Author's Note: This is it… this is the end; the last chapter. It was actually very hard to write, but I managed to get myself to sit down and do it all in one part. Love it or hate it… thank you all for sticking with me through the story, and thank you for all the reviews, encouragement and kind words. I appreciate all of it, and I'm very glad you seemed to like it. Sad to see this story go, seeing as how I had a lot of fun with it, but it was difficult, and I'm just happy I could finish it at all. Thanks again, and I hope you like the last chapter.

Marcus Lazarus: Thanks very much for all your advice and reviews; meant a lot to me. Very glad you enjoyed the previous – short – chapter. I know that one had you worried, so I'm happy I could satisfy.

Ten Mara: You know what, you're right XD Bet Tom won't ever gripe about wearing the holster harness again, heheheh. Hope you like this last chapter, and thanks for the reviews along the way.

The Sabbit: Heheh, skewered Bond XD What an amusing mental image. I hope you like this last chapter, and thanks again!

Drakena: He is indeed a jerk, which is why I was so glad to get him out of the story. Thanks for all your reviews, and for your art for this story! (Anyone who hasn't seen it/would like to see it, check out my site for a hybrid picture featuring Mina, Quatermain and Sawyer) Appreciate it.

Alyssa Halliwell: Glad you liked the relationship. And the horse! XD Had to get that in there… it was actually inspired by a scene in The Mummy… ahem. Hope you like the last chapter, and thanks very much!

And now for the final chapter of LXG2: Above & Beyond…

The infirmary aboard the Nautilus had never seemed so solemn or… wrong, before. No one had to wonder what was missing as they sat or stood in various places around the room, hearing the work from up above and all around the hull as the final arms of weed were detangled from the mighty vessel. There was a quiet melancholy atmosphere that had settled into everyone, and weights were pushing down inside of them all. The loss wouldn't wear off for a while; they knew… not that anyone had expected it to after such a blow.

They had lost Jekyll… and for what?

Allan watched Nemo's doctor apply the dressing to Sawyer's wound from not far away, just behind the bed, as if he were looking out for the young spy. That was what it was though; watching out for him, probably when he didn't need it. He was capable… but he had just been stabbed. Allan couldn't help but be protective. It was in his nature, especially after losing a son to his own carelessness. Sighing, he tried not to wonder about the marks he'd seen on Sawyer's other shoulder; the young man had removed his shirt so the doctor could tend to him better, and Allan had noticed them then… they looked suspiciously like bite marks. Glancing to Mina Harker, he saw the slight change in her demeanour, which could very well have been attributed to Jekyll's heroism and subsequent death, and sighed. It was none of his business anyway. She and Sawyer were lovers now… it was their choice what they did and how.

Clearing his mind of thoughts he should never be having, Allan looked around, studying the faces and actions of his fellows. Skinner was sitting silently across the room, trilby turning messily in his one good hand, eyes down. Or at least Allan assumed his eyes were down. There was nothing on the thief's head to show where it was turned; for all the hunter knew, Skinner was looking in their direction, but the movement of the hat told him otherwise… or at least suggested as much. Nemo stood supervising his doctor… very much as if analysing his work; as if he didn't trust him. As odd as that was in and of itself, Nemo looked very downtrodden… upset. There was a dull light in his dark eyes, one that spoke of misery and betrayal. Allan wondered how close Nemo and Jekyll had gotten over his own absence… they had worked together in Mongolia, he knew, but beyond that, he was unaware. Sawyer was silent as well, head hanging a little as the bandage was fixed in place, and the doctor went about sorting a sling for him. The blonde hair was thoroughly dishevelled, but beneath it, Allan knew the eyes were saddened, as would be the expression. Sawyer had admired Jekyll… though he had never said it, Allan had seen it. Sawyer admired everyone in the League in some way, whether it be for their strengths or abilities, or just how they dealt with their own weaknesses. And then there was Mina… the vampiress who had said less than ten words since getting back on the submarine. She was less observant than normal, her hands knitted in front of her, and when Allan looked closer, he could see a small chain hanging from between the fingers. Jekyll's pocket watch. He had given it to her, and Mina seemed afraid to let go of it. Everything about the woman spoke of hurt and sorrow.

