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"Wonderful play on words, wouldn't you agree?"
"For the last time, Hyde, do not try to be my friend."
"Oh fish...I'm sure Emma appreciated it."
"Stop it!" Helena shouted, storming
over to the dresser and lighting several candles. As she did this, Hyde's
face drifted through the darkness,
his eyes glowing with the flicker of flames. He was slumped in the
chair harshly, his robe hanging open loosely. His hair hung loosely in
strands, still
somewhat held back by the hair band. Helena watched him sideways as
she lit each candle, weary of his strength. Surely he could not move so
quickly
as to take her surprise, but she didn't trust him in the least...if
he had the strength to carry himself up the stairs Henry nearly tumbles
down, he had
every reason to be weary.
"Courageous of him to trek upstairs, wasn't it?" He asked her casually, still slumping there, catching his breath...
"So it was him, not you then?" Helena asked, hesitant to even give him the satisfaction of an answer.
"I suppose you could say we shared the effort...my, my, my...it seems we share everything, now doesn't it?"
"Not for long, Mr. Hyde, not long
indeed...Tell me, have you been feeling a bit weak, as of late?" She questioned,
smiling a sarcastic grin.
She remained where she was once the last candle was lit, deciding to
indulge him on conversation only, no mind games this round.
"Ahhh...I suppose you're referring
to that wonderful little elixir you two have whipped together. I must say,
Helena, I felt the burning
sensation even from where I was waiting, watching, rather." He raised
a trembling hand in front of his face, studying it intently, as though
he had
never seen it before. "Yes, I suppose it's serving it's function...look
at this hand, for example, Helena...it's his hand, not mine."
"It's always been his hand, you
fool!" Helena snapped, and Hyde's head jerked up so sharply Helena jumped.
He stared at her for a moment,
his gaze robbing her of all her courage, and he slowly clenched his
hand into a fist.
"Funny, Ms. St. Just, how it still
yields just as much strength!" Hyde spit back, a harsh, threatening tone
invading his weak throat. She took a
step back, still meeting his gaze, unable to look away.
"You don't frighten me Mr. Hyde..."
"'Tis funny, nor do you me..." He said, waving his hand at her with a dismissing air.
"Though now that the hostilities
have been brought into the open...Helena...Despite your stimulating, albeit
weak conversational tactics, I
have something I must ask you. Otherwise, and again, don't misunderstand
my brisk manner, I would be sleeping quite comfortably on that rather
inviting bed." He said, and she was startled by this almost civilized
conversation. As his head fell gently to one shoulder, his eyes shut, she
took a long
look at the beaten body he and Dr. Jekyll shared, and could not believe
her own ears when she heard herself speak:
"Perhaps you would like me to help you lie down..." His eyebrows raised, coughing before answering softly.
"What's this?"
"It's his body I am protecting, not your-"
"Our body, my sweet thing, and
I couldn't possibly burden you by making you come out from behind that
ten foot pole of yours...I'll say my
piece and rest here, thank you..."
"Mr. Hyde, you should lie down...you can't possibly be comfortable in that chair."
"True, but no more uncomfortable
then being ripped from my perfect hiding place by a painful, highly experimental
drug. If I knew what I
said bore any leverage, I would ask you kindly to stop this tinkering
of yours."
"You know I won't do that Hyde,
I will save Henry's soul and you will be gone before you can confuse me
with anymore of your logic." She
said, unsure of how to go about her next action. Did she leave Hyde
alone, his body cramped painfully in the chair? Did she dare go near him,
attempt
to lie him on the bed? She stood there, pondering her options, when
Hyde spoke again...
"Before I...retire, I have a question,
Ms. St. Just...would you be so kind as to honor a nemesis with some much
needed information?" He
asked, trying his best to sit up straight, wincing at a pain shooting
through his chest. She nodded, not able to speak, and he raised an unsteady
hand,
running it through his tangled locks, trying-Helena realized with awe-to
make himself more presentable. "What is it you find in him that you can't
find
in me?" His piercing question ricocheted around her head, and she suddenly
pitied the man before her, the broken shell of a good man's spare
longings...unheeded desires. Was Hyde a man, too? Did he have a full
range of feelings as well? Helena had always known Henry to be complete,
to
have feelings of anger and hatred, lust, as well...despite his ability
to mask them with his more noble qualities. Until that moment, standing
before
Hyde as he looked on expectantly for her to answer, she had not so
much as pondered if Hyde was complete as well, but merely hiding his amicable
traits. She realized, shortly after, that this was the answer to his
question.
"Mr. Hyde, I know for a fact that you are too intelligent to require me to answer that. I admire Henry because he is kind to m-"
"HE'S NOT VERY NICE, YOU KNOW!!!"
He suddenly shouted, gripping the edge of the chair with such fervor his
fingers turned white.
