, um. . . ."

"Being reconstructed? Yeah, good plan," said Rachel.

There was another silence. Rachel considered if it might be worth it to pull a Hyde and jump straight out the window.

"Mostly I'm . . . stalling," Jasper admitted, his voice gone soft and sad. "I don't really want to go up there, because—what if it's all gone? What if my notes and everything have all burned up? I'll have nothing."

"W-well," said Rachel, unbalanced by this sudden display of genuine emotion. "I think loads of the lodgers are in the same place. Miss Lavender was inconsolable. She lost years of work."

"Oh, that's horrible," Jasper said, his face all scrunched up with pity. "She didn't have any copies of her notes, or anything?"

"She did, just . . . the copies got burnt up, too," said Rachel. "If Moreau weren't already dead, I think she'd draw and quarter him. I know I would. What a bastard."

"Speaking of—what happened to Dr. Frankenstein and the monster?" Jasper asked. "D'you know? I sort of . . . lost track of them, in all the excitement."

"Me, too," Rachel sighed. "You wouldn't think you could lose an eight-foot-tall green thing with glowy eyes, but apparently you can if there's enough fire!"

"Hahah, yeah," said Jasper.

The silence descended for a third time. Rachel filled her cheeks up with air and bugged her eyes out. Jasper prodded another hunk of roast pork with one finger.

"So, er," said Jasper.

"Yeah," said Rachel. Her face had gone hot, sweat prickling down her sides.

"Mm-hm," said Jasper, who looked to be in much the same state.

"I could . . . come and help you look," Rachel offered hesitantly. "For your stuff. If you want."

"No, but, you're like, busy," he said. "Besides, I—I just feel like I should . . . it doesn't really take two people. Honestly."

He sniffed. Rachel was struck by a bolt of understanding.

"Right, sure," she said. "Just er, let me know if there's anything I can do?"

"I will," he said. He rubbed one eye with the heel of his hand. "Um, thanks for the pork. And—sorry about going under your table, I really didn't mean anything by it."

She waved him off, pretending as hard as she could that she wasn't blushing.

"It's fine!" she said. "Go on, go. And come back whenever you're done, I'll make you some more cookies."

He flashed a sheepish grin at her. "Thanks, Rachel," he said.

She shooed him out of the kitchen, scolding him the whole way. When he had gone, she planted her fists on her hips and shook her head.

"Honestly," she muttered to herself.

"This feels silly," Lanyon whispered.

"Shh," said Utterson.

"What are we doing, Gabriel?"

"Shh!" he insisted.

"This is ridiculous," Lanyon went on anyway. "What if he doesn't come home? What if he's not in? We'll be standing about in the cold all night, and for nothing! Making absolute pillocks of ourselves! We could have hired people to do this, you know. We'll be a laughingstock."

"If you keep chattering like a magpie," Utterson said.

"I am not—chattering like a magpie! I am voicing legitimate concerns with this cockamamy plan!"

"You were all for it yesterday," Utterson pointed out. "A person might think you'd lost your nerve."

"I haven't lost my nerve, I've regained my senses!" Lanyon hissed back. "This is foolish! There are ten thousand better ways we could go about this than lurking in a dingy alleyway with the—the riff-raff waiting about to do God knows what to God knows who—"

"Ahem."

Lanyon screamed and nearly jumped out of his skin. Utterson whirled. Jekyll was standing scarcely a few feet behind the two of them, arms folded neatly behind his back, impeccable and bright-eyed.

"Did my party invitation get lost in the mail?" he inquired, blinking placidly at the two of them.

Utterson started up a trundling mutter of half-formed excuses while Lanyon's face went hot.

"I, er, that is to say, we were . . . hoping to run into you!" Lanyon said. "Yes, we—we thought perhaps you might come this way, and, er, we—we—we happened to be in the neighborhood, and—"

"And just so happened to stop, hidden behind several barrels in a back alleyway directly across the street from Mr. Hyde's lodging just after lunchtime," Jekyll finished for him, still utterly composed. "Yes, of course, happens all the time."

"I—well—well what are you doing here, then?" Lanyon blustered.

"Me?" said Jekyll. "I was on my way to check in on Mr. Hyde. He has a copy of my notes, you see, which is seeming a fortuitous bit of foresight on my part at this juncture."

"Aha, and you're concerned he may attempt to use them for leverage!" Lanyon cried, seizing upon this most satisfactory of explanations.

"No," Jekyll said, baffled. "I simply would like to have my notes. I'm sure you can understand my concern for their well-being!"

"Why has he got a copy of your notes?" Utterson asked, apparently having overcome his attack of chagrin.

Jekyll turned to him, smiling pleasantly, in the way that many venomous and reptilian things smile.

"In case something were to happen to the originals," he said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. He softened somewhat. "My dear friends, I fear you are making this a far more dire business than it actually is. If it will ease your minds, why don't we all three go and see Mr. Hyde, together?"

"That—that sounds ideal," said Lanyon, taken aback. "Yes, I think that sounds like a most reasonable thing to do."

"Hm," said Utterson, fooling with the buttons on his coat.

All of the chill professionalism evaporated off of Jekyll on the instant, and he clapped both of them on the shoulder.

"Come along, then," he said. "We shall have to hope he is at home, otherwise all this silliness will have been for nothing."

Lanyon was tempted to shoot some barbed remark about Jekyll's not having a key to the place, but decided it was best left alone. Jekyll ushered them across the street, keeping his own head down as though he was embarrassed to be seen there. That, at least, seemed normal and sensible, even if nothing else about the business did.

They found their way to the landlady's door, whereupon Jekyll knocked and promptly folded his arms behind his back.

"Do you . . . call here often?" Lanyon hazarded, while they waited.

"Never once in my life!" Jekyll said brightly. "With any luck, she'll have no idea who I am."

Utterson shared a glance with Lanyon behind Jekyll's back. Lanyon made a face. Utterson shrugged. Lanyon tipped his head towards Jekyll in an encouraging gesture. Utterson scowled and shook his head.

The door opened and a middle-aged woman with steel gray hair poked her head out. She took one look at the three of them and started gleaming with mischief.

"Can I 'elp you?" she asked, then added slimily, "Sirs?"

"Yes, I was just wondering if Mr. Hyde was in," Jekyll said.

"Wot's it to you?" she said, looking him up and down.

Jekyll produced a bank note apparently out of thin air and held it out to her with two fingers. He never looked away from her face, and his smile never faltered.

"He's a friend of mine," he said.

She took the note.

"What sort of friend?"

Jekyll's smile went a bit stiff. He leaned in, ever so slightly.

"The sort, madam, who has brought his own lawyer," he said.

Dutifully, Utterson put on his most wooden and formidable face. The landlady fairly sparkled.

"'E's in trouble then, is 'e?" she said, gleeful.

"Ever so much trouble," Jekyll said sweetly.

"I'll see if 'e's in," the landlady declared, and promptly shoved past all three of them to stomp up the stairs.

"He seems a well-liked fellow," Lanyon said dryly. "What if he's not in?"

"Then doubtless, he shall soon know I was looking for him," Jekyll said. "The woman has gossip written on every inch of her."

"And perhaps her room number was written somewhere on the entry," Utterson said. "I must have missed it. Good thing you didn't."

Jekyll froze, just for an instant. He turned to Utterson, a pitying smile on his face.

"My dear Gabriel," he said. "Mr. Hyde has at least been courteous enough to give me instructions on how to find his landlady, should I need to contact him at home."

"Ah," said Utterson, flushing, twitching his mustache as though to sweep the words off his lips. "Yes. Of course."

Jekyll gave him a knowing look, but didn't say anything else.

The landlady soon returned to inform them that Mr. Hyde was not at home, nor had he been for several days. Jekyll thanked her, passed off another small bank note, and spoke very prettily at her until she grew visibly annoyed.

"All right, clear off," she said. "I en't got all day. If 'e gets back, 'oo should I say called?"

"Just tell him Henry would like to see him," Jekyll said. "Thank you."

The three of them took their leave, Lanyon and Utterson in the lead. It was with some relief that Lanyon hailed a cab and pointed the driver back towards cleaner streets.

"Ah, well," Jekyll said. "Perhaps we'll catch him next time. It was very lucky running into you two. I shouldn't have liked to go in there alone, hah hah."

"No, I should think not," said Lanyon. "At the very least, it's clear the setting is congruous with the man. I wouldn't have expected anything else but that den of—of hypocrisy. What are the odds he was home, and simply didn't wish to see us? I imagine he fled at first mention of a lawyer, hmph!"

"Robert, honestly," Jekyll sighed, an amused smile playing over his lips.

"What?" said Lanyon. "After all the mischief he's caused? If we can't put the fear of lawyers into the man, he's fearless! Isn't that right, Gabriel? With any luck, he's skipped town altogether and we shall never hear from him again!"

"Henry," Utterson said slowly.

"Yes?" said Jekyll.

"No," Utterson said. He fixed Jekyll with a penetrating look. "He knows you by Henry, does he?"

Again, just for an instant, Jekyll locked up, like an automaton that had slipped a gear. Again, he smoothed it over with condescension.

"He knows it's my name, yes," he said, laughing. "The last thing I wanted was to leave any sort of blemish on my reputation by bringing it to bear in a place like that. I'm certain Lanyon understands, don't you, Robert?"

"Ye-es," said Lanyon, "I suppose it's sensible enough."

"Of course it is," said Jekyll, and shook his head. "Honestly. Things are bad enough as they are."

The rest of the cab ride passed nearly in silence, until they were dropped off near Cavendish Square, where Lanyon resided and from where Utterson and Jekyll could easily walk home. Utterson paid the cabbie, handling the matter quietly, as though to keep from upsetting Jekyll. When the cab had driven away again, the three of them stood for a moment at the side of the road, hands in pockets against the cold.

"It's a shame," Utterson said, his breath fogging in front of his face, "we didn't manage to get your notes, Henry."

"Not such a shame," said Jekyll, waving him off. "There will be another time. I hardly fear for their safety, hah hah."

"Hardly," Lanyon said dryly. "I for one am rather disappointed we were unable to have our chat with Mr. Hyde."

"Likewise," Jekyll said, "I'm certain there will be another time." He took a breath and sighed it out. "If you gentlemen will excuse me, I must be getting back to the Society. Several of our lodgers are nigh inconsolable, and I worry what will happen if I leave them for too long."

"Of course," said Lanyon. "Take care, Henry."

"And you as well," said Jekyll, shaking his hand warmly. "Gabriel, you too."

"Hm," said Utterson. He turned to go, and Lanyon turned to go with him, hoping to sneak in a few words about the failure of their plan and the next steps they might take.

"Oh, and by the by. . . ."

Jekyll put a hand on the back of each of their heads, leaned in and spoke conspiratorially in their ears.

"You're not subtle or clever," he said. "I know what you're up to, and my dearest, sweetest friends, I assure you, it is completely unnecessary."

He patted their heads, then turned on his heel and strode off, leaving only a whiff of peppermint behind him. Utterson and Lanyon shared a glance.

"Well," said Utterson.

"Indeed," said Lanyon.

"Damn," said Utterson.

"Quite," said Lanyon.

[melodiouswhite]

Coup de foudre (sort of)

(A/N: finished this Story just in time for V-Day. This is basically Lanyon’s and Lady Summers’ first meeting from her POV) ^^

Lady Summers had researched the best physicians in London, because she was looking for a new personal doctor.

Not because her old one had been incompetent, oh no.

