Miyumi
Perfect
A LXG fic
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and opening lines.
Dedication: The reviewers for It Only Took A Moment. You asked me to write more, and I did.
~*~
~ Perfect ~
By: Miyumi
~*~
You offered me your heart,
And I ripped it to shreds.
You once told me I was perfect,
And I denied every word.
There is nothing I can offer you,
For I have nothing but lies.
~*~
It was dark that evening, just the way Mina liked it. Heavy sheets of rain plummeted down London, soaking everyone and everything to the bone. Standing alone under the awning of a lit pub, she glared out into the street. It wasn't the cold that made her stare icy, rather, the sheet of paper she held clasped in her hands.
~
Beautiful Mina,
Meet me at Rider's Inn, tonight, at eight o' clock. I have something to give you.
~
Mina had reluctantly decided to meet whatever foolish man desired to see her. She figured it was some lonely man desperate for a bit of fun. That's how she saw all men now. Stupid pigs that just groped and hurt.
Her dead husband Jonathon could sum up this opinion rather well.
She tenderly reached beneath her scarf, touching two long, silvery scars beside her twin bite marks. They had healed and remained covered with a shiny glow. The glow didn't hide the inner pain she felt, though. She moved her hand back to the outside, the stinging cold biting and numbing. It didn't matter if this stranger showed. The cold didn't bother her anymore, ever since her transformation. She could have been naked and not chilled to the bone.
Men and women scurried around her, draping umbrellas over their heads and parcels inside their coats. No one said anything to her. She knew there was something about her presence that was frightening. Was it the way her eyes flashed demonic red? The bite marks on her neck made by the King of the Dead? Or her earthly aura that sent shivers down the spine.
She chuckled to herself. She hoped it wasn't the way she looked. She had been a widow long enough to no longer want someone to "spend long hours with, gazing at the stars or staring at the sunset". Love was for fools, she concluded.
That last thought sent a shiver down her spine. What was she saying? Her heart thumped, remembering those same words being uttered by her now dead father. It was the day her mother died he said that. Love was for fools; foolish people who dared to believe that they were cared for. James Murray was never capable of love, so how could he grasp the way a woman's heart could skip a beat in the presence of a kind man, or how men suddenly were at a loss of words after watching a woman's eyes sparkle at them?
Love was like that. The kind gesture of a man helping a woman out of her carriage; the sparkle in a woman's eye, the tender smiles exchanged when their hearts skip a beat in excitement. Mina only wished she had lived a love like that.
She glanced up at the clouded sky. She couldn't see the moon at all, and lacked a pocket watch. Even if she did go home, she couldn't feed in the rain. The rain made blood slick and thin, much to Mina's disgust. Only on nights that were clear and cold could she truly be satisfied. Then she could fly, numbly swooping on unsuspecting men for a feast of the undead.
The chain of her necklace fell from her neck. Picking it up slowly, she gazed at the portrait inside. It was of her and Jonathon on their wedding day. They had seemed so happy then. Jonathon was once a kind person. But he had become so cruel so fast that Mina couldn't remember him ever even saying he loved her. In the picture they smiled, but it was a false one. Mina wasn't happy on her wedding day, and she knew Jonathon wasn't either. She knew he had his sights set on someone else, as did she.
His name was Henry Tyler, a carpenter. He had once worked for her father to build their stables. Mina loved going out there, riding her horse with Henry and spilling all her troubles to him. He was five years older than she was, but seemed to understand what she went through. Her mother's vacant stares, her father's abuse, even her fears of getting married and being owned by some man she didn't know.
The day Henry left was the worst in Mina's life. He left so suddenly, his note saying he had to take care of something he was responsible for.
It was later she found out that his new bride's baby had been made out of wedlock, something unhead of in that time. He had done un-nameable things with a woman he wasn't married to, and left to be responsible for his actions.
When he left, Mina felt like a part of her heart had gone with him. Henry, who had been so strong and rugged, with shaggy hair like a lion's mane, a tall, muscular body, and spoke sweetest words a woman would ever hear. Mina felt so shy around him, not at all how she felt around Jonathon.
Around Jonathon, she felt fear.
In some ways she hoped the note was from Henry, come back to London, professing an undying love to her. Part of her still loved him, even if she hadn't seen him for many years. When he left, she was still a girl. Now, she was a woman, one of the undead, but still a woman. Her eyes were sharper, her face a bit paler, and certainly she had grown taller. But inside, she knew that she was still the same Mina from years ago.
