She set off into the night, her veil flowed around her face as she swiftly made her way down the street. She was Vastra. She was The Great Detective.
'Another cold night, just great!' she hissed, the cold biting her emerald body threatening to engulf her. Vastra hated the cold, aside from being a nuisance it slowed her down, she couldn't react to an attack as quick and it made her even grumpier than normal. She really had no reason to leave the warmth of her house at 13 Paternoster Row but she had been inside for 2 weeks due to the cold and she needed to eat, and being a Silurian the only way Vastra knew to get her food was to hunt for it. She carried on through the night like a shadow, unless you were looking out for her you wouldn't know she was there. She kept walking for what she described as ages which in fact would have been about 5 minutes. Eventually she came across a young girl, 'Perfect, an easy meal.' She muttered under her breath. She began to follow the girl, but she couldn't bring herself to kill her. 'Get yourself together Vastra! She's nothing more than a rotten stinking ape, you used to kill apes for sport, just one flick of your tounge and she will be dead!' but she couldn't do it. She was about to turn away and then she heard a voice. 'Ere, why are you following me?' It was the girl in front of her that spoke, For the first time in her life Vastra was speechless. Finally she spoke. 'Why are you out at such a late hour by yourself, shouldn't you be home in bed by now? Its 1 o'clock in the morning!' 'No 'ome to go to ma'am.' Came the reply. 'I live on the streets, now are you going answer me question, why are you following me?' The girl was bold and confident, that was the first thing that Vastra noticed. 'I was going to eat you!' it was then she realised what she had actually said. 'You were going to eat me?' the girl shrieked, she began to back off, 'What kinda monster are ya?' The girl was now pressed against a wall with nowhere to go. 'Do you really want to know what kind of a monster I am?' questioned Vastra. The girl gave a slight nod, and with that Vastra lifted off her veil. The reaction from the girl was nothing like what she had expected. She found herself directly staring into the girls eyes, the girl didn't look afraid anymore, she was smiling, well at least that's what Vastra thought it was, she wasn't very good with human emotions. They stayed like that for a few more seconds before the girl finally broke the silence. 'I 'ope you don't mind me sayin ma'am but you're beautiful, I mean I 'avent ever seen any other green people walkin round 'ere but I 'onestly fink you're beautiful. Vastra took a step back, she was shocked, honestly and truly shocked. 'You don't want to scream? Faint? Run?' she asked. 'Well yes and no.' came the reply, 'I mean you tried to eat me but now I can see ye face you ain't so scary anymore!' the girl stopped for a moment and Vastra could see she was thinking about something. Finally she spoke again, 'Ma'am, what is your name?' she sounded hesitant but still asked the question. 'My name is Vastra, though most people know me as The Great Detective.' The girls mouth dropped open, so wide that Vastra wasn't sure that it was possible for such a small ape shut it again. 'You're the great detective?' she paused and then spoke again, 'If you solve crimes then why were you going to eat me?' she looked confused and Vastra could, for once, understand why, 'I haven't been outside for 2 weeks which means I haven't eaten in 2 weeks, the cold slows me down and if anyone tried to attack I can't defend myself as well, you see young ape, im a Silurian, an intelligent reptile from an ancient civilisation long proceeding man kind, I am not built to survive in the cold as I am cold blooded. I also have a question, what is your name?' the girl was looking at Vastra in a curious way and kept that look before answering her question. 'Jenny ma'am, Jenny Flint.' The girl, Jenny, was unusual, she wasn't like most people, that was the second thing Vastra noticed, she didn't scream and run when she saw what Vastra really looked like. 'Well Jenny Flint, I have a proposition for you, I am in need of a maid and due to my what some people are pleased to call disfigurement, it is very hard to employ someone, would you be up for the job? You will have a room in my home and you will have the daily chores of a regular maid, however there is something you need to know. I only drink tea and blood and eat raw meat, so do you accept my offer? Jenny stood there for a moment before looking Vastra in the eyes and with a firm nod said 'Yes'.