Johann was an old friend of hers and had been her doctor so far, but he had recommended her to look for a new one.

She was a bit confused at that advice, but followed it – after all, he knew what he was doing and she had full faith in him and his abilities.

The little countess was pleasantly surprised to find, that one of the best surgeons wasn't living far away from her. He was living right across Cavendish Square. How convenient!

So she took a day off and went across the square to introduce herself to this doctor.

He better not dare to send her off with a refusal!

When she rang the bell, it was answered by a tall, relatively young butler (sees women as nothing more than objects, cheating on his wife, has two kids with his mistress and gives more of his wage to her than to his wife and their seven children, note to self, rat him out to his employer) who guided her to the waiting room.

When he told her in a rather unfriendly manner: “Wait here until the Doctor receives you, Miss-”

She cut him off sharply: “It's 'Milady' to you, young man, and if you ever dare to order around the Countess of Cornwall again, I will tell your employer about how horribly you treat your family.”

He gawked at her.

Then he slowly backed out of the room, not even giving her so much as an apology.

Rude!

Lady Summers glared after him, took a minute to compose herself and decided that she was unwilling to wait.

So she strode over to the door to the consultation room and peeked inside.

There she finally got to see the doctor face to face or, rather face to back, as he was searching for something in his cabinets.

He was chubby, of average height and was wearing his hair in a long ponytail, that went down to his waist.

She didn't know why, but something about the man made her feel weird. There was something about him that painfully reminded her of her beloved late husband.

Maybe it was that air of stability and reliability, that surrounded him, or the red-brown hair; it was just the same shade of red-brown as her darling copperhead's had been. Wasn't there a word for red-brown in English? Oh yes: auburn.

Lady Summers almost laughed at her own foolishness.

Stupid her, her husband had died in 1865! And this man wasn't him – he wasn't even like him!

That much was evident by his thoughts alone.

Right now, he was searching for a disinfectant to clean an injection needle with (uwagh!) and being extremely irritated, because he couldn't find it. Her James had been sweet and patient and wouldn't have got agitated over of something so minor.

And the doctor's movements were brisk and tense – he was stressed. And there were a few white strands in his hair, which led her to estimate that he couldn't be much younger than forty.

So why was this man reminding her of her late husband?! This made no sense whatsoever!

Finally she decided to find out by scanning his mind.

However, what she saw greatly disturbed her.

Oh my god! That's awful! Poor man!

Suddenly she felt a strong wish to help him.

After watching him search around for a bit, she finally decided to make herself known.

“Excuse me, are you Dr. Lanyon?”

Stupid question, but she had to pretend that she hadn't just read his mind.

He paused, but didn't turn around.

“Yes, that's me. How can I help you, Miss?”

His voice was certainly agreeable enough; firm, but gentle and warm.

Normally being addressed as “Miss” agitated her, as she obviously wasn't.

But the man (who his mind had told her was more than a year older than her) hadn't turned around to look at her yet. And she did have a very girlish voice.

For some reason she had to laugh: “I'm not a Miss, Doctor.”

Finally he turned around!

His face was somewhat cute. He had chubby and very reddish cheeks and-

Oh, he has differently coloured eyes! Isn't there a word for that? Oh, who cares, they're so beautiful!

She watched in amusement, as his mismatched eyes (one pale greyish blue, the other amber) looked her up and down in interest and curiosity.

To her satisfaction he observed surprisingly quick, that he was talking to a mature woman and not to some young, naïve maiden, despite her size and youthful appearance.

The scientific and medical way in which he regarded her beauty amused her.

Lady Summers introduced herself and told him that she was looking for a new doctor.

Just for good measure, she added some flattery: “I heard that you're one of the best in London.”

He blushed, which was both cute and satisfying; she liked a man with humility.

“Thank you, Mada- Milady”, he corrected himself.

Then he fetched two chairs and put the tea set on his desk onto a nearby table.

“Do sit down, if you don't mind”, he asked, “I would like to interview you, before I make a decision. Do forgive this boldness, but I already have a lot of patients.”

“I don't take offence”, she assured him, “I already assumed that a competent doctor like you would be a busy one.”

Another blush.

Alright, maybe I should stop, before I make the poor man uncomfortable.

The interview passed in a whim.

She gave him basic information about herself, told him that she was a Prussian aristocrat, who had married into English nobility and was grieving both her husband and father.

Then she told him how old she was and added as a joke: “By female standards I'm old. Let's see how long I will maintain my youthful appearance, before the demon of old age catches up to me.”

Dr. Lanyon laughed.

When she told him that she liked to work out, she was a bit agitated about how surprised he was. Why did it never occur to men that women could like sports too?!

But when she told him about her unending pain, he frowned.

“If you say 'unending pain', I assume it has nothing to do with women's usual monthly afflictions?”

That was … blunt.

She sighed and shook her head. “No, but I wish it had.” She really did.

His frown deepened. “You don't happen to know the cause yet? The more details I can work with-”

“I do know”, she informed him. “But I would rather not speak of it. I don't know you well yet and I'm quite certain that you wouldn't believe it.”

Her answer obviously displeased him, but he decided to accommodate her and not pry, which she was grateful for.

The rest of the conversation was light-hearted and fun and she could tell that he was already growing very fascinated with her.

Good.

Because she had just decided that she wanted no other doctor.

This man was loyal and reliable and wouldn't ask uncomfortable questions, if she asked him not to.

And he clearly liked her and would be a good physician to her.

Sure enough, she managed to raise his spirits over the course of their talk and by the time she left, both were feeling lighter than in years and she was now one of his patients.

For the rest of the day, her thoughts circled around him.

About his smile that could brighten up someone's day, despite their owner being one of the most long-suffering men she had met.

About the unhappiness in his life that he really didn't deserve.

And about all the good character traits that made her certain that he would be a wonderful friend to her.

When she came to her house and her butler let her in, he remarked: “You're quite merry, Sahib.”

“Certainly am”, the Lady agreed gaily, although their conversation was actually:

“You like that doctor, don't you, big sister?”

“Sameer, if you make a suggestive joke, you will eat corpses for the rest of the month.”

Despite the evil threat, they both grinned like the mischievous half-siblings they were.

Then she retreated to her office to do paperwork.

But she found, that it was hard to concentrate on her work, because she was thinking about Dr. Lanyon and grinning like an idiot.

Oh dear. Please forgive me, James.

Lady Summers laughed to herself.

She and her new doctor would get along just fine.

I should send Johann a note to thank him.

[melodiouswhite]

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde rewritten - Ch. 48

48. Slow recovery

“Good morning, gentlemen! Oh, so gay today?”, Lady Summers observed, when Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde and Mr. Utterson came to her room, grinning at her and her doctor like no tomorrow.

“Indeed”, Dr. Jekyll responded. “But so are you two. If you pardon my indecency, Milady, but I know my friend – you finally talked about you-know-what, didn't you?”

Lady Summers and Lanyon exchanged a glance. Then they realised, that they were still holding hands and chuckled.

“Yes, Doctor”, she finally answered and settled back into the pillows.

Then she let her eyes wander over the trio and frowned. “But as I see, Mr. Hyde didn't listen to my instruction to stay in his room?”

He looked away sheepishly.

“No”, Mr. Utterson confirmed with a hint of frustration, “He crawled into ours and woke us up at three in the morning.”

Dr. Jekyll nodded.

Mr. Hyde threw his arms up. “Oh come on! I didn't want to fuck or anything!”

“Really?”, Jekyll interrupted sourly, “Then how come you couldn't keep your hands off me, when Gabriel and I were trying to sleep?!”

“Oh shut up, you miserable hypocrite! You couldn't keep your hands off me either!”

Lady Summers sighed and pinched her nose. “This kind of nonsense is why I didn't want you two to share a room. Mr. Hyde, just a friendly reminder, this is my house. And I'd rather not have to deal with the noise you two make, when you do … well, that. I would never be able to get them – or the images – out of my head, which I'd rather avoid, thank you very much.”

Mr. Utterson blinked. “What do you mean?”

Her dear doctor answered no-nonsensically: “These hypersexual bitches are loud.”

The looks on Dr. Jekyll's and Mr. Hyde's faces were so priceless that Lady Summers doubled over with laughter.

Poor Mr. Utterson almost fell from his chair, but somehow that made her laugh even harder.

As a result she spat blood, but that was worth it!

Oh, hanging out with these men was better than any burlesque!

“So you two are officially together now?”, Utterson asked, as soon as everyone had calmed down.

The Lady chuckled. “Well, only officially to you, but yes.”

“That's wonderful!”, he cried, “I'm so happy for you!”

“Thank you, Gabriel”, Lanyon replied warmly.

But Jekyll was feeling a light sting in his chest.

He was happy for them, he really, genuinely was.

But it was bittersweet.

Lanyon was happier with her than he'd ever been with him. And he deserved it, God knew he did! But it had taken so long for him to find that happiness, because he had wasted fifteen years of his life on him. Jekyll would probably never fully comprehend, how Lanyon had been able to put up with him for this long in the first place.

Lady Summers' voice brought him back to the moment. “Now, now, Dr. Jekyll. Let's not look back on our past relationships.”

“On one thing we have to look back, though”, Utterson spoke up. “What those people did to you is unforgivable.”

She nodded grimly. “I know it's unforgivable. And I certainly haven't forgiven them a single thing. And to think that it first happened in 1845, where people died from surgeries more often than they recovered-”

“That's only one thing”, Jekyll spoke up. “Notwithstanding your miraculous survival, only to be robbed of your dreams and crippled for the rest of your life – pardon my language, Milady.”

“Don't worry, no offence is taken”, she assured him. “I am technically a cripple, after all. Since-”

Another fit of blood spitting only served to confirm that statement.

“Since I suffer from this, because of all the things they did to me.”

“I have a question, though”, Hyde spoke up. Then he corrected himself. “Wait, no. It's two.”

She answered them, before they were even spoken: “I managed to fight you off that one night, because of my rigorous training. After our match I was indisposed for a week, but my condition would be a lot worse without the training. Learning to control my belly muscles was quite helpful, actually. If it wasn't for that I'd likely be quite dead by now.”

“Speaking of your condition”, Mr. Utterson spoke up. “We need to talk about pressing charges against your attacker.”

She raised a brow. “Baron Cleranescu? I don't think that will be necessary, considering he made a fool of himself and will never be able to show his face on British soil again. This is the worst thing you can do to someone belonging to the upper class.”

“He must face justice!”, Utterson insisted angrily, “You said yesterday night, that it's worse than usual and I will not accept the prospect of him hiding away and moping in some old castle in Rumania, while you're suffering from internal injuries! Not on my watch! I bet he wouldn't have dared to do this, if you were Lord and not Lady Summers!”

Oh right. Jekyll always forgot how adamant his love was about women's rights.

Lady Summers gaped at him.

Then she chuckled. “No, he definitely wouldn't have. He's as misogynistic as most men are, if not more.”

“That much was clear”, Hyde threw in, “I was there, I heard it all. She handed his arse to him with each sentence she spoke! Then he talked shit about Lanyon and his own wife, the Lady informed him that she's cheating on him with the king of Rumania and he lost it.”

Jekyll's jaw dropped. That bastard had kicked her in the abdomen – right where her weakest spot was – just because she had told him that his wife favoured another man?!

“I have an idea”, Hyde continued, “How about instead of suing him, we sic Alma onto him? She would love to-”

“Did somebody say my name?”, the very person asked, as she walked into the room to the Lady's bedside and took her hand.

“How are you feeling, Luise?”, she asked worriedly.