Another sigh slipped free of the hunter, and his shoulders slumped somewhat. It would take them some time to get over the betrayal of the government, he knew. A part of him had expected this all along, but he had been afraid to admit it could be true; especially to his companions. It was almost as if he had been lying to himself… trying to tell himself that it couldn't all be bad.

How wrong he had been…

With the weed cleared, the Nautilus had set out and away from England altogether. For three of the League, it was like saying a small goodbye to what had once been home. But no longer… they didn't belong there, they knew. They belonged on the Nautilus, with those who had become like a family. As England grew smaller and smaller on the horizon behind them, Mina rested her hands softly against the railing, eyes staring out at it as it shrank. Never had it felt so final…

But somehow, it felt right. To leave it all behind. They had suffered, and it would hurt too much to go back now. It was wrong. It wasn't home anymore… this was home. This vessel, with these people… it was where she belonged; her place. She had a duty here… a purpose. Never before had she had that; never had it been so important, either.

Around her, the rest of the League stood, the sea breeze catching at hair and clothing, whipping it about accordingly and with a carefree attitude, almost. But there was a melancholy in the air about the five of them, and it was almost tangible; Mina could almost touch it. It was painful, to be up here for this… but it had to be done. If they didn't do this, they would never rest. She would never rest, she knew. And that thought unsettled her greatly.

Summoning her voice, as frail as it seemed all of a sudden, she spoke, "Even in victory, we have lost… again. We have suffered, and one of our number was taken from us… but his sacrifice will never be forgotten."

To her left were Tom and Quatermain… the hunters; the gunmen; the men of action.

To her right were Skinner and Nemo; men of stealth and smarts; the thinkers and tacticians.

There she stood, in the middle… the woman; the supernatural; the vampire. The voice.

"What Henry Jekyll did for us… and for the people of England, will always be remembered. By us… his team mates. His friends… his family." She paused to collect herself, and took the pocket watch from where she had stored it at the belt of her skirt. "Noble and caring, Henry Jekyll was a man of science, and medicine… he lived to protect others, despite the evil shadow that resided within." Staring down at the small trinket in her hands; one that had meant so much to their fallen comrade, she continued, "Edward Hyde was not a truly evil being… he had his demons, like everyone else. To Jekyll… Hyde was a demon; one he could not vanquish. But even in creating such a demon side of himself, Jekyll's intentions were good, and pure of heart. Trying to rid the world of evil, he created one within himself; an experiment gone wrong."

Tom's eyes turned to her very slightly, and the sadness in his expression nearly broke Mina's resolve, but it was the strength she saw underneath that sustained her; he was supporting her… there to help, without speaking or moving.

"But in his failure, he helped to make this team… this League, stronger. He gave us science and strength. He gave us something we could not get anywhere else." Her eyes brimmed with tears for a moment, but she inhaled deeply and blinked them back as she looked out over the water. "Henry Jekyll was a valued and loved member of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen…" Another pause as she gathered her resolve, finishing by saying, "And he will be missed."

Thankful she had said her part, she slipped the watch away again. She would keep it, as Jekyll had intended for her to do. It would forever be safe in her care… she would see to that.

At the end of the line, Quatermain sighed before speaking, "I may not have known him very well, and I may have doubted his intentions at first… but Dr. Jekyll was a strong man in his own right, even without Hyde. He fought the darkness in himself, and the evil in the world. He was admirable… and selfless."

Mina smiled very softly. Quatermain's words were touching, and she appreciated them.

Going down the line, Tom shifted on his feet somewhat, clearly awkward and not sure what to say. It took him a while to speak at all, but when he did, it was quieter than normal for the American; "I didn't know much about Jekyll at all… we didn't really speak, but… I know this. No matter what was facing him, he fought his way through it, with a bravery and courage that I find inspiring. He didn't let his own troubles keep him from helping others, and his last act saved thousands…" Smiling sadly, he added in conclusion, "One of the best men I've ever known."

