~Hyde
A Short Prologue
Clair sent Eddie an Harry to play a game several meters away on the lawn, and turned to approach her husband. He was quiet and somber with a contemplative scowl about his mien.
"Are you all right?"
"He's gone. He's really gone. I didn't think it would feel like this, I thought... I thought it would feel good. "
"Did you know he could do that? Take the bullets for you?"
"It wasn't for me Clair... It wasn't for me. It's over tho I promise you. You know that don't you?"
"I do. I do know that, but Tom... If, I mean, what if he's just healing? Like, in a coma or something."
"Impossible." Doctor Jackman took his wife's arm and pulled her close for an embrace. "I won't let that happen. He's gone. I can... Feel his absence, like... an empty shelf."
"That's interesting." Clair snuggled into her husband shoulder. "When you were dead, He mentioned putting up shelves. Look Tom," she said as she turned to face her husband. "Hyde might really be gone forever, but if he does comes back you can be damned sure I'll protect him this time." Tom looked at his wife. Clair's face was serious, but with a hint of a proud smirk and she was positively squeezing his hand, steady in her support of him.
"You really mean that, don't you? As dangerous as he is."
"Of course." She answered. "I've got a lot to thank him for. He's given you back to me twice now. Saved our children's lives. He wouldn't hurt me Tom."
Tom wrapped his arm around her and they began walking towards their twins. Tom was quiet for most of their short walk, but just as Eddie and Harry began to run towards them shouting Tom muttered, "If he could come back, it would be for you." Clair wasn't sure if she heard him correctly or if memory was playing tricks on her, but she smiled as she gathered a babbling Harry in for a hug. She thought Hyde was still in there. Sleeping, healing from his wounds and his trauma. She thought about what Tom had said about the black out. How Hyde had drained all of London's electricity for the power to bring back his other half, just to help fetch her. Yes, Tom might still worry about Hyde misbehaving, but she believed he was slowly coming to terms with Hyde's care for their mutual family, Tom included. She hoped dearly that Tom could learn to share, for she had little doubt now, that Hyde wouldn't always protect Tom..