The large clock in the market square chimed eight. Her heart began to beat fast, for it was the moment of truth. It was eight, she was at the Rider's Inn, and was waiting for Henry to come, sweep her off her feet, making her feel young and happy again.
Shadows danced across the walls as she looked around, looking for any familiar face. The approaching footsteps didn't sway her. The footsteps were soft, almost trembling in nature. It was a man, and his slow breathing didn't match the fast tempo beat of his heart. His hands clenched a small handerchief that he held almost religiously inside his pocket, dry from the rain. His eyes were scared, and his body shook from fear.
He drew a finger to her shoulder, tapping it gently. Mina turned around quickly, her heart beginning to beat unnaturally fast. Henry's smiling face appeared in her mind.
"Henry!" she said, reaching out.
She stopped.
She withdrew her arms, her eyes widening and blinking slowly. A startled gasp escaped from her throat, and she took a trembling step back.
It was Henry.
But not the one she was thinking of.
Before her stood Henry Jekyll, in all his trembling glory. His watery eyes brightened at the sight of her lovely face, and he reached a shaking hand to grasp hers.
"Beautiful Mina," he said softly. "I'm very glad you came."
"Henry," she managed to stammer. "I-I don't know what to say."
He fingered something in his pocket, not revealing it to her. "I wanted to talk to you-maybe over some tea?"
Mina closed her eyes, her heart burning with disappointment. It wasn't the rugged prince who showed up. It was the trembling one who shook with fear instead. Tears pricked her eyes as she nodded, accepting his invitation.
"Thank you," he said, trembling. He opened the door for her. "After you, beautiful Mina."
Her heart began to ache. "Please don't call me that," she said softly. "I am no more beautiful than a sin itself."
Henry said nothing, shutting the door and closing his umbrella. He walked her to a small table in the corner, dimly lit by a thin candle. He pulled her chair out, hands shaking the entire time. Mina wanted to say something to comfort him, but couldn't. She couldn't utter anything while a waiter poured steaming cups of tea, glancing at the two of them strangely, as if he could sense the darkness behind their demeanor.
The boy quickly slipped away, shaking slightly. Knowing he would have screamed in terror if he had seen her fangs fed her sick sense of humor.
Henry stirred his tea nervously. Mina felt a twinge of pity for the poor man, who could barely speak a word without trembling or stammering.
"Mina, I know that you probably don't feel the same way I do." He sid this quietly, so barely audible that Mina had to strain her ears just to understand.
"About what?" she asked primly. For once in her life, she had not the slightest idea what the man was talking about.
"I just-I just don't know why I did it. Why I thought about you that way, why I even thought that all those evil words Edward said were right-"
"Enough." Mina sileneced him with a sharp glare. "I am in no mood to play games, Henry. Tell me your errand, and I will listen. Continue rambling like a madman and I will leave, be assured."
He nervously sipped his tea, his face pale and shiny with sweat, despite the chill of the air. "Of course-I'm sorry to have spoken so."
Mina regarded him with some amusement. "What do you want, Henry?"
His heartbeat began to quicken, as Mina stared at him curiously. He wanted to lose himself in her emerald eyes so badly. He shakily reached for her gloved hand, taking care to hold it gently, yet firmly.
She quickly withdrew her hand. "I tire of this quickly, Henry. Either say something, or I will leave."
"I think I love you, Mina." He said this so quickly that his words were jumbled. But from the shocked look on her face, he knew she understood every word. Perfectly.
"Oh, Henry," she said sadly, casting her eyes down. "How could you say such a thing?"
Henry's entire body began to shake. "I don't know, Mina. It's because I can't stop thinking about you. I wanted to tell you sooner, as early as the journey home from Africa, but I couldn't, and all these months I thought about you, driving me nearly mad-"
She silenced him, touching his lips with a softly covered finger. He shook from her touch, eyes widening and becoming glassy with tears.
"But I knew that I never deserved you, and the thought tormented me so. I have so many demons in my past, that someone as beautiful, as perfect as you, would never have me."
Mina flinced at his words, her eyes, just for a moment, softening. "And you think I too do not have a past just as dark? Just as filled with demons as yours?"
