The Silurian and the Maid
It was fifteenth of December in Eastern London, and rather cold, even for winter. As I walked down the darkened alleys, I wrapped my coat tighter around myself, trying to protect myself from the biting winds.
Not only was there winds to contend with, but also the splashes of rain droplets that robbed my body of warmth. As it was, I was soaked to the skin, feeling as if frost was covering my body instead of my clothing. With the moon covered by the rain clouds, the only light source I could count on were the faulty streetlights that seemed to dim as I continued down the street.
As I continued on down the dark and deserted street, I heard a sound that seemed so alien it made my heart stop. I turned around, placing my back against the wall as I looked down the path I had come from. It was clear of any sort of life, bestial or otherwise. Shaking my head I continued on down the street.
"Must be the cold." I muttered to myself, walking solemnly down the street. By now the street lights had faded to a dull glow, leaving a trail of orange orbs to follow.
I stopped dead when I heard the sound I had heard before, it sounded like a raspy hiss. Turning around, I peered into the darkness, trying to find a visual clue as to where the sound was coming from. I tried to listen to find anything else to help, unfortunately the tapping rain and my own hammering heart were the only sounds I heard.
Looking to one of the streetlights, I saw something that resembled a figure on top of the beam. I didn't stay to investigate, I ran. I was tired, cold, and hungry, but the sudden spark of adrenaline sent me down the street, looking back behind me to make sure I wasn't followed. I couldn't tell with so little light in the street.
Whilst looking behind me, I slipped and fell on the slick road, hitting the ground and letting out a squeak as the air was driven from my lungs.
Looking behind me, I saw nothing, no one and no animal. I heard nothing aside from the ceasing tapping of the rain, and of course the pounding drum of my heart.
I stood shakily to my feet, wiping the front of my winter coat before continuing on, taking a turn through an alley. With no unusual sounds behind me, I slowed my pace as the adrenaline began to leave my system.
Soon the same bone chilling wind took up affect again, chilling my skin through my coat and dress. Straightening my posture, I continued my trek through the dark city, still straining to make out details in the near pitch black darkness.
After what seemed to be an hour in the darkened street, I came to my destination. The door to 13 Paternoster Row, where I hoped I could get the offered duties of the house maid. As living as a Matchgirl was not in my better interests, a maid seemed to be a higher line of work, if only slightly.
As I reached forward to knock on the door, I stopped my hand from making contact with the knocker. It was near midnight! My desperation to get away from my current predicament that is hardly a living blinded me to the obvious gap in logic I had. Now, even though I've had to live in the slums of London since I was twelve, I wouldn't be what you called 'dull'.
Living my exiled teen years in solitude gave me perspective of life, of people. I watched them, how they acted, how they spoke to loved ones compared to strangers. Spouses to children. I read where and whenever I could, sometimes stealing, sometimes buying when I had the money. I was lucky that my father had been a librarian and taught me how to read at an early age, it's one of the few useful skills and devotion he'd ever gave me before he and mother banished be from the house.
I spent the next six years teaching myself about books, imagining great adventures outside of my life now. Finding that one person to travel the world with, to find some sort of destiny.
However, destiny it would seem, had to wait until dawn, as I couldn't possibly disturb the head of the house at this hour. Sighing in frustration, I put my hands in my pockets, the soaked wool not bringing much warmth to my hands.
I decided to stroll until I found a secure enough place to wait until tomorrow morning, I'd probably look like a run down corpse, but I didn't have any other options.
As I continued down the street, I heard another sound, it wasn't hissing this time, it was the sound of men's voices, and the sound of boots on the wet road. I looked behind me to see a group of four men in the dim light of a street lamp. I couldn't make out their faces, but a cursory glance at their uniforms justified my worst fears: It was a squad of Tongs, a Gang in this part of London. And the exact people I had escaped from earlier during the evening.
I again ran, blindly running across the wet ground, I heard the scuffle of feet that told me they were following, and worse yet, they were about to intercept me. I turned into another alley and kept running, the dim glow of another streetlamp ahead of me. However, two figures stepped forward into the light, silhouetted by the glow. I skidded to a halt, turning around to see the alley way entrance blocked. I looked to see the seven male figures approach me from both sides of the alley.
"Goin' somwhere love?" One of the men asked, knowing I had no where to run, I decided to play for time.
"Oh no, just on a stroll." I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt. The men chuckled and approached, I frantically looked to see if I could find an opening and escape.
