Jekyll carefully checked the chocolate in the mold and was pleased to see that it had dried and hardened. He then carefully took the ring and put it in one half and then, put the other half of the chocolate mold to encase it very carefully while using just a bit of melted chocolate to stick the two halves together. 

“Ahhhhh, so that’s what all that dark chocolate was for though I think a simple ring box would have been easier.” Hyde’s reflection in the mirror shrugged. 

“Perhaps, but a ring box made of chocolate like THIS...” the doctor removed the mold to reveal the valentine shaped box with intricate floral designs “It’s special.” 

“Forty pounds of chocolate indeed.” Hyde chuckled. 

“Oh? Then how would you propose to Lucy?” Jekyll half-teased while placing the chocolate box in another beautiful box. 

Hyde blushed bright red as his blue eyes widened in contrast. 

Jekyll took a moment to adjust his big thick glasses “Are you about to propose to her, Hyde? If you are, perhaps you should first tell Lucy our secret.” 

“I’m NOT proposing to Lucy, you fool!” the troll growled. 

“Pardon me. I just thought that you were ready to take the next-” Jekyll shrugged and began to tie a ribbon around the box. 

“Stop talking.” Hyde sternly commanded while gritting his teeth. 

Jekyll rolled his eyes and then tied the ribbon into a bow. He smiled wide at his work and Louis also took a minute to admire the work while also helping himself to some chocolate shavings that were leftover. In that moment, the doorbell rang which made the good doctor smile even wider. He put the gift box onto the little table outside in the garden with two chairs so the scene would be completely set on that beautiful hot summer day before rushing to answer the door. He took one moment to fix his hair and bowtie before opening the door. 

“Welcome, my darling Katherine. You look so lo-” he began while bowing but then stopped when he realized that it was not Katherine. 

“Hello, Henry.” Emma, Jekyll ex-fiancee, replied smiling while looking as beautiful and sweet as ever. 

“E-Emma? W-w-w-what are YOU doing here? I thought you moved away to Cambridge and last I heard, you married there.” Jekyll asked in complete. 

“I did and... I was until I caught my husband in the arms of another woman. For the third time. May I come in?” Emma asked while rubbing her hands together nervously. 

“Actually, I’m expect-” he tried to dismiss her, but she forced her way in. 

“Henry, I know we ended on bad terms, but after my last suitor was not the man, I thought he was and my soon to be ex-husband also turned out to not be the one either, it made me realize how good of a man you were. Sure, you weren’t the boldest or most dashing man, but you are loyal and kind.” Emma went on while looking at him with adoration as Jekyll awkwardly accepted the backhanded compliments “Henry, let’s resume our engagement.” 

Jekyll looked at her as though she was a madwoman “Uh... Emma, as much as I sympathize with your bad luck in men, we did not end on bad terms. YOU ended our engagement after confessing that you were unfaithful to me while we were courting and while we were engaged.” 

“Oh, Henry, that was a mistake, and it’s been two years. Can’t you forgive me yet?” she pleaded. 

“I’ve long since forgiven you, but as you said, it’s been two years. A lot has happened since then.” he explained as kindly as possible. 

“You’re not married, are you?” she interjected. 

“No, but-” Jekyll tried to tell her, but she grabbed his hands. 

“Then let's finish what we started, my love. There’s nothing stopping us.” she replied with excitement. 

“Emma, please-” he tried to take his hands back from her grip. 

“Henry?” a voice said at the door and when they looked, it was a shocked Dr. Katherine Vice. 

Jekyll forcefully took his hands back and went to her side with a serious expression “Emma, this is Katherine. She and I are courting now. Katherine, this is THAT Emma.” 

“Uh?” Katherine looked upon the beautiful woman before her and then began to feel her insecurity in her own appearance swell up as she touched her marked up face and gray hair before looking away “She’s lovely.” 

“And THIS is Katherine? Courting, you say?” Emma snarkily commented. 

“Yes, Emma.” Jekyll firmly replied “So please go.” 

Emma could sense that the woman with the blotchy skin and gray hair felt inferior next to her and relished in that “Alright, I’ll leave you alone with your sweetheart but know that I will be in London for the next few weeks.” 

“Goodbye, Emma.” he replied feeling annoyed now and breathed a sigh of relief when she left “I’m so sorry about that, Katherine. I have absolutely no idea why she was even here. She just came here by surprise.” 

“You never told me that she was so... beautiful.” Katherine commented while not being able to look him in the eye. 

“So what if she is? She’s in the past.” Jekyll reassured her. 

“You do think she’s beautiful then, do you?” Katherine was still unable to look at him. 

Jekyll felt sad for her but then smiled while taking her shoulders “I think we should do what you came here to do, my love.” 

“Oh... Yes! Henry, do you mind a change of plans? Speaking of surprise meetings, my mentor is in London and wants to meet you personally right now as he knows that you specialize in medical science and studied the brain extensively.” Katherine suddenly recalled. 

Jekyll did not like the idea of putting off his proposal to her, but he could see that this lifted her spirits “I would be delighted, darling.” 

“Wonderful. He studied neurology, alchemy and physiology though he dabbled in mechanical engineering. He found a way to combine the four fields into creating a breakthrough that will change the world, Henry.” Katherine said as she led the way. 

The reflection of Hyde looked back at the box containing the chocolate heart box in the middle of the garden and then shrugged “When in Rome...” he disappeared. 

