When Rachel called off for a week to visit what other lodgers teasingly called her ~mystery lover~ Jekyll wasn't concerned.
When a month had passed with no sign of her, he became concerned.
They would not see her again for quiet some time.
"So you're interested in cryptozoology Mr. Kaylock?"
A sad yet fond look filled his eyes as he looked down at the mud phoenix in his lap.
"Yes. I am very fond of supernatural animals."
Within a week of Jasper entering the society, Rachel returned.
Though it was an odd coincidence Jekyll doubted that they had anything to do with each other. She was only around at night and he never saw Jasper around the time. Besides she was more attached to the wolf she brought with her then any person she spoke to.
Hyde was not as easily convinced as Jekyll that Jasper and Rachel had no connection and so he did some digging through Jaspers things.
There were some expected things like little trinkets and such, but a good half of the bag was strange.
There were aprons and dresses and jewelry, and notes that were written in two different hands. Again, some seemed as if they were normal notes between roommates or perhaps a romantic couple.
'Remember to get more meat.'
'I left you a gift behind the bed.'
While others were far more interesting if a bit cheesy.
'I miss the feel of your skin, I miss your dimples and hat hair. I miss you.'
'We will find a way to fix this, and you will be able to sit with me under the sun once again. I love you.'
He put it back and left. It was too sweet a sentiment for him.
When the phoenix got caught in the rafters and broke its wing, Jasper could not be calmed.
Jekyll left to get medical supplies, and when he came back, he didn't see Jasper, all he saw was Rachel cradling her arm and trying to speak soothingly to her wolf.
After a long freak out (and no small amount of curiosity) Rachel told him the story. She told him about how her and Jasper met and fell in love immediately, and how they would sneak away to see each other because of his families racism, and how they saw the arcane sciences as evil and an insult to God. About how they finally got caught together by his uncle.
"He said 'if you love the wench so much than I shall make it so you must never be parted, and I will make her your favorite, and she will fear you all the while.' And he cursed us, so when the sun goes down I am free and Jasper is lost, but when it rises I must disappear again."
"That is... Heavy. I am so sorry Rachel."
"It's fine. Well no, it's not, but it is what it is. Jasper's looking for a solution. All we have so far is his uncle being kind enough to tell us that we'll go back to normal if we can both confront him as humans, but I don't see how that's possible. You can't have a day without night or a night without day, and so we must not meet again except the split second of dawn and dusk."
He meant it when he said they would never be apart.
"Wolves and phoenixs mate for life. The man couldn't even give us that."
Always together, forever apart.
Rachel hears the news an eclipse is coming soon and peices together what it means. She excitedly tells Hyde she may be gone awhile and packs her bags immediately.
She comes back with the sun on her face and a hand in hers.