"Mind if we...Escort you to your next destination?" Another one of the gang members asked, he seemed to be the leader, standing tallest and looking the oldest. I smiled coyly and let him approach, he got within arms reach of me before I leapt forward and kneed him in his family jewels.
"Not today." I said, frantically making a run for the opening he had left. I made it four feet before being tackled to the ground. The man on top of me was heavy and strong, but that wouldn't stop me from fighting back. I kicked and thrashed, if there was any hope of escaping this mess, I would take it.
Before I could squirm free, the rest of the gang has surrounded the man and me, there wasn't going to be an escape. As I ceased struggling. Two other thugs hoisted me up by my arms, leaving me to stare at the leader, slightly slouched and obviously in intense pain. Glaring at me with cold grey eyes, he lunged forward and slapped me with his hand. I felt pain and a dulling of my senses, all I saw was the blurred man in front of me.
I was dimly aware of the other gang members attempt to survey my body and any money I had, they would find themselves disappointed in the last regard. However, I knew money was secondary to their primary goal, lust. I tried to move any of my limbs to get up and move, but all I managed was to wiggle like a fish fresh from water.
As the gang members began to close in (close enough for me to make out their brutish faces and to smell their unwashed stench) I thought I heard a strange sound and light at the end of the alleyway. I looked up through hazed eyes as what appeared to be a wooden box materialized out of the night air, a man stepped out from inside it.
"Good evening!" He said cheerfully, either completely ignorant of the situation or not really caring.
The leader of the gang members stepped forward. "Wut do you want?" He asked, brandishing a dull knife in his hand. The new arrival stepped forward as well, making a sound of revoltion.
"Really a knife? I was hoping for a more courteous greeting, like 'Ello!' or 'Evening.' But no! You come up, holding an innocent girl to the ground and threatening me with a dull bread knife? I mean, come on." The man said, I realized he was completely mad or was used to seeing situations like this all the time, perhaps even both.
"Excuse me!" I cried despite the daze I was in. "Could you kindly help me, sir?" One of the gang members was prepared to strike me, but the man took another step forward, freezing him with his glare. The Tong froze and remained where he was, the man looked down towards me, I could make out the outline of a smile on his face.
"Well, as you can no doubtably tell, I'm not one for violence and all that, but I can't say the same for my friend." The man said, mischievously smiling. The Tongs looked between one another.
"Wha' friend?"
The man from the blue box put on a dubious posture and tone to his voice. "Well my friend that has been standing behind you this whole time while your attention was on me." He said, the Tongs (and I) looked to see a figure standing just a few feet behind the group. "Anyone's mistake." The man said, just as his 'friend' lunged at the gang members.
One second I'm crushed under the weight of a lad with the gang, the next I'm rolling away from a row. I shake my head to try and clear some of the haze I feel, as my head seemed to catch up with what had transpired. Suddenly a body of one of the Tongs fell at my feet, bleeding out of the ear, or rather where his ear had been. I cowered against the wall and turned my eyes onto the scene in the alley.
The figure that appeared before was moving fluently in the midst of the Tongs, slashing with what appeared to be talons on it's hands. The figure fought with such ferocity and bestial rage, I could scarcely keep up with it's actions.
Within moments, the thugs lay on the ground of the alley, all either unmoving or groaning in pain. I felt a pair of hands grasp my arms, turning I saw the man from the Blue box before me. As he was closer I could make out more of his features, he had tense dark eyes and course brown hair stuck up at an odd angle.
"It's ok, I'm here to help." He said, and in spite of all that had happened on this night I didn't even question his sincerity. I nodded, but I wasn't focused on him as I looked to the mystery figure who had come to my rescue.
"All the Apes are dealt with Doctor." The figure said, the voice was female, but there was something else in it as well, some sort of inhuman quality. The man turned towards her with a look of minor annoyance.
"Oi! I told you stop calling them that." He said, crouching down by one of the bodies, as if to check for life signs. I felt my breath begin to recede back to it's normal pace, my head was still hazy as I attempted to determine who these two were.
As I opened my mouth to ask the man and woman of their respective identities, a bony arm wrapped around my neck. I gasped as I felt a body pressed up against my back, a gun held in my captor's other hand as he pointed it at the man and woman.
"Right, you two, let me go and we can all forget about tonigh'. Otherwise..." The man behind me aggressively negotiated, placing the gun to the side of my head. "Otherwise, this pretty littl' thing gets a 'ole in 'er head." I saw the apprehension cross the man's face, and a fierce stiffness went up in the woman.