The Prussian chuckled. “Well, I'm spitting blood and my abdomen hurts, but apart from that, I'm fine.”

“It's that bastard's fault”, Miss Donovan snarled, “I'll cut his junk off and shove it into his mouth, before setting him on fire!”

“Sounds good, I'll help you”, Hyde agreed nonchalantly.

“No!”, Lady Summers spoke firmly. “You will do nothing of that sort. You will not get violent on me. Be the better person-”

“To hell with being the better person!”, Miss Donovan snapped, “I don't give a damn! That bastard hurt you and your health is already fragile! He must suffer! At least let me castrate him!”

Lady Summers frowned. “Give it one month and see what will happen.”

The red-haired girl huffed, but nodded.

Still before the evening all of London knew of the incident at the gala.

A foreigner had attacked and gravely injured one of the most high-ranking aristocrats of England, who was now bed-bound.

The Prince and Princess of Wales had requested that he be stripped of his rank and diplomatic immunity and the ambassador of Rumania had already complied.

The baron had already fled London.

Lanyon wasn't satisfied with that. He wanted the bastard to suffer for hurting his Lady. He wanted him to writhe in agony and beg for mercy.

“Now, now”, Lady Summers spoke up, when she saw him frown at the punchline on the newspaper. “Things need their time. Now that he no longer has his diplomatic immunity, he can be charged for his crimes. And if it doesn't happen in England, it'll be in Rumania.”

Lanyon hoped that she was right, he really did.

Lady Summers was unable to leave her bed for two weeks.

So when Lanyon allowed her to get up briefly and move around in a wheelchair, she was ecstatic.

It was a wonderful day, so she used the opportunity to get some fresh air.

“I really would love to go outside again”, she said. “And I hope that I won't be assaulted by a bunch of news reporters, who want an interview. Jesus Christ, I never asked for all this hustle!”

Mr. Utterson opened the window and looked outside. “I don't see any out there”, he told her.

She nodded in satisfaction. “Good. Perhaps I will enjoy just a few moments in the park, between all the people who recognise me and ask what happened.”

Dr. Jekyll lifted an eyebrow. “Considering how prominent you are? I doubt that.”

The Prussian huffed: “Crush my hopes, why don't you!”

Unfortunately, it turned out that Dr. Jekyll was right.

The group needed ages to get to the park; Lanyon had to stop the Lady's wheelchair every thirty feet, because someone recognised her and inquired after her wellbeing.

But finally they made it there and by the time it was forenoon, when most people were at home or at work.

“Perhaps it was good that it took us so long to get here”, Lady Summers remarked, “I love when the park is so empty.”

“I reckon you do”, her dear doctor remarked.

“And I can't sense anyone stalking us”, she continued cheerfully, “I think this will truly be a good day!”

Mr. Hyde cleared his throat, making her turn her head. “About that … I was wondering …”

“Yes?”

“Should Jekyll and I be worried too? That …”

“Absolutely.”

Maybe not the most reassuring answer, but they all knew that it was true.

The organisation was hunting for test subjects and if they found out the truth about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde …

The two needed to watch their backs in the near future.

“I have a question too”, Dr. Jekyll spoke up. “Those strange friends you mentioned … do they really live here in London?”

Lady Summers nodded. “Oh yes! They live in Soho, actually. Not that far away from Mr. Hyde's flat. I'm sure he passed by their house several times, without knowing.”

She chuckled fondly and shook her head. “You would like them, Dr. Jekyll. They're a lot like you.”

The blond doctor chuckled as well. “You attract people like me, don't you?”

“Somehow I do”, she replied nonchalantly and shrugged. “But you know what? I think I should introduce you four to them. I have told them a lot about you and am sure that they would love to meet you as well.”

Dr. Jekyll beamed at her. “I would love to meet them!”

“Same here”, Mr. Hyde agreed, “I'd be delighted to learn whose house I passed by without knowing.”

The other two men nodded as well.

Lady Summers was quite pleased at that. “Perfect. I will send them a note and inquire, if they receive.”

[melodiouswhite]

Inconveniently a mermaid

Gabriel John Utterson was just done with his work, when he heard his telephone ring from the other room. Odd. Who would call him at this hour?

He went to answer the call. “Hello?”

“Good evening, Mr. Utterson. Pardon me for the late intrusion.”

“Poole! Good evening? What's the matter?”

“You have to come immediately. It's an emergency. Something happened to Master Hyde and I don't know what to do.”

“I'll be there in ten minutes at most.”

“What's going on?”, Utterson demanded to know immediately after arriving at Jekyll's villa.

“Follow me, Sir”, Poole replied and lead him through the house. “I called Her Ladyship and Dr. Lanyon as well”, the butler told him on the way, “They too will be here soon.”

Utterson nodded in acknowledgement, before impatiently asking: “Now, what happened?”

Poole stopped in front of the bathroom door and sighed: “See for yourself, Sir. But I must warn you, the sight will be shocking.”

With that he opened the door.

The lawyer's eyes immediately fell onto the bathtub. What he saw was shocking indeed.

“What the-?”

Utterson had no idea what he was looking at, but he didn't like it.

Judging by the long, café noir brown hair, it had to be Hyde. But Hyde was … a mermaid? Why the hell was he suddenly a mermaid?!

Mermaid-Hyde was staring at him with tortured, frightened eyes. His fishtail was way too big for the bathtub and he was rattling for air.

“Help me …”

Yes, that definitely was his voice, albeit slightly distorted.

Utterson frowned at him. “What happened to you?!”

“I … don't know”, Hyde wheezed, “But … it hurts … I can't … breathe … help … make it … stop!”

The lawyer turned to Poole. “Do you know a body of water that isn't as dirty as the Thames?”

Before the butler could answer, hurried steps resounded from the hallway and Lanyon burst in, Lady Summers on his heels.

But when they saw it, they stopped dead in their tracks.

“Ach du grüne Neune!”, Lady Summers gasped.

“Mr. Hyde, is that you?”, asked Lanyon incredulously.

Hyde nodded weakly. If he hadn't been in such agony, he'd probably have given a snappy retort.

All at once several servants rushed into the room with buckets of water and changed the water in the tub. In the fresh water, Hyde relaxed and submerged as much of himself as he could.

The other three and Poole stepped closer.

Now that they had full view, Utterson could see that Hyde's body was a fishtail from the waist down. His belly was white, the rest of him a greyish green. His skin was covered by a relief of dark green, meandering lines and speckles. There were a lot of fins on his back and sides, even his ears now looked like fins (and moved like it too). His tail was very long, muscular and big. On his sides, Utterson could see several pairs of gills that pushed out waste water with Hyde's every breath.

He sighed sadly and caressed the wet brown hair of his unfortunate lover.

Hyde lifted his head and looked up to him unhappily. His eyes were now completely black, safe from the pupils that were of the shrill acid green his irises usually were. The poor brunette choked back a sob and leaned into the tender touch for a moment. Then he submerged the lower half of his face again.

“He can't breathe air anymore”, the lawyer told the other two. “We have to do something. He needs to be brought to a close-by body of water, before he suffocates or dries out.”

“Obviously”, Lady Summers agreed, “How about the Thames?”

“The Thames is too dirty”, Lanyon objected, “That would be like standing in a cloud full of toxic smoke. He would die from all the rubbish and manure.”

“True, but we need to find him a reliable source of fresh water that's rich enough in oxygen. And of course, big and deep enough for him to hide – no pun intended.”

Hyde wound himself in the bathtub, making the water splash. When he gripped the edges of the bathtub, the other three could see the lappets between his fingers.

Carefully, the black-haired lawyer touched one of these web hands. It twitched at the contact, but the brunette seemed to relax considerably.

The skin under his hand felt a bit smoother and more taut than human skin.

My dear Edward, my poor sweetheart …

“Mister Hyde”, Lanyon spoke up again, “Do you or Jekyll have any ideas?”

The mermaid– no, merman paused for a moment, before lifting his head out of the water again.

“He says … the Serpentine … would be good … for now”, he gurgled. Then added pleadingly: “Help us … please … I'm dying …”

Then he slouched back in.

Lanyon frowned. “The Serpentine isn't deep enough.”

“No, but it's big”, Lady Summers argued, “He could move far enough from the shore for no one to notice his movement in the water.”

Utterson turned to the others. “Whatever, we need to get him there as quickly as possible.”

“But we can't transport him per coach. He'll be dead ere we've made it there”, Lanyon pointed out.

A high-pitched, frightened whimper came from the bathtub and the lawyer went back to stroking the brunette's hand.

Suddenly, Lady Summers clapped her hands. “I have an idea! All we need is-”

Like on cue, her butler Sameer Singh walked in. “You told me to come here, after my chores were done?”, he inquired.

Lady Summers nodded. “We have a serious problem here”, she told him and pointed to the tub.

The Indian stopped short, but recovered almost instantly.

The Lady looked at him expectantly. Then she said something in Hindustani, probably briefing him on the situation. The young butler understood and stepped up to the bathtub. Then he proceeded to baffle almost everyone by effortlessly lifting Hyde out of the tub.

“Didn't this house have a balcony on the roof?”, he asked.

“Yes”, Hyde choked. “Big one …”

All of the sudden, Poole piped up: “One moment, please!”

Then the elderly butler wrapped his master's alter ego into a dropping wet blanket.

“Better?”

Hyde smiled gratefully and nodded.

Utterson sighed: “Up to the roof then?”

So up to the balcony they went.

But in the door, the lawyer hesitated. He didn't want to go out there. It was so awfully high. But he knew what was about to go down and he needed to be there, for-

He pulled himself together and followed onto the balcony. He came just in time to see the Indian butler lift off from the ground.

Oh right … he can fly …

Hyde shrieked in fear and clung to the … uh, whatever the butler was. A demon or something, Lady Summers had once mentioned.

He turned to them for a last time.

“You get him there as quickly as possible”, Lady Summers ordered, “We'll follow after with the coach. Bring him to that small bridge that separates Hyde Park and Kensington Garden. We'll meet you there.”

The Indian nodded, then he took off with insane speed.

Utterson prayed desperately that the wind wouldn't harm his beloved at the speed the butler was carrying him through the air with.

“Come”, Lanyon spoke up, “We need to hurry.”

The other three dashed out of the house, where Her Ladyship's coach was waiting, then drove off.

Once arrived at the bridge, they joined the butler, who was waiting for them.

But of course he was standing on the bridge alone and it was too dark for them to see anything in the water.

“Where is Hyde?”, Utterson asked anxiously.

“Mr. Hyde is swimming around right under the bridge”, Mr. Singh told him, “He's feeling much better now that he has a bigger bathtub.”

The lawyer would have laughed at the word 'bathtub' being applied to such a big pond, but he was too nervous.

Damn, I can't see anything!

Lanyon turned to the butler. “There are still people in the park. How did you manage to get him there without anyone noticing?”

The butler shrugged. “Rakshasa magic. I cast an illusion. They just saw a seagull carrying a fish.”

The hoary doctor sighed. “I refuse to think further about it.”

“Good decision”, Singh replied drily.

Utterson didn't listen any further. He bent over the railing and cried out: “Edward? Can you hear me?”

“Not so loud!”, Lady Summers hissed and pointed at a group of men, who were walking along the strand. “It's still over an hour until the park closes!”

“Good grief. I'm casting another illusion”, Mr. Singh sighed and snapped his fingers.

His mistress bent over the railing as well and stared into the water.

She must have sent out a telepathic call, because Hyde popped his head out of the water in almost an instant.

