This time Utterson was the one to organise everything.
After all, today was a special day: 27th May, Jekyll's birthday.
Technically it was Hyde's too, but he had been created at night, so his celebration would wait – he had wanted it so.
Thus, the daytime belonged to Utterson and Jekyll.
“Happy birthday, Henry!”, the lawyer greeted him, “You're past the age of fifty now! How does it feel?”
The blond glowered at him: “You're older than I, you know the answer!”
“Point taken”, Utterson laughed.
Jekyll chuckled, when the lawyer presented him with tickets to an opera that would be performed today.
“That's so you, Gabriel. But I love going to the theatre or the opera with you.”
Utterson laughed: “Yes, because you love me. Now do come. It will start in two hours, we must not be late. You're going to like it, it's a comedy.”
Jekyll blinked: “This early in the day?”
“This early in the day. After that, we will go to my place, I'm cooking for you. I will not take no for an answer.”
The Doctor giggled: “As if I could possibly refuse that offer!”
.
Utterson was right; the opera was comedic gold.
Not just once Jekyll laughed along with the audience at the witty dialogues and the music was so cheerful and upbeat, that it raised his spirits even higher than they already were.
In his joy, he took the high risk of taking Utterson's hand.
The lawyer blushed a little, but didn't pull away.
Fortunately Jekyll remembered that they were basically in public, before anyone could see it and retracted his hand. At the reminder that his love for the other was illegal, he got the morbs.
“What's the matter?”, Utterson asked worriedly, when he noticed.
Jekyll sighed: “I wish we didn't have to be a secret.”
Utterson frowned a little. “Yes, me too. But let us not dwell on that now. Carpe diem, my friend.”
“Yes, you're right.”
.
After the opera visit, they decided to take a walk in the nearby park to enjoy this beautiful spring day, before they would go to Utterson's.
“It's very warm today, isn't it, my friend?”, Jekyll noted.
“Perfect May weather”, Utterson agreed.
The two conversed like ordinary friends, as they walked.
“Spring is my favourite season!”, the Doctor proclaimed, “When the fresh green leaves and all the flowers come out of hiding and the birds sing – even here in London!”
Utterson chuckled: “Truly, though I will always be partial towards autumn, when the leaves unfold all their colour, before they wither and are carried away by the wind – it's just so poetic to me!”
Jekyll grinned. “Shall I wax poetics about the seasons right here in the park, my friend?”
Utterson glared. “Don't you dare, Prof. Dr. Henry Jekyll!”
“Alright, alright! I'm sorry!”, the blond laughed.
.
They continued their walk and then went to Utterson's humble abode.
“I haven't been here in a while”, Jekyll remarked, as he entered. “Is it just me or is it looking even cosier than last time? Did you finally hire a housekeeper?”
The lawyer laughed: “I did. Or to be more specific, Lady Summers told me that her niece – the daughter of her hair stylist – had just learned how to keep house, so I let her work for me and Lady Summers pays.”
Jekyll grinned. Clever Lady.
“Speaking of Lady Summers”, he said, “Isn't she in Cornwall to check on her estate and visit her in-laws?”
Utterson nodded. “Yes, I got a telegram today. She's enjoying her holiday and wishes you a happy birthday.”
Jekyll couldn't help but smile.
“Her birthday's on 15th October, right?”
“It is”, Utterson confirmed. “She's less than five months younger than you, just a kind reminder. Now, Henry, why don't you sit down, while I cook us a good meal? Miss Mariner isn't the best cook, so I do it by myself. You can look through my books meanwhile.”
The Doctor took a seat and relaxed, as the lawyer scurried through the kitchen.
Instead of taking a book to entertain himself in the meantime, he listened to Utterson's voice, as the black-haired man was singing something in Italian, while he cooked.
Jekyll didn't listen to the words, he was too captivated by the other's singing.
I still think he should have become an opera singer instead of a lawyer, he thought.
Of course, Utterson was a good lawyer and just as suited for that work, but still … it was such a shame.
It wasn't long, before the most delicious and tantalising smell waved over from the kitchen, making Jekyll's mouth water.
It was middle afternoon, when Utterson came to serve the food.
“Buon appetito”, the lawyer wished him and the two wasted no time in digging into the food.
