Death comes in packs.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize, except for Ireland, yep, that's mine.
A/N: No reviews. **Sobs softly**
Chapter two, To frequentness and new friends.
1904 London, England
The rain came down in sheets on the back streets of London. Constables grumbled in displeasure. But inside the house of Henry Jekyll, everything was as comfortable as one can be when fighting one's own inner demons.
The house the mousy doctor was currently residing in, was the house the queen herself had awarded him for services rendered to the crown, a lovely two story house, a shingled roof, two chimneys, a den, a billiard room that he never used, a study, seven bedrooms, a sturdy wine cellar and a handsome library, which he was currently residing in beside the fire, in his most comfortable arm chair.
He was somewhat oblivious to the rain outside other the occasional drip of the roof, which somehow the rain always found a way to slide in through. He hadn't changed much over the five years and several misadventures he'd had aboard the Nautilus, he was still nervous and somewhat jittery around people. He was however resisting admirably to his alter ego's constant screaming to be let out.
Her Majesty had declared the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen an official League. For the past four years he'd roamed around the world seeing things he'd never dreamt in of seeing. He'd also experienced things that were not in his worst nightmares. For all the grander, he was glad to be back in London, even if it too was going through some drastic changes both on the outside and the in.
The League was getting back together soon as it was, they'd meet at his house tomorrow, and discuss what to do from there. He was expecting them anytime now, they were always prompt if nothing else. And then there came a sudden rapping on his chamber door. That should be one of them now.
Jekyll got up quickly and stretched his cramped muscles, he'd been reading for hours and his muscles had become tired. He rubbed his eyes; the gaslights of the lamps in his library did cast shadow making it hard to read in the flickering light of both them, and the fire.
He threw on an over coat as he got to the door, and upon opening the door, he revealed not one of the League members as he had original thought, but a dripping woman. The woman appeared to be in her late twenties, her long brown hair was draped wet across her beautiful face, and her defiant chin was raised so that her brown eyes looked up at him expectantly, the rain still pouring down on her.
"Do I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Henry Jekyll?" She asked still looking at him. Her accent was thick and vaguely Irish, but it was jumbled with the other tones and accents, as if she'd picked up a few on her way to his doorstep.
He was at a loss for words as he looked upon this unexpected visitor. "Yes,............yes you do Miss--?" He stopped knowing her name.
"O'Connor. Sara O'Connor." She held out a dripping gloved hand, and he shook it, her grip surprisingly firm.
"What c-can I do for you, Miss. O'Connor?" He stuttered, still trying to figure out why she was standing there in the rain. The rain! He'd forgotten. "Oh, please forgive my manners, c-come inside." He stepped back and she walked in water dripping slow puddles on the floor. She took off the scarf and coat, both soaked, and hung them on a rack beside the door. She sneezed. "Bless you." He said out of habit.
"Thank you. Please call me Sara." She said smiling at him, reviling her straight white teeth. She really did have a lovely smile. "I come here I'm afraid out of a matter of utmost urgency. A matter that I'm afraid will require the famed League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."
Jekyll's face fell. "I was afraid you'd say that." He said soberly.
"Believe me I don't like it anymore than you do. I tried to deal with the matter myself over the past few years. But unfortunately, it's completely out of my hands." She held up her open empty gloved hands and shrugged. He could tell she was freezing, so he asked her if she would like to warm herself by the fire. She nodded politely and followed him. As he walked down the hallway, he could see Hyde's face in the reflection of the mirrors in the hallway. He was currently yelling at Jekyll for not releasing him and then began to scream at the top of his brutish lungs. Jekyll himself was hard pressed not to stop and tell him to shut up, but he thought talking to no one in front of Sara would be a bad way to start off.
She however had stopped and was looking around the room. "Do you here something?" She asked still glancing about the hallway.
"Excuse me?" He asked turning to face her.
"Its like a high pitched wails."
Hyde stopped screaming.
