Utterson came together with Lanyon and Lady Summers to see Jekyll the next morning.

He had got no rest that night, because he had been so worried.

If they had got into an argument, like the hot-headed madmen they were, he wanted to be there to mediate and help them pick up the pieces – just like he always had.

But all three of them were surprised to find Jekyll in a good mood.

"Good morning!", the Doctor greeted them gaily. "How are you?"

The three of them looked at each other.

"Good morning", Utterson finally answered, "We were going to ask you that."

Jekyll blinked in confusion. "I'm fine. Why would I not be?"

"And where is Mr. Hyde?", Lady Summers inquired. "We're especially concerned about him."

"Oh." Jekyll's face fell. "He's never been so cheerful and so fond of me as today, but he still won't tell me what the matter is. And I can't look into his head and hear his thoughts anymore, so I'm at loss."

Utterson's alarm bells rang.

More cheerful and affectionate than usual?

That was odd.

Hyde was nonchalant and light-hearted, but he was never actually cheerful. Or affectionate, for that matter. Flirtatious, yes. Affectionate, no.

"Where is he?", he repeated the Lady's question from earlier.

"He's upstairs", Jekyll told him. "Poole only said that I'm having guests, so Hyde didn't want to come down with me to see them. You know how much he dislikes attention from strangers-"

All of the sudden, Lady Summers looked past Jekyll and cried: "Ah, good morning, Mister Hyde! Where are you going so early?"

Hyde – who apparently had tried to sneak past them – stopped dead in his tracks, being caught red-handed.

Utterson was surprised to see, that the young man was wearing his black raincoat and two big travelling bags. And he was looking extremely uncomfortable.

He turned to Jekyll and lifted up his bags. "Uh … you don't mind, if I take these, right?"

But Jekyll was frowning. "Where did you find those? Why are you carrying luggage for a faraway journey? And most importantly, where are you going and when were you planning to tell me?"

Hyde's face scrunched up in anger. "Oh, don't worry", he snarled, "I'm not going far. Just out of this house."

"Why?!"

"Because I need space!", the brunette snapped, "Because I don't like this house, because I want to be alone and because I DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR FUCKING WHORE!"

Utterson, Lanyon and Lady Summers winced in unison.

...

Lanyon knew approaching trouble, when he saw it.

He also knew Jekyll.

The blond had grown pale. His left eye was twitching. His expression was one of utter shock and mortification. Then Lanyon noticed a dark spark ignite in those brown eyes.

He knew what was about to come.

And so did the others, because Utterson tried to intervene: "Uh, why don't we go to the study and settle this like adults?"

But he was ignored.

Jekyll just about managed to keep his composure and asked calmly: "I never said you were. What gives you the idea that I see you this way?"

Hyde laughed mirthlessly: "Ohhh, my dear soulmate, where do I even begin-"

"You know what, spare me! I don't want to hear all the reasons for why you hate me so much!"

"I don't hate you, you're just a fucking idiot!"

"Idiot?! How dare you speak to me like that, I am your-!"

"Don't even go there!", Hyde snapped back, "I owe you nothing, you old twit! Nothing!"

Oh no …

Lanyon saw it coming, before it happened. He had seen it before once; when-

The blond scientist glowered darkly at his other half. "Oh, you don't, do you? And it wouldn't matter to you anyhow, because you don't know what gratitude or obligation is! Don't you dare walk away! I didn't allow you to-"

"Just fucking watch me!", the brunette hissed, picked up his bags and moved towards the exit.

For a second, Jekyll was stunned. But then his face distorted with rage.

Lanyon could tell that his former lover was about to make an even graver mistake, but before he could keep that from happening-

"You ungrateful little demon! You leave me alone, just like that?! Me, the one who created you and always provided for you!"

Hyde sneered: "You say that like it's something to be grateful for. I didn't ask to be made! And don't worry about your money! Somehow I will find a job and pay it all off and then you will never again be able to claim that I'm a freeloader, living off your wealth. Isn't that fabulous, Jekyll? As soon as I have left this house you will be able to pretend that I never existed! No nagging voice in your head, demanding to be let out or to have your attention! I would forever be out of your hair, just like you always wanted! That's why you created me in the first place, wasn't it? Because I was nothing but a stain on your so called respectability? What is your problem? The only thing you want from me is my body and I'm tired of it!"

For a few minutes the group was wrapped in silence.

Lanyon glanced at the others.

Utterson looked completely heartbroken.

Lady Summers looked just sad and shook her head at what was going on.

Then the hoary doctor noticed Poole standing at the bottom of the stairs. Judging by his face, the elderly servant saw exactly what he saw and more.

Right … Poole witnessed it all back then.

Jekyll gaped at Hyde in response to the younger man's rant.

Then he grew even paler and stuttered: "That … that isn't … all these things … they're not true! They used to be, but not anymore! Don't go, Hyde! Please don't leave me, I beseech you!"

But the brunette shook his head. "You call me 'brat', 'insult to God', 'child of hell', 'little demon' and other charming things like that, when you're angry. And now, that I'm finally tired of your nonsense, you beg me to stay? This kind of shit is why Lanyon left you! And I'm not remotely as forgiving as he was to you or as patient as Gabriel would be! I'm fed up with this and I'm leaving!"

"Edward!" It was a wail, so desperate and pleading that Lanyon's heart shattered into pieces, just like Utterson's.

And it seemed to get to Hyde as well, because his mask of coldness slipped. For a second, the hoary doctor recognised the pain and heartbreak in the brunette's acid green eyes, giving away that he didn't want to leave Jekyll behind, not really.

Lanyon hoped that maybe the young man would-

"Goodbye, Jekyll."

Then he turned his back on them and left the house.

Lanyon caught side of him waving on the street and yelling for a cab.

Hyde got onto a hansom and was gone.