"Oh, no," said Henry hurriedly. "I-I always dreamed about your past. Was it full of laughter, as I thought? Of dazzling sunshine, smiles, and carefree days?"
She laughed coldly. "My life was never carefree, Henry Jekyll. It was not full of-what did you quote-dazzling sunshine?"
Henry's face fell. "But I always thought-"
"You thought wrong."
He blinked a few times, watching in disbelief as she drank her tea, staring out the window. Her casual tone about this past of hers wasn't at all what he pictured.
"What happened to you?" he whispered.
She put her cup down firmly, eyes flashing. "Must I tell me life's story to satisfy this curiousity of yours?"
Henry shook his head fiercely. "No, no, I only wondered, perhaps I could ease your pain. I-I'm an excellent listener."
She tapped her fingers on the table, her auburn hair reflecting the candlelight. "Why do you want to know about my past?"
Henry hesitated. "I only want to help, beautiful Mina, only that."
"I was born far away from London," she said airily. "My mother was a socialite, marrying the richest man she could, my father, Lord of Murray Manor."
Henry breathed sharply.
She stirred her tea carelessly, still staring out the window. "I was their only child," she continued. "My father was displeased, and preceded to hate my mother for failing to bear an heir. He used to beat her, not caring if I was in the room, screaming for him to stop. She became ill later and died when I was twenty-three, just a few years after I was married myself." She scoffed softly. "Not that I was able to escape my own fate. My husband was just like my father, cold and cutting, beating me day and night. When our son died a cradle death, Jonathon blamed me for not hearing his cries. Really, I was unconscious the entire day."
"Why didn't you leave him? Seek help?"
Mina turned away from the frosted glass. "And who would I have gone to? My father? He said I shamed him; he wouldn't let me inside the house without a kick first. When Jonathon left for Transylvania, I was overjoyed. But when he summoned me, I was distraught. I became even more so when I learned he was dead, and it was really the Count Dracula who had summoned me. When I fled from that castle, I was one of the undead, a vampire, and I no longer felt any emotion or pain."
Henry just sat there, in shock. "I still don't understand."
Mina gave a hard laugh. "What don't you get, Henry? My father beat me, my husband beat me, I was bitten by the King of the Undead, and survived all this just to be here today, talking to you."
Henry looked up.
She gave him a sad smile, removing her gloves. She lifted his chin with her hand, staring into his glittering eyes. "No one is perfect Henry, remember that from now on, whenever you think of me."
"But-But-But-"
She touched his lips. "Don't talk anymore. I'm glad I came, and talked to you." She cocked her head to the side. "It helped, I suppose."
She stood, pulling the gloves on and wrapping her silk scarf. "Thank you, Henry." Leaning down, she cupped his cheek and kissed him lightly, closing her eyes and saving the tender moment in her mind.
His hot tears hit her face, as she pulled away and held his gaze. "You made me remember when I was once happy, and for that, I will be grateful forever."
"There is something else," he started, reaching into his coat pocket, pulling out a delicate lace handkerchief, white and still smelling of her musky perfume. It was the handkerchief, she soon realized, that she had given him months ago on the Nautilus.
She pushed it back into his hand: "Take it as a fair lady's token to you, Henry Jekyll." She patted his closed hand. "Whenever you see it, think of me."
"I will," he said hoarsely.
She turned towards the door, her face set once again in cold radiance, prepared to face the ever-cruel world outside.
"Oh, Henry?" she said, turning around.
"Y-Yes?" he stammered.
She smiled, her eyes dancing in the dim light. "No one is as perfect as you are. Remember that."
Henry let out a gasp of happiness and she walked out the door, holding her scarf tight around her neck as she slowly disappeared from sight.
"Thank you, Mina," he said softly.
He clasped the handkerchief close to his heart, closing his eyes and for the first time in many years, smiled.
~*~
A/N: Ah, it's over, I believe. *throws confetti* I'm sorry to say that I lost my inspiration for this about at the second page, pondering about where I wanted to take the plotline. But I found my copy of the book that came out with the movie, and re-read, searching for my muse. I found it, and began typing. Here's the finished product of the Mina/Jekyll series, and though not totally accurate with Dracula or Jekyll's past maybe, I tried hard to capture Henry's heartache for Mina. Did I succeed? Tell me through reviews. Thanks for being great!!
