The annual Convention For the Advancement of Scientific Pursuits was held in Paris a few months later. The hall in which it was held was ablaze with light, and inside as well as out was beautifully decorated. The scientists who were going to present their inventions or theories convened in small groups in front of the stage, and among these were Dr. Victor Frankenstein and Dr. Henry Jekyll.

"Pretty, isn't it?" asked Jekyll, looking around at the hall.

"Hmm?" asked Frankenstein, who was fixing his tie and making sure his shirt was tucked in. "Oh, yes, splendid."

"You're not nervous, Frankenstein?" asked Jekyll, grinning.

"Nervous?" repeated Frankenstein, glaring at Jekyll. "No, of course not, Jekyll. Whatever would make you think that."

"You have your shirt on backwards," replied Jekyll.

Frankenstein looked down and swore. "Damn it!" he shouted. "I'll be right back," he called, making for the bathroom.

Jekyll laughed, and then turned to Frankenstein's creation, Adam, who was also dressed in a suit and tie and holding the arm of his mate, Victoria, who was strikingly beautiful for a creature made of dead body parts.

"He's got nothing to be nervous about," said Jekyll with a grin. "You two will more than make the first prize for him."

"Yes," agreed Adam. "I think we will. And second will go to yourself, Dr. Jekyll, naturally."

"I think not," said Jekyll with a sigh. "To tell the truth, I'm rather afraid to go up on that stage at all, considering what Hyde did at the last one of these."

"You'll be fine, Dr. Jekyll," said Victoria, smiling at him. "I'll know they'll simply love your theory."

"Thank you, Mrs. Frankenstein," said Jekyll with a bow. "Although I doubt they will."

Frankenstein returned with his shirt on the right way, but he clasped and unclasped his hands nervously. He reached into his suit pockets, murmuring, "Where the devil are my note cards?"

He withdrew them and sighed with relief. "It would be horrible to go up there without my speech," he said.

Then the heads of the conventions entered and all the scientists took their seats. Jekyll glanced up at the crowd who had assembled to watch the convention, and saw Dracula and Elizabeth, who was wearing an exquisite evening dress. She saw him and grinned, and waved at him. Jekyll smiled back at her, and Dracula took Elizabeth's hand and kissed it. The two had quite made up. They were seated as they had been at the previous convention. He also picked out Christine Daae seated next to an empty chair, and could only assume that Erik was about here somewhere.

The convention began, with scientists presenting inventions and theories about trivial things. Jekyll began to grow nervous and, glancing at Frankenstein who was seated next to him, saw him gripping the arms of his chair, sweat pouring down his face. Jekyll then turned his attention back to the scientists, until the announcer called, "Dr. Victor Frankenstein."

"Good luck," whispered Jekyll. Frankenstein managed a nod, and then rose to his feet and climbed up on the stage, his creations following him. Frankenstein presented his theory and his creations with little stumbling, and was applauded loudly as he went off the stage. Jekyll was next, and he presented his theory to less enthusiastic applause. As he sat back down, Frankenstein said in his ear, "And now comes the moment of truth."

A judge walked onto the stage and said, "Now that you have heard the theories of these brave men, these adventurers of the realm of science, we shall now announce our winner of the first place prize for most outstanding achievement in the field of science."

Everyone waited expectantly, and Jekyll saw that Frankenstein was holding his breath. "First prize is awarded to…Doctor Victor Frankenstein," said the judge, and the whole room applauded. Frankenstein let his breath out as he stood up and climbed the stage, beckoning to his creations to follow him.

He reached the podium and took out his note cards, and began his speech.

"Gentlemen…and ladies," he added, nodding at Elizabeth and Christine. "This award is a great honor to me. But it is nothing in comparison to the honor, to the pride of knowing that I have broken the boundaries of science and reached the limitless possibilities beyond. Man was meant to discover, gentlemen, and that is what I have done. I have poked and prodded and many have called me mad, or a heretic, but I prefer to call myself an explorer. I have gone where no man has ever gone before and created, from what was once dead, life," he said, gesturing to Adam and Victoria. "Life that can also continue life. The miracle of nature has been reproduced in these beings, the gift of life has been imbued to them. It is, indeed, a marvel," he said, a note of finality in his voice.

The crowd was about to applaud when he held up his hand. "And there is another man who should receive this award tonight," he said. "He too has probed beyond the realm of man's understanding and has discovered so very much. His discovery is at least as valuable as mine, for while I can create life, he can perfect it. He can separate man's two facets, and in doing so proves himself invaluable to the scientific community. I give you, gentlemen, my very dear friend, Doctor Henry Jekyll."

Jekyll was astounded, but he shakily got to his feet and climbed the stage to stand next to Frankenstein. "This man is as worthy as I of this award tonight," said Frankenstein, gesturing to Jekyll. "For he has explored far beyond the realms of human understanding and at a great cost to himself. And yet, he still persists to traverse the world of the unknown. Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Henry Jekyll."