“Mmhh! Oh, it's scrumptious!”, Jekyll cried enthusiastically, “Really, Gabriel, your cooking is to die for!”
Utterson chortled: “Well, it wouldn't be very beneficial to die for it, would it?”
.
After their meal, the two just sat on the couch, cuddling.
“This is perfect”, Jekyll whispered.
Utterson hummed in agreement.
Edward should be here though, he thought, Then it would be absolutely perfect.
“I love you so”, the blond sighed happily.
Utterson sighed as well, but bitterly, because he still couldn't say it back.
Jekyll noticed and took the other's hand. “I know, Gabriel”, he soothed the older. “Don't beat yourself up over it. Edward will never be able to say it either.”
“I'll be able to say it one day”, Utterson promised, “I know I will! Just wait for me a little longer.”
Jekyll laughed: “Please, Gabriel. Why should I not be able to hold out just a bit longer, when I have loved you for so many years, while thinking you would never love me back? I don't mind waiting for a bit longer, now that I know that you love me – and in a way, Edward too. Right, you do?”
“Point taken”, Utterson chuckled and kissed the other. “And yes, there is no denying that I've grown very attached to him. Though I wouldn't say that I'm in love with him just yet.”
“I know”, the Doctor replied, “Knowing you, my dear, you would tell him so, once you're sure that you do.”
“Certainly would”, the lawyer laughed. “Do you think he loves me?”
Jekyll smirked: “Oh, absolutely! Don't tell him I told you this, but …” he woered his voice to whisper conspiratorily, “… He is heads over heels into you! Completely smitten! He's just unaware of it – or in denial.”
The two giggled like a chatty old couple plotting mischief.
“Don't worry, I won't say anything”, Utterson snickered. “I don't want to put him off now, do I?”
.
After escorting the birthday boy home in the early evening, the black-haired lawyer said goodbye.
“Thank you for the best birthday I had in decades”, Jekyll whispered, looked around to see if someone was looking and then clasped the other's hand.
“Anything for you, Harry”, Utterson smiled. “Goodbye, my mad scientist.”
Jekyll laughed: “Goodbye, my musically gifted lawyer! And enjoy your night with Hyde – I'm certain, he will be delighted to take you to some romantic location again.”
Utterson smiled lopsidedly. “Oh, I already have my plans for the other birthday boy too. Don't worry about it. “Good rest evening. Now, where is our little troublemaker?”
“I'm heeeere~”, a guttural voice responded from the background and Hyde emerged.
“Hi, Gabe”, the brunet purred.
“Hello, Edward”, Utterson chuckled. “Ready for your own birthday celebration?”
“Is Lady Summers the most stalwart person in London?”, Hyde retorted, “I was created ready!”
Wholesome Jekyll and Utterson stuff? Like, one recieving a subtly romantic letter in the mail?
((NOTE: Just because I do a request for a ship doesn’t necessarily mean that’s canon in TSC but I’m neither confirming nor denying anything.))
He read it. Then he read it again. Then again. He paused, ran his hands through his hair, glanced around in thought, and then repeated the process. Then he did it again, but pacing around the room this time, his chubby pet shorthair following him with every step. He sat back down at his desk, carefully scanning each word. It was a perfectly normal letter. Well, normal for the sender, that is. It was full of all kinds of scientific jargon that Utterson could never understand completely. Jekyll was merely reporting his most recent findings in one of his experiments. From what Utterson could gather, it had something to do with a plant from his garden growing teeth…?
But that wasn’t what had gotten him so anxious. What had sparked his obsessive skimming was merely the salutation of the letter. Those first three words seemed to lay a soft, thin, translucent pink sheet over the tone of the rest of the letter. And through that pink sheet, shone soft morning sunlight, illuminating every beautifully handwritten word with a gentle warmth that could be seen, felt, and heard in the mind and even more powerfully in the heart. Those words?
“My Dearest Utterson,”
The question that plagued Utterson’s mind was whether or not the connotation was intentional. Was he simply imagining things? He was likely just imagining things. As he read the two pages over and over and over again, he scanned carefully for anything that could be interpreted as confirming his suspicion, but he couldn’t detect a thing. The rest of the letter was full of Jekyll’s usual passionate way of talking about his experiments. He emphasized certain parts as though they had some specific importance, though Utterson, again, had no idea of what that importance may be. He even signed the letter referring to himself as a “Dear Friend”, which seemed to suggest at pulling that soft, pink sheet away.