"Never mind, it's gone." She tapped the side of her head and came up beside him. "It must have been water in my ears."
"Must have been." He said and chuckled a little to himself. Hyde was silent inside of his head.
They arrived at the library door that Jekyll had left open in his rush to the door. Sara's eyes went wide in amazement, there were books upon books lining the walls, handsome leather bound novels and medical journals lined the shelves. She couldn't help but smile a little, she'd always loved a good book, but circumstances as the were she usually never had a chance to read more than a few a year, better than most people did, but still she wanted to read more.
She looked about the room, soft shag carpeting lined from wall to wall, she felt a pang of guilt for dripping on it. There were leather arms chairs placed around the room in corners or at small tables, there were two at the fire place itself and a small table with a bottle of Sherry in the middle. Jekyll motioned that she should have a seat, and she strode past him trying her hardest not to drip too much on his nice carpet. An old vitriolic played Mozart's Wind serenade No.12 in C minor across the room like a soft breeze.
Sara settled herself awkwardly in the chair, once again trying hard not to get the red dyed leather too wet. But she already felt herself drying off; she held her gloved hands out to the fire and gave a contented sigh as she felt the material begin to warm.
Jekyll watched her as he too settled in the chair opposite her, his large Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. He noticed the fire playing across her haggard face; she was tired he could tell, more than likely from traveling. Her torn dress said as much, it had obviously seen better days. From looking at he could tell it had more than likely been a lovely shade of emerald when it was dry but when wet it took on the look of mud. Why didn't she take her gloves off? He pondered, and then he said as much.
She looked up him like a parent would to a child who asked a silly question, like why was the sky blue, but when she answered him her eyes took a far away look and her voice was serious. "Because I might scratch someone." She said looking down at the black leather gloves she wore on each hand.
"And............why would that be a problem." On this he was generally curious, he'd been scratched a few times by a human fingernail and he knew it only caused mild discomfort.
"I only scratch people I intend to kill." She said it in an off hand sort of way.
At the confused look on his face she elaborated. "I will not have my evil infect the world. Someone else is all ready doing that." She looked up into the fire and something moved underneath the surface of her eyes, something more than the candles flickering light.
Jekyll recognized the words; he'd said something like them only five years ago. He wondered though, what her evil was.
"You'd better tell your friend behind us to stop sneaking around like a common thief." She said jerking her thumb over her shoulder.
Jekyll turned around in his seat and when he saw nothing but his library he realized. "Skinner." He breathed.
"Aheh!" The Invisible man laughed. "So you've spotted us then?" He laughed and a chair pulled, seemingly by itself, up, a small indentation in the chairs leather surface told him the Skinner had sat down.
"Smelled you." She corrected never taking her eyes off the fire, not that there was anything to see.
After a moment Skinner spoke up yet again, "So the wolfies sniffed us out?"
Then she glanced up and grinned her eyes flashing a distinct yellow, "Got it in one."
Jekyll was still confused what did he mean. "Oy, 'enry, mind if we pour ourselves a drink, it's been a long dry trip, mate. Heh heh."
He looked up startled and Sara grinned at him too, "Yes of course." he said slightly alarmed. Sara reached forward pouring three glasses of Sherry, she handed one to Jekyll who nodded politely, then another to Skinner who raised his glass in a mock toast.
"To frequentness and new friends." and he downed the whole glass.
"Here, here." Came the deep voiced reply from behind them. All three heads turned to face the new comer, and everyone but Sara recognized him. He was Indian by the look of him, dark hair and a long beard covered most his face. He wore an extravagant blue uniform and turban, a scimitar hung from his left hip.
"Ah, c'ptn Nemo old chap, good to see you." Skinner voice laughed.
"Yes, N-Nemo, a pleasure as usual." Jekyll said.
"A pleasure to meet you sir." Sara said getting up out of her chair to great him.
Nemo stopped and took a close look at her eyes. Sara paused and then realized what he was looking at. "Ah yes, the reason I came here." She rubbed her eyes so that they returned to their normal shade of brown. "Sara O'Connor." she held out her hand and Nemo shook it.