Perfect
A LXG fic
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and opening lines.
Dedication: The reviewers for It Only Took A Moment. You asked me to write more, and I did.
~*~
~ Perfect ~
By: Miyumi
~*~
You offered me your heart,
And I ripped it to shreds.
You once told me I was perfect,
And I denied every word.
There is nothing I can offer you,
For I have nothing but lies.
~*~
It was dark that evening, just the way Mina liked it. Heavy sheets of rain plummeted down London, soaking everyone and everything to the bone. Standing alone under the awning of a lit pub, she glared out into the street. It wasn't the cold that made her stare icy, rather, the sheet of paper she held clasped in her hands.
~
Beautiful Mina,
Meet me at Rider's Inn, tonight, at eight o' clock. I have something to give you.
~
Mina had reluctantly decided to meet whatever foolish man desired to see her. She figured it was some lonely man desperate for a bit of fun. That's how she saw all men now. Stupid pigs that just groped and hurt.
Her dead husband Jonathon could sum up this opinion rather well.
She tenderly reached beneath her scarf, touching two long, silvery scars beside her twin bite marks. They had healed and remained covered with a shiny glow. The glow didn't hide the inner pain she felt, though. She moved her hand back to the outside, the stinging cold biting and numbing. It didn't matter if this stranger showed. The cold didn't bother her anymore, ever since her transformation. She could have been naked and not chilled to the bone.
Men and women scurried around her, draping umbrellas over their heads and parcels inside their coats. No one said anything to her. She knew there was something about her presence that was frightening. Was it the way her eyes flashed demonic red? The bite marks on her neck made by the King of the Dead? Or her earthly aura that sent shivers down the spine.
She chuckled to herself. She hoped it wasn't the way she looked. She had been a widow long enough to no longer want someone to "spend long hours with, gazing at the stars or staring at the sunset". Love was for fools, she concluded.
That last thought sent a shiver down her spine. What was she saying? Her heart thumped, remembering those same words being uttered by her now dead father. It was the day her mother died he said that. Love was for fools; foolish people who dared to believe that they were cared for. James Murray was never capable of love, so how could he grasp the way a woman's heart could skip a beat in the presence of a kind man, or how men suddenly were at a loss of words after watching a woman's eyes sparkle at them?
Love was like that. The kind gesture of a man helping a woman out of her carriage; the sparkle in a woman's eye, the tender smiles exchanged when their hearts skip a beat in excitement. Mina only wished she had lived a love like that.
She glanced up at the clouded sky. She couldn't see the moon at all, and lacked a pocket watch. Even if she did go home, she couldn't feed in the rain. The rain made blood slick and thin, much to Mina's disgust. Only on nights that were clear and cold could she truly be satisfied. Then she could fly, numbly swooping on unsuspecting men for a feast of the undead.
The chain of her necklace fell from her neck. Picking it up slowly, she gazed at the portrait inside. It was of her and Jonathon on their wedding day. They had seemed so happy then. Jonathon was once a kind person. But he had become so cruel so fast that Mina couldn't remember him ever even saying he loved her. In the picture they smiled, but it was a false one. Mina wasn't happy on her wedding day, and she knew Jonathon wasn't either. She knew he had his sights set on someone else, as did she.
His name was Henry Tyler, a carpenter. He had once worked for her father to build their stables. Mina loved going out there, riding her horse with Henry and spilling all her troubles to him. He was five years older than she was, but seemed to understand what she went through. Her mother's vacant stares, her father's abuse, even her fears of getting married and being owned by some man she didn't know.
The day Henry left was the worst in Mina's life. He left so suddenly, his note saying he had to take care of something he was responsible for.
It was later she found out that his new bride's baby had been made out of wedlock, something unhead of in that time. He had done un-nameable things with a woman he wasn't married to, and left to be responsible for his actions.
When he left, Mina felt like a part of her heart had gone with him. Henry, who had been so strong and rugged, with shaggy hair like a lion's mane, a tall, muscular body, and spoke sweetest words a woman would ever hear. Mina felt so shy around him, not at all how she felt around Jonathon.
Around Jonathon, she felt fear.
In some ways she hoped the note was from Henry, come back to London, professing an undying love to her. Part of her still loved him, even if she hadn't seen him for many years. When he left, she was still a girl. Now, she was a woman, one of the undead, but still a woman. Her eyes were sharper, her face a bit paler, and certainly she had grown taller. But inside, she knew that she was still the same Mina from years ago.