“How are you feeling, Mr. Hyde?”, she inquired worriedly.

“Better”, he rasped. “Jekyll too.”

“That's good”, Lady Summers breathed in relief.

Hyde dived under again, only to startle them all by leaping up and holding onto the railing.

Utterson immediately cupped that greenish face and kissed the cold, wet lips.

Hyde kissed back and allowed the lawyer's hands to caress his cheeks, before letting go and sinking back into the water.

When his face came out again, he reached up and Utterson took his webbed hand.

He looked so incredibly unhappy with the entire situation, that the lawyer's heart shattered into a million pieces.

“We'll find a way to undo this, Edward”, he told the brunette softly. “We'll turn you and Henry human again and then you can go back to doing the things you love. I promise.”

[melodiouswhite]

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde rewritten - Ch. 32

32. Sympathy and tenderness

(A/N: Excessive mention of rape. Sorry.)

Hyde had no bloody clue, how he'd managed to drag himself all the way home, being in the agony he was. But somehow he had.

When he finally entered Jekyll's house, he slammed the back door shut after himself and fell to his knees from exhaustion and pain.

“Jekyll?”, he called out hoarsely, “Can you hear me?”

“I can hear you”, his creator’s voice answered.

His reflection in the mirror morphed into that of Jekyll, who stepped out of the mirror with a sombre expression.

Hyde smiled bitterly. “What's with that face, Doctor? You look as if you actually feel bad for me!”

“I do, Hyde”, the older whispered gently, “Believe it or not, I feel almost as horrible about it as you do.”

The brunette laughed: “It's kind of funny. I'm depraved to the core, but I've never felt so impure and defiled in my entire life.”

“Me neither”, Jekyll agreed sadly, “After all, we're in the same boat. I … I came out as a shadow, when I sensed that you weren't feeling well. I saw everything … oh, Edward, it was so awful!”

Hyde looked at him in surprise. “Why the hell are you crying?!”

“No, the real question is, why are you not?”

The smaller man ground his teeth. “Crying is for the weak.”

The blond shook his head. “Hyde, it's not like you to pretend. You don't have to be strong. Not now, not here, not in front of me. It's okay to hurt. It's okay to cry.”

Hyde tried not to, he really did.

But it was impossible.

He was hurting in every way, humiliated, angry, upset and just wanted it to stop.

He began to sob.

Jekyll took him in his arms and they both wept.

It was late afternoon, when their crying subsided and Hyde sat on the floor alone, desperate for shelter and comfort.

By this time Jekyll was no longer corporeal. He had kept that form up as long as he could, but it had taken too much energy and he'd been forced to return into Hyde's head.

“He-Henry”, he croaked, “E-everything hurts … what do I do?”

“You need medical attention”, Jekyll answered tiredly, “I can't help you. So you have only one option.”

Hyde's eyes widened in horror. “Are you serious?!”

“Yes.”

“But … Lanyon … he will …”

“He won't judge. Not you. It wasn't your fault.”

Jekyll sounded so confident, that he gave in.

Lanyon had just seen off the last patient, when his butler informed him, that a visitor was waiting in the parlour.

The hoary doctor frowned. “A visitor without notice?”

“The young man probably has a good reason for that”, the butler replied, “He looks absolutely awful.”

That got his attention. He went to the parlour hoping, that it wasn't who he feared it was.

Alas, he was disappointed, when he came in and found Edward Hyde waiting.

He wanted to make a snarky remark, but then he saw the brunette's state:

Hyde was even more pallid than usual, his eyes more sunken in, the rims around them darker, as if he hadn't slept in days. There was a nasty bruise on his forehead (probably at least a day old and provisionally nursed). His eyes were red and puffy, he must have been crying. He was supporting himself on his walking cane, but had visible trouble to keep himself upright.

He looked up, saw him and rasped: “I need medical attention.”

It sounded pathetic. Broken.

And Lanyon hated it.

If Hyde was suffering, Jekyll had to be as well.

But he didn't show what he was thinking.

“Very well”, he said calmly, “But perhaps you should sit down-”

“I can't”, Hyde interrupted him quietly. “I can't. It hurts way too much to sit.”

A sense of foreboding crept into the doctor's heart.

“… That answers the question of where the problem is, I suppose. Can you lay on your stomach?”, he asked, pointing to the cot in the corner. The younger one nodded.

“You're obviously tired”, Lanyon continued, “Perhaps you want to rest first. And you look dehydrated. Do you want some tea?”

The brunette smiled gratefully and nodded.

Lanyon helped him over, covered him with a blanket and went to give the orders and fetch his medical equipment. But first, he placed a bucket next to Hyde's head – he did look quite sick.

When he came back, the poor boy was hurling. Within a second, he was by his side with a pot of water and gently rubbing his back.

“Oh dear”, he mumbled, “Mr. Hyde, what's the matter? What happened to you?”

Hyde laughed hoarsely: “I can't answer that question without making it sound like a horror tale.”

Alright, now the sense of foreboding was festering.

Oh my god, please don't let it be what I think it is, please, please, please, he prayed desperately.

He handed the younger man the pot of water. “Some water, for your throat”, he told him and added uncomfortably, “Perhaps we should wait until your stomach has settled down-”

“No”, Hyde choked, “I want to get it over with as soon as possible.”

Lanyon sighed sadly. “As you wish. But you'll have to strip of your inexpressibles, I'm afraid.”

The brunette nodded hesitantly. Lanyon helped him to stand up and offered to help, but Hyde refused vehemently.

The white-haired doctor looked away out of decency and tried not to show his pity, as the other obviously struggled to do as asked of him.

Finally Hyde spoke up: “I'm ready. But Dr. Lanyon, before we get to it: I must ask, that you will remain professional and do your work and nothing more.”

Lanyon turned back to him and nodded solemnly. “Of course, Mr. Hyde. Now, lie back down and spread your legs, please*. I know it's a compromising position, but-”

“I know, I know!”, the brunette snapped. “Just get it over with!”

He spread his legs like a female patient. The young man was shaking like a leaf and his eyes were wide with fear. As if he was trying his best to have faith in the other, but was too frightened and upset to do so.

He only allows me to look at it, because Jekyll trusts me, Lanyon realised.

The doctor began to examine the other's lower body, but his mismatched eyes widened in horror, when he saw the injuries that caused the brunette so much pain.

“Oh my God …”, he breathed. “Jesus Christ!”

“Jesus Christ doesn't care”, Hyde commented coldly.

Lanyon ignored the blaspheme remark.

He had to focus on swallowing his rage.

Hyde wasn't Jekyll, but he was a part of him. Hurting him meant hurting Jekyll too.

And that made the hoary man's blood boil.

Someone had dared to lay hand on his best friend! Had touched and defiled him in the worst possible way! He would fucking kill him! He would find the bastard, who had done this and do the most gruesome things to him that he could think of!

Hyde's voice tore him back to the moment. “You're not going to make me explain what happened, are you?”

It was an anxious question, a plea.

Lanyon shook his head. “You don't need to, Mr. Hyde. It's obvious.”

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

“You don't happen to know the guy who did this, do you?”

The patient shook his head. “No. The one I suspect is a complete stranger. I don't know who it was.”

“Dammit”, Lanyon grumbled. “Because I really want to kill him. Shove the barrel of my gun up his arse and pull the trigger.”

“I'd love to see that”, Hyde chuckled weakly, “And hear his screams of agony, as he dies a slow and painful death.”

Lanyon nodded grimly and took another deep breath.

“I'm going to tend to your injuries now”, he told the smaller man. “Sadly I've run out of chloroform, so this will hurt a lot.”

The other nodded. “I know. You'll have to fix me to the cot. I don't think I'll be able to hold still the entire time.”

Lanyon heeded the advice and then went to work.

The procedure was painful for both of them.

For Hyde obviously, for Lanyon, because he couldn't bear to see the other in so much pain.

Not only because this was Jekyll suffering (well, specifically his darker half, but it counted!), but also because Edward Hyde was young, slender and very small. The culprit probably had thought that the brunette was an underage Mary Ann**, which made this whole thing even sicker.

Finally the doctor was finished with his work, leaving the patient drained, but relieved. Lanyon untied him and handed him his pants.

“I'm afraid, this is all I can do”, Lanyon told him apologetically, “Also, you shouldn't eat any solid food for the next days. This needs to heal.”

“Great”, Hyde grumbled, “More soup.”

The older man continued: “Good news is, once the wounds have healed sufficiently, you will be fine. No permanent physical damage.”

“Lucky me”, the younger deadpanned.

“I know it's no comfort.”

“It's not.”

Lanyon hated how helpless he was in this situation.

He had been able to patch up the physical injuries, but never would he be able to mend the wounds left on Jekyll's and Hyde's soul. Even if the wounds healed, the scars would never fade.

Knowing that was unbearable.

“Don't make that face, Doctor”, Hyde said, “You've done all you could. And that was more than enough. I will be fine.”

“Will you?”, queried Lanyon. “Mr. Hyde, stop pretending that you're not hurting on the inside – the other inside”, he added poignantly, when the brunette lifted an eyebrow.

“You're forgetting, that I have known you – that is, Jekyll – for forty years. Your act doesn't fool me.”

He opened his arms. “Need a hug?”

Hyde bit his lip. His acid green eyes lost a bit of their brightness and specks of brown appeared. Jekyll was breaking through his defences, Lanyon realised.

Then the younger nodded silently.

Hyde didn't know how long they had been sitting in this weird position, but eventually he calmed down. Somehow he was able to think clearly now and his emotions were becoming less overwhelming.

For someone who was so easy to unnerve, Lanyon sure had a stabilising aura of reliability to himself.

But then again, this is why Jekyll clung to him for fifteen years, isn't it? Why he loved and needed him so much? Because he made him feel sane?

“Thank you, Lanyon”, he whispered finally.

The hoary doctor smiled. “You're welcome.”

“What time is it?”, he inquired.

Lanyon checked his watch. “It's half past nine.”

Huh. Was it really that late?

The older man handed him his walking cane. “Honestly, I think my work is done so far. Right now, you don't need me any longer.”

Hyde blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Lanyon looked at him seriously. “I gave you medical attention, but you also need someone to help you get the justice you deserve. Mr. Hyde, what you need now is a lawyer.”

Oh.

Right.

A lawyer.

“Shall I call you a cab to Utterson's place?”

Hyde shook his head.

The other frowned. “It's pouring outside and you're still in pain. You shouldn't-”

“I know”, the brunette muttered, “But I walked all the way here from Jekyll's home. I'll manage.”

Lanyon shook his head and gave up. “Well, suit yourself. You two are goddamn stubborn, trying to dissuade you would be pointless.”

“Exactly”, Hyde agreed. “I'll be on my way, then. Thank you for the medical attention. Oh, and Dr. Lanyon?”

“Hm?”

Hyde regarded him with genuine gratitude and said: “You're a good fellow and a wonderful friend. Jekyll is lucky to have you.”

At first, Lanyon looked shocked. Then he smiled lopsidedly.

“You are lucky to have me.”

He laughed throatily. “Yes, I guess I am.”

Then he left.

Utterson was stacking away the last of his paper work, when he heard a knock from the door.

Looking through the spy hole, he couldn't see anything, so he opened the door to check.

To his surprise, it was none other than Edward Hyde standing in front of him. He was completely drenched, shaking like a leaf and supporting himself on his walking stick.

“H-hey”, the wet man stammered.