"Good now that the pleasantries are over come and have a drink then." Skinner said and reached over Sara's chair to grab the Sherry bottle.
"No thank you, Skinner, I must decline." Nemo said sternly and dragged a chair over to the fire.
After everyone had sat down, and more drinks were poured, namely Skinners who's glass never seemed to be full enough, Sara looked around.
"Am I correct in guess that the League is all here?" Sara asked taking a sip of her Sherry.
"I'm afraid not Madame we are still missing two of our number, Mina Harker and Tom Sawyer." Nemo answered.
"Present and accounted for." Came yet another voice from behind them.
"As am I." Came another female voice.
"Ah, so the League is set then?" Skinner's voice asked. He got no reply.
Sara guessed who was who. Tom grabbed one chair and drug it over to the fire, and then another, for himself, by now all the chairs had formed a large semicircle.
"Thank you Tom." Mina said and sat down sweeping her long, DRY, skirts under her. Sara felt very plain next to the woman, she plucked at her own torn skirt self-consciously then realized what she was doing and stopped. "Who are you my dear?" The woman asked as she caught sight of the only other woman in the room.
Sara sighed she did hate repeating herself. "I am Sara O'Connor," she said with all the dignity she could muster while still slightly damp. She pushed her now mostly dry hair out of her face.
"And what is your business here?" Mina continued.
"Yes what brings you here?" Nemo asked.
"I was about to ask the same thing." Tom chorused.
"Personally I don't much give a damn what bring 'er 'ere." Skinner said refilling his glass. "Lovely thing that she is brightens up the room, even if she is a wolf." He took another long draw of the Sherry.
All eyes turned to her. "That's what I was about to say." Sara said knowing she was under the scrutiny of very extraordinary individuals. "How does one put this?" She groped for words. "I am a werewolf." She said bluntly.
"Impossible." Nemo said a bit ruffled by her statement.
"Is it?" Mina said one elegant eyebrow rising.
"Yeah just look who you're keeping for company." Tom said look pointedly at Skinner.
Jekyll paused for a moment before speaking. "How did this happen?" He asked.
Sara sighed and fell back into her seat. "It happened one foggy night- -" In a minute she finished her tale and continued with more current affairs not pausing for, comments. "After that night I discovered a month later the change that over took me on a full moon. My mother, God bless her, was a superstitious woman so on the next full moon she locked me in the cellar and fed me through a slot in the door she made. We did this every month until I was eighteen. Then I went out on my own. Looking for the monster who did this to me." She gripped the edge of the chair with a gloved hand and through the firelight everyone could see her eyes had turned yellow again. "I'd catch glimpses of him in the forests. This one remained in a wolf's state of mind when not in body. There are others out there like me. I have not seen them but I know their there. They have found a way to live with people. But there are other who couldn't for whatever reason find a way, those are the ones who run with the pack when the moon is not full. They hunt human's like themselves to populate their packs. He is the one who killed my father. He is the one I'm after, he did this to me, and he will pay." She sighed and looked into the fire. "Twelve ears I have hunted and came up lacking. I grow more and more tired of this hunt. That's when I heard of you, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the ones who were like me. I came here to ask for your help. So tell me now, will you help me rid this world of one more evil, or must I go back to Ireland, and hunt alone once more?" She looked around the room studying faces, looking for the answer she'd come to find.
Surprising everyone Jekyll was the first to speak, "I will go with you." He said skittishly. Sara beamed at him.
"Shucks I'll go too." Tom said slapping his knee.
"As will I." Nemo said.
"And I." Mina chorused.
"If you blokes are going to get yourselves neck deep into trouble again you can count me out." Skinner said.
"Skinner," Sawyer said sternly.
The Invisible man quickly changed his mind, "Coming!" he held up his glass and everyone who had one followed suit.