He always felt so odd reading these letters. Jekyll knew that Utterson had no idea what any of his rants meant, and they usually had these sort of one-sided conversations in person – which Utterson was perfectly alright with and even encouraged. But to go to the effort of writing out his passionate ramblings in a letter and sending it to someone who could never understand it? Why waste the ink, paper, and postage?
Unless…
He froze, staring off as if he could see through the paper before him. Was it possible? Was he getting himself even more worked up over even more nothing? Or was the very act of sending this letter to him truly a sign in and of itself?!
“My Dearest Utterson,”
His dearest. It couldn’t be. It couldn’t possibly be, unless it could.
“My Dearest…”
He soon realized he would likely spend his night tossing the notion back and forth in his mind. At least he wasn’t worried for his friend’s life this time. He reached down to pet the cat at his feet and, giving the letter one last glance, went off to fix himself a snack.
Jekyll and Hyde were as punctual as ever, which pleased Utterson.
Both of them were wearing their best (yes, even Hyde).
The lawyer could tell, that Hyde was really uncomfortable in his dinner suit, but that didn't change the fact, that he was looking great.
“You two look amazing”, he told them.
Jekyll blushed a little, while Hyde just snorted.
“Oh shut up. Let's go, I want to get it over with”, the brunette huffed.
The older men chuckled, knowing that he was just trying to conceal how nervous he was.
They arrived at the restaurant and, just as expected, received uncomfortable stares, because of Hyde. Also just as expected, they received a table behind a screen.
Normally Utterson would have protested, but the screen would grant them some privacy. So he left it at a frown at the waiter.
“Don't be irritated”, Hyde murmured, when he saw the lawyer's expression. “I don't like to be stared at anyways.”
“Well, there is always the option of looking somewhere else”, the lawyer hissed irritably, but sat down.
“Let's not dwell on that”, Jekyll intermediated. “How has your work been treating you, Mr. Utterson?”
“I've been very busy lately”, Utterson played along. “Yesterday morning I had a very irritated client. Angry, because his wife passed away and he has no claim to all her lovely money. She made no will, therefore everything will go back to her brother's family. And now he's throwing a tantrum, because apparently he has made a lot of debt and hoped that the inheritance from his wife would help him pay it off.”
Jekyll and Hyde laughed.
“Good thing we don't have to worry about that, eh?”, the Doctor giggled.
But Hyde looked down all of the sudden.
Utterson noticed first and took the young man's hand.
“What's the matter?”, he asked with a whisper.
Hyde sighed sadly. “I just thought … I'm so much younger than you two. When you die … I don't know what I would do. Where's the point in inheriting Jekyll's whole fortune, if he's not there … if neither of you is? If you're both gone because of old age and I'm all alone? The only other friend I have, who's around my age, is Alma (and maybe Lucy, if you'd consider her my friend). But she's not you, you are …”
His voice failed and he swallowed.
Utterson, sensing what the brunette needed, took his hand. “Hey now. Let us not think about death yet. We're healthy men and not going to die tomorrow. Let's just enjoy this beautiful day.”
Hyde relaxed, just a bit. “You're right. Sorry. I'm still having the morbs from what has happened lately.”
“Happens to all of us”, Jekyll assured him. “But we shouldn't talk about inheritance in a restaurant anyway. Someone might be eavesdropping and making untrue assumptions.”
Suddenly he frowned. “Speaking of which.”
He stood up to look over the screen.
“Sir, we would quite appreciate if you minded your own business”, he told someone on the other side.
The voice that stuttered an excuse made Utterson and Hyde listen up and the former looked around to see if it was who he thought.
Sure enough, Enfield was looking up to Jekyll with a red face and stammering apologies.
Utterson went to greet his cousin.
“Enfield! Fancy meeting you here!”
Enfield looked to the side and finally spied him.
“Oh, Utterson! What a surprise-”
“No, it's not”, Utterson cut him off. “You knew that it was me. That's why you eavesdropped. You know what, young man, come around. You should at least talk to us face to face.”
