Authors Notes: Ok then, my first fic, so don't kill me! *covers head and cowers in corner* So it's not the first written one, but it's the first one ever posted for me…
Disclaimer: *sniff sniff* I don't own Jekyll and Hyde sadly…not sure who I really should give the credit to, cuz Robert Louis Stevenson did the book, but Leslie Bricusse and Frank Wildhorn made it a play…as well as added a few characters…I guess it goes to both then, those lucky dogs, they own it…
Anyway, nice huggles to all those who will actually take the time out of their schedule to read this…and so on with the fic!
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I smiled as I danced with Emma. It was our wedding day, and everything was perfect, many times I thought I was dreaming. Suddenly my sweet dream turned quickly to a nightmare. I broke away from her as the pains racked my body once again. I tried to tell John as calmly as I could what was happening without the other guests knowing by telling him the symptoms and that I needed to get outside. Anything so that Emma wouldn't see the horrible thing I would become. After a moment, as the monster began to take control, John could not get me out of the area fast enough. I wanted scream and yell to God why of all days did he choose this day, but all I could do is think the rants and fight off the pain, just in case it could still be fought off. Sadly I was wrong, and the monster within, Edward Hyde, emerged once again. He wreaked havoc over the wedding as he killed Mr. Stride. He began to go for Emma, despite what I wanted with all my heart for him to do, and John pulled out his gun. He shot twice, bringing him down to the ground. In spite of all the yells and warnings for her to get back, Emma ran to the side of the man she believed was still her husband. He immediately leapt to his feet and grabbed her by the throat in the process. She screamed, and I wanted to let go, to run, to keep her safe, but I had no such power. My other self was in full control. She spoke directly to me; she seemed to be aware of just what was happening. I'll have to say that it gave me strength to try yet again to fight off this monster the same way I had the night that we had argued, switching back and forth, each fighting for existence. I released her the moment I had the chance, and asked John to shoot me. I could feel Hyde trying to get back in control, but he did not have this kind of luck until after John had shot me four more times. I quickly returned back to my own persona as life began to leave me. I stared up at my beloved wife until everything dimmed to blackness.
I sat up in bed, remembering the nightmare that had haunted me since that day. Luckily, after I had passed out, I was rushed to the hospital, and my life was saved. As was even more of a relief was that Emma was unharmed. Hyde had not been present since that day, another wonderful relief. After nearly a year of apprehension that he might come back, I finally felt reassured that he was really gone forever.
"Henry? Are you awake too? I can't sleep either." I sighed and looked at my wife.
"I know, I'm worried too, but I also dreamed about our wedding again. I've been dreaming about it a lot lately. What if something were to happen? It would only make this situation worse."
"Henry, it's been eight years since you last had an encounter like that."
"I know, but today's our anniversary. You know I won't be able to stop thinking about it. Along with the thoughts about Isabella."
"This one's anxious too," she patted her enlarged stomach where our next child sat. "We all are."
"Yes and what if something was to happen to you as well? I wouldn't be able to live if I were to change into him again. Who knows what he would do, finally back after eight years? My fears tell me that the moment I would return to myself I would no longer be able to live with myself. Emma, my fears tell me that if I were to turn into him again, my family would be the first to be harmed."
"Henry, your fears also told you that you would soon be one with that monster, and you're not."
"But if I hadn't fought, I would have been. Please, I know we've already called the police, but we need to do something about Isabella ourselves."
"Henry, what we need to do is try to get back to sleep so that we can think straight about what we're doing." I nodded and leaned back on my pillow.
Yesterday was my daughter's seventh birthday. I had been wonderful, until she received the worst birthday present she will probably receive in her lifetime. Isabella and I had gone on a walk together; Emma had stayed home because of the baby. We were having a great time together until I began to have a splitting headache. It soon became so violent that I had to stop walking. Isabella stopped as well and asked me what was wrong. The next thing I knew I was laying in the snow, being shaken by a young man. A clock clanged in the background, and I was surprised to find that several hours had passed. I rose up to my knees and looked around for Isabella, but I wasn't able to find her. I asked if anyone had seen a small girl with brown hair, but no one had. After a long time of searching I decided to call the police. Neither Emma nor I have been able to think straight, much less get a good night's sleep as much as we try for it.
The next morning I got up early to see what I could do to help the police. I was passing by the kitchen when I caught sight of something on the table. I stopped and went in for a closer look. My heart skipped a beat when I realized that it was a crisply written note that was not my wife's handwriting.
Dr. Jekyll,
It's so nice to hear of you again. In case you haven't figured it out, I have your daughter, Isabella. This is not a ransom note, more of a teaser, for you to realize that the little brat did not "go missing," but has been kidnapped. She is perfectly fine, if you would like to know, but that can easily change. I would like to talk to you, but that will take a little more preparation. You may wish to hand this over to the police. Go right ahead. It will make things more "interesting" for the both of us. And to stir things up a bit, why don't you go to the lab? You may find something familiar from many years ago on the shelf with the syringes.
My hands shook as I read the last few lines. Kidnapped? Go to the lab? I rushed to the room that I used for antidotes mainly and over to the syringes. Everything seemed in order, what had the person been talking about? Had it been some sick joke from someone who had heard already? I was about to leave when I glimpsed something behind all the syringes. I pushed them quickly aside to discover a small glass vial filled with a bright red liquid. I held it in my shaking hands, my thoughts racing. It couldn't be…there was no possible way… I smashed the vile and fled from the room.
I raced out the front of my house and ran into a police officer almost immediately.
"Officer! I found this note in my house this morning! Please, she's been kidnapped!"
"Dr. Jekyll, we have been stationed at your house this entire night, no one has been inside." He looked at the note for a few moments. "And this is your handwriting. I know you want us to find your daughter, but rash measures like this won't help any of us."