And then they were off regaling in stories long since past.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize, except for Ireland, yep, that's mine.
A/N: No reviews. **Sobs softly**
Chapter two, To frequentness and new friends.
1904 London, England
The rain came down in sheets on the back streets of London. Constables grumbled in displeasure. But inside the house of Henry Jekyll, everything was as comfortable as one can be when fighting one's own inner demons.
The house the mousy doctor was currently residing in, was the house the queen herself had awarded him for services rendered to the crown, a lovely two story house, a shingled roof, two chimneys, a den, a billiard room that he never used, a study, seven bedrooms, a sturdy wine cellar and a handsome library, which he was currently residing in beside the fire, in his most comfortable arm chair.
He was somewhat oblivious to the rain outside other the occasional drip of the roof, which somehow the rain always found a way to slide in through. He hadn't changed much over the five years and several misadventures he'd had aboard the Nautilus, he was still nervous and somewhat jittery around people. He was however resisting admirably to his alter ego's constant screaming to be let out.
Her Majesty had declared the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen an official League. For the past four years he'd roamed around the world seeing things he'd never dreamt in of seeing. He'd also experienced things that were not in his worst nightmares. For all the grander, he was glad to be back in London, even if it too was going through some drastic changes both on the outside and the in.
The League was getting back together soon as it was, they'd meet at his house tomorrow, and discuss what to do from there. He was expecting them anytime now, they were always prompt if nothing else. And then there came a sudden rapping on his chamber door. That should be one of them now.
Jekyll got up quickly and stretched his cramped muscles, he'd been reading for hours and his muscles had become tired. He rubbed his eyes; the gaslights of the lamps in his library did cast shadow making it hard to read in the flickering light of both them, and the fire.
He threw on an over coat as he got to the door, and upon opening the door, he revealed not one of the League members as he had original thought, but a dripping woman. The woman appeared to be in her late twenties, her long brown hair was draped wet across her beautiful face, and her defiant chin was raised so that her brown eyes looked up at him expectantly, the rain still pouring down on her.
"Do I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Henry Jekyll?" She asked still looking at him. Her accent was thick and vaguely Irish, but it was jumbled with the other tones and accents, as if she'd picked up a few on her way to his doorstep.
He was at a loss for words as he looked upon this unexpected visitor. "Yes,............yes you do Miss--?" He stopped knowing her name.
"O'Connor. Sara O'Connor." She held out a dripping gloved hand, and he shook it, her grip surprisingly firm.
"What c-can I do for you, Miss. O'Connor?" He stuttered, still trying to figure out why she was standing there in the rain. The rain! He'd forgotten. "Oh, please forgive my manners, c-come inside." He stepped back and she walked in water dripping slow puddles on the floor. She took off the scarf and coat, both soaked, and hung them on a rack beside the door. She sneezed. "Bless you." He said out of habit.
"Thank you. Please call me Sara." She said smiling at him, reviling her straight white teeth. She really did have a lovely smile. "I come here I'm afraid out of a matter of utmost urgency. A matter that I'm afraid will require the famed League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."
Jekyll's face fell. "I was afraid you'd say that." He said soberly.
"Believe me I don't like it anymore than you do. I tried to deal with the matter myself over the past few years. But unfortunately, it's completely out of my hands." She held up her open empty gloved hands and shrugged. He could tell she was freezing, so he asked her if she would like to warm herself by the fire. She nodded politely and followed him. As he walked down the hallway, he could see Hyde's face in the reflection of the mirrors in the hallway. He was currently yelling at Jekyll for not releasing him and then began to scream at the top of his brutish lungs. Jekyll himself was hard pressed not to stop and tell him to shut up, but he thought talking to no one in front of Sara would be a bad way to start off.
She however had stopped and was looking around the room. "Do you here something?" She asked still glancing about the hallway.
"Excuse me?" He asked turning to face her.
"Its like a high pitched wails."
Hyde stopped screaming.