“Edward! My god, you're soaked! What were you doing outside in this weather?! Get out of these wet clothes, I'll find you a towel and something dry.”

The lawyer pushed him into the living room, near the fireplace and brought him some tea.

When he came back with a nightgown, morning coat and three towels in his arms, Hyde had peeled out of most of his clothes and was hiding behind the armchair like a frightened animal.

This was so very wrong … he felt his heart twist painfully.

But Utterson saved the questions for later and helped the young man dry up and put on the dry clothes. The poor man was still shivering, so he shooed him into his own bed.

“Good grief, out there in this weather at this hour! What happened? You're a mess!”

“Yes”, Hyde replied softly and lay down carefully. “A mess …”

His lip was quivering.

His voice was hoarse and shaking.

His eyes were slightly damp.

He was on the verge of tears, Utterson realised and his heart twisted even further.

“Wait a bit”, he told the brunette gently, “I'll get you some more tea-”

“No!”, the smaller cried suddenly, startling him. “Don't … don't go … I … I …”

The lawyer sat at the edge of the bed. “I'm not going anywhere. But Edward, please tell me what happened.”

“Don't worry”, Hyde muttered, “That's what I came for.”

Then he slowly sat back up. “Oh! I can sit again!”, he remarked, “I must thank Lanyon tomorrow, he did a good job.”

Utterson began to fret. Couldn't the other just tell him already what the matter was?!

But then Hyde began to do exactly that: “It won't be pretty, Gabriel, so brace yourself.

It was last Friday night, I was at the pub to get up the knocker – you know, the usual. Something was different this time, though. But this time there was this stranger, who asked to sit with me. That in itself was weird – no one ever wants to sit with me – so I got suspicious, but I didn't say anything about it. Then my first shot came and I must have been distracted for a moment, I don't remember. Anyway, I was already dizzy after half a glass, so it must have been spiked. So I didn't drink the rest, paid for it and left. But it was pretty difficult to get forward in the darkness and the rain – I don't even know, if I was walking into the right direction. At some point I had to lean against a wall, I think. Then, suddenly I heard a voice behind me and someone threw me against the wall several times. Of course that and the drug made me pass out.

The next thing I remember is waking up today morning, in the flat of one of the girls I frequent. My entire body was hurting like hell, especially my arse and back. She told me what had happened, but it wouldn't have been hard to guess anyway.

Jekyll said that he saw what happened, because he was out in his shadow form. He tried to keep the memories from me, but he isn't as good at it as I am. They came to me on the way here. Fun times. Seeing pictures in my head, of how that bastard defiled my entire body. Then he left me to die, unconscious and covered in blood and filth.”

He hugged himself and looked away, while the lawyer stared at him in horror and disbelief.

When it all sank in, Utterson felt his heart shatter into a million pieces.

“You don't believe me, do you?”, Hyde asked in a hushed, broken voice. “Or if you do … you're disgusted with us, aren't you? With me and Jekyll? Because we allowed someone to do this to-?”

“Shhhh”, the lawyer whispered. “Edward … please look at me.”

When the young man turned his head to look at him, his eyes were brimming with tears.

“Of course I believe you. Why would I not? And I'm not disgusted – not with you two anyway. Just the piece of filth, who did this to you.”

The thought was sickening.

Someone touching Hyde – and therefore Jekyll – like that.

And why the hell was Hyde chuckling?!

“I deserved it. It's not like I was any better. And at least something good came out of it”, he remarked.

The older man frowned. “What good could possibly come out of such a thing?!”

“It taught me to respect women and that a no is a no. Don't give me that look, Mr. Utterson”, he added coolly, when the lawyer frowned. “Did you really believe that I was respectful or even kind to the whores I screwed? Or that I cared, whether they wanted to serve me or not?”

The black-haired man sighed: “No. I'm just disappointed, that Henry Jekyll is a rapist.”

Hyde lifted an eyebrow. “You're surprisingly calm about it. We expected you to freak out.”

“There is nothing I can do about it now. Anything else I should know?”

“Well, if it makes you feel better, neither of us ever touched anyone younger than eighteen. That's the minimum age for Jekyll. My partners must be older than twenty.”

Utterson tilted his head. “To be honest, that does make me feel better. But back to the matter at hand; the culprit. Did you know him, or if not, do you remember what he looked like?”

“I didn't know him, but I do remember his appearance. A bit taller and bulkier than you. Two, three inches, maybe. Broad shoulders, wild red hair and freckles. Irish accent, a very deep voice-”

Suddenly Hyde broke off. His green eyes widened, as if in revelation.

“Edward?”, the lawyer asked carefully.

“That man”, the younger whispered. “It was the same as the one who shot me!”

His face twisted with anger and he jumped up.

“It was him! I knew he was familiar! How did I not recognise him?! That bastard! I should have killed him right on the-!”

Utterson pressed his hands onto the other's shoulders and pushed him back into a sitting position.

“Edward, I know that you're angry, but you need to calm down. Don't play into his hands by becoming his murderer. He will face justice, I give you my word. But you have to keep it together.”

“Keep it together!”, Hyde gasped out angrily, “I let him fucking drug and violate me and now I'm-”

“You didn't let him do anything”, Utterson grimly cut him off. “This wasn't your fault, Edward. It was his fault for being such a perverse individual. I bet he thought you were an underage rent boy or a Mary Ann. You do look a bit like it at first glance.”

“Gee, thanks a lot!”, the younger retorted sarcastically. “That totally wouldn't hurt my pride, if I had any to begin with!”

The lawyer cringed. “Forgive me. I didn't mean to add insult to injury.”

He stood up. “Lie back down, alright? I will get you more tea and something to eat.”

Hyde smiled lopsidedly. “Well, I haven't eaten in two days, so that would be appreciated.”

Utterson couldn't help but smile. “I'll see what I have. Oh, and one more question!”

“Hm?”

“The woman, who saved you. Did you repay her somehow?”

The brunette nodded. “Yes, actually. With 200 £ and a promise to never hurt her again. After all, she did save my life and patched me up as best as she could.”

Utterson nodded in approval.

Two hundred Pounds were a lot of money, but considering what had happened, Jekyll would surely forgive his other half.

He went down to the kitchen, cut a few pomegranates (Lady Summers had given him some from her own greenhouse) and went back up.

Hyde's mood brightened immediately, when he saw the bowl full of pomegranate seeds. His face looked adorable like that, but this was not a good time to think further on it.

“I'm afraid that's all I have right now, since it's Sunday night. Personally, I'm not a fan of them”, Utterson said and gave him the bowl. “But I thought just in case you come here, I might as well get something you like. My favourite food always cheers me u– aaand you inhaled them”, he ended lamely, when the brunette devoured the seeds within less than ten seconds.

“What? I told you I was hungry”, Hyde stated.

Well, at least he didn't get anything onto my nightgown, the lawyer thought drily and handed him a handkerchief.

“Obviously. How are you feeling now?”

Hyde's face fell again and he shook his head.

“It's ironic, really. I feel so tainted and worthless”, he croaked. “I, Edward Hyde, who is but the embodiment of everything that taints Henry Jekyll. I'm not even a real-”

Utterson shook his head and put his hands on the other's shoulders again.

“Hush”, he whispered. “Don't speak that way. None of this is true. Being Jekyll's darker half doesn't make you tainted. Neither does what that scum did to you. Was this the first time you were penetrated like that?”

The brunette lowered his head and nodded.

“Edward. It doesn't count.”

Hyde's head whipped back up, disbelief edged into his face. “What's that supposed to mean?!”

The black-haired man gently kneaded his shoulders and explained: “Your virginity is something you have to give willingly. Something taken without consent and by hurting someone is worth nothing. Your body may be wounded and bruised, but it won't become impure or dirty, because of something that wasn't your fault or even your choice. You haven't chosen to give yourself, Edward, and that's why what he did to you doesn't count. The only things that can tarnish you, are the choices you make and the things you do.”

Throughout his talk, the boy's eyes had filled with tears and now they were running down his face like torrents.

“That's … the biggest balderdash I ever heard! It makes … no sense whatsoever!”, he choked. “Goddammit, Gabriel! Quit making me so bloody sentimental all the time!”

“Sorry”, Utterson apologised, “I'll try. No guarantees, though.”

“I hate being like this!”, Hyde sobbed, “I hate being so fucking pathetic!”

“Edward …”

“I want to forget it! I want to forget, that this ever happened! I want to stop feeling these things and go back to being the unfeeling, cold-hearted creature that I was!”

“Edward …”

The brunette dug his fingernails so deeply into his arms that blood started to seep through the sleeves of the nightgown.

“I want it to stop!”, he cried in anguish. “I want it to stop, damn it! Make it stop! Help me forget it all! Make me forget who I am and not think about anything but that I'm here with you! You're so good at that, Gabriel. Calm my nerves and my mind! Make me feel like I'm more than just the personified sins and vices of someone else! Make me feel like I'm human!”

“Edward!”

The black-haired man pried the other's hands away from his arms, embraced him and let him cry into his chest. The smaller man clung to him like a lifeline, while Utterson stroked his back and his long, dark brown hair with the other.

“Edward. Look at me”, he pleaded.

Oh so hesitantly, the younger looked into his eyes. The older took a napkin out of his waistcoat and wiped the blood off Hyde's arms.

“You're not pathetic. You're hurt, angry and upset and there is nothing pathetic about that. I've told you many times before and I will tell you again. You're far more than just the personified darker half of Henry's soul. You're human. You're a man. Always were and always will be. You're not the lesser being you think you are.”

Hyde's acid green eyes were full of doubt.

“Prove it!”, he rasped, “Prove to me that I'm a person and not the monster everyone things I am!”

The lawyer acted out of instinct.

Hyde blinked in confusion, as the taller man cupped his face and bent down slightly.

“Gabriel …?”

He didn't get to finish the question.

Utterson had no idea, what prompted him to lay his lips upon Hyde's.

Or why he had thought that he could just give the other a gentle peck on the lips.

Because that had been his intention: a harmless, quick and chaste peck.

Stupid him.

As if Hyde ever wouldn't be Hyde enough to crave more than just that fleeting touch.

Next thing he knew was that the young man was kissing him back with passion and entangling his spidery fingers in his greying hair.

Utterson felt his face flush. He felt his heart beat higher and a strange fuzziness in his stomach.

Yet at the same time, he felt a sting in his heart.

What am I doing? My first kiss was supposed to be with Henry, yet here I am …

The thought was quickly banished, however. Hyde gently pushed him down onto the bed and crawled on top of him, not breaking the kiss for a split of a second.

Never would the black-haired man have imagined, that this would feel so … right. That he would ever willingly make out with Edward Hyde and like it.

But Hyde was so skilled and good at it, and his lips tasted like the pomegranate seeds he had eaten earlier.

It was wonderful. Addictive. It took his breath away.

It made him feel … desire. He had never felt desire before. It was so unfamiliar, yet it felt so good.

He moaned softly and clasped the other's thin waist.

But after a while, the need for air became too great and they parted, both wheezing for breath.

“Whoa …”, Utterson gasped. “Edward …”

With hooded eyes, he gazed at the smaller man, who was currently panting on top of him.

His eyes were glowing with emotion and a rosy blush had painted his pale cheeks.

In that moment, he looked stunningly beautiful.

“That was … unexpected”, he remarked breathlessly.

Then he giggled: “That really was your first kiss.”

It wasn't a question.

Utterson blushed harder and asked sheepishly: “Was it that obvious?”

Hyde nodded. “Quite so. Your lips quivered. And you were so awkward, clumsy and timid, there is no way you could've had any experience.”

