Without me, you see, Jekyll has no drives… And without him, I have no restraints.

- Edward Hyde Issue 5 Volume 2

Dreaming with Delirium

Doctor Jekyll dreams. He dreams of his life, not the shell that exists now but what he had before his experiments. Before Edward Hyde was unleashed upon the world. He dreams of his lab, of Poole and his old friends. Lanyon is there, alive and alert as he was before their falling out. Utterson is sat beside him, the lawyer deep in conversation with them both, only pausing occasionally to sip at his wine. The fire roars, a hansom cab can be heard in the distance and all is at peace.

They laugh, they joke, they reminisce of times long past. Jekyll's chair is large and comfy. It feels exactly the same. Even the house has that same familiar scent. Utterson's voice and mannerisms are spot on, perfectly reconstructed from memory. Jekyll cannot remember what led to the three of them talking around the fire but he does not care. He is at peace. Even Lanyon's long worn out protests about science do not bother him. Edward Hyde does not exist- Henry Jekyll is happy.

It does not last for long. They never do.

This time Lanyon breaks him out of it. In passing he mentions that he is dead, almost as if he were discussing the weather. He and Utterson laugh while Jekyll just sits there. Everything comes flooding back. The façade still remains but now it is no longer peaceful. The whole scene stays the same but now it taunts the Doctor of what he has lost. He hates these dreams. The usual nightmares are much preferable.

Then something unexpected happens. Instead of the normal continuation of the dream, his surroundings shimmer and change. No longer is he in the company of friends and a warm fire. It is a cold alleyway and his only companion is a young woman. He feels different also. Something is off. It is only when a large arm reaches out to grab the woman he realises he is not himself.

There is no control. When Hyde is at the front Jekyll is nothing but a frightened voice. For all of his shouting he can do nothing but watch. His dream had developed into another nightmare. He waits for another of Edward's killings to be acted out.

Nothing happens.

They are still there. Hyde's hand grips the girl tightly, his other clamped other her mouth to stop her screaming. Jekyll still watches, the fly in his ear. Edward wants her, his hand traces down the delicate contours of her spine. His breathing is heavy and his mind is full of lust. She's so young and delicate, like a fawn. He wants, no needs to break her spine, see the blood gush from her pretty broken neck and contrast with her pale body. But first he wants to have her, wholly and utterly- feel her, touch her, kiss her…

But nothing happens still. Not what Jekyll expects to happen. Hyde pulls her close, taking in the scent of her hair. Intoxicating… Then he leaves. Jumps onto the rooftops, the girl is shocked but not hurt. For once he denies himself pleasure.

This is odder than any other dream. Jekyll questions him. Anxious to know. He does not, cannot understand this. Hyde doesn't answer. Hyde has not talked to him at all throughout this sequence. Hyde cannot hear Jekyll. Another realisation hits Jekyll.

This is not his dream. It is Hyde's.

That answers questions but raises more. It does not surprise him that they can intrude on the other's dreams. It is the dream that surprises him. Why? That is the question that rules his mind. The answer soon comes apparent.

Hyde's run stops, somebody is blocking the way. Another woman. But she is different. She approaches Hyde and places her hand on his. A smile lights up her face. Mina. Her kiss is light and beautiful. Her words are the same. His conduct was good; she could not love Hyde if he always went with others. She laughs and throws her arms around him. Jekyll feels pity for his counterpart. Hyde snaps the vampire's neck.

That's all it is. One simple, mechanical motion. Unlike Edward's murders there are no emotion, no fury in his actions. He looks at her broken body; his name dies on her lips. Hyde leaves once more, back the way he came. Jekyll is even more confused. That is one action Hyde would never do.

Soon he finds her. The prey he left behind. This time Hyde grabs her with more ferocity. This time he does the job well. His lust fulfilled, he once again leaves a body behind. This one much more mangled and bloodied that the other. Jekyll screams in Hyde's head. Hyde cannot hear him.

Hyde still cannot hear Jekyll as he ascends the bridge. He does not hear Jekyll as he mourns his beloved Mina and what he has done. He does not hear Jekyll when he jumps. When he hits the water all he can hear is his own thoughts. And he is glad to be rid of them.

Jekyll wakes. Like most dreamers his dream ends before death. Hyde wakes also. He is surly and does not talk. He does not have to. For once Hyde had the nightmare. For Jekyll a world without Hyde is one of joy. For Hyde a world without Jekyll is one of pain. Once the voice in his head, his conscience, disappears he has no restraints. Without restraints nothing can hold him back. This is the one thing he fears.

Hyde taunts him now. Tries to cover up his own short-comings. He tells Jekyll that the Doctor needs him. He is right. Jekyll's dreams can never become reality. Now Hyde has been created he could not live without his influence. There is some small part of him that enjoys the power Hyde brings. Separation would doom them both.

The Beast and the Doctor mull on this for a while. Neither of them say any more and instead try to reach sleep once more. But both of them fall asleep feeling something has been accomplished. An unspoken agreement.

They both realise that without the other they are only half a man.

Fin

A/N Don't ask me about this. I don't get it either but an LXG fic was begging to be written. So I wrote it. Hyde is my favourite character but I'm not sure I've done him justice. Feel free to criticise.