"Never mind, it's gone." She tapped the side of her head and came up beside him. "It must have been water in my ears."
"Must have been." He said and chuckled a little to himself. Hyde was silent inside of his head.
They arrived at the library door that Jekyll had left open in his rush to the door. Sara's eyes went wide in amazement, there were books upon books lining the walls, handsome leather bound novels and medical journals lined the shelves. She couldn't help but smile a little, she'd always loved a good book, but circumstances as the were she usually never had a chance to read more than a few a year, better than most people did, but still she wanted to read more.
She looked about the room, soft shag carpeting lined from wall to wall, she felt a pang of guilt for dripping on it. There were leather arms chairs placed around the room in corners or at small tables, there were two at the fire place itself and a small table with a bottle of Sherry in the middle. Jekyll motioned that she should have a seat, and she strode past him trying her hardest not to drip too much on his nice carpet. An old vitriolic played Mozart's Wind serenade No.12 in C minor across the room like a soft breeze.
Sara settled herself awkwardly in the chair, once again trying hard not to get the red dyed leather too wet. But she already felt herself drying off; she held her gloved hands out to the fire and gave a contented sigh as she felt the material begin to warm.
Jekyll watched her as he too settled in the chair opposite her, his large Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. He noticed the fire playing across her haggard face; she was tired he could tell, more than likely from traveling. Her torn dress said as much, it had obviously seen better days. From looking at he could tell it had more than likely been a lovely shade of emerald when it was dry but when wet it took on the look of mud. Why didn't she take her gloves off? He pondered, and then he said as much.
She looked up him like a parent would to a child who asked a silly question, like why was the sky blue, but when she answered him her eyes took a far away look and her voice was serious. "Because I might scratch someone." She said looking down at the black leather gloves she wore on each hand.
"And............why would that be a problem." On this he was generally curious, he'd been scratched a few times by a human fingernail and he knew it only caused mild discomfort.
"I only scratch people I intend to kill." She said it in an off hand sort of way.
At the confused look on his face she elaborated. "I will not have my evil infect the world. Someone else is all ready doing that." She looked up into the fire and something moved underneath the surface of her eyes, something more than the candles flickering light.
Jekyll recognized the words; he'd said something like them only five years ago. He wondered though, what her evil was.
"You'd better tell your friend behind us to stop sneaking around like a common thief." She said jerking her thumb over her shoulder.
Jekyll turned around in his seat and when he saw nothing but his library he realized. "Skinner." He breathed.
"Aheh!" The Invisible man laughed. "So you've spotted us then?" He laughed and a chair pulled, seemingly by itself, up, a small indentation in the chairs leather surface told him the Skinner had sat down.
"Smelled you." She corrected never taking her eyes off the fire, not that there was anything to see.
After a moment Skinner spoke up yet again, "So the wolfies sniffed us out?"
Then she glanced up and grinned her eyes flashing a distinct yellow, "Got it in one."
Jekyll was still confused what did he mean. "Oy, 'enry, mind if we pour ourselves a drink, it's been a long dry trip, mate. Heh heh."
He looked up startled and Sara grinned at him too, "Yes of course." he said slightly alarmed. Sara reached forward pouring three glasses of Sherry, she handed one to Jekyll who nodded politely, then another to Skinner who raised his glass in a mock toast.
"To frequentness and new friends." and he downed the whole glass.
"Here, here." Came the deep voiced reply from behind them. All three heads turned to face the new comer, and everyone but Sara recognized him. He was Indian by the look of him, dark hair and a long beard covered most his face. He wore an extravagant blue uniform and turban, a scimitar hung from his left hip.
"Ah, c'ptn Nemo old chap, good to see you." Skinner voice laughed.
"Yes, N-Nemo, a pleasure as usual." Jekyll said.
"A pleasure to meet you sir." Sara said getting up out of her chair to great him.
Nemo stopped and took a close look at her eyes. Sara paused and then realized what he was looking at. "Ah yes, the reason I came here." She rubbed her eyes so that they returned to their normal shade of brown. "Sara O'Connor." she held out her hand and Nemo shook it.