The black-haired man was peeved by the smug grin on the brunette's face. But any snappy retort he could have made died in his throat, when he saw the softness in those green eyes.

“No one has ever given me their first kiss before”, Hyde confessed. Then, more seriously: “You saved your first kiss for Jekyll, didn't you? Why did you kiss me instead?”

That was a good question.

Why had he kissed him?

Because he had felt like he had to do it? Because the younger had needed it? Because he had wanted to? Because he'd had something to prove?

None of those … but he had no idea what the truth was.

“I … I do not know”, he finally admitted.

“Do you regret it?”

Utterson considered.

Eventually he smiled and said: “No. I don't regret kissing you.”

Hyde relaxed and smiled back.

And then, suddenly – a lion yawn.

Seemed like exhaustion was finally catching up to a certain someone.

The lawyer chuckled and pulled the covers over them.

“Sleep, Edward. I'll stay with you.”

Hyde snuggled into him and fell asleep soon after.

Utterson wrapped his arms around him and closed his eyes.

Never mind, that he was still fully dressed.

---

* I don’t know how anal injuries were treated back then (if at all), so I improvised.

** Mary Ann - Victorian slang for an effeminate man, sometimes (but not necessarily) a male prostitute.

In summer 1885 (before my story begins), the age of consent was raised from 13 to 16 years old (by the same Act that criminalised homosexuality).

My Hyde looks younger than 16 years old at first glance (being so small and slight), so a stranger would mistake him for a 12/13-year-old, just by looking at his face.

[melodiouswhite]

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde rewritten - Ch. 24

24. A rendezvous with a mad scientist

Jekyll could have danced all the way home.

Which was stupid, but he couldn't help himself.

After days of consideration, inner struggle and Hyde yelling at him to “JUST POP THE QUESTION ALREADY!!!”, he had finally worked up the courage to ask Utterson on a date. Just a trip to the theatre, nothing special, then dinner maybe.

And the lawyer had said yes!!! 

Oh, the Doctor felt like he was walking on air!

Of course dancing in the middle of the street in broad daylight was ungentlemanly and he had a reputation to uphold. But he was just way too happy to keep it all in.

A flower girl profited from his good mood, when he bought all of her flowers.

He laughed at the way she gaped at the ten Pounds in her hand, as if they were the most magnificent thing she had seen in her entire life. Although, they probably were.

“For yer wife, Sir?”, the girl asked curiously, after a few seconds.

Jekyll smiled and shook his head. “No, I'm not married. These are to beautify my home.”

The flower girl grinned toothily. Her teeth were quite yellow, but there was life in her grin. That was the grin of someone who lived in misery, but still had hopes and dreams.

“Oh, but yer in love, right? I can tell!”, she laughed.

He chuckled and gave in. “Well, women have an eye for these things, don't they?”

The doctor took the flowers he had just purchased and cradled them in his arms.

“But don't tell anyone, young lady”, he added good-humouredly, “It's unbecoming for a gentleman at my age to-”

“One is never too old for love!”, the flower girl laughed merrily, “God bless you, Sir! And lots of luck to you!”

“Good luck to you too”, Jekyll replied and continued his way home.

“I can't believe you spent ten Pounds on an armful of roses!”, Hyde complained as soon as Jekyll was in his private rooms. “Ten Pounds! And look at these things! They're all together worth a few Shillings at best!”

Jekyll's mouth twitched upward. “My dear Edward, if I remember correctly, a certain mishap on your part cost me a hundred Pounds. So don't complain, if I use my money for something good. Besides, my home could use some decoration, don't you agree?”

Hyde groaned: “Are you rubbing this in my face again? I thought we agreed to never speak of this again!”

“And I thought we agreed to never speak of my personal spendings, Edward Hyde. You're in no position to complain to me about it, young man, you live on my wealth”, Jekyll retorted and sat behind his desk. There was work to do.

Hyde grumbled something under his breath.

Jekyll looked up to the mirror next to him. “Now, there is no need for that kind of language.”

“Yes, there is”, the brunette in the mirror grumbled, “It makes me feel better.”

“What's agitating you anyways? And don't tell me it's the flowers and the money I spent on them, you've been like this all week.”

“Well, if you have to know!”, Hyde cried in frustration and exited the mirror to sit on his creator's desk. “First I was frustrated at how fucking long it took you to ask him out! Secondly, I really hate your lovey-dovey behaviour! I mean look at you! Swooning over your lawyer like a fifteen-year-old girl! If you have to be in love, can't you be a little less corny?!”

The blond put his pen down and frowned at the younger man. “As a matter of fact, no. Hyde, what is your real problem? My love for Gabriel never bothered you before.”

Hyde just huffed and looked away.

But it wasn't quick enough for Jekyll not to notice the look in his eyes.

The blond knew his alter ego – just like Hyde knew him – and he would have recognised that expression anywhere.

“What's so funny?”, Hyde snapped, when Jekyll chuckled quietly.

The doctor smiled at him. “I just find it amusing how you pretend not to give a damn, despite how obvious your jealousy is. You're such a brat.”

He put as much fondness in his words as possible, to get his point across.

When Hyde turned back to him, his bilious green eyes full of mirth, it was clear that he had.

“And you're a hypocritical, sentimental, old fool”, the young man retorted.

Jekyll laughed merrily: “Yes, I can't deny that I am.”

Utterson was nervous.

He had arrived at their meeting point early and the longer he was waiting, the more antsy he became. It was still another two minutes and the lawyer prayed desperately, that Jekyll wouldn't be late. The blond wasn't the type of man to be late, but Lanyon had told him about all the times Jekyll had been late to their dates or forgot them entirely. Mostly because he had been experimenting.

Oh my god, what if Henry forgot that we were supposed to-?

Before he could end that thought, the subject of his concerns came around the corner.

Oh thank God!

Jekyll looked around, saw him and approached him with hurried steps.

“Hello, Utterson”, he greeted him breathlessly, “I'm sorry for being late, I-”

“You're not late”, Utterson informed him, “You're on time. And hello to you too, Jekyll. Looking dashing, old chap.”

How he hated saying 'old chap', but they were in public and had to keep up appearances.

The Doctor was wearing a black tailor-fit fur coat with a blueish hue, a purple silk scarf, black leather gloves, his best top hat and winter boots.

Jekyll blushed lightly. “You think so? I didn't even know I still had that coat and scarf. But I found them again and since this is a special occasion I thought I might as well try them on again. You're looking quite dashing yourself, if I may say so.”

The lawyer laughed. “You're jesting!”

“No, I'm serious!”

The black-haired man was wearing a black wool coat and top hat. To that a lavender scarf and white velvet gloves.

“You look handsome”, Jekyll whispered, before saying more loudly: “Let's go. They're performing Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' tonight and I remember that this is one of your favourites! I reserved us one of the boxes, so we will have a bit of privacy, while having a good view at the same time.”

Utterson beamed at the other.

The performance was perfect.

The actors did an amazing job, the atmosphere was splendid and the effects were stunning.

And of course it helped that they had an entire box for themselves.

Jekyll couldn't help but tear his attention away from the play from time to time. Watching Utterson watch the play was almost equally interesting.

The usually aloof lawyer got completely caught up in the atmosphere. He laughed during the funny scenes, discreetly expressed his antipathy towards the villainous characters and on occasion told Jekyll what would happen next.

Which wasn't necessary.

But the Doctor suspected, that this was just how it was, when someone liked a story very much. He took it with a fond smile and pretended that he didn't already know the play as well as his love did.

Utterson was so enraptured by the performance, that Jekyll didn't bother to try to begin a conversation (which was why he had reserved a box for them in the first place).

But it was okay. At least he could look (stare) at the black-haired man without anyone noticing.

He's too handsome for his own good …

“Seriously?”, Hyde's voice piped up, “There is nothing physically remarkable about him! Well, except for his eyes, when he smiles – maybe.”

Oh shut up, Jekyll scoffed mentally, I distinctly remember, that his eyes captivated you enough that you decided, that their colour is your favourite one.

“Just do me a favour and watch the play!”, Hyde grumbled, “I can't assume my shadowy form here, so I need to see through your eyes! And because you're staring at him all the time, I'm currently bored as hell!”

Jekyll grinned, but complied. After all, Hyde had never been to the theatre in his existence and he had behaved nicely as of late. Well, nicely by Hyde's standards.

In the darkness of the theatre, Utterson hadn't been able to make out, what Jekyll was wearing under his coat. But here in the restaurant, it was light enough for him to see that he was wearing an adorned, indigo waistcoat over a white shirt and-

“Don't. Say. A word”, Jekyll warned, when he noticed the lawyer smirking at his bow tie. It was the purple one Lanyon had given him for Christmas.

But Utterson couldn't help but remark: “Lanyon will be so delighted.”

“Not if he doesn't find out”, the blond grumbled, making the black-haired man laugh.

Oh, I will definitely tell him!, he thought gleefully.

He himself was wearing a lavender waistcoat and tie to a white shirt and blushed, when the blond complimented his attire again.

The restaurant was fancy, but not too much, which Utterson was grateful for. Jekyll had chosen well, here he didn't feel as underdressed as in the clubs where Jekyll liked to dine.

The Doctor was much richer than he himself was, as was Lanyon. Not to mention how insanely wealthy Lady Summers was. Sometimes the lawyer couldn't help but feel like he was the odd one out. Like a lowly commoner among bourgeoisie and aristocracy. It was a good thing that the three weren't as arrogant as most people of their class.

“Gabriel.”

Utterson blinked. “Yes?”

Jekyll was frowning at him. “You're moping again. Thinking about how you're so inferior to me, Lanyon and Lady Summers, because we're much richer, aren't you?”

The lawyer blushed awkwardly.

“I take that as a yes. Well, stop it. It's not true and you know it. I resent that classist thinking and I wish you wouldn't feel that way. You have no idea just how much of a gift you are.”

He blushed harder. “Oh hush, Henry.”

“Nay.”

Jekyll looked around to see if anyone could hear them.

Then he continued, more quietly: “Do you think I would love you, if I looked down on you? I'm pretty certain I wouldn't. Because in that case I would be blind to what a wonderful person you really are.”

“Sh-shut up!”, Utterson begged. If the other went on, he would die from embarrassment!

The Doctor chuckled. “Don't worry, I've said my say now. I won't embarrass you any further. I just meant to make a point.”

Utterson smiled weakly.

Now that they knew each other's secrets and feelings, Jekyll was smothering him with affection. It was almost too much to handle for the reserved lawyer. And it made him concerned. The Doctor was intensive and careless in the way he loved.

So how would Hyde – Jekyll's flaws and desires incarnate – act, if he grew attracted to him? His backhanded compliments and underhand remarks were creepy enough already. Utterson really didn't want to imagine, what that madman's definition of courting would be.

Enough, the lawyer admonished himself. Today is for Jekyll. I can continue to worry about Hyde tomorrow.

They finished their dinner, paid and left the restaurant.

Utterson accompanied Jekyll back home, much to the latter's delight.

Jekyll chose to enter his house from the backyard, where Hyde usually came and went. He was hoping that Utterson would come inside with him. But he was disappointed quickly, when the lawyer refused.

“It was a wonderful day and the offer is tempting. But I'm tired, Harry”, the black-haired man told him quietly. And he did look exhausted.

For a second, Jekyll considered offering him to stay the night.

But then he remembered, what Lady Summers had said about pushing things to the next level already. He needed to give the lawyer more time.

