Set after Season 3 Episode 4

John's POV

The telephone call was short, Ada told John to be at Birmingham station for 11 o'clock, and to look out for carriage number 3. John was now sat on a bench where the station master said the first class carriage should roughly stop. He'd only been waiting for ten minutes when a train pulled into the station. John stood and walked to the correct carriage. The door was opened by a teenage boy, who proceeded to unload a two large cases and what looked like a doctor's bag onto a trolley. The boy spotted John and touched his cap.

He leaned into the carriage, "Mr Shelby is 'ere miss."

He held out a hand into the carriage; a long slender hand in a leather glove took it. The hand was followed by smart yet oddly dressed woman. She turned to face John and smiled.

"Good morning Mr Shelby. I am sorry for the late notice. I didn't know if I could make it till late last night."

In heeled shoes she was eye to eye with John, to him she was tall for a woman, Esme barely made it to his shoulders. She was slim yet with some muscle on her bones, as far as John could see under all her layers of clothes. Tanned skin, with dark auburn hair curled back into a bun. Light brown eyes framed with many dark lashes stood out from under her hat. She had a light smattering of freckles across her face. Three scars marred her features, the smallest sat under her right eye on her cheekbone about two inches in length. The longest one ran the length of her right cheek, from near by her ear to the corner of her mouth. The deepest sat on the edge of the left side of her jaw, two inches lower and it would have slit her throat. They stood out starkly, three pale white lines against her tanned skin.

John stepped forward, "John. I thought I'd be picking up a male Doc. No offence."

She smiled at him, the scar pulling her lips making it crocked. "Nina, I get it all the time. It's nice to meet one of Ada's brothers at last, I've heard so many things about you."

"Ada told me to be as quick as I can."

"Well lead the way."

John turned and began to walk out of the station Nina fell into step beside him, a porter followed the two with her luggage. Outside the station sat John's new car, it was brand new and top of the line Bentley.

Nina let out a low whistle, "Nice. It won the Le Mans last year. It's a hell of a car."

John stared at Nina as if she'd grown another head. She saw him staring, "Right, no car talk."

John snapped back, "Sorry I just didn't expect it." He turned to the porter, "Luggage in the back, and watch the paint"

Nina's POV

I couldn't believe the size of the house, even the old medical school wasn't this big. John parked the car at the end of the long drive. A footman came to open my door and help me out the car and another took my cases and doctors bag from the car. The footman who helped me out of the took the keys from John. The man who held my bags disappeared into the house.

John escorted me up the steps and into the house, I caught sight of my bags vanishing up the stairs. "Ada is up the normally in the drawing room, It's this way.

John turned and began to walk in a different direction than my bags just disappeared. Not wanting to get lost in the big house I followed him. We walked down a few corridors and came to a closed door. John turned the handle and the door swung open.

"Ada. I've lost the Doc."

Over John's shoulder I could see Ada stand and frown at him. He pushed the door open wider and stepped into revealing me.

Ada rushed round the desk and towards me, crushing me into a hug. "Nina. God am I glad to see you. Thank you for coming so soon. Mary, thank you. Some tea would be lovely if you please."

A grey haired woman in a black dress nodded and left the room. Ada pulled me further into the room, towards an older woman sitting on a sofa near a small fire. John had taken a seat the other side of the room with two other men, one older than him and one younger.

"Nina, this is my aunt Polly. Aunt Polly, this was the Doctor I told you about."

I held my hand out and Polly shook it, she had a strong grip for a woman. "Ada told me you looked after Karl."

I smiled, "I did, I was on rotation in London when I got sent to Ada."

We all sat and Polly stared at me across the table. "London hospitals don't train women."

"I studied in Oxford, under my uncle. I did most of my training during the war."

Polly softened her gaze, "Then maybe with you, there's hope for us yet."

Two maids came in carrying a tea tray each, they were followed by another maid holding onto Karl's hand. When Karl saw he slipped out of her grip and ran towards me and scrambled into my lap.

"Nina!" he threw his arms round my neck.

"Karl you have grown."

"I didn't believe it when mummy told me you were coming. Did you bring me anything!"

"Karl, don't be so rude." Ada chastised him.

I smiled at the boy, "only if you behave I might have something for you."

He nodded and climbed off my lap and went to sit next to Polly. One of the maids poured us tea while the other poured tea for the men. Once they left, Polly light her cigarette.

"Right. Tea and a smoke then down to business."