The large clock in the market square chimed eight. Her heart began to beat fast, for it was the moment of truth. It was eight, she was at the Rider's Inn, and was waiting for Henry to come, sweep her off her feet, making her feel young and happy again.
Shadows danced across the walls as she looked around, looking for any familiar face. The approaching footsteps didn't sway her. The footsteps were soft, almost trembling in nature. It was a man, and his slow breathing didn't match the fast tempo beat of his heart. His hands clenched a small handerchief that he held almost religiously inside his pocket, dry from the rain. His eyes were scared, and his body shook from fear.
He drew a finger to her shoulder, tapping it gently. Mina turned around quickly, her heart beginning to beat unnaturally fast. Henry's smiling face appeared in her mind.
"Henry!" she said, reaching out.
She stopped.
She withdrew her arms, her eyes widening and blinking slowly. A startled gasp escaped from her throat, and she took a trembling step back.
It was Henry.
But not the one she was thinking of.
Before her stood Henry Jekyll, in all his trembling glory. His watery eyes brightened at the sight of her lovely face, and he reached a shaking hand to grasp hers.
"Beautiful Mina," he said softly. "I'm very glad you came."
"Henry," she managed to stammer. "I-I don't know what to say."
He fingered something in his pocket, not revealing it to her. "I wanted to talk to you-maybe over some tea?"
Mina closed her eyes, her heart burning with disappointment. It wasn't the rugged prince who showed up. It was the trembling one who shook with fear instead. Tears pricked her eyes as she nodded, accepting his invitation.
"Thank you," he said, trembling. He opened the door for her. "After you, beautiful Mina."
Her heart began to ache. "Please don't call me that," she said softly. "I am no more beautiful than a sin itself."
Henry said nothing, shutting the door and closing his umbrella. He walked her to a small table in the corner, dimly lit by a thin candle. He pulled her chair out, hands shaking the entire time. Mina wanted to say something to comfort him, but couldn't. She couldn't utter anything while a waiter poured steaming cups of tea, glancing at the two of them strangely, as if he could sense the darkness behind their demeanor.
The boy quickly slipped away, shaking slightly. Knowing he would have screamed in terror if he had seen her fangs fed her sick sense of humor.
Henry stirred his tea nervously. Mina felt a twinge of pity for the poor man, who could barely speak a word without trembling or stammering.
"Mina, I know that you probably don't feel the same way I do." He sid this quietly, so barely audible that Mina had to strain her ears just to understand.
"About what?" she asked primly. For once in her life, she had not the slightest idea what the man was talking about.
"I just-I just don't know why I did it. Why I thought about you that way, why I even thought that all those evil words Edward said were right-"
"Enough." Mina sileneced him with a sharp glare. "I am in no mood to play games, Henry. Tell me your errand, and I will listen. Continue rambling like a madman and I will leave, be assured."
He nervously sipped his tea, his face pale and shiny with sweat, despite the chill of the air. "Of course-I'm sorry to have spoken so."
Mina regarded him with some amusement. "What do you want, Henry?"
His heartbeat began to quicken, as Mina stared at him curiously. He wanted to lose himself in her emerald eyes so badly. He shakily reached for her gloved hand, taking care to hold it gently, yet firmly.
She quickly withdrew her hand. "I tire of this quickly, Henry. Either say something, or I will leave."
"I think I love you, Mina." He said this so quickly that his words were jumbled. But from the shocked look on her face, he knew she understood every word. Perfectly.
"Oh, Henry," she said sadly, casting her eyes down. "How could you say such a thing?"
Henry's entire body began to shake. "I don't know, Mina. It's because I can't stop thinking about you. I wanted to tell you sooner, as early as the journey home from Africa, but I couldn't, and all these months I thought about you, driving me nearly mad-"
She silenced him, touching his lips with a softly covered finger. He shook from her touch, eyes widening and becoming glassy with tears.
"But I knew that I never deserved you, and the thought tormented me so. I have so many demons in my past, that someone as beautiful, as perfect as you, would never have me."
Mina flinced at his words, her eyes, just for a moment, softening. "And you think I too do not have a past just as dark? Just as filled with demons as yours?"