And so he just smiled and relented. “Of course. Good night, my dear fellow. I hope you will sleep well.”

“Likewise”, Utterson replied.

The clouds drifted away and the moonlight fell into the backyard. It illuminated Utterson's face, making it look like snow in contrast to his black hair.

He looked so gorgeous.

Oh, how badly he wanted to kiss him!

“Then do it!”, Hyde piped up, “Stop with that disgusting pining and just kiss him already, you old fool! You've wanted it for decades, so why don't you?! What holds you back? It's late and dark in here, no one will see it!”

Maybe, but has it ever occurred to you, that perhaps I have a modicum of respect for him?, Jekyll thought sarcastically.

“Sure!”, Hyde snorted, “That's why I'm such a respectful person! Because you have so much of it!”

Edward Hyde, I warn you-

“Arguing with yourself again?”, Utterson spoke up.

Jekyll blushed, caught red-handed.

“I can tell by now”, the lawyer explained, “For someone who always keeps his face in public, you have the worst poker-face. Has anyone ever told you that?”

“No, but I'm definitely going to work on it”, Jekyll muttered.

Utterson frowned. “Fine, if you insist. But not to me, Henry.”

He took his hand, making his face flush deeper. “I want you to be honest and open to me. No more secrets. Promise?”

Jekyll smiled and kissed the other's hand.

“I promise”, he said sweetly and added: “I love you. So much.”

Utterson's face flushed just as hard as his own (much to his satisfaction).

“I-I know”, he stuttered. “A-and thank you. F-for the day, I mean. It was wonderful.”

Then he squeezed the blond's hand once more, whispered good night and ran off.

Jekyll looked after him, before breaking into a huge grin and went inside.

This had been the most wonderful day and not even Hyde's frustrated nagging could ruin it now.

Utterson practically flew all the way back home, still flushed with embarrassment.

As soon as he was there, he threw himself onto his bed, grinned and sighed blessedly.

For a brief moment he wondered, if that was how youngsters felt, if the object of their affection requited their love.

Either way, the black-haired man couldn't recall, if he had ever been happier than he was now. Happiness wasn't even the word. Bliss was closer to it.

Whether his feelings were a sin or not, he thanked the Lord anyway.

What a magical day …

[melodiouswhite]

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde rewritten - Ch. 29

29. Next mornings and other shenanigans

When Lanyon woke up next morning, he decided to say good morning to the Lady first.

Her office was on the second floor. When he got there, he found her chattering vividly into her telephone, while her lady-in-waiting was typing furiously on a writing machine.

“What do you mean, you don't know?”, the Lady snapped into the receiver.

“…”

“Good grief, Alma! That one time your precognition is actually needed!”

“…!”

“You're right, you're right. I'm sorry.”

“…?”

“I'll explain it next time I visit you. Oh, and Alma – I do not wish for you to wander around alone anymore.”

“…”

“I know. But I'm seriously on edge right now. And whoever it is, if it's me they're targeting, they might target you as well. You know why.”

“…”

“Right. Thank you anyway. Take good care of yourself. Bye bye.”

She hung up the phone and sighed.

Then she noticed Lanyon standing in the door frame.

“Oh, good morning, Doctor! Did you sleep well?”

He shrugged. “I had no nightmares, so I guess it was fine.” He frowned at her. “If I may ask, who-”

“You may not”, she interrupted him.

The white-haired doctor sighed sadly.

The Lady was open with everything, except for her clients, her family and her other acquaintances. When it came to them, she was incredibly cagey. Of course he knew that she had her reasons, but sometimes he couldn't help but feel a bit bitter about it. If only she trusted him, at least about her relations! She knew everything about him, so why was he not allowed to-?

“Because if you knew everything about me, you'd never be able to look at me the same way”, Lady Summers cut him off. “And I really can't allow that to happen. I cherish what we have right now, Doctor.”

Heavy silence fell over them, wrapping the entire room into a melancholy atmosphere.

Then the lady-in-waiting broke it, by muttering something in Japanese.

Lanyon had no idea, what the younger woman had said, but it caused the older one to give her a sharp glare.

“One more remark like that, Aoimoku, and you will be grounded for a month.”

A string of Japanese words ensued and Lanyon decided to see himself out. There was no point in just standing there like an idiot, not understanding a word.

Lady Summers spend the entire morning making phone calls and sending telegrams, until her butler warned her, that she was straining the electricity and the cables would melt, if she didn't leave it at that for the day.

Whelp.

So she would have to go to the telegraph station later. She still had so many other calls to make.

Gratefully she nodded at her lady-in-waiting, who had filled a whole stack of paper with the messages that were to be sent. The Japanese was an absolute gem, when she wasn't playing pranks or trying to make her and Dr. Lanyon hook up.

Utterson woke up early.

At first he was a bit disorientated. Then he remembered, that he was in Lady Summers' home. He had stayed the night, just like his friends, at the Lady's request.

Slowly he opened his eyes, blinked and looked around.

Someone had tucked him in.

He decided, that he was too tired to wonder who.

However …

The lawyer blushed, when he noticed that someone was sleeping next to him.

Henry Jekyll was curled up under the covers, sleeping the sleep of the righteous. He looked so peaceful and serene, that the other's heart beat up to his throat.

Oh dear, I really fell asleep here – OH MY GOD, I STILL HAVE MY ARM AROUND HIM???

Utterson quickly let go and sat up.

Jekyll began to stir and awoke with a yawn. He sat up, rubbed his eyes and blinked.

Cute.

Then he noticed the black-haired man, blushed and smiled happily.

Even cuter.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Henry”, Utterson replied, “Have you slept well?”

“Like a rock”, Jekyll chuckled and stretched himself.

“How are you feeling”, Utterson asked in concern, remembering how worn out the blond had been the day before.

“My back still hurts a bit and my limbs are a bit sore. It will take a while until I have recovered from the cramps. But I'm definitely better rested than yesterday.”

The lawyer felt guilty. Jekyll was only in this state, because Hyde had overexerted himself to save his skin. He was quite convinced, that it was a lot worse for Hyde than for Jekyll, tough as he may be.

“Don't think of that, Gabriel”, Jekyll cooed. “Let's forget it. It's in the past and can't be changed. Both Hyde and I forgive you. There is no need to feel guilty now.”

Of course, he knew that his Doctor was right. But he just couldn't help himself.

Suddenly the Doctor blinked. “Oh, Hyde is awake and wants out! Odd. Normally he doesn't like daytime at all. It hurts his eyes and makes him feel exposed.”

“Let him”, Utterson told him, “I want to say good morning to his face.”

Jekyll consented and lay back down.

As soon has he began so convulse, Utterson took his hand and looked away.

He just couldn't bear to see the transformation, even now. But he had got used to the feeling of Jekyll's hand morphing in his own.

Finally, he felt Hyde's lean, sinewy hand relax in his own. He felt a strange sort of comfort, when the small young man gripped his own hand firmly.

“Good morning, Mr. Hyde.”

Hyde looked up and him and grinned broadly. “Good morning”, he rasped in reply.

He removed his hand and remarked: “I didn't expect for Jekyll to actually let me out. Or for you to still be here, when I awake, for that matter.”

Utterson had to smile. “How are you feeling, Mr. Hyde?”

“Not quite dead yet”, Hyde laughed, “But my back is still pretty stiff.”

“Should Lanyon have a look at that?”

Hyde looked apprehensive. But he agreed.

Lanyon agreed to examine Hyde's back. He was surprised that Jekyll hadn't asked him to. But that was probably due to idiocy or pride.

The young man was visibly unwilling to strip his shirt, but did so without argument. Good boy.

The white-haired doctor was a bit disturbed by how thin Hyde really was. The young man was wiry, nothing but muscles, skin and bone.

“You need to eat more”, he informed him.

“So do you”, Hyde retorted, “You were much chubbier, when I first met you. When was the last time you ate? Eat more cake.”

I would, if I wasn't allergic to milk, Lanyon thought drily.

Perhaps he was feeling a bit petty, when he pressed his fingers onto the back muscles to see, which one was cramped. The younger man hissed in pain, but when Lanyon felt down his spine, his face contorted in pain.

“Ow …”

“Sorry”, the doctor apologised, “So it hurts the most here?”

Hyde nodded, when the older brushed over his sacral bone. “Damn, I feel old”, the brunette muttered, “Kinda like when Jekyll sits at his desk all day and then stands up. Only three times as painful.”

Lanyon laughed sardonically: “The joys of growing old, eh? Nice to know that he's suffering too.”

That made the other laugh as well.

Then he continued: “I have some good and some bad news, Mr. Hyde.”

“The bad news first”, Hyde requested.

Of course. Most people wanted to hear the bad news first.

“The bad news is that you won't be able to do any sportive activities for a while. You know, like the stuff you usually do.”

“Obviously”, Hyde muttered bitterly.

Lanyon pitied him a little. Of course he didn't condone the terrible things the young man did. But he understood how it felt to not be able to do what you liked.

So he continued: “The good news is that your back bones don't seem to be actually damaged, at least not permanently. Let it rest a little and you should be able to move around painlessly in two weeks at latest. Light gymnastic exercises and massaging sessions should do the trick. Same for your cramped muscles.”

Hyde sighed in relief. “Oh thank you! I actually feared I would be crippled permanently!”

“It won't”, Lanyon pacified him, “Just dial it back for the next two weeks.”

“… Fine.”

“You're going to suffer though. Through the massages I mean. Considering just how tense your entire back is. No wonder after what you did.”

The brunette turned his head a bit to glare at him. “You can thank Mr. Utterson for that.”

“I already chewed him out. And your creator. You're idiots, all three of you.”

Hyde's face darkened. “Don't blame me, for Devil's sake! I wouldn't have had to do this, if he hadn't followed me in the first place! He's lucky that Jekyll loves him, or I would have left him there.”

At that, Lanyon smirked. “Was that really the only reason you saved him? Or or was it perhaps, because you're-”

“Don't. Say. Another. Word”, Hyde growled menacingly.

Lanyon knew better than to keep prodding. If the boy didn't want to admit to his own attachment, then that was his problem. Whatever helped him sleep at night.

But still the doctor didn't fail to notice the other's faint blush.

A blush that definitely didn't come from agitation.

“By the way, how did you do it anyway? Overpower almost a dozen men and then carry a man twice your size across a roof in the middle of a rainstorm, I mean. That's insane.”

“Bold of you to assume that anything about me is sane.”

“Fair point, but seriously.”

“Well, I just can do that. I don't know why I'm so inhumanly strong. But you know what they say: 'If you got it, flaunt it'.”

“… Of course. You would. Damn, you and Jekyll are so much alike, it's not even funny.”

“Hastie Lanyon, I warn you!”

[melodiouswhite]

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde rewritten - Ch. 18

18. The end of the year, pt.01

Hyde arrived home in the early morning hours. As soon as the back door closed behind him, he stripped out of his coat, hat and boots and stretched himself.

“Ah, what a wonderful night!”, he sighed in enjoyment.

Jekyll snorted inside his head. “You started a brawl in the bar, nobbled several men and bruised the poor toffer you were engaging with. Then you came back here as if nothing happened.”

Hyde giggled: “Oh, that was fun! Did you see the faces of the other blokes in the bar, when I flung that one guy against a wall?”

“The one twice your size? Yes, I saw. And their faces, when you broke into evil laughter.”

“Comedy gold!”

“For you, it certainly was. I just found it embarrassing.”

“Come on, look at the bright side! The barman was so anxious to get rid of me that I didn't even have to pay for the drinks!”