Louis looked back at the box on the table as it sat in the sun. The cockatoo looked up at the sun and then at the box again “Uh oh...” 

The pair arrived at a beautiful looking home with an elaborate garden. As they walked down the path, one could see some strange things in the garden such as mechanical watering cans and timed bird feeders all in the form of puppet like gnomes. Once at the door, Dr. Vice rang the doorbell. 

“Yes?” an old man’s voice could be heard from what looked like a radio. 

“It’s me, professor, with Dr. Jekyll.” Vice spoke into the radio. 

“Ah, very nice! Come in! Come in!” the voice replied, and the door opened all on its own revealing it too was mechanical. 

On the inside of the house, there were more strange mechanical contraptions that did various tasks like dusting, putting things away and more. All of them appeared as adorable little puppets. 

“I’d say this man did more than just dabble in mechanical engineering.” Hyde’s shadow commented. 

A kind portly old man with spectacles and curly white hair came over to them wearing a work apron “Welcome back, Katherine. And this must be Dr. Jekyll.” 

“Yes, professor. This is Dr. Henry Jekyll. Henry, this is my former mentor Prof. Geppetto Polendina. He inspired me to pursue alchemy after seeing the modern scientific applications it can have.” she introduced them to each other. 

“THE Prof. Polendina from Italy? The great inventor of alchemical powered machines to help the disabled?! It is SUCH an honou to meet you, professor!” Dr. Jekyll replied holding out his hand. 

“It is such an honor to meet the man who brought so much joy into my prized student’s life.” he gave Jekyll a huge bear hug that Hyde even felt “Come with me and let me show you how I intend to change the world, Dr. Jekyll!” 

Jekyll caught his breath and regained his composure after being released “Y-Yes, professor.” 

“For years, I have devoted my life to make the lives of disabled people, mostly little children, better by combining alchemy with engineering! It all started by unlocking the hidden spark within quartz after seeing how it could be used to power clocks, telephones and more.” Geppetto said as he led them and pointed to a mechanical picture frame adorned with glowing quartz gems “It’s not the Philosopher’s Stone, but I experimented with it by charging it with electricity and chemicals, and I discovered two amazing things.” 

“What were they?” Jekyll was very intrigued. 

“Not only can the quartz power even more sophisticated machines, certain types of quartz with just the right refraction, density and crystal make up can mimic the nervous system! In other words, certain quartz can literally work with the brain!” the old man gleefully explained while pointing to his head. 

“The brain? You mean, be controlled with one’s mind?!” the good doctor was taken aback. 

“Si! You see, just as the body performs chemical and alchemical reactions all the time just so we can live and move, it is also in many ways a machine too. A machine that is organic, but still a machine.” Geppetto went on as they entered his lab. 

Jekyll took this all in “That is all very true and fascinating, but what does this have to do with what you have created, professor?” 

“Everything! Instead of just using mechanical wheelchairs or other tools that do tasks for you, what if we had machines that enabled the disabled to do tasks themselves? What if instead of just giving them a hand...” Geppetto led them to his lab and turned on the lights where a mannequin wearing a mechanical headband and a puppet’s arm sat in a chair “We give them a hand that is theirs to keep?” 

Jekyll was curious and a little confused as he approached the mannequin and took a better look at the puppet arm. It looked like it was made of mostly wood, as well as leather, some metallic fixings and on the joints, he could see tiny quartz crystals. 

“Shall I give you a demonstration, my friend?” Geppetto cheerfully offered. 

“By all means.” Jekyll stepped back smiling. 

Geppetto put on the mechanical headband that the mannequin was wearing before, and it was revealed that there were wires attached to the puppet arm. The professor focused and when he raised his arm, the puppet arm moved in a synchronized manner in every way. 

Jekyll was stunned at first, but then burst out laughing in excitement “Prof. Polendina, that’s wonderous!” 

“It’s not perfect yet, but I plan to show this at the seminar in two weeks and convince some future patrons to help fund my research.” Geppetto confidently replied. 

“Father, what’s going on here?” a teenaged boy’s voice was heard and when he walked in, it was revealed to be Pinocchio. 

Jekyll and Pinocchio’s eyes met as they recognized each other. The boy stood frozen in place as the good doctor put all the pieces about Pinocchio together especially after seeing the puppet arm. 

“Ah, Pinocchio, this is Dr. Henry Jekyll. Auntie Katherine’s man-friend. Dr. Jekyll, my son Pinocchio.” Geppetto introduced him. 

Jekyll decided not to make things difficult “Hello, Pinocchio.” 

Pinocchio turned around and ran up the stairs in a flash. 

“Pinocchio, what’s the matter with you? Pinocchio? Pinocchio!” Geppetto called out and then turned to them “I’m so sorry. My son is going through a phase right now and doesn’t always behave as he should.” 

“It’s quite alright, Prof. Polendina. It's quite normal at that age. Anyway, your invention will indeed change the world.” Jekyll diverted the situation. 

“I most certainly agree, Henry. Isn’t the professor a genius?” Katherine added though before the conversation could go on, they were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. 

Geppetto went up to a radio and adjusted the frequency “Hello?” 

“Why, hello, my dear professor. Since you haven’t been returning my calls, I thought it would be much more productive to speak to you in person.” the voice of Sir Danvers Carew sounded over the radio.