Title: An Odd Acquaintance Part 2
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Author's Note: Okay, so here is part 2 for my story. Van Helsing meets Jekyll while on the hunt for Hyde in the first part, the second part, the characters reflect on the events. Still trying to start Black Summons, I have a more stonger talent in art than fiction. I know that in the official LXG site, Jekyll was described to be five feet but he appeared to be much taller in the film, so I'm just going by Flemyng's physical features with this story. The Van Helsing in the new film is Gabriel Van Helsing, but the Van Helsing in this story is Abraham Van Helsing from the original Dracula novel, just that he is a few years younger and I only used the looks from the new film since I imagined him to look like an older Hugh Jackman.
Henry Jekyll gave a slight moan and sat up slowly as he awoke in the mourning, still with his eyes shut. Placing his hand to his forehead to stroke back his copper colored hair, he thought about the past night. The events passed through his mind; he remembered what Hyde did to the prostitute, tearing at her clothes, raping and killing her. A gunshot, Hyde was wounded.
Jekyll buried his face in his hands as he remembered Hyde was pursued through the alley, entering the safety of his house, Hyde discarding the bloodstained shirt in the lab. Running upstairs to the bedroom, lighting up the room, removing the bullet from the wound in his arm with his bare fingers and wiping the blood onto his trousers before discarding them and slipping into a larger pair. The formula was done, twisting and reshaping of bones, coarse hair shrinking back, head throbbing with disorientation, chest heaving, Jekyll had changed back to himself. Dropping to his knees, sobbing like a child, he was confronted by the pursuer, then he passed out. When he came conscious again, the pursuer was still there, Jekyll learned that Hyde's tracker was Abraham Van Helsing.
Taking his hands from his face and opening his eyes, Jekyll looked at the bandage on his arm where the bullet struck. He remembered Van Helsing treating the wound and being affectionate. Doctor Jekyll's pale, clammy skin touched by Professor Van Helsing's warm, dry hands, the embracing and gentle kissing.
"Oh god…" he murmured as reflected on the event of last night.
Henry pulled blanket off him and got out of bed, realizing he was still wearing the trousers that Hyde changed into before the transformation. The doctor quickly dressed into fresh clothes, white linen shirt with a starched collar, vest, black trousers and waistcoat. After he dressed and tidied himself, he went downstairs into the kitchen for a glass of sherry.
"Afraid of what will happen when everyone finds out?" Edward Hyde's voice hissed at the back of Jekyll's mind.
The lanky doctor shuddered at the thought of what authorities would do to him, either lock him up or execute him, which was why he came to France. Jekyll had been living in Paris for almost a year, disappearing from London after his reputation as a respectful doctor was ruined by Hyde's horrible deeds. Having everyone in London thinking that he and Hyde were dead allowed him a quiet escape. With his knowledge to speak French fluently, he resumed his work in medicine.
However, Henry Jekyll's suffering with Edward Hyde had still been a problem. Whenever Hyde wanted to be free, Jekyll would give in to drink the formula. Hyde would venture through the Rue Morgue, spreading terror, raping every prostitute who came his way. Jekyll seemed to noticed that Hyde had grown slightly during their time in Paris, Henry knew that his own height was six feet and Edward started out between four and five feet tall. Now Hyde was up to five feet tall. Henry had observed that his evil alter ego started out small and less developed than his normal form, Hyde was probably growing due to more dosage of the serum and sins he committed.
"Edward," Jekyll said to his alter ego after his thoughts trailed off, "I'm trying to avoid such risks, that's why I cannot let you free for a while."
Taking sips of his sherry, he stared out of the kitchen window at the mourning over the Rue Morgue. Henry thought about his acquaintance with Van Helsing, how he felt the other man's affections. Tears streamed from Henry's clouded eyes down his pale cheeks, he felt guilty for using deceit against Van Helsing after receiving so much kindness. Jekyll felt the pain of regret surge up into his chest, what would Van Helsing think of him once the truth about Hyde was discovered. The pain Jekyll felt was the same pain when his friends in London learned the secret about Hyde, the pain of being hated.
"You fear being hated again," Hyde's voice growled. "There is no point hiding it from me, I am part of you!"
Wiping his tears away, Henry made his way back upstairs to write in his diary about what happened last night.
