After the whole Jekkyl/Hyde ordeal, Quatermain called us all to a meeting in Nemo's conference room. Once we were all present (and Jekkyl cleaned up and clothed) Quatermain and Nemo began discussing our mission.
"M said that the Phantom will attack Venice at the world conference." Said Nemo "Here are copies of Da Vinci's blueprints." He spread out some old looking sheets of paper. We all peered in for a quick glance, but looked away after realizing that we were only there because of our powers. While Nemo and Quatermain were discussing the layout, with some input from Dorian and Mina, I looked around, just taking this all in.
Where'd my life go? It's all been so fast, seems like just yesterday I was fighting Roach for that job under a Thief Lord, stupid little cheating bugga.
I snapped out of it only to realize that Jekkyl was staring at me. I looked back at him but he quickly looked away. Nemo's voice was directed at me,
"Miss Amelia," I looked at him and came to him when he beckoned me forward "what type of bombs would one use to destroy a city such as Venice?"
He gestured to Da Vinci's maps as I examined the structures.
"Well, he would probably put some bombs underneath the city, in the water, probably water mines."
"Can you diffuse them?"
"I suppose so."
We then formulated and discussed our new plan to safely locate and diffuse the bombs. After I gave Nemo clear instructions to diffuse the bombs to teach his expert divers since I was in no shape to dive.
We then retired to our rooms, after an exhausting day. When I reached my room, I looked under my bed and checked the lingerie wrapped suitcase only to find that, as usual, the notes were still there. In stead of putting the notes away and going on with life, I decided to look through them, just for old times sake. It was a bit painful, looking at James' handwriting, it was as if he had never left me. My eyes welled up when I saw James' progress journal. Against my better judgment, I looked through it. I silently sobbed when I read just the first page. He was talking about how promising and sweet this new girl was. I could hear his voice clearly in my head. I immediately stopped reading and put the journal and notes away, and, cleaning up my pyrotechnics lab, put my nightgown on and went to bed.
That night I lay sobbing in my bed, not caring if anyone heard me, and knowing that if anyone did, I would regret it in the morning. I don't cry, so, as you can tell, this was pretty bad. Whenever I think of James, I just hold it in, but this was one of those few times that I let those ever threatening tears flow from my eyes.
The next morning, I got dressed and went down to the kitchen where a friendly cook made me some porridge with honey and gave me a sweet, Indian tart. I was just munching on the tart when Dr. Jekkyl came into the kitchen. He only noticed me when I called over to him "Good morning." He looked at me, smiled, and came over to me where I beckoned him to sit next to me. Once seated I said,
"Would you like one of these tarts? They're absolutely delicious."
"Oh, no thank you, I'm not all that hungry."
"Oh," I kept on munching on the tart when he started back up.
"So," he began nervously "you're not at all put off by that monster, Hyde?"
"No, not really." I said casually.
"Oh, well, I suppose that nobody really is…"
"Are you all right?" I asked when he shakily pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his sweaty brow.
"Oh, yes, of course." He said smiling and laughing.
"You know," I started, finishing my breakfast, "when he transformed back into you, it looked rather painful. Was it?"
"Well, sort of," he started "mostly…yes…a lot…"
"Oh," was all I could say. He looked at my hand.
"Did he do that?" he asked modestly.
"What?" I looked down at my cut finger. The cut had been pretty deep, seeing as now there were bloodstains on the bandage. I quickly pulled it under the table.
"How did you know?"
"He has that effect on people." He said smiling.
We sat there in silence for a while until Jekkyl spoke up.
"I beg your pardon, but I was walking back to my room last night, and I couldn't help but hear sobbing coming from your room. Are you all right?"
Crap
"Oh," I said laughing, "it was nothing. I was just remembering, that's all."
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked with genuine concern in his eyes.
"Well…" and for the next half an hour I told him about everything up until his (Hyde's) capture. Except, of course, the whereabouts of James' notes. In turn, Henry told me about his life and studies, and the creation of his alter ego, Edward Hyde.
Our conversation was cut short upon Skinner's entrance.
"Skinner," I said into thin air "I thought you said you would remain dressed in my presence."
"Well you're not the only one in 'ere now are you?" his voice came from next to me.
I jumped back in disgust, "Skinner! Get that away from me!"
"Sorry love," he said backing off.
"Just, get dressed." I said laughing.
"As you wish." His voice said as the door shut. I looked at Jekkyl, who was about to say something when Dorian and Mina walked in.
"I should probably leave." Said Jekkyl standing up.