"Let go of her." The man said, his hands out to his sides. The gang member holding the gun tightened his grip on me, the barrel of his revolver pressed painfully to my temple.
"Or what?" The gun man asked pseudo-bravely.
"How's this?" I asked, slamming my heeled boot down on his foot, and smashing the back of my head against his face. The man growled as he stumbled backwards blindly, his lip and nose bleeding profusely.
In a blind rage, the man lunged out and by either chance or accuracy hit me in the face. I fell to the ground, disorientated. Looked up to see the dark barrel of the gunman's weapon, knowing what awaited at the end of chamber.
Before the Tong could pull the trigger, something lashed out from the darkness, a whip-like shape. The man holding the gun screeched and fell to the ground, convulsing violently.
I turned towards the man and woman who came to my rescue to see a blue light and what appeared to be dancing expanse of emerald gems. Then the world darkened.
~DW
The Doctor, approached the unconscious woman, checking her pulse and scanning for injuries. His sonic screwdriver in hand he did a full sweep of the woman's form, the tool not detecting any other injuries on the woman.
"Is she hurt?" The woman in black asked, stepping towards the Doctor. He gave an assuring smile.
"The right side of her face will hurt tomorrow, and she'll probably need some water." The Doctor said, looking over the alleyway and the unconscious men sprawled over. "The question is, why was she on this side of town anyways?"
"I believe she was going to apply for a job." The woman said.
"What makes you say that?"
"Because of the address in her purse." The woman said, holding a faded card up. "As well as the fact I saw her walk up to my house and prepare to knock." She said matter-of-factly.
"What's her name?" The Doctor asked. The woman rummaged through the purse to find nothing.
"She has no documents pertaining to her name."
The Doctor frowned, scanning one of the fallen Tongs with his sonic screwdriver.
"Something of interest Doctor?" The woman asked, noting the narrowed look he wore.
"Just a hunch." He said, deactivating his sonic device. The Doctor looked to the unconscious woman. "We need to get her out of here."
"We can take her to my home. It will be safe until we can find out more about her." The woman in dark decided. The Doctor quirked an eyebrow.
"Sounds more than just a professional interest Vastra." The Doctor said as he picked the unconscious woman up, wearing his cheeky smile. Vastra stiffened at his statement.
"To imply an interest in an ape is below myself Doctor, you know this." Vastra said, removing her black veil. "Even so, she has a warrior's spirit." Vastra said admiringly, sky blue eyes looking upon the pale face whose mind lay beyond consciousness.
~DW
Upon awakening. I realized something was odd about the place I was in. For one, it was warm and comfortable, so I was in a heated room and sleeping in a bed as opposed to the cold wet ground I was used to. Another oddity was revealed once I opened my eyes, the room I was in, while rather sparse looked to belong to a rather wealthy person if the design of the room was anything to judge by.
The bed itself was warm and high with a gorgeously decorated headboard, smooth curves that accented the shape of the bed. A hearth burned on the wall opposite to the foot of the bed. Someone must have stoked the flames recently as the fire crackled excitedly.
With all this comfort and warmth, most people would simply relish it and not ask questions, I however learned that such kindness and comfort came at a price. Reluctantly I stood up from the bed, instantly feeling a throbbing from the back of my head. This was of course when I remembered the night previous when I was saved by some mad man in a blue box and a woman in shadow.
The throbbing soon reduced to a dull ache as I made my way to the door. I opened it to a rather bare hallway, although it was richly furnished and designed, it lacked decoration. Even though I was a poor woman who lived in the streets, even I knew there had to be some sort of decorations. A family photo, a painting, decor, something to make a living space feel warm and welcoming. While this house was richly designed, it lacked charm.
As I continued to explore the house I came upon some sort of greenhouse, filled with exotic plants that I had neither seen nor heard of in London. I entered the room, walking up to a large plant with wide leaves and sharp edged. I ran my index finger over the leaf face, it felt so foreign to my touch and unfamiliar that I could have thought this to be a dream.
"Beautiful aren't they?" Came a female's voice. I stiffened and turned around, spying a living room opposite of the greenhouse. A female figure was seated in a chair turned towards the hearth in the room. Turned away from me, but at an angle where I could see the ruffles and boots of a lady.
"Yes they are ma'am. I've never seen anything like them." I said, trying to be courteous, I was in another person's house after all.
The woman chuckled throatily. "Not many have seen plants of those variety for a long time." She said, I approached the living room, noticing that the hearth was burning brightly, also noticing it being a bit warmer in here than the rest of the house.