Quatermain nodded, whether in acknowledgement, agreement or support, Mina did not know, but the tears very nearly freed themselves once again. She pushed them back, even as Skinner's voice sounded to her right.

"You meet a lot of different people on the streets, from all walks of life. I know I have anyway." He chuckled softly, and Mina watched him. "But never did I meet anyone like Jekyll. Never met anyone with his compassion, and his love of life; his sympathy and intelligence. He was the kind of man I admired when I was a kid… the kind I wanted to be. Demons an' all." Skinner fell quiet after that, shrugging his shoulders very softly, as if to signal he'd run out of words, or could not continue for other reasons.

Nemo bowed his head slowly, and then, when his mouth opened, his language eluded Mina's understanding. He was speaking in his native tongue, and even though she could not understand the words, she felt the meaning in them, and it touched her. Placing his palms together and bowing down partially to finish, Mina gazed down at the grating below her feet.

She looked back up at the rest of the League, even as Skinner spoke, "So what now?" His voice was quiet and respectful, given the atmosphere up on the tower. The light was starting to fade; dusk was approaching.

"For now," Nemo began calmly, "we will place ourselves as far from those treacherous shores as we can. Perhaps we can continue our travels of this world, in the dawn of this new century." He looked to the others, and saw small nods of consent. With that, he turned admiringly to the ocean he so loved, and departed from the tower.

Skinner shrugged his good shoulder, looking out over the water as he muttered, "So long, Jekyll…" With that, he glanced fleetingly to the other three, and left after Nemo, slipping through the door before disappearing.

Quatermain pulled his hands from his pockets, and his chest rose and fell in a heavy, and perhaps weary sigh. "It never gets any easier," he mused aloud, looking to the other two standing with him. Shaking his head, he looked out towards the horizon, saying, "He will be missed." The hunter nodded to them, and then left as well.

The approaching evening brought a kind of quiet with it that Mina respected… but suddenly, she wasn't sure how to react to it. Normally, the evening was her time. She felt more herself in the darkness, but now… it seemed to confuse her. She didn't know how to feel. Reaching up with a hand to stroke back an auburn tress that had escaped the pins, she said, "We regained a member… only to lose another."

To her left, Tom frowned. He didn't look at her for a while, either staring straight down at his feet, or at his left arm in the sling he'd been given. For a time, he didn't speak, but when he did, it was with a different tone than she had ever heard, "Quatermain's right… it never does get any easier." She looked to him, watching him as he continued, "But, over the last couple of years, I've learned that…" He sighed before persisting, "I've learned that the people who die for us… give us something when they leave. They give us the memories we come to hold dear. The ones that we never want to forget." He looked to her briefly, and then out to the rippling ocean. "What Jekyll did for us… he saved all of us. And in a way… he saved himself."

Mina's brow knitted lightly. She found she did not understand.

"Think about it for a minute… think about how he looked in those last moments." Tom shook his head. "He looked so certain… so final. It was his choice. But maybe he couldn't take it anymore, and that was his chance to do some real good… Jekyll always had guilt about him somehow."

"You think he was trying to redeem?" Mina inquired softly.

"Maybe…" Tom murmured pensively. He, like Skinner had a little while ago, shrugged his good shoulder, adding, "But that doesn't make it any easier to accept, I know. And I wish he hadn't done it, on some level…" Cocking his head, one side of his mouth turned up in a very light smile. "I miss him… even if I didn't know him all that well." Meeting her gaze, he concluded poignantly, "And it won't be the same without him."

Mina reached up and stroked the blonde hair from his brow, before leaning into him gently, and looking out at the ocean as the light continued to die. Her head coming down to rest on Tom's shoulder softly, perhaps for comfort, she watched the daylight fade.

"No," she agreed in little more than a whisper. "No, it won't."

Thank you, Henry Jekyll… for everything.