Jekyll chuckled in his head. “Well, I'm afraid to ruin the rest of the night for you.”

Hyde blinked. “How?”, he wanted to know.

“You're grounded for a week, unless we go to our appointments with Lady Summers. Just until some grass has grown over the incident.”

“You're so mean to me!”, the brunette whined and pouted at the Doctor's reflection.

“Now, don't sulk. I bought you sweets. They should last you for a week”, Jekyll consoled him.

Hyde's mood brightened immediately.

Jekyll had a light headache in the morning, but it was nothing he couldn't handle (luckily Hyde hadn't drunk too much the night before). It was nothing compared to the massive hangovers he usually woke up with. He could have kissed his alter ego for taking it easy on their first night out. He didn't express that, even though he was pretty sure that Hyde knew it anyway.

He spent the morning with his servants, laughing and telling them amusing stories out of Lady Summers' household (that is, as much as his contract with her allowed – one of the paragraphs had been about mutual discretion after all).

In the afternoon he went to his appointment with Lady Summers, under the guise of being invited over for tea.

“Ah, hello!”, the Prussian noblewoman greeted the doctor, when her butler lead him into the greenhouse. Utterson and Lanyon were here too.

“Hello, you three”, Jekyll replied cheerfully. “It's a wonderful day, isn't it?”

They nodded.

“Indeed it is”, Lady Summers agreed with a smile, “You're in a good mood, I see.”

“Oh, certainly!”, Jekyll confirmed. “Hyde took it easy last night, so I woke up with a light headache instead of a full-grown hangover. For me that is a reason to be in a good mood!”

The others chuckled in amusement.

Lanyon smiled. “And I could sleep peacefully for the last few nights. Looks like I'll be able to reopen my surgery next year.”

“And I don't have to hide my feelings anymore”, Utterson laughed.

The blond felt his heart beat higher and grinned like an idiot.

Neither do I, he replied in his head.

“Please don't get all lovey-dovey on me again!”, Hyde groaned. “You were all mushy during Christmas tiding, now it's time to tone it down.”

Oh shut up, Jekyll retorted, You can't deny that you enjoyed the attention Gabriel gives to you!

Hyde grumbled something that sounded like denial.

“How about you, Milady?”, Jekyll asked curiously.

She grinned: “Well, it's the 30th December and I still haven't received an invitation to the new year celebration in Buckingham Palace. That is a good reason for me to be in a good mood.”

Jekyll laughed: “I'm surprised. Aren't those celebrations mandatory for all courtiers?”

“Usually they would be”, the Countess confirmed, “But the royal family knows me and I know them. They know and respect my desire to celebrate Christmas and New Year at home in the circle of my servants.”

That's very kind of them, Jekyll marvelled.

“It is”, Lady Summers agreed with a smile. “But like I said, Her Majesty and Their Highnesses know and like me. You would be surprised at how nice and normal people they are in private. They only invite me, when they want to spice up their parties a little bit. After all, there is nothing quite like chattering with someone who knows all the gossip and more and whether it's true or not. Especially Queen Victoria loves a good laugh.”

The gentlemen trio burst into laughter.

They all could well imagine how that went. By now they all had discovered, that the tiny Lady was known for snide remarks towards the members of her class.

“You're having questions, Dr. Jekyll”, she suddenly spoke up.

That wasn't a question.

He nodded. “Don't worry, Milady, it's nothing too private”, he assured her.

“I know. Go on, fire away!”

“Why do you hold your sessions in your greenhouse?”, he wanted to know first.

“I discovered that the plants have a soothing influence on my clients. It's prettier and healthier than those nasty arsenic wallpapers. As for those of my clients who are allergic to pollen, I receive them in my parlour.”

“So you don't use wallpapers?”

“No. I hate the patterns, I hate the poisonous ingredients and I hate the attitude of the producers, that all the poisonous metals aren't dangerous in wallpaper. They're wrong. I know that, because I tested it on rats. People don't understand, why I don't plaster my house with colourful wallpapers, but at least the paint on the walls doesn't make me sick. Besides, my furniture and décor beautify my interior just fine.”

Jekyll couldn't argue with that.

Once again Lady Summers was wiser than the rest.

“One last question”, he said, “Why did you become a therapist?”

Suddenly she looked uncharacteristically unsure.

“I'm afraid that's a question I have no satisfactory answer to”, she told him hesitantly.

Jekyll nodded, even though he was disappointed. By now he knew better than to pry.

“I have a question!”, Hyde suddenly piped up and Jekyll withheld a groan.

Lady Summers lifted an eyebrow. “What is it, Mr. Hyde?”

“I will never get used to how she can talk to both of them”, Lanyon muttered, but Jekyll ignored him.

“Your first name is Luise, right? What does the F. W. in your name stand for?”

The Prussian grimaced. “It stands for Friederike Wilhelmine. I was named after my grandfather. I have more given names – eight in total – but I don't want to give all of my names and abbreviating all of them would just look ridiculous on my brass sign. Even my maiden name was insanely long. Only my personal certificates contain my full name. I prefer to just be Lady Summers, or Luise to my family and close friends.”

With that, Hyde was satisfied, much to Jekyll's relief.

And he wasn't surprised. Lady Summers was an aristocrat. Having at least four given names was normal among the high nobility and it often said a lot about the family the name carrier was from. No wonder the Lady didn't want to talk about it.

“And what about you? What are you three going to do tomorrow? Who will you celebrate New Year with?”, she inquired curiously.

The three gentlemen looked at each other and smiled.

“We're going to celebrate together”, Lanyon informed her.

The Prussian nodded. “That's wonderful.”

Then she turned to Jekyll: “Let's talk about something else. I heard your servants threw you a big welcome home party?”

“Yes, Milady. And it was wonderful. I believe I shall take a page out of your book.”

She tilted her head curiously. “How so?”

“I think that I'm going to interact with my servants a little more.”

The blonde woman beamed at him. “Splendid! I love being a good influence! Having loyal and discreet servants is worth its weight in gold. Don't forget that, Dr. Jekyll.”

Jekyll went home in as good a mood as he had come. He was certainly looking forward to New Year's celebration.

How will this year's end will be? Now that everything has changed, he wondered.

“I don't know”, Hyde answered, “But it's going to be awesome, I can feel it!”

The blond chuckled.

“Hey, Jekyll.”

“Hm?”

“I know that I'm grounded and shit, but couldn't you make a teeny-weeny exception for New Year?”

“No, Hyde. If you want to see the fireworks, you can observe them in your ghost form.”

“But Jekyyyyyyll”, Hyde whined.

The older man snorted. “No. But I will go up to the roof balcony with you, I promise.”

“Do you think Utterson would come along?”

Jekyll sighed: “I wish. But Gabriel is acrophobic, so we can forget about that.”

Hyde sighed in disappointment.

That made Jekyll smirk. “Could it be, that you're growing fond of him?”, he teased.

Hyde sneered. “Don't be stupid. I'm not fond of people. His company is just entertaining and – stop laughing!”, he snapped, when his creator began to snicker.

Jekyll couldn't remember the last time he had felt so smug. But it certainly felt psychologically rewarding.

“Sure, Mr. Hyde. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Hyde glared harder and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a profanity.

The Doctor frowned and warned: “Edward Hyde, don't give me reason to expand your house arrest to a month.”

Hyde's reflection flushed with anger. “I hate you so much right now.”

Jekyll's expression softened. “Hey now. Don't be upset. I will let you out for a bit, when we're on the roof. No one will get hurt and you will get to see the fireworks with your own eyes. How does that sound?”

His alter ego calmed down considerably.

Jekyll's house was relatively empty on the 31st December. He had given most of his servants the day off to spend New Year with their families. Only Poole and those of his staff who had no family were still here today.

Lanyon and Utterson would come in the evening and until then, he would stay in his lab with Hyde.

“Hey there”, he said to the mirror as soon as he entered the lab.

His reflection morphed into Hyde.

“Why, good morning”, the brunette greeted sardonically. “Have you been yearning for me, my dear soulmate?”

“Don't flatter yourself”, Jekyll scoffed, even though both knew he was lying.

He looked around the lab. It was messy. And since it was the last day of the old year, this was the perfect opportunity to tidy up. So he went to work.

After about ten minutes, Hyde complained: “Goddammit, Jekyll! It's so boring to watch you tidy up!”

“Well, you can come out and help me”, the Doctor retorted.

“I'm not moving a single finger for you.”

“Lazy bone”, Jekyll muttered and put the clean vials into their respective cabinets.

After half an hour he skimmed over his lab and nodded in satisfaction.

Everything was nice and clean.

Why did I not do this sooner?

“Because you were gone for over a month?”, Hyde supplied.

The blond sighed and sat on the cot in the corner. Then he gestured to the spot next to him.

“Come here and sit with me”, he requested and the brunette stepped out of the mirror.

Jekyll hadn't seen him in such a corporeal form outside of his control in quite a while. He couldn't help but relish in the sight.

Hyde started, when his other self put an arm around him and pushed him down onto his lap.

“Jekyll, what are you-?”

But he relaxed right away, when the blond began to run his fingers through his hair.

Jekyll smiled fondly, when Hyde closed his eyes and began to purr and lean into his large hand.

He can be so adorable …

“You're rather affectionate today”, the smaller man stated.

“I suppose I am”, Jekyll confirmed.

“Why is that so?” It sounded a tad suspicious.

The taller man raised an eyebrow. “Can I not be affectionate without reason?”

“Not towards me.”

The Doctor sighed: “I can't honestly answer that question without starting an argument. And that's not what I want.”

“Is it not?”, Hyde queried.

“No. I don't want to go into the new year with unsettled arguments.”

Hyde cracked a bilious green eye open. “Now I'm all the more curious.”

“Can you guess, what my resolution for next year is?”

The younger man smirked: “What, to get into your lawyer's inexpressibles*?”

Jekyll chuckled: “That too, but it's not what I mean.”

“Oh? What is it then? Don't leave me hanging!”

“I wish to earn your forgiveness.”

Hyde's eyes flew open and he stared up to him incredulously. “Is that supposed to be an apology?!”

“No. Not yet, at least – I know that an apology won't cut it. I want to make up for my treatment of you. However, I will not be taken advantage of”, the older man cleared up.

The latter was added, just in case. Hyde was highly intelligent and had no qualms with taking advantage of others, if he got the chance.

The young man's eyes filled with suppressed anger and a hint of anguish.

Gabriel was right … he furrows his eyebrows just the way I do.

“I can't forgive you. Not like this.”

“I know”, Jekyll replied sadly.

Of course it was too soon, just like the Lady had said.

But maybe someday …

Maybe someday things would be better.

Suddenly Hyde glowered up at him. “Oi! Did I allow you to stop running your fingers through my hair?”, he snarled.

Jekyll chuckled: “Of course not. Do forgive me, my other half.”

And continued to stroke the long, café brown hair under his hand, silently envying the young man for having such beautiful, rich hair.

Hyde purred again, then slowly dozed off.

He's such a cat sometimes …

---

(*inexpressibles - a very prudish [very Victorian] term for pants. There was a period in the Victorian Era, when saying ‘pants’ or ‘trousers’ was an uncouth thing to say. I’m not sure, if that was still the case in the 1880s, but I thought it was hilarious.

A/N: I wanted to add a sequence, where Lady Summers tells the gentlemen about Chinese traditions and demonstrates her Chinese skills. But then I realised, that it didn’t fit into the dialogue, so I deleted it)