"How do you mean Miss...?" I asked, stepping into the living room and spying the woman I was addressing in a comfy armchair near the fire, her face veiled complete with a full dress, as well as, oddly, gloves.
"Vastra. Madame Vastra. And you would be?" The woman asked, I felt slightly unnerved as I stood before her and her veiled face followed my movements.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance Madame Vastra. My name is Jenny." I said, trying to perform a curtsey in the nightgown I wore, despite the fact that I had never been taught to properly curtsey since I was a little girl.
"Last name?" She asked, appearing amused as she seemed to internally chuckle at my attempt at the curtsey.
"Flint." I responded simply.
"Please sit down Miss Flint." She said, gesturing to an armchair opposite of hers. As I sat down, I immediately tensed, I was about to find out what favor or task I would given for being taken in.
"Excuse me Madame, but could you perhaps explain to me how I got here?" I asked, wanting to at least clear up some things in my memory gap.
The Madame seemed to expect the question as she responded instantly. "A friend of mine found you in an alleyway not too far from here, upon noticing you had no identification nor home address he took you here." I listened to Vastra, but I could tell something was off, she was either lying or hiding something, but as Lady of the house, I knew I shouldn't dwell on the subject.
"Now Miss Flint," Vastra started, sitting up in her chair, not having removed her veil or gloves. "I understand that you are interested in the position of maid of this household?" Vastra asked, I felt shocked.
"You mean this is 13 Paternoster Row?" I asked, taken aback upon this realization.
Madame Vastra chuckled, her breath stirring her veil ever so slightly. "Yes it is Miss Flint." I immediately erected my posture and tried to appear somewhat presentable, despite the nightgown I wore. "Now, are you interested in the position I have offered?" Vastra asked, raising a glass of what I thought was red wine up to her lips beneath the veil.
"Madame, I desperately need and want the position of maid of your household, I'll do anything you ask of me." I said, trying not to sound desperate, though I'm sure I failed in that regard.
"Anything?" Vastra asked in a tone that offered heavy suggestion. I felt my cheeks start to burn.
"Anything within reason Madame." I quickly added, desperately trying to hide my flushing cheeks.
The Madame seemed amused as she set her goblet down, but I with the veil over her face I couldn't be sure if she truly was amused or not. As she turned towards me, I immediately ceased my internal thoughts.
"There's something I'll need to show you first, then we'll see how eager you are for this job." Vastra said, her hands crossed in front of her, studying me I could tell. "Are you prepared?" She asked.
Puzzled, yet intrigued I nodded. "Of course Ma'am."
"You've been warned." Vastra said, reaching up and pulling the crape off of her face and head.
I felt my heart stop and my throat constrict.
Madame Vastra was evidently not human. Where her skin should be smooth and delicate looking, green scales made up her face, almost like a sea of emeralds covered her face. Where a normal person would have hair upon their head, Vastra had a crown of hardened scales that seemed to wrap towards the back of her head. Perhaps the least unnerving or most were her sky-blue eyes that sparkled beautifully. Looking completely if not nearly human.
"Well?" Madame Vastra asked, if her appearance hadn't seemed real to me before it certainly did when animated.
"W-what a-a-are you?" I asked, my legs unwilling to support my weight, the only thing I could do was flatten myself against the high backed chair.
"I ,my dear, am a Silurian. A race of reptiles that inhabited the earth before humans had fully evolved." Vastra said, still looking at me with those piercing blue eyes. Despite her scaly appearance, she still resembled a normal human woman in terms of face shape and build.
"Are t-there more of y-you?" I asked, trying not to shake, though I'm afraid it still looked and sounded that way. The lizard woman seated before me seemed to visibly become depressed.
"There were, but if I know my brethren as well as I do, I know they will either exterminate or enslave the human race. I was the only survivor of the clan that was awakened in what is now the London Underground." Vastra said, speaking with morose sadness. Instead of feeling fear, I felt sorry for the Lizard Woman. However, my eyes locked on to her set down goblet, noticing the color and denseness of the liquid didn't match with any type of alcohol I'd seen.
"If your race wants to enslave the human race then what does that make me?" I asked, becoming increasingly wary of my freedom, the liquid in the goblet was definitely not wine of any kind. "A pet? A slave?" I continued, eyes still on the goblet. "A meal?" Vastra fixed her blue eyes on me, stopping me from continuing.
Vastra stood to her full height, I felt small vulnerable in her gaze and helpless, if she decided to follow through one of the possibilities I had listed, I wouldn't be able to escape. The lizard woman stared at me with a curious gaze, before pulling off one of her gloves and offering a scaled as taloned hand.