"You don't have to," I said quickly, "you could" I was cut off.
"No, I really need to go."
"Oh," I know that could have meant a multitude of things, but, then again, look at me.
Later that day, I decided I'd go topside to get some fresh air, that and I'm just a wee bit claustrophobic, seeing as I'm a natural to the sky. Which gave me the idea. Luckily, on the way up, I ran into Nemo, who said it was fine by him, just double check with Allan.
"I suppose so," he said once I reached him and Sawyer on the deck, "just make sure nobody sees you."
I gladly nodded and took off down to the edge and, jumping off the rail, flew into the air. It felt so good to be back in the air again, the wind and the gatromites carrying me higher and higher into the air. I tumbled and spun, swerving left and right upon a whim. No rules, no limitations, just complete, unadulterated, freedom.
When I landed a couple hours later, I noticed that somebody had left immediately upon my arrival, and that Dorian was staring at me intently. Once I was on the ground and straightening out my gown, Dorian walked over to me,
"It must be absolutely wonderful up there, to have that kind of freedom."
"Oh yes, it is." I said smiling.
"So, if you don't mind me asking, how does one obtain the ability to fly?"
I paused, when I told Jekkyl about it, it just, felt right. But there was something about this abnormally charming immortal, that didn't. But I figured as long as I didn't let too much slip…
"Well there are particles in the air called Gatromites, and if given the right chemical aura, one could ride these particles thus being able to fly…"
So I told him what I told Henry, until Mina came up and joined us in conversation.
"And since when are you interested in flying?" she asked Dorian suspiciously.
"I have lived a long time, and I have seen loony's try to fly, and fail miserably in death. And I was wondering what made this young girl and her 'father' so special."
Mina just smiled admiringly at him and they engaged in their own, lovers' conversation as I slipped away, going below, having my fill of fresh air to last me for a while. As I walked down the metal, spiral stairs, I heard someone rush down them ahead of me.
"Skinner?" I called. But nobody answered. So I just figured it was a crewmember just trying to get around without running into any of these horrible, British monsters. I decided that I would go back to my room and try to put together my shooting stars without cutting myself.
Later that evening, before the usual time when waiters would come around with our food, I heard a knock on my door.
That's odd, they must be early tonight.
When I answered it, it was Mina.
"Hello Mina!" I said opening the door and inviting her in. As she walked in she said,
"Hello Amelia, I just thought you'd like some company this evening."
"Of course, please." I offered her a chair at the small table next to my desk. As she sat I cleaned up my lab.
"What have you been working on?" she inquired.
"Shooting stars."
"Really?"
I explained the workings of the shooting stars to Mina as she listened intently and gave her input as needed. We stopped when the waiters knocked on my door for dinner.
"I hope you don't mind, but I asked
them to deliver my meal here."
"Oh, that's perfectly
alright." I said opening the door for the two food laden waiters.
Tonight was my favorite, shrimp scampi. My tray held a bottle of wine, a glass cup, and a plate with seven little shrimps encircling a rare fruit called a lemon. But Mina's plate consisted mainly of a deep soup bowl, small ladle, and large, metal goblet. The soup bowl was filled with a thick red liquid. At my slightly horror stricken look, she smiled warmly and said
"You should have seen me the first time I tried to eat human food after becoming a vampire."
I could only imagine. I asked for the blessing upon my food and we both dug in.
"Why do you do that?" she asked curiously.
"Do what?"
"Bow your head and pray to some non existent higher being."
"Firstly" I said, a little insulted, "I pray because he's there, and secondly, I was asking him to bless my food."
"Why?"
"So it will nourish me instead of kill me."
"I still don't get it."
"Get what?"
"Why any God would allow this to happen to me." Mina was becoming hostile.
"What are you talking about?" I said, a little scared.
"You don't understand." She said, looking away.
"What!?"
"What I've gone through!" she stood up, her eyes turning red "I lost my husband and my soul to one of His creations!!" I was about to scream back when I realized that that would not be the best thing to do right then.
Mina was breathing deeply as her eyes went from crimson back to their regular hazel. She recomposed herself and sat back down, looking at the floor.
"Please, forgive me." She said, almost monotone, "I lost control of myself."
"Oh, Mina," I said forgivingly, "it's alright." I grabbed one of her cold hands and squeezed it. She looked back up at me, sort of laughing,
"I haven't had my fill, and I tend to get," she searched for a word, "cranky."
I just smiled and we commenced with an uneasy dinner.