"Oh, no," said Henry hurriedly. "I-I always dreamed about your past. Was it full of laughter, as I thought? Of dazzling sunshine, smiles, and carefree days?"
She laughed coldly. "My life was never carefree, Henry Jekyll. It was not full of-what did you quote-dazzling sunshine?"
Henry's face fell. "But I always thought-"
"You thought wrong."
He blinked a few times, watching in disbelief as she drank her tea, staring out the window. Her casual tone about this past of hers wasn't at all what he pictured.
"What happened to you?" he whispered.
She put her cup down firmly, eyes flashing. "Must I tell me life's story to satisfy this curiousity of yours?"
Henry shook his head fiercely. "No, no, I only wondered, perhaps I could ease your pain. I-I'm an excellent listener."
She tapped her fingers on the table, her auburn hair reflecting the candlelight. "Why do you want to know about my past?"
Henry hesitated. "I only want to help, beautiful Mina, only that."
"I was born far away from London," she said airily. "My mother was a socialite, marrying the richest man she could, my father, Lord of Murray Manor."
Henry breathed sharply.
She stirred her tea carelessly, still staring out the window. "I was their only child," she continued. "My father was displeased, and preceded to hate my mother for failing to bear an heir. He used to beat her, not caring if I was in the room, screaming for him to stop. She became ill later and died when I was twenty-three, just a few years after I was married myself." She scoffed softly. "Not that I was able to escape my own fate. My husband was just like my father, cold and cutting, beating me day and night. When our son died a cradle death, Jonathon blamed me for not hearing his cries. Really, I was unconscious the entire day."
"Why didn't you leave him? Seek help?"
Mina turned away from the frosted glass. "And who would I have gone to? My father? He said I shamed him; he wouldn't let me inside the house without a kick first. When Jonathon left for Transylvania, I was overjoyed. But when he summoned me, I was distraught. I became even more so when I learned he was dead, and it was really the Count Dracula who had summoned me. When I fled from that castle, I was one of the undead, a vampire, and I no longer felt any emotion or pain."
Henry just sat there, in shock. "I still don't understand."
Mina gave a hard laugh. "What don't you get, Henry? My father beat me, my husband beat me, I was bitten by the King of the Undead, and survived all this just to be here today, talking to you."
Henry looked up.
She gave him a sad smile, removing her gloves. She lifted his chin with her hand, staring into his glittering eyes. "No one is perfect Henry, remember that from now on, whenever you think of me."
"But-But-But-"
She touched his lips. "Don't talk anymore. I'm glad I came, and talked to you." She cocked her head to the side. "It helped, I suppose."
She stood, pulling the gloves on and wrapping her silk scarf. "Thank you, Henry." Leaning down, she cupped his cheek and kissed him lightly, closing her eyes and saving the tender moment in her mind.
His hot tears hit her face, as she pulled away and held his gaze. "You made me remember when I was once happy, and for that, I will be grateful forever."
"There is something else," he started, reaching into his coat pocket, pulling out a delicate lace handkerchief, white and still smelling of her musky perfume. It was the handkerchief, she soon realized, that she had given him months ago on the Nautilus.
She pushed it back into his hand: "Take it as a fair lady's token to you, Henry Jekyll." She patted his closed hand. "Whenever you see it, think of me."
"I will," he said hoarsely.
She turned towards the door, her face set once again in cold radiance, prepared to face the ever-cruel world outside.
"Oh, Henry?" she said, turning around.
"Y-Yes?" he stammered.
She smiled, her eyes dancing in the dim light. "No one is as perfect as you are. Remember that."
Henry let out a gasp of happiness and she walked out the door, holding her scarf tight around her neck as she slowly disappeared from sight.
"Thank you, Mina," he said softly.
He clasped the handkerchief close to his heart, closing his eyes and for the first time in many years, smiled.
~*~
A/N: Ah, it's over, I believe. *throws confetti* I'm sorry to say that I lost my inspiration for this about at the second page, pondering about where I wanted to take the plotline. But I found my copy of the book that came out with the movie, and re-read, searching for my muse. I found it, and began typing. Here's the finished product of the Mina/Jekyll series, and though not totally accurate with Dracula or Jekyll's past maybe, I tried hard to capture Henry's heartache for Mina. Did I succeed? Tell me through reviews. Thanks for being great!!