"I intend to do none to you." Vastra said, grasping my hand and pulling me up to stand before her, even standing she was taller than me. Despite her reassurance, I felt a very slight receding of my apprehension. "It's true that I eat the bodies of animals, even those of human criminals, but should you accept the position of maid you shall not be harmed in anyway. Be warned, it may not be pleasant as I eat only raw meat and drink blood for sustenance."
Feeling lightheaded, I fell into the chair once more. "What would be asked of me, Ma'am?" I asked, the very edge of my fear beginning to wain.
"You would serve my meals in the morning and evening, keep all the hearths burning in the winter, as well as many other chores around the household, those two tasks however are the most important." Madame Vastra listed, I nodded as I listened, surprising her and myself with how calmly I sat and listened. "By the way you are taking all this information in stride, I assume you are not going to run?" She asked, her blue eyes regarding me with what I assumed was curiosity, but as she was of a different species she may be viewing me as a raw steak.
I shook my head, no matter what she may be seeing me as. "I've got no where to run ma'am." I said, memories of a place I once called home flashed through my head.
The Lizard woman regarded me, before turning and sitting down in her chair, her posture perfect.
"Well, Miss Flint, I think it would be prudent-" Vastra began, before I stupidly interrupted.
"Jenny." Vastra stared at with me with those cool blue eyes, her face blank of expression. Instead of hiding, I straightened my own posture and met her blue eyes with my brown ones. "My name is Jenny ma'am, begen' your pardon, but I'd prefer if you called me by my first name."
Madame Vastra regarded me again with suspicious eyes. "Very well, Jenny. As I was going to suggest, you and I are going to have a brief question and answer session." She said, I narrowed my vision in confusion.
"What kind of questions?" I asked, getting a distinct feeling these wouldn't be ordinary questions.
"In my species, questions about one's self or intent are asked. The person asked the questions have to respond with only one word, as a single worded response is the most sincere." Vastra explained, leaning back into her chair.
"How many questions am I to be asked?"
"Until I am satisfied that I can trust you to an extent." Vastra deadpanned. Crossing her gloved fingers. "Are you ready?" She asked.
"Yes." I said, smirking as the game began.
"What is your age?" She asked.
"Seventeen." I responded.
"Where are you from?"
"London."
Vastra smiled, at what I could only assume was my performance thus far. "What was your previous job?"
"Matchgirl." I said, I now knew that the questions would be getting more personal.
"Do you have a family?"
"Did." I said, feeling the long repulsed memories surface again, fresh again as the day they occurred.
"How do you mean?" Vastra asked, tilting her head in interest.
"Complications."
"Such as?" She asked, more and more interested in my past.
"Revulsion." I said, tears beginning to brim at my eyes.
"For what?" Vastra asked, studying me like I was a romantic novel.
I bit my lip, trying to find a way to respond in one word. Exhaling, I decided to at least try.
"Passion." I said, feeling my cheeks flame at Vastra's surprised expression.
"For whom?"
A tear rolled down my cheek. "Women." I said, looking down in shame, I now would be expelled from this house as well. The Madame said nothing, when I looked up, I saw her face as an expression of fury. I recoiled, pushing myself into the back of the chair. I would be killed here by a Lizard woman because I was honest to her. I laughed internally about how ridiculous that sounded.
Instead of a the sharp pain of teeth and the eternal gates of hell, I felt a pressure on my shoulder. I opened my tear lined eyes to see Madame Vastra a few inches from me. She looked at me with a look of sympathy, her gloved hand was warm against my shoulder.
"Ma'am?" I asked, put off by the lizard woman comforting me...I would assume she would not be used to such customs as she wasn't exactly human.
"Listen to me now Jenny." Vastra asserted, grasping me by the shoulders. "What you endured is not right. I may not be human, but to me even what your family did was cold and harsh. You have the bravery and decency to face who you are and accept it...Don't ever let anyone's judgement of you decompose who you are." The Lizard woman said, her cool eyes piercing through my brown eyes, as if she was peering into my mind and soul.
"Yes Ma'am." She smiled, standing to her full height and offering her hand.
"The considered yourself hired Jenny Flint. Welcome to a new world."
-Author's Note
And just like that I'm writing three fanfics at once, Doctor Who being one of them.
Not too much to say here, except that the Doctor is in his Tenth Incarnation at this point, and Vastra is more or less adapted to human customs and such, the idea being she's already been at this for a few years.
Review and tell me what you think.