There was a long, awkward silence. Then, Dracula stood up and began to applaud. Elizabeth followed his example, and then Christine, and then Adam and Victoria, and soon the entire convention was enthusiastically applauding Jekyll and Frankenstein. Jekyll stared around, dumbfounded, but he felt truly happy. Happier than he had felt when he had first discovered his formula, happier than he had been with Elizabeth, and happier than he had ever been as Hyde. He shook Frankenstein's hand, grinning broadly as the applause continued. Jekyll caught Elizabeth's eye and she smiled at him so softly and tenderly that Jekyll felt even happier. For that single moment, Dr. Henry Jekyll was the happiest man on earth.

"Your speech was positively wonderful, Dr. Frankenstein," said Elizabeth as they gathered outside the hall afterward. "It truly touched me."

"I am glad, Elizabeth," replied Frankenstein, still smiling.

"And you, my dear Henry," said Elizabeth, embracing Dr. Jekyll. She kissed his cheek and said, "I am happy for you."

"Aren't we all?" asked Dracula, grinning. "It was quite a triumph for the league tonight, gentlemen. Quite an honor, indeed."

"Yes, well done," came a voice from out of the shadows. They saw Erik emerge from them, clutching Christine's hand and grinning broadly. "You two were splendid."

"I saw Christine but not you," said Jekyll, shaking Erik's hand.

"Ah, well, the phantom is always around," said Erik with a shrug. "Even if you cannot see him."

Total strangers were now approaching Frankenstein and Jekyll to congratulate them, and they spent the next few hours shaking hands and smiling. By the time it was over, neither of them could smile if they had wanted to, which they didn't.

Frankenstein yawned. "I'm tired, Jekyll," he said. "Where the devil is Dracula? It's time we all went home."

"I don't know," replied Jekyll, looking around. "He was here a few moments ago."

"Monsieurs, may we have the honor and pleasure of wishing you a very good night," said a voice from behind them, and they turned to see Erik and Christine. "We shall see you soon, one hopes," continued Erik. "But for now, Christine and I must return to the opera. Good evening, gentlemen."

"Goodbye, Erik," said Jekyll, shaking his hand. "We'll see you later."

"Yes, goodbye," agreed Frankenstein. "Oh, by the way, have you seen Dracula?"

"I believe he was over making the acquaintance of some of the scientists' daughters," said Erik with a grin. "I do not believe Elizabeth was too happy about it."

"We'll find him," said Jekyll. The two strode off to the front of the hall where Dracula was indeed there, the center of attention of all the young ladies, who clustered about him as he told some story, wildly embellishing it so that the girls would gasp or even shriek. Elizabeth watched from the corner, her eyes narrowed.

"I say, Dracula!" called Frankenstein. "We're all dashed tired! Can we go home?"

"In a moment, Dr. Frankenstein," called back Dracula. "I must finish my story first. And so they had surrounded me and were closing in," he said, turning back to the girls with his eyes alight. "There were ten of them to one of me."

"Whatever did you do, Count Dracula?" asked one pretty blond girl who hung on his every word.

"Well, I knocked the first one out with one blow."

"How amazing!" sighed another girl. "You must be very strong!"

"Oh, very," agreed Dracula. "Here, I'll show you." And he ripped up his sleeve to show his muscular arm, and the girls positively squealed with delight. It was than that Elizabeth stepped in between them, caught Dracula by the collar, and dragged him out of the circle.

"But…dearest!" protested Dracula. "I haven't finished my story!"

"They can imagine the rest of it," retorted Elizabeth. "Henry and Victor are tired and they've had a hard day and they want to go home."

"Oh, very well," agreed Dracula, sulkily. "Adam, Victoria, come on! We're all going home!" he called.

The two creations came running as the carriage pulled up to the hall and everyone piled inside.

"One of these days you two must find a home of your own," said Frankenstein, turning to his creations. "You can't use that tiny room in my room forever."

"We'll manage until the family comes," replied Adam.

"Family?" repeated Frankenstein, raising an eyebrow. "You mean you intend to have children?"

"Of course," replied Victoria. "Adam and I can't wait. We'll have Igor and Ivan and we'll even name one Victor for you, Dr. Frankenstein."

"I'm ecstatic," replied Frankenstein, dryly. Then he was silent and said, "I suppose I'm the founder of a whole new race. Unless…what if the offspring bred with normal humans? Could that make some sort of superhuman? I could test it, I suppose. I wonder if…"

"Dr. Frankenstein, please," said Elizabeth, cutting him off. "It's not a very pleasant subject for discussion."

"In the interests of science I am willing to risk unpleasantness," replied Frankenstein. "I wonder if they would mate willingly or if I would have to force them," he continued. "It depends on if they're hideous or not, I suppose. Perhaps if I…"

"Dr. Frankenstein, really," said Dracula, suddenly. "Let's not discuss this, shall we? There is a lady present."

"But I want to know if…"

"Contemplate it in your laboratory," replied Jekyll.

"Very well," sighed Frankenstein. "I suppose science is not a subject for women after all."

"Perhaps not, Dr. Frankenstein," replied Elizabeth, grinning. She smiled at Dracula, who clasped her hand.

Jekyll stared out the window of the carriage, thinking of all that had happened in the past few months. Everything had changed, his life had been turned topsy-turvy. And he didn't care.

Jekyll settled back in his seat, surrounded by his friends of the League of Extraordinary Monsters. Whatever the future held for him, he was prepared for it. After all, who could lose with monsters on your side?