Enfield came around sheepishly.
But his sheepish expression vanished immediately, when he laid eyes upon Hyde.
Both men's eyes widened, before narrowing and gleaming with despite.
Hyde was the first to recover. “Sir”, he greeted coolly.
“Sir”, Enfield requited with equal coldness.
Utterson rolled his eyes, before introducing them.
“My friends, I would like to introduce you to my cousin Richard Enfield. Enfield, this is my chuckaboo, Dr. Jekyll. And you have already met Mr. Hyde.”
“Certainly have”, Enfield stated, threw Hyde another hateful glance (that was requited with equal hatred) and shook Dr. Jekyll's hand.
Jekyll smiled amiably. “It's a pleasure. Utterson has told me a lot about you. He told me about what a nice young man you are.”
I did?
Enfield blushed up to the ears. “No, he has not”, he laughed awkwardly.
“You're right, he has not”, the Doctor admitted humorously. “Young Hyde here has spoken of you (a bit rudely, I'm afraid), but I didn't know that he meant you, until Utterson mentioned you.”
What followed was an awkward and short conversation between then four, that was held up almost entirely by Jekyll alone (and a bit by Utterson).
It had been a while (not after the catastrophic gala), since Utterson had been able to witness Jekyll use his charm so generously. But it was plain that despite the months of affliction, the blond hadn't forgot how to wrap others around his fingers; he was so charming and amiable, that (just like almost everyone else) Enfield was taken with him within ten minutes.
Fortunately, the strawberry blond quickly said his goodbyes and left.
Once he was gone, Hyde turned to Utterson: “So, when were you planning to tell me, that this man is your cousin?”
“When I could be sure that you're not plotting his murder anymore”, Utterson retorted. “And judging by how you reacted to meeting Dr. Faust, I decided that I couldn't be sure yet.”
Hyde blinked. Then he shrugged. “Point taken.”
“Whelp, that date was terrible”, Jekyll sighed, when they were back at his home.
“I'm awfully sorry for that”, Utterson apologised, “I really need to talk to him about that.”
“Hey, you couldn't see it coming”, the Doctor assured him. “Do you want to try that again, some other time? After all this was supposed to be a romantic date.”
“Speaking of which”, Hyde spoke up, “Does he know what is going on between us three?”
Utterson decided to come clean: “Yes and no. He saw me and you, Edward, on that rainy day in the park and confronted me about it.”
“What?!”
“He didn't see us kiss though. He just saw me out and about and chatting and smiling with someone he had seen do something terrible and demanded to know why.”
Hyde was tense. “What did you tell him?”, he questioned.
The lawyer shrugged. “I might have told him a half-truth. I told him that you're my future ward – being Jekyll's heir – and that I therefore have to be affiliated with you. When he asked, how someone like you could make me smile and chat, I told him that I'm fond of you as if you were my son, now that I know you closer.”
The brunette laughed: “A half truth indeed! We both know that-”
“You're much more to me”, Utterson finished for him with a coy smile.
Hyde gawked at him and blushed scarlet.
The lawyer laughed: “Why so surprised? Do you think I would kiss you or let you kiss me, if it wasn't so?”
The young man laughed awkwardly. “Hehe … no, probably not. You're not the type for that.”
“Exactly”, Utterson confirmed. “I see, you're beginning to understand me, Edward.”
The next evening Utterson was visiting Jekyll. He knew that at this time of the day Hyde would get his turn and he had some things to settle with him. He was waiting in Jekyll's office, but he had already been pacing for half an hour and his body was demanding for a certain basic need to be fulfilled.
So he went to the bathroom.
When he found the door unlocked, he assumed that it was free and entered.
Unfortunately it wasn't free.
Someone was standing in the bathtub, having a shower and being quite visible from Utterson's spot. And it was none other than-
“Edward?!”
Hyde looked over and his eyes widened.
For a second they stared at each other.
Then the whole situation began to sink in and Utterson blushed fifty shades of red.
“A-AHH!!! I-I'M SO SORRY!”, the lawyer screamed.
Then he fled.
For a moment Hyde kept staring at the spot where the lawyer had just walked in on him.
Then he began to giggle.