"But I didn't write this!"
"And I suppose there's some surprise waiting for us in your lab?"
"It was a sort of liquid. I got nervous and I smashed it. I wasn't thinking."
The officer looked at me closely. "You smashed it? Dr. Jekyll, I know you're not one to lie like this, but do you really expect us to believe that this note that just happens to be in your handwriting magically appeared in your house that we have been watching and of course the thing in your lab is smashed so therefore we cannot look at it."
"Smashed or not, I would have you look at it, but I have a drain in my lab, and I'm afraid it was washed down."
"Listen, Dr. Jekyll, we are doing all that we can to find your daughter, but really. This has too many points against it to be true."
I sighed and retreated back into my house. I sat heavily back on the couch, thinking. After milling over the situation over and over for several hours until my skull felt ready to burst, I realized how tired I was, and as I couldn't do anything to help the police, I decided to take a nap.
* * *
I opened my eyes and rubbed them absently as the door opened. The man came in wearing the usual large coat.
"You haven't eaten," he commented as he stopped near where I was. He was a very frightening man, needless to say I was afraid to answer him at first. He gave me an odd look. "Why haven't you eaten, Isabella?" he said sharply
"I-I've been sleeping. And I don't want to eat," I answered timidly, not wanting to make him angry.
"Why not?"
"It's going to be poisoned, isn't it? You kidnapped me, and now you want to get rid of me."
He laughed cruelly.
"Why would I want to poison you? There would be no point in that. If I had wanted to kill you I would have done it in the first place. In fact, it is very important to me that you stay alive."
"What happened to my dad? I was with him…and then you were there. I don't understand."
"Your father is the very reason you need to stay alive. If he does what I want, you will remain unharmed. And if he doesn't…well you had better hope that he does."
"And you expect me to eat now?" I asked incredulously. He walked swiftly over the table, grabbed two peaches off of the plate and placed one in front of me.
"Yes. Eat." He took a bite out of the remaining one, turned, and left. After a moment or two of staring after him, I began to eat everything off the small plate except for the peach. Poisoned or not, for some strange reason I did not want to eat it now that he had touched it.
* * *
My eyes snapped open as I hit the floor. I stood and stretched, still feeling strangely tired.
"Oh there you are Henry. John just arrived." Emma said as she stepped into the room.
"John's here?" I asked groggily. Suddenly everything came flooding back. "John's here!" I rushed off without another word to where he sat waiting.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I have urgent news," I said at once.
"Your daughter I missing, I know. She was probably just frightened when you passed out and ran away. I promise you she'll turn up. I came here to tell you no to lose your head. Keep your wits about you and don't do anything rash," he droned in his usual flat voice.
"That's not what I was going to tell you, John. It has to do with that, but it's more urgent. I don't want Emma to know. She has enough on her mind." I lowered my voice and John leaned in to listen. "Someone has Isabella, and they seem to know about my past with Hyde."
John gave me a strange look and his voice changed to show at least some concern.
"How do you know? As I said, she was probably just frightened. What makes you think that?"
"This." I went to retrieve the note from my pocket, but was stunned to find it was gone. "I-It's gone!" I said horrorstruck.
"What's gone?" John asked, sounding for once slightly exasperated.
"The note! It was in my pocket! I found a note this morning; it said that they had Isabella."
"What did they want?"
"I-It wasn't a ransom note. It just said that they had her and that I should look in the lab, by the syringes. There was the potion! The horrid liquid from all those years ago! I showed the note to the police, and they said it was my handwriting." I paused as something dawned on me. "What-what if he's back? What if it's him? What if Hyde has my daughter?"
"Henry, think logically. How could he possibly have your daughter without you knowing? You didn't black out when you changed, just your state of mind changed. You were conscious, remember?"
"Yes…then what's going on?" I refrained from looking up at him; I didn't want him to see how frightened I felt.
"I don't know, Henry. But I do know that we can conclude that in the case of Mr. Hyde, things are still just as smooth as they have been for these past eight years." With that last remark, he stood, replaced his hat on top of his head, and left.
* * *
The door swung open again. I opened my eyes a slight bit before closing them again to feign sleep.
"I know that you're not asleep, Isabella." I sighed quietly to myself and opened my eyes, uncurling myself in the process.
"What time is it?" I asked quietly.
"Midnight."
"Why do you always come at night? You always say you have to leave at around eight o' clock in the morning, and then you don't come back until late at night."
"I'm nocturnal."
"What does that mean?"
"Don't tell me you don't know the meaning of 'nocturnal.'"
"I'm only seven…"
He sighed. "It means that I sleep during the day and am awake at night. What else don't you know?"
"But…I'm only seven…you can't expect me to know that much…don't you remember when you were little?"
"No. I don't," he stated firmly. He started to walk past me into the next room when I became a little braver for more questions as I slid from my chair.
"Why not?" I asked innocently, but he rounded on me as if I said something that had thoroughly angered him.
"Because I never was a child, understand, brat?" I started to shake my head no, but the look on his face suddenly made my head move up and down. "Good. Now get to sleep. It's midnight." I nodded silently again and curled up in the little chair that had become my home for the last few days. I didn't understand it one bit. How could someone have never been a kid? Did he mean something else by it? It didn't make any sense, and he didn't seem to want to explain it. I curled up and let the tears from my fright leak out of my eyes.
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K, so that was sort of a short little chapter, at least in my standards, don't really know quite where this'll go…I have of course my basic structure but…basically, any suggestions are welcome. Constructive criticism is also very welcome, and flames will be used for yummy little smores. Anyway, nice huggles and fluffy stuff and whatnot.
-Chocho-chan ^__^