"Good now that the pleasantries are over come and have a drink then." Skinner said and reached over Sara's chair to grab the Sherry bottle.
"No thank you, Skinner, I must decline." Nemo said sternly and dragged a chair over to the fire.
After everyone had sat down, and more drinks were poured, namely Skinners who's glass never seemed to be full enough, Sara looked around.
"Am I correct in guess that the League is all here?" Sara asked taking a sip of her Sherry.
"I'm afraid not Madame we are still missing two of our number, Mina Harker and Tom Sawyer." Nemo answered.
"Present and accounted for." Came yet another voice from behind them.
"As am I." Came another female voice.
"Ah, so the League is set then?" Skinner's voice asked. He got no reply.
Sara guessed who was who. Tom grabbed one chair and drug it over to the fire, and then another, for himself, by now all the chairs had formed a large semicircle.
"Thank you Tom." Mina said and sat down sweeping her long, DRY, skirts under her. Sara felt very plain next to the woman, she plucked at her own torn skirt self-consciously then realized what she was doing and stopped. "Who are you my dear?" The woman asked as she caught sight of the only other woman in the room.
Sara sighed she did hate repeating herself. "I am Sara O'Connor," she said with all the dignity she could muster while still slightly damp. She pushed her now mostly dry hair out of her face.
"And what is your business here?" Mina continued.
"Yes what brings you here?" Nemo asked.
"I was about to ask the same thing." Tom chorused.
"Personally I don't much give a damn what bring 'er 'ere." Skinner said refilling his glass. "Lovely thing that she is brightens up the room, even if she is a wolf." He took another long draw of the Sherry.
All eyes turned to her. "That's what I was about to say." Sara said knowing she was under the scrutiny of very extraordinary individuals. "How does one put this?" She groped for words. "I am a werewolf." She said bluntly.
"Impossible." Nemo said a bit ruffled by her statement.
"Is it?" Mina said one elegant eyebrow rising.
"Yeah just look who you're keeping for company." Tom said look pointedly at Skinner.
Jekyll paused for a moment before speaking. "How did this happen?" He asked.
Sara sighed and fell back into her seat. "It happened one foggy night- -" In a minute she finished her tale and continued with more current affairs not pausing for, comments. "After that night I discovered a month later the change that over took me on a full moon. My mother, God bless her, was a superstitious woman so on the next full moon she locked me in the cellar and fed me through a slot in the door she made. We did this every month until I was eighteen. Then I went out on my own. Looking for the monster who did this to me." She gripped the edge of the chair with a gloved hand and through the firelight everyone could see her eyes had turned yellow again. "I'd catch glimpses of him in the forests. This one remained in a wolf's state of mind when not in body. There are others out there like me. I have not seen them but I know their there. They have found a way to live with people. But there are other who couldn't for whatever reason find a way, those are the ones who run with the pack when the moon is not full. They hunt human's like themselves to populate their packs. He is the one who killed my father. He is the one I'm after, he did this to me, and he will pay." She sighed and looked into the fire. "Twelve ears I have hunted and came up lacking. I grow more and more tired of this hunt. That's when I heard of you, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the ones who were like me. I came here to ask for your help. So tell me now, will you help me rid this world of one more evil, or must I go back to Ireland, and hunt alone once more?" She looked around the room studying faces, looking for the answer she'd come to find.
Surprising everyone Jekyll was the first to speak, "I will go with you." He said skittishly. Sara beamed at him.
"Shucks I'll go too." Tom said slapping his knee.
"As will I." Nemo said.
"And I." Mina chorused.
"If you blokes are going to get yourselves neck deep into trouble again you can count me out." Skinner said.
"Skinner," Sawyer said sternly.
The Invisible man quickly changed his mind, "Coming!" he held up his glass and everyone who had one followed suit.
And then they were off regaling in stories long since past.