Damn, the look on Utterson's face! Priceless! Absolutely priceless!
“Why's he so flustered anyway?”, he snickered, “I'm pretty sure he's seen me naked before!”
“It's not funny, Hyde!”, Jekyll answered and came out as a shadow. “How could you forget to lock the door?! Imagine if it had been one of the maids!”
Hyde scoffed: “Please, like I care, if someone sees me naked or not! I imagine the look on the girl's faces would be equally priceless!”
“Edward!”
“Oh, come on! You have to admit, he looks adorable, when he's so flustered and embarrassed! Delicious! I'll never let him hear the end of it!”
“You're evil.”
“And whose fault is that?”, Hyde snickered. “I'm evil because you are!”
“Shut up!”
“Admit it”, the brunette teased the shadow. “You want to see him in the same state. I'm sure he looks gorgeous under all these layers of clothing! Imagine his naked or half naked body, wet and hot, with the water running down his skin, his hair curling and dripping-”
“SH-SHUT UP!!!”
“I bet he's at home now, turned on as fuck and jerking himself off-”
“H-HYDE, STOP!!!”
Jekyll definitely was aroused.
Hyde laughed. “Don't worry, my soulmate! One day we'll behold that sight for sure!”
A predatory smirk stretched his lips. Then his hands wandered over his torso, before pausing for a moment. He revelled in his other self's hungry, shadowy gaze.
“Oh, my lusty Doctor”, he whispered huskily, “You want us both so bad.”
The brunette opened his mind further and allowed his creator to share his sensations.
“Now close your eyes”, he purred, “And imagine it was your dear Gabriel … that you could have your hands all over him and give him pleasure he has never known.”
Jekyll moaned and shuddered with him, as he began to stroke himself.
Utterson only stopped running, when he arrived at home. Once there, he immediately ran to his bedroom, flung himself onto his bed and buried his face in his pillow, groaning.
Oh god, he had never been so embarrassed in his entire life!
He was embarrassed at seeing someone naked, even more embarrassed that he hadn't thought of knocking, to make sure the bathroom was actually free and – oh god! He had walked in on Edward Hyde taking a shower!
Yes, he had seen Hyde naked once before, but never like this!
His entire being was in a state of complete disarray. He was ashamed, flustered and … sensually confused.
Utterson thought back on what he had seen and blushed harder.
The way the hot water had run down the brunette's wiry, tiny frame … his long, black brown hair sticking to his head and shoulders, dripping … the lean muscles under his ivory skin … that well-toned chest and oh god, the middle of him!
Suddenly the lawyer was overwhelmed by an entirely new sensation. It was like the faint feeling of desire, when Hyde had first kissed him, only ten times more intense.
A great heat was pooling in his entire being, especially his lower belly.
Even though he had never felt like this before, Utterson knew what that was.
A look at the effect or this heat made him groan. “Oh goddammit, no …”
He stood up, quickly locked the door and drew the curtains.
Then he sat back on his bed and stared at his problem.
Now what?
He knew what his body wanted him to do, but he had no idea how!
The black-haired man guided his right hand down to his nether regions, before stopping.
His pants suddenly were so unbearably tight …
Should he remove them completely, or would just opening them suffice?
Maybe I need to stop thinking.
Utterly ashamed of himself, he unbuttoned his trousers.
The sight of his now free … thing astounded him.
One thing was sure; it was the ugliest part of his body. So why did the very sight make him shudder in anticipation and increase the heat in his body? Was it normal for it to be so swollen and throbbing like that in this state? Had it always been so big?
Utterson almost laughed at how little he knew about his own body. A strange curiosity overcame him. He wanted to get to know his own body and these foreign pleasures.
But before his hesitant hands could touch it, he froze.
No.
He couldn't do this.
He didn't want it to be like this.
He wanted it to be with Jekyll, wanted the blond to be the one to introduce him to these forbidden pleasures. Not Hyde and not even himself.
As for Hyde … well, he would have to be content with being second this time.
Utterson glared at his arousal.
“Nice try, you little bastard, but you're not getting any yet!”
A cold shower and some unpleasant thoughts later, it was back to his normal state and the lawyer was incredibly relieved and proud of himself.
One day he would let himself go and give his purity away.