Helena jumped back, standing in the doorway as Hyde attempted to regain
his civilized air, his breathing wheezy but deep. After a moment he pulled
his weight forward, standing carefully in his place. Helena could not
move, so frightened but at the same time curious, knowing that he didn't
have the
strength to hurt her. She held her ground, waiting to see what the
madman before her would do. He took a swaying step towards the bed that
separated
them, but caught himself on the post before he could loose his balance.
He looked at her intently, there eyes meeting immediately, and again she
found
herself unable to look away. "He is a very weak man..." he whispered,
trembling and falling to his knees next to the bed roughly, his upper body
flailing across the mattress. Before she could even catch herself,
she was rushing forwards, leaning over him to take him by his shoulders
and hoist
him onto the bed. Much to her surprise, even as she was lifting him
he did not stir, or attempt to grab her in any way. He merely fought with
his
buckling legs to stand, and lost the battle. He fell against her, onto
the bed, bringing her with him, and they both plopped to the mattress with
a light
thud.
"Mr. Hyde, can you hear me...Edward?"
She whispered, hearing his growl of pain as his chest hit the mattress.
He continued to grimace,
though a slight smile tugged at his frown.
"...Edward...how nice..." he whispered, trying his best to roll over, coughing violently.
"No, don't move...stay right where
you are, let me get a look at your chest." She responded, leaning over
his chest to pull back the robe and
unbutton the nightshirt that hid his bandaged chest. "Are you alright?
Did you hurt yourself? You shouldn't have let him climb those stairs, Hyde...if
you have as much control over him as you say you have, why didn't you
stop yourselves from getting hurt?" He sighed, laughing darkly...
"I don't mind the pain, it amuses me...almost as much as his struggles."
"You disgust me, Hyde..." She says, hating herself for getting swept up in his act.
"So you've said..." he responded weakly, his eyes shut.
"You're fine, there's no need to examine you."
"Not so...I feel a bit swollen..." He whispered, completely exhausted, and Helena frowned.
"What are you saying? Are you toying
with me again, Hyde, or did you really hurt yourself?" He raised a hand
gently and took her own,
lowering it to his body.
"No...here, feel this..." He spoke softly...
"YOU PIG!!!" Helena shouted, ripping
her hand from his grasp. She fought the urge to slap him right then and
there, his weak but menacing
laughter stoked her anger even more.
"You're not hurt! You're just a
disgusting pig!!!" She said, going to move away, but he reached out as
quickly as he could, which wasn't
really quickly at all, and caught her by the wrist.
"I am hurt...you're feelings for Dr. Jekyll have hurt me very deeply...I am, after all, the one of us who is willing to reciprocate."
"Again, yor sense of humor astounds
me...as though I would ever be able to love a monster like you! I've seen
what you do to the one's you
love, it was written all over that poor girl's back!!!"
"That wasn't love, that was lust, oh my darling girl, there is such a world of difference..."
"If either of the two ends in a
bloody death I have no interests in your politics, Hyde!!!" She said, speaking
angrily, but strangely not able-or
willing-to pull free from his grasp.
"Are you implying that I would
hurt you, Helena?" He said, slowly moving her hand to his face, and she
watched him silently, suddenly so
frighteningly aware of his animal magnetism.
"What do you think you're...doing..." She whispered, and he smiled that devilish grin.
"Have a seat, lets talk about our relationship." He whispered back, her hand inches from his face now.
"Hyde-"
"Edward was much more romantic, coming from your lips...Ahh, those precious lips..."
"We have no relation...ship..."
The last part of the word was spoken almost as a gasp, as his lips came
in contact with the delicate skin on the
inside of her wrist. Her eyes fell slowly shut as his sprang open,
burning into her face as his tongue traced up palm and down each finger.
She sighed
heavily, letting go for a second, and when she came back to her senses
she found her self lying on her back on the mattress next to Hyde. He was
leaning on one elbow, his tongue making it's way up her arm, towards
her face. The look on his face was like that of hungry jungle cat, and
as his face
moved toward her he seemed to be taking in the scent of her skin. Though
her mind was screaming for him to stop, her body was being made insane
by each touch, each caress, and soon his lips were upon her own. Hyde's
mouth sent shivers through her entire body, his hungry tongue soon straying
from her mouth to her neck, licking her flesh roughly as his teeth
scraped the delicate surface.
"This is my love, Helena..." He
whispered in her ear, and she lost the ability to hold back an audible
moan, Hyde moving so that his body
was slowly pressing against her own.
"No...this is...this is lust..." She whispered, nearly panting.
"Now you know why Lucy stayed..."
He groaned, and suddenly she realized who she was with, and what she was
feeling, and leapt from her
spot, striding to the window, facing away from Hyde, who looked on
with an open mouth and an amused expression.
"That was not supposed to happen, Hyde...I have to go...please don't ever touch me again."
"You have to go? I was under the
impression you were ready to stay for quite a while..." She turned around
to glare at him, but once she met
his eyes the feeling that she had just quelled in the pit of her stomach
stirred again. He raised one eyebrow and flashed his wily smile again.
"...or does
my sense of smell deceive me?"