Van Helsing was packing his bags in his room at the hotel after changing into his casual clothing from his outdoor travel wear. Feeling rather tired from his long search for the brute, Hyde, last night, but the search did have effort. The professor did come across an English doctor, Henry Jekyll, who did have some information on Hyde.
A small smile came to Abraham Van Helsing's face as he thought of the doctor. Henry, wounded, looking so vulnerable, his flesh so pale and cold, Van Helsing had to give warmth and comfort to the other man. Information Van Helsing learned from Henry was the doctor's connections to Hyde.
"Thank you for the information, Henry," Van Helsing whispered. The professor quickly got out a pen, sat down at the desk in the room, and began writing information into his report. Van Helsing scribbled some notes down, and then he paused and tapped the butt of his pen on the wood of the desk. He thought about news letters he read on the strange case of Edward Hyde that occurred almost a year ago in London, Van Helsing suddenly remembered reading Henry Jekyll's name in the papers on a report of Henry's disappearance.
"Hmmm…" Van Helsing murmured to himself, "Henry must have left when things with Hyde got out of control in London." The professor wrote down more notes on Henry's disappearance from London and taking residence in Paris, France. Abraham tried to remember more of the details he read in newsletters on Hyde's case.
"Mr. Hyde did commit a suicide in the room above Henry's old laboratory, but Hyde is alive and attacking prostitutes in the Rue Morgue. He must have faked his death, and discovered Henry's residence in Paris." Van Helsing scribbled down more notes in his report.
When he was finished with his report, Van Helsing folded the paper and placed it in his coat pocket. The professor looked upon his reflection, heavy bags formed under his dark eyes from lack of sleep, lines forming around his mouth and his dark hair flecked with gray, Van Helsing was aware that he was no longer a young man.
"I think I'm getting too old for these monster hunts," he said to himself. "Maybe I should go back into medicine, there will be someone else to carry on destroying evil, someone to succeed where I failed." The professor slipped his coat on, picked up his bags and left the room. After he checked out of the hotel, he went to the police station to hand in his report.
Tears dropped onto the paper covered in writing, bleeding the still wet ink. Henry sobbed as he wrote down memories into his diary. The doctor reached into the pocket of his trousers for a handkerchief to wipe his face dry.
He checked his pocket watch; he had to get to the clinic for work soon. Henry got up from his desk, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
As he walked downstairs to the exit of his house, he thought deeply on Van Helsing's affections. The feeling of being touched gently and warmly, the feeling of comfort and love. Emotions surged through him; Henry's frail body started shaking as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Looks like you've lost control of yourself, Henry," Hyde teased. "Your built up emotions make you so easy to take advantage of."
"Shut up!" Henry shouted out loud, trying to ignore Edward. The doctor dropped to his knees, whimpers escaping his throat. Edward's laughter echoed through the doctor's mind.
"Give in Henry, drink the elixir, you can't resist!"
"Oh…" Henry looked around his house, he could give in to drink the elixir stored in his lab. No, he had to resist Hyde's urges; he could not unleash Hyde and risk capture. He had to fight his demon. "I can't," he whispered, "I don't want to be captured."
"You make me laugh! I can avoid capture any time!"
Henry struggled to stand up. If only Hyde was right, but Henry did not want to take any chances, he had to hold back from drinking the elixir. The doctor passed through his lab, walked out into the streets, locking the door to his house. He walked to the clinic, trying not to think of the events or Hyde.
Van Helsing walked out of the police station after handing his report in. He was planning to go to England to do more research on Edward Hyde.
"Henry Jekyll may have relatives or friends back in England who can provide important information," he said to himself. Once all of this detective work is over, Abraham could go back into medical practice, treating patients and teaching medicine to students.
The professor waited on the side of the street for a coach to arrive. As he waited, he began to think about Henry, the vulnerable, frail English doctor.
"I hope Henry and I will meet again, the poor man will never be troubled again once that brute is dealt with."
A coach stopped nearby, Van Helsing got on for a ride to the port where he would catch a ship heading to England. The professor would try to collect enough information he can to have Edward Hyde captured. If Van Helsing failed to capture Hyde, then someone else could do it using information Van Helsing discovered.
End Note: That's chapter two, I think I'll do a chapter three too. Stupid writer's block, I seem to have trouble writing stories these days, homework has taken over my pathetic life.