Gabriel John Utterson was just done with his work, when he heard his telephone ring from the other room. Odd. Who would call him at this hour?
He went to answer the call. “Hello?”
“Good evening, Mr. Utterson. Pardon me for the late intrusion.”
“Poole! Good evening? What's the matter?”
“You have to come immediately. It's an emergency. Something happened to Master Hyde and I don't know what to do.”
“I'll be there in ten minutes at most.”
“What's going on?”, Utterson demanded to know immediately after arriving at Jekyll's villa.
“Follow me, Sir”, Poole replied and lead him through the house. “I called Her Ladyship and Dr. Lanyon as well”, the butler told him on the way, “They too will be here soon.”
Utterson nodded in acknowledgement, before impatiently asking: “Now, what happened?”
Poole stopped in front of the bathroom door and sighed: “See for yourself, Sir. But I must warn you, the sight will be shocking.”
With that he opened the door.
The lawyer's eyes immediately fell onto the bathtub. What he saw was shocking indeed.
“What the-?”
Utterson had no idea what he was looking at, but he didn't like it.
Judging by the long, café noir brown hair, it had to be Hyde. But Hyde was … a mermaid? Why the hell was he suddenly a mermaid?!
Mermaid-Hyde was staring at him with tortured, frightened eyes. His fishtail was way too big for the bathtub and he was rattling for air.
“Help me …”
Yes, that definitely was his voice, albeit slightly distorted.
Utterson frowned at him. “What happened to you?!”
“I … don't know”, Hyde wheezed, “But … it hurts … I can't … breathe … help … make it … stop!”
The lawyer turned to Poole. “Do you know a body of water that isn't as dirty as the Thames?”
Before the butler could answer, hurried steps resounded from the hallway and Lanyon burst in, Lady Summers on his heels.
But when they saw it, they stopped dead in their tracks.
“Ach du grüne Neune!”, Lady Summers gasped.
“Mr. Hyde, is that you?”, asked Lanyon incredulously.
Hyde nodded weakly. If he hadn't been in such agony, he'd probably have given a snappy retort.
All at once several servants rushed into the room with buckets of water and changed the water in the tub. In the fresh water, Hyde relaxed and submerged as much of himself as he could.
The other three and Poole stepped closer.
Now that they had full view, Utterson could see that Hyde's body was a fishtail from the waist down. His belly was white, the rest of him a greyish green. His skin was covered by a relief of dark green, meandering lines and speckles. There were a lot of fins on his back and sides, even his ears now looked like fins (and moved like it too). His tail was very long, muscular and big. On his sides, Utterson could see several pairs of gills that pushed out waste water with Hyde's every breath.
He sighed sadly and caressed the wet brown hair of his unfortunate lover.
Hyde lifted his head and looked up to him unhappily. His eyes were now completely black, safe from the pupils that were of the shrill acid green his irises usually were. The poor brunette choked back a sob and leaned into the tender touch for a moment. Then he submerged the lower half of his face again.
“He can't breathe air anymore”, the lawyer told the other two. “We have to do something. He needs to be brought to a close-by body of water, before he suffocates or dries out.”
“Obviously”, Lady Summers agreed, “How about the Thames?”
“The Thames is too dirty”, Lanyon objected, “That would be like standing in a cloud full of toxic smoke. He would die from all the rubbish and manure.”
“True, but we need to find him a reliable source of fresh water that's rich enough in oxygen. And of course, big and deep enough for him to hide – no pun intended.”
Hyde wound himself in the bathtub, making the water splash. When he gripped the edges of the bathtub, the other three could see the lappets between his fingers.
Carefully, the black-haired lawyer touched one of these web hands. It twitched at the contact, but the brunette seemed to relax considerably.
The skin under his hand felt a bit smoother and more taut than human skin.
My dear Edward, my poor sweetheart …
“Mister Hyde”, Lanyon spoke up again, “Do you or Jekyll have any ideas?”
The mermaid– no, merman paused for a moment, before lifting his head out of the water again.
“He says … the Serpentine … would be good … for now”, he gurgled. Then added pleadingly: “Help us … please … I'm dying …”
Then he slouched back in.
Lanyon frowned. “The Serpentine isn't deep enough.”