"You know," I said cautiously, "there may be some pretty bad downsides to this whole, vampire thing, but that doesn't make it all bad."
"Oh, really?" Mina said skeptically taking a drink of her…drink.
"Yes, you see there could have been worse people to be bitten and given this awesome power. He knew that you would be responsible with these powers and do the right thing with them."
Mina just smiled and took another drink, not wanting to talk any more of religion. Just then, somebody knocked at the door. I opened the door to see Allan, a bit irritated,
"Jekkyl said there was some feisty shouting going on. Are you ladies getting along?"
"Yes, of course," I said casually, "we were just having a little debate."
Allan rolled his eyes, gave a curt nod, and walked away.
I went back to the table and finished my wine when Mina said,
"That doctor seems to have taken quite a fancy to you."
"Really?" Again, never been in a relationship.
"Yes really, his monster ego staring at you,"
"I didn't know which one of us he was staring at."
"Neither did I."
"Hm…"
"When I walked in to the kitchen this morning with Dorian, he was staring intently at you, and earlier today when I was going up to the deck, he was standing at the bottom half of the steps pondering something. And then just now."
"Were you and Dorian this way?"
"Well, he was a bit more forward about his feelings." She seemed to go off into a whole other world. "He was very charming, very charming indeed. He knew exactly what to say, exactly where to touch…" she looked at me startled, "I'm sorry, just reminiscing."
"I understand," then I added, laughing, "Jekkyl and I were reminiscing this morning."
After a while, the waiters came and took our empty trays away, and with that, Mina left me to go to bed. When everybody was gone, I changed out of my dress, and into my nightgown, and sat down at my desk to brush out my long, brown hair. While I was doing that, I heard some murmuring coming from outside my door. I got up and walked over to open the door to see who it was, but stopped short when I heard Nemo say,
"Contain your evil doctor, I'll not have the brute free upon my ship."
"I am in control," that was when I recognized it at Henry Jekkyl.
"I can see that," Nemo said sarcastically.
"Well pardon my past but if I recall correctly, your past is far from laudable." Jekkyl was angry.
There were footsteps walking next to my door,
"What crimes has Hyde committed?" Nemo asked calmly.
"Hyde has committed every crime a man can commit," Jekkyl was calmer, but shaky, "but that's not the worst part, I recall everything."
"I too," said Nemo walking closer to Jekkyl "have committed many manners of crimes, and I too, recall it all."
I listened closer, but there was just some jumbled murmuring and then two sets of footsteps walking away from my door in opposite directions.
I lied in bed that sleepless night, thinking about what Mina had said, and about the conversation that took place outside my door. For once, my mind wasn't troubled with thoughts of James.
The next morning, I decided that I would go find Nemo and ask him how much longer our voyage would commence. After asking Ishmael of his where abouts, I found him in Allan's quarters. I knocked on the door, a little nervous. Allan had never appeared very friendly to me in the least. Allan answered the door, and I asked, quietly, and a little nervous,
"Um, sir, I was wondering if I could ask, uh, Captain Nemo, how much longer we will be traveling."
"We arrive tonight, my dear." I heard from the back of the room, Nemo was seated a table much like the one in my room, "Mr. Quatermain and I were just reviewing our blueprints and your instructions."
"Oh," I said relaxing a bit, "well then, I'd better go tell the others, if that's all right with you," I added nervously, looking at Quatermain.
"Fine by me." Said our Commander.
"Well then, I'd better go get ready."
With a nod from both men I left to go back to my room.
"Oh, Amelia," I heard Nemo from behind me. I turned around to see him walking towards me.
"Mr. Henry Jekkyl, is a good man, a descent man." I didn't know what he was getting at, was this a funeral? "Just be wary of Hyde, and don't let him touch you."
I started to say "I have no idea what you're talking about", but Allan called Nemo back with the most urgency.
I just walked back to my room, pondering Nemo's words. On the way back I met up with Jekkyl who invited me to breakfast.
"No, I can't, Nemo said that we're arriving in Venice tonight, and I wanted to get my things ready. I've never felt so important in my life." I added excitedly.
"I've always dreamed of being that important." Said Jekkyl smiling down at me. I'd never noticed it, but my eyes only came level to, about, just below his shoulders.
"With your science work, the potion?" I asked.
"I suppose." Said Jekkyl.
"Well, I should probably go make sure
the others know that they should get ready."
"May I accompany
you?" asked Jekkyl.
"I suppose so," I said, sarcastically "but only if you behave."
We walked off laughing to warn the others of the upcoming events.