“No, but it's big”, Lady Summers argued, “He could move far enough from the shore for no one to notice his movement in the water.”
Utterson turned to the others. “Whatever, we need to get him there as quickly as possible.”
“But we can't transport him per coach. He'll be dead ere we've made it there”, Lanyon pointed out.
A high-pitched, frightened whimper came from the bathtub and the lawyer went back to stroking the brunette's hand.
Suddenly, Lady Summers clapped her hands. “I have an idea! All we need is-”
Like on cue, her butler Sameer Singh walked in. “You told me to come here, after my chores were done?”, he inquired.
Lady Summers nodded. “We have a serious problem here”, she told him and pointed to the tub.
The Indian stopped short, but recovered almost instantly.
The Lady looked at him expectantly. Then she said something in Hindustani, probably briefing him on the situation. The young butler understood and stepped up to the bathtub. Then he proceeded to baffle almost everyone by effortlessly lifting Hyde out of the tub.
“Didn't this house have a balcony on the roof?”, he asked.
“Yes”, Hyde choked. “Big one …”
All of the sudden, Poole piped up: “One moment, please!”
Then the elderly butler wrapped his master's alter ego into a dropping wet blanket.
“Better?”
Hyde smiled gratefully and nodded.
Utterson sighed: “Up to the roof then?”
So up to the balcony they went.
But in the door, the lawyer hesitated. He didn't want to go out there. It was so awfully high. But he knew what was about to go down and he needed to be there, for-
He pulled himself together and followed onto the balcony. He came just in time to see the Indian butler lift off from the ground.
Oh right … he can fly …
Hyde shrieked in fear and clung to the … uh, whatever the butler was. A demon or something, Lady Summers had once mentioned.
He turned to them for a last time.
“You get him there as quickly as possible”, Lady Summers ordered, “We'll follow after with the coach. Bring him to that small bridge that separates Hyde Park and Kensington Garden. We'll meet you there.”
The Indian nodded, then he took off with insane speed.
Utterson prayed desperately that the wind wouldn't harm his beloved at the speed the butler was carrying him through the air with.
“Come”, Lanyon spoke up, “We need to hurry.”
The other three dashed out of the house, where Her Ladyship's coach was waiting, then drove off.
Once arrived at the bridge, they joined the butler, who was waiting for them.
But of course he was standing on the bridge alone and it was too dark for them to see anything in the water.
“Where is Hyde?”, Utterson asked anxiously.
“Mr. Hyde is swimming around right under the bridge”, Mr. Singh told him, “He's feeling much better now that he has a bigger bathtub.”
The lawyer would have laughed at the word 'bathtub' being applied to such a big pond, but he was too nervous.
Damn, I can't see anything!
Lanyon turned to the butler. “There are still people in the park. How did you manage to get him there without anyone noticing?”
The butler shrugged. “Rakshasa magic. I cast an illusion. They just saw a seagull carrying a fish.”
The hoary doctor sighed. “I refuse to think further about it.”
“Good decision”, Singh replied drily.
Utterson didn't listen any further. He bent over the railing and cried out: “Edward? Can you hear me?”
“Not so loud!”, Lady Summers hissed and pointed at a group of men, who were walking along the strand. “It's still over an hour until the park closes!”
“Good grief. I'm casting another illusion”, Mr. Singh sighed and snapped his fingers.
His mistress bent over the railing as well and stared into the water.
She must have sent out a telepathic call, because Hyde popped his head out of the water in almost an instant.
“How are you feeling, Mr. Hyde?”, she inquired worriedly.
“Better”, he rasped. “Jekyll too.”
“That's good”, Lady Summers breathed in relief.
Hyde dived under again, only to startle them all by leaping up and holding onto the railing.
Utterson immediately cupped that greenish face and kissed the cold, wet lips.
Hyde kissed back and allowed the lawyer's hands to caress his cheeks, before letting go and sinking back into the water.
When his face came out again, he reached up and Utterson took his webbed hand.
He looked so incredibly unhappy with the entire situation, that the lawyer's heart shattered into a million pieces.
“We'll find a way to undo this, Edward”, he told the brunette softly. “We'll turn you and Henry human again and then you can go back to doing the things you love. I promise.”
